Good to be Home.

After about 8 months in Utah, I'm finally back home in California.

I can mostly sum up my Freshman year of college with this Facebook post I posted last night.

After packing up all my stuff, my mom and aunt came up to Provo. Also, my best friend came from Idaho. This was weird because it was probably the last time I will see her for almost two years! I have known her my entire life and seen her so often it will be crazy. I told her she can't get married while I'm gone (unless it's an emergency). I love her and am excited to see what she'll do with her 18 months.

Also, we were able to visit my 92-year-old Grandma who has short term memory loss. Her memory is a bit skewed and she repeats herself every other minute. Despite all the jokes we can make about it and how hard she makes us laugh, I am eternally grateful for her. She was my first family member to join the church and without her I may have never come to learn the truth. She had an experience much like Joseph Smith. She came across James 1:5 which states "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." That's when the missionaries came. She took the lessons, prayed to know the truth, and as she recalls it, she got a definite answer that joining the church was the right thing for her to do. Deserted by her husband and left to raise seven children on her own, my Grandma held true to the gospel and tells me now that "I will never regret joining this church. The church has never brought me any sorrow."

The fact that I'll be gone is surreal; it honestly hasn't hit me at all.

We did some missionary shopping and had so much success! :) I recommend the following stores:

• Cozy's
• Ross
• TJ Max
• Trendy eXchange
• Burlington

Answers.

It's true. Jeffrey R. Holland is an Apostle of Christ and the words he speaks are true. I believe him. I fell across this talk today by "happenstance" and it was just what I needed. I look forward with faith to my future. I know there is brightness ahead. I am grateful for what I have learned along the way, but I live today with purpose, so that my tomorrows can be even better. Forgiving others is hard, and forgiving yourself is even harder, but we are required to forgive all. I need to think the best of everyone and give everyone the benefit of the doubt... not naively of course. I will always need to execute judgements for my own safety, but never final judgements. Those are left for someone else. We can change. I know I have and recently I have noticed others who have to. It's an inspiring thing to see Christ's influence in people's lives. It's incredible really. If you don't like where you are or what you're doing... change it. With Christ's help anything is possible. He Atoned for our sins for a reason... because He knew we would mess up. Utilize repentance. Do all you can do and don't look back. :)

My Mission Call Video:)

I thought it was about time I put this up here.

Team USA

TEAM USA

I simply cannot explain how awesome this picture is.

So there it is. Me and my freshmen roomies. All called to serve in the United States. Kentucky, Washington, and North Carolina. I honestly don't think it could get any better than this. 

One, had it not been for these girls, my freshmen year in college would have been horrible. I'm so lucky to have had them as my roommates. They set examples for me in ways they may not even know. They kept me laughing constantly and we could act like fools together. Although we would laugh like crazy at times, those nights spent talking having our little life discussions were some of the best. If you really think about it, these girls were with me in a turning point in my life. In the point when I decided I would now live my life from this time forward, dedicated to the Gospel and obedience to God's laws. I am so proud to say we will all be Sisters spread out across the nation preaching what we each, in probably completely different ways, came to know was the right thing for us to do. I know both Kristen and Jenna will be so successful, each touching the hearts of the people they teach through their individual awesome personalities. I hope that we can continue our journey together, even if by letters because we will always be able to say we were Team USA.

Two, I have a testimony that the United States is truly a nation that was founded through the help of God. Through my American Heritage class this semester I have really come to realize all the many miracles that have helped establish this nation. There needed to be a land of free before the restoration of the true gospel could come upon the earth again. I believe the honorable and incredibly intelligent men who helped form our nation with its Declaration of Independence and Constitution were surely filled with the Light of Christ. Our nation was established on a premise of virtue and Christianity. The various Christian views that emerged caused a boy to ask which church was true. That question lead to the restoration of Christ's true church upon the earth in these Latter-Days. It is no coincidence. I am proud to be serving in my homeland to teach my brothers and sisters of the hope that Christ can give us. Although, our nation was established upon just ideas, the original views of the Founders have been blurred over time as we have departed from virtue and adapted to the pollution and filth of the world; however, as long as the Lord is our focus we can participate and spread an influence in hope to give power to those documents and principles that our nation was originally designed to uphold.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

I am proud to say that I have found how we can obtain Life, Liberty, and Happiness. Each is found through Christ and His gospel. The Plan of Salvation promises not just life, but eternal life. Our free agency to choose good over evil gives us liberty. And obedience to the Lord's commandments gives us true happiness.

Am I Christian?

Sometimes people tell me that I'm not a Christian. I'd rather them ask me. I would say "Yes, I am a Christian." Everything about my church revolves around the Savior of all mankind, Jesus Christ. Last I checked the name of my church was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. All of the gospel revolves around the fact that Christ was who He was, did what He did, and continues to live.

Today was General Conference. If you are wandering what the LDS faith is "all about," listen to the current Prophet, Thomas S. Manson and the other apostles and general authorities speak. Each one will testify of Jesus Christ and His role in our lives.

I am a Christian. I am Latter-Day Saint. I am a Mormon.

To learn more visit...  http://mormon.org   :)