What's in a Name?

There is a line much quoted by fans of Shakespeare and just in general. It is from the famous, tragic love story, Romeo and Juliet. Juilet is lamenting that her true love (whom she has just met and has decided he is her true love) is a Montague, the mortal enemay of the Capulets. In her famous balcony monologue, she says:

"What's in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet." 

(Romeo and Juliet, 2.2.47-48)

Okay, so Juliet doesn't quite understand why a name could be so important (Seeing as she is only 13 and has supposedly found her true love, I am guessing she just hasn't figured out life quite yet...).

A name is important. That is why we make such a big deal when we are naming a child, a dog, a company, a story, a blog post. A name is what sets the tone for what is done next. 

There is a specific name I would like to point out that many do not know. This is the real name of the commonly called "Mormon" or "LDS" church. The name of the church is not either of these. These are nicknames. The real name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Long, yes. But it is important to understand the real meaning of the name. It denotes something of utmost importance.

When Christ organized His church on the earth during His life, He called it "The Church of Jesus Christ". In 1 Corinthians, Paul calls the people of Corinth to repentance for calling themselves after anyone else but Christ. He says, "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" (1 Corinthians 1:12-13). What's in a name, Juliet? There is much in a name. A name can be misleading. When something is not called the proper name, others may believe get the wrong impression.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a church that's true name denoted what it is. The first part, The Church of Jesus Christ, helps make it clear we worship the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The second part "Latter-day Saints" helps us know what period of time we are in, namely the last days. In short, the name of Christ's Church in these last days would be after Him and denoting that these are the last days, hence The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Saints" means followers.

So while to Juliet, a name wasn't much. To our Father in Heaven and our Savior, a name means a lot. It helps us to truly know we are following Him. He knows because of the name that we are called, we are His disciples. He knows we follow what is said in the Book of Mormon, in 2 Nephi 25:26,

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ,

 we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, 

that our children may know to what source 

they may look for a remission of their sins."

Next time you wonder, "What's in a name?", remember that a name is exteremely meaningful to your Father in Heaven.

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Stop Saying Sorry

I want you to stop apologizing. Don't apologize anymore. Just stop it. The words "I'm sorry" have lost their true meaning of real and sincere apology for a wrong-doing  and have become word that we insert when someone does not have the same standards as you do. 

Are you one of the people who have the tendecy to apologize for no real reason. To you say sorry because you aren't going to participate in blantantly innappropriate behaivor and don't want anyone to feel bad?

Your obedience to high standards should NEVER make you feel guilty. If it does, than you know it is from the one who is bent on destroying your chance at eternal happiness. Your standards may not conform with the what the world has to say, but do they conform to what God has to say? Then stop apologizing.

I will never again apologize for not taking a drink of alcohol or deciding to remain chaste until marriage. I will never again apologize for keeping the sabbath day holy or fulfilling my callings. I will never again apologize for standing as a witness of God and living the way He has laid out. The words "I'm sorry" will never again leave my mouth for doing what is right. Why? Simple.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;..." (Romans 1:16)

Let's all take part and declare this creed to all the world:

I am a part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.  My past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is secure.  I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, love with patience, live by prayer and labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,  ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.  I won't give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up and spoken up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem  recognizing me. 

My banner is clear:  I am a part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." 

Are you all with me?

I sure hope so. Your Father in Heaven is on our side. "Fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life." (1 Timothy 6:12)

I love you all!
Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

CONTINUE AT YOUR RISK

When I was 16, I had the greatest birthday party you could have planned. We went roller skating. Yes. It's kind of a favorite of mine... Anyways there was a sign at the rink that, at the age of 16, I found very funny. It said "SKATE AT YOUR OWN RISK". While roller skating isn't the safest activity, there are precautions taken that kept us safe.

We have these warning signs all around us. We take many chances at our own risk. There are things that we have the choice to do that is warned against. Extreme cases are things like drugs, alcohol, premarital sex, pornography... More common cases are those such as the risk we take watching a vulgar movie, using poor language, or laughing/passing on a dirty joke. We have signs for these to "CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK".

We have these signs if we just pay attention. The Holy Ghost warns us about poor decisions before we even make them. We can feel a difference. If we live the commandments, we can more clearly see the CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK  signs. We just have to learn how to recognize them. 

How do we do that?

It all starts with knowing how the Holy Ghost feels to us. It is always good feelings, peace, joy, comfort, happiness. How do we feel without him? Exactly the opposite: sorrow, troubled, and miserable. We recognize what actions help us feel good and what actions make us feel bad.

Then we pay attention to those feelings. When the good feelings start to fade, it is a "CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK" sign. So that is when you need to rethink the choice you are making. 

These sings are not to prevent you from having fun, but they help you have wholesome fun. They are not there to prevent you from being interesting, but to protect you from being interesting in the wrong ways. Most of all, they are there to lead us back to our Father in Heaven and to eternal happiness with those we love. That is what it really means.

So pay attention and CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK with decisions that are contrary to the commandments of your Heavenly Father. Much like having precatuions to prevent any serious roller skating accidents, following what He has laid out will help you find everlasting happiness. 

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Esmond

The Fall of King David

Over the last few months I have felt the need to address a topic that is very contrevesial, yes, but extremely critical to understand. Until a conversation with my companion this morning I didn't know how to discuss it, because it can be sensitive. This topic is the destructive trap of pornography.

I want to take you back to the Bible. King David, in particular. He is the most incredible king Isreal ever has. He is righteous and stalwart. David see many miracles in his reign and defeats enemies no one before had been able to. But he has a weakness that leads to his downfall. His weakness is pornography.

Yes. King David's weakness was a weakness many people have now. Bold statement, but it is true. Let me expound more.

He sees Bathsheba bathing on a roof. She is doing nothing wrong. At all. In fact, she isn't even aware of what is going on. 2 Samuel 11:2-3 describes the scene.

"And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.  And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, 

Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

David makes a dyre mistake at this moment. He doesn't look away when he sees her on the roof, he keeps looking and "inquires after the woman." This is where his weakness comes into play. He doesn't look away like he knows he should. If David had seen it and looked away, then his reign would have continued in righteousness, but he didn't. 

Pornography is enticing and glamourous. It is evil. If anything is of the devil, pornography is. It tampers with the sacred powers of procreation and makes a mockery of the plan of salvation. It causes more guilt and shame than those that use it care to admit. Mentally, emotionally, and physically pornography is harmful whether the world will admit it or not. (For those of you who would like the facts on the matter, click here)

BUT there is a way that those feelings of guilt and shame can go away. Is it easy? No. Is it meant to be easy? No. If you think it is, than you will fail before you have even begun. It's hard, but is it worth it? YES. 

It is possible. Don't let Satan tell you otherwise

Through repentance and seeking guidance and help, you CAN overcome the harmful effects of pornography addiction. If you have found yourself in this trap, please seek help. If you don't know where to go, please visit LDS Addiction Recovery website. It will help you.

For those of you who do not have a problem with pornography, do not think you are immune. You need to learn from the example of David. he downfall was that he kept looking. Look away. When it comes on the computer, on TV, when you see a magazine in the store or on the street, look away. A simple act of looking away can prevent other problems from happening. Avoid pornography like the plague. Turn of computers, cellphones, TVs or anything that has those images come up. Turn it off, look away, pray, and fill your mind with virtuous thoughts, hymns, memorized scriptures.

There is a light in the darkenss.
Don't give up. Ever.

There is hope and there is a way to build guards against this adversary to the plan of God. There is a way out through the enabling and healing powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. There is light in the darkness of Pornography addiction. You just need to find it and let it in. Remember, you are a child of God and can overcome anything with Him on your side because His son, your brother, your Savior, Jesus Christ, has overcome them already for you. You CAN. 

I promise that as you seek help, you will find it. You will find peace and healing and through tthe enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you will be able to overcome anything.

I love you all!
Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Beautiful, Talented and Amazing!

Hello. My name is Sister Esmond. I like to write, do theater, and sing. I really like people and love to teach. Most of all, I love to make people laugh and help them be happy.

What do you like to do?

Are there any talents you have developed? I bet you there are. Maybe you are really good at math or science. Maybe you are an artist and can paint, draw, or sculpt beautifully. Are you an opera singer? Do you like to act, dance, play an instrument? Are you athletic? Can you play soccer really well or run fast? 

What are your talents?

Don't tell me you don't have any. I know that you do. It may just be that you have a talent for making people feel better about themselves or have a talent for peacemaking. This is a talent. 

Look inside yourself and find out what your talents are. Your Heavenly Father gave them to you for a reason. You have you specific talents because you are meant to use them to help others to come unto Christ. With your talents, others can see the Savior. You need to develop them, or else you will lose them.

You are talented. Don't ever think you aren't. The one who created you doesn't want you to think that. You are a work of art in and of yourself. You have talents painted in the corners of your soul that you may have not discovered. Take a chance. Go after your dreams. If it doesn't work out, God has something more in mind for you.

I hope you will remember this and go and try something new. You are talented, beautiful, and amazing because you are a Child of God with divine potential.

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Keep Going

There are moments in our life where we feel like we are stuck at a crossroads. We are just done with what we are trying to do and about ready to give up. We just want to cry and shut out the world and leave everything behind we have been working for, fighting for, and all that we have loved. We say that those answered prayers were jsut ourself and we can't actually accomplish the things that we desire that we have had spiritual confirmation that we need to do.

You Can.

My experience? Missions are hard. There is nothing glamourous about what we do. Missionaries are rejected every day. We are ridiculed and put down on a regular basis. You can get to a point where you feel lonelier than you ever have. There are even times that we want to give up. Can we? Yes. Should we? Absolutely not.

This struggle has taught me so much. I am grateful for my trials and grateful for the struggles because they have changed my nature and who I am for the better. But I will admit... I have wanted to give up many a time.

The decision to serve was an answer to two years of prayers and seeking out what I needed to do after high school. It was spiritual illumination that came at a perfect time. It is something I knew I needed to do and would not turn back from doing ever. I would not undo all the hurt and rejection, because with that, I have expereinced a new found feeling of pure joy and gratitude for what my Savior did. 

How have I handled this?

In the Provo Missionary Training Center, I was given a quote on day two that has reminded me on multiple occasions that I need to keep going. It is from Elder Jeffery R. Holland. He said:

With any major decision there are cautions and considerations to make, 

but once there has been illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. Certainly don’t give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. Face your doubts. Master your fears. 

“Cast not away therefore your confidence.” 

Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you.

(Ensign Mar. 2000, Cast Not Therefore Away Your Confindence [emphasis added])

There you have it. Don't give up on what you have prayed for and know to be right. Opposition and trials and trouble will occur, but know that it is preparing you fro something greater. All that happens is for your own good, just as I know my trials and struggles have been for mine. Learn from it and grow from it. A trial is not wasted when you learn something from it.

I promise that as you endure and continue on the path your Father in Heaven intends for you, you will feel of His everlasting love for you and know He is God and He is there. 

I love you all!
Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Don't Looketh on the Smart....

When I was at Girl's Camp my last year, we had some of the funniest little skits I've ever seen that the Youth Camp Leaders (YCLs) performed. At the time, I was a YCL, but didn't participate in the skits I'm referencing now.


There was a series of 3 skits that were done with the same catch-phrase. The first was someone who couldn't add 2+2 and two other girls were making fun of her. The second was someone who made really gross tarts and again, was made fun of. The last... Well, ask me in person if you want to know. At the end of each of these skits, one of the YCLs would come out and say, "Don't look upon the smart, looketh on the heart!" Or "Don't look upon the tart, looketh on the heart!"



Okay, now here is my question for you. Are you guilty of looking at someone's outward appearance or eccentricities and judging them for it? Do you see someone who is gruff looking and automatically think they must be mean? Do you see a blonde and think she must be dumb (Having been a victim of this...)? Have you seen someone struggle with soemthing that is easy for and thought "they must just be stupid"?



How do you look at others?

2 Sameul 16:7 tells us how Heavenly Father sees each of us. It says,

 "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

How can we do this better? Let's look at people as the Lord does. Let's give our fellowman the benefit of the doubt. Most of all, let's remember that we all have the same loving Heavenly Father who wants us to be happy and loves each of us. That makes every single person you brother or sister whom you have been commended to show love for.



Let's do that. Let's stop judging and stop being mean and horrible to one another and learn to love! Let's look upon the hearts of our brothers and sisters.

I love you all!
Love,
Sister Mackenzie Esmond