Mormon Super Bowl

The weekend of all weekends in the LDS culture hit this week. It's the best time of year, twice of year. We are incredibly blessed to have men and women who are called of God to teach and tutor us for an entire weekend. I feel renewed and uplifted every six months after ten hours of learning from the Lord's called servants.

The beauty of technology and social media gives us quick access to all of the incredible talks and in recent years, making photos of quotes and thoughts from talks has become so common. Here are some of my favorite lines from this General Conference. #ldsconf

my favorite form of media

we all waste time on our phones, mindlessly scrolling through other people's lives. 

sometimes I don't feel bad about it because photos are my favorite. 

photos can take you back to a happy time, a happy place, a happy memory or can have the opposite effect. they can take you back to a difficult time, to heartbreak, to struggles but they can help you realize how far you've come since that photo was taken. 

pictures are my thing. taking pictures, being in pictures, they have the potential to capture everything beautiful about a moment. 

so here are just a very few of my very favorite photos. 

something good in the media

Yesterday, along with the majority of the valley, I had the privilege to attend the Provo City Center Temple dedication. This temple holds a special place in my heart for a number of reasons. But I love the symbolism behind this building's miraculous transformation from a tabernacle burned to ash into this beautiful House of the Lord.
A few months ago I attended a fireside with the project manager of this new temple. He related this temple to each of us as imperfect beings. This building literally went through the refiners fire as each of us should in this life to become new, clean, pure, and whole again.

I am so very grateful for temples. I cherish the opportunity I have to enter into the House of the Lord and perform sacred ordinances. I am astounded that there are two of these sacred buildings in our very own city. We truly are a blessed people.

good things to come

Two weeks ago, I attended a Saturday evening meeting for Stake Conference. Elder Summerhays of the Seventy was presiding and was the only person on the program for the two hour evening session and it was incredible. I was tutored and taught by the Spirit and received very specific and personal guidance. Elder Summerhays assured us of the future and the many things God had in store for each of us if we keep our covenants and strive to be more like Christ. He explained that we have no need to fear what lies ahead because our future holds more good than we can even prepare for.

His talk reminded me of one of my very favorite Mormon Messages that I go back to so often.
It is a beautiful reminder that our Father in Heaven is aware of what we are going through and although we experience great difficulty and trials, there are good things to come. We can look forward with hope for a brighter future.

bringing families together since 1929

Every February preparations are made, invitations are sent out, candy is bought, ballots are printed, prizes are put on display, and a feast is made in the home of Rose Garner. Since the early 80's Noni (Gramma Rose Garner) has been the event planner of the family. She has always taken every opportunity to get the family together and have a party. 

The Academy Awards are no different. 

It's become a coveted event. Friends, neighbors, boyfriends, girlfriends, and new spouses have all worked their way in and itched for an invite to Noni's annual Oscars party. She goes all out. Candy for correct guesses, prizes for overall winners, and dinner for all. 

Not all see the Oscars as being a family bonding experience but it has been a sacred day in our family since the beginning of time. Regardless of how many of the nominated films we have seen, how educated in film we are, or if we just came for the food and a good time, a celebration is had. The media can destroy a home if you let it, but it can also bring a family together in unity, love, laughter, and happiness. 

parenthood

Years ago I started watching the show Parenthood with my mom but stopped because life got busy and I got distracted with other things. The first day of this class, Parenthood was mentioned by multiple people and it sparked my interest again. So I started it again from the beginning.

Guess what?

Can't stop. 

If you haven't seen it before, it gives you all the feels. Every feeling imaginable, you'll feel it while you're watching this show. Every episode I cry real tears, I laugh out loud, I cringe, I feel everything deep inside me and I think it's because it's real. This show is realistic. It portrays a family that experiences it all. All the difficulties, joys, ups, and downs of life are happening to this family and it is relatable. Makes you feel like you aren't the only one experiencing the roller coaster of life and handling it poorly sometimes.

I understand this show is not real, these characters, this family, their stories aren't real life but it has made me think about their life, their struggles, and their joys as well as my own, in a new light. At times when I watch them go through things I think, if they had the gospel, this trial would have a whole different meaning for them and they'd have a better understanding of 'why'.

We are a blessed people. We are blessed to have the gospel in our lives. To have an eternal perspective. To know that trials don't last forever. To know that the Savior has experienced it all so that our load can be lighter. To know that our families can be together forever. To know the Lord is on our side. To know that this life, and all the lows that come with it are only temporary.

This life is hard. Heaven help us because we can't do it alone.

the choice

I'm becoming so keenly aware of how much I turn to the media for things. For validation, for comfort, for relief, for information. The list could go on and on.

This weekend I came to the realization that I turn to media: movies, music, tv shows to fill emotional holes I have. My younger sister had a birthday this weekend so we planned an afternoon outing to the movie theater to celebrate as sisters. There are a lot of sisters in my family so we decided to stay true to our normal form, be typical girls, and go see the latest Nicholas Sparks movie together.

It's called The Choice.
Here's the trailer in case you haven't heard of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWPM1jTnuuo

It hits you right in the feels. During this movie, every heartbreak I've ever experienced began to resurface. My unrealistic desire for the perfect romance with a cute southern boy came to the forefront of my mind and every imperfection about my love life was staring me in the face.

These stories don't actually happen. Relationships don't form the way they do in these sappy romantic and dramatic films, but we let ourselves believe 'it could' happen to us. Which is what they want us to believe and its the reason why we all continue to go see the movies we could predict the ending to ourselves.

BUT. I don't feel bad about it. I laughed, I cried, I swooned over the southern gentleman, and left hopeful that I too can have my own southern babe.

Love may not always be sunshine, daisies, and chocolate milk, but can be so much more than that. It's deeper than what the media makes of it. It can and will hold more significance in our lives if we let it. There is more than the lustful love we see on screen. We can love eternally and have love that lasts for eternity. I do turn to the media for emotional fills but it is so much more important to turn to the Lord, to the gospel, and to my Father in Heaven. He understands far better than any music artist or movie director what I think and feel and can fill the holes in my heart and head better than anything else. It's a choice we make.