Sunday Will Come

Pretty much, this is awesome. Watch it.

Sunday

In primary (the class I attended as child in church) we used to sing a song that started off with the words "Saturday is a special day, it's the day we get ready for Sunday." It's kind of interesting, because the song is really saying that Saturday is only a special day because it precedes Sunday, a more special day. And that's true. Sunday is the day that we strive to focus the most on God, to worship him and to refocus our lives on him and his son Jesus Christ. We strive to make it a day of rest, a day of worship, a day of renewal, a day of family.

Every Sunday I want to start sharing with you something that brings hope to my life. Whether it's a quote from a prophet or apostle, talking to you about a favorite talk from general conference, or sharing one of these amazing videos with you, it'll be something that brings joy to my life and hopefully to yours, too.

Today I want to share this video with you. It's a story told by President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was a living prophet on the earth today and the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until he passed away in 2008. President Hinckley is one of my favorite people of all time. I feel like he is my old friend.

This story he tells makes me happy. The joy of service is incredible; when I serve others, I am filled with love, happiness, and satisfaction, and even hearing stories of service can bring happiness to people generations after they happen. When we learn to love and serve others, our lives are so much fuller, richer, and happier.

Books I love - The Giver

It's book time again! The book I want to talk to you about today is The Giver by Lois Lowry.

So, this book is awesome. (And a quick read, too, if you're not sure if you have time to read it.) The main character, Jonas, lives in a perfect society. Everything is well ordered, everyone is taught how to be a good, kind citizen, everyone is taught how to deal with their feelings productively, everyone is taught how to serve others. At the end of each year growing up, all the children go through a ceremony in which they symbolically grow up a little (they cut their hair, they recieve different clothes, they get their first bicycles, etc.) At the end of their twelfth year, all the children recieve the assignment of the career they will follow for the rest of their lives. These careers have been carefully selected by a council from the community whose job is to study the lives of each child and watch their temperament, interests, and talents. Everyone is perfectly suited to the job chosen for them.

When it comes time for Jonas and his friends to recieve their careers, something happens - the announcer skips over Jonas. This never happens. All of the children have a number, everything goes in the order of those numbers - except this time. The speaker saves Jonas til last, announcing to the community that Jonas has been chosen for the most important position in the community - the Receiver of Memory.

As Jonas is taught by the old Receiver of Memory, the Giver, who gives Jonas the memories of the past, he learns the history of what has been and the possibilities of what could be.

I love this book. It's so good. Reeeeaad it.