a weekend in spring

This weekend I bought some herbs for an herb garden.

And I made a run to Goodwill, where I bought the pots for the herbs and a wooden picture frame that I painted white.

And I painted the frame white so I could hang up this (from here).

And I knitted a few Easter eggs.

And I spent all weekend listening to General Conference, where I listened to these men, among many other men and women. Their words temporarily removed me from the world and left me renewed, reassured, and strengthened.

So, yeah. It was a pretty great weekend.

weekend adventures in the kitchen

Would you believe that Friday night this kitchen mess resulted in only cereal and toast for dinner?

It turns out that when a recipe calls for two tablespoons of fresh rosemary, the quantity does not transfer to dried rosemary. Josh and I practically exploded rosemary out of our ears.

Other weekend minutiae that wouldn't fit into a post elsewhere:

:: Origami boats with our Primary class yesterday. Because Jesus was a carpenter. Obviously.
:: A long overdue haircut.
:: Lots of sewing, in stretchy pants nonetheless.
:: End of January. Finally. Can't say I'm sad to say goodbye (am I ever?).
:: Women's Conference. End of April. With almost all my favorite people.

some Sunday thoughts

Josh and I were called to work in our ward's Primary (the organization for the little kids), and more specifically, in the nursery (the 18-month-olds to the 3-year-olds). Last week when we were asked if we would accept this calling, my heart sank in disappointment. Yes, I accepted, but I felt so discouraged. All week I've felt that being isolated with the barely toddlers will result in me never making friends now.

I've been thinking about this all week, trying to find an upside. I first decided to be more socially proactive in making friends. I've never been that way, but I think I have to now. We have many young married couples in our ward, so there is so much potential for good friends. I really have no reason to not make friends.

More importantly, however, I realized that I agreed to serve because I have a testimony of the gospel. Not because I like to have friends, and not because I want to pick and choose my callings. I serve because my Savior asks me to. And remembering that changed my whole attitude.

a few words on the weekend

My weekend was lovely.

My church had what we call General Conference, a semiannual conference in which the leaders of our church give us guidance, encouragement, and direction. I take the weekend off on conference weekend--conference is my priority.

And then after it's all over I eagerly await the arrival of the conference addresses in the November issue the Ensign, one of my church's magazine. Conference touches me where I need it, motivates me in the areas I need it most, and always makes me feel of God's love.

Interested? Check it out. You'll love it. Promise.

comments about a December Sunday

When I came to BYU I quickly realized that everyone could do everything that I could do, and they could do it better. And I don't say that in a self-deprecating way--that's just how things are here. I could easily go through an entire school year without many people knowing that I play the violin; whereas in our home ward, Emily and I are called upon frequently for accompaniment and solo/duets--everyone knows we play instruments.

Last minute, I was asked to participate in a musical number for our ward Christmas musical program today, and while my violin skills are often "hidden under a bushel" here at the Y, I gladly accepted, because I really do love to play. When I arrived at church--a little early to find a place to set my violin--I found myself one of six violinists performing during sacrament meeting (other pieces besides mine).

Yes, I love playing my violin--I really do. But seeing all those violin cases lined up on the front pew made me laugh and shake my head a bit. Yes, I am indeed in a BYU student ward. The bench proves it.

In other December Sunday observations, snow accumulated over the past week combined with rain from yesterday and today combined with three-inch black patent-leather sqaure-toe chunky-heeled pumps makes for the worst walk to church ever.

food for thought

The lesson in Relief Society was really good today. It was the presidency message and talked about how we are daughters of God, His treasures, His divine children and how we should and can remember that. Here are some of the things that stood out to me:

"If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently": This is a quote from a story the teacher read, and I love it. We should treat ourselves and our relationships differently if we want them to last forever, and further, God treats us differently because we're going to last forever.

God loves us the way He does--unconditionally, all encompassing, absolutely, flaws and all--because He's God. Yes, He expects things of us and values our devotion and obedience, but He will love us wholly regardless of choices, good or bad. He can love that way because He's God; and as beings with divine potential and heritage, we can learn to love that way too. The word worth means "inherent value." I love that.

In the midst of this discussion, I was reminded of my experiences from the beginning of the semester. When I was so hurt and confused, it would have been easy to feel bad about myself and my life. But instead, God gave me unmistakable manifestations that I am His daughter, that I am of infinite worth, that I am loved beyond my comprehension. Remembering that brought tears to my eyes. God doesn't make us seek to know our worth--He'll require us to seek for guidance and answers--but He will never hesistate to let us know that we are His children, that we are divine, and that we have a holy and celestial inheritance. That confirmation will always be there when we seek it.

Any thoughts?

Jump into Journaling

Back when we were in Vail, Mom received an email asking if she knew anybody who would teach a class about journaling for the stake women's conference this month. So she asked me! I felt able to teach this class, because I love blogging so much.

I extolled the various virtues of blogging and gave several examples of how to journal and what to journal about. I hope that I helped the women who came to the class expand their definitions of journaling, because a pen-and-paper journal is by no means the only way to journal. Pen-and-paper journaling doesn't work for me, but a combination of blogging, scrapbooking, and scripture journaling does.

I found this great quote from a talk Spencer W. Kimball gave a long while back:

Your own private journal record the way you face up to challenges that beset you. Do not suppose life changes so much that your experiences will not be interesting to your posterity. Experiences of work, relations with people, and an awareness of the rightness and the wrongness of actions will always be relevant. . . .

Your journal should contain an image of your true self rather than a picture of you that applies cosmetics to everything you ever did, making you appear to be flawless. There is a temptation to paint with words one's virtues in rich color and whitewash the vices, but there is also the opposite pitfall of accentuating the negative. Personally, I have little respect for anyone who delves into the ugly phases of the life he is portraying, whether it be his own or another's. The truth should be told, but we should not emphasize the negative. Even a long life full of inspiring experiences can be brought to the dust by one ugly story. . . .

Your journal is your autobiography, so it should be kept carefully. You are unique, and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in any other life. There may be a flash of illumination here and a story of faithfulness there; you should truthfully record your real self and not what other people may see in you.

Your story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are available.

Writing a journal is the literature of superior people. Each individual can become superior in his own humble life.--Spencer W. Kimball, "The Angels May Quote from It"

I love this quote. I feel that through my own blogging--and I'm coming up on my three-year blogging anniversary--I've been able to paint an accurate picture of myself, good and not-so-good.

Here's to blogging and jumping into journaling!!

Conference recap

So school has been so incredibly busy that I haven't gotten a chance to blog about my awesome weekend!

Michelle invited Emily and me over, and we ended up spending the whole weekend with her and her family. Watching Conference is just so much more enriching for me when I watch it with my family; and despite my immediate family living five hundred miles away, I feel such a closeness and solidarity knowing that they are watching the exact thing I am at the exact same time. Testimonies are so unifying.

Saturday night, my grandparents from Canada took Emily and me out to dinner. We didn't know they were planning on coming into town until we got a call from them on Thursday night--what an amazing surprise! It was so great to see them; because they live in Canada, we're never quite sure when we'll next get to spend time with them. Much to my blogger dismay, I didn't a get picture :( It was definitely a highlight of my weekend, though.

Another major highlight was doughnut night on Saturday!! It was Michelle's first foray into doughnut making, and I will testify that she is a born doughnut maker!! Delicious :) We all watched Conference on Sunday and then had Sunday dinner. We played games and just relaxed and had fun together. I had such a great time, and I left wondering why Emily and I don't come over more. And now next semester, Michelle and her family will be in Paris. Blast. (For us, not them :) )

I wish I had more time to thoroughly document all aspects of my weekend, but alas, the clock is telling me that I need to get back to writing my essay exam. (I have been thoroughly unproductive in the school department today.) So here are some quick highlights from my Conference experience:

• Live providently--in such times as these, we need to learn to live within our means, and we'll be okay.
• We need to become acquainted with the voice of the Holy Ghost.
• Obedience gives us greater control over our lives.
• Covenants produce the faith necessary to persevere.
• Our opportunity to face adversity manifests God's infinite love for us.
• If we do all we can to be worthy of the Lord's help, we will have no need to fear.
• Learning lessons from the past helps us build our testimonies.
• Doubt is not a principle of the gospel.
• Prayer will fortify us against temptation
• We should enhance our prayers with song and fasting.
• Nothing but the gospel of Christ gives us a permanent solution.
• We are endowed with the spirit of fire
• Discipleship is a journey--we demonstrate to ourselves the extent of our own faith and endurance.
• We must remember who we are and what we have.
• To those who are alone, feel alone, or are abandoned, remember that Christ experienced true and absolute loneliness so that we would never be truly alone. We are never left alone or unaided, even when we feel that way.
• May we always stand by Jesus Christ, for that is how he stands by us.
• Let's take our thoughts away from our troubles and instead focus on our blessings as members of the Church of Christ.
• If we stay with Christ, there will be nothing that can defeat us.
• Satan desires to make us common, while Christ desires to make us precious and unique.
• Temple preparation should be the focus of all we do.
• Member-oriented missionary work is what will bring success. Our full-time missionaries are trained to teach--let's give them those opportunities by finding them people to teach.
• If we haven't already, we need to make an active decision of whom we will serve.
• We need to nourish our testimonies--they will protect us.

Okay, so those are a lot of highlights--it was just a great conference!!

I'll blog more about my life when I have a minute to breathe.

PS--What's up with Michelle, Emily, and me not getting a SP?!?

General Conference: SLC and 100th Post of the Year!!

This is my 100th post in 2008!! This is huge accomplishment for me, because looking at my archives, you can see that in the past couple of years I average about half that. I can't explain why the sudden change, but I love it. These past two and a half years since I started blogging--and especially the past nine months--have been the most regular and thorough record of my life. I love blogging! I really want to put my blog into books like I know Michelle and others have done. Where do I go to do that? Through my blog I've best been able to capture who I am. I have a record of what I think about on a day to day basis, what's important to me now, how I react to situations; I don't have to rely on an unstable memory of myself, but rather, I can read back through my blog to see who I was at any given point in time.

I was really excited when I realized that my 100th post of 2008 would be about General Conference: I think it appropriate for who I am and what's important to me.

Emily and I had the amazing opportunity to go up to SLC for Conference this morning, and it was incredible! It was Emily's first time to Conference, and I was really excited to share this experience with her. We had a parking voucher (fortunately), and that took a huge load off the stress! We parked by Energy Solutions and then just walked the few blocks to the Conference Center. We had seats in the terrace and we in the center section. This was our view:


It was raining pretty hard all morning, so Emily and I stood out in the rain for a bit waiting to get inside. I love the rain! It finally felt like fall!


We sat in our seats for about an hour and a half before Music and the Spoken Word, and we were both so tired from having to wake up early (Emily stayed up until 1:30 the night before and then woke up 10 minutes before I left to pick her up. . . .) and so we dozed for a bit while waiting. Emily dozed a bit more than I did, and granted, she did go to bed in the morning, instead of the night before. Good grief.

Once Conference started, we were alert and awake and took copious notes. My Conference notes are more the impressions I get and what sticks out to me rather than everything that's actually said. Highlights include:

• President Eyring's focus on unity
• Elder Hales's statement that opposition presents us with opportunity
• Sister Dalton's statement that through virtue we can change the world
• Elder Ballard and the emphasis that the work of God cannot be frustrated

and my favorite insight and talk from the morning

• President Monson's admonition to "find joy in the journey," to "relish life as we life it."

I had a harder time focusing on the afternoon session, because I watched it over at my friend's apartment, and there were a few people over who kept talking. Plus, I was extremely sleepy, resulting in accidental dozing.

Some themes I noticed from this Conference were

• Hope in the face of adversity and how we should react to adversity
  
• The need for us to show gratitude
• Unity in building up Zion

I loved it. I felt so uplifted and edified. I'm not really ready to return to my crazy, school-filled life again, but return I must, and I'm going to dive back in determined to "find joy in [my] journey."

General Conference: The Cabin

General Conference time is come around again, and I love it! My weekend is going to be pretty varied with where and with whom I watch Conference this time around. Last night after I helped out with Katie's family's mission reunion (more on that later), I headed up to Heber with her family. Her parents just bought a cabin up in that area, and I was invited to come up with her to watch Conference today!


Their cabin is beautiful: it is totally the kind of place my family would love for a family compound. If you want to be by yourself, you can; but, if you want to be with everyone, you can do that too. The ceilings are high and vaulted, the kitchen is big and open, the lighting is cozy, the decks are large--it's just amazing!



Anneli and I slept in the "dormitory" room. It's this long room with four beds in it, so it's perfect for having lots of people over. There are three levels to the cabin, and we watched Conference on the ground level in this cozy room with a big TV and a large, way comfy sectional.

The decor wasn't necessarily to my taste, but it was definitely mountain-y and cozy. There was a big stone woodburning stone fireplace, and several fun little family rooms complete with a ping pong table, a chessboard, and a piano.

In between sessions, Katie's dad took us out on a "cart ride," which was really a ride in a four-wheeler-esque type of vehicle. It was completely open, and it was raining, so I put up my hood and had quite a ride bumping along the muddy roads around the area. It was a definitely a stellar--and wet--20 minutes!

The colors up there were absolutely breathtaking--it was just beautiful. This was outside my the window by my bed:


I brought schoolwork that I need to do, but did I? Not really. I did a little bit of editing, but read only about two pages out of Great Expectations. At least I tried, right?

General Conference since I've been out at school has been a bittersweet experience, because I love love love love love Conference, but I really miss being with my family. So being up in the cabin with Katie and her family was great, because I was with a family, even though it wasn't my family. After the first session, we had a family prayer, and afterwards, I almost got ready for a family cheer--it pulled on my heartstrings a bit.

Some quick highlights from today's Conference sessions:

• The 5 new temples!
• Elder Andersen's talk about how we don't know everything, but we do know enough. That was so encouraging.
• Elder Oaks's saying "texting" in his talk. Not text messaging or using your cell phone, but he actually said "texting."
• President Uchtdorf's connections between hope, faith, and charity
• Elder Holland's talk about how angels are always among us
• Elder Bednar's instructions for having more meaningful prayers
• The children's choir. I loved seeing the kids see the camera and then look away smiling; that one boy who frustratingly thrust his arms down at his side; and the boy who was standing sideways when everyone else was standing facing the right way. Ha!
• The overall theme I saw of hope and faith and comfort: we are never alone.

I loved it, and I can't wait for tomorrow! I probably would have stayed up in Heber for tomorrow's sessions, except that Emily and I have tickets for the morning session tomorrow! We'll be off around 7:00 a.m. . . . Can't wait!

crazy, crazy, crazy week take 2 and recap edition

I'm in for another crazy week, though hopefully not so crazy as last week. I wanted to do several posts about my week and everything that's been going on, but it's just not going to happen.

• Dinner at the Olive Garden and watching "P. S. I Love You" with Katelyn on Friday night. It made me just happy to be her friend
• Lunch with Brooke and a few of our friends on Saturday
• RS Broadcast--I wasn't up for going, but really glad I did
• Emily and her roommate Jessica over for Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese and a movie on Sunday--I love having Em out here with me
  
• Still feeling overwhelmed with my job. My boss said give it a month and I'll have a groove, but right now, a month is seeming like a very long time. Editing is a bit different from the exercises I do in class.
• "Chuck" season premier=awesome
• Great roommates, still
• Still a dishwasher that never gets loaded or unloaded
• Not nearly as much sleep as I'd like. I could have gone to bed at 8:00 tonight and been completely, 100 percent happy with that
• A great family cheer that made me feel like I could do it--thanks :)

Here's to Tuesday. . . .

weekend miscellany

My weekend in review:

• I was reunited with my Chicago Manual of Style. We were meant to be. Thanks ELang 410 for giving me another chance with my one true love: commas.
• I started reading Eats, Shoots & Leaves for the first time (if you can believe I haven't read it yet--I mean, it's a whole book dedicated to punctuation). Favorite phrases and clauses include "satanic sprinkling of redundant apostrophes" and "anger [over egregious punctuation errors] gives way to a righteous urge to perpetrate an act of criminal damage with the aid of a permanent marker."
  

• The fridge froze at least three of my eggs. Frozen eggs=weird, no?
• I watched the new episode of "Monk" at Brooke's after we watched a whole disc of season one at my apartment. Picture freezer!! Picture go regular!!
  
• I went to my first ever BYU dance. Granted, it was only for half an hour, but I met up with my friend Brennen there and we had fun partying it up.
  
  

• Emily hiked the Y: this is a picture of the Y when Emily was on it. Kudos, Em!
  

• I helped Katie purge her closet. Sometimes you just need someone to tell you to throw out stuff. I learned that from Mom.
• Lunch at Katelyn's on Saturday: Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese, just like the old days.
  

• Emily came over Saturday night and we went to Smith's and watched "Sliding Doors" afterward.
  
• Saturday, there was a banana pancake party at Katelyn's, complete with "Seinfeld."
  
• We had regional conference today: President Uchtdorf and President Packer spoke, and it was stellar.
• There was a CES fireside tonight with Elder Holland, and it was beyond incredible. It's like he knows me or something. He talked all about the lessons we learn from Joseph Smith's stint in Liberty Jail. It was so personal and touching.
  

• I watched a few episodes of "Alias" online. I'm a huge fan. Because, you know, it's not like I don't need another TV show to like. Good grief.
  

• And probably my favorite highlight from the weekend: B-Money. He's a salesman who carries t-shirts he designs himself around in a large duffel and tries to sell them to students. He's especially popular among the 700 East crowd. One of Katelyn's friends invited B-Money to crash the banana pancake party, and so for the first half hour, B-Money was trying to bargain with us on t-shirts (which have his face on them, no joke). He also makes his own hip-hop CDs and was selling them for $7. (The CDs were called "Rag$ to Riche$.") If only I had cash on me. He just hung out for a while, and then went back to pounding the pavement. I wish you all the luck in the world, B-Money.

And now I get to start another week. Hopefully I can find a good school groove: I'm finding motivation hard to come by. Maybe if I buy a B-Money shirt. . . .

Edit: Google "B-Money" on GoogleVideo and enjoy.

I'm cursed

My ward boundaries for my fall/winter student ward changed, and now I'm in the 12:30 ward.

• Freshman year, 96th Ward, meeting time: 1:30 pm (by far the worst meeting time I've ever had)
• Sophomore year, 176th Ward, meeting time: 1:00 pm
• Junior year, I don't know what ward name, meeting time: 12:30 pm. Well, it's better than 1:30.

My roommate for next year is already moved into our apartment and was in the 9:00 am ward all spring and summer, so naturally, we thought that we would still be in the 9:00 am ward during the fall and winter. Nope. They changed the boundaries. 12:30 pm. Afternoon--again.

I'm cursed with afternoon student wards. Bah.

ready . . . break

Tonight:
study for big, scary Shakespeare test
study for not-so-big-and-scary editing test
do Wednesday's editing homework

Tomorrow:
study for big, scary Shakespeare test
take not-so-big-and-scary editing test
do Friday's editing homework to turn it in on Wednesday
vote for David Archuleta in the AI finals

Wednesday:
take big, scary Shakespeare test
turn in the editing homework for the rest of the wek
turn in take-home portion of not-so-big-and-scary editing test
pack for HOME!!
RS presidency meeting at 9 p.m.

Thursday: HOME!!!!!!!

Phew.

Conference Weekend

I just love Conference weekend! Conference weekend is like a vacation to me, and it was such a needed and rejuvenating break to be able to sit and listen to our living prophets speak to us. The cable in my apartment is being really weird, so Katelyn and I went over to Josh's apartment to watch all the sessions of Conference. I took some great notes, and also was able to just sit and listen without taking notes--I think both approaches have their advantages.

Favorite talks include:

• Elder Wirthlin's about those who are lost
• Elder Scott's about abuse
• Elder Oaks's about testimonies
• Elder Bednar's about prayer
• President Uchtdorf's about the faith of our fathers
• President Monson's closing testimony
  
• And so many more!!

The thing I loved the most though about this Conference was the opportunity I had to stand in the Solemn Assembly. I've been looking forward to that ever since we learned about it in my Living Prophets class after President Hinckley's death. I loved standing with Katelyn in the living room, knowing that my mom, and so many others I love were standing with me; I loved seeing Josh and his roommates stand, knowing that my dad, grandpa, and other priesthood holders were standing at the exact same time; I loved knowing that my brother was standing with other Aaronic Priesthood holders all throughout the world; I loved standing with everyone, knowing that millions of members all over the world were standing with me. I felt so unified with so many people I love, even though so many of those I love are far away. I loved the strength I felt I was giving to President Monson. I loved being able to sustain him and mean it, knowing that he is, in truth, a prophet of God. I love loving being a member of the Church!

Easter

I just love Easter! Today has been a really great day and I've really felt the Spirit. Last week I bought this book at the Bookstore called The Infinite Atonement, and I was reading it more today. It is so good! Some favorite insights so far are:

"Like a skilled magician, Satan's every move is to divert our attention and dilute our focus from the primary object at hand, namely Christ's atoning sacrifice, in hopes we will turn exclusively to doctrines of secondary and far lesser import."

Quoting Elder McConkie: "The atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths. Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see us through the trials and perils of life. But if we are to have faith like that of Enoch and Elijah, we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived."

Speaking of the incomprehensibility of the atonement: "Our inability to 'know it all,' however, does not absolve the need (nor should it diminish our desire) to know what is 'knowable.' Perhaps by so evaluating the knowable, we push and probe and occasionally penetrate the infinite."

And I'm only on page 24.

So basically, this book is amazing and I can't wait to make it through all 335 pages. I think that any time is an opportune time to reflect on and apply the atonement, but Easter is an especially special time for such thought. So, take time to think about Christ and the atonement, and have an excellent Easter!

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

So, I'm following in the vein of so many other blog posts today, and I feel the need to express my own thoughts and feelings about this. Our beloved prophet of the LDS church, Gordon B. Hinckley, passed away last night, and when I found out, my emotions were a mix of shock (even though he was 97--go figure), sadness, and excitement for him. His life's work is finally finished! He is finally reunited with his wife! This is such a significant event for me, because President Hinckley is the prophet of my youth, the man who was prophet when I realized my own testimony, when I ascertained for myself the reality of God, the Atonement, and living prophets on the earth today. I remember having President Benson and President Hunter as prophets; I remember their deaths, but when I was only 6 and 7, their deaths didn't really mean anything to me. I feel such a special connection with President Hinckley (as I'm sure the rest of the world does) and I feel such a deep and personal love for him. I always felt that if I ever met him face to face that he would know my name and know me, even though I know he wouldn't. I felt such a personal love from him, like he loved me as Charlotte, and not just as a member of the Church. Last night I wrote in my journal all my initial thoughts and feelings, and I want to write that here:

I really want to write in my journal tonight because today is a significant day. President Hinckley died this evening and I have so many emotions coursing through my mind. It's bittersweet, really; I'm sad that he's no longer with us, but moreso I'm so that his life's mission is fulfilled and that he's reunited with his wife. I am so grateful that I was blessed to live during his administration as prophet. I am rendered almost speechless when I realize what an amazing man he was and still is.

I love him in such a personal way--I am just so incredibly grateful for him and that I could live on this earth at such an amazing time.

The best part about this is that my testimony doesn't change or weaken because of a change in leadership. The Church is always true and my testimony is not based on who the prophet is, but on the Gospel itself, on Christ and His Atonement. It's so amazing to live at this time; I feel so blessed. I feel so blessed to have the testimony I have. I feel so united in the Church; millions of saints all over the world will be mourning and rejoicing together--the Gospel is so unifying.

I know this Gospel s true, that the Church is true, that Christ is our Savior. I've always known it and will always know it. This is true, this is real, this is eternal.

Today at school, many people decided to wear white in honor of President Hinckley, and many people were also dressed up to show respect. The flag was at half mast, and everything has been a bit subdued today on campus. There is an Italian class next door to my grammar class and they sung "We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet" this morning, which succeeded in bringing tears to the eyes. In Living Prophets, it was really cool, because the chapter that we read for today, and the subject that we just started studying, is the doctrine regarding succession of the Presidency, and so that was just really neat to be able to study that and know that even though the leadership in the Church may change, the truthfulness of the Gospel doesn't, and that's what's important. With the death of President Hinckley, I'm glad to re-realize that my testimony is not based on who is leading or who is in charge, but rather on the truth, on Christ.

For some reason, today I've listened to the BYU choir's recording of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" a few times, and I feel it quite appropriate to represent President Hinckley's life. The ending lines state Here's my heart, now take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above, and that is exactly how I know Gordon B. Hinckley lived his life. He gave his life, his heart, his entire person to the Lord, gave his heart to Heavenly Father so it could be sealed in the heavenly courts. I love President Hinckley so much and will greatly miss him. Now, I pray not only for the Hinckley family, but for President Monson as he takes up this mantle. The Church is true, regardless of who is leading, and the system is perfect. I love it so much.

There's an excellent slide show of pictures of President Hinckley regarding his relationship to BYU on the BYU website if you want to check it out. It has him talking and it made tears come to my eyes (yeah, so much for no-crying-since-Thursday) to hear him speak again.

Well, dear President Hinckley, God be with you till we meet again.