In Response to Yesterdays Incident

Yesterday the city of Boston was shaken up by bombings at the Boston City Marathon. How did I find out about? Facebook and Twitter began to fill up with thoughts, concerns and prayers for the victims and families. My first reaction was "how could there be such evil in our world" which many of you thought. But then I began to read about those who responded to the tragic incident by volunteering themselves to carry victims, offering their homes to those who couldn't go back to their hotel, their businesses to offer a place of comfort and refuge and those runners who finished the race and continued to run to the hospital to donate blood. Then I thought to myself "there are still good people in world today." I wish people would use their hands and mind to do good rather than to hurt others. In less than a year many people have been affected tragically due to someone else's action which includes the shooting in Aurora and Newtown. Now this? Those runners, bystanders and others at the marathon were there to enjoy a race, watch their love ones, and just enjoying a day in the city of Boston. They shouldn't have been hurt such a manner. I hope they catch the person or people involved in this so justice could be brought to the victims and their families. At the same time remember there are still a lot go good people in our world today. Hopefully we surround ourselves with them. Lets keep the people of Boston in our prayers and thoughts.   

Are you pushing your handcart?

I should be finishing my essay but the Spirit is so strong that I can't ignore it. Today in my Sociology of the LDS Church class we discussed the Church in regards with media and film. We watched the following clip.

I usually do not like to show my emotions in public. I will cry in front of certain people but at this point I did not care. As I watched this I couldn't help but cry. It's one of those video that really gets to you. The words of the hymn "Come, Come, Ye Saints" speak so powerfully and when it's combined with a depiction of the Saints the words just become alive. The early Saints had to go through so much when they crossed the plains into a land they did not know much of. The faith they must have had is a testimony in itself. They crossed in the cold freezing winter, in the heat with at times little food and water. They crossed the plains to worship freely and live the gospel freely. We have so much to thank for those Saints. Without them we wouldn't be here today with the gospel, with so many faithful missionaries and many temples where we can receive so many blessings.

I am just going to be honest, it would have been hard for me to have the faith as those Saints did. Am I ashamed of it? No. Each one of us is brought to this earth at a certain time because our Heavenly Father knows we can endure the trails of the time. I know He put me on this earth at this time for a reason. He knew I was strong enough to get through this life right now. I just have to realize for myself that I am strong enough. I may not have to push a handcart of all my possessions across the plains but I do have to push a handcart of my faith through this tempting time in our world. I feel as though I was sent here right now to face all the worldly things going on from drugs, immortality, and other things that do not meet the gospel values. It's a hard time to live in the world being surrounded by so many temptations  But if those Saints came push through a cold river in the middle of winter I can push through a street filled with immoral things.

Times are going to get worse. The thought that my children would be probably see more horrible things than I did growing up scares me. It truly scares me but I know if I prepare myself to teach them to push their own handcart through it all they can protect their faith. Yes I know that won't be for a long time until I have children but the time is now to prepare.  I have made choices in my life to make sure me children and their children will have the gospel in their lives. Some of those choices included leaving people behind who didn't help me push my handcart. About a year ago I decided I needed to prepare myself for the time to come. Everyday I am trying to push my handcart through it all. I know if we put our faith first we will be blessed and it turn out okay in the long run. We just have to remember to put our trust in the Lord through all our trails. At first it may be hard but He will be there with us through it all. 

My question to you is if you're pushing your handcart hard enough?   

Crazy Times at BYU

Well you guys it's that time of year...finals! AHHHH!! The thought just makes me want to cry. I am pushing through these last couple days of classes but let me tell you it's hard. The other night I pulled an all nighter and did not sleep at all. I am still feeling the side effects. It's a stressful time with final papers and last minute projects in my classes but I'm keep my head up high. Two weeks from today I will be done with school for this semester! I will be moving into a new apartment which is stressful but not that stressful like school. I have been wanting the end to be near for so long. I just need to push through. I can do this! 

Summer plans you may ask? Well lets see work, work, work and two classes during summer term. Fun I know. I plan to work a lot this summer and save money for the next year school year but most importantly for next summer! Right now Mexico is up in the air but I know that I want to go somewhere next summer. Besides work there are a lot of things I want to do this summer in Utah. There are a couple of trails I want to do such as Mount Timp, the red rocks in St. George and I really want to go to Moab. Although I need to find an adventure buddy. 

Besides working and having fun adventures one thing I hope to get out of the summer

is knowing myself better. This will be the first time I spend a whole summer away from my family. While the majority of the student population at BYU return home for the summer (or go on a mission) I will be here until I see my family for a week in June. I will be doing a lot of things on my own this summer but I'm up for the challenge. 

P.S. I am starting another blog and it's going to be a beauty blog which will have all sorts of fun stuff. So keep an eye out for it! 

Preparing for this weekend

Well it's that time of year again, General Conference! I am excited to hear what the prophets, apostles and church leaders have to say to us this weekend. Each time I listen to  conference I think to myself we are truly blessed to live in a time when the true gospel is fully restored to earth and we have ability where everyone can hear the messages that are inspired. 

In preparation for this weekend I began to listen to talks from the last General Conference. Today while I was cleaning some dishes I opened one of the talks on my phone. Smartphones are quite handy. This morning I listened to the talk by Elder Neil L. Anderson, "Trail of Your Faith." I choose the talk at random but I am so happy I choose it. The talk really comforted me at this time when I am going through a lot. I encourage you to read it if you're going through a difficult time in your life at the moment.

As the week goes on I am going to continue to listen/read a talk a day. And remember as Elder Neil L. Anderson said, "With faith come trials of faith, bringing increased faith."

Lets wrap it up!!

Papers. Finals. Stress. That is what has been on my mind lately. School has been crazy and I just want it to end. I am really looking forward to the end of the semester and the start of summer. I hope this summer will top last summer. Sadly I will be here in Utah still but I don't mind because there are certain things (and people) who make me want to stay here.

I am at that point where I am getting summer excitement/laziness but I have to push through for another 24 days! I can do this. Tell me I can do this. I just need a little encouragement. 

I'm planning to take one class during spring term and it's actually just .5 credits. I need to take private music lessons so I have to do it! It's all good. I actually like to play my instruments and don't see it as a hassle like homework. Band geek for life! 

This spring and summer I'm going to work, work and work. Fun right? I need that money for things, stuff, places and other stuff. The MTC Cafeteria will be so much fun this summer....yeah I will leave it at that. 

Lastly take a look at what I did this weekend! Happy spring everyone! 

Here comes the commotion....

The US Supreme Court is hearing both sides of Prop 8 now. There is a lot of heated conversations on facebook and twitter. I have heard both sides of the argument especially from those very strong politically right Mormons here in Utah. 

So I'm just going to say my opinion. It's my blog so I can say whatever I want. I support gay marriage. If someone loves a person and wants to be have their relationship legal as in marriage, it's their choice. It's not my choice who they want to spend their life with. I will deal with my own love life (if I had one ha) and they can deal with theirs. I don't want to take away a person's right just because of their sexual orientation. Oh and they should be respected in the same manner as you want to be respected. In the end it's their life and their decisions, not mine. I will just butt out.   

I know not many people will agree with me but it's a time where issues are difficult to understand and side with. I am still seeing where I land on some issues.  

As for me I am not just seeking marriage in my future but a celestial marriage. I see there are two marriages in our world today (from an LDS perspective), civil and celestial marriages. I know in some countries members of the church have to be married civilly before they have a temple marriage/sealing/celestial marriage. A celestial marriage is ordained by God and is done in the House of the Lord through Priesthood power. A civil marriage is done by a person who is licensed to do so. Hey you can go downtown and just get married if you want or go to Vegas.  

For me I know what I need to do to attain a celestial marriage and that is my own personal life. As for someone else's life that is for them to deal with. 

Marriage to some people means a union or legal contract between a man and women who are then husband and wife. Other people see marriage as a legal contract between two people who are committed to each other. I for one see it as civil marriage and celestial marriage. One is ordained by God. The other is done by man. 

But hey that is my opinion and beliefs. You might believe something different and this is totally fine. We are entitled to our own opinion. 

My Encounter with the Humanities

I remember vividly the day when I did not see music the same way but I saw music as way to tell a story and I was the story teller. My band director handed out a new piece of music we will play at our last band concert of the year, all I saw were notes on a piece of paper that did not seem hard to play but I was wrong. The piece was entitled An American Elegy by Frank Ticheli and it would forever change my life.

Before I came across the piece during my sophomore year of high school I saw music as just notes on manuscript and me as just a musician who played what they saw on the page. Sadly I had been playing music this way for over eight years and looked over music’s true meaning. When it came to rehearse An American Elegy our band director discussed with us the piece’s meaning and purpose, it was to honor those who lost their lives and survived Columbine. More remarkable that I saw was we were playing on the 10th anniversary of the tragic shooting. The country was remembering a time when lives were lost and saved.

As I began to really look at the music I did not see notes anymore I saw hope, courage and strength. I remember I wasn’t looking forward to the piece because I was playing their clarinet and was not expecting to have any important parts and because it was a small band I was the only one playing the part. As we continued to rehearse the piece every day I noticed I did have an important part where I was playing and it was up to me to keep the emotion of the piece to keep flowing. I began to connect with the music and I felt what the composer was trying to say.


Ticheli wrote the piece in memory who lost their lives in a tradgey and honor those who survived for their strength. I realized what the music said. It told a story and I was the storyteller. As a musician it was my responsibility to describe what the composer wrote to the audience.

The day came for the concert. I felt ready to tell the room full of people what Ticheli wanted to say about of the tragic incident. As my band director lifted up his hand I knew it was time to connect one last time to the piece. The low instruments started the band off, the emotion began to build, one by one each section came in and then we were off to an ever changing moment. The clarinets were in unison, one with another revealing the strength those high school students had ten years prior. The brass expressed the courage the students and teachers had. The band together told the audience the faith that was present at Columbine that April day. Each instrument and musician sounded as one expressing Ticheli’s feelings. The flute, clarinet, horn and euphonium express the unity within the community of Columbine high school. Then the Columbine’s Alma Mater began to play and the tension grew and my emotions where going in different directions. Then in a distance a trumpet is heard playing, a heroic trumpet. At that moment I felt hope and I couldn’t contain myself. It was probably the first time I cried at the band concert. Never before had I saw or heard music in such a matter. There was never a time before where I piece of music made me feel as An American Elegy did. At the end of the piece I felt as though I gave all I had to this piece of music. There weren’t that many notes or hard phrases in the piece but it was the most difficult piece I had ever played because I took the time to look at as a story with emotion and not just notes on a piece of paper.

After that day I didn’t see myself in the same way anymore and I didn’t see music in the same way either. Music is not simply notes on a piece of paper with musical notions that the composer randomly put it. Music is a way for the composer to reveal a thought, emotions or a story. As a musician it was my responsibility to express what he author intended. After performing An American Elegy I never said a piece of music the same way. When new music was handed out to me I took the time to listen to recordings and really understand what the composer intended. Every piece of music as an intention. Four years later I still feel moved when I hear An American Elegy and I still get chills when I hear it. To this day I see every piece of music as a story. When I sing a hymn at church I try to connect with author and their message. When I get handed a new piece of music in band I listen and feel to understand what I need to express. Music is not just different notes and pitches mixed together but an expression of inner feelings and emotions that need to be told.

**This was a paper I wrote for one of my classes and thought I would share it. I hope you have had something change your lives like this song did for me. Maybe it wasn't a song. Maybe it was a poem, an art piece, a film or literature. I hope you reflect upon how the humanities have influenced your life. I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to perform this piece.