30 day song challenge: Day 26

I used to play the violin a lot, but the last couple of years my violin has been gathering dust. I've only pulled it out a couple of times. But I love it so much! One day I will start playing regularly again. I've been in the BYU-Idaho University Orchestra (the non-audition one), and I have a goal to play in a community orchestra. Playing an instrument has so much more meaning when you play in a group!

I'm going to share Vivaldi's violin Concerto in A Minor, but, just so you know, I can only play the first and third movements. And I certainly can't play it like this artist does.

I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and Happy Halloween!

30 day song challenge: Day 25

Wow! I'm in the home stretch! I was starting to wonder if I'd finish this challenge ...

I saw Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband do this act in concert at BYU-Idaho. It made me laugh so hard! :)

30 day song challenge: Day 24

I think there might be a lot of hymns I would like to have played at my funeral. But for our purposes today, I'm going to narrow it down to one. It's one that expresses my testimony of my Savior and can vaguely express all that the Lord has done for me in my life.

"I Know That My Redeemer Lives" is a hymn that I've heard since I was a very small child. The more I grow, the more I appreciate and understand that hymn.

30 day song challenge: Day 23

My brother played two country songs at his wedding reception, and I was a little jealous. I really liked those songs, but he had got married first so he got to use them. So I'm going to share one of them, because I still think it would be fun to play at my wedding reception (although it already happened).

I like this song because it's how Brian and I met: through Divine intervention. When I look back over my last semesters at school, it is incredible how everything worked out to lead me to be at the right place at the right time.

Heavenly Father really does know exactly what He's doing!

A Sunday citation

These are a couple of quotes from the book, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow.

"Mormonism, a nickname for the real religion of the Latter-day Saints, does not profess to be a new thing, except to this generation. It proclaims itself as the original plan of salvation, instituted in the heavens before the world was, and revealed from God to man in different ages. That Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and other ancient worthies had this religion successively, in a series of dispensations, we as a people, verily believe. ... Mormonism, in short, is the primitive Christian faith restored, the ancient Gospel brought back again--this time to usher in the last dispensation, introduce the Millennium, and wind up the work of redemption as pertaining to this planet."

"This Church will stand, because it is upon a firm basis. It is not from man; it is not from the study of the New Testament or the Old Testament; it is not the result of the learning that  we received in  colleges nor seminaries, but it has come directly from the Lord. The Lord has shown it to us by the revealing principle of the Holy Spirit of light and every man can receive this same spirit."

30 day song challenge: Day 22

I actually like to listen to Kenneth Cope when I'm sad. Listening to his CD that I have always makes me feel better. One song in particular, "Never a Better Hero," helps me remember that the Savior will always be there for me and that He loves everyone.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

30 day song challenge: Day 21

Enya is an artist that I like to listen to when I'm happy, especially "Wild Child" and "Caribbean Blue." Since I've already shared "Wild Child," here is the other:

30 day song challenge: Day 20

I am almost two-thirds of the way done with this challenge!

This is another tough one. I don't usually listen to music when I'm mad. I like to stew over things, and listening to music distracts me from that. (Although, maybe I should be distracted ...)

I can't think of anything that I specifically seek out when I'm angry, so I'm going to share my favorite Celtic lullaby. In fact, this is the very version of Baloo Baleerie that I have on CD.

30 day song challenge: Day 19

My favorite album, Consider the Lilies, is done by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Here is one of my favorite songs from that album:

30 day challenge: Day 18

One type of music that I really love is fiddle music. I used to want to play fiddle. If I ever do, it will probably be after my kids are grown up. :) But I still appreciate the incredible talent that goes into it. And I really wish they played good fiddle on the radio.

I first heard about Leahy when I went to one of their concerts at BYU-I. I absolutely fell in love! It's eight siblings that have formed a band, and they all play multiple instruments. The fiddle, of course, is pretty much their soloist.

Here is one of their songs that I really love! I'm pretty sure you'll be hooked, too. Oh, and did I mention they all can clog? Talent is dripping out their ears!

30 day song challenge: Day 17

Well, I don't listen to radio, so this is a problem. It's been rare that I have listened to the radio much. The only time that I consistently listened to the radio is when I was working in Jerome, ID for my internship. I ended up driving the 2 1/2 hours home most weekends, and 2 1/2 hours back. It was also a 20-30 minute drive from my apartment in Twin Falls to where I worked. So, needless to say, I got bored and ended up listening to the radio a lot.

This is one song that I heard a lot on the radio, and I really enjoyed it. I guess it's one of the few of Tim McGraw's that I like.

A Sunday citation ... or a few, actually

These quotes about creation and the theory of man's origin from the animal kingdom really struck me. I think they are definitely worth considering.

"It is held by some that Adam was not the first man upon this earth, and that the original human being was a development from from lower orders of the animal creation. These, however, are the theories of men. The word of the Lord declares that Adam was 'the first of all men, and we are therefore duty bound to regard him as the primal parent of our race. It was shown to the brother of Jared that all men were created in the beginning after the image of God; and whether we take this to mean the spirit or body, or both, it commits us to the same conclusion: Man began life as a human being, in the likeness of our heavenly Father." (First Presidency [Joseph F. Smith, John R Winder, Anthon H. Lund,], as cited in Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, 4:205.)

 I have often thought that we are just beginning to understand the processes of the earth, and that to think that the theory of evolution is the absolute, whole truth of the beginning of the earth is narrow-minded. We learn more every day in science. Here is a quote that supports my thoughts:

"Any theory that leaves out God as a personal, purposeful Being, and accepts chance as a first cause, cannot be accepted by the Latter-day Saints. ... That man and the whole of creation came by chance is unthinkable. It is equally unthinkable that if man came into being by the will and power of God, the divine creative power is limited to one process dimly sensed by mortal man." (Widstoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, 1:155.)

Here is another fascinating quote:

"I say most emphatically,  you cannot believe in this theory of the origin of man, and at the same time accept the plan of salvation as set forth by the Lord our God. You must choose the one and reject the other, for they are in direct conflict and there is a gulf separating them which is so great that it can not be bridged, no matter how much one may try to do so. ...

"Then Adam, and by that I mean the first man, was not capable of sin. He could not transgress, and by doing so bring death into the world, for, according to this theory, death had always been in the world. If, therefore, there was no fall, there was no need of an atonement, hence the coming into the world of the Son of God as the Savior of the world is a contradiction, a thing impossible.  Are you prepared to believe that?" (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:141-142.)

30 day song challenge: Day 16

This is a song that one of my roommates liked to play a lot. It was one of her absolute favorites. I really liked it because it seemed so soulful and I liked the music. I kind of overlooked the fact that it was an awful song about being angry.

But then she dated a someone for a while, and then they broke up. She kept playing that song and said it was how she felt about her ex-boyfriend. From my point of view, she was being silly and very unfair to him. There was no reason for her to break up with him. And she was characterizing him as the bad person in this song! He'd been so nice to her.

Anyway, it ruined the song for me. I only think of how ridiculous she was being when I hear it now.

30 day song challenge: Day 15

Whoo! Halfway done with my song challenge.

This is another tough writing prompt. I don't know if I've ever come across a song that I feel describes me. There are songs that describes aspects of me or feelings I'm having. But not a song that I identify with in that way.

But this is a song that describes what I like to think that I will be some day. It is a special favorite of mine. I hope you find it beautiful and inspiring too.

30 day song challenge: Day 14

Since I really don't like rap (with only a very few exceptions), it would surprise anyone that I actually like this song. Talk about ornery and mean! But I guess after watching Grue on Despicable Me, it's a lot of fun to listen to his theme music.

30 day song challenge: Day 13

How can a song be a guilty pleasure?!! It's not like it's chocolate. I don't listen to music that I feel guilty about. So I'm going share my favorite song from a musical instead. Or, one of my favorites, anyway.

30 day song challenge: Day 12

As I've said before, I don't go listening to music that I don't like, so this is hard. I don't care for Carrie Underwood, but I wouldn't say that I hate her. I just think that she always sings about arguments and bad men and being angry. I really don't think that she is very mature either. So, here is a song that is kind of an example of that.

30 day song challenge: Day 11

I guess you could say that my favorite band is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I listen to them more than anyone else. I think that I always have.

I remember as a young child listening to records of them singing the Handel's Messiah and favorites from Broadway. I went to sleep with them almost every night. When I was a teenager, I'd turn them on while I cleaned the house or did other work. I've used them to wake me up, to perk me up and to soothe me. They're fantastic!

Here is one of my favorites that they do. It is also one of my favorite songs from a musical (one of many).

A Sunday citation

I found this great quote in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow:

"When one brother is not willing to suffer for his brother, how is it in his power to manifest that he has love for his brother? I tell you it is in our folly and weakness that we will not bear with our brethren, but if they trespass upon our rights we immediately retaliate, and if they tread upon our toes we immediately jump upon theirs ... When I see a brother that has been trespassed against, and then he turns round and jumps upon the offender, then I say how far is that brother from the path of duty, and I say to him you must learn to govern yourself or you will never be saved in the kingdom of God.

"I will read some paragraphs from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants:

"'My disciples, in days of old, sought occasion against on another, and forgave not one another in their hearts, and for this evil they were afflicted, and sorely chastened;

"Wherefore I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another, for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses, standeth condemned before the Lord, for there remaineth in him the greater sin (D&C 64:8-9).'"

30 day song challenge: Day 10

I have to say, there aren't a lot of songs that make me fall asleep. Most music keeps me awake because, for some reason, I have to listen to it. I can't study or read very well with music either, unless it is math and I'm listening to a rhythmical piece of classical music (weirdly enough). So this is a tough one.

I decided to choose one that relaxes me instead, which is also hard to find. I get excited and exhilarated over Mormon Tabernacle Choir and classical pieces that others find boring or soothing. Even Enya is exciting.

 But this one is very peaceful, and I love it. "Abide With Me" is one of my many favorite hymns. I hope you enjoy it, too.

30 day song challenge: Day 9

I like to play music for Little Pink Girl, especially classical music and Primary children's songs. And one in particular that we like to dance to together is Johann Strauss's The Blue Danube. (Does a classical piece count as a song?)

30 day song challenge: Day 8

Here is a song that is very special to me. The words really uplifted me and helped me during a difficult time once, and I have never forgot them since.

30 day song challenge: Day 7

Ok! Day 7 of our song challenge. This has been really fun so far. It has taken me down memory lane and brought back lots of things I hadn't thought of in a long time.

A song that reminds of an event? Scripture Power!!! I loved that song as a kid!

Every year, Primary, the LDS organization that I belonged to as a child, had a program in the fall. We would perform the program for sacrament meeting. We sang songs, gave little recitations and had fun.

The last couple of years I was in Primary we sang "Scripture Power." It was so much fun! Every time we sang that phrase, we lifted our scriptures on the air. It's something I'll never forget. Click on the link below to hear it.

Scripture Power music playlist

30 day challenge: Day 6

This song that I'm going to introduce reminds me of my Grandpa and Grandpa Anderson's house. This might seem weird once I tell you what it is. So here's a little more explanation.

When we were young kids and still lived in Utah, we used to stay with my grandparents a lot. And they had a huge sound system to play music on ... CDs, tape cassettes and records! We loved to turn music on and dance and dance in the living room. We'd get all sweaty and hot and we loved it.

Well, my grandparents had an old album of old country classics. One of our favorites was "King of the Road," sung by Roger Miller. To this day I still think of my grandparents house and dancing to old country in their living room.

30 day song challenge: Day 5

I have to admit, I didn't listen to country until I was in college. I don't know if it was the bands my friends listened to, but I just didn't appreciate it much. I really preferred classical. But then some roommates and my brothers introduced me to Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldeen and others. I was hooked!

Although I don't listen to it a lot anymore now that I'm a mom (I just don't find it as interesting anymore), I do still like it. I love how it reminds me of a farm and country lifestyle. And I love it for memories it brings back.

One song in particular, "My Little Girl," has always reminded me of my dad. Although we're not really close, I have always known that he loved me. I always knew he thought I was beautiful and smart. We shared a love and interest in horses. And he has always encouraged me to take chances, to learn and to take on the world. I've always appreciated that. And Tim McGraw's voice somehow reminds me of my dad--a big, manly man. :)

So, here's to you, Dad!

Sunday citation from General Conference!

I love General Conference! It's one of the best times of the year because the we get to hear the words of God through his prophet and apostles. I learn more at General Conference, sometimes, than I do in a whole year of daily gospel study.

This particular talk taught me a lot and provided lots of direction for my life. I hope that you enjoy it and feel the Spirit teach you as you watch it!

30 day song challenge: Day 4

When I was really young, I liked to listen to music and come up with stories about myself that fit the music. I didn't always understand the full import of the songs or stories behind them until I was older, but I based my stories on my own understanding. Some of my favorite soundtracks for dreaming up stories was the New Testament seminary sountrack, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.

One song that always made me feel sad and dream up some really sad story was "On My Own." I don't remember the stories I came up with, but I do remember the sad, lonely, rather romantic feeling that I had. It was great for dreaming, but I couldn't listen too often without getting a little depressed.

Although it is a little depressing, it is beautiful and soulful. This is from the 10th anniversary concert, and it's actually the version that I grew up with, although I didn't realize it until tonight.

I hope you enjoy it too, and don't get too sad! :)

30 day song challenge: Day 3

I really like Enya. I was introduced to her music about six years ago when I was a sophomore in college. Most of the kids I grew up with listened to rock, hip hop or country, so I had no idea that there was this thing called New Age music. And I liked it!

A couple of years later I started listening to her music a lot, and I found lots of favorites ... like "Carribean Blue," "Only Time" and "Orinoco Flow." I also discovered "Wild Child."

This is a song that makes me happy. It's my favorite song that Enya does. And the Japanese animae that goes with this video is really cute!

30 day song challenge: Day 2

My least favorite song? I don't usually go listening to music I don't like, so I don't really know what it is.

I heard a stupid song in Kmart the other day ... I think it's called Dirty Little Secret. I don't usually like rap, although there are exceptions ... And I really don't like Carrie Underwood or Justin Bieber much at all.

Does anyone have a least favorite song? Who goes around picking songs they hate?

30 day song challenge: Day 1

I found this really cool challenge on the blog, The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls. I love music, and this is a fun excuse to share some on my blog. So here goes ...

My favorite song ... hmm. That's a toughie. My favorite hymn? My favorite song from a musical? My favorite classical piece or country or bluegrass song? I'm going to only pick a couple of my all-time favorites ...

Nicolas Copernicus and understanding truth

I was reading The Story of the World vol. 2 a couple of weeks ago when I came across a most intriguing story. It was about a man named Nicolas Copernicus, who was born in 1473.

Copernicus was a Polish scientist who went to study at the University of Bologna. At the time, people believed that the sun and stars rotated around the earth, and the Catholic church believed that this meant that man was at the center of God's plan. This theory mainly came from the writings of a man named Claudius Ptolemny, who was born about 90 A.D.

But Copernicus found errors in Ptolemny's writings, and from his observations, he hypothesized that the earth rotated around the sun. He even wrote a book about it and published it just before he died.

The Catholic church denounced this theory and claimed that it proved that man was not the center of God's plan, and therefore couldn't be true. They put the book he wrote on a list of literature good Catholics should never read.

This story intrigues me. It shows me how narrow humankind can be, and just how little we know. The Catholic church was right that man is at the center of God's plan. From modern revelation, we know that God's work and glory "is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) And because they didn't understand everything, they rejected a very important truth ... that the earth went around the sun, not the other way around.

We also now know from modern revelation that God has created worlds without number, and that His works and glory have no end. His plan for man is far bigger and grander than anything the people in the 16th century could have understood without divine revelation.

This teaches me something, and it reminds me of a quote I once read:

"I regularly encounter students (Latter-day Saints, Baptists, Muslims, atheists--students of all sorts) who are so determined to shield their faith and their perspectives that they seem closed to fundamental discovery. They believe it their job to hold onto their secular or religious faith as if holding their breath, no matter what they experience. Some avoid, fight, or tip-toe through certain courses, not really engaging in them, afraid or angry that they may confront a topic or a fact that threatens their understanding. ...

"Faith is a precious thing, the first principle of the gospel. I sympathize with this impulse to protect it at any cost. However, spiritual and mental tragedy can come not only through loss of faith, but also through inauthenticity, ignorance, and fear.

"Faith does not exist in a vacuum, and not all faith is healthy or righteous. After all, terrorists, on the basis of faith, fly airplanes into tall buildings filled with innocent people. What is wanted is not the rigid, uninformed, closed, and cocksure faith assertions of the fanatic, but a thoughtful and open trust, an organic and living faith, born of love and welcoming of growth, inquiry, new perspectives, and adjustment.

"In this light, it helps to remember that our Father in Heaven is the Lord of Truth. ... For if our God were not a God of truth, He would, as the Book of Mormon puts it in another context, 'cease to be God.' Even if powerful, such a god would be worthy of neither our trust nor our worship. 'But God ceaseth not to be God' (Alma 42.23). Among other things, this means that God is unafraid of truth, including any human truths we might encounter in our study.

"Of course, alleged facts can be dangerous for inexperienced minds lacking sufficient context and means of testing and explaining them. It is essential to realize that what we take to be facts are properly contested in the academy. One purpose of an education, indeed, is to deepen the ability for informed and critical thought that is increasingly able to discern the credibility of arguments, alleged facts, and their proper contexts. Moreover, to accept something as "fact" is not the same as assigning that fact a meaning. 'So what?' is an excellent question. We should be wary of our own and others' (including our teachers') perceptions, weaknesses, tendencies to leap to conclusions, or sneering or condescending attitudes that may cast a false pale over even legitimate facts. But the proper response to all this is further study, conversation, testing, experience, thought, discipline, and prayer--not avoidance. The ongoing pursuit of truth--rather than an expressed or unstated boast that we already possess and comprehend it in its fulness--can and should be at one with hungering and thirsting after righteousness. God and truth are perfectly aligned." (Barlow, Phillip, "Balancing the life of the mind and spirit on campus," A Twenty-Something's Guide to Spirituality.  2007. 138-139.)

There are absolute truths that God has given us through His prophets and His scriptures. Because we know He is all-knowing and that He is teaching us on a level that all can understand, we can use those truths as guides when we seek for truth in other areas of study. We know that knowledge is complete when it is in line with God's revealed truths. If they seem inconsistent with God's revealed word, we know that we are either only seeing part of the truth or misconstruing the truth, and there is more to discover.

Anyway, we have to be careful of closing our minds to truths that we don't understand. It can actually undermine our faith and leave us in confusion in the end.