Standing for Truth

Standing for truth and right is not solely a Sunday thing. Every day our neighborhoods and communities are in desperate need of our support and our commitment to safety and law and order.

Joseph F. Smith was 19 when he returned from his mission in Hawaii. As he traveled from California to his home in Utah, he was confronted one morning by a “wagonload of profane drunks … , shooting their guns, yelling wildly, and cursing the Mormons.” One of the drunks, “waving a pistol,” came toward him. Although Joseph “was terrified, he felt it would be unwise and useless to run … , and so he advanced toward the gunman as if he found nothing out of the ordinary in his conduct. ‘Are you a — — — Mormon?’ the stranger demanded. Mustering all the composure he could, Joseph answered evenly while looking the man straight in the eye, ‘Yes, siree; dyed in the wool; true blue, through and through.’ Almost stunned by this wholly unexpected response, the gunman stopped, dropped his hands to his sides, and, after looking incredulously at Joseph for a moment, said in a subdued tone, ‘Well, you are the — — pleasantest man I ever met! Shake. I am glad to see a fellow stand for his convictions.’ So saying, he turned and walked away.”

^{We might not all be faced with the challenge of standing true with a gun in our face, but we do have many other challenges that are very real in the world we live. We still need to have the courage that Joseph F. Smith had and stand for what we believe in. I know that not only will it help you, but it could also help the person that you have talking to. I have learned that when I stand up for what I believe in those around me respect the things I believe in and will do what they can to be respect full. I have also had friends that will say," Well Rebecca doesn’t do that.” or “Don’t talk about that around Rebecca." and it really shows me that my friends are true friends and respect me and my beliefs.}

Box Of Crayons

Like a box of crayons, We are very similar but each person is also very unique.

The shade people bring to the world is all their own. … We each have our own individual strengths and weaknesses, personal longings, private dreams. But together, they blended into a color wheel of amazingness.

We need to remember that even though people are different than us we still need to be kind to them. We need to always build others up. Everyone is different, no two people are the same. We tend to catogarize people and put them where we think they will go, even if we do not know them very well.

I have learned that if I get to know someone before I judge them, it is much easier to find out who they are as an individual. Not only does it help me keep an open mind I am sure it makes everyone else happy when they know that they are  not being judged, wether on how they look, dress, or talk. It is sometimes hard to be kind or even just not mean, to those that are different than us. We just need to remember that to others we are different and we do not want to be looked down on because that does not feel good either.

Think Thanks

We can speak our thanks, we can write our thanks, we can sing about how thankful we are, we can feel thankful in our hearts. There are many ways to show our thanks to our friends, family, and anyone that you come in contact with. It is good for us to thank people often. Jesus Christ asks us to be grateful—to express our thanks—because He knows that a grateful heart helps us feel happy. ~  Sydney Reynolds

I had the opportunity to get to go to youth conference this last week. We were able to go to Nauvoo, IL for 3 days. We got to see the pageant and the many other sites that are there. On our last day there we had the privilege of walking down Parley St. As we walked there were signs of the trail that told of the events that happened to the saints from Nauvoo. Many of then talked about how thankful they were for all that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ had done for them, even thought they were being driven from their homes. This helped me see that it doesn't matter what is going on in my life, I still need to be thankful for all I have, my family, my friends, and for the Gospel that I have in my life. Not only do we need to be thankful on the inside, we need to tell people that we are thankful. One of the best ways to make people fell happy is to tell them how they have helped you, or how thankful you are for something that they have done.

I challenge you to show your thanks for the people around you. Try and tell people you appreciate the many things they have done. Everywhere my Father goes he tells people how thankful he is for them working. It does not matter if he is in a business meeting, or getting food at McDonald's he always tells them, "Thank you for working." He has become an example to me on being thankful and I hope that you will start showing your thanks for those around you. Help spread that happiness that comes from saying thank you.

Obedience is Freedom

“Obedience—that which God will never take by force—he will accept when freely given. And he will then return to you freedom that you can hardly dream of—the freedom to feel and to know, the freedom to do, and the freedom to be, at least a thousandfold more than we offer him. Strangely enough, the key to freedom is obedience” (Obedience, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [Provo, 7 Dec. 1971], pp. 3–4).

When we are obedient it is much easier to do what is right and stand up for the truth. Wether we are following our parents, teachers, or our boss at work,  when we are obedient we become respected for following them. When you are respected by someone it makes telling them the things you believe in much eaiser for them to accept. So as you go about your day, think of the people that are trying to help you and try to do what they ask, so that when the time comes you can stand True At All Times.

Bringing It To Life

           Hi All, This Is Me, Becca! Today as I was sitting with my Young Women's Leader Allison, we were trying to come up with ideas to inspire other to live up to what they know to be true, even when it is hard. We had some different ideas but it seemed that the best way to do it was to have a place that people could see that good that was still happening in the world. So I have started this blog to share stories, thoughts, quotes, scriptures, and ideas that can help inspire the reader to want to do what is right. We look around the world and see so many things. Some of them are good, but there is a lot of bad too. This blog is to bring out the good and spread the happiness of living, True At All Times!