Music and the Gospel: Broken Things

I grew up playing piano and singing with a bunch of different choirs - because of that, I think I receive a lot of guidance and personal revelation through music. In addition to the hymns that we sing at Church, there are lots of songs that help me come to know the Savior more. "Broken Things" by Juliet Turner is one of these. 

You can have my heart, though it isn't new,
It's been used and broken, and only comes in blue,
It's been down a long road, and it got dirty along the way,
If I give it to you, will you make it clean and wash the shame away?

You can have my heart, if you don't mind broken things,
You can have my life; you don't mind these tears,
Well, I heard that you make old things new, so I give these pieces all to you,
If you want it, you can have my heart.

So beyond repair, nothing I could do,
I tried to fix it myself, but it was only worse when I got through,
Then you walk right into my darkness and you speak words so sweet,
And you hold me like a child, 'til my frozen tears fall at your feet.

You can have my heart, if you don't mind broken things,
You can have my life if you don't mind these tears,
Well, I heard that you make old things new, so I give these pieces up to you,
If you want it, you can have my heart.

At first listen, I thought this was just a typical love song. Even as a teenager, I listened to it that way. And then one day...something changed. It started with the line "and you hold me like a child, 'til my frozen tears fall at your feet." It reminded me of this sentence from Elder McConkie's last talk, which said, "I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears."

And then there's the line, "I tried to fix it [my heart] myself, but it was only worse when I got through." I can't tell you how many times this has been true in my life. I'll be too proud to ask God for help, to call on the power of Christ's atonement, and I'll try to fix things myself. But it never gets fixed - and it really does get worse. 

If you listen to the song thinking of it from the perspective of being about Christ, then, it all makes sense. He makes us new, He asks only for our broken, humble heart, He doesn't mind the mistakes or hardships, He just wants to help us. And most of all, even when we're broken and dirty, the Savior can help make us clean and wash all the shame and pain away. 

In the future, I'd like to talk about more songs that have helped me to understand the Gospel - are there any "non-hymn" songs that have helped you understand the Savior more? 

The Savior as Messiah

I have to confess, I had to look up the definition for "Messiah." We use it so often in Church, but when I thought of a succinct way to define it, I couldn't. According to the dictionary, Messiah means, "one who is anticipated as, regarded as, or professes to be a savior or liberator." In terms of Christianity, the definition of Messiah is Jesus. 

After figuring this out, then, I got to thinking - what does the Messiah save me from? How is He my liberator? Kind of a simple question, but coming up with the answer helped me really recognize all that the Savior does for me.

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1. He saves me from the bonds of sin. 

Jesus Christ suffered for my sins, and because of that I can repent. Because He was willing to endure every sin and pain imaginable, I am able to be washed clean of the wrongs that I commit. I know that regardless of what I go through in this life, He has been there and has experienced what I am feeling, and He is there to help.

2. He saves me from an eternal death. 

He died for me and, three days later, He rose again. The Savior makes it possible for me to live with my family again after this life. He has taken away the sting and fear of death, because I know that it is not the end for me, nor is it for my friends and family.

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3. He saves me from loneliness.

Because of Jesus Christ, I am able to have a constant friend and companion. Through my ability to pray to the Father in Christ's name, I can ask for comfort and strength. He provides His spirit to guide and direct me. He is my elder brother and He loves me. No matter what happens, I know I have Him.

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4. He saves me from uncertainty. 

As the song says, "I know that my Redeemer lives." This phrase alone holds in it the power to attain knowledge of so many other Gospel principles. Because of Him, I can know that prayer works, that the Priesthood can heal, that families can be together forever. Because of Him, I know that we have a prophet of God on the Earth today. I can be certain of what my future will be, if I just follow the principles of His Gospel.




I know this video has been watched millions of times, but I suggest you make it a million and one. Remind yourself today of what is made possible because of Jesus Christ and His role as the Messiah on this Earth and then, tell me in the comments below...

What does Jesus Christ save you from?

August 2014 Visiting Teaching Printable

Can you believe July is already over? This summer has just flown by! I have been put in charge of sharing the monthly visiting teaching message and a free printable with you ladies every month, and what better day to start than the first day of August? This month's message is all about understanding the Savior's role as Messiah, and is definitely one of my favorites! (Even though I will probably end up saying that every month :) We will be posting all month long around this theme, so make sure you come back and check it out!

CLICK HERE to get the download, which includes this cute handout, as well as a matching copy of the Visiting Teaching message itself. Completing my Visiting Teaching has always been a calling I have struggled with, and I know I'm not the only one, so hopefully posting this free printable at the beginning of every month will help motivate all of us to visit our sisters, uplift them spiritually and bring them some goodies. You never know whose life you can change through such a simple visit!
If you are looking for some more ideas to spruce up your Visiting Teaching message each month, here are some of our favorites: SugarDoodle // Amy's Designs // Green Jello // Marci Coombs

We would love to hear how you use this printable for your Visiting Teaching sisters! Tell us about it in the comments :)

In defense of The Book of Mormon

Hey readers! It's me, Amanda here. I wrote this post on my personal blog back in October. The response was overwhelming. With all of the adversity going on in the world today, especially about The Book of Mormon, I thought I would share this post in hopes of enlightening other women. 

From my Mormon Monday posts, it seems as if I get a 60-40 response from people. 60% are real meaningful heartfelt questions. The other 40% are people who are rather degrading and email me with questions that either don’t make sense, or contain anti-Mormon information. In defense of my religion, mainly the Book of Mormon, I wanted to write a post explaining just a few things that are merely my opinions. 

The main thing that has stuck out to me was something a friend mentioned in one of her blog posts. She said, “I found that a lot of my Mormon friends had very little knowledge of their beliefs. They knew the bare bones of the church, yet had this amazing faith.” I’ve also had a few comments that even go to the extent of, “Why are you so gullible and not looking into it further? There is PROOF that your religion isn’t real.” When I end up asking how there is proof, they go off about American History, horses, steel, and all these other crazy phenomenon’s that simply don’t make sense. There are only a couple of things I can really say.

When people say that American history doesn’t line up with our church, they are having faith in textbooks rather than God. The church has NEVER been proven false. Hence, why it still stands and continues to be the fastest growing church on earth.

You can never prove it. You can also not prove it false. This drove me crazy, because people would always say, “Where is your proof?” Well, faith is a cornerstone in our religion. Without faith, you have nothing to go off of. I remember in high school, there was a short period of time where I didn’t even believe in God. After praying to Him, praying and hoping He was there, I knew He was. And through my experiences and trials, my faith grew.

You won’t understand everything. If we knew everything, what would be the point of faith or religion? Heck, what would be the point of being here? There are questions. And there are things that we don’t understand. But if we simply soften our heart, and let God reveal to us whether this is the true church, He will. If you’re letting random facts tell you that this church isn’t true, reading completely ridiculous things online that don’t make sense, you will get nowhere. Just start from square 1. Read the Book of Mormon. Have a soft heart and desire to know that this is the true church. And you will get your answer. This is my favorite Conference Talk to ever be given. I thought it was really suitable. My favorite part? The part where he says, "For 179 years, this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart, like perhaps no other book in modern religious history, perhaps like no other book in any religious history, and still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born, parroted, and died, from Ethan Smith to Solomon Spalding to deranged paranoid to cunning genius. None of these frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator." 

"If anyone is foolish enough or misled enough to reject 531 pages of a heretofore unknown text teeming with literacy and Semitic complexity without honestly attempting to account for the origin of those pages - especially without accounting for their powerful witness of Jesus Christ and the profound spiritual impact that witness has had on what is now tens of millions of readers - if that's the case, then such a person, elect or otherwise, has been deceived; and if he or she leave this Church, it must be done by crawling over or under or around the Book of Mormon to make that exit."

Becoming Happy

I don't know how many of you have seen this Mormon Message. It's over 4 years old, and still one of my favorites. The message depicts NieNie's story. It is absolutely beautiful. Over 80% of Stephanie Nielson's body was burned in a plane crash. She manages to see the good in her life. She has her rough days, just like the rest of us. Her story has amazed me. Her example is phenomenal. Through Christ, we have countless chances to become happy within our situation. 

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I know that in my personal life, I have had many struggles. These struggles haven't been half of what Stephanie has gone through. Through her example, I know that I can become happy, through the gospel. Christ went through what he did so don't have to suffer. No matter what situation you are in, you CAN get over the hill and be happy about your current state.

Open Post: What Do You Want from The Sisterhood Project?

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Now that we're beginning this fun adventure, we want to know...

What would you like to get out of The Sisterhood Project?
What topics would you like us to blog about (it could be anything and everything!)?
What things could we do to promote sisterhood online?

We want to hear your ideas!!

Why I Am (Still) a Mormon

We're still working out the guest post situation, so until then...here's a little essay Stefani wrote on her blog about being LDS. Read it through and let us know...why do you remain a member of the Church, even when things get difficult?

One morning in August, I found myself crying on a bathroom floor in a rental house in Nauvoo, IL, confessing to my mom that there was no way I could attend a session with them that afternoon. It wasn't that they wouldn't let me in - I had a temple recommend and could easily have gone if that was what I decided. That morning, though, I had finally admitted the truth to myself.

I had lied to get that temple recommend, and so even though I had it, I wasn't worthy to have it.

Let's rewind a bit, though.

I started going to BYU in Provo, UT in 2006, a transfer from college in Boston. I had lived the "big city" life and had decided that I now wanted to experience a pretty much completely Mormon environment. I had grown up outside of Utah for most of my life, so I had no idea what to expect.

Provo was an adjustment for me. It wasn't as much the "culture shock" that you hear so much about, either; instead, it was the exact thing that I had moved there for in the first place - there were a ton of Mormons. Suddenly, I found myself becoming complacent about my religion. My testimony was buoyed not by my faith, but by my desire to "keep up with the Jones'," in a way. I wanted everyone to believe I was a good, righteous, beautiful, talented, hard-working Mormon, so I tried very hard to follow along with what everyone else was doing, so I would seem that way. I no longer was trying to strengthen my beliefs in my religion for myself, but instead was simply wearing a mask of religion to prove to fit in to the norm.

Eventually, I became disenchanted with fitting in, and decided that this must mean that I was disenchanted with my religion. I began to live in a way that was contrary to the morals that I'd held for my whole life, because in my black and white perspective of things, if I wasn't going to try and fit in with the Mormon crowd, I'd have to try and fit in with its opposite. Finding my own identity was out of the question, because I was way too insecure for that. Following my religion simply because I believed in its principles was a concept that had long left my mind.

A whole lot of bad decisions later found me huddled on the bathroom floor in tears, wondering how I ever ended up there. In that moment, I had a decision to make - I could continue down the path I was going and decide that Mormonism was simply not the right choice for me, or I could turn back and recommit to my religion.

After a great deal of soul-searching, prayer, and a long repentance process, I chose to recommit myself to being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I have never, ever regretted that decision.

Now, close to six years after that fateful morning, I want to share why I made that decision and why I continue to make that decision. Because in the end, it wasn't about fitting in - it was about the beautiful blessings that come from living the Gospel.

1. I'm still a Mormon, because of the Priesthood.

When Olive was in the hospital, my husband gave her a priesthood blessing that she would live a long and full life - and she did. The Priesthood is the power and authority that God has given man on the Earth today. It is used to comfort, to heal, to confirm blessings and ordinances. I am so grateful that my husband holds the Priesthood and that I am able to support him as a Priesthood holder. 

(There are some within the Church that believe it is sexist for men to hold the priesthood and women to not. I disagree with this line of thought, but that's a subject for a whole different post. If you would like to read some of what other women have written that I agree with, you should read these posts.)

2. I'm still a Mormon, because of personal revelation.

One of the things I love most about the Mormon beliefs is that I have the ability to gain personal revelation for myself - I can pray about problems that I'm having and receive guidance from my Heavenly Father. I can pray to know if that Church is true, if the scriptures are true, if certain aspects of the Mormon religion are right - and I will receive answers to all of these questions. I am so grateful to be able to gain a testimony not purely based on the experiences of others, but based on my own as well. 

3. I'm still a Mormon, because we have living prophets on this Earth. 

General Conference was not too long ago, and if you were on Twitter at all, you probably saw the #ldsconf hashtag trending, as Mormons around the world tweeted quotes and lessons that they heard from the General Authorities of the Church. As members of the LDS church, we believe that we have a prophet on the Earth today that speaks to God and receives revelation not just for himself, but for all members of the Church.

It is beautiful to know that the people of biblical times were not the only ones that were given prophets. God has not forgotten us and still speaks through His leaders today.

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4. I'm still a Mormon, because I have the ability to repent and become spiritually clean.

The repentance process was one of the most emotionally and spiritually trying things that I have ever had to endure. At the same time, though, it was a beautiful, humbling experience. As Mormons, we believe that Christ suffered for the sins and pains of each one of us, and that through Him we can be forgiven. Since I am not anywhere near perfect, this is such a blessing to me. Even the smallest mistakes can be forgiven, and "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."(Isaiah 1:18)

5. I'm still a Mormon, because miracles do happen. 

Anyone that has been reading my blog at all in the past few months, knows the story of my daughter Olive. Before the experience with Olive, I was unsure if miracles still happen on this Earth, at least to the extent that they happened in the time of Christ. Today, I am a witness of the beautiful, miraculous healing power of the Priesthood, and there is no doubt in my mind that it is because miracles happen that my daughter is here today.

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6. I'm still a Mormon, because families can be together forever.

From the very beginning, this has been one of the strongest foundations of my testimony. Maybe it's because I can't imagine being without my family. I know, though, that because of temple marriages and sealings, families will be together after this life. I know that the family is central to God's plan, and since becoming a mother, this belief has only been solidified. 

7. I'm still a Mormon, because I want to be like Jesus Christ.

When it comes down to it, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more beautiful, hopeful, or humbling, no message as joyful, as the Gospel of Christ. I am still a Mormon, because it teaches me more about this Gospel and helps me be more like Christ. I will never be perfect on my own, but I can be perfected through Christ. The knowledge of this keeps me going, as I strive to be better each day, no matter how hard it may seem

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There are many more reasons, but for me, these seven facts keep me strong and are the building block of my testimony. As cliche as it sounds, it is truly impossible for me to put into words the gratitude that I have that I am a member of this Church. The Gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has brought me strength, happiness, and constantly encourages me to be a better person each day.

To achieve a good life

Today, I wanted to share something that has always been dear to my heart. When I was in college, I was going through some rough times. My room mate, not even knowing everything going on, felt impressed to share this video to me. Ever since, I have had so many crazy experiences in life and always end up going to this video. It helps when we ponder the thoughts stated in the video. When things are not going very grand, or even when they are going great, I tend to steer toward the video, watch it, and change a few bad habits to make them strengths and good habits. 

I hope this has resonated with at least one soul today. I especially hope that as sisters and friends, we can become examples and support systems to those who need us most. Ultimately, all we really need in our lives is to follow Christ -- to be better, daily, and to constantly better ourselves. 

What Is Sisterhood?

I've been thinking of what to write for our first "real" post on this blog, and to be honest...I've been drawing a blank. Not that there is a shortage of stuff to write about! We have plenty of topics that we'd like to cover. But with it being only the second thing written here, I've felt stuck between an overwhelming amount of topics and choosing just the right one.

As we stated in the introduction post on Monday, we've started this project to improve the bonds of sisterhood among LDS women everywhere. So, I guess that begs the question - what is "sisterhood"?

Growing up, I always felt a whole lot more comfortable hanging out with boys than I did with girls. Throughout most of high school, I would invite mostly guys over and my parents would fret that I had no girlfriends. Guys just made more sense to me, so I didn't mind.

Because of this, I never really got all that into Young Womens, but when I came to Relief Society, something changed. There was really something beautiful about having all these different women, of all different ages, from all different backgrounds, who had this belief system in common. For the first time, I began to understand the meaning of sisterhood on a level that wasn't just about my actual sisters (whom I love, by the way :-) )

For me, sisterhood isn't something I can adequately describe. I would have to say it's about common experiences and common goals. It's about being tied together at our cores by our femininity, which is something truly awesome.

Beyond, that, though...I guess I'll let some quotes do the talking. They always say it better than me anyways. :-)

"I believe God lets us stumble along, slowly finding our way, and giving us chances to pick each other up." 

- Anna White

"Help one another, is part of the religion of sisterhood. "

- Louisa May Alcott

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"Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other." 

- Carol Saline

"They were absolutely lovely, and in their presence, so was she."  - Ann Brashares

"We can have unity in diversity and diversity in unity. We don’t have to be like one another to enjoy sisterhood." 

- Barbara W. Winder

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"Women who understand how powerful they are do not give into envy over meaningless things, instead they fight to maintain the beautiful bond of the sisterhood. These are the real women who know that we need each other’s love & support to survive in this world. Love is the essence of being a woman. We must be that light of love that seals the bond & unique beauty of our sisterhood." 

- Bindu

"A basic reality of life is that we all struggle. We hurt and have hurt other people. We all feel lost sometimes. This isn’t all we are, but it is a part of who we are. The only question I have when I’m with someone is, 'Can they admit it? And will they let me admit it too?'" 

- Anna White

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"It is also true that the harder you work in the service of the Lord, the sweeter the sisterhood." 

- Barbara Smith

"Sisters touch your heart in ways no other could. Sisters share... their hopes, their fears, their love, everything they have. Real friendship springs from their special bonds." 

- Carrie Bagwell 

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"Oh, how we need each other. Those of us who are old need you who are young. And, hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old. It is a sociological fact that women need women. We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other." 

- Marjorie P. Hinckley

“We're connected, as women. It's like a spiderweb. If one part of that web vibrates, if there's trouble, we all know it, but most of the time we're just too scared, or selfish, or insecure to help. But if we don't help each other, who will?” 

- Sarah Addison Allen

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“Women are going to form a chain, a greater sisterhood than the world has ever known.” 

- Nellie L. McClung

How about you? What does "sisterhood" mean to you? Is it in one of these quotes, or is it something completely different?

An Introduction

In the Relief Society Declaration, it states, "We are beloved daughters of God and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar."

Sometimes I wish that we would read this every Sunday, like the Young Women read their motto, because it's becoming so easy to forget the importance of sisterhood among LDS women. We are suddenly defining one another by our marital status, the number of kids we have, our choice of career, the cleanliness of our homes, how "put together" we seem to be. At times, it seems that we achieve celestial glory by how many Pinterest projects we make.

We've become separated. What should be a beautiful sisterhood of support, founded on our common belief in Christ, has a huge rift in it. Cliques form within wards, Sacrament meeting becomes a fashion show, we stop sharing our true weaknesses for fear that we'll look less than perfect.

In reality, these problems will be solved off the internet, in our own homes and communities - but it has to start somewhere. The Sisterhood Project is our attempt to unite women again. We want to share our strengths and our weaknesses - and learn from each other in the process. We want a place where it's okay to be great at something, but it's also just as admirable to admit defeat. We don't have to be jealous of one another - in truth, we probably have more in common than we realize.

So, here are the basics of the project:

Any LDS woman can join using the "join" button above. You'll be asked for a bunch of information that will help us get to know you! You'll also be signed up for our monthly newsletter, which will have lots of fun information, post updates, and guest posting opportunities.

We'll be posting birthdays and anniversaries in the sidebar and hopefully have a fun way to celebrate each month.

Each week we'll have a new quote and talk in the sidebar - if you have a favorite you'd like to suggest, you can email us!

The three of us (Amanda, Stefani, and Brielle) will be posting a couple of times a week, with fun stuff like talk and scripture discussions, life hacks, and playlists.

We are also planning more fun things like book clubs, missionary opportunities, and more. We are always open to suggestions, too, so feel free to contact us.

In the meantime...let's kick things off with a giveaway! We've decided to give three winners a couple of our favorite things...

One lucky winner will receive a package of Stefani's favorite things, including a chevron scarf, adorable craft tape, a cute notebook, and who knows? She may just throw in some handmade goodness as well!

ANOTHER lucky lady will win a package of Brielle's favorite things, including a 32 oz. mason jar mug, two of the best lip products in the world, and a completely customized temple silhouette print!

ONE MORE winner will receive a package of Amanda's favorite things, including Vinylux nail polish and topcoat (like Shellac, but without the light!) and an Amazonite ring wrapped in brass wire.

That's right... 3 packages, 3 winners! Just enter using the Rafflecopter below! The giveaway will run from 7/7 to 7/14 at 12 a.m. MST. Entries will be verified, so let's all be honest :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for joining with us on this new journey! We are excited to share our ideas with you and can't wait to see what this community will become!