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

One Year Later...

It's been one year since the day I entered the Provo Missionary training center today to serve in the Arizona Mesa Mission. I don't know how to even put into words how I am feeling, though I am going to try. I have had so many wonderful experiences, I don't even know where to start!

I guess I will start by saying thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey thus far. I think back to where I was one year ago today, and where I am now and see how much change has occurred. There is something so beautiful in the trials and tribulations and strife I've had that has turned me into someone I actually like.

It all started with that first day in the MTC. My companion and I over 12 days became best friends and I made some incredible friendships with people I still love dearly. I know that the experiences we had together shaped many of us and started our missions off on the knowledge that we do have a loving Heavenly Father who cares about us, listens to us, and puts us with the right people at the right time. So to everyone of you that was part of that: Thank you. You are near and dear to my heart.

My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and 

thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; 

thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall 

hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-9

After 12 days of nothing short of missionary boot camp, I finally got to Mesa, Arizona and was assigned my trainer. Her name is Sister Sacher. She had only been out for 3 months at the time she was assigned to train me. I could not have asked for a better trainer. She was and still is an incredible missionary and woman! We laughed, cried, and saw many miracles together. She taught me what it means to rely on the Lord and the true meaning of Faith. If it weren't for her kind love and patience, I don't know what I would have done. Heavenly Father knew again who I needed to be with. Not only that, but I think about the people we served. There was many a time our faith was tried, but it was amazing to learn how obedience really does bring blessings. I know that when we follow the commandments, we do find blessings.

What shall we then say to these things? 

If God be for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

Three months after being put with Sister Sacher, I found myself being transferred. It was with my companion in my second area I feel like I found myself as a missionary. She showed me how to lose myself in the work of Salvation and how easy it is to teach at all times. We had our ups and downs, as with every companionship, but our short six weeks together stretched and pushed and helped both of us grow. Thank you, Sister Snyder! I learned so much and we taught many a great lesson together.

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, 

whereunto thou art also called, 

and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:12

My next stop on this journey was an area that I grew quite fond of. Not only did I get the opportunity to have 2 companions in this area, but this was the area that taught me how to teach. My companions and I had mentors and friends that truly cared about us and the love we felt was incredible. This area was also the area that my companion, Sister Hillam, and I started something we called "Operation Noah". We were serving in a Young Single Adult ward. The idea was to give each person in the ward a Book of Mormon to mark up and to hand out, thus "flooding the ward with missionary opportunities by giving them the tools to catch the wave." Cheesy, I know. But this was when I realized how powerful the Book of Mormon is. I've always known that it is the keystone of our religion. But I learned that without the Book of Mormon, we would have no religion. I would not be where I am now having seen the growth, the miracles and the hand of God like I have. I know the Book of Mormon is true. It really is another Testament of Jesus Christ, our Savior and King.

\

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.

2 Nephi 25:26

My faith was tried once again as I was transferred out to Globe, Arizona. This was huge. It was my first time training and I was scared to death. Sister Chase and I packed up our car and drove up to the mountains. There was a fear of the unknown that I felt deeply. I knew that obedience brings blessings and protection. So that's what we did. We knew that if we listened to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we would be okay. This was a rougher area of the mission, but an area I grew to love nonetheless. We had one particular miracle that I received permission to tell her story. Her name is Lindsay. Our bishop called us and told us to give her a call. Her husband was a member, but had not been to church in a very long time. They had just had a baby shortly before we met them. When we went in, we knew from the moment we met her, she was special. There was just such a sweet spirit in her home. As we taught, she readily accepted baptism. Lindsay was baptized just a couple weeks ago and I am so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to get to know her. She taught me once again to trust in my Heavenly Father. My 3 months up in Globe was hard, but it was a wonderful and miraculous experience. 

O be wise; what can I say more?

Jacob 6:12

Now, I'm in my 5th area with my 7th companion and we are learning, growing and seeing miracles each day. This area is as special to me as every area I have served. I have met wonderful people and know that the Lord has a purpose for me here. As I reflect on how the last year has been, I realize that when we truly give up our will to the Lord's, we will find blessings. I know that He knows us and is there every step of the way. He knows what He needs of us. But do we know what He needs of us? I council all of you to pray and seek in your heart, in the scriptures, and in church what the Lord needs of you. He is waiting to make an ordinary person do something extraordinary. 

Now we shall say no more 

concerning their preaching, 

except that they preached

 the word, and the truth,

according to the spirit of 

prophecy and revelation; 

and they preached after the 

holy order of God by 

which they were called.

Alma 43:2

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Written In Stone

There is something that is going on in today's world that makes me rather sad. There is a desire to change the word of our Father in Heaven. There is a turning moral issues into political saying now that things are legalized then they are okay. Here's what we need to understand. God's law overrules the laws of the land any day.

Society is changing, yes. But in a good way? No. The world is more and more shunning good as evil and "intolerance" and "unacceptable". Following the commandments of our Father in Heaven, the true way to happiness is null and void in their eyes. Sexual sin is rampant and if you disagree with the way the world thinks you are completely intolerant and should be persecuted for your beliefs. We must realize that there are standards and laws the God has set in place, that He carved in stone with His finger. These commandments are ones we must follow. We need to understand that "Sin, even if legalized by man, is still sin in the sight of God. His doctrine is not ours to change." (Russell M. Nelson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles). 

Will the world accept that we see things differently? Nope. They won't. A call for acceptance of evil has made good evil to accept. This is where we need to realize that persecution and tribulation is coming or has already come. Many do not think that the way we see the issues at hand today is right because it doesn't justify sins being committed. 

At the end of the day, the justification of sin is what people are searching for. They want to stop feeling guilty for the things they are doing that are contrary to the Laws of the Lord. These people desire us to feel guilty for not helping them justify their sins. In a sense, they want us to deny of Father and our identity for their temporary gratification. 

Many who have given in feel guilt and shame. This guilt and shame can only be relieved through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is through what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane that we can find peace and cleansing of our sins. Mosiah 3:17 states: "And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." It is only through our Savior that we can find salvation and forgiveness.

Here's the deal: This world is a wicked place. It is full of people who have been influenced to do evil. But they are still children of God. While we are not to accept the sins that are being committed and legalized by man, we still need to love each and every person. Every person, no matter who they are or what they stand for, is a child of God. They are our Brothers and Sisters.

 We need to keep the commandments that we are given. The first and greatest commandment is to "Love God". This shows us that we need to put God's will above the world's and God's law above the world's. The second greatest commandment is to "Love thy neighbor as thyself". What this is saying is that we need to realize that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. As we remember these two principles, any issues that the world's view may conflict with God's view will be able to make themselves clear unto us. God works in rights and wrongs, black and whites, no gray area. 

Let's live His commandments. Let's follow His plan. Let's live so that we can return to be with Him again. Let's remember who we are and what we stand for before we are tricked by the adversary into believing his way, not our Father in Heaven's.

I love you all!
Love,
Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Musings on Marriage

"There is a truth universally acknowledged that a young man of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." The quote goes something like that. For some reason, this has popped into my head. Why? I don't know... But it did. It may be the fact that for some reason many things I have been studying in my personal study everyday seem to talk in some way shape or form about marriage. There is something that is very well known about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and very noticeable. It is that many of the young men and women of the church marry young. Many of my friends are married, some are expecting children. I am 20. I never wanted to be a 19 year old bride... Well, I've overcome that 19 year old part. I do wish to get married in the Lord's time. But why is marriage so important? Why do we seek to find a spouse? Shouldn't we be more worried about getting our degrees, finding a career, or having a good time? Here is what I have learned about marriage lately.

1. Marriage has an effect on our eternities, not just our earthly life. 
We believe that the institution of marriage is meant to endure eternity. This is the purpose of a temple marriage. A temple marriage is performed by someone who holds the authority to seal a couple together for time and all eternity. This power is referenced by Christ Himself while He is addressing His apostle, Peter. He says, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19) This is called the priesthood authority, the authority and power from God to act in His name. Through this authority, we can be bound as families forever. To dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father, this must be something we have. We need to be together as husband and wife to dwell with our Heavenly Father. This makes marriage a high priority in our lives.



2. Do we seek to please God or Man?
Man desires us to focus on career, money, prestige, position, worldly power... But we can't take any of this with us. We need our education, jobs, and those things for this life, but we won't need them in the next. We can take very little with us except our knowledge gained and, if we are sealed for time and all eternity, our family relationships. I would rather please God and be married and have my marriage be centered on the teaching of Jesus Christ than be a billionaire. I know this is His plan, so I am going to do my best to follow it.

Here is the thing: I've wanted to get married for as long as I remember, but I never knew how important marriage is until recently. I thought it would be just something that if it happened, that would be great. But now, I realize it isn't something to be delayed. It is something to be sought out and to be prayed about and to be led by the spirit to know when and who I will marry. I think of so many people who delay it and who decide it is okay to live with a boyfriend or girlfriend without being married. I just don't understand where anyone believes this is okay. God set up marriage from the beginning and I stand as a witness that if we follow His teachings, we will be blessed and be able to find eternal happiness. If we decide to marry, life isn't going to be perfect. It is going to take work. But we can find eternal happiness at the end of this period of trial and tribulation.

I promise that as we take this into consideration, we will see that there is nothing wrong with marrying the right person at the right time for you in the right place.

I love you all!
Love,
Sister Mackenzie Esmond

Truth Taught in All Thing

If anyone has ever met my family, you may know how much we love movies and movie quotes. There is something about it that as long as I can remember we have loved. It's just how we are. There are a few movie quotes that I especially like because they remind us of some really key principles that lead us to true happiness.

"Remember Who You Are. Remember... Remember..." (Mufasa, The Lion King)

This is something my mother says to us constantly. Every time we left the house or anytime she dropped us off somewhere. She would tell us to "Remember who you are!" I know I have mentioned it before, but it is so important to note that we are Children of a Loving Heavenly Father. He cares about us and wants us to be happy. He wants us to speak with Him through prayer. As we pray and seek Him, He will guide us through our lives.

"You is Kind. You is Smart. And you is important." (The Help)

As we come to know that we truly are children of a loving Heavenly Father, we know we matter. Especially within our family unit. We are someone that can make a difference and we each do make a difference each day. With every choice we make, we are influencing those around us. We are important in our own families and in the eyes of God. Even if you feel minuscule, remember that you do matter.

"The time has come, Harry, where we must choose between what is right, and what is easy." (Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

This is a time in history where there is an easy path and the right path. The easy path is to live in the world, to ignore the commandments of God and to justify sin. It is to seek out temporary pleasure instead of eternal happiness. The right path is to live the way our Father in Heaven would have us live. It is more difficult and takes a lot of effort, but it is the only way to true and eternal happiness. It is following the commandments, reading our scriptures, attending church, living promises made with our Heavenly Father. It is the right path, and we should follow it. But it is our choice.

"To love another person is to see the face of God." (Les Miserables)

The first and greatest commandment is to love God. The second is to "love thy neighbor as thyself". When we love other people, we are fulfilling this commandment. We are truly understanding charity, the pure love of Christ. As we strive to be like our Heavenly Father and love all mankind, we will be able to see them as they can become, instead of as they are.

"I am a nice shark. Not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change my ways, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food." (Finding Nemo)

Okay, while this one is rather silly, it illustrates a desire to change. The sharks decided they no longer wanted to be mean and live the lifestyle they were. They wanted to overcome the natural shark. Much like we need to over come the natural man because "the natural man is an enemy to God." (Mosiah 3:19) As we make the resolve to change and stick with it, then we can change and become a disciple of Jesus Christ (a nice shark). 

These thoughts go to show us that we can find truth in anything. But the fullness of the truth lies within the pages of the Book of Mormon and the Bible. The two in conjunction give us the complete truth and show us the way to Salvation. You can come to know for yourself by reading and praying about the Book of Mormon to know if it is true. 

I promise that if you do this, you will seek a remission of your sins through baptism. You will know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to a 14 year old boy, Joseph Smith, through whom the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the same church that Christ set up upon the earth was restored through Him and we have a living Prophet today. I know that Christ lives and wants us all to come unto Him! Let us accept His invitation and live our lives in accordance with His laws to be able to utilize fully His sacrifice which is the one and only way to salvation. I know this to be true.

I love you all!
Love,

Sister Mackenzie Esmond