General Conference

Watching General Conference and listening to the apostles of the Lord is how I spent my weekend. On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to actually go up to the Conference Center in Salt Lake with my cousins. A few of my favorite quotes from conference are:

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland is a member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He spoke  about how we need to act on our faith.

Elder Richard G. Scott is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He spoke about how we can strengthen our homes and our families.

In between sessions on Sunday, my cousins and I took pictures in front of the Salt Lake Temple:

Yes, we are cousins. Yes, I'm a midget.

The beautiful Salt Lake Temple in the background.

Some of you may be wondering: What the heck is General Conference? Well, let me explain. No there is too much. Let me sum up*:

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints**, I believe that we have a living prophet on earth today, as well as apostles. This is similar to the organization of the church after Christ was resurrected and asked his apostles to "go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). After Christ ascended into heaven, Peter became the prophet of the world, and sent his apostles out to preach the word of God. The apostles and prophet that we have today also follow Christ and preach the gospel to the whole world. They travel to different countries each year and help strengthen and build up the members of the Church (now more than 14 million members strong). In addition, twice a year, we have General Conference, which is broadcast across the world. We listen to the testimonies of the apostles, and listen to the counsel that they have given us for our day. I love Conference because the Spirit of the Lord is powerful.

I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and that they love each and every one of us. I'm so excited to go to Brazil this summer and follow Christ's admonition to preach the gospel to them. I'm looking forward to serve them and to share God's love with them.

*Yes, I did just use a Princess Bride quote. Because why not?

**Want to find out more about our beliefs? Visit mormon.org.

To the Campus Couples

To the on-campus hand-holders,

           
To start, let me commend you for finding happiness in life. It’s cute that y’all are confident enough in each other to profess your love and attraction by holding each other’s hands in public. While it’s great to know that such affection exists out there in the world, I have a couple requests of you hand-holding couples:

          
First off, would it be at all possible to move to the edges of the sidewalk? Walking side by side is already taking up a ton of sidewalk space, and then you add the space occupied by your linked arms or hands and bam! The whole sidewalk has disappeared under your love, making it impossible for anyone to go around you. Or (heaven forbid) try to pass by between you two.

           
Secondly, maybe you don’t notice it, but I’m actually in kind of a rush. In my single life, I actually do care about getting to class and work on time. I know that sometimes these class breaks are the only times y’all get to see each other throughout the day, but you guys move SO SLOWLY. It's hard because I'm walking at a quick pace, and then I come up on your heels. Suddenly, I go from walking quickly to moving at a pace similar to a snail's And I really do want to get to class on time. Your slow pace, combined with the fact that you guys hog the whole sidewalk makes it really hard for us single people to make it anywhere on campus in a timely manner.

           
Lastly, if you see me coming towards you, could you quite possibly move closer together to give me a little space to go around you? I feel like you guys would want any excuse to be closer to each other, but somehow, I’m the only one that’s supposed to bending over backwards for you guys to walk at your slow pace as you gaze into your lover’s eyes. I’m really not that big. I just need a little sidewalk space to quickly move out of your way. Even if you can’t move to the edges of the sidewalk or pick up the pace, then the least you could do is try to take up as little space as possible when I come through. That’s all I ask really. I don’t see why it’s only my job to maneuver through the busy sidewalks. A little help from y’all is all that I need.

           
Again, I’m not bashing your public displays of affection. It’s sweet and endearing. And I’m not even being a tiny bit sarcastic. However, I just want a little accommodation on the sidewalks. I don’t think it’s too much to ask.

            Sincerely,

I like to move faster than a snail

An Utter Travesty

There are very few straight-up travesties in my life, and I am trying my absolute hardest to fix all of them. I grew up fairly cultured. I read all of the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson books. I watched the Disney movies and the Pixar movies (yes, those are different, I promise). I grew up loving Star Wars. But there are some things that for whatever reason, I did not have integrated into my childhood.

For example, this past weekend I watched Top Gun for the very first time. Please don't be too terribly shocked. Think about it. My parents had already seen it by the time I was old enough to understand what was going on. So why would they watch it again when there are cool, new movies that haven't been watched yet? However, this is not the actual travesty. The real travesty is the fact that I have never, ever seen a James Bond movie.

Ok. Hold up. Don't get all upset and disbelieving at me. Please. Calm down. I'll be fixing this horrible mistake as soon as I possibly can. Hopefully this weekend I can get two birds with one stone: I will watch Skyfall (which I've heard is amazing) and I will watch a James Bond movie for the first time ever.

So. That's the plan. It's going to be a James Bond weekend!

AHHHHH!!! I'm going to BRAZIL!!

About every five minutes, I turn to Emily and ask her "Guess what? Guess what? Guess!! I'M GOING TO BRAZIL!!!!" It's a wonder she hasn't murdered me yet.

Why am I going to Brazil? I have chosen to become a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Starting June 26th, I will be in Brazil for 18 months. I will be able to call my family twice a year on Christmas and Mother's Day. I will be able to email my family once a week, and I will communicate with the rest of my friends via letters. That's right. Super old school. I'm convinced that Mormon Missionaries are the only ones keeping the postal service alive.

Considering my extensive background in Spanish, I thought for sure I would go to a Spanish-speaking mission, whether it was here in the States or in South America. It wasn't a matter of what language I'd be speaking, but which country I would be going to. However, the Lord has something else in store for me, seeing as I'm going to be learning Portuguese. I keep having to say it to myself in order to believe it. It still doesn't seem real sometimes. Although Google Maps helps. A lot.

So while I wait for the next four months, I'll be stalking Sao Paulo through the internet. Needless to say. I'm thrilled to be going to Brazil this summer. It's where I'm supposed to be. Next stop on the way to Brazil? Getting my passport! This'll be fun...

Love Appreciation Day

Some of you may call it Single Awareness Day. And for others, it's Valentine's Day. I choose to call it Love Appreciation Day. Whatever it is, may this day be filled with joy and gladness.

What? You mean I can't celebrate Valentine's Day if I'm single? Well, that's too bad, because I am going to, whether y'all like it or not.

You see, Valentine's Day shouldn't be about whether or not you "have" a Valentine (last I checked, I'm not allowed to "have" anyone. I'm pretty sure that's called slavery). It's about showing your love for your friends and family.

The best way to have fun on Valentine's Day? Serve others! Show your love for them. Stop focusing on why your day stinks because you're single, and start focusing on how you can brighten someone else's day. Make a cheesy Valentine. Write a corny poem. Make your best friend their favorite dinner. Tell the people that you care about that you love them. As far as I know, nobody can be told that they are loved enough times in their  life.

I promise that if you get out there and serve others, and have a good attitude, then your Valentine's Day will become Love Appreciation Day. So get on out their and show your friends and family that you care!

Happy Love Appreciation Day!!

The Game

No, not football games (although those are super fun). I'm talking about the dating game. The game that every boy and girl plays at some point in time. Girl meets Boy, Boy meets Girl. Boy and Girl flirt with each other. Girl takes interest in Boy... and then the game begins!

The whole outcome of the game is to solidly figure out if the other person likes you. Seems simple enough, right? Wrong! For some reason, there is no simple way to play The Game. I know, I've tried. There are always multiple phases of The Game, and sometimes they have a quick life span, and sometimes they are long and drawn out to the point of exhaustion.

Initial Communication:

This phase is where you first meet the person. It can be anywhere from a ward activity to a random happenstance on campus. It can last five minutes or an hour, depending on the situation, how well you hit it off or how attractive they are (let's be honest-that's a huge factor). Usually the initial communication is where the Budding Attraction seed is planted. If the Initial Communication goes well, then phone numbers are exchanged and further Communication is sought after.

Communication:

After Initial Communication, there's the feeling of "What next?" If the Budding Attraction seed has been planted, then usually the Communication will build to the point of A Date. Communication is where you get to find a little bit more about the person. Are they worthy to go on A Date? Is he even interested in me or is he just being friendly? The Communication phase is important, because what if someone is not as funny/smart/nice/polite as they may have been during Initial Communication? Well that's a problem. Sometimes The Game can end during the Communication phase because you're just not interested. The Budding Attraction seed can either be squashed by a rude and insensitive comment, how dirty his apartment is, or by the fact that he's actually pretty socially awkward in a group. (All three have happened before.) If Communication is successful, and enough hints have been dropped by both people, then A Date occurs.

A Date:

A Date can range anywhere from going out to eat to going to a ball game. Since this is BYU, there are actually some pretty creative dates. A Date can be a group date, or a just the two of you. This is where you really start evaluating the person and how compatible they are with you. If none of his interests match up with yours, then that's a problem. While it's nice to have some differences, there are some things that just can't be overcome. For example, if he totally hates football and refuses to watch a single game, then that might be a problem if you like to spend your Saturday afternoons catching a good game, so you couldn't spend time together. Or if you like doing outdoorsy things and he doesn't, then how would you both have fun  going on a hike? Sometimes there's just no spark.

Sometimes though, there is a spark. You laugh at the same things, love the same movies, and just overall have a great time. You start wondering about whether or not things could actually work out between the two of you. Now this is where The Game gets tricky. Sometimes things can skip right over Budding Attraction into straight up Attraction, then slides on into Relationship easy-peasy. However, sometimes The Game needs to be played out into its fullest. Because what if he doesn't feel the same as you do? Maybe he didn't feel that spark that you did, and you're just crazy?

Budding Attraction:

This is the most crucial part of The Game. It's also the longest part of the game (at least for me anyway). Budding Attraction overlaps into all of the previous categories. Sometimes the seed blossoms quickly, and sometimes it dies before it even has the chance. Budding Attraction is when you start asking yourself whether or not you actually like the person and are interested in taking things to Attraction. Personally, I start keeping a mental pros and cons list that not only lists his good qualities against the bad, but lists the possibilities of where The Game might lead to. For example, yes you really think he's funny...but sometimes his humor is a little mean to other people. Yes he likes to do fun, spontaneous things...but he's not very dependable or responsible. He's seems like such a nice guy...but he doesn't put the milk back in the fridge (huge pet peeve of mine). Budding Attraction can shift into Attraction after either a few days or after multiple dates. It all depends on what you're looking for.

Budding Attraction is crucial because this is when you decide whether or not to go all in. This is where you get the opinions of your friends and roommates on the matter. If you feel like you're not ready for Attraction, then the Budding Attraction seed is squashed, and the person gets labeled "A Crush", while life returns back to normal. If Budding Attraction blossoms into a bright, vibrant Attraction flower, then it's time to turn the tables and see if the other person feels the same way.

Attraction:

After the Attraction flower has blossomed, your attention shifts to figuring out whether or not he likes you back. This is where every action is dissected, rehashed, and retold to roommates and friends. "We sat close to each other on the couch and he didn't back off," or "He gave me a hug when he usually doesn't" or "He's asking me out on Date part IV!" If he doesn't return the Attraction, then there are a few outcomes. The person can decide to quit The Game and start over with someone new. Or the person continues to try and plant the Budding Attraction seed. This part is tricky since it's hard to push things without fear of coming off as too forward or just plain creepy. Attraction is hard to line up between the same two people, which is why The Game is so important. As one of my friends says: "I can never get the right guy to like me back!" However, when the planets align ever so nicely, and both of you are in the Attraction phase, then you're a great candidate for a Relationship.

Relationship:
Congratulations! If you've made it this far, then you have successfully played The Game! Now it's time to move on to The Next Level. The Dating Game is just the first step in the process of The Long Haul (aka Marriage). However, I am not married, nor planning on being married anytime in the near future, so here's where my walk-through is complete.

As you can see, The Game can be quite complicated, or very simple. I've known circumstances where a couple flies through the first few steps, ended up at Relationship, and then realized that they knew hardly anything about each other, so they broke it off. I've also known where a couple decided to just stay in Attraction and go on Date parts X, XI, XII, etc and they were totally happy with it. It all just depends on who you are and what you like. Now that you're informed, let The Game begin!

Labor-Day Adventures

(What? My blog changed? I guess it must be a new year, with new stories to tell.)

This past Labor-Day weekend was such an adventure! I got called as the Ward Pianist, so I played the pian-y in Sacrament on Sunday. I'm actually quite surprised that I'm the Sacrament Pianist, because I'm fairly certain there are more qualified people than me in my ward. They're probably flawless sight readers and can make things up on command, while I just... can't. But oh well.

After church, Emily and I went to her Aunt Bonnie's place to spend the night, along with other college-aged people that Bonnie knows and loves. We ended up serving up hundreds of hot dogs to people who were volunteering to clean out mud in a town called Saratoga Springs. There was a flash flood and mud was everywhere! It was a lot of fun to serve hot dogs because we prepared them assembly-line style:

So many hot dogs!

That night, we watched some TV till the wee hours of the morning. It was super fun because we got so into the movie/TV show, that we started yelling out advice to the characters. The next morning, Aunt Bonnie made us breakfast, which was delicious. We repaid our breakfast debt by picking lots and lots of vegetables from their garden.

We're real farmers!

We then watched some more of the TV show we watched the night before. It was pretty addicting.

After our Labor-Day lunch, we drove up to Brigham City for the Brigham City Temple Open House, where we walked through the temple before it's dedicated. This was my third Temple Open House, but it was still absolutely wonderful and amazing. The temple is beautiful of course. I took some pictures of the temple that I'll upload later. Here's the one I've got for now.

That was our Labor-Day Adventure!