SMILE.

"No amount of eye-shadow, lipstick or mascara can ever possibly compete with the natural attractiveness of a genuine smile.  It brightens the room.  It cheers others.  It communicates friendship, love, and optimism so much more than any cosmetic ever could." 

Girls: let's always let our smiles, not our makeup, define who we are! Never underestimate the power a smile can have on others.  And remember that every girl is beautiful.  My favorite quote is by David O. McKay who said 

"There is a beauty every girl has--a gift from God, as pure as the sunlight and as sacred as life.  It is a beauty all men love, a virtue that wins all men's souls.  That beauty is chastity.  A beautiful, modest, chaste woman is creation's masterpiece."

"A virtuous smile is truly beautiful as it radiates in a totally normal way.  This true beauty can't be painted on but is a gift of the Spirit. It is literally letting your light shine before men.  When virtue is combined with obedience to the Lord's laws of health and respect for the human body, young people truly become temples in which the Holy Ghost dwells, giving them a beautiful aura.  It is this beauty that is most becoming and enduring."

--Lynn G. Robbins

"Great battles can make great heroes, but heroes will make great battle. You will never have a better opportunity to be a greater hero in a more crucial battle than in the battle you will face today and in the immediate future. Be warned that some of the greatest battles you will face will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul."  --Ezra Taft Benson

I heard this quote today and looked it up to find the talk, so I could post it here on the blog.  As I read the talk I got chills! I can't tell you how badly I wanted to post the entire thing!!! The above quote is just to get you excited--but the entire talk is so amazing and powerful!  Please read it!
It's called "In His Steps" from the year 1979 given at a BYU fireside.  Here is a link:
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=89

Reverence Invites Revelation

"Music is of enormous importance in our worship services. I believe that those who choose, conduct, present, and accompany the music may influence the spirit of reverence in our meetings more than a speaker does. God bless them... An organist who has the sensitivity to quietly play prelude music from the hymnbook tempers our feelings and causes us to go over in our minds the lyrics which teach the peaceable things of the kingdom. If we will listen, they are teaching the gospel, for the hymns of the Restoration are, in fact, a course in doctrine!" -Boyd K. Packer

Courage to Stand

“Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but also as a determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well.”
--President Thomas S. Monson

"Only reform and self restraint, institutional and individual, can finally rescue society! Only a sufficient number of sin-resistant souls can change the marketplace. As Church members we should be part of that sin-resistant counterculture." Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Be a Lighthouse

Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.  --Anne Lamott
 

I happened to come across this quote today, and it really made me think! It’s a fascinating concept: that in order to save others or bring them towards the light, we don’t need to go find them, or come “down from the mount” to greet them.  We need only shine.  Like a lighthouse, we mustn’t leave our post! We need to always stand tall on the firm foundation of Christ atop the rocky mountain shore, and those fighting the storm will see our light.  Isn’t that a cool quote? 

"Reverence is profound respect and love. A reverent attitude toward God includes honoring Him, expressing gratitude to Him, and obeying His commandments...Reverent behavior includes prayer, scripture study, fasting, and payment of tithes and offerings. It includes having wholesome thoughts, wearing modest clothing, and using clean, wholesome language. The depth of a person's reverence is evident in his or her choice of music and other entertainment, in the way sacred subjects are spoken of, and in the way the person dresses and acts when attending church services and worshiping in the temple. Reverence also includes making righteous choices even when no one is watching. Reverence for the Lord leads to serving other people and treating them with kindness and respect."

“Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others...By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley

Family Home Evening

Tomorrow is Monday, which means Family Home Evening! Do you ever wonder if it's really worth it?  Do you ever think that maybe it's okay to skip it every once in a while?  Well, just for a reminder, read over the promises made by the First Presidency in the year 1915 to those who hold weekly FHE:

“If the Saints obey this counsel, we promise that great blessings will result. Love at home and obedience to parents will increase. Faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth of Israel, and they will gain power to combat the evil influences and temptations which beset them.” (First Presidency, April 27, 1915, Improvement Era, vol. 18, p. 734.)

"When you are young, do not get involved in steady dating. When you reach an age where you think of marriage, then is the time to become so involved. But you boys who are in high school don’t need this, and neither do the girls." -Gordon B. Hinckley