Origami

I love origami. It makes my heart beat to see a fresh piece of paper cut into square. Its seems to ask, "What shall I be in your hands." You begin by setting out your basic folds. They become the foundation for you eniter piece, little mistakes at the beginning will effect the finished product.

Eventually you create what is called a base. A base is the point where all the points of paper are there, and its ready to be shaped. It really doesn't look like much, but any base can turn into a huge array of different animals and figures.

As you shape and mold the paper its actually becomes something. Some take hours of shaping and additional folding, others come together quickly and simply, but the end result is always worth it.

God looks upon each one of us, and sets to shape us and mold us to be more than what we started. We may start with a piece of paper and end with a crane. God may start with a sinner and finish with a saint. We may be young and fresh or old and already folded up, but we can allow ourselves to be molded by the master's hands.

Virtue

My missionary companion and I were walking in a nieghborhood when we stopped to talk to man. We had a conversation that lead to him asking if we had girlfriends. I said no, and my companion said yes. He started to ask some really awkward personal questions, and the people around us also started to ask questions about our sexuality. Its was interesting because they all felt that they couldn't control themselves, but they admired that we had self-control. It reminded me of the example of Joesph and Potipher's wife from the book of Genesis, and the control he had.

I really like this video because it shows the blessings of living God's commandments, power of self-control, and happiness that it brings.

Here comes Pageant!!!

Its that time of year again!!! Time for the Hill Cumorah Pageant!! Come feel the excitment!!! Every year our church puts on the largest outdoor play in the United States. Its all about different stories and scenes from the Book of Mormon. There is song, dance, and, action for the whole family. Its also a great way to feel the power behind the Book of Mormon, and the Spirit that it brings.

They build the stages right out from the side of the Hill Cumorah



















There is water, fire, and the occasional Angelic vistor.


















Dances and Drama.


















And a cast of hundreds


















But the focus is having fun as a family, and you just might see a missionary or two!!!!

Emergencies by Appointment Only

My companion and I were walking by a medical office. And on door it said, "Emergency Visits by Appiontment Only." Think how nice it would be to be able to plan our emergencies and our trials. They have to come, but what if we could set them up like an exercise routine or a payment plan.

Even though I know I don't like to have trials they make us stronger and refine us. It remindes me of one of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite people, C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity.

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."

We may set a program for our own betterment. But God has us on his plan, the Plan of Salvation, so that we can become far more than we wanted ourselves to be. He tells us in the scriptures,"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). That is His purpose and ours.

Waiting Along the River

A couple weeks ago we went on a Preparation day to Letchworth State Park. Its called the Grand Canyon of the East. As we walked along side the mighty Genesee River I thought of what Joesph B Wirthlin, a modern-day Apostle, said, "Those who stand at the threshold of life always waiting for the right time to change are like the man who stands at the bank of a river waiting for the water to pass so he can cross on dry land."

So I waited...

And the water never passed. It never even seemed to slow down. It just kept on its path. It really was a silly experiment, but it seemed to prove Joesph Wirthlin right. If we expect for life to slow down long enough for us make the changes we want to with ease, we will probably be waiting until we just give up.

Thomas S. Monson, another apostle, spoke about the master bridge builder, Jesus Christ. He has built the bridge of change for us to cross over. He has overcame our problems and challenges when he completed the Atonement. He built the bridges for us to cross so that we can be lead through change.

The bridge that we found at Letchworth isn't visible until you come right to it. You have to go through the woods, and trust the signs. But it makes it easy to cross the river. Just as in life we have to step with faith into the woods, and follow the scriptural sign posts.

In Thomas S. Monson's talk he quotes the poem "The Bridge Builder." I quote it with the changes he made.

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide—
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?”
“There followeth after me today
A vast throng whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that great throng may a pitfall be.
They too must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for them."

I Am a Mormon

Leaving Egypt

When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, he took them to the Red Sea, which then obediently parted. The miracles of Manna and quail, water from the rocks, wicked being wasted, and scene on Sinai were only some of the many happenings that followed the wanders for 40 years.

But why 40 years? Why were still so disobedient after all that time that they couldn't have all the Lord's promised blessings? They lusted after the food and security of Egypt (Exo 16:3). They brought the idols of Egypt with them. In other words, they couldn't stop thinking of home.

As a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I have left home and its comforts, and I sometimes feel like I'm wandering around an unwelcoming and bitter desert. I miss my Mommy on those days, and I want to return to my Egypt (home) where things were safe and comfortable.


I knew that there was someone here to lead me through my wilderness. Christ has been my pillar of fire and my cloud guiding my sluggish feet. Instead of looking to the things back home that brought me comfort like food, friends, and the occasional zombie blasting video game, I have tried my best to keep my eye focused on the Saviour. It not easy to keep an eye single to God, and you have to remind yourself to keep looking forward.

Its hard to continually put our faith in Christ so that he can lead us. And its harder still to do that over and over again. But I think that is what faith is, even when we doubt or fear, we still go forward, forward in faith. I think the Lord said it best to Joshua, "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Josh 1:8)

Dear blog,

Sorry that I have deserted you for such a long time. You may have been far from my fingers, but not far from my heart. Things have been crazy. Its not an excuse, but it still is a fact. I have moved now to the city of Rochester, and I'm working with the Spanish population. I'm back with a pervious companion, Elder Henricksen.

We have had many adventures already. Walking in rain storms, talking with drunk people, fighting off dogs, and watching drug deals. They are all far more entertaining in Spanish. This is the life.

Life works in a funny way. When things are the hardest and the most down heartening is when you see the blessings of God the best. As it says in Isaiah, "I form the light, and create the darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." (45:7) In order to have have light, we must have darkness. To have peace, there must be evil. In order to have good times, you must have bad. And I have a good life.

Sincerely yours,

Elder Westley