After a few weeks of absence, I'm glad I am back on the blogging world. I've worked some long hours and hit the wall while at it. For those who don't know my day-to-day routine, I haven't stopped working during and between the school year in order to support myself in all my expenses. Naturally, this also means that there would be the eventual fatigue-induced scenarios some time during the year. When that happens, I simply sit back and stop doing things that are not related to work, church, etc. Usually, I recuperate just fine like today.
237 years old!
Since July is a month of celebrations, I took some time to think about what it means to be American and a pioneer in the latter days. In case you are not familiar with Pioneer's Day, it's a state holiday that happens in Utah.
Let's face it, America is not perfect, but it has come a long way to provide the opportunities for social, political, and even economic mobility. Being an American should have been an ideal. It is unfortunate that many harbor the feeling that immigrants are not welcome when their ancestors were immigrants, malicious ones when you look at the treatment of Native Americans, as well.
I'm not going to deny the fact that discrimination still exists. I certainly wouldn't put it down as the first reason why someone has something against me. Your life is a lot more miserable when you constantly believe that every person has some sort of prejudice against you. In fact, you would be the one with bias and intolerance towards others. I would like people to remember that discrimination happens in all countries. No single ethnicity is solely responsible for the hate.
Also, USA can only be as strong as the people who live in it. If you have bad work ethics and low aims in life, when majority of the people think like you, it's over for this mighty nation.
Proud to be an American! Although it still baffles me why we vote in idiots into the office all the time. I believe that's a social-political discussion for another time.
As for being a pioneer, it is not only fitting figuratively for the themes of the month, but also literally in the 21st Century. Much of the world believes that most, if not all, traditional values are now obsolete. There are also many members who find fitting into the world today is a great challenge. They are correct. It is when there are so many pressures to steer us away from values we hold dear.
The point being, our generation is trying to adapt and discover ways to be in the world, but not of it. I can honestly say that I haven't gotten that figured out because I live in the bubble known as Provo. While I dwell on the issue, I will also enjoy the fact that I don't have to deal with the complexity of the real world yet.
While we are on the subject of values and whatnot, I would also like to take detour to talk about the recent changes to missionaries having access to the Internet to spread the word. I was initially skeptical about the idea because we know there will be goofballs that screw up. After all, we are only human and we make mistakes. If anything, I thought it would have been a distraction.
After observing the trend for about two months, I realize it can do much good. I'm not talking solely about the impact on investigators. I've personally found some of the inspirational LDS messages from one of my best friends (yes, she's a missionary) very timely and useful. Then, I realized little things like this can actually allow missionaries to not only preach the gospel, but also strengthen the saints at the same time.
It could also be laziness on my part. The more likely story, however, is how we've been conditioned to filter out "spam" when our friends share something over social networks. I think having the status as a missionary may have a different tone. I'm not sure, I'll let you know when I collect more data.
I was going to talk about Mormons in the media, but this post is getting too long. I'll have to fill you in next time!
Recently, a friend of mine, Jarrod, shared the app named Day One on Facebook. After learning that it is a journal/logging app, I decided to give it a try.
For non-Mac users, the only other way to obtain this FREE app is through iPad and iPhone.
Being part of the Mormon culture, journal-keeping is a common trend among its membership. I didn't start keeping a journal until my mission. Frankly, that ended soon after the mission. It was then picked up during the summer of 2011 when I started this blog, but the contents and direction of this blog have since changed to be less and less of a weekly journal. Given that I currently own a smart phone, I've been digitizing many of my daily routines.
I've been using the iOS version for about a week now and I'm just going to briefly show you its features.
The main menu is simple. Just looking at the screenshot to the left, it is very straight forward. Either large button allows you to start a new post, it's just that one starts you off with a photo and the other starts you off with text. You can choose photos from your library or take one yourself and paste that onto your new entry.
The rest of the lines are self-explanatory as well. The Timeline allows you to scroll through all the entries you've written from a chronological basis. There is a search function at the top of the Timeline as well!
Photos show you all the pictures you've used so far in a two-column fashion.
Tags can arrange from alphabetical to most frequently used. I personally find the "most used" feature interesting because I can then figure out what's on my mind the most.
Calendar offers a different view of the Timeline feature. Similar function goes to Years. As for the Starred section of my journals, I save that honor for my favorite posts.
Some other neat things I would like to point out are the weather and location displays. If you allow Day One app to access these types of information, you can add more details to your entries. Personally, I prefer my location to be general, i.e. Provo, Utah at the moment. The app can go as far as putting up the exact address of where you are drafting your journal entry.
Even though this is a private thing, I think I'll pass on documenting the extreme details of my life.
If you think this app is only capable of plain text and its functions limited to only inside the app, then you are mistaken. Day One is capable of rich text format if you know how to use its Markdown feature. A guide is included in the Settings section, which can be found when you scroll down from the main page.
The Settings page is where you can change the fonts/styles and other minute details to your personal preference. A noteworthy feature is the Export to PDF option. If you are planning on compiling a book after writing for some time, it's a great way to put things together. As for me, I generally e-mail each individual post to myself. In a similar fashion to my sacrament notes, I have a folder in my e-mail account reserved for journal entries.
The app is also kind enough to add the Passcode option to prevent friends and family members from access your personal thoughts. Scrolling down, you'll see that you can link your Foursquare account to the app and Help/Guides section I've briefly touched on before.
The Help/Guide section contains many helpful tips and tutorials that will enable you to use Day One to its potential. I'm still experimenting with the app, so I can't say I've got them all down.
Nevertheless, this app has gotten me to start a journal again. I highly recommend this app! Like I said before, it is FREE! If you are a Mac user, or have Apple devices such as iPad and iPhone, you are in luck.
Overall, I like the simplicity and versatility of the application. The only complaint I have about the iOS version is that I'm not big into typing on the phone. Fortunately, I don't usually write excruciatingly long posts either, so it evens out.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published version 3.0 of its Gospel Library app for iPhone and iPad (I'll refer to it as GL3 for the remainder of the blog post). I think I'm doing it injustice by writing a single blog post about it because this update completely revamped the previous version. Also, it's FREE!
As you can see from the left, it is the main menu of GL3. You can choose to view between thumbnails or list of items. I prefer the simple text list since it causes less lag when scrolling down. Interestingly, you can also create your own collection of items in this app. I haven't found the use for it yet, but I may try downloading Jesus the Christ or something like that in the near future just to explore the full capability of that feature.
The globe button you see there allows you to change the language on your app. It's not quite obvious unless your curiosity got you there in the first place.
Like the previous version, you have the Search button. I do not believe there's a way to narrow down your search to certain collections at this time, so you need to know what you are searching for fairly well if you are to look for a specific item. The Bookmark and History tabs also returned, along with the same features.
It searches for everything!
In the Settings, you can Sync with the Church's website for changes you made through your LDS account. I don't find too many uses for the Appearance and Reading Options yet because I'm comfortable with the default settings. If you wish to change the brightness and the way pages are set up, you are welcome to do so through those options.
Most people ignore the About page when it comes to programs and apps. The About page is actually worthwhile in the GL3. Aside from the obligatory version history, etc., the page introduces the user to other LDS-related apps in addition to the offer of following on Facebook and/or Twitter.
Overall, I like the new Gospel Library. It has many materials which were available through LDS.org, but somewhat tricky to access due to navigation and laziness of surfer themselves.
I personally find the various handbooks and manuals useful. While I do not believe that e-books can easily replace the gratification of actually holding a book in your hands, the convenience factor is very attractive. If you are looking into past General Conference talks, you can look up all the way back to 1971! It'll certainly take a few years to digest all that information and I guarantee you won't run out of spiritual thoughts for decades! The same goes for the Church magazines. I honestly don't think I will be able to read everything for at least 20 years when I can read issues all the way back to 1971 as well.
Lacking a consistent father-figure throughout my life, I especially find the books on priesthood responsibilities and leadership useful and relevant to my situation. Don't get my wrong, I appreciate the contributions made by the adult males in my life, but I've spent more time living away from family than spending enough quality time with them.
The one gripe I have about this app, however, is the organization of notes from highlighting scriptures, talks, etc. I know I can create categories and headings for my notes, but I still can't place them individually into the desired folder unless I log into the Church's main website. Perhaps there's a way to do it and I just haven't figure out how yet. Needless to say, even if there is such an option, it is not obvious at first glance.
To sum it up, what I like about this app:
Simple to use
Organized (may be a bit tough at first)
Various other apps available for learning
Deep archives of talks, articles, etc.
Definitely crashes less often than v2.5
What I think this app could improve on:
Improvements in note organization; at least, up to par with the same features on the website
Slight lag issue when using thumbnail view
Some sort of advanced search option
For Android, maybe?
Anyway, everyone with an Apple device should try it out. It's FREE! So, happy enriching your lives!
"And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith" - D&C 109:7
These day and age, it would seem that everyone and their dog has a smart phone. Is it completely necessary for everyone? Maybe not. The fact remains that more and more people are starting to have a smart device, regardless their age.
I remember when I didn't get a cell phone until I started college. This was back in 2007, and certainly before the iPhone and Android craze in the past few years.
When I first started attending sacrament meeting as an investigator in early 2007, the children had to be distracted with various toys and gimmicks in order to stop them from making too much noise during the sacred ordinance. Nowadays, when I revisit a family ward, I see kids with iPads, iPodTouch, etc. and all sorts of fancy stuff.
Even in the YSA wards here in Provo, I see similar phenomenon, except we have young adults instead of children playing on their smart devices during sacrament meeting.
I'm not against smart phones because I have one myself. The whole "fiddling on your phone" trend happened way before smart phones. Remember those days in high school that people just can't seem to get off their phones for two seconds because someone was always texting them? Yeah, somewhat ridiculous and gives a bad rep to people who actually use the phones for more productive purposes. You have no idea how many times when I'm jogging down notes on my phone and people think I'm just playing on it!
I personally find smart phones helpful when it comes to taking notes during sacrament meeting or Sunday School. I currently have an iPhone 4S and I use the built-in Notes app in church. I decided to take notes on my iPhone this summer. Some older members may think I'm dilly dallying on my phone during sacrament meeting, but I am actually not doing so.
Anyway, the point being that it is easy to use. I can just type out whatever I need and send it to myself via e-mail. Usually, I delete the note on my phone to save space, but you can do whatever you want.
There are pros about having a smart phone versus traditional methods of taking notes in church.
Easy to use app
For example,
I don't need pens or pencils or pieces of paper.
Much more legible.
You have an electronic copy of your notes and can print them out if you wish.
Downside of doing this...
Can be distracting because it is your phone after all.
If you choose to print out your notes, there may be additional cost involved.
Not recommended for people who type slow.
When it's all said and done, I choose to e-mail the copy of the notes to myself.
Just a list of my notes so far
This way, I can always revisit them or perhaps even print them out for future reference. Technology can be good or bad depending on the user. I do feel the proper use of our smart devices during church meetings could enhance our overall learning. That is, if you are proactive enough to do the right thing.
It's a crazy yet marvelous age we live in. It's hard to believe none of these things were available until a few years ago. There are many implications to the increased use of technology in the work. As beneficial as it can be, I also know that it can be a great distraction. All I can say to that is, use good judgment brothers and sisters. :)
As for kids getting ADD off of these devices, that's a story for another time. :v
I have had much free time this week because of Independence Day. The United States of America is truly a great nation despite of its flaws. Although, there is much divide among its people for the time being due to polarized politics and thoughts. Never mind of that. Just enjoy the fireworks and celebrations happening across the nation!
All these free time has allowed me to spend time thinking about life and the trails that we come across in our daily lives. I came across a song I used to listen to a couple of years ago. Granted, it is a more stylized translation, but I thought it described many people's struggles in this increasingly crazy world. So, if you recognize the song/poem, good for you! If not, there is a YouTube video featuring a cover of the song below to jog your memory. :)
The lines to the song will be bold in quotes, so you won't be confused by what I'm getting at. I will also add my own personal takes in bold italics. Scriptural references will be in parenthetical citations. Just remember that they are not direct quotes unless specified otherwise.
This is just the musings of a twenty-four-year old man. You don't have to take it seriously. It may benefit you to read this post if you understand LDS theology. I will be using mostly Book of Mormon references, so get your scriptures ready if you need them. For more information, you may refer to mormon.org or lds.org.
"Ever on and on I continue circling with nothing but my hate in a carousel of agony..."
Interestingly enough, people tend to do that when they don't have a direction in life. This was pointed out in the First Presidency Message for June by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Ensign, June 2013). When we don't have a vision in our lives, we stop progressing, which defeats the purpose of the Plan of Salvation.
This is a dangerous mindset to be in. I'm not going to pretend I've never felt this way before due to various circumstances in life, but the main point is how do we know which way to go? Keep this in mind and perhaps you may want to brainstorm for a bit before you continue reading this post.
"Till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanishing and suddenly I see that I can't break free."
Often, when we sink into despair, our emotions tend to trump our logic. When we forget the greater picture, we start to pull inward and figuratively (and perhaps literally?) become self-absorbed. When we forget that as long as we remember Him, His Spirit will be with us, we give up one of the most precious gifts the Father has to offer to His children (3 Nephi 18:7, 11).
Remembrance is an important act of faith. At least, I would like to think so. The Spirit cannot touch those who harden their hearts. When we harden our hearts, we cannot receive the promptings of the Spirit, and we are forced to rely on our own judgment: imperfect and prone to lean towards sin over time (Alma 12:35). The end result is that we not only stop progressing, but also regress.
"I'm slipping through the cracks of a dark eternity with nothing but my pain and the paralyzing agony to tell me who I am, who I was uncertainty enveloping my mind till I can't break free..."
People make mistakes, it's being human. Unfortunately, there are groups that profit off sufferings of others. Ironically, the said groups seek to convert us into miserable beings like them. Perhaps the most notable of them all is the fallen angel who is now known as Satan. He seeks your downfall because he is miserable (2 Nephi 2:18, 27).
For every sin short of denying the Holy Ghost, there is always the opportunity to repent. Repentance is not a weakness or sign of inferiority. It is an essential step in God's plan for our salvation. While some of us may feel that their lives are lost causes, it is important to realize that The Lord would rather have us have a change of heart in this life of probation so He can heal us than whither away in our self-inflicted agony (2 Nephi 2:21, 3 Nephi 9:13).
I do want to point out, though, that we still have to live with the physical consequences of our actions. Repentance helps us retain that remission of sins (Moroni 8:25), but it certainly is not the pixie dust that makes all our problems disappear in an instant.
Fun fact: of all the Standard Works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the word repentance is used the most in the Book of Mormon.
"And maybe it's a dream; maybe nothing else is real, but it wouldn't mean a thing if I told you how I feel."
That sounded like a sappy love song. In a romantic sense, it is clear as mud; meaning, you are on your own, mate. If I was an expert in this matter, I wouldn't be single right now. lol
Oftentimes, many of us feel alone and helpless when trails or turmoil hit us. It would be nice if all our problems were like dreams and we could sleep them off like we did in our childhood. Like our teenage selves, we also believe that nobody knows how we are feeling or understand us.
It is a hard concept to grasp, but the Savior does understand. It is one of the very reason why He came down to Earth to perform the Atonement, which allows Him to make that intercession between us and God (Mosiah 15:9). I don't know the mechanism behind how Christ was able to take up the sins of the world, but we put our faith in Christ because He can deliver us out of our misery if we choose to let Him.
Prayer is the way which we can communicate with God. We do so in the name of the Savior. We are commanded to pray always, so He can help us in our daily lives (2 Nephi 32:9). In short, it does mean something when you communicate through prayer. We have a divine heritage and the divine did not put us down here to merely suffer.
"So I'm tired of all the pain, of the misery inside, and I wish that I could live feeling nothing but the night.
It is written that we are responsible for our own actions and our own challenges in life (Galatians 6:5). Yes, accountability is an important principle we learn in mortality. We have to own up to our deeds. It is part of becoming an adult and eternal progression.
Let's face it, at one point in my life, I wished that my life was a huge tragedy. Why? I'm not sure. I suppose the concept of being a tragic hero is attractive when under the influence of self-pity and giving up. But as a wise man once said: Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured (Gordon B. Hinckley, 1996).
Remember, even during some of his darkest hours in Liberty Jail, The Lord comforted Joseph Smith with this concept (D&C 121:8).
"You can tell me what to say; you can tell me where to go, but I doubt that I would care, and my heart would never know."
An advice most needed is least heeded. I believe that if we can overcome the barrier of 'No Way', we can make it a lot further in life. As a person who's been in this trap, I understand how we like to justify our own self-imposed limitation and self-fulfilling prophesies on how life is going to suck. When we do go down that road, however, there is something inside us that may wonder what if we actually followed the advice in the first place.
Another situation described in these lines is spiritual apathy (3 Nephi 2:1). Never under estimate the power of simple things, even if it's a simple change in attitude. There is a whole article about it in the January 2012 issue of the Ensign written by Adam Olson.
"If I make another move there'll be no more turning back because everything will change, and it all will fade to black."
It is natural to be afraid of the unknown. Many people in the world believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be old-fashioned and out of touch with societal changes. Well, they are correct about the old-fashioned part because eternal principles have existed...well, they just are! While the gospel seems out of place in the modern age, it is possible to live under its protective guidance within reason and without going extreme.
It won't fade to black if you choose the better path. Don't fall into the belief that you are worthless and the situation cannot change. The Lord constantly beckons us to turn to Him. The signs may be spiritual promptings or even divine interventions. More often than not, they are in the form of people who show us compassion and charity (Helaman 7:16-17).
Basically, let go of irrational fears. Whether you are a member of the LDS faith or someone with different sets of beliefs, life is what you make of it. There will be difficulties and even unfortunate turns of events, but the saying goes: You can cry for a lifetime or laugh for a laugh time. Either way, it's a lifetime. Laugh.
"Will tomorrow ever come? Will I make it through the night? Will there ever be a place for the broken in the light? Am I hurting? Am I sad? Should I stay, or should I go?"
Life is full of questions. In fact, that's part of the reasons why I started this post. From my experience, there have been times where I hoped that everything will simply be okay when tomorrow comes around. Well, that works sometimes. In a figurative sense, night and day is what you make of it. Like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, your own attitude can affect your perception of how your life is going.
Of course, in an organization run by imperfect people, you are not going to have a celestial experience. There will be conflicts with your neighbors, regardless of the severity of the issue. How you deal with it can affect your testimony because of the heat of the moment. Regardless of who is giving the offense, it can result in people abandoning the faith and making those who are not of the faith cringe at the otherwise beautiful gospel (Alma 4:10).
I know my family has experienced that in our time in the Church. However, each of us chose to respond differently. It is evident that I am the one still writing to you today and the rest is not here. If you can't build your fellow saints up like it is described in the Book of Mormon (Mosiah 18:8), would you kindly not tear them down? Contention is not of God and giving offense certainly isn't either (D&C 54:5).
My assessment when dealing with offense is this: you are ultimately responsible and accountable for your reactions.
"I've forgotten how to tell. Did I ever even know? Can I take another step? I've done everything I can."
Even people born in the faith question their own testimonies to the gospel. Those who have lived in the Mormon culture have heard stories of people, especially missionary-aged youths, wonder about the religion they were brought into by their parents.
The Book of Mormon prophet, Alma (the son of Alma), had a whole discourse about building and examining our faith (Alma 32). There is no shame in doing so because the Lord promises us that if we desire to know and have done all we can as outlined, He will manifest the answer to us (Moroni 10:4).
Don't just take a step. Take that leap of faith! (D&C 42:51) --> this is just a fun reference, ha ha
"All the people that I see I will never understand."
Honestly, stop worrying about other people! Just strive to be the good person your Heavenly Father expects you to be. With all the wonderful advancements in technology, the Internet has taught us that there are some extremely stupid conducts committed each day and we have so far gained no understanding to why or what inspired people to do them in the first place.
Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves that we are not yet as Job (D&C 121:10).
"If I find a way to change, if I step into the light, then I'll never be the same, and it all will fade to white."
In the most optimistic scenario, we realize that being pessimistic won't make our lives any easier. Bask in the life-giving light of the gospel will ease your burdens. Just remember, it's not an instant magic eraser for your problems. Progress takes time and patience.
Sometimes, a mighty change of heart is simply a change in attitude that will change the direction of your life (Alma 5:12).
Hopefully, we can halt ourselves or others before they dive deeper into the abyss of woe.
"If I make another move, if I take another step, then it all would fall apart. There'd be nothing of me left. If I'm crying in the wind, if I'm crying in the night Will there ever be a way? Will my heart return to white? Can you tell me who you are? Can you tell me where I am? I've forgotten how to see; I've forgotten if I can. If I opened up my eyes there'd be no more going back 'cause I'd throw it all away, and it all would fade to black."
All of us have lost loved ones, or will eventually, and sometimes we lose them in the least expected way. In most cases, giving up should not even be on the list of options. No matter how hopeless you feel in your predicament, it is possible to overcome and be whole. It is never too late (Jeffrey R. Holland, 2012)! Only you can make that choice.
In this life, we can choose to act or be acted upon (2 Nephi 2:14, 16). We are not alone! I know that God loves us and wishes the best for us. I know the Lord is our Savior and Redeemer who is there to help us cope with the challenges in life. As a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I am fully aware of my pledge and my stance. I joined because I trusted God and I stayed because I trust in God. The marvelous work in the latter days. I know the gospel is true and I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
The following cover to the song will jog your memory of which one I was referring to.
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