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.