College Pearls of Wisdom

I've never had so much change in such a short amount of time! McKay left on his mission three months ago, I moved out, started college, and became an aunt of two beautiful nephews. The change is a really good thing because obviously I need to progress, learn, and grow, but it's still really hard. Being countries away from my very best friend, being four and a half hours from my family, and living in a city of people I barely know starts to feel lonely. Through it all, I am just so grateful for the gospel in my life. I know that Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ are with me at all times no matter where I am or where I go. They are permanent. They never leave. That to me, is the most comforting thing in the world.

I love BYU Idaho, I don't think there could be a greater school anywhere. This place seriously has the most amazing feeling everywhere you go, it feels like I am walking around temple square all day. The sunrises and sunsets are astonishingly beautiful, and I feel Heavenly Father's love for me like a thousand times a day, no joke. My professors and all my classes have been awesome, I've been able to stay on top of all my school work, I get way more sleep than an average college student, and my testimony has grown like crazy. My roommates are awesome. It is definitely hard living in an apartment of five girls with different backgrounds, opinions, cleanliness standards, and personalities, but we all love each other and pull through it anyways. I'm not perfect, they aren't perfect, but hey, that's just how life goes.

One thing I hate, however, is the college town mentality. Of course not everyone falls into this mindset, but it is way more abundant than I expected. Party it up, don't look back, and makeout with a guy on the first date is basically an expectation, if there even is an official date and not just a "hangout". What ever happened to being so excited that a guy held your hand for the first time? First time he put his arm around you, first time you cuddled, first time he kissed you... A slowly progressing relationship is hard to come by these days. I just think its sad that people date just to "get some" and play around. Honestly, it makes me sick. In all bluntness, it sounds like Satan's plan for us to want immediate pleasure instead of eternal joy and happiness. I believe that you can have have fun while following the rules and staying clean. Our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy, and if we do what He asks of us, we will be so blessed and grateful we did.

Living on my own has been an opportunity for me to show Heavenly Father my conversion to Him. Mom and Dad are far away, and no one is forcing me to go to church, read my scriptures, and say my prayers. I'm by no means perfect, but I try to do my best. How converted someone is to God is very obvious by how they live their life. You are a good person based on your behavior, not your beliefs. In my life I have come to realize that being a Mormon means nothing, it's all about being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Little choices and obedience to ALL the rules is so important. Selective obedience means selective blessings. A lot of people here are so upset about the honor code, mostly the grooming standards. Yeah, we have to wear long pants all year round and can't wear flip-flops. I don't know why that is the rule, especially when shorts and flip-flops are completely modest and to church standards, but you know what? It doesn't matter. If that's what I've been asked to wear, I'll wear it. I'll do what has been asked of me to show Heavenly Father my love for Him. So often in life I think we spend way too much time trying to understand why we have the rules we have, instead of just trusting, having faith, and following them with no questions asked. When we worry about whether the rule is a good rule or not, we are only thinking of ourselves and lose sight of the things that are important. Along with this obedience, I have gained a testimony of being in the right place at the right time. I don't always want to go to devotional, ward prayer, FHE, but I always go because that's where I know Heavenly Father would want me to be, and I am blessed for it. When I go to the temple, when I attend all three hours of church, attend family home evening, when I don't skip my morning classes to sleep in, I am so blessed and strengthened in individual ways that Heavenly Father has tailored for me and my life. He knows me, and if I follow Him and all His rules, He will teach me, strengthen me, and help me to grow.

In the end, the Atonement is everything. I think I sometimes expect Heavenly Father to take away all of my trials when I read the scriptures, pray diligently, and do all the things I need to. But He doesn't, and that's okay. He loves me and wants me to learn to be strong and rely on Him. He's my best friend and has been with me every step of the way, and for that I will be forever grateful. I cannot wait to get my mission call next month! There is nothing I want more than to serve Him and give back all that I can, to bring His children to Christ, so they can come home to Him. I want them to feel the joy of the Atonement like I have felt. After all, the Savior died and Atoned for every single person's sins, and I don't want His sacrifice to go to waste.

I'm so blessed and grateful for all that I am learning! Much of it is more spiritual than academic, but in the end I'm absolutely amazed what we can do with Heavenly Father's help. He can make us into much more than we ever could on our own. He has a plan and potential for each of us that is unique and divinely created for us, and if we allow Him to, He will transform us into a celestial and inspiring being.