publishing peace

Oh heyyyy. You are probably wondering about the title of this, so let's start there. This was inspired by 2 things: 1) my brother is currently listening to the David Archuleta Christmas album, and David Archuleta was 300% my junior high crush (and if we're being real, I'd probably say yes if he asked me on a date) and 2) General Conference. This post was NOT inspired by: 1) my upcoming marriage. I got the idea for this post from this October's General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you've ever watched General Conference, you know that a lot of things were discussed. However, one of the coolest things about General Conference is that it is a time for you to hear the words of living prophets and receive revelation from them, but it's also a time to directly connect to heaven and receive revelation that doesn't necessarily have to do with what is directly being said. Watching General Conference opens you up to a special spi...

I love to take pictures of other humans.  I love catching people in moments with their friends and family, smiles on their faces, eyes all crinkled in a laugh. I love it when I can make a dumb joke that helps someone laugh and get it on camera. I love noticing these little things about people. Recently on all platforms of social media, I have been bombarded with opinions and images and all sorts of things, much of them directed in some way toward the worth of a person. Some of these are even accusatory, claiming that certain people's value is dependent upon their beliefs & religion, their "good" or "poor" decisions, or even (shockingly, incredibly, unbelievably) their outward appearance. I hope to address you today in quite a different spirit. I don't want to attack anyone's beliefs or ideas; rather, I hope to share mine. A significant portion of this will be founded upon the principles of the religion I have chosen to live, but I ho...

September. Beginning of fall. The sweaters come out, scarves are unpacked, hot chocolate purchases skyrocket. The leaves start to change and the air almost tastes different. I love September for many reasons, but that vibrant feeling, the crispness in your lungs from that sharp air just makes me feel like something good is coming. For some people, though, September is the beginning of a different season. For some people, September is when they remember the pain of the wintertime. For some people, September is kind of like standing on the edge of a cliff with not much of a ledge. September can be terrifying. September is the beginning of "down" season for many people who experience mental health issues. That's 1 in 4 people in the country, by the way. And also, 90% of those men & women who take their own lives have significant diagnosable mental health issues at the time of their death. For that reason, September is also suicide awareness and prevention m...

I'm not perfect, y'all. Shocker, right? No, for real. I'm super not perfect. Let me tell you a little story. I'm currently experiencing the aftermath of this here bad idea, and it still hurts. Let's begin. My family hiked Mount Timpanogos this past weekend. It was a thrill, for sure. I don't know what my favorite part was - getting delayed by a family of moose for 15 minutes, signing the book at the shack on the top of the summit, crawling over rocks because I'm terrified of heights, it was an adventure. But that's not what I'm talking about. No, I'm talking about my sunburn. You see, it was chilly, and so I was deceived. I didn't think it would be that bad. So when my mom reminded us all to put on sun screen, I just put a little on my cheeks and trusted that maybe I'd get a little color, finally putting to rest my little brothers making fun of me because they're redheads and still have darker skin than me. Well,...

I'm trying to find the words for this one, folks, but a year and a half doesn't come easy. Let me try and sum it up for you. I have been lonely most of my life, and I went from that to being with someone 24/7, learning every word to Amazing Grace, rewiring electric fences, laughing at Christmas videos, smiling so hard I thought my dimples would be permanent. I went from not really knowing anything to knowing I don't really know anything, but also knowing what I came here for, and who I am, which are probably two of the most important things you could know. They'll tell you a mission is indescribable, and they aren't wrong. They'll tell you it's the hardest thing you'll ever do and they aren't wrong. They'll tell you it's the best thing you'll ever do, and they'll be three for three. Whoever "they" are, you'll pray their accuracy rubs off on the BYU football team (but it probably won't). On my mi...

Let me start out by thanking you for your opinions. I know it's not easy to voice them, because someone is always out to bash on your beliefs. Let me assure you I have no desire to be a basher of any kind. The second thing I'd like to mention is that no matter your religion or lack thereof, even and especially if you are an ex-member of the LDS Church, I respect your spiritual journey and the lengths you've gone to to know yourself better. I appreciate your struggles and triumphs and battles. I respect your decisions. I respect you. Now, please allow me to voice my own opinion. There is nothing in my life that has helped me more than Jesus Christ's influence. I have come to know Him on a deep and complex level through the guidance and teachings and morals of my religion. I have read about Him in the scriptures and have come to recognize His infinite grace in my life. That is what I believe. I have no qualms with what you believe. I have no qualms with wha...

There are many things and people that are important to me. If you really know me, you know that I live by an unspoken internal rule, and that rule is "everybody matters, and everything matters." It's the reason for many of my worst and deepest flaws. It's why I'm impatient, constantly anxious and easily disappointed. However, it's also one of my greatest strengths as a human being. Since everything about you is important to me, it's easy for me to appreciate your personality and it's easy for me to love you. And it's true, too, that I really do love almost everyone that I meet. I tell you this about myself, not to brag, or to make myself seem better than I am. I tell you this because I hope that it puts the gravity of what I'm about to say into perspective for you. And my words today have to be this: Out of everything I've ever loved and cared about, nothing matters to me as much as the reason for my hope. The Reason for My H...