My Beliefs & an Update!

The last two weeks in Relief Society we have been focusing on missionary work. Yesterday during our lesson the Bishops wife (who was teaching the lesson) asked what have we done to share the gospel. Not those exact words, but close. She really got me thinking though. I would say the majority of my friends are not LDS and I have spoken to quite a few of them about what I believe and what the church believes. It is always so interesting, not only for them but for me. As I was sitting in class I kept thinking I should really do better and sharing the gospel because it really could be helpful to someone. Last night I got on Facebook and I had a friend make a comment about his opinion on legalizing gay marriage. This was posted off of an article about Google having a campaign for it and therefore was pretty much available to anyone to comment back on it. As I read all these comments I realized that I was getting really heated about it and I wanted to say something, but when it comes to gay marriage I have my opinion and my beliefs, but wouldn't be able to back it up any more then that. I also know that I wouldn't be able to take anything that was shot back at me to attack my beliefs. I continued to read just what everyone was saying and then being Mormon comes up and they of course attack that. One guy even said it was the dumbest religion second to Scientology. (I'm glad we at least beat Scientology). When I read that it actually got me really upset and I wanted to say something about it, I wanted to just prove to that guy that he had no idea what he was talking about. Which brought me back to my RS lesson. I want to be able to share my beliefs and to have an opinion but I won't ever be able to do that, at least not in the way my friend so boldly did on Facebook. I would love be able to go back and forth with someone, show them what I truly believe and be able to continue without being attacked. Instead of throwing in my opinion I just liked my friends comments and our other friends comments.
So, I figured I would make a small little opinion here on my blog where only friends and family read and not very many people read it any way so I figure I'm pretty safe. (However, if someone doesn't agree, realize I don't want to hear about it and you can stop reading.) As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. This link should sum up what I believe about the family. The Family I don't think that being gay is something you are born with. In my opinion it is a trial in life and you have the choice to take the "easy" way by going with your feelings and being gay, or you can take the harder way and choose to be with the opposite sex and have the blessing of one day getting married to the person you love. I have heard of people who felt more attracted to the same sex, but were able to get past it enough to marry someone of the opposite sex and even have a family. Now when I say "easy" way it's really not that easy. Obviously, being gay is not easy for very many people, which actually surprises me that so many people do choose to be gay, it's not always accepted by others. When I say "easy" way I mean that when you have those feelings of being attracted to the same sex it really would be easier (for some) to take the criticism so they can feel complete with someone of the same sex. I still think that it would be easier for someone to ignore those feelings, but I have never had to deal with it and don't fully know. I assume it would be difficult, but doable. Now, I believe that we all have our free agency to choose what we want to do, it's part of the plan. (The Plan of Salvation definition: Plan of Salvation ) So, with that agency we can choose to be straight or gay. Whatever the choice I, in my own opinion, accept whoever someone chooses to be. Growing up in California I have a lot of gay friends, some I didn't even know were gay until after High School. Even though they choose to be gay doesn't mean I don't like them as people, I just don't agree with their lifestyle choice for myself. However, I feel that if you choose to be gay you are choosing to not get married because I feel (as I stated before) that marriage is between a man and a woman. You went into that choice knowing that gay marriage wasn't legal and you should realize that that is how it is. Now something that kind of explains more of why I believe this is because if gay marriage does become legal (this was what I heard four years ago during Prop 8) then in California they weren't going to allow LDS people to get married in the temple first. They would have to have a civil marriage before they were allowed to go through the temple because our church doesn't allow same-sex marriage. I just didn't think that was right. I just don't like that my religion was going to be put out because of our beliefs. If gay people want equal rights I think that we shouldn't have to give up our right to get married in a temple. This is where I had my issues with gay marriage along with just my initial belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
Now, I am sure this was all scattered and if people were to actually read this I'm betting they could pick it apart. I also know that I am sure I could write more and perfect this better, but I don't really want to take any more time to do so. (Mainly because I don't really see many people reading it ;) ) I just wanted to put out there what I believe and I guess to make myself feel better about sharing what I believe and what the LDS church believes. If for some reason someone reads this and doesn't agree with what I believe, as I said before I don't like to be attacked and I don't have much else to say or much to back it up then I already said. I take my opinion mostly from what my church believes and just my own beliefs in general. So, I'd rather not have any comments :)

Now as to just a regular update!
This summer has been a lot of fun so far. Landen and I have been enjoying our time together before he starts back up in school. Just last week Landen hit a raccoon in our Taurus and the damage was $2300 so since we bought the care for $1000 we decided to just buy a cheap car to get us another year or so before we need to get a car loan. (We also want to get my student loans paid off before we take on a new loan) I'm currently looking for a new job that will be able to help with bills and savings! (Pray that I get the job I am currently waiting to hear from because I really don't want to work where I am now! :/) Anyway, Landen's cousin just got baptized which was great! Also our sister in law just had her third child a little girl name McKenzee!! She is just so cute and so fun to hold! :) We went to the USU fireworks on the 3rd which was a lot of fun and then on the Fourth of July we went to the Lewiston Fireworks. I love the Fourth of July! I love being part of the United States and being able to celebrate our freedom and the men and women who risk their lives in order for all of us to have that freedom. My birthday is coming up which I am excited for and Bear Lake with the Kidd's!!! I think that's about it for now. I know we've done some stuff, but I am hoping to give a better update later and add pictures. :)

The Next Chapter

I graduated!!! Yep, that's right! I have officially graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a Bachelors degree in Psychology with a minor in Child Development and I was able to graduate with a cumulative GPA of a 3.5! :) I don't have the pictures from graduation... so here's a cute one of me and my favorite husband...Landen! ;) Once I get more pictures I will most likely post them on Facebook and maybe on here!

We moved!!! So, right after my graduation ceremony we moved to Logan, Utah! Our new place is at least twice as big as our last place! So great! We have a two bedroom townhouse with a living room and a family room and a ton of counter space in our kitchen!! With our new place we had some extra space we thought we should fill so we saved up some money and bought a new washer and dryer and some new couches so we could sit. Oh and we just bought our new stools yesterday so we don't have to eat on the couches anymore!

So here's our new washer, dryer, and couches!!!

Next big news! I got a job!! I am now employed as a Communication Intervener for Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind. I will be working with a child who is deaf/blind and has other medical issues as well. I will pretty much spend all of the child's school day with her and help her to communicate and get as much information in as possible! I've already had my first day and it is going to be a pretty difficult/stressful job, but I know it will all be worth it! I am also currently looking for some part time work because this summer I will only be getting about 10 hours a week. Once school starts it'll be more.

Lastly, I have read all of the hunger games books within three days... and really it was less than even 24 hours for probably all of them combined. I absolutely LOVED them! I was told that they weren't as good after the first one. Not true. First off, as an adult reading a book meant for young adults (about ages 12-18) I don't typically have high expectations for the book because it is below my reading level. However, I love reading young adult books, they are my absolute favorite and I would recommend these books to anyone and everyone! If you haven't read it or had those feelings of "the first was the best" then I just have to tell you that you must not really get the big picture of it all. The books weren't JUST about the hunger games the entire book was based off of a rebellion for freedom and without those last two books I would have been left completely hanging and wondering what was going to happen with their entire country. Here is something that Suzanne Collins actually said when asked how she created these books, "I was channel surfing between reality TV programming and actual war coverage when Katniss’s story came to me. One night I’m sitting there flipping around and on one channel there’s a group of young people competing for, I don’t know, money maybe? And on the next, there’s a group of young people fighting an actual war. And I was tired, and the lines began to blur in this very unsettling way, and I thought of this story." I guess I completely agree with her. Many people today are just like the people in the Capitol where they were watching the tributes fight to their death. I thought that these were amazing books that really meant more then what people may have actually got out of them. As for the romance aspect-- I love Peeta! He's definitely the ideal guy! ;)

The End.