Personal reflections from the week, journal format

This week I really enjoyed the messages I read in the Bible. It was really interesting to me to see the faith of these faithful followers of Christ. it made me ponder about whether I am truly putting the Lord first and would be able to honestly say that I "left my nets" and quickly followed after his call. I feel that our nets in some cases can symbolize the daily tasks that we need to accomplish. Many times I want to do a lot more in order to put the Lord first but am weighed down by little obligations in school and education and am reluctant to drop everything. However I have started to realize that it isn't about having time to do he most important things in life its about making time. I have started to do this by making little notes for people to show them I care and am thinking about them or calling my mom just on the way home for class. This has become very effective and I have made time for reading the scriptures by reading them as I eat breakfast or do my hair, and I have definitely noticed a difference.

The other impact the scriptures has made on me this week is realizing that truly with Heavenly father all things are possible. I trust strongly in the power of prayer but I know that at times we feel that we must accomplish everything on our own or our task is too heavy to bear. And I really feel that we have those overwhelming challenges in order to help us realize that with the Lord all things are possible. I believe that I heard this sweet story somewhere in conference or in a talk that really impacted me, there was a little boy trying to push a huge boulder but was unable to. Then his father told him to use all his strength, and the little boy said he was using all his strength. But his father replied saying, no you aren't because you haven't asked me to help. Sometimes it is easy for me to forget that the greatest strength I can have is the one that comes from my Heavenly Father.  

John 3: We must be born again

#1

Unit 2: choice 4

John 3. We must be born again

The Savior declared that we must "born again" (John 3:3) review Mosiah 5:7. Then respond to the following questions.

What is the difference between "seeing" the kingdom of god and "entering" the kingdom of God?
I believe that there are some people who are doing good things and they can become to see the kingdom of God and they know what their end goal is, but they don't fulfill the covenants they need to in order to enter the Kingdom of God. there can also be those who are willing to do good things but don't want to make the sacrifices necessary in order to enter enter the kingdom of God and therefore haven't endured to the end. As the scriptures say we have a change of heart, and so sometimes we may do the steps necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven but because we don't truly experience this change of heart we won't continue progressing in order to enter the kingdom.

What did Jesus teach Nicodemus that we must do to enter the kingdom of God?
He taught that we must be born again, through baptism so that we follow the Savior and repent of our sins and then make the covenant necessary to be forgiven of our sins.  To be born of the water and of the spirit.

What does it mean to be "born of water"?

This symbolizes being baptized in water by letting go of our past sins through and being cleansed from these past mistakes. When we are baptized (immersed in water) it symbolizes the death of our old life (including mistakes) and the rebirth of ourselves spiritually. It is also the physical manifestation that we are choosing to follow the Savior.

read Moses 6:59 and list ways that baptism is a symbol of rebirth, read Romans 6:4 and list how baptism can be a symbol of death.

 rebirth: 
new chance
free from sin
cleansed from mistakes
ability to start over
cleansed through the blood of Christ
chance to enter into the kingdom of God
come out of the water, like Christ was raised from the dead
have newness of life

Death:
Baptism is the death of our past wicked life
buried under the water
Letting go of past mistakes
transgression brings death so because we sinned we must die, and through baptism that past life does essentially die as we are reborn washing away the past sins.

What does it mean to be "born of the spirit"?
To be born of the spirit is firstly to be given the gift of the holy ghost which works as a cleansing agent. This also includes having a mighty change of heart so that when we are baptized we are choosing to follow the example of the Savior and therefore follow him in his ways. Just like the Nephites if we truly have this change of heart we won't want to sin any longer. This includes the repentance process and literally choosing to follow the example of Jesus Christ through the inner desire to do what is right. This is more of the spiritual side where we are really promising that we will follow the commandments and starting over. This is something that also takes time, because we must be constantly repenting and doing what is right, taking the sacrament and always doing what is right to endure to the end.

What natural element does the Lord compare with the Spirit? Why is it an effective comparison?

He compares it to fire, being born of fire. This is an effective comparison because fire burns out all the uncleanliness of things just as when we receive the gift of the holy ghost we will be cleansed from iniquity.

Review John 3:14-17, 35-36. Write a paragraph that describes who the Father loves, what he has done to show his love for his children and for Jesus Christ. what the purpose of the Savior was, and what blessings will come to those who accept the Son.

Heavenly Father loves all of us because we are his children and he wants all of us to be able to return to live with him. Because of his love for us he made a plan for all of us so that we could have a savior that would atone for our sins. So because of his love for all of us he sent his son Jesus Christ to show us the perfect example and to atone for our sins. He sent Jesus Christ so that we could be saved through following the Savior and his example we can repent, be forgiven, make sacred covenants, endure to the end and be able to return to live with our Heavenly Father. Also because of his love he has blessed the Savior and given him all things so that he could help us. Also the blessings that come from following the savior include having eternal life and being made perfect in him.

#1- What have they learned about the Savior, and what do I know about the Savior

Choice 2: Blog

Unit One: Choice 4

Who	How they learned about the Savior		What they knew about the Savior	What they did with their knowledge
Elisabeth (Luke 1:39-45)	Mary arrived at her home and the babe in Elisabeth's womb jumped and she was filled with the Spirit. So she knew also by the spirit that Mary was to conceive the Savior.		She knew that He was her Lord and that her son was meant to prepare the way for the Lord so that he could redeem all mankind. She knew that He was the Son of God.	She was filled with joy and happily welcomed Mary into her home and told Mary that she was the mother of the Lord. Also she believed and had faith. With this knowledge she proclaimed her testimony to Mary.
Shepherds (Luke 2:8-18)	The Angel of the Lord came upon them and proclaimed the good tidings that Christ was to be born. Then there was a heavenly host of angels proclaiming the birth of the Savior. They were also shown the star which marked the birth of the Savior.		They knew that the Son of God, their Savior was born. That He would be their Saviour. That He was Christ the Lord.	They rushed to see the Savior. Then once they had seen the Savior in the manger they rushed to let others know of his birth as well. They then returned glorifying and praising the Lord. So they first exercised faith, they believed, they shared testimonies and rejoiced.
Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)	It was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he would be able to see the Lord. He was led by the spirit to go to the temple to see the Lord.		He knew that the Savior was a gift from the Lord who would save us all from our sins (salvation). He knew he was the Son of God to atone for our sins and to save us.	He followed the spirit, he recognized that the babe was the Savior. He held Jesus in his arms and rejoiced and blessed him.
Anna (Luke 2:36-38)	She served God with fasting and prayer and was in the temple when Mary and Joseph came with the Savior.		She knew that He would bring about the redemption of Israel.	She gave thanks unto the Lord and proclaimed to others her testimony and shared with the people the blessing.
Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12)	They studied the scriptures and recognized the sign of the new star and knew that Christ had been born.		They knew that he was born to be the King of the Jews, they rejoiced which showed that they knew that his birth was a blessing. They knew that he was to be their Savior, and so they knew that his birth was a miracle and rejoiced.	They rejoiced and wanted to visit the Savior to bring gifts to him. They also let the King know about Jesus Christ but later being warned by an angel decided not to return to Herod and kept his whereabouts a secret.
Herod (Matthew 2:1-18)	The three Wise Men had been studying the scriptures and the signs of Christ's birth and they went to Herod to tell him.		He knew that Christ was born "King of the Jews" and therefore felt that this would mean that he would lose his kingdom to a different king. That there had been prophesies about how Christ would rule and govern the people of Israel.	He was troubled, he wanted the kingdom for himself and therefore felt threatened. Sent the Wise men to find out where he lay and then tried to kill the Savior. ordered the death of all the male children born within the 2 year time frame to try to kill the Savior.
Chief Priests (Matthew 2:1-6)	Herod demanded of the Chief Priests to know where Christ was to be born.		They had studied the scriptures and read that the prophets had said he would be born in Bethlehem. That he would rule and govern the people.	They (being part of Jerusalem) were troubled by the news of Christ and how he was meant to be King of the Jews and therefore when asked by the King, they told him where the Savior was to be born.
Nephites (3 Nephi 1:12-22)		They were being taught by the prophets	They knew that the Savior would come to redeem mankind, that He would be the Son of God and that he would suffer and die for their sins so that they could repent to life with God again.		They exercised their faith in standing up for what they believed in and being righteous.

What do I know about the Savior? How Have I learned it, and what am I doing with what I know?

             I know that the Savior is our elder brother who was with Heavenly father in the beginning. That he helped create the world under the direction of the Father. That because of his great love for God and for us he offered to be a sacrifice so that we could return to live with our Heavenly father. I know that he suffered all things being the only perfect being that could be able to. I know that he submitted his will to the Father's and overcame all things. I know that because he sacrificed himself that the chains of death are broken and therefore we all will be resurrected into a perfect state, and if we were righteous we can live with our Heavenly Father and the Savior Jesus Christ forever with our families. The Savior is the Son of God, and the only begotten of the Father. He is the perfect example to us of how we should treat others with love and kindness. He is the example and the way for us to follow so that we can become like God. He is perfect in his love for us, his compassion and he wants us to be happy.

             I have learned these things because I was blessed to be born into a family with loving parents that taught me the ways of the Lord. My parents were righteous in their actions and brought us to church every week, taught us to pray, taught us in family home evening and was consistent in daily prayers, and scripture reading. They focused Christmas on the Saviors birth and taught us about the saviors birth. Where they would teach about the important event of Christ coming to earth, and we would read about his birth and act out the nativity. They supported us and encouraged us to go to YM and YW activities where we also were able to learn about the Savior. I learned these things by choosing to take time to pray every morning and night which allowed my heart to be prepared to trust in the Lord. I read the Book of Mormon with my family but also on my own to strengthen my testimony and to learn these things. I did projects in Young Womens which allowed me to research more about the Savior. I was able to pray many times throughout my life to know that these things were true and also through personal experience gained a testimony. I also learned these things through church choir because we learned songs about the Savior which further helped be to learn these things and to strengthen my testimony. Also one of the greatest ways I learned these things were to put them into practice by doing service projects in my ward which helped to learn about the Savior. As well as the overall experience of my mission because I was able to see the Lord's hand bless the lives of others. Another of the hugest ways I learned that these things were true was through exercising faith and seeing the atonement truly work in my life. 

          Right now with this knowledge I have I am constantly striving to do better and to repent so that the blessing of the Saviors life can take effect in my life. I'm working on sharing my testimony of the Savior with others through the righteous was that I live, through loving and serving others and by trying to bear my testimony when I feel that it could benefit others.I have noticed that when I have shared my testimony with others on my mission and trusted in the Lord to fulfill his promises then I have strengthened by testimony into being factual knowledge into a deep conviction. This is something that I am trying to exercise and strengthen through continuing to do the daily important habits that I invited people in Brazil to do. Such as reading the scriptures daily, praying sincerely, visiting the temple, having faithful church attendance and other things that will bring me closer to the Savior.

1. How did you and what did you do to complete the assignment?
   1. What I did do complete this assignment is I first read the entire reading so that I could get a fuller understanding of what was occurring during these verses. Then I specifically read the assigned readings for each person, sometimes reading parts before or after to see if there was details I should include. Then I pondered about other information I knew about these people and thought about what else they may have known about the Savior or what their actions meant. Then I related that to my life seeing the faithful examples of these people and thought about how I am doing in comparison. Then I wrote about my experiences trying to include little events that may have also helped me gain this knowledge.
2. Why did you decide to do the assignment you did?
   1. I'm trying to keep a journal of moments in my life through a blog, usually including the review of my week when I send an email to my missionary sister. I think blogs are very useful because I am usually using a computer and therefore I can quickly jot down information about my life. Also because I know that sometimes computers crash, information is lost and I wanted the work I did to be saved so that I could look back on it. Also I'm trying really hard to be a good member missionary but I don't want my friends to feel pressured and so I felt that using a blog was a way to share the gospel for those who felt prompted or inspired to read what I read and therefore they could ask questions.
3. What do you think is the best thing about your assignment and how do you think it could be improved? What I really liked about the assignment was it allowed me to look at many different examples of people who had knowledge of the Savior and to see what they did with it. I think I was able to really apply to to my own life and ponder about how I can be better at using this knowledge the way I should. I think that I could have included specific experiences that helped my faith to grow. 

Introduction activity

             I am excited to be able to be in this course, my name is Kelsey Kimball. I am from Laie, Hawaii and have lived there since I was three years old. I have been extremely blessed with a wonderful family that I love. I have 5 siblings, one of which is married and older then myself and the other 4 are younger, the youngest being 7 years old. I returned from my mission in Sao Paulo Interlagos Brazil about 5 and a half months ago. I was blessed by the missionary age change and consequentially I recently turned 21. I am a sophomore here at BYU-Idaho studying Elementary education and am loving Rexburg. My family is actually moving here in July which I'm very happy about, it's definitely a huge miracle in my life.

          I enjoy doing a variety of many different activities. I enjoy country/swing dancing, tennis, volleyball, racquetball, ping pong, playing pool, basically any board game with my family, I basically enjoy many different activities and enjoy playing sports for fun.

            I love the Gospel and have been very blessed throughout my life. I love having a positive outlook on events that occur in my life. I especially am grateful for the power of prayer, it is such a blessing in my life.

Introduction to principles from the scriptures

The principle I thought of in the introduction of principles is:

If we have faith all things are possible

The Lord loves us and wants to bless us

If we ask with faith, we shall receive.

Alma 8:18-

After he received this message he returned speedily to the village

We must speedily follow the Counsel of the Lord

The Lord always knows what is best

If we are humble and put our hand in the Lords then he will guide us on the correct paths

His:

To be a true follower we must promptly obey regardless of difficulties

We must not question the Lord’s commands

Nephi 2

Nephi Cries unto the Lord to know that the things his father said was true, his heart was softened and the Lord tells him that they will go to the promised land

When we are humble the Lord can tell us the truth of all things,

sometimes great knowledge is given unto the young and weak based on their faith

we must ask the Lord if we want to know if something is true

Sometimes we receive more than we ask for from the Lord.

Elder Oaks- revelation comes most often when we are on the move.