Pearls & Perfection Pending

Yesterday was the annual General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  When General Conference comes around, I usually set a hundred goals for what I need to do better and how I can apply every little thing they speak about.  This time however, I tried to just get a general picture of what I need in my life.  What will affect me the most right now and have the biggest impact on my family if I apply it?  I noticed that a lot of the talks were geared toward the family and recent political debates about it.  Nothing specific was addressed regarding any particular group, or the supreme court finding the need to step into matters they probably shouldn't, but there seemed to be a few overarching ideas that I found helpful when I don't know how to respond to things going on in the world. I took away these main ideas:  -The family is sacred, eternal, and created by God with His specific purposes in mind.  It is something that mu...

Our lesson in Relief Society today was about eternal marriage. I am so grateful for the most perfect husband ever. Yes, he has his flaws, just like all of us, but he is so super perfect for me that I can hardly stand it sometimes. He is the most kind, positive, creative, selfless, productive, encouraging, helpful, generous, responsible, handsome, thoughtful, wonderful person I know. I am humbled to think that I get to be his best friend forever and ever and that he actually chose me! What a steal! Today, marriage is often considered disposable or even inconvenient or unnecessary. Luckily, I found one who is willing to throw himself into anything that will make my life better and he is in it for good. I can't imagine a day without this amazing man. He teaches me, strengthens me, and brings me joy. Marriage is not an activity, it is as James E. Faust said, "a joint quest for the good, the beautiful and the divine. This is the grandest quest I could have ever starte...

I heard about two girls from Utah who have started a new campaign called Beauty Redefined . I read through their website and I am very impressed by such a proactive stance on such a silent plague that is no longer creeping in on us, but has already unpacked and looks like it is here to stay. I particularly liked this article they posted. I appreciated the idea that pornography has become readily accepted by our culture within the last 10 years, a tragedy. Pornography is, "...a state of undress and a mode of representation that invites the sexualized gaze of the viewer” (ex: Mooney, 2008). Webster’s Dictionary describes it as “the depiction of erotic behavior intended to cause sexual excitement.” Working from these definitions, we find these dangerous messages in many other places than just behind closed doors. In fact, we find them everywhere." Why this is a cause worth fighting for: "This is not just a feminist argument calling out all the harmfully objectifyin...

This comes from Elder Bednar's three steps to becoming more diligent and concerned at home. I like the idea that life and spiritual progression does not need to be a miraculous or spectacular event each day. We do not have to plan detailed FHE lessons or provide profound spiritual experiences each time we open the scriptures with our families. While these things are often welcome and exciting, they are not the norm. Our lives are detailed masterpieces, painted carefully and painstakingly, one brush stroke at a time. To read the whole talk, click here . Express love and show it: As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better. Just as our love of and for the Lord is evidenced by walking ever in His ways (see Deuteronomy 19:9), so our love for spouse, parents, and children is reflected most powerfully in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds (see Mosiah 4:30). Bear t...