My Presentation Reaction for 12-2

Patrick had a very good introduction to his essay that grabbed my attention and made me want to listen on and learn more about what he had to say about Hitler. He made his opinion very clear as he used words like "inhumane", "twisted", and "atrocities" to describe Hitler and his actions. This completes the requirement to be argumentative. He successfully stated the other side as well and admitted that Hitler was gifted in his leadership, political, public speaking, and organizational skills. Patrick just needs to complete his thesis, but overall, I was rather impressed with his essay writing skills.

Reaction to my Presentation on 11-30

After I read my essay about the evidence of worldwide leadership achievements of Thomas S. Monson, I received some helpful advice from my professor and my classmates about how to improve it. Alex King offered a compliment that he liked my essay so far and that I had nice points as well as plenty of good examples which I very much appreciated. Professor Silverman said I need to write a proper thesis that will better introduce my stand on the topic in a concise statement. Carly said I could expand more about Monson's achievements outside of the church to support my claim that he has positively affected the world, not just members of the church. She also mentioned that I could have a better introduction instead of just rattling off statistics. Alyssa mentioned a few places where I should move paragraphs to earlier in the essay to help the flow of my essay. I found their criticisms to be valid and I plan on heeding each of them. I know I need more words and sources before my paper is ready to turn in. After my presentation, I felt overwhelmed about all the work I had ahead of me, but this essay counts as the final and I very much prefer an essay to a test.

Hugh Nibley quote

What authority does Hugh Nibley have to say who Jesus thinks are sinners ? None- he should should just focus on his own life instead of saying that religious leaders who are strict and traditional are the worst kind of sinners.

What gets me up in the morning?

Both my parents and I sacrificed a lot to be able to pay for SVU. So I need to go class. If I don't pass, I am wasting time and money. In order to be able to get a good job and help to support my family in the future, I need to gave a degree and act responsibly.

God Bless the Prophet

Thomas S. Monson is an amazing world leader. He has been the prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints since February 2008. He was prepared for his lifetime commitment to service in the church as he was taught by his parents to live the gospel and as he studied its teachings often. His efforts over the years strengthened his relationship with Jesus Christ. He proved to be capable beyond his years because he was called as a bishop at age 22, he was in the stake presidency at age 27, served as a mission president of the Canadian mission at age 31, was called as an apostle at the age of 36, and eventually became prophet at age 80. He was the youngest man called to the quorum of the 12 apostles in 53 years and was 17 years younger than the next youngest member, Gordon B. Hinckley. The tasks put before him at such early periods of life were surely intimidating, but he put his faith in God and was able to fulfill his duties.

His whole life has been dedicated to service and he has helped the members of the church grow immensely. Every April and October since he has been an apostle, he gives one or more speeches in General Conference and admonishes those who listen to strive to live a more virtuous life. As a prophet, he teaches from scripture and revelation from God and warns about the evils and temptations of the world. He tells members what to do in order to be happy and receive exaltation. During the most recent conference he gave an especially inspirational talk, but not in the way he had planned. Towards the end of his talk named “Be an Example and a Light”, his 88-year old body weakened and he was visibly struggling to stand upright. However, he was determined to finish and as he relied heavily on the podium for support, he completed the message he had prepared to give. This was powerful to me because he has truly given up his life to the service of God and all who saw him struggling that early October day witnessed how his old age and hard work over the years are taking a toll on him.

In 2008, the inspirational film “On The Lord’s Errand: The Life Of Thomas S. Monson” was produced which depicts key events and experiences of Monson’s busy life. He was a very likable man and everyone who knew him loved him for his kindness and uplifting personality. He helped people one by one and was sincere to all he came in contact with. His willingness to serve God and and follow the spirit is amazing.

Throughout his ministry in the church, many changes have been made to strengthen its members and help more people world wide. Among them, more opportunities to serve were made possible for young adults when the mission age was lowered, a more interactive church youth curriculum was implemented, 33 new temples have been announced, and major humanitarian efforts for natural disasters in Haiti, Japan, and Thailand have been made. The world has certainly been enriched under the leadership of Thomas S. Monson.

Why does America have so many shootings?

Among developed countries, America has by far the most shootings. This could be attributed to the accessibility of guns. The shooter could be seeking revenge of bullying, have a high exposure to violence, or desire fame. Often the killers have severe mental illnesses or are abusing drugs. For future avoidance of the mass shooting issue, more empathy could be shown toward mental illnesses, effective bully prevention programs could be put in place, and changes could be made in gun policy. Unfortunately, America's society is becoming increasingly violent and narcissistic than ever before. Acceptance of immoral behavior in music, t.v shows, and movies is widespread as well. These flaws in the American culture are factors that cause shootings which would demand a substantial amount of revolution over a period of time and a monumental change of the modern American lifestyle before they were corrected.

It's a Great Day to be Alive

This week I haven't had very much homework for a change, so I have gone to bed at midnight on Monday and at 11 last night. Being well-rested makes it a lot easier to think clearly and have a positive attitude. I think I will try harder to get my homework done early because this feeling is awesome. It actually isn't raining today for the first time in four days, so I took the time to do my hair and wear a nice outfit. I feel so blessed to be here at SVU and to be surrounded by such great people who are helping me to become my best self.

My Thoughts on the Pope coming to America

I think this Pope seems to be a pretty good, genuine guy. He did get out of his car to bless a disabled kid. That's all I know about his visit.

Rest in Peace, Richard G. Scott

The upcoming October 2015 General Conference is going to be an exciting one. With the passing of three apostles, most recently Richard G. Scott, this will be the first time since 1906 that three men are called to be apostles in one conference. I do not believe in speculating in who will be the replacements, but I do know that whoever is called will be qualified and the decision will be inspired of God.

Racism

I think we should give black people a break because they were enslaved for hundreds of years and were treated horribly. Whites always had the upper hand in society. Everyone just needs to settle down and not get offended so easily. We are all humans here, so no matter what the skin color, respect should be given.

2016 Presidential Candidate?

I feel like a terrible US citizen because I have no idea which candidate I am for. I have kind of been really busy with college that I have not been following politics at all. Okay let's be real- I am just not very interested in politics to begin with. The only names I can throw out there are Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, both of which I am not familiar with their views. I think it would be really cool to have a female president, but I don't think Hilary Clinton is the right female to be leading our country.

Women Cannot Hold the Priesthood!

One of the many aspects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that sets it apart from other religions is that it has power directly from God called the priesthood. The Lord has maintained that only males will be ordained to offices in the priesthood. It is a sacred and serious duty to hold this special power. Men must live worthy of it and use it to bless God’s children through service. Nobody with priesthood power can use it for their own advantage.

In 2013, Kate Kelly, a member and return missionary of the LDS church (now excommunicated) founded the group “Ordain Women” to advocate that the priesthood should be able to be held by women. She claims that she is seeking equality as if being able to hold the priesthood makes men better than women.

I think this is absolutely ridiculous. It’s not even like not holding the priesthood is unfair to women- they still get the blessings from it! Women aren’t disadvantaged from their lack of priesthood power either. Everyone, even a non-member of the church can still receive the blessings of the priesthood.

In the church, as well as in families, men and women are considered equal with separate roles. Women’s precious power is to be able to bear children and be mothers, which is absolutely amazing! This world has diminished this incredible capacity and has made it seem like raising a family is less important than a career. But it is not. Raising children that will become the adults of the next generation is a major task that should not be taken lightly. Ideally, the rearing of children should be done with a husband and wife in an equal partnership.

In my mind, although it is true that women cannot hold the priesthood, men can’t have babies either. It’s that simple- it is just a fact of life that cannot be changed. It is literally not possible for women to be able to hold the priesthood because it is not the way God designed it. 

If women claimed that they held the keys, it would not be legitimate power. The modern-day prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, could not allow this change unless he received revelation from God. I will go so far as to say that this will never happen. Otherwise, he would be leading the church astray and would cease to be prophet. God does not change because of the trends of the modern world or else he would cease to be God.

In general, it is pointless to try to change the principles of the church. The gospel is lead by God through his servants here on Earth. It has maintained the same ordinances and doctrine for thousands of years. Men received the priesthood in the preexistence and it was the power used to create the earth. It is the same power that is used today to conduct all of the ordinances that bring salvation to all of God’s children.

Never in all of that time did a woman hold the priesthood. Not because God didn't think that women could handle the responsibility or that they weren’t smart or strong or important enough, but because that was his plan. The Lord is all-knowing and all-powerful and knows what is best for us better than we do. He has his reasons why the priesthood was meant for man so it is wise not to contend against him.

The Weekend of a College Freshman with No Car

This weekend I am going to see the play, do tons of homework, and hopefully catch up on sleep. One of my hobbies is to sightread piano music, so I hope to do that with my roommate's books for group voice. On Sunday I will go to church and Skype with my family. I will be sure not to miss Hymns on the Hill that night- it is such a great way to end to the week.

Tolerance Makes the World Go 'Round

I know that this is a joke and isn’t actually serious, but it is similar and was probably made in response to the lady in Kentucky who refused to give out a marriage license to a gay couple. WIth that said, I will now simply write what came to my head when I saw the meme. Being a member of a religion that has, to nonmembers, seemingly strict guidelines, I can understand that it is honorable to stand up for your beliefs when they are being questioned. However, in this meme, the Catholic and the Muslims practices are not being challenged- the customer is just trying to buy what they want. The employees agreed to work at a store that sold those items, so they need to keep their job and religion separate. The customer isn’t making the women at the register have sex or eat ham, but is simply buying the items for himself. The Muslim and the Catholic, as do all religions, need to be tolerant and understanding of other people’s agency and beliefs.

My Quick Thoughts on Seneca's Essay about Liberal Arts

Seneca discussed how the studies of liberal arts prepares the mind for higher learning, but does not instill in the student morals and virtue. He was arguing for Liberal arts, yet he criticized it for over half of his essay, which was confusing to me. He wrote about how he didn't care for subjects such as geometry, astrology, or music because they don't help one succeed in life or overcome trials. Overall, I admire him for being so adamant about the pursuit of wisdon and a useful education because I think it is a noble subject to be passionate about.

The Sport of a Lifetime

Hitting a tennis ball at a fast speed within a small amount of space takes a lot of skill and hand-eye coordination. I have been playing tennis since I was old enough to hold a racket. My grandpa played collegiate tennis and he taught my mom and all of her three siblings to play. My mom then got a full ride tennis scholarship in college and continued on to teach my five siblings and I the sport. Tennis is one of the hardest sports is because it is a solo or partner sport depending on if singles or doubles is being played. I prefer singles because I am the only one I need to worry about. There isn’t another person that might make a lot of mistakes. However, some people like having that partner as extra help, since there is hardly any support compared to that of a more team oriented sport.  Another challenge for tennis players is that no one can switch out for them during the match, so they must be physically and mentally strong to succeed.
I love tennis because it is the sport of a lifetime and there isn’t a lot of equipment or people needed to play. Ideally, a tennis court, racket, one of more tennis balls, and at least one other person would be all that you needed to be able to play! One person could even just hit a ball against a wall or practice serves if there isn’t a partner available.

Entering high school, I had feelings of uncertainty about what the future would hold. Little did I know that I was about to meet a ready-made group of friends from the tennis team who would support me throughout my high school experience. I found myself growing to love this sport more and more, and in turn, tennis gave back to me in teaching me some of life’s greatest lessons.  

Playing on a girl’s tennis team has played a key role in my development as a person and a leader in several areas. With its compact, “rapid-fire” season, high school tennis required me to be organized and have command of my time from the very start of the school year.  I also learned that my success on the court during the season was directly related to my preparation during the summer. I found the same pattern in my school work and other responsibilities. As I found my skills improving, my self-confidence improved as well. This gave me comfort during times of self-doubt.

During my senior year of high school, I felt great satisfaction in achieving my goal of playing “number one” on the team. However, this brought a new world of challenges as I faced some very difficult competition. I was forced to ask myself if I would rather be playing “down” on a lower spot on the team so that my victories would be assured. I came to realize that without challenges, we do not grow. This has helped me to reach beyond myself and to leave my comfort zone.

Whether it be a point, game, set, or match, tennis has taught me to put my “all” into the task at hand. Tennis requires its players to forget about past failures, to regroup, and to move on. This has been important to me as I have seen the value of having a positive attitude in every area of my life. Every match has required that I overcome obstacles one segment at a time. During a particularly memorable match, I lost the first set by a wide margin. I had to make a decision to give up or to press forward. Being able to endure and swing the momentum of the match to eventually lead to a win taught me that I would be rewarded if I kept focusing on one small step at a time. I have no doubt that the “matches of life” will provide similar tests.

This may be the only sport that requires its athletes to warm up with the opponent and shake hands at end of a match. Being able to handle tough losses with grace and to congratulate my opponent has taught me the importance of sportsmanship. Additionally, it takes courage to go for “winners”, to come to the net, or to try new shots in a match. Perhaps most importantly, tennis reinforces the importance of honesty, as the outcome of many points, games, and even the very match may rest on the integrity of the opponent.

Tennis has blessed my life by providing experiences that has molded my future and helped me make a career goal. I had the unique opportunity to teach tennis to young children through the community recreation organization. Being able to serve as a mentor and role model to these younger players planted in me a desire to teach children. Accordingly, I plan to become an elementary teacher. My love of tennis led me to SVU, where I could continue my tennis career on the women’s tennis team in an outstanding college that upheld high values. This makes me a third generation collegiate tennis athlete! I look forward to improving my tennis skills and helping to contribute to a successful team.

Lastly, my family relationships have been deeply strengthened as we enjoy the sport of tennis together. My mom was my coach all the way through high school up until college, so tennis was a big bonding activity for us. At family reunions, we play tennis tournaments and my grandpa, who is now 71 years of age still teaches all of the grandkids tennis lessons. It has been a great sport for my family in building unity. I hope to share tennis with many others, especially with my future family. Watching my mother and grandfather play tennis to stay active in their adulthood is an indication that I chose the right sport! Tennis has been a great blessing in my life, and now it is only fitting that I give back.