My Testimony; Short n' Sweet

I know with all of my heart, mind and soul that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's true church. I know that the gospel that Jesus Christ brought to us during his ministry was restored with Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ, going hand in hand with the Holy Bible, and I know that we have a modern day prophet that guides us under God's direction. I believe in the power of the priesthood, of revelation, and of the powerful ordinances we are blessed with. I love Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father, and I know that they love me. I am forever grateful for the sacrifice that Christ made for us all, so that we can return to the presence of our Heavenly Father as eternal families.

Victim or Warrior-it's up to you

Everyone has a perception of themselves, often different than how others may see them. Sometimes it is good to see things differently, sometimes not. I see myself as being abrasive and strong willed. I try to be compassionate and nurturing, but I fear I may have a low tolerance and empathy for certain behaviors.

The marauders. The victims. The people who are convinced that everything bad and terrible always happens to them and only them. The people that use that as an excuse to justify any poor decision they want to make. It's the cop out for not serving others. For lacking gratitude. For not smiling, not going to church, not taking care of responsibilities or taking responsibility for any of their own choices. These people, bless their hearts, drive me insane!

Perhaps I should be more loving, more patient, more understanding. But frankly, I don't want to. What does that accomplish? I'm a tough love-get off your butt and count your blessings- kind of a girl. Hence my abrasive and harsh perception of myself. :)

But really, REALLY, people lose their children. Their spouses. Their health. People get abused and abandoned and beat....these same people turn to God. They remain strong and faithful. They continue to serve others, sacrifice for those they love, for strangers. A little perspective can go a long way when one is wallowing in their hard, unfair lives.

Now, I don't mean to downplay trials or hardships. Times are rough. Life can be painful. But those that think their excuse for poor, lazy, negative and selfish behavior is that the happy folks dont have trials are wrong. Dead wrong. They simply choose to handle their trials with courage, faith and determination.

Count your blessings. Be grateful for what you have. It can all disappear in a moment. Money woes suck, divorce is painful, parents can be mean, gossip is offensive, health problems hurt. I get it. We are all in the same boat! But the world is beautiful. Our families are forever. Each day is a gift. God loves us deeply and someday all trials and suffering will end. Let's take our hardships head on and conquer them! Don't let your trials define your life and happiness. We have God on our side. We can overcome.


-via my bodacious iPhone

Parenting-God vs. Society

There is nothing more precious than a child. There is nothing more sacred than creating one and mothering/fathering them. There is nothing more rewarding than raising one.

It makes my stomach churn when I read all these stories and see all these interviews on why parenting is a waste of time, foolish, miserable, and so forth. It makes me cringe because such statements are wrong in every aspect of humanity. Spiritually, naturally, scientifically, this filth defies the nature of our beings. It is offensive to our God, a tragic lie to ourselves and a travesty to children now and to come.

Having a baby is the most incredible experience I have ever had, and raising her proves more and more fulfilling with each moment. The joy is indescribable.  Society has entered a new phase of crazy by telling us that we are wrong to feel this, that having children is stupid, that we should be part time parents because it is more fun for us, that kids don’t need a set of parents, and so forth.  If a journalist or commentator or Jane Doe wants to make such personal claims, fine. But don’t you dare proclaim such a thing as a standard truth by which we should all live. It is idiotic, offensive, and damaging to the very framework of our society and true happiness; families.

When Science Isn't Enough

If we abolish slavery, our economy will collapse. Draining our blood cleanses us of our sicknesses. If we travel too fast, we will blow up. Oh, and the infamous: the world is flat.

Since the beginning of time, we have “known” many things that have been debunked over the years. Be it through science, economic experts, social professionals or politicians, there are many “truths” from the past that we have quietly tucked away in a back drawer as they have been debunked through the centuries. This pattern is not isolated, it is not unique. Mankind continues to progress and learn, and this means that through science and other intellectual tools, truth evolves. The more we learn, the more we discover we have yet to learn.

And yet, despite this glaringly obvious trend, we continually assume that the “truth” modernly defined by science is irrefutable. Sure, the leech doctors thought they were saving lives, and were wrong, but we are experts now. It may have once been scientifically believed that if you sailed long enough you would fall off the planet, but those guys were dweebs. We’ve got it all figured out now.

Are we that arrogant?

I see you rolling your eyes. “Of course we know we have more to learn, duh Monique.” Well, if that is your thought, I commend you for your humility, but I must point out that this attitude does not translate into real life concepts. Let me give you some example of absolutes we have created. Abortion is OK because a fetus isn’t actual human life yet; it feels and understands nothing. Children aren’t affected negatively by having a PT mom because social science just knows it. Studies have proven that people don’t really want to have children and they have become delusional and only think they are happy. Global warming is happening because science says so. Global cooling is happening because science says so. Vaccines kill babies and studies prove it. Vaccines don’t kill babies and studies prove it. Statistics prove that red meat causes cancer and should not be consumed. Statistics prove that red meat is an excellent source of protein and should be consumed frequently. Polls verify that most of the American people don’t approve of Obama’s job. Polls prove that most Americans approve of Obama’s job. And on and on it goes.

The point here is this: You don’t have to be right to win an argument. You don’t have to speak truth to be perceived as being right. I was once a hired actress for a fancy dinner event at a high end restaurant. It was a networking party for various successful entrepreneurs. My fake husband and I mingled with the guests, posing as entrepreneurs. Our business plan you ask? Biodegradable fuel. We had, through scientific research, discovered that hair could be used in place of gasoline. That’s right, stick a lock in your gas tank and walla. Save the Earth, get a haircut! By the end of this event, we had highly intelligent people giving us their business cards and excitedly promising that their connections with friends who ran salons would be beneficial to us. “Call us; we can get hair supply!” Now, perhaps this is a tribute to my awesome acting skills, but more than likely, this is a testament to just how easy it is to convince someone of a lie.

Of course, that isn’t to say that every scientist, sociologist, politician and so forth are lying. Plenty of them think they are onto something. But frankly, everyone can’t be right. Abortion can’t be all right and all wrong. Global Warming can’t be happening and not happening. The world can’t be round and flat. So, how do we find truth, if we can’t rely solely on the “facts?”

The answer is God. The answer is faith. The answer is that we have to trust in our inner ability to feel what is true, not just believe what we are told. We have to have a moral compass and a value for such morals. We have to be strong enough to stand up for what we know is true, even when the “experts” are telling us it isn’t true. We have to be courageous enough to stand up to the scientists who said that washing hands before surgery was a joke, and those judges who said the Salem girls and woman were practicing witchcraft and needed to be hung, and those who claim that a life of an unborn child is less valuable than the wishes of a mother to be. 

We have to be willing to fight the hard fight in the name of actual truth, rather than the latest fad.