Hark, All Ye Nations!

A few weeks ago, there was a group made on Facebook for women that had received their mission calls, waiting on a mission call, or planning on putting in their papers soon. It started as a little group, but has now reached about 2,000 members. Everyone that has their call has posted on the group wall where they’re going and when they are leaving so they can connect with other sisters that are going to the same mission. It’s been such a fun group to be a part of, and I can bet you that I’ve given up at least an hour of sleep every night this past week because I’ve been so excited about this group, these ladies, and the enthusiasm I am seeing from so many around the country/world, I’ve checked it regularly enough to have seen basically all of the mission calls of the 2,000 sisters that are currently in the group.

Well, Anna had an idea about a week ago, to get all the sisters that could come, to the Salt Lake Temple so we could take a picture and send it off the First Presidency with a note explaining how grateful we are for a prophet’s call, and how wonderful our time has been preparing for a full time mission. We wanted to show them the impact it’s made in our lives so far, and continues to make. So, an event was planned for Saturday, December 8, 2012, to meet in front of the Salt Lake Temple – every sister that was a part of the group that was able to come – so we could meet and mingle, and express how excited we were to be a part of this historic change.

This spread like wildfire. Soon, ladies in Rexburg, Logan, Provo, and La’ie Hawaii were putting together events, inviting all the sisters whose lives have been changed by the call to serve to get together and show their support for the prophet, service as a missionary, and their enthusiasm for serving the Lord.

So, Anna and I picked up some wonderful ladies that we’d met through the Facebook page (Marissa – Zambia, and McKayla – Brazil) and headed off to Salt Lake. We speculated on the amount of turnout there would be, but thought it was going to be wonderful nonetheless.

When we arrived, there were probably a good 20 women there, but soon they began to come in hoards. Eventually, we had over 200 gathered around the Salt Lake Temple, beaming with joy and excitement for the call to serve. This has been a dream for many of the sisters I met today, and it’s finally becoming a reality. The energy and spirit emanating from the 200 of us was so POWERFUL, it was tangible. We grouped around the reflection pond and began to sing “Called to Serve.” I thought I got chills when the Elders sang “Called to Serve” in the priesthood meeting of general conference, but this was… incredible. More than 200 sisters, with their mission calls, singing an anthem to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with all the veracity they could muster, because they believe with their entire soul that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true and living church, is beyond any description the English language could offer. It was something you had to feel, something that you can’t put words to.

I’ve had reassurances of my decision many times throughout these past few months, but right then and there, there was absolutely no doubt that what I was doing, what every girl standing outside in the freezing snow was doing, was the most valuable path our lives could take.

We said our goodbyes, but knew that it wouldn’t be goodbye for long because many of us enter the MTC around the same time, and went our separate ways. Some were interviewed by the local television stations, and watching them bear testimony tonight reiterated and restored the powerful spirit that was present during the afternoon.

In my personal preparations, I have often thought about the words of hymn number 264 “Hark All Ye Nations!”:

Chosen by God to serve him below, to every land and people we’ll go,

Standing for truth with fervent accord, teaching His holy word.

Oh, how glorious from the throne above shines the gospel light of truth and love!

Bright as the sun, this heavenly ray lights every land today.

I hope we reflect on that moment regularly, remembering that the spirit whispered to each of our hearts that we are literally among the ranks of God’s Army. We stand together as sisters in Zion and if we lean on the strength of those around us, and especially our loving Savior, Jesus Christ, there is nothing that will be impossible. The work is moving forward, we are a part of it, the long night is over and the gospel WILL light every land and nation on the earth. Oh, how glorious.

Proportion and Consumer Rights

The last few times we've met as a class, I've reflected more and more on consumer rights and ethics. 

The more I think about it, the more I realize that it is a civil duty for journalists to be ethical, and to provide truth and correctness to the audience to which he or she writes. 

It's the right of the consumer to know what's going on, and if the consumer finds they are deceived, the trust they have in the news diminishes. 

Unfortunately, human nature is to "get ahead" and sometimes people think that means lying, cheating, fabricating and just plain deceit. When that happens, unfortunately, the trust that was built is difficult to regain and the consumers feel that their right to the truth has been overlooked. 

As an aspiring journalist, I hope to be one that governs with ethics and a purpose to bring understanding and recognition to an audience, and gain trust within that audience. 

Mormon Media Studies Symposium

As I trudged through the slush over to the Conference Center on campus for the Mormon Media Studies Symposium for class, I hoped that my soaking feet, jeans, hands, and well... Everything were worth what I was about to hear. 

Mormons in the media has always been an interesting topic to me because, obviously, I'm a Mormon. 

The first session I attended talked about Mormons gaining publicity with the media, and coming into the spotlight. Originally, the media directed at the LDS church had been pretty negative, portraying our religion as a cult, devil worshipers, etc... Although a lot of that criticism and negativity has continued throughout the years, with the recent Presidential election and Mitt Romney becoming a very prominent Mormon, a lot of that media attention has turned towards curiosity and searching questions. It was interesting to see the difference in opinions between those that vigorously oppose anything that has to do with the church, and those that are truly curious.

The second session I attended dealt with The Book of Mormon Musical. (The good thing about writing in a blog, is that I can express my opinion. And sometimes, it doesn't match up with everything I learn.) This session, I found out that I never want to be a journalist that goes against the teachings of the church. I remember one girl explicitly saying how, if the musical had a rating it would be rated "R", and then goes on to say how wonderful it was and how, as Mormons, we need to be "open minded". 

As much as I agree with the last statement, I couldn't validate her opinion. I couldn't complement her opinion with my own, because I've always been taught that the prophet's word is not something to be taken lightly. 

Other than that, I found that the Church had paid for an advertisement in the playbill and thought that was a wonderful marketing strategy, because, obviously the Book of Mormon Musical is not church-endorsed, so most of the audience wouldn't be members. So re-directing them to the church website with all their questions was probably a really smart move. 

All in all, the Mormon Media Studies Symposium was intriguing and enlightening. I really enjoyed it. 

Journalism and Religion

Religion and media have always had an interesting relationship. It could have started with the whole “church being separate from state” thing, but ever since I can remember, bringing up God in public news was, and still is, a definite taboo.  Journalists deal with facts, and facts don’t involve faith. Facts are hard evidence. Something you can’t dispute. Many journalists shy away from stories that have the slightest religious influence because there is bias, prejudice, and shaky facts. Others refuse stories about religion because they do not want to exploit a church they belong to.

There is a way to keep your personal religion central, and uphold the standards while still reporting on other religions, or even your own. If you were to explain a concept or doctrine of your religion, you would speak so people would understand. The same thing goes for journalism. When reporting on religion, remember that the particular religion includes many thousands, or millions of members who believe in faith. They believe in works. They know the truth, whereas journalism is always seeking to find the truth. Because religion is so central in hundreds of millions of people’s lives, it shouldn’t be something to run away from. People relate to religion. They relate to God, and other people who believe the same as they do. There is no reason to be afraid of reporting a story especially when it includes someone’s beliefs.

One of Those Days

I cracked open my eyes this morning at 7:30, and felt my nerves exploding inside my skull. Breathing through my nose was minimal, moving was like waking from hibernation, thinking was..... 
So, naturally, I went back to sleep.

The joys of winter. 

Five minutes later (which was really 10:00), I stumbled down the hall to the bathroom. Towel in hand, I stared at the shower contemplating whether or not I should make myself presentable for the day. Thinking about a test I hadn't studied for, I decided against it. I was just going to lock myself in my room until I floundered through the rest of the material, anyway, pausing only for sustenance and relief, and I had better get started.

On my way back to my room, I heard Anna, my roommate's, door creak open. Her botany class is at 8:00 am, and a look of shame was plastered all over her face. She had woken up, and resolved to stay in bed for the morning. 

"You too?"

I guess it was just one of those days.

After a few hours of slaving away, my stomach couldn't take it any longer, and reminded me quite loudly that it needed to be nourished. 

I considered the destitute state of my shelf in the fridge, and hoped I would have better luck with the pantry. 

Goldmine: Mac N Cheese I had forgotten about!

"What the heck", I thought, and continued to relive a meal I frequently had as a child. That, and Mac N Cheese takes about 10 minutes total to prepare, so being the lazy deadbeat I was this morning, faster was better. 

I called to Anna to see if she'd like to dine with me. 
Seasoning the Mac N Cheese with salt and pepper, the two most common spices in a household cupboard, we were ready to dig into our gourmet meal.

Now, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is known for it's long shelf life, which is perfect for food storage, and starving college students that raid mom and dad's pantry when they visit home. However, our first bite into it seemed... wrong. Something was on the brink of being rancid and we weren't sure why. 
I retrieved the macaroni box from the top of the garbage and looked at the expiration date:
March 21, 2007. 
For all of you that don't want to do simple math at the moment, March 21, 2007 was over FIVE years ago. Folks, that means that when the mac and cheese was manufactured, the box was stamped with an expiration date which I'm guessing would be about a year from the time it was made. 
5+1=6. SIX years. This box has been sitting on a shelf for approximately six years. 

Amidst fits of laughter from both Anna and myself, Anna suggested we pray to bless the food that it wouldn't kill us. (I'm telling you. Lazy deadbeats. This sortof reminds me of the LDS movie, The RM. People are gathered for a barbeque, and one elderly gentleman is removing hamburger patties from the grill that are obviously raw. His wife notices that he plans to feed them to the guests and scolds him for not cooking them thoroughly. He then says, "That's why we bless it before we eat it!" ...Well said, grandpa.)

We said "amen" and both stared at the mac and cheese who's physical appearance hadn't in fact changed at all, but because of learning it's true identity, now seemed greener; more rank. Both of us gingerly picked up a forkful, made eye contact, and dropped the fork back into the bowl. 
There was absolutely no way we could indulge.
No way. 

That's how the 6 year old mac and cheese found a final resting place through the garbage disposal. 

There are lessons to be learned from days like this:

1. Lazy days = lazy cooking. Sometimes, lazy is okay, but make sure your mac and cheese isn't overdue. 

2. Blessing the food doesn't rid it of rotten.

Some thoughts to leave with you as you prepare your next meal:

Two Words

Two words:
Effective immediately.

Approximately 7 years ago, I received my Patriarchial Blessing.

You can imagine what was going through my mind as a 14-year old when the idea of a mission was planted. If you can't, it was something along the lines of, "Oh hey, cool. A mission. At 21. That's a long time away!" 
Okay, that's probably not what went through my mind. What I probably thought about missions at the time was, "21 is old."
Either way, since then I'd thought regularly about serving a mission.
No lie. Regularly. 
Living in northern Utah, I've probably been to Temple Square a good... fifty or so times. The sister missionaries at temple square make it a point to ask if you are going to serve a mission. Even at the ripe old age of 14. Kudos to them, recruiting young ;) They then proceed to tell you how AH-MAZING it is and will talk to you about it until the end of time.
Even if I didn't visit temple square at least 4 times a year, there were plenty of young men in my church that were leaving for a mission. Naturally, I was interested. When a 19 year old boy you think is attractive decides he is leaving for two years to share a message about Christ to obscure parts of the world, you think a little deeper about "why". There weren't as many girls I knew going on missions, but I knew it was perfectly possible.
I also knew that my amazing mother had served a mission (Portland, Oregon). She has shared experiences about her mission with me since I was little, and reminds me every day of how important serving the Lord is. (Mosiah 2:17)
So, from the time I was 14, I was pretty sure that I would serve a mission.

Approximately 20 days ago, I (along with 4,000 other young men and women) started mission papers. 

On Friday, I called my bishop here in Provo so I could start meeting with him about a mission. He didn't answer, so I resolved to call him on Monday to make an appointment to see him later in the week. 
Following President Monson's historic announcement that Saturday, I called my bishop to start papers ASAP. 
Why wait? The announcement was effective immediately.
After talking with my YSA bishop in Provo, I decided it would be better to go through my home ward. I could imagine that the bishops in YSA wards getting slammed with young women especially wanting to start their papers.
I did (and still do, although it's decreased some) have a fear about those jumping in and starting their papers just because the age was changed. I worry that we haven't been completely educated about a mission, and how hard it really is. I've talked with a lot of return missionaries in my ward and they all bring up the same point:
The stories you hear about someone's mission are always good. In homecoming talks, you hear the same 5 stories and automatically think a mission is rainbows and ponies. But if you think about it, in two years, two years, you have 5 outstanding experiences? What happened the other 725 days? Most likely rejection. Doors slamming in your face. Dropped appointments. Investigators that fall through. 
BUT, 
I stumbled across this blog post. It resonated with me. I knew why I wanted to serve, and it gave me a little more comfort about why others have chosen to dive into this. 
This is a wonderful thing, don't get me wrong. I just know that a lot of my dear friends have served with companions that don't really want to be out there and have gone just because they felt pressured. 
That said, I know of quite a few missionaries that went out just because it was expected and have become fantastic missionaries and servants of the Lord. 

Approximately 14 days ago, I submitted my mission papers.

Yes, yes. It took me one week to start and submit my papers. 
Everything lined up perfectly, and it definitely helps that I don't have to have my wisdom teeth out. In fact, I don't have any wisdom teeth. 
Does that mean that I am less wise than all the 16 year olds that are having their surgeries?
Or... am I more evolved? What's the point of wisdom teeth anyway?


Approximately 34 hours ago, I received a phone call that I've only dreamed of. My mission call had arrived and was at the post office waiting to be delivered to my Mountain Green home. 

Torture. Pure torture. 
Mom called at 7 am to let me know that it had arrived. 
I had to give a presentation in a class at 4.
I also had to be in two other classes to receive my participation points (normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but they are worth a 3rd of my grade...)
After zoning out and having a terrible time paying attention for 9 hours, I finally made my way north. 
More torture. 
About a month ago, our family planned to go to the Warren Miller movie. Obviously we didn't know what big announcement was going to come that day...
30 minutes into the movie seemed like hours, but we stayed for an hour and a half. 
It was killing me. 
We left at intermission because, obviously, I couldn't wait any longer. (My family took pity on me. After being in the fetal position for more than a half hour straight, they figured it would be better for my health if we left)

Approximately 20 hours ago, I opened my mission call

I've been asked several times if there was a place I'd like to go on my mission. Every time, I said "I have no idea. I just want to go!"

I'd always hoped I'd go foreign, but there is such a need for missionaries within the states, that I knew that wherever I go is where I'll be needed (reading Elder Rasband's talk definitely opened my eyes to the calling process, and how inspired it truly is. I'm a believer!)
Sitting in the Miller movie, I said a quick prayer. "Heavenly Father, please let me know that wherever I go will be right for me." 
Right after, I had the strongest feeling that I would be going foreign. Specifically Germany. 
To avoid disappointment, I pushed the feeling away. I really did not want to get my hopes up. (I went on a study abroad to Austria (which you can read about and see pictures here... It's only... Half written. Forgive?) and traveled up into Germany where I fell in love with everything about it! It's only been a year since I left for Austria, and I have been just itching to go back!)
There was no fanfare when the letter was opened.
There weren't even words. 
Literally.
I could not speak.
All I could do was cry and try not to look like a blubbering fool... (Which, might I add, I failed miserably at)
I was finally able to choke out the first line of the letter. 

Two words:
Berlin, Germany 

I still can't believe it. 

His Girl Friday

When we decided to watch His Girl Friday in class last week, I have to admit I was really excited. I had heard about the movie - witty humor, attractive men, and a fun plot. So unwittingly, I had set my expectations high.

The movie starts out with Hildegard, "Hildy", announcing to Walter Burns, her ex-husband and editor for The Morning Post, that she will no longer write for the paper, and that she is getting married to an insurance man, Bruce Baldwin. Well, Walter didn't fancy the idea of Hildy leaving (or getting married to another man) so he does everything in his power to sabotage her wedding, and comes up with an idea of getting her to write one last story before she leaves to Albany, New York to settle down as a housewife. Walter knew that Hildy couldn't resist the call of a "front page story", and entices her to cover the upcoming execution of a convicted murderer, Earl Williams. Walter even goes so far as to set up Hildy's fiance, Bruce, to be arrested on several occasions. It turns out wonderfully for Walter because Earl (the convict) escapes from prison and comes to Hildy for help. Naturally, she couldn't dismiss how perfect the situation is, and gets so wrapped up in the story that she all-together forgets Bruce and their plans to go to Albany that night so they could marry in the morning. Bruce leaves because he realizes that trying to get Hildy to go with him is pointless, and Walter re-proposes marriage to Hildy.

This movie is irritating on so many levels.

Let's talk about Walter Burns first.

He didn't just "lose" his moral compass. He threw it on the concrete where the glass shattered, then stomped on it until all the little gears went flying. What kind of man divorces his wife, then decides that he has all claim on her and her future decisions? What kind of man sets up an innocent to be thrown in jail time and time again? What kind of man would rather spend time with a typewriter and convicts than spend time with his wife on a honeymoon?! Scumbag.

I don't think any higher of Hildegard either. 

Her moral compass wasn't as brutally destroyed as Walters, but it's apparent as time went on, she trashed it all together. This became clear when she interviewed Earl, the convict. She asked slanted, one sided questions that would elicit a response that was "newsworthy", and then later completely avoided and forgot her fiance (whom she professed love for. Obviously you don't love him, so don't pretend).

Walter and Hildegard are perfect for each other. 

The movie did exactly what I feel it intended to. Elicit an emotional connection with the viewer. However, the emotional connection I made with it was one of contempt - not necessarily a good thing. 
As far as the rating, I think it is a great movie. It's funny, but completely irritating; captivating, but absolutely frustrating. Any movie that can do both - in my book - is worth watching.