O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...

Yezzun is on my right.
Flafl!

Still being jet-lagged, I hope that this text is comprehensible for you all. I started this blog as a school project, so a few random blogs appear below. Some aren't too bad, others are downright boring, so don't feel any pressure to read them.

My day began yesterday morning at 4 am with the Islam call to prayer. The sound is similar to a spooky, wailing sound and lasts for about 15 minutes. My first thought was "Why didn't they make this place soundproof?!", but it actually turned out to be a neat experience for me. I couldn't get back to sleep (neither of my roommates woke up----I have no idea how they slept through it), so I spent a few hours reading and then watched from my balcony as Jerusalem woke up. Lots of honking, roosters crowing, and a kind of peaceful beauty as light slowly crept over the city.

This morning I woke up to the call of prayer once again (I swear there is a mosque right outside my window) while my roomies kept snoozing. Once again, I couldn't get back to sleep, so I read for a while and then went to the gym for a bit. I think I will take some advil pm tonight and hopefully sleep through the call to prayer. Heck, if I am getting up that early every day, I may as well convert.

We took a tour of Jerusalem yesterday, starting on the East side (the Palestinian/Arab/ Muslim/DIRTY side), making our way into Old Jerusalem (which is divided into quarters---Jewish, Christian, Palestinian, and Armenian), and eventually made our into West Jerusalem, which is the Jewish side and is very clean. I saw the Kidron Valley, where Christ will return, the road to the Garden TOmb, the Sal Adin wall (which surrounds the old city and was built around 1000 AD by the crusaders), the Via Dolorosa (the 14 "stations" of Christ's path to Golgotha, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was absolutely crazy. Seven different Christian churches claim part of the church. The church was built in 325 AD by the orders of Emperor Constantine. 1700 years old. Just crazy.

I was very intrigued by the faithful "pilgrims" all along the Via Dolorosa and in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Many were crying as they touched certain places or went in certain areas. Although this kind of ritual is completely foreign to me (as well as eccentric), to these people, it was very real, which made it touching. Obviously Christ's life had great significance to them, just as it does for me. Watching them, it was very clear to me that faith spans across denominations and religions.

Today we had free time to go throughout the city. I had my first flafl (sp?---it sounds like flaw-full), which is fried, chickpea balls in a pita with tomatoes and other stuff. I liked it. I ended up talking with a 15 year old Palestinian named Yezzun for quite a while. He is from the West Bank and actually spoke English well. I think that interacting with the people here will make this adventure more exciting. We also went to the Western Wall, which is the wall closest to where the Holy of Holies was in the Temple of Solomon. We watched from a distance as hundreds of Jews, divided by gender, went close to the wall and seemed to do some kind of prayer ritual while shaking back and forth. Very interesting.

The food is great (I have tried a lot of new things), and I have made many new friends. I may even come back with a little meat on my bones! We will see. Until next time, ma as-salaamah!

Pathway to a Positive Self-Image

1 You cannot control the external circumstances of your life, but you can control your reactions to them.

2 Optimal health is the product of both physical and mental factors.

3 You could think of yourself as healthy.

4 Things change.

5 Your beliefs are incredibly powerful.

6 The only escape from stress, fear, and doubt is to confront them directly and see them for what they are.

7 Emotions fall into two broad categories: fear and love.

8 Would you rather be right or would you rather experience peace?

9 Accept yourself as you are.

10 Practice forgiveness, letting go.

11 Stay open to life's teachings.

12 Be patient. Patience means mindful awareness. (Borysenko, 1988)

Principles

After being a missionary for about six months, I was transferred to a town near the coast of California with an elder who was also very young. We started working and developed a lasting relationship. As we got to know each other, I began to make observations about the young elder's priorities and desires. I realized that he often talked about principles---that from such-and-such experience he had learned a certain principle or in a certain situation, he thought that such-and-such principle would help to resolve the problem. I was intrigued by his usage of principles and the importance that they played in his life.

I have learned that principles are small and simple values/priorities that can determine conduct in any number of situations. As I have learned to set my own principles and apply them, I have been able to make better decisions. Elder Richard G. Scott once taught, "With such standards you will not make the wrong decisions on the basis of the circumstances or the pressures of the day. Principles that you are determined to live by will keep you on track...Never compromise your principles. Strength and safety come from making no exceptions to them."

As I was reading the Book of Mormon this past week, I read of the Nephite nation as it was almost destroyed. Mormon makes the observation as he writes a letter to his son, Moroni, that the Nephites had gotten to the point that they were "without principle", which left Mormon with little hope of their survival.

Realizing more and more the importance of principles, I am in the process of making a list of my own principles which I consider to be most important. I hope that this list will be a guiding light for me as I strive to live in harmony with Gospel teachings.

Identity

I have been thinking lately about identity. As humans, we often characterize, or identify, ourselves by the positions we may have, activities that we are involved in, or groups we belong to. For example, "I'm a soccer player." "I'm an accountant." "I'm Catholic." All three could be accurate representations of certain aspects of a person, but without these things, who would the person be? Anyone of importance?

The late Neal A. Maxwell said, "The validation of our worth really comes from knowing who we are, not solely from what we do." If someone were to ask you today, "Who are you?", what would you say?

We might be tempted to say our name (a mere title that can change), our job, our hobbies----we could literally say any number of things without touching who we really are. Really "knowing who we are" may be the process of a lifetime, but I believe that we can look for help from The Book of Mormon. In the book of first Nephi, Nephi states "...the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and He hath created His children that they should possess it."

Could it be that we place too much emphasis in our society on the awards, titles, talents, and positions without understanding our true identity? I think so. As children of God, we are endowed with infinite potential and abilities. We should be able to find our chief source of identity in our divine heritage as a son or daughter of a heavenly, immortal, perfect being. In reality, it is the only thing we all have in common; we may be divided by race, gender, age, positions, economic status, sexual orientation, etc. But at the root of it all, we are still brothers and sisters, children of God.

Walking Around Inside Myself

When I was a missionary in the California, my mission president would often recite a quote he read once from a church magazine: "One must spend time walking around inside himself to answer the hard questions in life." I love the imagery of the quote; it denotes pondering, meditating, and carefully planned thought processes in order to find the answers.

As I was reading The Book of Mormon this past week, the story of the brother of Jared caught my attention. In the first few chapters of Ether, Jared and his family have traveled to the water's edge where the Lord commands them to build ships. Upon building the ships, they discover that there is no way to have light while in them, so the brother of Jared goes to the Lord to find out what they should do. The Lord's response is almost surprising. Instead of giving the brother of Jared the solution or a direction to go, He simply asks, "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?"---essentially asking, "Well, what do you think?"

The brother of Jared came up with a solution of special, clear rocks that permeated light once touched by the Lord. The solution he came up with was acceptable by the Lord. By the same token, I believe that sometimes, instead of searching for God to give me an answer to a problem, I need to take a step back, ponder on what could be a solution, and then go to the Him, asking for confirmation that the solution is correct. In this fashion, I am able to progress and learn as I "walk around inside myself" searching for what the Lord would have me do.

Judging

When I was first beginning kindergarten, I was excited by the opportunity to meet new kids and have new friends. One day, as I was riding home on the school bus, I remember a young boy sitting in front of me. Desiring to make new friends, I introduced myself. Without any warning, and to my surprise, instead of welcoming my greeting, this young boy punched me in the nose!

From that experience, and numerous others, I have learned of the consequences that can stem from rash judgments. In The Book of Mormon, we learn that "...the same that judgeth rashly shall be judged rashly again..." The word "rashly" signifies acting hastily without due consideration. In our world of comparisons, competition, and ambition, it is often difficult for me to avoid judging. When I do so, I often picture myself as the middle-man. For example, I consider myself to be sufficiently social. Anyone who is more social than me, in my mind, is only seeking attention. Anyone less social than I am is anti-social. Another example: I consider myself to be happy. Anyone more happy than I am is hyper, while anyone less happy than I am, I consider to be depressed. I think one can easily see the irony and rashness of my judgments and comparisons.

In The Book of Mormon, I believe that we can find the best method of judging others. From Moroni 7: 19 we read, "...lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not..." For me, this passage of scripture signifies my responsibility as a son of God to search out the good in everyone. As I focus more on the good in others rather than the "obvious" faults I may see, I am able to free myself from judging rashly, and ultimately from being judged rashly myself.

I know that Christ, as our ultimate judge, will judge us in a loving manner. He will look at the good that each of us attempted and will understand with perfect clarity the faults, weaknesses, tendencies, and temptations that we experienced in this mortal life.

Heavenly Treasures

My thoughts this week as I have read from The Book of Mormon have been centered on a verse I read in 3 Nephi 24, while Christ is visiting the Nephites. Part of the verse reads, "...It is vain to serve God, and what doth it profit that we have kept his ordinances..." I believe that this passage struck me so forcefully because I can see evidence of this viewpoint today. The thought of ordinances, covenants, and faith in God have become seen by the world as "the effect of a frenzied mind" (Alma 30:16).

During His visit to the Americas, Christ talked about worldly treasures vs. heavenly treasures. Although I have read this passage many times, I believe that I am just now beginning to understand the application to my life. Worldly treasures are temporary; they are perishable, can be stolen, and the value will ultimately end at death. Heavenly treasures are eternal; they are accessible even after this life, provide lasting benefit, and continue to be in force after death. Comparing these two types of treasures makes it very obvious the importance of one and the uselessness of the other.

I am in a point of decision-making right now, trying to figure out what the future will hold for me as far as college, a career, and so forth. As I was caught up in these "important" decisions, I took the opportunity to go to the temple. While there, I allowed my mind to relax and to just focus on the work at hand. At the end of my time there, I felt a very clear impression with an answer to all of my current decisions: "Cling to your covenants." Just four words, a very simple phrase, but what an answer it was for me!

I hope that I can always focus on what is most important---my heavenly treasures---the covenants and promises that have lasting value. I know that the restoration of the Gospel brought about the opportunity for each of us to find eternal treasures as we enter covenants with our Heavenly Father through ordinances.