Despite what happens to you, you are still loved.

Lots of things can happen in the blink of an eye. You never know where life is going to take you. Or who's going to cross paths with you. You never know what kinds of experiences you are going to go through. Some of them are going to be easy. Some of them will be a little harder, but you can still get through them. Some, however, will be unbearably difficult, and you will think that you won't have the strength or capacity to go through them. These experiences (all of them) can be mentally or physically challenging. Satan is going to try so hard to get you to feel like you can't do it. He's going to try to make you feel unworthy, unloved, forgotten by God, and alone. Sometimes, he might succeed. Fortunately, we have a Savior, who loves us, and will always be there for us. He died for us so that we didn't have to be alone. He will bless you, love you, lead you, and guide you, if you'll let Him. He will take the pain, the loneliness–all those dark feelings–and replace them with peace, love, light, and truth. And He will never leave you alone.

Remember:

You are never alone.
You are always loved.
You are so blessed.

Life is going to change. That's life–that's the way that it works. Sometimes you're not going to want it to change. Sometimes you're going to be afraid. That's okay. It's okay to be afraid. But at some point you're going to have to move on. At some point, you're going to have to take a stand. At some point, you're going to have to look at yourself in the mirror and say, "(Name), you can do this! All of your worries and doubts and struggles and fears are all in your head! Life is so great and you can so do this! It's going to be just fine!" Sometimes you just have to pluck up the courage to do something about it. About feeling afraid. Feeling alone. Feeling lost. Sometimes it's all in your head, and sometimes you just have to get out of your head. I know, I know–easier said than done. But it's worth it.

Sometimes you are going to feel left out. Sometimes you are going to feel like you're interrupting, or annoying. Sometimes you are going to feel forgotten–by friends, family. I promise you that they're always thinking of you. You might forget that [they are thinking of you], but just know that they are. I know they love you. You have a Savior who loves you, too. And I know that He never forgets you. You are engraved upon His heart, and upon His palms, because He died for you. There is nothing you can do that will make Him forget you or stop loving you. You can always return to Him.

Life is...well, life is life. It can be crazy–and it is crazy. Things happen–circumstances and people change. But you are not alone. You don't have to go through it alone. There are people in your life who love you. I know that there are people in your life who love you SO much! I know this, because there are people in my life that I love SO MUCH I can't even...and I can't even imagine my life without them. They're a blessing to me, and I know that the Lord knew that I needed them...I hope, too, that they need me.

There are people in your life who need YOU. They need your influence, your love, your insight, your whole being. They need you. You might not know it now–or ever–but I promise that they need you. There is something that you have in your life/personality that they do not, and that they need from you.

You are worth so much. You are a son or daughter of God, and He loves you. He wants to bless you with what He knows you need and deserve. He knows your potential, and wants to help you see it.

You have a divine nature and are so loved. I promise you, you are loved by SO MANY. 

Xoxo
Mattie

You do so much good!

So, Friday morning I had the opportunity to go do baptisms for the dead in the Provo Temple. It was SO GREAT!!! It was just what I needed. I received a lot of answers and peace and it was just a great start to the day/weekend. I had a couple talks with one of my roommates at random times throughout the day and those also were exactly what I needed. She's awesome and I love her and I am so grateful that she is in my life! I honestly don't know how I survived without her! ;)

I've had some ups and downs this weekend but I've gotten through them. Life's a funny thing, isn't it? In the heat of the moment, you're like, "I can't do this! This is so hard!" But afterwards you're like, "Wow, I did it! It wasn't even that hard" (even though sometimes it was). And you just move on. :)

I have a few new goals I am hoping to be able to work on in the next couple of months or so, and it's not going to be easy. But I can do it! I have an amazing support system! :)

I'm so grateful for all the guidance I've received this weekend! Some of the guidance I received this weekend was definitely a blessing and an answer to my prayers–I am not forgotten! Nor am I alone and unloved. Sometimes in life, I struggle, and I falter, and I doubt, and I question, and I worry, but I get back up. Because I've felt the peace. I've felt the joy. I've felt the love. And there's no place I'd rather be.  ❤️

There are so many out there who need you.

What a weekend it's been!! It's been a good weekend but because I've been little off/not myself lately, this weekend was also a little hard and a little bit of a struggle. But God know what He's doing and He gave me the BEST roommates for the summer, and that's been such a blessing. They've helped me a lot this weekend and I know that they'll help me more as the summer goes on. Saturday afternoon was probably the most difficult time, but I went to Kristin Chenoweth's concert at the de Jong hall last night and it was FANTABULOUS and made up for the whole day; I couldn't stop smiling when I was walking home. That is, it did make up for the whole day until I got home and saw that one of my roommates had decorated my wall with things about me and had written me a card, and so together those things made my day one thousand percent better. I'm so blessed to have them in my life, and I'm so grateful for my Heavenly Father and my Savior. I've got the best support system and I know that they love me and will always be there for me.

I heard a LOT of things that I needed to hear today, so I'm just going to share my favorites from each meeting:
Sacrament Meeting:
-Press forward. We are to endure. We need to allow our journey to shape us.
-Oh this was my favorite. So in Matthew 5:48 it says, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which in heaven is perfect." And in 3 Nephi 12: 48 it says, "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." And I loved what Cheyenne said about it. She suggested that "being perfect" means "being FINISHED" ( i.e. completing our mortal mission on this life) because in 3 Nephi Jesus added that we should be perfect even as He is, and this is after He's been resurrected.

Gospel Doctrine:
-You need to prepare your heart to go to the temple.
-The Lord will bless you when you are ready.
-Be worthy to be there.

Relief Society:
So the lesson was entitled "Nurturing the Eternal Partnership of Marriage". Which is funny, living in a singles' ward. BUT Clarissa took the perfect spin on the lesson and it was something that I SO needed to hear, so I'm grateful for her and her special way of approaching this topic. Relief Society was absolutely perfect, and I needed it, and I'd like to thank Clarissa so much for the lesson! 

-"Because you do not happen to be married does not make you essentially different from others. All of us are very much alike in appearance and emotional responses, in our capacity to think, to reason, to be miserable, to be happy, to love and be loved." ~President Hinckley
-We still have worth. We are still valued.
-"You are just as important as any others in the scheme of our Father in Heaven, and under His mercy no blessing to which you otherwise might be entitled will forever be withheld from you."
Someone said later, "The blessings aren't being held back; you're just not there yet."
-Living a righteous life will make you happy. You have to find your happiness now. Someone else said that getting married won't fix any problems, and by itself it won't make you happy. You have to find your happiness outside of any other person.
-What we do does matter, and we can make a difference in the world.
"Do not feel that because you are single, God has forsaken you. The world needs you. The Church needs you."
-The experiences that we're having now are building us up.
-"There are so many out there who need you... Keep you spiritual batteries at full charge and light the lamps of others."

I'm so grateful for the lesson, and for the words of President Hinckley and all of the women in Relief Society today. It was perfect and just what I needed to hear. I'm needed and I can make a difference in this world. I'm still loved.

Sometimes it amazes me how well God knows me and knows what I need. Like, most of the time I don't even know what I need or want! But God is all-knowing, and He made me, and He loves me, and He knows who I am going to be, and He knows how to take me there. He also knows what I need to hear, and when, and who I need to hear it from.

I went hospital singing again today and it was SUCH a blessing! I love singing with my friends and bringing the Spirit to those in the hospital on Sundays. It might be a day when they were feeling lonely or when they were feeling sad. Every time, though, it puts a smile on their face, and more often than not, tears to their eyes, and I can just feel God's love for them so strongly! He truly does love us, and care for us, and He knows what we need, every day.

Xoxo
Mattie

He will.

I came home this weekend because Friday was my Spring Day (I go to BYU and we don't normally have a Spring Break but this year they gave us one day...I'll take it!) and I had some things I wanted to do at home. In addition to that, this weekend was SO needed!! ❤

A week or so ago I was reading about the hymn "I Stand All Amazed" and I remembered that, at the time the hymn was written, 'confused' meant 'in awe', or something like that. I can't find what I read, but I know that I read it! Anyway, as we were singing that hymn before the sacrament, I thought that its line "Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me" holds well with either definition. Or both together. I am indeed awed and confused at the grace that He offers. Awed that He loves me enough, even when I've sinned, and made mistakes, to offer it; and confused as to why He offers it again and again. Some days I think that I'm nothing special–that I'm not worth it. But "I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died." For me. He was crucified for ME. He suffered for ME. I'm worth it. At least, to Him. I've made plenty of mistakes. I've sinned. But still, I am worth it to Him. He hasn't given up on me. So I shouldn't either. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).

A couple of things that were said throughout sacrament meeting and Sunday School today stood out to me, so I just wanted to shared them:
Learning doesn't help until we gain some experience(s).
Our life here on earth is like an apprenticeship.
We don't know the good we do when we share the gospel.

Relief Society was PERFECT! The lesson was one my singles ward did a couple weeks ago, but I really needed it this week. It's the one called, "Daughters of God" and I needed it. Here are some of the things that we talked about/were mentioned:

• Heavenly Father knows you and hears you.
• One woman said that she's always had a hard time with the phrase/word 'meek and submissive' in the scriptures, but that she had recently learned of the meaning of 'meek' in Greek. I'm going to share what I got from what she said and then from what I got doing a simple Google search. She said meekness is a war horse before battle–ready, determined, strong, powerful. In the Google search, I found this, which is essentially the same thing but better: "In the Greek New Testament, 'meek' is from the Greek term praus. It does not suggest weakness; rather, it denotes strength brought under control. The ancient Greeks employed the term to describe a wild horse tamed to the bridle. In the biblical sense, therefore, being meek describes one who has channeled his strengths into the service of God."

I LOVED that! I had never thought before that being meek could have negative connotations, but I am grateful for the sister who brought this new definition of meekness to me.

Another thing we talked about was tender mercies, and how grateful we are for women who listen to the Spirit's promptings and are answers to our prayers. I had such an experience only yesterday. My friend called me out the blue and I was so happy and grateful! It was good to talk to her, seeing as how I don't get to see or talk with her all that often anymore, and I miss her. It was good to know that she was thinking of me. I've been struggling a little lately and the phone call from her was exactly what I needed. ❤

God knows us. He hears us. He knows what we need and who we need it from. He knows your struggles, and your insecurities, and your doubts, and your wants, wishes, needs. He knows it all. He knows YOU and He loves you so, so much. And He will help you become better. He will give you the strength and determination to do what you want/need to. He will give you peace. He will give you the time that you need. He will make it all work out. He will. 

Xoxo

Mattie

Faith can overcome fear.

Today was GREAT! I had an awesome thought during Gospel Doctrine that I'll share in a moment.

First, some thoughts I had during the sacrament.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about people and feelings (not sure why; it just happened). Sometimes we might offend someone by what we say or do, and sometimes we are offended by others. But there is no way that those who offended will know unless you tell them. Sort of going off of that, I read an article the other week that said something to the effect of, "you don't always have to forgive someone to bring you peace. If being angry at them makes you feel good, that's okay." And I remember thinking, "Well, that seems counterproductive." For me, I personally hate being angry/annoyed with someone for a long period of time. Sure, sometimes it feels good to be mad at them, and to not forgive them. But after awhile, there comes a point when the anger or annoyance starts to affect other parts of my life–and not in a good way. Yes, sometimes there are cases where extreme anger or frustration towards someone is warranted, but if you are always angry at them, they've won–maybe again. You are still thinking about them. Their actions still cause you anger and hurt. In forgiving them, though, you win. You've become the bigger person, and you can be at peace. Now, in no way at all am I saying that by forgiving them you approve of their actions. Not at all! But by forgiving them, you can let go of the hurt and pain that they caused you and you can finally begin to heal. Holding on to things for a long time isn't always the best cause of action. Sometimes you have to let go. If you feel like there is no possible way that you could forgive them (because it was too awful), that's okay, too. But don't hold on to it any longer than you have to. Just let it go.

 A couple of things stood out to me in sacrament meeting today:
-Obedience isn't black and white. It's greyscale.
-Sometimes obedience is selfish–we obey not because Heavenly Father wants us to, but because we gain something, like social acceptance or something.
-Sometimes Jesus lets us struggle through challenges in order to help us strengthen our faith in Him.
-Faith can overcome fear.
-Asking for help is the ultimate sign of faith and humility.

In Gospel Doctrine, I had an awesome thought. We were talking about the fulfillment of Samuel the Lamanite's prophecies about Jesus Christ. And we were reading in 3 Nephi 10, where Jesus Christ says, "How oft have I gathered thee as a hen gathereth her chicks?" And someone said that when a hen puts up her wings, the chicks can run underneath her wings, and sometimes she dies protecting her chicks. Immediately I had a thought about the analogy: Jesus is the hen. And when He was up on the cross, His arms were raised up, and He died for us. He invites us to come unto Him always, and His hands are always stretched out towards us. So of course I shared that thought in class (except the italics; that part I only thought of as I was recalling the story to transcribe it to you, dear Reader) and then wanted to share it here because I loved the imagery in that analogy and I'd never thought of that before.

Today was fifth Sunday, so we were combined (in two rooms, I think). Bishop talked about some things before the actual lesson. He said that sometimes challenges in life can help us in our lives. I loved that. Sometimes challenges in our lives help us become who we were meant to be.

The lesson today was on keeping the Sabbath Day holy. He shared four questions that we can ask ourselves (there are many others) to try and decide if we're keeping the Sabbath Day holy.
1. Is my action hold or of service to God?
2. Is it doing good?
3. Does it keep me unspotted from the world?
4. Is it honoring the Lord, or am I selfishly following my own desires?

After that, Sister Anderson spoke to us for a little bit. She talked about the new Thanksgiving Garden statues exhibit, about two of them specifically. The one that depicted the story of the woman who was found in adultery, and the one that depicted Jesus Christ carrying His cross up to Calvary. For the first one, she said that Christ was brought here to love us and save us. Not to condemn us. For the second one, she said that He is here to help us through and to love us. She said that we are going to have to fight and sacrifice to keep our testimonies. I know that is so true. You have to hold on to your faith and testimony. Hold on to what you know to be true. Just hold on.

I'm so grateful for a Savior who knows me, and loves me, and sacrificed His life so that I could return to live with my Heavenly Parents. I am so thankful for the sweet spirit that is in my ward; I love the people in my ward so much and I am always learning things from them. I'm so thankful for the Spirit, and for His love and direction to guide the right answers and actions into my life and for His guidance to me to be able to share with those around me. This has been a crazy couple of weeks and sometimes I was super worried and scared that things wouldn't work out, but they did. I'm lucky to have had my Savior with me to help me get through it. I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had to be Christ's hands this past week and I look forward to the opportunities I will have this upcoming week. Stay safe and remember you're so loved! <3

Xoxo
Mattie

Do everything in your power to do your part.

Today was our Stake Conference, which was great. I heard many things I needed/wanted to hear.

One thing that was so funny was one of the speakers (one of the Stake Presidency I believe, but I could be wrong) was talking about how he wanted to get a smokin' body and he said he told that to his wife who said, "Sweetheart, the only way you'll get a smokin' body is if you're cremated" and the whole congregation laughed and went "Ohh" as in "Ohh, burn." It was so funny!

Anyway.

Many awesome things were said today that I LOVED!
So, this talk was about marriage:
-Stop trying to find perfection.
-Do everything in your power to do your part.
-We cannot sit in our apartments or wherever and expect the Lord to bring them to us.
-Heavenly Father knows you and loves you. If you do your part He will direct you.

This talk was about building your foundation and faith in Christ:
-Build your foundation upon Christ.
-Go to Heavenly Father with a teachable heart (specifically when you go to Him with questions but also just always).
-Learn of the Savior–through study and prayer.
-You are engraven upon His palms. <3

-You are loved by Heavenly Father and are precious to Him.
-A testimony is not found over a pulpit, it is shared over a pulpit. It should be found in our own sacred places and in our own lives.
-Christ is the answer.
-Trust in the promise of the Lord.
-God is there. He will never leave you alone.

This talk was about finding Christ through gospel service:
-Matthew 16:24-25. Feed His sheep.
-Peace comes when we take up our cross and serve those around us, as He did.
This I thought was interesting: Anxiety is not an attribute of Christ. With anxiety, we are focused on ourself. Focus on those around you. With that, I know that it is hard. But I also know that when I focus on others, and serve and love them, I really do lose myself and I am not so anxious. I also know that with school, it's so hard to not be anxious about homework assignments and things, BUT some things you just have to let go and go about one day at a time. I know it's hard, but with your Savior, you can do it. :)

This talk was about conversion:
-There is joy when you stop doing what you want to do and start doing what Christ wants you to do.
-Turn and align yourself with God.

-2 Nephi 26:22
-We think we know best and we are not willing to follow the counsel of the Lord.
-Beware of pride.
-We need to be watchful in our lives. Don't let flaxen threads become flaxen cords.

-You are not here by chance. There is a reason you are here. 
-You are prepared to be here. You are among noble and great ones.
-The Lord loves you and is aware of you. Study your patriarchal blessing.

THIS TALK WAS SO CUTE, IT WAS MY FAVORITE!! It was Brother and Sister Childs, who are an older couple who were SO CUTE!!! It was adorable, and my friends and I were all like, "Relationship goals":
-Don't criticize your husband.
-Always keep God in your life.
I loved this: There's somebody out there for you. This is something that I always am thinking about; is there someone out there for me? And hearing it from Sister Childs was a blessing. She's such a sweet lady; I hope to be able to meet her someday. 

President Acerson said that "your value to Him does not change" and I loved that! It's a nice reminder that He will love you always.

Today was a great day full of inspiring messages. I'm blessed to be in such a great stake and ward. So excited to grow as a person this year!

I know that God loves you. He wants to help you return to Him. He sends you who you need when you need them. And He knows you SO WELL, I promise. He knows you. He knows exactly what you need. He loves you and wants to help you grow. So study your scriptures. Say your prayers. Turn to Him always. He is there, and He will help you. I know that you are never alone, and I know that you can always turn to your Heavenly Father and to your Savior. I am so grateful for them. This has been a crazy semester so far and it's only going to get worse but I have been able to keep up with all my projects and homework, for the most part. So blessed to have such a great apartment and friend group. I'm so thankful for my Savior and for His hand in my life. Here's to a great week for everyone!

Xoxo
Mattie

Things are going to get better.

This weekend was General Conference weekend!!!!

So happy to have been able to watch conference this weekend with my friends and roommates! It was a great weekend full of great messages! I am so grateful for our prophet, President Monson, and for his counselors, and for the quorum of the twelve apostles. I heard a lot of things this weekend that I needed to hear. There were a lot of repeats of "God loves you" and "He knows you" and I feel like those were specifically directed to me because I've been struggling a little bit with a couple of things and I just needed that reminder that He knows me and loves me and that I am not forgotten by Him. Other reminders that I needed were ones of "have faith" and remember to study and pray. I'm working on that one. :)

Also. Totally random. Just saw this on Facebook (and I shared it but I feel like this should be seen every week at least) and wanted to share. Sometimes we have rough times. Sometimes things don't go how we planned. Sometimes we think we want one thing and we end up wanting something else. Sometimes we feel alone and lost. But it's okay. We all feel like this sometimes. And guess what? That's okay. You're normal, and you're not alone. You're a wonderful person who is smart, strong, confident, loved, wanted, needed, and has so much going for them. Remember that things are going to get better, and that you can do it. You've gotten through all your hard days before. This one is no different. <3

Let Him in.

Because it's a three-day weekend I decided to come home. It's been a good weekend so far. :)

Friday was a fun day–I had a 9 o'clock class and a three o'clock class. Finding things to do in the four and a half hours I had between classes was great–real fun. ;) I'm sure it will be filled a lot better in the upcoming weeks though. :) Friday night I had the opportunity to help my friend with some things and that was a fun couple of hours–she's awesome and I love her and I love helping her out. :)

Saturday I did some math homework. I'm still not done yet so that will happen either today or tomorrow (night, because I am SO not going to spend all day doing math AGAIN).

And today was great. I heard some things that I loved and needed to hear–not like needed to hear, but needed to hear. 

But first things first, my thoughts during the sacrament today:

In the sacrament hymn While of These Emblems We Partake, it says, "The law was broken; Jesus died That justice might be satisfied". And this reminded me a little of something we talked about in Gospel Doctrine last week. God requires justice, and we ask for mercy. Without a mediator, neither of us can move without the other having to give up something that they desperately want/need. Thankfully, we do have a mediator–our Savior, Jesus Christ. He was willing to pay the price so that, with His help, we can receive mercy and be able to live with God again (Note: Any time this topic comes up, I always think of this video that you should definitely watch because it's great).

I am so grateful for my Savior, and that He was willing to pay the price so that I can be able to live with my Heavenly Father again someday. <3

So today was fast Sunday, and there were a couple of things that some people said in their testimonies today that I loved and wanted to share:
-We're not perfect, but Heavenly Father can look at us and see perfection because of Jesus Christ.
-You don't need to know something, you just need to believe it [and soon you will come to know it].
-God will answer your prayers in time [in His time, and when you are ready].

In Gospel Doctrine there were some things that we talked about that I liked and wanted to share:
-We reap what we sow [i.e., if you do good things, you'll be blessed].
-Our choices determine our future [What we choose to do will have consequences and repercussions that follow, for better or for worse].
-God does not excuse us from the consequences of our actions; we have to be responsible for our own actions and the consequences that follow.

Relief Society was great. It was based on a talk from the September 2016 Ensign entitled, "Can We Live 'after the Manner of Happiness?'" by Elder Brent H. Nielson. One of the things that he said that was quoted that I absolutely loved was this: "if [you don't] have trials in [your] life, the plan [is not] working for [you]." We go through trials to learn and grow, and to become stronger in many aspects of our life. One of the things that Sister Morley talked about was the fact that sometimes we don't turn to God because of our own stubbornness. We feel like we should be able to do things by ourselves and we don't lean on God. That's a silly idea–because there is a way out! There is a way out of our pains, sorrows, and burdens. Jesus Christ has already paid the price, so it would be silly to say, "I can do this on my own." She said, and I agree, that He must be so sad when we do not turn to Him–it must break His heart. The way that we can receive help from Him is first possible by us letting Him in. I know, I know–many times it's hard to let Him in, and oftentimes it's because of our innate human stubbornness, but other times it's because we feel embarrassed, ashamed, or unworthy to be asking for His help. Listen to me: You are ALWAYS worthy and loved and should feel no shame or embarrassment in asking for His help. You are an imperfect human being who makes mistakes, and God knows that, and that is why we have a Savior–to help us repent, repair, and return to God when we make mistakes.

I know that we are blessed to be able to have a Savior to turn to. I know that He loves us UNCONDITIONALLY. No matter what we have done, He still loves us. We are blessed to have been created by loving Heavenly Parents who only want what is best for us, and we are blessed to have an Elder Brother who loves us so much that He was willing to die for us so that we could return to our Heavenly Parents. He also knew that sometimes His gift and sacrifice would not be utilized and yet He still atoned and died for us anyway. If that is not love, I don't know what is. I am so blessed to have been able to have a chance in my life to really and truly feel the power of the Atonement and the love of my Savior. He truly does love us, and there truly is a way back. I'm far from perfect, and I've made my share of mistakes (and then some), and I've had my share of troubles and sorrows and questionable moments, and I know that life is crazy hard and intense sometimes, but when it all comes down to it, I know this: I know that I am loved, I am cherished, I am wanted, and I am enough for and by my Heavenly Parents. And that gives me peace. I know that you are loved, cherished, wanted, and are enough for and by Them, too, and I just want you to know that you are a wonderful person. You are a child of God, a daughter or son of a King, and you are so precious to Him.

Xoxo
Mattie

General Conference weekend. :)

It's General Conference weekend!!!!! I have absolutely LOVED this weekend!!!! We got three new apostles, and we miss President Boyd K. Packer, Elder L. Tom Perry, and Elder Richard G. Scott, but we welcome Elders Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund. There have been so many great messages this weekend that I needed to hear!! 

Here are just a few of my favorite quotes:

"Exaltation is our goal. Discipleship is our journey." ~~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Direction is ever more important than our speed." ~~Elder Larry R. Lawrence

"Self-control is like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets." ~~Elder Quentin L. Cook

"Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are." ~~Elder Jeffrery R. Holland

"None of us marry perfection. We marry potential." ~~Elder Rober D. Hales

"There is no darkness so dense, so menacing, or so difficult that it cannot be overcome by light." ~~Elder Vern P. Stanfill

"Christ was sent to heal the broken hearted." ~~Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"Only when we see through Heavenly Father's eyes can we be filled with the pure love of Christ." ~~Elder Dale G. Renlund

"No choice, sin, or mistake will change His love." ~~Elder Ronald A. Rasband

"God's ultimate purpose is our progress." "Repentance is individual. But fellowship...is in the church." (I paraphrased that last quote there) ~~Elder D. Todd Christofferson

"Small efforts sustained over time can produce significant results." ~~Brother Devin G. Durrant

"Don't be too critical of the barrier. It's the only thing keeping you from being devoured." ~~Elder Von G. Keetch

"Trust God. Trust Jesus. Trust the whisperings of the Spirit. Trust the counsel of living prophets." ~~Sister Carole M. Stephens

"Repentance is real, and it works." ~~Elder Allen D. Haynie

I have loved all of the messages given this weekend!! I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to watch conference and to listen to and learn from our Latter-day prophets. It is always a blessing to hear their words, especially when their words are desperately needed by me. I am so grateful to be a member of this church!!!  

Xoxo

Mattie

God loves you. And He knows just how to talk to you.

I went babysitting yesterday for some of the sweetest girls. I put the younger girl down earlier than I did the older one, and when I was putting the oldest to bed, I read her some stories. She picked the first one, and it was a silly book about animal sounds and how pigs don't sing. Anyway, I picked the second book, and she had a copy of You Are Special by Max Lucado. I absolutely love his books, especially that one, and so I picked that one and read it to her. I had to whisper it because she kept saying, "Marlie's sleeping, Marlie's asleep," and she wouldn't let me talk in an above whisper. Anywho, as I kept reading the story, I smiled as I remembered reading it when I was little. But when I got to the part where Punchinello goes to see Eli, I started to tear up and cry because Eli represents our Heavenly Father, and we are the Wemmicks, and Eli was telling Punchinello that he is special, and loved, and the dots and star stickers (stereotypes--smart, dumb, chipped, etc.) only stuck if he let them. And I just couldn't stop crying because I felt like God was talking to me, telling me through this book that I could have not chosen (there were several others that I had read as a child and would've loved to read again) that I was special. That I was loved. That it doesn't matter what others think of me. All that matters is what God thinks of me. And He thinks I'm special just the way I am. And if you haven't read You Are Special or any of Max Lucado's books, you need to go find some copies and read them because I know that they will touch you. As a child, you don't really understand the meaning of stories—to you, they're literally just stories. But as you grow older, you come to realize that some stories have morals, themes, meanings, or symbolize other things, and you pick up on them. I know that God speaks to us in different ways—He speaks often through other people and what they do, and He also speaks through promptings He gives to you. I know that He loves you just the way you are. I know that He knows you and knows which ways you receive His words and love best. I know that I picked that book yesterday for a reason; I know I was prompted to pick it to help me. I'm grateful for God's love and I'm grateful that He cares enough to let me know through a children's book that I'm special and loved just the way I am, and the only opinion that matters is His. 

If you just believe.

If you just believe, you can be an example. If you just believe, you will know that you are loved. If you just believe, you will know that you are a child of God. If you just believe, you will know that you are a daughter or son of a king. If you just believe, you can make it. If you just believe, you can be like Jesus Christ. If you just serve, you will be like Jesus Christ.