Merry Christmas!

Christ, think on Him for a moment this week. He is not only the reason for the season, but the reason for life! He was born into this life the same as all of us. But His parentage was unlike ours. He had a mortal mother and immortal Father in Heaven. He was born a King. But He wasnt just any ordinary king. He was and still is the King of all the worlds. He began teaching God's word when He was just a child. A child of God, just like us. But oh the sacrifices He made so that we can return to Heaven. Jesus Christ had to be mortal so that He could suffer and die for us. Then three days later He rose from the grave , whole, immortal,  and forever perfect. Because of Him we can live again! We can recieve immortality and eternal life. This is God's whole purpose for everything we go through. "For behold, this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)

Christ was born in poor circumstances. " And she brought forth her first born son, and laid him in a manager; because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7) Though no one made room for Jesus, He has room in His heart for each and everyone of us.God chose Christ to come to this earth because He knew that Christ would have always have room for us. As we celebrate the Christ, who came to this earth first as a babe, may we truly ponder how much room in our life we have given to Jesus.

I love the Savior so much! And I am so very grateful for this Christmas season, to ponder on the impact He has in my life and how so very often I see His hand in my life. I am thankful for the Atonement, for the privlege I have of repenting,  for the strength He gives me so I can endure my trials and face temptations.  And I am most grateful for the opportunity I have been given to get to know my Savior. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and pray you may all be blessed with safety and with the Spirit and love of our Lord and King!
https://www.mormon.org/christmas

Love,
Kenzie

I love tough things!

As many of you probably know, I have anxiety and depression. Awhile ago I was asked to give a talk in church. I was debating whether or not I should or rather could give it, because I get really worked up about being in front of people, by myself. As I sat in Sunday School praying about it, pondering if I should talk to my Young Women's president about finding someone else to do it. I received a very strong impression that I could and should give the talk, along with a motto my cousin sent me from her mission in Florida. "I love tough things. I am first to do tough things. I do tough things first." I instantly knew that I would give the talk, and that the Lord would help me do it. Come the day of the talk I was super-duper nervous and felt under-prepared. I kept praying all morning for the strength and peace I needed to give my talk. At the beginning of sacrament meeting I felt prompted to begin with something funny, to kind of break the ice for me and the audience. I listened to that prompting and got quite a few laughs and a a head shake from my Dad :). The rest of the talk went well, and I know that the only reason it did was because of my faith in Christ and Heavenly Father's power and love for me. My cousin  also shared this quote with me which is like my new motto and I love it so much! "Don't give up, Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead...You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and Believe in good things to come." -Jeffrey R. Holland

I know this church is true, and that Pres. Monson is the living prophet of God on the Earth today. I am so grateful for the Spirit and the many promptings, answers, and feelings of peace I have received. I am thankful for all of you and your example and love for me. I love this gospel so much! I hope you all have an amazing week!

Love,
Kenzie

October 2015 General Conference

It has been such a long time since I posted on here. I promise I will do better! Anyway, I just wanted to share some quotes and feelings that I got or wrote down from General Conference.

First of all my favorite talks were probably Pres. Uchtdorf's from Women's Conference, Elder Hales' from the Saturday afternoon session, and Elder Oaks' also from the Saturday afternoon session.

I will start with Pres. Uchtdorf's. What really stuck out to me (besides the stalker cat) was what it takes to be happy and how to be happy. It takes three things; faith, hope, and love. At the end of the story of Great Aunt Rose, she tells Eva how she turned her life around, from being miserable to being an all around happy person. She said she discovered faith and faith led to hope. Later on she said that everything in the gospel led to love. And when you had love for God , you had love for all of His children and wanted to serve them. Eva then asks; "And is that what makes us happy?" Great Aunt Rose then responds with tear-filled eyes; "Yes, my dear. That is what makes us happy." This whole story really touched me. I often find myself unhappy because I let my anxiety and depression get the better of me. Now I know what can make me happy, and boy does it.

Elder Hales' talk was entitled Meeting the Challenges of  Today's World. Elder Hale begins by stating that the members of the church have been blessed by the gospel plan, we have a guide to lead us around the storms of life. He told us we are the pilots of our choices. We are given a question to ask when we aren't sure which way to fly. "If I make this choice, what is the worst thing that can happen?" He reminds us that if we pray for guidance and listen to the Spirit, we will make righteous choices, which will keep us from flying into the storm. Another important thing to remember from his talk is; "If you want more than you now have, reach up, not across." This struck home with me, as I often am not sure whether the Spirit or my anxiety is talking. Another thing I learned on how to go the right direction is "never suppress a generous thought"(sister Camilla Spencer), I learned that from EFY.

Elder Oaks' talk was on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The main message I got from his talk was this. "The Savior has the power to succor-to help- every mortal pain and affliction. Sometimes His power heals an infirmity, but sometimes He helps us by giving us strength or patience to endure our infirmities." Later in his talk he tell us that the righteous have many affliction, but they are nothing that the Lord can't help us with. He also said that "Christ has descended beneath it all, so He is in the perfect position to lift us, we only have to ask."  I really loved this talk so much! I can't even begin to comprehend what Christ went through. The only pain I will ever have to feel/ endure is my own. Christ felt every-ones. What an amazing elder brother we have, to do that for us. Not only did He feel it, but He can help us through it also. Awhile ago in Sunday School when we were talking about this. One of my classmates asked; "if Christ felt all our sadness and infirmities, did He also feel all of our joy?" It really makes you think, whether He did or not. I hope after all of what He endured, He felt joy that it would all work out and everything He just felt, was leading up to something happy, so why wouldn't He have felt the happiness of us all afterwards? There's a quote that goes like this; "An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it's going to launch you into something great." This is just what I think and wonder.

I loved General Conference so much and am so grateful for the living prophet, seers, and revelators. I know that Thomas S. Monson has been called of God and is His mouthpiece. I know that Christ loves us and wants us to return to live with our Father in Heaven again someday, I know that we can do so by being obedient to God's commands, repenting of our wrongdoings and enduring to the end. I know that  Christ can help us endure to the end if we only put our trust in Him and ask for His help through prayer.

Here's the link to the conference talks, I encourage you all to read, watch, or listen to them if you haven't, or read, watch, or listen to them again, if you have already. I love you all, but more importantly God loves you! Have a great week!
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions?cid=HP14GC&lang=eng

EFY

Sorry this is so late, but I had to share my amazing experiences from EFY. So here it goes.

Monday: After everyone got checked in (I switched groups so I could be with my awesome cousin), we met with our groups first then with our companies. I'm sure everyone says this, but I had the best company ever, and the best counselors anyone could ask for! Our company name was given to us from the scripture Joshua 1:9 which reads; "Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thous goest." A Season for Courage was our company name. It made me realize, that more than ever, now is the time to have courage to stand up for what is right and truly take upon ourselves Christ's name.
         That night we were introduced to our session directors, Bro. and Sis. Sweat. Yes, they perspire a lot, and we were cool with that.;) jk. Anyway, we had a huge Family Home Evening that night and Bro. Sweat gave the lesson. It was on the EFY theme "Here Am I" from 1 Samuel 3:4. Here's a few things that really stuck out to me. First "Here Am I" means "what would you have me do?" and second 10 promised blessings we get for answering God with "Here Am I" and doing what He asks of us;

1.  Holy Spirit
2. peace
3. freedom
4. joy
5. confidence
6. love
7. forgiveness
8. light and truth
9. strength
10. eternal life

       After FHE was goal setting. Our company came up with two spiritual goals and two social goals to reach during EFY that week. Our spiritual goals were; to share our testimony in some way once a day and to go to the temple early Wednesday morning. Our social goals were; to have a different escort each time we went somewhere and to write five compliments on sticky notes to five different people everyday. That and the temple goal were my favorites. It was really cool to be able to get to know my company members throughout the week, and see so many different people come together in Christ and lift each other up and become friends.
         At the end of everyday we participated in gospel study, it was personal, but then we gathered with our group and shared what we learned in our studies. This was definitely my favorite part of everyday. It strengthened my testimony in ways that I wouldn't have thought possible, I got to know my Savior better, and I was able to share experiences with the other girls in my group and relate to their experiences.

Tuesday: To start out each day we had a morning side by our session director, Bro. Sweat. The topic for that morning was personal revelation. Some things that stuck out to me was that; the spirit always is present with personal revelation and that the Spirit speaks to us in our mind and in our heart (D&C 8:2). This quote was shared regarding our mind; "Never suppress a generous thought." -Camilla Eyring Kimball. I love this quote so much! It reminds us that even if you don't know if it's from the Spirit, but it it good, do it, because all good things come from God. This quote was shared regarding our heart; "If it makes you feel uneasy, don't do it!" -Pres. Boyd K. Packer.
      The rest of the day was filled with classes. The first one was on "Recognizing the Spirit" by Dustin Bennion. During his lesson he told us that we need to make listening to the Spirit our first priority. Later on he said something that I love, he said; "When you don't give up, you CAN'T fail." In my next class that was titled "If Bad Guys Blogged..." by Alissa Smith another awesome quote was shared. "The Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ". So, if you want to know the difference between bad and good, read the Book of Mormon! My next class was titled " The Real You" by Dustin Bennion. These are the things I wrote down. " You failed because you are trying to be something you're not." "You are more beautiful than you think." and "If ever a time to have faith, that time would be now." It really reminded me to be myself and trust in God. My last class of the day was taught by Alissa Smith and was titled "Embark Weekly" in that class I learned that to examine means to become better or recognize your sin.
       Tuesday was also the first dance, which was way fun!
        Gospel Study that night was centered around the Savior and what He does for us. Jesus Christ is my eldest brother, my confidant, my Savior, my best friend, my Redeemer, my hope, my Creator, my Rock, but most of all He is my All! He is the light and the hope of the world. I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ, His sacrifice, His example, His life, and His love. There is no one else I can trust more than Christ.

Wednesday: At 4:30 in the morning I was up and headed to the Twin Falls Idaho Temple, to do baptisms for the dead with my company, it was way fun and a great was to start the day right. The morning side for Wednesday was on the strengthening power of Christ, again by Bro. Sweat. I learned that there are three types of divine strength from Christ.

1. strength to faithfully endure trials and challenges
2.  strength to overcome sin and temptation
3.  strength to preform work beyond our normal capacities

And here's an awesome quote by an unknown person; "The Atonement not only mends broken branches, it also strengthens roots." I think this is a good reminder that the Atonement doesn't just allow us to repent and be forgiven, it also helps us to become better and stronger in Christ.
        My first class that day was titled "Knowing Who You Are" by Dustin Bennion. I wrote down some good reminders that Bro. Bennion mentioned in his lesson.

• God loves me with an infinite love.
•  Part of discovering who I am means that I will go through trials, but God will help me through them.

My second class was taught by Alissa Smith, entitled "The Worth of Souls is Great". It was centered around the scripture in D&C 18:10 which reads; "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;". She talked about how the world thinks we need to be perfect, and we often get sucked into that. She also told us the definition of perfect, which is; having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics or as good as it is possible to be, or whole. In my scriptures next to the scripture I have written; "The worth of souls is the capacity to become a God." Isn't that the truth? God doesn't care about how much make-up we wear, what the new fashions are, what color our hair is. God loves us just the way we are, and if we remember that and strive for celestial glory, God will bless us abundantly. After the two morning classes we had our panel discussion, where in questions were asked from the youth, and were answered by the panel members. It was pretty cool. The last class I went to that day was titled "It's your life... what will you choose?" by Dustin Bennion. I wrote a lot of things down during this class, but I will just share a few.

• We start sinking when we stop focusing on the Savior
• If we do start sinking, the Savior will always have His hand reached out to us.
• Success is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from our mistakes.
• If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.

This was probably my favorite class, Bro. Bennion was so good at having the Spirit in his lessons, it really helped my testimony grow.
        Games night was Wednesday also, it was way fun! We didn't win any of the competitions (except our flag was one of the winners), but we had fun working together to compete against other teams. We grew closer together, learned more about teamwork, and found out we are great at setting up for group photos!
       For gospel study that night, we focused on how we are loved daughters of our Heavenly Father. We talked about how awesome each of us are, how God wants us to be happy, and how God's and Christ's love for us is infinite! I AM AWESOME!

Thursday: Thursday was "spiritual day" We all wore best dress. The morning side Thursday was by Bro. and Sis. Sweat. It was on women and the church. A few things I wrote down about this;

• Don't take counsel from my fears.
• Marriage and family are faith-based.

Two things to remember

1. Don't compare myself with others.
2. Christ will restore/redeem all unfairness and inequities of life.

      After that was the Young Men/Young Women Activity, where we split up and read over and discussed The Family: A Proclamation to the World. My group talked about how important it is to be kind to your family and what a great blessing it is to be sealed to them for time and all eternity.  I love my family so much! I couldn't imagine my life without them, I'm so glad I am sealed to them forever, even if I do fight with them, I love them to death.

       The musical program was that day also, I participated in that and came closer to my Savior by singing my testimony for others. The musical program was definitely an experience I can't forget. In between songs, there were some speaking parts, and a few messages from general authorities. Throughout the whole program, a slide show was on, showing pictures that went along with the songs and the spoken words. It was amazing how strong the spirit was during the program, it was so cool!

       Testimony meeting was that night, and what an amazing experience that was! I bore my testimony just quickly on how much I was grateful for the gospel and my family and my EFY company. I actually didn't bawl my eyes out, which was amazing. It was really cool to listen to the others bear their testimonies on what they have gone through, and how they grew from that, the Spirit was with all of us that night I'm sure.

     To end the day our session directors gave a fireside. One thing that really stuck out to me was that the Atonement means cover. Christ wraps His arms around us and covers us. And the sacrament is a re-commitment of our love for Christ. I know that I have often felt the warm embrace of my Savior, especially in my time of need, it is the best feeling in the world, to know that Christ has His arms around us and will protect us from the world. 

    Gospel Study that day, for me was centered around the Holy Ghost. In the topical guide under Holy Ghost it says; dove, source of testimony. I also thought it was cool how when Mary was pregnant with Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:18 it said "Mary was with child of the Holy Ghost." That just goes to show that even when He wasn't born yet, He still was alive with the Spirit. 

Friday: Our last day of EFY started out with a morning side by Bro. Sweat, as usual. Here are a few things I learned that morning;

what we see and hear = what we think

what we think = what we desire

what we desire = our actions

our actions = our character

our character = our destiny

So everything lies on what we see and hear, so we need see and hear Christ in everything we do. The more we focus on Jesus, the more we see and hear Him in our lives. 

      After the morning side we had a sharing the gospel activity, there are four steps; 

1. Restate the question that was asked you.
2. Answer the question.
3. Testify of what I answered.
4. Invite.

It was really cool searching for a specific answer to a question someone might ask me about the gospel, I was lead to where answers were by the Holy Ghost, and knew what I was supposed to say. 

      Next was the variety show, everyone did amazing, it was really cool that others had the courage to share their talents with others. 

    During gospel study Friday I contemplated going on a mission, and kept studying the scriptures and praying after EFY also, and got the answer that yes I should go on a mission. But what I really loved about that night was the goal we set to keep after EFY because of EFY. We all shared them with eachother. Here's mine; Because of what I learned at EFY, I will remember Christ's love for me.

    Later was our last dance, which I mostly sat out for because of the pain in my foot. After that was a short good-bye fireside from Bro. and Sis. Sweat, then we all sang the EFY theme song "Here Am I" and the EFY Medley. My company all sang it in a group hug. That was when I really broke down and bawled my eyes out, starting during the Medley, all throughout the closing prayer, our hugs and good-byes and it didn't stop until we were on the road headed back to my cousin's house.                                                                           Here's some awesome videos that were shared.

Love,
Kenzie

Family History

Today in Young Women's we talked about family history. My leader had us do an activity, half of the class wrote letters to their posterity (the other half of the class) as if they were in Spirit Prison because they never had the opportunity to have the saving ordinances. In the letters, they expressed their love for us and told us how much it would mean to them if we could find their names and take them to the temple.

It made me realize that our ancestors probably are up their behind the bars of Spirit prison, waiting for us to set them free. So why aren't we doing anything? When I read my "letter" I felt bad that they were up their suffering, because I haven't taken the time to listen to the Spirit and find their names to take to the temple. But, it also made me feel hopeful that their is still time to break them free of their bonds. So that they have the opportunity to accept Christ and His gospel and see all of their family again.

I am so grateful for the blessings of the temple, technology, family history, and eternal families. I love this gospel so much and am thankful for it in my life. My family is the best anyone could ask for, and I have amazing friends. I've been blessed with so many things and to top it all off, I got my Young Womanhood recognition award today! Hope you all have a fabulous week!

Love,
Kenzie

Rise Up

This past week was Stake Girl's Camp. I had the opportunity to be a youth leader. Our stake theme was "Rise up", based on the movie Up. Our Scripture was Moroni 10:32 which reads; "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

We rose up a lot over camp. We went on a hike in the heat of day, uphill. We woke up at 4 am one morning and went on a sunrise hike, uphill. I went on a ten-mile hike with a few other girls, I didn't make it all the way though. One of the hardest things for me to rise up and over during girl's camp was when I got sick and couldn't help out with the activities. That was tough for me, because I'm a girl who when something fun is going on, needs to be there, especially when I helped plan it. But, by far the most trying thing for me at girl's camp was during testimony meeting. Not to far into it, I began having a very bad panic attack, I was able to control it for a little while, but soon it got out of control. As I sunk into the abyss of panic, a very strong feeling came over me that I needed to bear my testimony. When this thought occurred I told it "no". My foot that I got surgery on felt like it was being stabbed by a knife and I was in the middle of a full blown panic attack, while my body was going numb because of the attack. I finally worked up the courage to rise up and speak. That was one of the hardest moments of my life. But, I did it, I rose up and face my anxiety, pain, and fear. Testimony meeting that night was defintily one to remember.

I know that my Redeemer lives, He loves me, and is always here for me. The gospel is true, a living prophet is here on this earth today. I am so thankful for all of you, my ward, my old wards, and my family and friends. I encourage you all to rise above your challenges and trials in life, the Lord will help you to do so. I testify of this with every fiber of being. Have a great week! Here are a few pics from camp.

Love,
Kenzie

Remember

One of man's greatest weaknesses is forgetfulness. Today in summer seminary we talked about the cure to this weakness; which is simply to remember. But how do we remember? The scriptures and Christ teach us how to do so. In Luke 24, is the story of how Mary and other women go to Christ's tomb to visit Him, and He is not there, the stone is rolled away, and an angelic being stands near. The angels ask the women "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" they reminded the women that Jesus said He would live again on the third day. After these words from the angels, the women remembered that Christ had said He would live again. They immediately went to His apostles and told them what the angels said. The apostles believed they were crazy. Two of the apostles decided that since the Messiah was dead, no one could save them, so they left Jerusalem. As they started on there journey to neighboring village, they spoke to each other about all that the women had told them. As they talked, Jesus began walking with them, but their eyes were restrained so that they did not know Him. Jesus asked them what they were discussing, they told Him the story of Christ and the tomb. The Lord then said to them, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken...He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." Christ then took bread, blessed it, and broke it. It was only then that His apostles eyes were opened and they the living Christ. Afterwards Jesus left and the two apostles sat and thought back on their walk with the Savior, they realized that they had felt His presence. (St. Luke 24:1-33)

The sacrament reminds us of our covenants with the Lord, it reminds us of the path we should be on, and most importantly; reminds us of our Savior Jesus Christ and all He did for us and all He continues to do for us.  In the sacrament prayers it says exactly that; "...that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them..." And the reward? That we may always have His Spirit to be with us. Here's a video we watched in Seminary also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLGOyNc6XkU

I know that my Redeemer Lives! He is there for us whenever we may need Him, we just need to remember. I testify that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that He suffered for my sins, pains, and everything that I have or will go through. I love this gospel and all of you, have a great fourth of July weekend, and I hope you can all not only remember the Savior, but also those who fought to make this country free!

Love,
Kenzie

Dad

Sorry for the two posts in one day, but I have to give a Shout out to my daddy.

This man has been in my life since before day one, and I can't thank him enough for everything he does for me. He has been through thick and thin with me. He bounced me on his knee when I was a baby, and now he plays basketball with me. My dad is my hero. I am so grateful for him in my life, I'm thankful that he is a worthy priesthood holder and is willing to give me blessings when I am in need. I grateful that he can always make me laugh, even if his jokes are almost always potty jokes. I'm grateful for the hard work he does everyday to provide for my family and I. I'm grateful for his strong arms that embrace me when I need a hug. I'm grateful that he lets me drive "his" truck to and from work and school. And I am especially grateful that he is my dad, I couldn't ask for a better one then him! Thanks Dad for all you do! Love you tons!

Love,
Kenzie

Kaycee

Today was my cousin Kaycee's mission "farewell" she is going to Jacksonville, Florida and the lower part of Georgia. Anyway, as she began her talk, you could tell there would be plenty of crying, not just from her, but everyone in the audience. The spirit was so strong as she told us about her decision to go on a mission and the trials she went through to get where she is today. As she continued speaking, my love for her and my Savior grew, I was overwhelmed by the Spirit and it was made known to me again that the Atonement is real. 

I just want to let you all know, especially those in Florida and Georgia, that the world is gaining a great missionary and person. Kaycee and I have been buds since we were little, I remember having sleepovers and play-dates with her when we were younger. I have always looked up to Kaycee and am going to miss her tons, but I know she is doing a great work for the Lord and that she will be a blessing to so many people on her mission. Kaycee is a wonderful example of someone who dedicates her life to the Lord, she is always positive, is looking out for others, and can always make me laugh.

I am so glad you are in my life Kaycee and wish you the best of luck on your mission! Thanks for always being my friend, I know you will do great things in this world. You will be in my prayers and I will email you! Love ya!

Love,

Kenzie

Through the Looking Glass

Today during stake conference my old ward and a YSA ward sang a new rendition of I Stand All Amazed, it was the most beautiful version of this song I have ever heard in my life. I felt the Spirit so strong it hit me once again the impact and power music can have on someone's life. But, it also depends on the type of music.

One of the speakers today said "we go where we are looking." Isn't that so true? If we are looking towards the great and spacious building instead of the tree of life at the end of the straight and narrow path, we are not going to end up with delicious fruit in our mouth. I think it is the same way with music, if we are listening to good, uplifting, clean music; we draw closer to our Heavenly Father. While on the other hand if we are listening to terrible music, the Spirit will withdraw from us.

Another thing a speaker said was "righteous desires need to be relentless...we must battle for good everyday." The second we step away from Christ is a step closer to the devil, we need to stay with the right army, never straying from the path that has been set and prepared for us. In Ephesians 6; it reads "Put on the whole amour of God..." I love that whole chapter actually, it proves that it is a real war against Satan, and we can't just jump into the fray all willy-nilly. We must prepare by doing the simple primary answers; pray, read the scriptures, FHE, etc. 

I am sure you have all heard the story about the dirty window, if not here it is; 
'A young couple, Lisa and John, moved into a new neighborhood. One morning while they were eating breakfast, Lisa looked out the window and watched her next-door neighbor hanging out her wash.

“That laundry’s not clean!” Lisa exclaimed. “Our neighbor doesn’t know how to get clothes clean!”

John looked on but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, Lisa would make the same comments.

A few weeks later Lisa was surprised to glance out her window and see a nice, clean wash hanging in her neighbor’s yard. She said to her husband, “Look, John—she’s finally learned how to wash correctly! I wonder how she did it.”

John replied, “Well, dear, I have the answer for you. You’ll be interested to know that I got up early this morning and washed our windows!”' (https://www.lds.org/liahona/2010/11/charity-never-faileth?lang=eng)

I love this gospel and all of you, hope you are all having a great summer! Thanks for all you do!

Love,
Kenzie

My Superhero

My Superhero

The world is full of superheros.

Superman, Batman, Captain America, Hawk-eye, and so many more.

But, why can't I be one?

When I was little I would run around the house,

with a cape tied around my neck, a mask strapped on my face, and my head in the clouds.

"When I grow up I want to save the world." I'd say.

The world told me I couldn't be anything, wouldn't be anything.

My Papa told me I was his hero,

my grandma said I saved her from the past.

I stare at the billboards, wondering when my name will show up,

in big, bright, blood red letters.

Letting the whole world know, that I am here, I am important, and I do matter.

Maybe to you I'm the broken glass you step on after the Hulk breaks through a window.

But, to someone upstairs I am what deletes His kryptonite.

He holds me and tells me He loves me, 

kisses my cheeks where my tears dry,

bandages my wounds from the hate of the world.
He is my superhero, the healer of my dreams,
the only one who really knows what it's like,
to be stomped on and crushed under the weight of this cruel world we live in.
I don't need to be strong or brave or even wear a cape to save the day .
Because the one who gently rubs my hand when I cry,
whispers in my ear that all I need is Him,
to be a superhero.

Is that all?

I feel like we often ask ourselves, is that all? Did we do enough? Is that all we get? Are we enough?
I hope I can change that perspective on life.

Jesus Christ has said "come unto me and be perfected in me" (Moroni 10:32). What does this mean? From what I have learned it simply means to love God "with all your heart, might, mind, and strength..." (D&C 4:2). And also to not be an enemy to God, which means not being a 'natural' man, but instead becoming like a child (Mosiah 3:19). I believe everyone has their own way of doing so, but I know for sure that at least one aspect of that is yielding to the enticing s of the spirit and do good (Moroni 7:15-18).

Hope you all have a good Sabbath day tomorrow and a great week filled with service, love, and the Savior.

Love,
Kenzie

The Atonement

This past month I have been studying the Atonement in depth along with the scriptures. I wrote so much down that I felt and learned, I just wanted to share some of it with you.

First I want to start out with our FHE lesson we had tonight. It was about putting on the armor of God. I think that the armor of God and the Atonement go hand in hand. If we put on the armor of God and apply the Atonement to out lives, we can easily deflect the blows of Satan, and come closer to our God.

Anyway some really cool things I learned from Preach My Gospel, Gospel Doctrine, and other sources under "Atonement";

Definitions:
               sin- disobedience to God's commandments, knowing good, but don't do good, results in being separated from God.
               repentance- to change our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are not in harmony with God's will, which includes forming a fresh view of God, ourselves, and the world.
             

1. Wickedness never was happiness. If we live contrary to the nature of God, we live contrary to the nature of happiness. If we need to know if we are forgiven, we should feel peace and happiness in our lives once again.

2. Christ will only forgive our sins if we... accept Him, repent, take His name upon us, keep the commandments, and do all we can to be like Him.

3. Faith is the key to repentance. Faith in Christ leads to action, it leads to sincere and lasting repentance. It helps us change the desires of our hearts to be in tune with His desires. Faith and repentance comes easier if we HUMBLE ourselves before God and Christ. If we do not continually strive to increase our faith, it will die (Alma 32:39). Pride and doubt get in the way of faith and the Holy Ghost. We accept the Atonement by putting our faith in Christ.

4. The Holy Ghost plays a major role in our lives. The Holy Ghost; testifies of Christ, helps us recognize truth, provides spiritual strength, helps us do what is right, comforts us, warns us of any kind of danger, and so many more things. The Spirit will be constantly with us if we keep our covenants and the commandments. He is our conscience, this gift is given to all men and women. To beat the natural man, we must "yield to the enticing of the Holy Spirit" (Mosiah 3:19).

I learned and grew a lot this past month studying the Atonement. I am so grateful for this gospel, for the Spirit, and for the knowledge I have of my Redeemer Jesus Christ, I am thankful for the Atonement, through which I am able to repent and receive help throughout my life. I know that my Redeemer lives!  I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,
Kenzie

General Conference

 Last Sunday, we were challenged in Young Women's to read a conference talk every day for a week. As I did so I was able to come closer to Christ and apply the talk to what was going on in my life, seminary, or something else. It made me realize how important having the Spirit to be with me always and having a living prophet here on this earth is.

I certain talk popped out to me as I pondered over my notes from Conference. It was by Wilford W. Anderson; about hearing the music. He said; "I can teach you to dance, but you have to hear the music."(https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-music-of-the-gospel?lang=eng) I love this, but what music do we want to hear? It made me think about the song Glorious by David Archuleta in Meet the Mormons.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GytW_rgr0RM) In the song it says "it's like a symphony." I get chills from this song and talk they fit so well together. I think it is important to dance your life away, but to the right music. "Everyone plays a part, we sing our own melody s." We need to do our best to be our best, dance with everything you got, to the right music. I don't know how to know which symphony is the best, but I want to find out for myself, I encourage you all to do the same.

I am so grateful for a living prophet here on this earth today, for the opportunity to listen to him twice a year. I am thankful for this gospel and for the impact it has had and continues to have on my life. I love this time of year, everything is blooming and coming back to life, I hope my testimony can continue to bloom. I love you all and thanks for being so awesome!

Love,
Kenzie

Easter

I am overwhelmed with the love of my Savior today. It has been a wonderful experience to listen to the prophet's voice these last two days. I am truly grateful for the living prophet on this earth today. I am thankful for Jesus Christ who suffered and died for me, than rose again so that I may return to live with Him someday. I love this time year, everything is blooming and coming back to life. It makes me want to do something more with my life and strive to be better. I love that I have the opportunity to spend time with my family and sustain the church officers with them by my side. I am honestly blessed by this gospel in so many ways, they are to numerous to count.

Listening to Conference made me realize how important scripture mastery is. During one talk last night he quoted so many scripture mastery's and I was amazed that I could name the scripture reference on so many of them. It really made me wonder if I was doing all I can to memorize them and learn them better. It was really cool to hear him tie so many of them together and be able to understand why they all tie together. I love seminary so much and want to work harder to learn the scripture mastery's better, so that I may feel of the spirit stronger.

Last night I was having a rough night and began to pray. I went into my room and knelt down and continued to pray for peace, I was immediately brought peace and felt calm once again. I know I was blessed by God's grace. I know that God answers our prayers even if it's not in the way that we want them answered. In Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk today he talked about grace, something I liked about it was how he said something about how "God blesses us with His grace after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23-26).

I hope you all learned something from conference and I hope you have a great spring break! Thanks for being awesome!

Love,
Kenzie

The Power of a Calling

I just got home from a meeting with the other youth girl's camp leaders and was amazed at what being called for this actually means. When I learned about the meeting I started trying to come up with ideas for the theme of camp and my most memorable experiences. I honestly could think of nothing besides testimony meeting, but that's a given. We began our meeting with a song and prayer then talked about why we have girl's camp and what it is all about. Then we began pitching ideas. Ideas started forming in my head that I hadn't ever thought about before. It was amazing. The other girls were spurting out ideas just as fast. Soon we had a good list on the board of possible themes. It really astounded me, what being set-apart for this calling gives me.

I know with a surety that each of the youth leaders and all of the girl's camp leaders, in fact anyone with a calling was put in that position for a reason. I believe that if we try as hard as we can to accomplish what we are supposed to while in this calling, God will help us do our best.

I am grateful for this calling and the opportunity I have to work with these amazing girls! I love this gospel and am thankful for all the love and support you all give me as I have been working on this blog, I hope you all have a great week!

Love,
Kenzie

The Grace of God

Today in Laurels I gave the lesson on Grace. What is grace to you? Grace to me is the power through the Atonement that allows Christ to help us in our trials. In the Bible Dictionary it reads under Grace; 
 " It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by His atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the Fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible. This principle is expressed in Jesus’ parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1–11)"

I believe that if we work hard and do our best and all we can do, that the Lord will do the rest. It's like the saying that if we put God first in our lives, everything else will fall into its proper place. I know with a surety that Christ is ALWAYS there for us, no matter what, His hand is reached out still to each and everyone of us. We just need to reach back. Pray and He willl be there, read the scriptures, and He will be there, all it takes is a moment to kneel down and ask for help. I am grateful for the many things God has graced me with, I am so blessed to be a part of this gospel. I'm thankful for my family, friends, the prophet, music, and everything, I could go on and on. I love this gospel and for the influence it has on my life.
I also invite you to watch this video on how we learn.
 https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/yw/atonement/grace?lang=eng#video=we-learn

Love,

Kenzie

Children of God

"I am a child of God, and He has sent me here. Has given me and earthly home, with parents kind and dear. Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do, to live with Him someday." (Primary Children's Songbook pg.3)

This goes for every single person, that has, is, or will ever live on this earth. Everyone is a child of a loving and kind Heavenly Father. He wants us to do the best we can on this earth, so that we may return to live with Him someday. Our elder brother, Jesus Christ suffered, died, and was resurrected so that we may do this exact thing. Everyone has a chance to repent and be saved. But, the Atonement isn't just for repenting, it's also so that we have someone to turn to when times are hard. Christ has gone through it all, for each and every one of us. ALL of us know someone who knows what we are going through, our Savior.

If everyone is a child of God, and God wants us all to return to Him through the Atonement of Christ, we need to treat everyone like they are a child of God. Be kind, helpful, a friend, provide service, anything and everything to make them feel loved, not only by you but by God and Christ also. It only takes a simple wave, a hello, a kind note, a little act of service. You could make someone's day by doing a simple service. It may seem small, but to them it just might be huge.

Here's a talk by Russel M. Nelson that talks about being a child of God.  https://www.lds.org/liahona/1978/11/i-am-a-child-of-god?lang=eng

I know that God loves all His children, He wants them to return to Him someday and live in the celestial kingdom. I personally want and am going to try a lot harder to be nicer to all of God's children and treat them how God treats me, and how He would want me to treat them. I love this gospel so much and am grateful for it in my life. I'm thankful for my leaders, freinds, and family who love and support me each and everyday. Thanks everyone for being so awesome!

Love,
Kenzie

Happiness

Happiness is an interesting and difficult subject to write about. I think I will start with why I am writing at 8:30 on a Friday night. An awesome person posted something new from her blog on Facebook, I became overwhelmed with the Spirit and happiness for her and I realized my life is full of happy moments. I've never really thought about how hard other people's lives are, I read their stories and I am brought to reality. I am not the only one in the universe with problems. Everyone is faced with their own struggles. I could be dealing with anxiety, while another is grieving over a loved one. Try to help others with what they are going through, by God's grace they might just be the answer to your prayers and you to their's. (D&C 58:27, 90:24)

I want to be a change in the world. I want to be that "superhero" for someone that keeps them from giving up. I want to make a difference in someone's life. I feel like I can do anything, and I know I can with Christ's help. I know He can help us with our struggles and that everything will work out for our good in the end if we do all we can do for ourselves and others! I believe in the the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know He suffered for each and every one of us so that we can not only repent, but so we have someone to turn to in difficult times. Our Savior is the only one who truly knows what we are going through. He can help you! I testify of this with a surety in my heart. I am a firm believer in Christ and His love for ALL of us. I pray you may all come to know of this for yourselves, I know I have and continue to be blessed because of my testimony of this gospel and everything in it.

If anyone ever needs anyone to talk to, I am here, but more importantly. Christ will always be there for you, just reach out to Him. 

Love,
Kenzie

Music

Last night I had the opportunity to go to a Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert with my mom, grandma, sisters, aunts, and cousin. At one point during the concert, at the beginning of the song, I was kind of like; wow! Music can change lives. I mean honestly I break out in song all the time, if I didn't do that who would I be? I don't really want to know. I love music so much whether it's singing, playing the piano, or just listening to music. Music has blessed my life in many ways.

Every night after I pray and study my scriptures I will turn on my CD player and listen to church songs. This helps me get to sleep, especially on those nights when I just can't. On those night I will lay there in bed and really listen to the words and sing along silently sometimes. I feel such peace as I close my day with a word of prayer, a scripture, and a song in my head.

It's amazing how much life and hope one single line of a song could do to your day. I know in Seminary, I always look forward to the song, and I try to connect it to the devotional in anyway. After Seminary I feel rejuvenated and full of the Spirit. I feel like I can conquer anything.

I am so grateful for the influence of music I have had throughout my life and continue to have in my life. I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, for His life and example. I'm thankful for my home and family for the strength I receive from each one of them every day. I love this gospel and all of you. Hope you have a great week!

Love,
Kenzie

Joseph Smith

Today in seminary we were asked to write our thoughts and feelings about Joseph Smith here is what I wrote. Sorry it's kind of all over.

Joseph Smith was and is an amazing man. I can't even begin to express my thoughts and feelings about the prophet Joseph Smith. I cannot wait until I can meet him and shake this great man's hand. He brought about the restoration of the church. We are that Church. This cause is the greatest cause known to man, who wouldn't want to fight for it? I sure want to! It's amazing how much Joseph got done in his short life, he wasn't even forty when he died. He did more for the salvation of man in his lifetime save Jesus Christ. (D&C 135:3) But, he was fearless and was wiling to die for the most righteous cause of mankind. The gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Joseph and Hyrum were willing to die for it, obviously this is no fake, it is the only true church. Joseph Smith dedicated his life and sacrificed himself for the cause of The Book of Mormon and the gospel of Jesus Christ. If the Smith brothers had made up the book of Mormon, why would Hyrum read from it to comfort Joseph in their last moments? They wouldn't! (D&C 135:4-5)

Without Joseph Smith and the restoration of the fullness of the gospel we would not have any of the important saving ordinances or blessings we have been given today. Such as the Holy Ghost, I have been comforted so many times by the Holy Ghost and felt it's burning inside as my testimony grows. I am so grateful for Joseph Smith and for the fullness of the gospel on this earth today. I love this gospel so much and who knows where I would be without it!

Love,
Kenzie

Strength

This past week was missionary week. One of the last things to do on our list was to write about how Christ strengthens me or can strengthen me. So, I began my scripture study asking how do this. I found in 2nd Nephi chapter 13; I must repent, follow the prophet, serve, be humble and submissive. In D&C section 133, I found; receive Christ, answer Christ, believe in Christ, obey commandments, and don't be prideful.  

I then wrote in my journal how Christ has strengthened me. He has given me answers to my prayers through the prophet, and scripture study. He gives me peace and comfort from the Holy Ghost during the good and the bad. He listens to my complaints. He helps me want to be and strive to be a better person. I am more inclined to study my scriptures, pray sincerely, and share the gospel with others. 

I sincerely believe that without Christ we would all perish. I wouldn't be where I am today without Christ and the gospel in my life. He is the great mediator of the whole earth, the Savior and Redeemer of mankind, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and above all, He is our elder brother, He loves us and wants us to return and live with Him again. I know He is always here for us and will help us through anything, if we are faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments. 

I am grateful for the many, many, many times Christ has saved me. He has prepared the way for all of us to return. The example He set for us was the perfect one. I know we aren't perfect, but we must find and receive strength from our Savior and eventually we will become just like Him, perfect in every conceivable way. Thank you all for being willing to go with me on this journey of trials and faith. I love you all!

Love,

Kenzie

Love

In honor of Valentines Day yesterday I decided to write about something having to do with love. Now, no one wants all that mushy, gross stuff. So I will write about the Savior's love for us and how we share the love of the Savior with others. This next week is Missionary week in Seminary. We have different themes for each day. Last Friday through this Monday is focusing on heart. We have been challenged to pray for the gift of charity for our fellow men. Charity is the love of Christ. For our journal prompt it asks us to write about why it is important for us to have charity for those we serve.
Service is a simple to way to show we care about somebody. In Mosiah 2:17 it reads;  "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. Serving others not only shows your love and devotion for them, but also for Christ."

I know that serving others not only brings you joy but the person you serve and Christ also. In D&C 4:2 (which is our youth theme this year) it reads; "Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.  He is delighted to know that you are following in His footsteps and doing all you can to be a representative of Him. I know He lives and wants us to be like Him so that we may return to Him someday. I believe in the power of the priesthood, in eternal life, and Christ's love for us. I know He loves us with all His heart and will help us to become like Him if we just ask.
I love you all and am grateful for the influence you have on my life!
Love,
Kenzie

He lives!

On my way back from Sardine Canyon, I looked out the back window of the car and I breathed in awe, the top of the mountains were bathed in sunlight, behind them the blue sky, with wisps of clouds here and there. For me, that was a much needed, reassurance that Christ lives and that He is here for me. Now, as I pondered this and thanked God for the beautiful sight,  I was ironically sitting in a driver's ed car. It made me remember many lessons I've had about holy places and how we can make anyplace a holy place for us. At that time, it was in the driver's ed car. You can make anyplace a holy place, if you put your mind to it. 

Today I was reading and article titled; What if Nehor and Korihor had a blog. It mentioned how Korihor asked "How do ye know of a surety? Behold ye cannot know of things ye do not see." It reminds me of the story of Nephi and Laban. How even though Lamen and Lemuel saw an angel of the Lord and witnessed countless miracles, they still didn't believe. I think it all depends on how you look at it and how you take it into account. I personally have not seen Christ in person, since before I was born, but I prayed and asked to know if Christ really does live. I came to know He does. I believe this with all my heart. In D&C 76:22, it reads  "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! "  I love this scripture so much. You can doubt or believe whatever you will, but ultimately it comes down to that statement, that He lives! Christ is the center of everything, I know this with a surety, I sincerely hope you do too. I am very blessed to have the gospel in my life and would be lost without it. I am grateful for the little things in my life that remind me that Christ is here for me and that He is over all. Hope you all have a great rest of the week!

Love,
Kenzie

Prayer

Over and over in the scriptures it says to pray always. I haven't really thought about it much until I began reading the prologue of the twelfth book in the Tennis Shoes Adventure Series, Drums of Desolation. The author asks if Jesus was just referring to pray two or three time a day or something deeper? It made me think about things and wonder what am I doing in my life to "pray always"? The author goes on to say "that maybe it meant that every moment, every hour of the day, we should somehow maintain an uninterrupted dialogue with our Father in Heaven." Or in other words, put God first ALWAYS! In the True to the Faith it lists principles of prayer, one of those is always give thanks to your Father in Heaven. I think one way to "pray always" is to just be thankful for everything you've been given (see gratitude and patience). I honestly believe that as we strive to be more grateful and count our many blessings(hymn 241) we will feel the spirit more strongly, come closer to Christ, and be able to endure our trials well. In seminary a while ago we talked about being grateful and patient in everything, recently in seminary we talked about how we can endure our trials well. I brought up the topic of gratitude. Ever since that lesson in seminary weeks ago, I have been trying to focus on being more grateful, not just for the big things, but for the small things also. There is a scripture in 1 Nephi 16:29 which reads; "And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things."  As I have been on crutches for six weeks, and now have just been freed of them, this seems to have greater meaning to me. I seriously have considered many things I have taken for granted such as; walking, running, playing sports, household chores, taking care of pets, and doing things without assistance like; opening doors, carrying personal belongings, and cleaning up after myself. I am sincerely grateful that I had the experiences I did while on crutches, I wouldn't trade them for anything else. Even though I hated those things with a passion. I love you all and thanks for opening my doors, walking with me to classes(very slowly I might add), and supporting me in everything. Thanks also for reading my blog. I would like to especially thank my family for putting up with my incessant whining, my cries for help, and for taking care of my bunnies for four weeks, I really do appreciate it and couldn't ask for a better family, I love you all so much!

Love,
Kenzie

Scripture Study

In seminary, my teacher told us about one girl's way of scripture study. This was to write down a question she had, then read her scriptures and look for an answer, every time she found what she was looking for. I decided to start doing this last night. I wrote down a question, began reading and answers popped up everywhere. It was incredible! When I was done, I had an answer and felt spiritually full. I went to sleep last night feeling like I actually learned something and I wasn't just reading the scriptures.
I often would try to learn something or receive and answer to my prayer by just reading the scriptures. I felt the spirit, but didn't really learn much, and ended up just highlighting a few verses. I testify that writing out questions works for me, I challenge you to find out what helps you to study your scriptures the best, and actually get an answer and feel satisfied with that days studies. I know that Christ lives, I know He is there for us always and I pray that I will follow His example and return to live with Heavenly Father and Christ again someday.

Self Worth

Today in Laurel's class we talked about our self worth, and it made me realize how many people out there are only concerned about how they look for someone. I want to tell you it doesn't matter your pant size, weight, height, or looks. You are who you are, don't change that! God only cares about what is inside, if your friends don't care about that, you need to find better friends who do. Often we try to base our appearance on some celebrity or famous athlete, we try to cover up what God sees us as, beautiful daughters and princesses. In D&C 18:10 it reads "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God ".
It is often pointed out how much we compare ourselves to others. In February's 2015 New Era, under the title of Wet Cement and Real Womanhood by: Hillary Olsen. She gives us an example of this and how to have the right focuses. In the story a six year old girl is following a teenager around doing exactly as she does. At one point the teenager steps off the sidewalk and walks on the road for a few moments, when she stepped back on the little girl did too, but ended up in wet cement. The author then compares it to supposedly "being cool". While we all might think following someone older or bigger than us will make us so cool, we usually end up feeling downcast and insignificant because we are not exactly like them. The author goes on to tell us how we can focus on the right things and be reminded that we are loved by God no matter what we look like.

1. developing Talents
2. discovering true beauty
3. embracing motherhood
4. focusing on eternal goals

I sincerely believe that we are all sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us! Don't ever forget it! God is there for us no matter what we go through. Think about it, Christ created worlds and the thing He cares about most is you and me! It amazes me what Christ did for every single one of us, He suffered beyond anything we could ever imagine. He suffered so that we could repent and become like Him someday, He obviously loves us with everything He has and doesn't want us to be miserable, turn to Him and you will find peace. I know this with a surety. I have a testimony of this divine gospel and have been blessed countless times because I have turned to God not only in my time of need, but even when I am not being greatly troubled with something. I know He lives and loves each and everyone of us.