Owning Womanhood!!

Holy. Smokes. I am so excited for tonight! Tonight is the first ever General Women's Meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yup. All women 8 and up are invited to intend. This is a historic moment in which we, as women, get to get together and learn. There are few things that I enjoy more than being a women.

In this world, womanhood is mocked. Feminism is huge. Not saying that we are not equal to men, which we are, but just the fact that womanhood is being degraded. I think of some of the greatest women to ever live and think of their example of faith, love, charity, devotion, and courage. I think of some incredible women who have changed the world and stood up for what is right. I think on the amazing miracles that have occurred because of the faith of women. I think of the women who have influenced me so much. Where would I be without them to have shown me the way?

I think that the world has diminished the power of women by trying to homogenize the genders. They want equality and no separation. But it is so important to remember that men are men and women are women. We think differently, should act differently and have different and beautiful gender-distinct roles in the progression of mankind here on Earth. In "The Family: A Proclamation to the World", it states "ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." Gender is truly essential and makes up the core of what we are. By trying to make this null and void, then we are attempting to be God and make a mockery of His plan. Gender is essential. That is why it is important to embrace the awesomeness of Womanhood, ladies. 

Women can be powerful. We are the sisters, daughters, and most importantly mothers. We play a huge role in the educating the next generation and helping them to learn, grow, and respect. We instill faith in the children we have the opportunity to have in our lives. I look forward to the day I get to become a mom. Many think motherhood is a mockery of women and degrading to expect and desire to be a mom. Well, let me just tell you, Motherhood is the most divine and revered calling. We are able to create mortal bodies for God's spirit children. Men can't do that, women can. There is a reason we are the way we are. Own it. Respect it. Live for it. And reap the rewards of being a mom!

Women also have changed history. Think about Esther. She was the queen of Persia. She prevented a great tragedy with her faith and courage. She saved her people. Think about Ruth. It was because of her willingness and devotion that she went with Naomi to her land and through a series of really amazing events married Boaz. Through that line, Christ came. Mary, the mother of Christ, showed such great courage as she was called to bear the Son of God. Mary Magdalene showed such faith as she ran to tell people that Christ lives. This women changed history. I think of my own mother. Her example and her little sayings have stuck with me. She helped become who I am today and influenced my siblings and I to be strong in the gospel.

Womanhood is being celebrated as we meet as Sisters in God's family tonight. How beautiful the sight will be and how amazing will the spirit feel. There is nothing like the joining as sisters to learn and grow from the words of God's living servants on the earth today. What an magnifecent time to be a woman!

I hope that those of you that are trying to prove that women can do everything men can do will learn that maybe we don't need to. Maybe God has a different, greater purpose for us than we could ever have for ourselves? Think about that!

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

The Road Less Travelled

You are stuck at a crossroads. You have messed up, you have been hurt, you don't know which way to go from here. You feel utterly alone. You want to scream out as Christ did while He was hanging on the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46).

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

You see the left road. It has been trodden down. It has been beaten to the ground. It seems easy. But for some reason everyone takes it. There must be some reason people take that road. It is the easy way out of where we are now. Follow the crowd. Just go where everyone else is going. It looks so easy. You see that many must have traveled which means that many are at the final destination. But there is an uneasiness as you see the debris scattered down that path. Objects, things you are wanting to escape. You gaze down it for a moment. Then look down the right one.

Then took the other, just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as that for the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

But then you realize that soft, dewy grass is calling to you. There is a peaceful feeling that comes over you. You feel as if you are unworthy of the peace you see in that the right path. The sun is shining through the trees so perfectly and the beauty of the light hitting the dew on the grass overwhelms you. Ivy grows up the trees in a magnificent maze. You are overwhelmed. You get down on your knees and pray to your God to know where you must go.

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

As you head down the untrodden path, your feet get caught as you walk. They get caught in the overgrowth. You have to step over fallen trees. It's not as easy as the path you decided against. You fall down and have to get back up. It seems never ending, when at last you see what appears to be a small clearing. You have to overcome the biggest obstacle you have faced, an old oak that is probable ten feet in diameter. You begin to use the knobs and holes in the tree to climb over it. 

I shall be telling this with a sigh.

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.

You have made it. You see the clearing. There is a beautiful brook running through. You feel the peace and the serenity that is found in such a place as this. You look around, only to discover you are not alone. You see a man and look into His eyes. You realize He is Jesus Christ, your Savior, your Redeemer. His arms are open to you and He calls you by your name and says, "My Child, I love you."

Christ loves each and everyone of us. He wants us all to return to live with Him in a place of peace and eternal happiness. He has provided a way for us. It may not be the road that many people will take, but it is open to all that will come, believe on His name, have a change of heart which is repentance, and come unto Him through following His example. His atonement is what makes all of us able to be forgiven, healed, comforted, and know that we will never be utterly alone as He was. He walked the path alone, so we wouldn't have to. His atonement is the reason for the Easter season. It is the reason we can find peace in this life. The Atonement of Jesus Christ gives us our purpose in this life. I have learned this and felt it, I know each and every one of you can too. 

There are certain verses in the Book of Mormon that I would like to end with. This is in the book of Alma, 7:11-12. It reads,

 "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

This means that if you have felt it, suffered it, sinned any sin, He has felt the pains and afflictions brought with that. He knows you and knows you perfectly. Don't let your own stubbornness stop your conversion to become more like your Savior. Use the atonement of Jesus Christ every day and you will see it will make all the difference. I know this is true. I know He loves you so much that He did this. I want every person in the world to know that God is looking out for you.

I love you all!
Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

(The poem is The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost)

Of Boys and Men

Dear Boys,

You want to be men? You want to be someone that others aspire to be? You want to be true, manly men? No softies or cry-babies. No talking about your feelings. No showing any emotions. True manly men. Guns and Cars and Hunting and Hikes and all that jazz... Wait, no jazz, rock 'n'roll, heavy metal.  

This is today's idea of a true man. A man is someone who has the most girls he can. His whole worth is based off of such temporal pleasures that, you know, a "real" man doesn't need Jesus. A "real" man doesn't "waste" his time on others. He makes sure he is working to get the best of the best. A "real" man drives a sports car, wears his Nike's everywhere, and is a "ballah". Yup. Doesn't that sound awesome? (No. Not really.)

I want to let you know... This isn't what makes a boy a man. I want to tell you about the most manly man to ever walk the face of this earth. He didn't do what we consider manly nowadays. He never did what you do. He didn't work out his muscles to make them huge. He didn't focus all his time on getting the latest and greatest video game console or beating that level on Halo 5 or whatever is out now. 

This man spent all his time serving others. He played with the children, wept with others, and cared for the sick. His life was spent looking outside himself. He didn't care what the world thought of him. Actually, many people hated him. He wasn't afraid to stand up for what he knew to be true. He knew His identity. This man performed the greatest act of pure charity that has ever been performed.

Boys act like what I was first talking about. Boys are self-centered, unfocused on an eternal perspective, and go through life only caring about worldly things. Men look for the eternal. They do what they can to make the lives of others better. They rely on their God. 

Just like the most manly man to ever walk the faith of this earth. That is our savior, Jesus Christ. He is the person that true men strive to be like. By following his example, you can become someone that others will aspire to become like. Through your example they will see your Savior. They will see Christ in your countenance. What a beautiful thing to picture. Christ in your countenance is what you should strive for.

You want to be men? 

Learn of, live like, love like, and be like Christ.

That is what makes you real, true, and manly men.

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

A Basic Human Right

There is something that is very prevalent in today's world. Something that I would like to address. I would like to talk about religious freedom. What is it? Why is it Important to know NOW? And how can we work to preserve religious freedom as a society?

WHAT IS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM?

In short, it is the ability to worship how, where, or what you may without fear of persecution or discrimination. This means you are able to worship freely in public and in private. You have the right to voice your beliefs and others have the right to do the same. As a missionary, I exercise this right every day that I go about the work to teach people about the teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This means that individually we can come to know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. We can pray to Him and talk with Him. We can see our families being blessed by founding them upon the teachings of Jesus Christ. And we can do all of this without being judged, persecuted, or discriminated against. Religious Freedom is a basic human right and is outlined and protected in the First Amendment of the United states Constitution. Many people who disagree with the beliefs of others try to silence any voice that is contrary to what they believe. But in a society that has a lot of moral issues, it is more important now than ever to remember that most peoples morals are based on their core beliefs, their religion, whether they identify with one or not. By keeping this blog and posting on Facebook as a missionary, I am exercising this religious freedom. Even as missionaries, we let every person we teach know that they have the agency, the free will, to accept or reject what we have to teach based on their experience with prayer, church attendance, and reading the Book of Mormon. Religious Freedom DOES NOT give us the right to practice discrimination. We need to respect others beliefs, but are not obligated to accept them as our own.

WHY IS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SO IMPORTANT?

As I said above, religious freedom is a basic human right. Nobody can tell you how to believe. You must discover for yourself what you believe. In the Book of Mormon, Captain Moroni shows his readiness to fight for his religious freedom when he rents his cloak and writes upon it what many know as the Title of Liberty. It says, "...In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children..." (Alma 46:12). Religious Freedom gives us the right to stand up for what we believe, even if what with believe may be unpopular. It is the right to remind people that there are laws and statutes written in stone by our God that cannot be changed, even if they are legalized. But most of all, it is the right to worship in the way that pleases us. This means that there can be many different denominations and you are free to convert to any one of them. The United States of America was built upon a foundation of religious freedom. The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ could not have happened any other time than the year 1820 when Joseph Smith, then 14 years old, asked a question and had a vision in which he saw the resurrected Christ at the right hand of God, the Father. (For more info on this, click here) Until after the war of 1812, which was the last war fought on American Soil, there was no country in the world that had religious freedom after the death of Christ's apostles. If you remember back to European History, there was persecution for those who spoke out with their own beliefs. Religious Freedom protects our right to what is stated in the 12th Article of Faith. "We claim the privilege of worshiping almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscious and allow all men the same privilege to worship how, where, or what they may." Finally in 1820, there was a place where religious freedom was allowed and religious freedom was what people practiced. This was when Heavenly Father knew that the Restoration of the Gospel could come forth again. This is the example of religious freedom that has touched my life the most. Without the restored gospel, I would not be here on my mission, writing this blog post, and so passionate about religious freedom as a whole. I know that this country as established on these principles for the purposes of the Lord. 

HOW DO WE PROTECT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM?

We need to be educated on the subject itself. I have been reading in the Old Testament about Moses taking the Children of Isreal out of Egypt. I think of Pharaoh and his tyrannical rule and the fact the Hebrew slaves were washed free of their religion as they were in bondage. This was a period of time that the Children of Isreal were oppressed. When religious freedom is taken away in any age, oppression follows. There is a simple way to prevent oppression, persecution, and discrimination and that is to stand up for what we believe. Let's not let the adversary win this battle. Let's take what we know to be true and defend it.

Let's go back to Captain Moroni for a moment. He was willing to defend his religion and fight for the right to worship his God. Why shouldn't we feel the same? And if you don't know if there is a God, you have the right to get down on your knees and ask Him if He is there. You have that right. I challenge each one of you to do just that. Ask God if He is there and if He has a wise purpose for allowing the establishment of a country with religious freedom so that His true church could be restored. But don't take my word for it. Learn for yourself at  mormon.org and feel free to ask me any question in the comments below. I want to help you to know for yourself. You can learn through the power of the Holy Ghost. "And by the power of the Holy Ghost, you can know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:5). Simple as that. You can learn for yourself, but you have to start by learning. I hope you exercise your religious freedom and give it a whole-hearted and sincere try.

I love you all!
Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Oh The Lies We Tell Ourselves!!

Do you ever feel inadequate? Do you ever feel like you are not enough? Do you ever look at yourself in the mirror and see nothing but flaws? This is normal. There is so much negativity in the world about the human body and there is a false representation of what is beautiful. Seriously... You really think you're Heavenly Father wants you looking at the body He gave in the mirror and thinking, "If only my eyes were green, then I'd be beautiful." or "If only my neck wasn't so long, then I'd be beautiful." or the worst thing ever, "If only I looked like the girls on the magazine, then I'd be beautiful."

Remember this next time you
think bad about your body!!!

 Here's the dealio, everyone. There is a lack of respect for the human body in the world today. I will be quite honest, it is sickening. I am talking to everyone who starves themselves for beauty as well as those who "self-harm" so they can release emotion, to those who work out a lot to get "ripped" or weigh 100 lbs, to those who drink, smoke, use drugs, have pre-marital sex, watch pornography. I am speaking to anyone who abuses the temple that your loving Father in Heaven has given you. Do you think that is what God wants you to do? I don't think so. I don't think He gave you your body to use it for evil and to abuse it. He gave it to you as a vessel by which your spirit could come to the earth. STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP FOR NOT LOOKING LIKE THE WORLD THINKS YOU SHOULD!!! Simple as that. See, there is this guy who decided to rebel against God. His name is Satan and well... long story short, he lost the amazing privilege to come to Earth and receive one of these pretty incredible human bodies we got. Sooooooo... this certain someone is very jealous of our bodies and will do anything to destroy them. That is why we have so many substances and practices that are "cool" (aka actually not very smart and extremely harmful).

Satan lies to us everyday.
Stop listening to him.

Now, you may say to me, "Sister Esmond, but I like doing that stuff! I won't hurt me." False. You are just lying to yourself. Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking, Pre-Marital Sex, Pornography... Yup. All are harmful Stop lying to yourself and realize that they are. It drives me nuts that some believe that these things are okay. It's actually quite disgusting. Think about the diseases, health problems, relationship problems, etc. Nothing but problems for temporary gratification. I know I'm seeming harsh, but these lies that the world tell us only bring us harms. Satan is excited when he sees you destroying your body.

For all of you that harm yourself: Please seek professional help. This isn't good. You think in 10 years you will want to look at your scars and be reminded of the pain you suffered? Suicide and Self-Harm are permanent solutions for temporary problems. I beg of you, please just don't do it.

Portland, OR Temple
Isn't it GORGEOUS?
YOU ARE TOO!!!!

Okay, why should you listen? In the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul poses a question. He asks, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" Think about this statement. Some may ask, what is a temple? Well, the image on the left is the Portland, Oregon LDS Temple. I am partial to it myself... But what a temple is is a House of the Lord. They are built to facilitate the Lord's work her on the Earth. They are places of peace, where you can feel of His spirit always. This is what our bodies are. They are given to us to move forward with God's plan, for us to experience life, but live it within the bounds the Lord has set. If we do this, I know we can find true peace and happiness and we will be able to know that we are Children of a Loving Heavenly Father.  

It's a great day to be YOU!

Well... Now that I have gotten all of this out, I just wanted to say I know that it can be hard. The world wants us to look a certain way, act a certain way, be a certain way... Well, that is all a bunch of lies. You need to turn to your Heavenly Father to help you know who to be really. This is what I have come to realize as I, just many, if not all, or you, have dealt with self esteem issues. I finally realized that every negative thought about the way I look is from Satan. Every negative thought about the fact I work my best to keep my standards high is from Satan. Heavenly Father blesses us to keep ourselves healthy, strong and happy when we follow His commandments. It is worth it. I promise you will see blessings if you live the commandments! Be yourself, laugh, make a fool of yourself, have fun, but remember to live the laws of the Lord, and you will be the happiest you you can ever be!

I love you all!
Love,
Sister Mackenzie Esmond

A Case of Writer's Block

Writer's Block. When you write, this is your arch nemesis... That and a bad word processor. But Writer's Block is just horrible. I mean, when you want to write something profound, deep, moving, and it just doesn't come or all your ideas feel like they just are another crunched up piece of paper in the trash can, then life as a writer is nothing short of frustrating.

Yes, my friends, I have Writer's Block today. I made up my mind I was going to write the single best blog post I have ever written, one for the ages, one that will go down in history! But........ Looks like my brain has decided to put a stop to the creative juices and make me be well... Stuck.

Many of us feel this way though. Stuck. We feel like we aren't progressing, forwards or backwards. We feel like we can't improve or we are just at a standstill, a plateau. Many times, we become complacent with that feeling of stuck-ness and decide, "You know? Maybe where I am is just fine." On one hand, this is correct. It is "just fine" to stay where you are and stop growing and developing into someone amazing, empowering, influential, stalwart, brave, strong, valiant... It's okay in many people's eyes to just stay "average".

Here is the thing. Average is okay. Average just keeps on keeping on. Average people do average things. But when we strive to be Above Average, man! That is when we can become powerful people.

Much like the cause of my writer's block, many people get stuck by trying to fix everything at once. They want to be better but get discouraged easily and give up. It's like how I have felt as I have attempted to write several different novels. I get these ideas in my head of an incredible story line... in my head. I develop the characters beautifully... in my head. I know how amazing that this book is going to be and it will become a classic! But when I go to write, often times, I don't know where to start, how to fill in the middle, or even what the end is going to be. I lose everything and give up on those characters, never bringing them to life again. We do this to ourselves. We often times have this amazing idea on who we want to become and have a plan on how to get there, but don't know where to start or how to fill in the middle. If we try to become who we want to be immediately, then we are doomed to failure. But if we outline, plan, prepare, study out, and carefully select the traits we want to develop in our character then we are destined to succeed. Planning in life, as in writing, is everything. If we come up with ideas in our heads, then neglect to record or write them down, we usually, like 99% of the time, forget. I can't tell you how many beautiful poems I've thought of that have slipped away from me because I haven't written them down immediately. It doesn't even come close to the number of times I've learned something, and then had to relearn it because I forgot it. Or that mistake you have made 100 times because for some reason it "just happens" and it is "who we are". 

Ether 12:27 states:

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Think about that: All your weaknesses can be made strong. Your average person can be made into an above average individual. You are ordinary, but with Christ, you can be extraordinary! Your weaknesses, those mistakes you made, can be made strong. You can pull yourself out of the stuck-ness you may be in. You can overcome self-doubt, fear, discouragement, all negative feelings and become someone that you want to become. You can actually become someone incredible, amazing, stellar, world-changing, memorable for the good you do. YOU CAN DO THAT. How amazing does that sound? Through you, many can feel of God's love for them.

Much like a writer with writer's block, you can't give up on your dream. Don't give up on becoming the person that Heavenly Father wants you to become.  You have to put then pen to the paper, your keys to the keyboard, and write your heart out! You have to live every day and live for the eternities. Live so that you can grow. Turn your weaknesses over to your Heavenly Father today, and slowly but surely, you will become more like your Savior. 

Remember that any feeling of stuck-ness can be overcome when you rely on the Savior.

I love you all!
Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

P.S. Hey! Writer's Block is gone :) Yay!!

Laugh At It and Learn From It

Over the last few days, there has a been a reoccurring theme in my studies. It is a very unusual theme for a missionary who is trying to learn about her Heavenly Father and His plan and learn and develop further my faith in Christ. But it is something I have needed to remember none-the-less. My friends, family, colleagues, fellow missionaries, enemies, frenemies, whatever our relationship may be, I wish to remind you about the importance of having a sense of humor.

Here's the deal. We are human beings. We all have weaknesses, heartaches, trials, tribulation. But there are a few things that we can use to carry us through all hard times. The one I specifically want to talk about is humor.

For anyone who knows my family, you all know we love a good laugh. We are constantly laughing and making jokes and having a good time. It's something that I thought many people grew up with. Since I've been on my mission, I've realized this isn't always so. So why is a sense of humor so hard to come by sometimes? Here are some reasons and fears I have come up with that may be preventing some of you from opening up and just finding humor in this life.

A FEAR OF BEING CHILDISH
The Savior commands us to become like a little child. As I have been studying, one article cited a study done that is was realized that children laugh on average 400 times a day, while adults only laugh 15 times a day. I am one of those people who just love to laugh. I know it is good for me, both spiritually and emotionally. I feel the lack of laughter taking a toll on me when I haven't laughed for awhile. Many people fear that laughing at silly things, like a bad pun or a dog chasing it's tail, make them seem childish. The truth is, it DOESN'T. Childish humor is humor that pokes fun at or hurts another person or group of people. Childlike humor is being able to be optimistic and seeing the world for the wonder it is, while at the same times there are some really funny things about the world. I always look to nature and the idiosyncrasies of the world around me. Sometimes I find humor in technology not working or in the fact I get lost in new areas rather easily. This is childlike humor. Childish humor hurts and brings down other people and makes light of sacred topics.

LIGHTHEARTEDNESS VS. LIGHT-MINDEDNESS
This I think is another major fear in many people. They know that they are supposed to be light-minded about sacred topics. They know that the gospel is something to be taken seriously and covenants are not to be joked about. This is true. Light-mindedness is not okay. Being lighthearted is something completely different though. Proverbs 17:22 states, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." When we have a merry heart, we know that our Heavenly Father is going to help us bear our burdens through any trial. It helps us to "...submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." (Mosiah 24:15) as did the people of Alma while they were in bondage to the point where they knew that if they prayed out loud that they would be put to death. They had no freedom or anything to give them hope. I believe that they found great comfort in knowing that God was on their side and I do not think that they sat around and moped. It says they submitted "cheerfully". They probably used a good sense of humor to carry them through it.





A FEAR OF OTHERS DISAPPROVING
This is the last point I want to make because of any point I could make I don't think there is any of more importance. Being someone who has had a hard time "fitting in", I know how badly that many seek for the approval of others. Some believe that if they laugh or have a sense of humor, if they aren't dead serious ALL THE STINKING TIME that people will disapprove of them and not take them seriously. I am one of those people who just can't do this. I can't be dead serious all the time. The biggest thing you need to remember is the "...men are that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25) When others look down on you for laughing or finding joy in the little things, then do they matter? No. Usually it means they have some serious self-esteem issues themselves. Learn to enjoy life. President Gordon B. Hinkley said, "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." He was the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Prophet, seer, and revelator on the earth. His wife, Marjorie Hinkley, was talking about what she liked in her husband and said this: "He didn't take himself very seriously and was often the first to poke fun at his own quirks." I love this example, because when we take ourselves so seriously we can never be good enough, but when we realize that if we are striving to live the commandments and make and keep covenants with our Father in Heaven, our best is enough.

CONCLUSION
I wish to tell a tale about a younger me. It was day two of my 8th grade year. A tender time in my life where I just didn't have a lot of self-confidence. I had decided my last year of middle school was going to be different because I quite honestly hated the first two years. I had made up my mind not to let bullies get the best of me and to stand up for who I was. Well, we were sitting in science class and our teacher was doing an experiment. In this experiment, he would pour water into a cup, mix it for a moment, and then flip the cup upside down over an unsuspecting class member's head. Nothing would come out of the cup. So, when it was my turn to be the unsuspecting class member, both I and my science teacher thought it would have the same result... Oh boy were we wrong! Instead of having nothing come out when the cup was flipped, I ended up drenched, not in water, but in something I lovingly refer to as glop. What did I do? After getting over the initial shock of what had just happened, I looked at my science teacher and he looked horrified! I just started laughing. I could not stop laughing and the whole class erupted in uncontrollable laughter. It was one of the funniest moments of my middle school time because it set the precedence that I was done taking my self so seriously and knew that things happened and I could either get embarassed and angry, or just laugh and realize how truly funny life is.

Yes, we mess up, yes we need to repent. But anyone who minds what you are doing doesn't matter because those that love you most won't mind that you messed up, they will want to help you get better. Let's learn to laugh at ourselves when we mess up, laugh at it, learn from it, repent of it, and move on with life. It's going to make your life a whole lot easier and much, much more enjoyable. Don't be afraid of disapproving, judging people. Learn to love who you are and most of all, remember the council given by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin in his last address, "Come what may, and love it!"

I love you all!
Love,
Sister Mackenzie Esmond

P.S. If you would like to read any of the articles I talked about, here you are!

The Power of Laughter
Come what may, and love it!
If We Can Laugh At It, We Can Live With It