Truth?

If we lack belief the council given is to act in faith and soon we will obtain a belief.
If we act in accordance with the commandments given, the blessings will come, and we will recieve a witness. We only receive a witness after the trial of our faith.
If we only have a desire to believe, let that desire work within us and we will believe.

So, submerging ourselves in something or acting in a certain way will bring about belief in that principle or action, right? If we have enough desire to believe in God and to believe that the LDS church is true, then we will believe it, right?

If we can will ourselves to believe in God, though, can we not also will ourselves to believe that molesting little children is not only acceptable, but good?

Young men were brought in and trained, or maybe brainwashed, into becoming Nazi soldiers. Young men are brought in and trained, or maybe brainwashed, into become missionaries for the LDS church. If we submerge ourselves in a culture or set of beliefs we soon live and believe according to that culture in which we were submerged. The doctrine in the LDS church even teaches this. If we surround ourselves with people who cuss, drink, and smoke and don’t have any direction in life, soon we will begin to cuss, maybe we’ll smoke, maybe we’ll drink, and we’ll lose the direction in our life. Maybe this is the tactic of the LDS church; we pull individuals in with our kindness, submerge them in our beliefs, and soon have them thinking exactly what we’re thinking. It’s all the same thing, right? Submerge them in “good” or submerge them in “evil” and pretty soon they will become just that. So what is truth, then? How do we know what is real? Some of the Nazi’s really believed what they were doing was right; Hitler really believed he was refining the human race. Some of the Mormons really believe what they’re doing is right; Joseph Smith really believed he was called of God.

Just something to think about.

Angst

“One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi… ready or not, here I come!”
With no hint of hesitation she tore into the newly sealed floor heading towards the furnace closet.
Sally hadn’t played this game in years, but the furnace was always the first place she went, hiding or seeking.
As she grew closer to the closet her frantic run halted and she converted her movement to a graceful tip-toe. There was no need to alarm the hider.
Sally reached out her arm and gently let her fingers fall upon the doorknob. Once she had a firm hold she twisted and pulled in one fluid motion. The door flew open causing a gust of wind to throw back Sally’s hair. Her wide-eyed “I found you” look evolved into a squinty-eyed stare as her eyes focused in on the empty closet. Her body turned and her left eyebrow came up as her mind began to strategize.

Victory

Remember how I dominate at everything I do?

BAH!

Ok, I know who I appear to be. But that's not who I am. I don't want to attract the kind of person I look like I am. I'm throwing away all my band shirts.
People think I'm all into music and stuff. I'm not. I could care less.
I act like I'm into it sometimes.... I guess I should stop. I want to start throwing stuff away. Clothes and music. I'm getting too old for this crap.

I want to attract someone who is smart and takes care of himself and doesn't spend his time downloading "cool new music". I don't want to attract people who have earphones in their head all the time blocking out the rest of the world.

Why do I attract people like that? Is it because I wear vans!?

This is dumb. I'm an idiot.

I'm so tired and irritable right now. I'm going to start being mean to some people.
Oh, AND.... when you call someone twice, leave a message, then call them twice the next day, write on their facebook wall twice and GET NO RESPONSE, wouldn't you think, "hey, maybe this person doesn't want to talk to me..."? Yeah, you should.

I'm not hating on one particular person, don't worry. There's a few of you.

freakin a.

.the Answer.

Mosiah 3:4

______

That's what my mind looks like right now.

Blank.

I get so exhausted listening to philosophical conversations.

By the end of class I have no room or energy for thoughts of my own.

I'm trying to study for a test tomorrow but it's doing me no good.

I need sleep or food.

I won't have either of those things for quite some time.

A.K.A.

I'm screwed.

Concert:

a public musical performance in which a number of singers or instrumentalists, or both, participate.

I went to Nofx this weekend. I had fun. Except I'll probably never go to a concert again.
Maybe Rancid, probably not.
Why?
I got the crap beat out of me. I used up way too much energy (I'm getting old and I need to be better at conserving it). It's a perfect example of "thrill seeking" from Pres. Clark's devotional. And they insulted my God and my beliefs.

I need to put my time, money, and energy into something productive.

President Clark's devotional at the beginning of this semester broadened my understanding of the baptismal covenant. I know my body is not my own and I need to take care of it, i.e. don't get tattoos, eat and be healthy, etc.
but I'd never considered "shoot(ing) guns at canisters of propane" or "jump(ing) off bridges into shallow rivers" to be breaking those covenants.

"You are under covenant to take care of your bodies and use them according to the Lord’s will and purpose.... You do not have to break your covenants in order to have a good time."

Putting myself in situations where I know the spirit cannot dwell and placing myself in danger is contrary to covenants I have made. Engaging in those activities will only deter me from my goals and my real purpose.

I have things to do and I can't let these minuscule distractions derail my progress.

Yup.
And I'm going to Jackson Hole this weekend. I'm going hiking. It's going to be awesome.