So, since Friday, when I last posted, not too much has happened. Well, there has been a lot, but not enough to remember everything. Life is still wonderful. I am enjoying every bit of it. I have an amazing family, I have fantastic friends, and they all love and care about me.
I think for this post I am going to reflect on the past couple months and some of the changes that have happened to me. Maybe for some of you that are having a rough time, my story will help you.
In the beginning of March, I was having a very rough time with life, my self-esteem (like if I really was beautiful or if people were just saying that), if people really did love me, etc... I have had issues with these before, but at the time, it all came crashing down on me and I didn't know how I was going to get through the next couple years until college started and I could re-start my life.
On March 17th, I had enough and at the time, my parents were not home. So I started to talk to my best friend, Jake. He has always been someone that lives near by, that I can count on whenever I am in need of something. When I texted him, I told him the issues I was having and he kept on trying to convince me that I am beautiful, sweet, nice, smart, friendly, and about everything that anyone could want. I wanted to believe him, but at the time I was so down and sad that not even what he said did as much as I was really hoping it would. I knew that it would take not only myself to do what I could to feel better, but I would need a spiritual kind of help.
About a week later, the General Young Women broadcast was, well, being broadcast. I didn't feel like going, but my mom and sister convinced me to go and listen to what the speakers had to say. The talks were on what our Young Women theme is on. "Be Strong and of Good Courage." There was one talk that really stood out to me though. (Here is the website to find all the talks: http://lds.org/broadcast/gywm/0,7726,2298,00.html.) The talk that stood out to me the most was by Elaine S. Dalton, the Young Women General President. The whole talk stood out to me. But there are a few paragraphs that I would like to state from her talk. It says...
Young women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, remember who you are! You are elect. You are daughters of God. You cannot be a generation of young women who are content to fit in. You must have the courage to stand out, to “arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations.” The world would have you believe that you are not significant—that you are out of fashion and out of touch. The world calls to you with unrelenting, noisy voices to “live it up,” “try everything,” “experiment and be happy.” Conversely, the Holy Ghost whispers and the Lord invites you to “walk in the paths of virtue,” “lay aside the things of this world,” “and cleave unto [your] covenants."
Recently, a group of young women visited my office. At the end of the visit, one young woman confided with tears in her eyes, “I have never thought of myself as beautiful. I have always felt very ordinary. But today, as I walked past the mirror in your office and glanced into it, I was beautiful!” She was beautiful because her face shone with the Spirit. She saw herself as our Heavenly Father sees her. She had received His image in her countenance. That is deep beauty.
Young women, look into the mirror of eternity. Remember who you are! See yourself as our Heavenly Father sees you. You are elect. You are of noble birth. Don’t compromise your divine inheritance. You were born to be a queen. Live so you are worthy to enter the temple and there receive “all that [the] Father hath.” Develop deep beauty. There is no more beautiful sight than a young woman who glows with the light of the Spirit, who is confident and courageous because she is virtuous.
Remember, you are daughters of our Heavenly Father. He loves you so much that He sent His Son to show you the way to live, so that you could return to Him someday. I testify that as you draw close to the Savior, His infinite Atonement makes it possible for you to repent, to change, to be pure, and to receive His image in your countenance. His Atonement will enable you to be strong and courageous as you continue to raise your banner for virtue. You are golden. You are the banner!
And so I conclude with the Lord’s words to each of us, His precious daughters: “Behold, . . . thou art an elect lady, whom I have called.” “Walk in the paths of virtue. . . . Lay aside the things of [the] world. . . . Cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made. . . . Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive.” Of this I bear my witness in the holy name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen."
After hearing the story of the girl looking into the mirror in Sister Dalton's office, I was in tears and truly felt inside that I was beautiful. I have changed the ways I look at myself and the way that I think about myself. Satan did such a great job at the time at trying to make me think the wrong things about myself. He tried to ruin my life, who I was, and what I was and am now.
I do know that I am a Daughter of God. I know without a doubt that Heavenly Father loves me. I can also say that I know that going to this Young Women broadcast that it changed my life and I am so grateful in so many ways that my sister and mom convinced me to go.
I won't say that life will now and forever more be perfect and that I will think the world of myself. I know that Satan is going to try and ruin my life again or try and make me do things I know to be wrong. But now that I know who I am and what I am makes me so much more stronger than I would have been if I did not hear what these talks were about. I know in my heart that I am beautiful. That I am loved by so many. That I am everything that my friend Jake told me I am and what others have also said about me. I have become someone that I can help others with through their self-esteem problems and tell them the story that changed my life forever.
I am grateful to my Heavenly Father to showing me the light and the truth and His love for me. I will never forget such an experience. I hope all of you will read this and see a difference in your eyes and know that you ARE a daughter or a son of God. Those of you who are guys, read this and put Son in for the word Daughter, or put the word Men in for the word Women. A message like this should go out to the world for both female AND male. Both young and old.
I leave this message with you all hoping I have helped you in some way. =)
Have a wonderful Monday evening!!
