To Write What You Are On Your Arm

When I started this blog I had no idea at the time that this would be as important to me as it is now, but I am thankful every day for the blessings that have been placed in my life because of it. What really inspired me to get this going was when Ian S. Ardern Of the Seventy spoke in General Conference on the Saturday afternoon session and brought up the topic of our generations obsession with technology. While listening to him, I realized that I agreed with him completely. It's sad how absorbed some of us are with our specific gadgets and to see how many people have lost control is devastating to me, based on certain situations. I've seen for myself how destructive obsessions with today's continuous trend of video games, texting, twittering and being on tumblr and facebook can be. So that's when I had the idea to start this blog and break that trend and use our forces of technology for good.

Basically what Elder Ardern was saying, was that the obsessions that have been formed have not only taken affect on our lives in a temporal way, but in a spiritual manner as well. We've allowed these obsessions to take over and become more important then the real important things in life should be. When it comes to members of the church, if you are involved with a gadget as strongly as most of the people of this generation are, not only is it blocking you from having real relationships with people face to face, but with our Father in Heaven as well. How are we going to be expected to read our scriptures, pray, be involved in our church and institute activities and keep a true relationship with the Lord if we are too worried about our phones, games etc. etc. The points that he was making really had me thinking, which was when I received the prompting to start this blog. Fortunately enough, the confidence I gained to actually start it and get it going was enforced several times before I decided to start it since I had heard of the potential use of technology and the internet being used for missionary work by missionaries themselves. 

What's making this blog of mine start to mean more and more to me, is actually seeing what other similar acts have resulted in with different people and their situations/issues. I have a very wide set family with many different interests and demographics mixed within. So to see how one family member that is involved with the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans] organization makes a stand for their beliefs then to see another dealing with Discrimination acts and organizations on the campus of their own college is actually very inspiring to me. This country that we live in, is the most amazing country to be in if you really do want to take a stand, make a change and really work on inspiring others, giving them hope, do this all through the freedom we deserve and have earned and sharing the works of your imagination. So take advantage of that with nothing but positive intent, which is what I plan on doing with this and is also why I named my blog, Revelation Revolution: Through the Eyes of a Convert. 

Although the two examples I stated above are considered to be very important situations, I have to say that sharing the restoration of the one true gospel with the rest of the world is definitely in my eyes the most important. It's above all the others, because through the gospel and its teachings all these other problems can be solved. If we all had faith, lived our lives like how Jesus taught us to and prayed to our loving Heavenly Father above, we'd all see things so differently. There would be peace and perfection throughout the land and riots and acts such as the ones that are being reported through the news everyday would never be an issue. But since not everybody knows of the love that we can receive through the church, nothing is how it should be. In a way though, that's how it's suppose to be because if there were no troubles then how would we learn and how would we prove to be worthy enough to be reunited with our Heavenly Father someday? That gives us the chance, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to take things into our hands and bring His Children Home. Write what you are on your arm, never be afraid to take a stand. Make these changes, follow His commandments and blessings will be added unto you. 

With faith, anything is possible. 

Alma 32:21: And now as I said concerning faith-faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things, therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not see, which are true. 

Well Done Thy Good and Faithful Servant

In the time that I have spent in my local Institute of Religion through my church, I have learned more then I ever even anticipated. Since entering the appropriate age to start going to Institute, nothing but blessings have been placed in my life. Even if at the time the blessings didn't seem like they were, eventually everything came to be something worth experiencing, learning and enduring to the end from. As previously stated in the last several posts of my blog, by now hopefully I have gotten the point across that I love missionaries and I love missionary work. I honestly can not wait til the day that I can send in my papers to go on a mission myself, let alone wait for the day that I actually leave for it. So until that day comes, my goal is to learn more and more everyday, expand my love for the church, fellow members of the church, help bring people to the church and keep adding onto my testimony every single day.

The goal that I have set in my life is not only just to keep until the day I leave for my mission, but for the rest of my life. That should be the goal of every active and true member of the church, and I pray that someday it becomes the most common known goal around. That is where the scriptures Matthew 25:21 becomes relevant with this post. Matthew 25:21 says "His Lord said unto him, well done thy good and faithful servant : thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
The first time I heard that verse being recited to me was from one of the Institute missionaries that I have grown really close to. Several weeks ago Elder Jones and another Elder who was replacing the normal Elder Barney for the morning and I met for the weekly meetings we just recently set up. We were talking about how  the good work we do in this church and in this life will benefit us and bring us closer to our Heavenly Father until the day that we go back home and are back in His kingdom. Elder Jones has inspired me greatly since I started going to Institute and we even have our own secret handshake. No joke! But as the meeting went on, I shared with them this blog that I have started up and the way the spirit was filling the room, I could see tears start to form in his eyes which was when he turned to me and said something along the lines of "Mary-Kate, I can not wait til the day that I can stand before our Heavenly Father, and I can remember my mission and everything that I have done in this life and He will say to me, Well done thy good and faithful servant. It's going to be good. It'll be awesome."

That spirit affected me in such a way it felt like it lasted all day. Hearing such amazing scriptures being recited by a great missionary and feeling as if our Father in Heaven was sitting right there with us. These are the reasons why I love Institute. Moments in time like that are what keep me going. There is never going to be a time in our lives where we can spread the spirit and let His true Gospel be known to the world then the time of our youth and the Institutes around the world are what help make that possible.  So go out, live your lives for our Heavenly Father, be beacons of light and show the world what our church makes us out to be. Be beautiful, be strong, be handsome, be loving. Make friends and share your favorite scriptures with people wherever you go. Don't hide the fact that you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because if you hide it, you'll never know how many lives you may save and people you may change. Help bring His children home. Trust me, you won't regret it.

From The Very First Moment

Heavenly Father works in very mysterious ways. It's actually very fascinating to me how easily receptive we are the his promptings through the Holy Spirit at one moment then the next we are pulling our hair out because we feel like he is no longer communicating to us and we become frustrated like no other. But I've learned the more difficult way, that He never forgets about us and that's a promise that I can make you myself.
The first time I ever felt like Heavenly Father was listening to me and answering my questions and needs was when I was given my very first ever Book of Mormon. From the very first moment the Book of Mormon was placed in my hands I knew that it was true. It was like God was slapping me in the face with what I had been looking for for so long and he knew that I knew this was it.

It happened during my first ever meeting with my missionaries Elder Saager and Elder Malietoa, I had no clue that the answer to my prayer just a week before hand would have been answered so quickly. But it happened for a reason and I am thankful every day that it did. While meeting with the Elders in Savannah's house, I could feel the spirit so strongly and at that time I didn't even know that it was the Spirit. I had that feeling several times before that day but I knew it was good and with time I realized what it was. Since Elder Saager was so new, Elder Malietoa was guiding him by telling him what to do and reminding him what to say to me, and eventually they both told me that they didn't give out books very frequently since they were afraid that people would just throw them away and not read them. But they could feel that I was ready and that I wanted/needed that book so they followed that prompting from Heavenly Father and gave it to me.

So after that first meeting I took on the challenge that they presented me by prayerfully reading the book and if I really wanted to know if it were true, then I should ask Him and he would give me an answer. I already knew that it was true, I could tell just by the Spirit that filled the room the moment it was placed in my hands but I wanted to make sure. I began reading early in the morning on Tuesday the day after our first meeting. I didn't even make it through the introduction before I felt the fullness of my answer. But for some reason I kept asking, I remember asking over and over and begging for Him to let me know with all my heart and all my soul that this was true. I wanted to know that this was where my heart belonged and with a loving response and loving vibe I heard these words in my mind softly being whispered "Why are you still asking if this is true? You already know."

From that point on I knew that things were going to be different and even though I had never been able to deal with things changing and being different I was willing to take this on like my life depended on it. My life still does depend on the Book of Mormon and my love and testimony continues to grow every single day. This is my life and I love it.

Sent Straight From Heaven

I've tried several times to start a blog, I've always felt like I had so much to say but never knew who to say it to and how. I have a good share of friends who blog and like I said I've tried before but now, I know that this one will make it.
The theme of my blog is only going to catch the minds and eyes of those sensitive to religion and of those who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you do not like it, then by all means feel free to not read it.

It all started with a prayer. One prayer, one attempt of reaching out to God when I felt like there was nothing left to do other then die. Of course that second option wasn't as much as an option as I thought it was but fortunately enough to pray seemed more logical, even in my messed up state of mind. Thinking logically was just not in the cards at that time. But in my lost and spastic attempt of reaching out to the kind and loving Heavenly Father which at the time I had no idea loved me as much as he does, I managed to make myself noticed by Him. While reaching out with all my heart and mind, he gave me his hand and brought me into his arms.

By doing this he sent me my good friend Savannah, and her entire family. Through her and her family I was brought to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where my life's path took a turn onto the path that will someday take me home.

So there I was. February 27, 2011 in the Del Cerro Ward, it was the first time I had been to church for almost a year. Waiting for what is called Sacrament to start, I didn't know what to expect or think. I didn't know if this was it, if this was where my life would suddenly be better. I wondered if I would be able to make my life out of this and if I would be able to be happy and no longer feel as if I was below rock bottom. While wondering all these things, an angel came my way and introduced himself. This angel took the mortal form of a young samoan man known as Elder Malietoa. His brightly lit up face and enthusiasm caught my attention and as he offered me his hand in introduction I felt a vibe that I had never felt before.
Elder Malietoa introduced himself as one of the missionary and introduced me to his companion at that time. I had no clue what a missionary was and he kept stating he was the missionary and told me that if I ever needed anything then to let him know.. because he was the MISSIONARY.

Key word. I needed to know. So I kept that in mind.
The week went on normally, knowing that I wanted to go to church with Savannah again. I went to a Young Womens event with her during the week then attended church with her again on Sunday. That sunday was the official start of it all. Elder Malietoa came up to me again, with the same enlightened expression on his face, but this time with a different Elder. He introduced me to the fresh out of the M.T.C missionary who was assigned to be Malietoa's companion during that first week. I looked up to see this man with the similar to a child and a smile as bright as it would be if it were Christmas Morning. This Elder was Elder Saager and together they were my missionaries, angels in the mortal form of Elders. Following that Sunday, on Monday I met with them for the very first time to take the very first missionary lessons and within a month on March 26, 2011 I was baptized and March 27, 2011 I was confirmed into the church by Elder Saager himself. My life was forever changed for the better and a whole new journey began.

To get to the point of this first blog, I would like to share that in the short six months that I have been a member of the church and the seven months that I have been attending church, I have grown such a strong testimony in Missionary work, the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith who started it all. I want to reach out to all members, converts and life time members to share my stories, trials, tribulations and blessings, learn from others who have more wisdom then I do and help anybody going through difficulities of being a convert or just troubles in every day life.
Let this be known that as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I intend to be the best that I can be and not just do what a Latter-day Saint does. But live the life and BE a Latter-day Saint.

And here is a picture of me, Savannah, Elder Saager and Elder Malietoa! I cherish this picture and memory so much.