A visit to the Cathedral...

A very nice architectural photo, shot properly to bring the verticals close to true. This is the west facade of Washington National Cathedral, aka The Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. The towers are named, left and right, The St. Peter Tower and The St. Paul Tower.

Almost a year ago(procrastination at it's finest...), my roommates and I went on a tour of the National Cathedral!  It was absolutely fantastic!~

It was done by one of the Cathedral Docents, Andy Bittner, who knows the Cathedral and how it all fits together(He lives in the boundaries of one of my previous wards that I served in.)

The north inner aisle of Washington National Cathedral's nave, looking east toward St. Mary's Chapel.

The Seal of District of Columbia... Washington D.C.

There is peaceful, solemn feeling felt throughout the building (except for the occasional tour that passes through). During our tour we crossed paths with people who were praying, meditating, or perhaps just looking at this wonderful building and learning its history.

There were beautiful windows of stained glass throughout the Cathedral, with works of art worthy of the masters of their trade.

The heroic-sized statue of Lincoln is by "Monument Man" Walker Hancock. Lincoln is depicted in a travelling shawl, standing on the back platform of a train, addressing the people of his adopted hometown, Springfield, Illinois, as he departs for his first inauguration. He never returned alive. The speech, carved into the wall, speaks for itself, and may be one of the saddest public addresses I've ever read. I think Lincoln may have had a greater facility for packing more meaning into fewer words than almost any other in the history of written English.

The Cathedral is a place of reflection.  I could see that, I could feel it.

Throughout the halls were many places to stop and think about God's glory(if you so chose) or to pray to Him.

It is full of history, with monuments to our country's Fathers laced throughout the arches.

The very existence of these memorials help us to remember where we came from, as a country and as people.  We know that these things can help us remember so that we can avoid repeating the past.

Andy told us about the stories built into the Cathedral itself, which he called the 'Kajillion-piece jigsaw puzzle', a witness to him that God has a hand in this building.

Each small thing, whether big or small, has a place in the Cathedral, and Andy himself said that he has yet to find all the pieces.

The architectural term for the Cathedral's front hall, between the two towers, is narthex. The narthex floor at Washington National Cathedral is inset with 52 marble seals; 50 state seals from the 50 states, the Seal of Washington D.C., and a larger U.S. Seal. Indiana is the source of Washington National Cathedral's primary building stone. In fact, Washington National Cathedral is the largest chunk of Indiana one could ever walk through that is not in the State of Indiana.

It was beautiful to see.  I know that I could spend hours in Cathedral just walking around, thinking about different things, using it as inspiration for writing.

There is a power there.  I could feel it.  It is something tangible and a cause for reflection.

A quiet reverence was observed throughout the building.

Scientists and Technicians, aka "The Space Window", commemorates those in the field of science and technology. Designed and fabricated in the late 1960s and early '70s, by artist Rodney Winfield, the window asks, "Is Not God In The Height Of Heaven?". The window was installed in 1974 and dedicated on the fifth anniversary of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon. The imagery shows a deep blue and green orb in the lower right-hand corner, which represents the earth. From that circle a white line of trajectory loops out, up and around the large, red circle in the center top. In the center of that circle is a white ring, and in the center of that ring, a dark spot. That dark spot is a piece of moon rock, brought back from the moon by the Apollo 11 crew.

The netting stretched beneath Washington National Cathedral's ten-story high ceiling, is a post-August, 2011-earthquake safety device. The colored light projecting through Rowan LeCompte's three-story high, clerestory windows, landing on the net, is something of a silver lining. Someone named that effect, "The Cathedral Borealis"

The main window in the Lincoln Bay, dedicated, of course, to President Abraham Lincoln, is called "The Agony of Civil War", and is by the artist Robert Pinart. Although Mr. Pinart has provided a much more complex intent, I simply interpret the window as... What is not flame colored is either blue or gray. Partially visible in the bottom of the frame is a carving addressing a key point in Lincoln's second inaugural address, that the war be ended, "with malice toward none". The carving is of two hands passing an olive branch.

The sun pouring through the Lineage of Jesus window, by artist Rowan LeCompte.

A distant view of the Mormon Temple in Silver Spring, Maryland, from the Pilgrim Observation Gallery at Washington National Cathedral. Distance... a little over 5.5 miles.

When Andy pointed out the Washington D.C. Temple, I started comparing the National Cathedral to the Temple...

To begin my comparison, I looked up the definitions,

Cathedral:

• The principal church of a diocese, with which the bishop is officially associated.

While the LDS definition of a temple is:

• Temples are literally houses of the Lord. They are holy places of worship where individuals make sacred covenants with God. (Full article here)

Next, the purpose of the two buildings are almost completely different.  

As it states on the National Cathedrals about page, they see the Cathedral as being, "...A catalyst for spiritual harmony in our nation, renewal in the churches, reconciliation among faiths, and compassion in our world."

On the other hand, Temples are places where we make sacred promises with the Lord and perform vicarious work for our ancestors because "...millions of people have died without having any opportunity to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or receive saving ordinances."(Full Article)

Ability to enter:
Those who enter the temple must be worthy, which means that they keep the commandments and are prepared to make and keep sacred temple covenants. In two interviews—one with a member of a bishopric or a branch president and another with a member of a stake presidency or a mission president—Church members certify their worthiness to enter the temple. In these interviews, the priesthood leader asks about the individual's personal conduct and worthiness. Those who are worthy receive a temple recommend, which allows them to enter the temple.

Dress Code:

When individuals go to the temple, they should wear their best clothing, as they do when they attend church. When they are inside the temple, they exchange their clothing for the white clothing of the temple.

Washington National Cathedral from the north, with the formerly-over-three-hundred-foot "Gloria In Excelsis" bell tower, crowned in scaffolding that is currently only stabilizing earthquake damage. Very little actual repair has taken place on the tower. In the cross-shaped floor plan, the portion of the building jutting toward the viewer, with the large, round window, is the northern arm of the cross.

Several notable non-members have commented in regards to their experience in the ensign article,

The beauty of the temple impressed the visitors, including many prominent Filipinos. Writer Celso Carunungan commented on “a feeling of holiness, that when you get inside you are going to confront your Creator.” Colonel Bienvenido Castillo, chief chaplain of the Philippine Constabulary, said the temple is “a place where you can contemplate heavenly things because you are in such an environment.” Two nuns felt the temple “is truly a house of the Lord.” Eva Estrada-Kalaw, a member of the Philippine parliament, told guides, “I wish you would build more temples here." (Article)

The Cathedral is massive, even overpowering, giving an insignificant feeling. You feel the 'power' of God. It is a holy place.

The Temple... everything is close, warm, and nearby. It feels like home.

In the temple, it feels like Heavenly Father could be right around the corner, sitting in one of the chairs.

You don't necessarily feel power, but you can feel His presence.

You do not wonder if it is a holy place or not. You can feel it.

I've come to find that it's in interesting how different religions portray God. That's one thing I've learned to appreciate during my mission.

Distant, Omniscient being.

Loving, Caring Father.

How we see him even shows in the very architecture in which we build.
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Here are some pictures of the inside of the temple!~

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Here are some videos expressing what temples are about!~

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Elder Harston walking onto the driveway for the Cathedral's underground parking garage. From this vantage point, one can clearly see the flying buttresses that are holding up the ceiling of the north transept, from the outside. The security vehicle in the background makes me want to mention that the Cathedral has it's own security division. Some of us like to call them, "The God Squad".

Check out Andy's Blog!~

Picture of Kiev, Ukraine Temple taken from 'here'
Picture of Laie, Hawaii Temple taken from 'here'
Picture of Gila, Arizona Temple taken from 'here'

There is always a choice...

When I was younger (Age:9-12ish) and getting angry, I used to yell at speak very politely with my mother,

"You're making my ANGRY!"

"I can't make you do anything," she would respond, "that's your choice!"

Looking back, I've come to appreciate the fact that, though we may not have much control over the circumstances we are in, we always have choices, no matter the situation.

That small lesson from my mother had lasting consequences.

I know that because of that, I can choose for myself how I react, even if the situation is not in my favor.

Even if the world seems like it's falling apart.

Even if my body is fighting against me.

I have a choice.

This is a chance given to me by my Father in Heaven.

My choice is to get up when I feel down, to continue when all seems lost.  I want to keep going, to keep moving, I don't want to stay still and admit defeat.  I don't want to be beaten by the natural man, my internal voice which says, 'I can't'.

Sometimes it's a battle, sometimes, an easy victory, but every step forward is in the right direction.

I know that my Father in Heaven has given me the opportunity to change, to choose and if we truly want it bad enough, we can move forward because,

If we want to progress.  We can push on.  God will always put at our fingertips resources that we can use to change ourselves or use so that we can continue to progress.  We just need to look around us.

If we want to.  That's the wonderful thing about the plan that our heavenly father has given us.

Even if we no more desire to change and/or progress, our Heavenly Father will help us find the proper tools.  There's a scripture that I think about whenever pause to ponder about change/progression:

"...behold, if ye will awake[!] and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can believe..."  -Full Reference-

If we believe that we can do it, or at the very least try to believe, it could happen! (Believe in the me that Believes in YOU! [A gold star to whoever gets that reference])

I'm not saying that every challenge can be overcome by pure willpower or the resources that God puts at our disposal.  Sometimes, we have to simply endure.

Just like Elder Richard J. Maynes said in his speech, The Strength to Endure,

"Many of the challenges we face in life can be solved and overcome; however, others may be difficult to understand and impossible to overcome and will be with us until we pass on to the next life. As we temporarily endure the challenges we can solve and as we continue to endure the challenges we cannot solve, it is important to remember that the spiritual strength we develop will help us successfully endure all the challenges we face in life." [Emphasis Added]

By enduring our Earthly Trials, we grow spiritually.  We become more than we were before.

I guess one of the tricks of life is determining which trials are the ones that we can change and which ones we can't.

A mental illness or chronic disease is one of those things that I don't think you can change, regardless of how much you rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ(which is there to help strengthen us anyways). As I heard a fellow missionary recently describe it,

"Jesus is not some magical repairman who you call when something is broken(whether it be physical or just the situation).  He is our Savior and Redeemer."

We can call on Him when we are in trouble, it's true, but he is with us from the beginning and will strengthen us to face our problems way before it even comes to the point where all we have left is Him.

I'm not a physician or a psychiatrist so I'm just relying on my own perceptions (so I could be wrong), but from what I've seen is that God gives us trials based on us individually. They are very personal to us, and are there to help us become stronger and learn to rely on Him.

Because we've overcome those trials and gotten stronger, I think it must be Human Nature to want to help others surpass similar circumstances.

We want to help others who are going through those hard times, but we can only see their troubles through the filter of our own experiences.  That doesn't mean that we do not have something constructive that could help them and their problem.  We most certainly could but everyone is different(If only just a little bit)!~

We don't know their thoughts, we might only be seeing the tip of the iceberg, for all we know, they could be fighting the hardest battle of their life.

That's why I think it's important that we do not compare our individual trials to another persons.  It can lead to thoughts such as, "Why is this so hard for me when others can do it so easily," (for those undergoing said trial) to "Everybody else is so weak, I went through it and I'm fine!" (for those undergoing a similar trial, but past it with little effort).

From what I've seen, the best help someone can give is just listening, giving support, and being there for someone. (Of course, everybody is different so that might not work for someone else; Remember the Languages of Love!)  Sometimes, well-meaning advice can be harmful without us realizing it.  We might not have a grasp on the entire situation.

I really like the way this comic below portrays advice given without fully understanding the situation, (I think it was specifically made with reference to Depression)

Personally, I think advice is always welcome[!]~ but sometimes it's important to try and see it from another point of view before passing on the advice...

To Conclude:

I know that we have a choice.  It may not be a choice that we like, but it's always going to be there. I know if we are in too much pain, we can cry out to our Heavenly Father and He will send help.  He wants us to succeed in this life and in the life to come.

I do know that we can look up during our trials, our personal tests, and search our hearts for the answer,

because we are all Children of our Heavenly Father[God] and he will never leave us comfortless.  

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Complimentary Video Excerpts from Jeffrey R. Hollands' Talk :  "An High Priest of Good Times to Come"

Friends; A Great Asset or an Eternal Detriment!?

Let me put this out there;

I love my friends.

If you're my friend and you truly need something: I'll try to get there as soon as possible (whether metaphorically or physically).

Of course; I'm also kind of forgetful.  And easily side-tracked.

If I don't write something down, it's out of my head within five minutes, so sometimes I just forget...  I've let down a few people because I've forgotten something important...

But that's not the main point of this post!

With that said; the stage is set(!)  Let the post begin~

Something that I've noticed;  That the company we keep has a great effect on who we are(usually the effect happens over time).  Sometimes we act differently around different people, sometimes we act a certain way to get a certain response.

It's almost like we're playing a part in a play.  When we're around our 'friends', we play our part;  but once we're off the 'stage', we take off the mask and resume life as usual (or maybe we move to another stage!)

That's something I've been trying to improve myself over the past couple of years, being who I am, no matter what company I keep.

The scriptures have examples of pretty much everything, even this-

There was a King in The Book of Mormon, his name was Noah, and he decided to go against the commandments of God, so he made a lot of bad choices in his life and in his kingdom.  I guess you could say he surrounded himself with people whom he thought of as his friends (I call them Henchmen or maybe Cronies)

A prophet named Abinadi was preaching to the people, telling them to that they had turned from the right way.  They didn't believe Abinadi and brought him before King Noah.

He began to preach to King Noah as well and the king was suitably cowed (as one would be when facing a prophet)-

 "And now king Noah was about to release him, for he feared his word; for he feared that the judgments of God would come upon him."  -Full Reference-

But then, sadly, King Noah's buddies began to speak up-

"But [his friends] lifted up their voices against him, and began to accuse him, saying: He has reviled the king. Therefore the king was stirred up in anger against him, and he delivered him up that he might be slain."  -Full Reference-

 In about two seconds, King Noah goes from letting Abinadi go, to deciding to kill him(!)  all because of his friends.

I think that's why we've been given council to watch what friends we keep from a religious and psychological standpoint.  Whether we want them to or not, they affect us, they define us, they 'help' us define our moral compass.

Not to say we should shun those who don't share our beliefs or standards, but just be aware that there will come a time when you must choose for yourself what you believe, even if you don't choose to hang around those who do not share your beliefs...

Scriptures have got examples everywhere~  You just need to know where to look!

Seasons Come and Go...

This past Wednesday was Transfer meeting...

     

The Missionaries that had completed their assigned time spoke in front of the rest of us, the new arrivals(fresh from the MTC!) were introduced with their trainers(I was in their place a bit over a year ago!), we all said our Goodbyes; tears were shed, good luck was wished and we went on our merry ways.

Thinking back to when I first arrived, I didn't know anybody; who was leaving, who arrived with me, it was just my MTC companion and me...

This time, I knew all eleven of the 'dying'(departing) missionaries, I respected them for who they are and had a personal relationship/friendship/acquaintanceship with each one of them.  I also knew most of the Senior Couples.

Some of the Fantastic Senior Couples that left!

A scripture came to mind at this point:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted...  -Full Reference-

It's crazy what can happen in a year.

People change over time.  I've definitely changed as I have gotten older.  We keep on improving, knowing that there is purpose in our life, even if it's the purpose we give it.

As I mentioned before, there were several missionaries(Elders, Sisters, and Senior Couples) whom I respected immensely who went home that day.  They had finished their mission.  It was tough to see them go, but it was time for them to move on...

So here I am, ready to face the new day, knowing that in a year, I will be in their place...

Speaking of time,

The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he(or she) does, whoever (s)he is.  -C.S. Lewis

This is not a picture of me...

Diplomatic Epiphany

Due to some really bad weather, poor scheduling, and good 'ol fashioned procrastination, the post for this week was delayed.  So we are getting things back together!

Yes, I should've used flash...

 

The Show must go on~

Last week our district was asked to direct traffic at a diplomatic function.  For me, it was an excellent opportunity to both help out AND go to the Washington D.C. Visitors' Center. (an absolutely wonderful place)

 

So we suited up in the parking gear (lightsabers included), headed out into the chill air and got to work!

I was put in the North-West edge of the Parking lot, with a beautiful view of the Temple.  (See parking diagram below)

It gave me a lot of time to think(one of my favorite pastimes) as I was directing people to where they could park.  Specifically, I thought about prophets.

You may think, "why in the world would he be thinking about old men who talk about the world ending!?" (Maybe...)

That's not the point of a prophet. 

A prophet is put on the Earth so he can help lead and guide us.  He invites us to follow the commandments so that we can live life to the fullest.  This experience helped me understand that on a whole different level!

You see, I was put on the edge of the parking lot to guide people to better parking.  I would wave my 'lightsaber', beckoning people to follow where I was pointing, so they wouldn't have to guess or wonder if there was any parking available.

Some didn't listen.

 They would go ahead and park.  Some wandered aimlessly looking for a spot, eventually either following me, stopping and asking me where parking was available.  I would think to myself 'please, come on!'  or 'there's better parking if you'd just follow me!'

It was actually kind of sad.  The parking right in front of the Visitors' Center didn't get completely filled up until about twenty minutes before the Function ended.  Yet, the other parts of the parking lot were completely full.

People saw an empty space and went for it.  Perhaps they didn't see me or maybe they thought I might direct them to a less desirable spot, I don't know.

Just like the Prophets(sort of), I was leading people to a better place.  I was trying to tell them of a better way.  But some didn't listen, thinking, maybe, they knew more or that they had the right idea.  It may not have occurred to them that my whole purpose was to direct them to a better spot.

It may've been frustrating, but I did gain something;

A new vantage on the purpose of the Prophet.

People are... Human?

We all make mistakes.  Simple as that.  I, myself, have made millions of them throughout my short lifespan of twenty-some years...

Shocking, right?

Mistakes are made, feelings are hurt, some choice words are said, then someone goes home with a knot stuck in their throat and a feeling that they've been wronged.
 
Accepting that truth has been something that I have had some difficulty with throughout my  life.

Let me clarify; I've tried to make a distinction between a person and their actions, President Monson puts it pretty well in this Mormon Message below-

We don't know the reason a person did the things he or she did unless they explicitly tell us.  We don't know their circumstances and feelings(completely).  We can make guesses, but we don't honestly know.  I know I've jumped to an entirely wrong conclusion before(many times :(...). 

"So be kind regarding human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal men and women. Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we."[Emphasis Added]

-Jeffrey R. Holland, "Lord, I Believe"

Even when people do things for a malicious reason, I've tried to think about the bright side of things, after all, as Jeffrey R. Holland puts it-

Technology; A Blessing and a Curse

 "...Thou shalt not ^aidle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy ^btalent that it may not be known." 

-Full Reference-

There are countless opportunities provided to us through the virtual world.

We can go all over the world in the blink of an eye.  We can see the Great Wall of China, travel to the Eiffel tower, then talk to another person on the other side of the world, all while eating at the local burger joint. 

 

This technology, more specifically, the internet, has allowed us to keep in touch with people that we otherwise would not be able to and keep tabs on them(ahem... FACEBOOK-Stalking!).  We can take classes online and learn in ways that may not have been dreamed of even ten years ago.

But there are dangers too.

Viruses.  Hackers.  Time-wasters.(yes, they're a danger too!)

Back when I was home, instead of spending some quality time with my family, I wanted to try to save the galaxy from the tyrant Mengsk.  Again.  

I wanted to survive the Zombie Apocalypse with my fellow virtual survivors, rather than chilling with my real family.  

I wanted to beat down the Sith Lords(or join them to rule the galaxy... One can never decide...) instead of playing with my little brother.

Y'know, the little things.

Technology is wonderful.  I will never argue that, but I look back to the time that I could've been spending with my family, maybe helping those around me, and I just shake my head...

What could I have done with all that time that I spent on the computer???

I love video games!  There is no arguing that.  I love playing the stories, listening to the music, discovering who beat who.  But I feel like I could've spent it more wisely!  As it states in the bible; there is a time for EVERYTHING(!) and it's important that we not waste the already little time we have! Amulek (A missionary from The Book of Mormon) reminds us,

"For behold, this ^alife is the time for men to ^bprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of ^cthis life is the day for men to perform their ^dlabors."  -Full Reference-

The internet is great, wonderful, and all around useful, but think about what we could be doing instead of wasting time. (Unless, of course, you're doing something useful, in which case; Good on ya!)

In the Mormon Message below, David A. Bednar(an Apostle) provides the following two questions to help us with our use of technology;

1. Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life?

2. Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?

Made with excerpts of David A. Bednar's  talk, "Things as They Really Are"

In the end, I can only remember the prophetic council of Jacob(another prophet from the Book of Mormon), which helps me when I'm trying to make a choice-

"O be ^awise; what can I say more[!]?"

-Full Reference-

Note: There is a voting option to the right that you can select a question that Elder Hart and I will answer!  Vote!  Make your voice heard!  Let us know that people care...  :( 

Question; What methods have you learned to help you spend your time effectively?

Soul Writing

I'm a soul writer.
You're a soul writer.

In some way shape or form, we all just want to write down the things in our hearts.  We want to share it with others.  we want others to understand why these things are important to us.

    That's why I'm making this blog.

I want to share what I believe.  I want you to understand why it's important to me.  You may not accept the things I write; That's okay.

    Like Nephi(A Prophet from The Book of Mormon) wrote,

    "And upon these I write the things of my soul...  For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them... Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart Pondereth continually upon the things I have seen and heard..."  -Full Reference-

These things mean a lot to me.  I want you to know that.

Hopefully, I don't become a 'Sole' writer, where my writing is simply thrown on the metaphorical ground to be walked upon, left in the dirt, where the only ones who truly appreciate this are the soles of the feet that walk upon it.  Nephi (the same guy) was worried about this too.  So he included a couple of verses in his record, which I will put in the context of this blog...

    "Nevertheless, I do not write anything [in this blog] save it be that I think it be sacred...  For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet... I say, trample under their feet, but I would speak in other words-  They set [them] at naught, and hearken not..."   -Full Reference-

I know you can gain something from this blog.

It might be inspiration, you might be going through a hard time.  It might be knowledge, you might just be curious as to what goes on in my head, it might be uplifting, you may have an insight that helps you in your day to day life.

In the end, reading this will be what you make of it.  I invite you to, if nothing else, pay attention to the thoughts and feelings you have while reading.

That's all I ask.