You Make Me Feel Like Dancing

Oh man, you got to love The Wiggles.... ;D

I had the opportunity to give a talk today at church during Sacrament meeting, I am really not a big fan of giving talks and so when I was asked I wasn't too happy. The 2nd counselor in the bishopric who had asked me to base what I spoke about on a hymn entitled Who's on the Lord's Side? Who? It was not a song that was well known to me, so I had to take some time to re-read it and understand the words and the meaning of the song several times. Finally while talking with my mom I decided to take it in the direction of how we can continue the Lord's work in our actions and the things we share on the internet. I was asked to talk for about eight minutes, I was really nervous about being able to cover that long, but have no worry it ended up being nearly 15 minutes long :D. At the beginning of my talk I mentioned that when I get nervous I talk really fast, but everyone that talked to me afterward told me that I didn't talk too fast and that I was really composed.

Introduce Yourself:
Hello, for those of you who don’t know me my name is Beth Mathews, I moved into the ward in January and I live in Log Up. I’m from Toledo, a little town on the coast of Oregon. My communities name for fame is that our local aquarium housed the whale from the movie Free Willy or Keiko as his name was before he was moved to Iceland.
(they thought it was funny when I mentioned Free Willy/Keiko :D)
I am the youngest of six kids, 4 brothers, 1 sister, 3 nieces, 2 nephews and I am a sophomore here at BYU majoring in Early Childhood Education.
You will have to forgive me if I talk really fast, I am not a big fan of giving talks and when I get nervous I talk really fast…my mom told me to be sure to SLOW DOWN, so I will try and do that.
Actual Talk:
There is a hymn entitled Who’s on the Lord’s Side and it begins with “Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who? Now is the time to show. We ask it fearlessly: Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?”
Charles W Dahlquist the Young Men’s General President said in the April 2007 General Conference that this is a question that should be in the mind of each young man and each young woman the world over: “Who’s on the Lord’s side? “And our resounding answers should be, “I am!”
But how do we know if we are on the Lord’s side and how can we show it? President George Albert Smith, said quoting his grandfather: “There is a line of demarcation, well defined. On one side of the line is the Lord’s territotry. On the other side of the line is the devil’s territory…if you will stay on the Lord’s side of the line, you are perfectly safe, because the adversary of all righteousness cannot cross that line.” What does that mean? It means that those who are living righteous lives, keeping all of the commandments of our Heavenly Father are perfectly safe, but not those who trifle with his advice and counsel."
There are many ways that we can show that we are on the Lord’s side, Elder Ballard has shared a way that is part of our lifestyle already..he strongly suggested that we use things that are part of our lives to share the gospel and our testimonies of it: Forgive me but I am going to read a large piece of his talk..he says it so much better than I could.
How different your world is today. If you read newspapers, the chances are you read them on the Internet. Yours is the world of cyberspace, cell phones that capture video, video downloads and iTunes, social networks like Facebook, text messaging and blogs, hand-helds and podcasts. As many in my generation are just getting onto email, that’s already becoming old hat to most of you. Last Christmas my children gave me an iPod. With careful instructions, they handed me that wonderful little device, and I had only one question after they got through. It was: "When will I ever find time to use this little wonder?"
This is your world, the world of the future, with inventions undreamed of that will come in your lifetime as they have in mine. How will you use these marvelous inventions? More to the point, how will you use them to further the work of the Lord?
Today we have a modern equivalent of the printing press in the Internet and all that it means. The Internet allows everyone to be a publisher, to have their voice heard, and it is revolutionizing society. Before the Internet, there were great barriers to printing. It took money, power, or influence and a great amount of time to publish. But today, because of the emergence of what some call New Media, made possible by the Internet, many of those barriers have been removed. New Media consists of tools on the Internet that make it possible for nearly anyone to publish or broadcast to either a large or a niche audience. I have mentioned some of these tools already, and I know you are familiar with them. The emergence of New Media is facilitating a world-wide conversation on almost every subject including religion, and nearly everyone can participate. This modern equivalent of the printing press is not reserved only for the elite.
I am sure many of have either heard of or seen the newest movie that the Church put out entitled, Why Mormon’s Build Temples. It was first posted on the Church’s youtube Channel. In just 96 hours after it was originally posted miracles happened. The day after it was posted it became the #10 most watched video on youtube- meaning that it was on the youtube homepage. Two days after it was posted google video ranked it as the number one hot video. 3 days after the posting the Church’s youtube channel was ranked as the #4 most-subsribed channel for the week. Just barely 96 hours after it was originally posted this movie had received nearly 200,000 views. Sunday, 4 days after it had been posted the comments on the video shifted from almost exclusively being made by members to being made primarily by non-members. Some comments left on the video included:
I really liked how the video portrayed people's views not of the mormon faith. It really is true that the ordinances performed in the temple isn't secret, they are sacred and anyone who wants to know about them can turn to the Bible.
i am not Mormon but i know that the temples are the place to be apart with the Lord to feel his presence, it's like the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. My wish is to see a Temple in Port-au-Prince the Capital City of my Country Haiti, because I think Haitian could feel this presence in they own country!
It always amazes me how much can be done with the internet and how far we can spread the word with just a simple thing like this video, we may not be able to change the world’s mind but we can share what we know to be truth and continue to strengthen ours and others testimonies.
Continuing on his talk, Elder Ballard said: “Now some of these tools – like any tool in an unpracticed or undisciplined hand – can be dangerous. The Internet can be used to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and can just as easily be used to market the filth and sleaze of pornography. iTunes can be used to download uplifting and stirring music or the worst kind of anti-social lyrics, full of profanity. Social networks on the Web can be used to expand healthy friendships as easily as they can be used by predators trying to trap the unwary. That is no different from how people choose to use television or movies or even a library. Satan is always quick to exploit the negative power of new inventions, to spoil and to degrade and to neutralize any effect for good. Make sure that the choices you make in the use of new media are choices that expand your mind, increase your opportunities, and feed your soul.
That word conversation is important. There are conversations going on about the Church constantly. Those conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches. While some conversations have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time.
The challenge is that there are too many people participating in conversation about the Church for our Church personnel to converse with and respond to individually. We cannot answer every question, satisfy every inquiry, and respond to every inaccuracy that exists. As I said at General Conference in October, we need to remember that there is a difference between interest and curiosity. Sometimes people just want to know what the Church is. And some who seek answers want them to come directly from a member of the Church, like each one of you. They appreciate one-on-one conversations.
Now, to you who are members of the Church, may I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet, particularly the New Media, to share the gospel and to explain in simple, clear terms the message of the Restoration. Most of you already know that if you have access to the Internet you can start a blog in minutes and begin sharing what you know to be true. You can download videos from Church and other appropriate sites, including Newsroom at LDS.org, and send them to your friends. You can write to media sites on the Internet that report on the Church, and voice your views as to the accuracy of the reports. This, of course, requires that you, all members of the Church, understand the basic, fundamental principles of the gospel.
Every disciple of Christ will be most effective, and do the most good by adopting a demeanor worthy of a follower of the Savior of the world. Discussions focused on questioning, debating and doubting gospel principles do little to build the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul has admonished us to not be "ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ: for it is the power of God unto Salvation" (Romans 1:16). Let us all stand firmly and speak with faith in sharing our message with the world. Many of you are returned missionaries and can carry on meaningful conversation in the language you learned on your mission. Your outreach can be international.
Last semester I had the opportunity to go to Taiwan to teach English at a preschool, when the preparations first began I started a blog to share with my family and close friends what was happening, I continued it throughout my time in Taiwan- sharing pictures and experiences and using it as a journal for my time. In December when I returned I had enjoyed writing my blog so much that I decided to keep it. In the past I had mostly just blogged about the random things that happen in my life, things that were fun to me, in February I even posted every day a different way of saying I Love You..by the end of the February my brother told me that he was sick of seeing hearts. But recently I have started to have readers from all over some from China, Russia, Austrailia, Indonesia, Finland, France, Argentina, Peru, and many others. I am not sure how all of these people find my blog, but I realized that with all of these different people reading my blog I have a chance to maybe not change how they feel about God or about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints completely but I do have a chance to make a difference and let them know how I feel. So I posted the movie Why Mormon’s Build Temples and I posted good comments that I could find towards the church during the Big Love issue by non-members.
We all have people for who we are a voice; we all have opportunities to make a difference to these people, whether they are mormon or non-mormon for whom we can be a strength.
Last year I was in a Freshman ward and as such saw many of my ward brothers preparing and leaving for their missions, many of them created groups on facebook to have their friends guess where they would be serving, one in particular that stood to me was this one:
Many people have asked me why I would be sacrificing two years of my life to go on a mission. Do not worry, I have had my doubts about going but I think that is natural when making a decision such as this one. I came to the conclusion that if I did not know what I would be teaching to be true, I would not go. I know that Christ lives. I know His church that He organized is once again on the Earth today. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. I know that the Book of Mormon is true scripture. I came to not only believe these things but to know these things through reading the Book of Mormon and sincerely asking God through prayer it is true. I have felt the spirit of God touch my heart to know these things to a degree that I cannot deny it. You can have this knowledge also by reading the Book of Mormon and praying to know if it is true. It will bless your life beyond measure as it has blessed my life. This message and truth I will be teaching on my mission. The joy that comes from serving a mission is far greater than any other joy I could experience in my life as I know that it will bless God's children. For this reason am I going, to serve Heavenly Father's children by inviting them to come unto Christ and be baptized in His name.
We all participate in one or another of these activities; we can use them when we are asked “who’s on the Lord’s side” to respond with a great “I Am!” I know that by using this great technology to spread the gospel and its truth not only will our lives be blessed but so too will the lives it reaches. I am grateful for the opportunity to live in this time and share what I know, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

SFL 100 Paper #2

Analysis of Family Process and Practices Paper

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27)

We, as individuals, each have strengths and weaknesses, the same applies in our families, we have strengths that contribute to our families as a whole, but we also have weaknesses that can control us or contribute to our strength, whether we are an individual or part of a family. I think that at times compassion tends be a weakness for my family.

Last year I was a BYU freshman. I came from a high school of less than 400 students; oftentimes there were not enough books for the students, so we did not have very much homework. Like many new college freshman, I had a hard time in my classes; I felt overwhelmed with my 14 credits and did not know how to study, organize my time, or do my homework. When my siblings would ask how I was doing and I would explain how hard a time I was having or how poorly I had done on a test or paper. I expected that they would respond with compassion, with questions of how they could help. But oftentimes I was met with what I felt was a putdown of my efforts and of me. I know that is not really how my siblings meant their comments to come across. Because I didn’t perceive their comments to be compassionate towards me, I learned to not rely as much on the opinions of my siblings and more on how I felt about my efforts; I learned to trust more in myself and in the Lord. What I had seen as a weakness in my family, allowed me to develop a strength in myself.

The authors of Chapter 12 of Strengthening Our Families wrote, “The family is not the only place where we may learn compassion, but for most of the experience of love and sacrifice in our family life presents the occasions in which we confront the needs of others, and suffer, comfort, and mourn with them.” In my family we most certainly learned compassion in the home; but my parents would be the first to encourage us to exercise compassion with others not in our home. We must conclude from the scriptures that “the compassion approved by heaven involves much of hands-on, ‘getting hands dirty’ effort. The Saviors example prompts us to answer need with personal action- reaching, touching, rubbing shoulders, and sharing tasks.” Whenever someone needed help moving, a blessing, a car ride, someone to listen to them talk, a meal, etc. my parents were often the first ones to step forward and volunteer, even if it meant sacrificing something else to be able to help them. We were taught that we cannot always understand their situation or their choices but that we can be there ready to help.

My mom and I have had many discussions of how my siblings and I often seem to make the friends who need help or who haven’t ever had a good friend. I always call her with my hurt for them and how I wish that I could fix everything for them. “During His earthly ministry, Jesus did not attempt to solve the problems or heal the suffering of the whole world. His Atonement would, in fact, do that, but during His ministry, His hands could reach only so far. But wherever He was, He reached out and touched, listened, and healed.” If we remember who the ultimate example is, and follow Christ, we should reach out, listen, and heal to the best of our ability.

In the past several weeks I have been able to see compassion exhibited as one of my family’s strengths. Several weeks ago I received a phone call from my mom, asking me to get on the family phone call. I quickly called one of my brothers to inform him that mom had some news and that she would like us to call in. I didn’t know what it was going to be about, my dad’s cancer, his brain injury, were they moving to Utah? As soon as we were all on, my mom informed us that the doctor had called that evening. He told her that my dad’s cancer had returned and spread even further, that the cancer was not stoppable and that he would predict that my dad would live for 6-12 months more. Rather than breaking down on the phone, everyone quickly started asking my mom questions: what could they do, when could they come home to visit, did my mom want to move to Utah, etc. It amazed me how strong my family could be, for I was falling apart inside. As soon as the phone call was over I broke into tears, more tears than I had cried since the beginning three years ago. I hadn’t said much on the phone call, within ten minutes my sister called to see if I was ok; I did not feel much up to talking and so did not answer the phone. My sister continued to call me five or six more times, but still I did not answer. She became concerned and called my brother in Salt Lake to see if he had heard from me. No! She called my brother who lives down the street from me and asked him to come check on me.

By this time I had more or less contained and controlled my crying; but when I opened my front door to my brother and he asked me how I was, I broke down again. He led me inside and we sat down on the couch. For a long time my brother just held me. What amazed me the most was that my brother was going through the same situation; it his dad too, but he had the compassion for me, to just hold me and let me cry.

In Strengthening Our Families they discuss Christ’s teachings of the practice of compassion in our individual lives and our families. “First, compassion moves us. It is not passive,” “involves action; the urge to help must produce more than mere sympathy.” My brother, though not the most comfortable with tears wrapped his arms around me and cried with me. “Second, respond with personal and emotional involvement;” my brother felt and shared my pain, he tried to understand what I was feeling and how to help.

My family has its faults, its weaknesses, but it also has its strengths. I hope that in the future I will be able to encourage myself, my family of origin, and my someday family of procreation to humble ourselves so that weak things may become strong unto us. I hope that I can encourage my family to have compassion like unto Christ, compassion that moves us to serve and respond with personal and emotional involvement when we confront the needs of others.

Holman, Thomas B., Larson, Jeffry H., Stahmann, Robert F. (2000). Preparing For An Eternal Marriage, Strengthening Our Family: An In-Depth Look at the Proclamation on the Family (pp. 174-176). Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company.

Eating on the Job

Well I started my new job this week doing custodial at the Clyde Building (for now) and then will eventually be moving permanently into the Fletcher Building. So far this week all I have seen is this:

a lot of wax stripper chemicals (mouth very dry because of this all the time)

Razer blades and more blades switching them out several times.

And safety goggles that we are supposed to wear but really none of us do, mine even has a special name tag with my name (of course) and pretty little flowers that I drew :D
So if you can't tell we have been stripping wax off the floors, just stairwells right now. With the chemicals we have to use we spray it on the ground and then have to wait 10-15 minutes while it does its stripping magic, while I was waiting for one particular batch I was staring at a the microwave that is right below us when this guy came up to it with a bunch of food.

He began first with a huge scoop of peanut butter (like double the size of the picture) and then added some honey to the bread and made himself a peanut butter and honey sandwich..I was thinking yum that looks good, but then....

He pulls out a can of green split pea soup and some corn, opens them up and puts them in a dish to heat them up. Midway through the heating process he pulled it back out of the microwave and mixed it with his spoon (which still had peanut butter on it) and then proceeded to lick the spoon with peanut butter and split pea soup. When everything was done heating he pulled it out and then dipped, yes DIPPED his peanut butter sandwich in the SPLIT PEA SOUP! Can you say ewwwww? Now nobody can ever say that my eating habits are weird compared to that...

Why We Build Temples

If you have not had the chance to see this movie yet, please take this opportunity to watch it. It is a beautiful movie that brought me to tears. It was put out by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints explaining why we build temples as a church. Please if you are confused or struggling with what exactly a temple is or why it is sacred and not secret to us as members of the church, watch this movie, ask questions- there are always people ready to help you understand your questions.

Goodness in the Face of Evil

As I am sure many of you know, today the TV station HBO broadcast on their show 'Big Love' some of the things that I as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold most sacred. This morning while I was reading an article I saw a link to something entitled "Mormons Mad at Big Love," I followed the link and read their article and then the following comments, as I continued down the comments page I began to feel sad for that that were commenting and I began to lose a little bit of hope, as at one point there was even a comment that used a very offensive cuss word towards me, as a member of the LDS church. I was almost ready to close the tab when I saw some comments that made me want to cry at their sincerity and how they may not agree with what I belief but they believe that what HBO is doing wrong. I would like to just share a couple of the comments that gave me hope in others..

*Showing Mormon rituals goes against all common decency. It doesn't matter if we think the Mormon church is wrong…it doesn't matter if they got the rituals from the Masons. Why do we have to belittle something that someone else considers sacred? Sure, they voted for Prop 8, but it's not because they hate us…it's because they disagree with us on this point. It was on the ballot…people have the American right to vote however they want, but promoting bigotry makes us hypocrites. I'm ashamed of most of the comments here.

*It is so funny how many of the gay/lesbian population scream and cry when they are misunderstood, misrepresented or mistreated. However, there is no problem with ridiculing and disrespecting people with alternative beliefs and lifestyles. The ceremonies that occur in Mormon temples are not secret. In fact, I believe they open up their temples to the public when they are first built. I do have a respect for things that are private and sacred. Why make public something that many may not understand and allow it to be trashed and mocked. It is the same concept. If you truly study the history of religion you will find that there are many traditions and teachings that they continue to follow. Bottomline, you demand respect and tolerance for your lifestyle and way of living, that is all that these people seek too.
(I wish that she had not compared it to the gay/lesbian population because I am sure that by her doing so will put her comments down a step in many people's minds)

* Portraying practices sacred to any religion in the way that HBO plans on portraying the practices of Mormons, is wrong. Presenting information in an inaccurate light before an audience of uninformed people is quite appauling.HBO intends to present things about the Mormon church in a "controversial" "weird" "abstract" "to be questioned" "secret" way. As if to provoke viewers into a dislike, or oddity of the mormon religion. Instead of recognizing, that ceremonies and services practiced by the mormons are sacred to them, and holy. Not to be cast about and thrown around for question.People are stupid, in plain terms. It's hypocritical of the Gay community to shut down complaints, offenses, and etc from members of the LDS religion, when ALL the Gay community does is complain, and be offended, and etc.If anyone wanted to know TRUTHS presented in the CORRECT light about the Mormon church, it is not a SECRET- you can go right onto the church's website, http://www.lds.org .Nothing is "secret" there are just some things about the religion that are SACRED.As for "ex-mormons" posting around here, Shame on you. That's so small of you, and so pathetic. Good luck.

But I think better than any of these comments is the official statement from the church's first presidency, I love how they can say things so eloquently...when I read their statements and follow their council I know that they are called of God and that they are meant to be the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during this time. You can see their statement here. And like the comment above said if you want to learn more please go to http://www.lds.org or contact your local missionaries.

Kids Will Say The Darndest Things...

Today in my Book of Mormon class my professor told us about his little 3 year old granddaughter and about how smart she is. She has been reading the Book of Mormon Readers for the primary kids and knows all the pictures and who each character is, the other day her mom was pointing at pictures and asking her who they were...

Do you know who this is?...Heavenly Father
And this one?...Jesus Christ
And this one?...Joseph Smith
And this one?...Captain Mermaid (Moroni)
ahh how cute :D

Couple Names...

with a Hollywood Twist. So today I was talking with my mom on the phone (I know, I know surprise, surprise) and we were talking about how my brother and sister-in-law were going home to Oregon to visit my mom and dad and at one point I called them Natallee, my mom didn't really get it so I had to explain to her that in Hollywood they combine the couples names to make one...so then we continued to do all the couples in our family and a few more.

Ben + Sonia = Benonia
Nathan + Sallee = Natallee
Libbey + Erick = Librick
Joel + Becky = Beckel
Gary + Sharon = Garon
Erin + J.J. = Jerin
Brea + Darrell = Barrell

Not all of these were my mom's favorites but I thought that they were funny.

A New Hangout...

Two views of the Clyde Building, I will be in this building plus what's also called the Fletcher Building, sadly I could not find any pictures of that building.

That's right, I have a new hangout, as in a JOB!!! Finally, I have applied to so many and was beginning to worry that I was never going to get one, but I finally I have and will hopefully be starting Monday! I will be working (doing custodial) at the Clyde Building on BYU campus 6-10pm Mon-Fri, so not too late which is nice, the only thing that makes me kind of sad is that I will miss things like..FHE, dinner group, Bones, the Lu'au on the 24th and 25 (which if you can go you should totally--it's absolutely AMAZING!), and other BYU activities that seem to fall in that time period..but at this time in my life a job far outweighs any of those.

25 Things....

If you are on facebook ever you know that there are all these notes floating around, but there is this particular one where it's supposed to be 25 Things About Me or something like that, well this guy took a different twist and did 25 Things I Hate About Facebook...pretty darn funny, I love facebook but I still agreed with some of the stuff he was saying and it just made me laugh anyway. Enjoy!

What Old People Do For Fun...

For Those in Utah...

there is going to be a lecture on the 24th entitled "Relationships and Humor Lecture" check it out here, it sounds cool!

P.S. They said that this is for the married, single, dating, somewhere in between people :D

Love

(I can't believe that it has been a week since I last posted!)
Today while I was doing some reading for a class/paper I found this really cool quotation that I liked and that I wanted to share with you, it is by President Gordon B. Hinckley (he was the President of my church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but he sadly passed away in January of last year).
"Love is the very essence of life. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is more than the end of the rainbow. Love is at the beginning also, and from it springs the beauty that arches across the sky on a stormy day. Love is the security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive that binds marriage, and the lubricant that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death. How rich are those who enjoy it in their associations with family, friends, church, and neighbors....love, like faith, is a gift of God."
I thought that this was just beautiful, it paints this wondrous picture of what love is and really should be, it shows me that love can win all and that it is more than the world would have it be.

Baby Pictures

These pictures are adorable, and this baby at only 8 days old! You will melt I am sure when you look at them, I felt like just reaching out feeling his smooth skin. Fall in love with this adorable guy and his family. Visit HERE.

Pac-Man

I'm super sad that I missed this at Halloween time, but I did remember seeing pictures of this from Jamie..it would have been cool to see this. But luckily someone video taped it and we can all feel like we are part of it :D...these guys are hilarious, definitely seems like something that I would participate in. Well, anyway..ENJOY!

March

MARCH and any...

that you may find :D

Dr. Seuss

Oh Dr. Seuss, such an amazing poet,
And so many people really did know it.
That amazing guy, if he had lived today
He would have been 105, NO WAY! :D

Go here, here, here, or here
to feel Dr. Seuss near.