Josephus and I: An Intellectual's Account

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call Him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works -- a teacher of such men who receive the truth with pleasure. He drew unto Him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned Him to the cross, those that loved Him at the first did not forsake Him, for He appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these ten thousand other wonderful things concerning Him; and the tribe of Christians, so named for Him, are not extinct at this day." -Josephus Antiquities 18.63-64


Josephus was not a Christian. He was not a follower of Christ. He was merely a historian who wrote things down. It is this fact, that he did not know Jesus as I know Him, that makes the above statement even more powerful. Truth is truth.

Week in Review

Monday:

Did homework/practiced violin ALL DAY. And...that's all I remember.

Tuesday:

Work and school. I also have no memory of anything else that occurred.

Wednesday:

Seriously drove all over the place, trying to get everything done. Had class until 8:30. Reminded myself never to sign up for a class that late again. Also attended the Temple in-between work/classes/homework realizing I had an hour and a half to spare.

Thursday:

Work school life. Ate Reeses Puffs with Emilie.

Friday:

After Popcorn Friday at work, and attending my last geology class of the semester (Block classes, who knew right??) I madly drove to Sandy, picked up Chloe, drove back to Provo, shopped for and bought her Prom dress, drove back to Sandy, went to Miranda's bridal shower and remembered how much I love/miss all those friends, and then slept over in THE MOST COMFORTABLE BED EVER at my parents' house. It happens to be a trundle bed, meaning Nater got to sleep right next to me.

Saturday:

Woke up super early and drove BACK TO PROVO (how many times have I graced that section of I-15 in the past two days??) and went to EFY training (no, I'm not officially hired yet, but I've been invited to attend training, so cross your fingers and toes and eyes and teeth). Left EFY training, DROVE BACK TO SANDY, picked up my mom, and then drove to Bountiful to attend to details of my Princess Belle costume. We then zipped on up to Farmington to visit my mom's awesome cousin, and then drove back to Bountiful to visit some more cousins (because lets be real, how often are we in Bountiful?) and then drove back to Sandy where I got to sleep over in the Most Comfortable Bed Ever again (this time Abby took over the trundle bed).

Sunday:

Went to the single's ward with Triscuit, and again remembered how I miss these people. My parents made fish tacos for dinner, which were delicioso. Tonight I will again make the pilgrimage to Provo, and I hope that this next week involves a lot less driving. I have two midterms and a final, so pray for me and wish me love.

Over and out.

Prom: A note to the lovely ladies

Update 2/21/2014: To all the young women I have had the privilege to know,
I see you. I see you when you are modest and I rejoice inside. When you are modest you are outwardly stating I KNOW WHO I AM. I know that I am a Daughter of God. I know that I am blessed when I am obedient. I know that my body is a precious gift and I will treat it with respect. I know that the gentlemen I interact with are Sons of God and I will dress modestly to respect them, as well. I know that this life is the time to prepare to meet God, and I want to live with no regrets.

I see you when you are immodest and I feel so confused. I KNOW that you know better, because I have sat down with you and talked about it. You have answered the questions correctly about why modesty is SUCH a big deal. Please, sit down and think about it. Think about your goals and your hopes and dreams, and think about how modesty and obedience can impact that. Just think.

And also, I love you.

Hey girl.

So glad you got asked to Prom! So exciting. If you're a senior, this is your last one. If you're younger, this may be your first. I just wanted to share a few thoughts from the other side.

Please remember that there will be photos taken. Many, many photos. Those photos will more than likely last forever, especially with this thing called the internet that we all depend on. I want you to pause for a second and look 20 years into the future, when your own daughter will look at those photos. You won't be able to change them. The example will have been set. Are you going to regret being immodest? Are you going to compromise your integrity and your standards,  for a dance? I promise you, you will regret it someday.

I can also promise you, that you will never regret dressing modestly and treating yourself with respect. You will never look back on those pictures and think "Man. Wish I would've worn an immodest dress." That's never going to happen. You will always be grateful for following the Prophet.

When I was a junior, I went to a formal dance and we had dinner at a nice restaurant. I went into the bathroom and found myself face to face with Sister Newbold, a former seminary teacher. She grinned and hugged me and told me I looked beautiful. How embarrassing it could have been if I had been dressed immodestly!

One of the greatest compliments a man has ever given me was this: "I'm so thankful that I never have to worry about you being modest. I know that you always will be." Be that girl.

Also: have fun! Don't worry about how you look. Dress up and then have fun. It's one night in your life, and there are better ones ahead, so don't stress.

I think you're beautiful. I think you're priceless. Please don't be the girl with one hand on her standards and the other hand on the world. Be temple worthy at all times, in all things, and in all places.

Love,
Bethany

And if that wasn't clear enough, here you go!

1940s

Shift
eyelash raise
contact.

Breathe
hear the query
name.

Red
lips stained red.
Lovely.

Dance
Whirl and dip
Proper

Love
rushed, hurried.
Deep.

Ink writing
foreign stamp
waiting, waiting.

Red
uniform stained red.
Pain

Empty
Mailbox. Heart.
Gone.

Untitled

-I need my hair trimmed real bad.
-I have really fabulous, wonderful friends. Darlings.
-I do not understand why making my dreams come true is so difficult.
-My skin feels like it is falling off of my body.
-I adore laughing. Conversation with a friend:
Me: "I hate bathroom noises."
Him: "They should make sound proof toilets."
Me: "THAT is a fabulous idea."
Him: "I mean, come on, how acoustic is porcelain?"

-Learning and living is difficult. I am learning to live independent of other people, while still living for other people. I can't control what other people think or say or believe. I can only live as myself and hope to benefit them.
-Music theory is difficult for me.
-I love flowers. So much.
-I love how Nate talks
-I love the Temple

A Lesson from the Leaves

 Perhaps it comes from being born in October, or because I’ve always been dramatic and loved
wearing costumes, but the autumn months have always had a magic about them that makes me
look forward to the drop in temperature, the apple harvest, and the color change in the leaves. Our
lesson on the way light reflects color and the cause of the red, orange, and yellow during autumn is
what I found meaningful during the past month.
     Most people know that the green color of leaves is caused by chlorophyll in the plant’s cells.
Chlorophyll is made by chloroplasts, an organelle similar to mitochondria or golgi bodies, except
chloroplasts are unique to plant cells. What most people probably didn’t know is what causes the
other colors that come during fall, and why some fall seasons have brighter colors than other years.
Anthocyanins are the cause of the red pigment in leaves during the fall and they are also what
makes fruits and vegetables red, purple, or blue. Because light is what produces color, the more
sunlight the leaves are exposed to will result in greater amounts of anthocyanins and brighter reds
in the trees.
    This is meaningful to me because I (as usual) have to take a spiritual tangent on everything, and
I love the metaphor the leaves give for the use of light. The formula is simple: the more light, the
brighter the color. Our culture and society places so much value and energy into celebrities, calling
them “stars”, and everyday men and women pour billions of dollars annually into looking like
“stars”. I have always associated true beauty and value with light. We receive light from the
Savior, and as we receive that light we become brighter and brighter, like a leaf and its supply of
anthocyanins.
    Another lesson from the leaves tells us that we reflect what we absorb. During the seasons of
darkness, the leaves are dull and abandon the brilliant colors for drab brown and gray. Fortunately
for us, we are not tied to a branch like the leaves, but have the choice of what we are exposed to
and how much light we will take in. If we are to be brilliant, we must choose the friends, the
media, the behavior that will bring out our personal anthocyanins.
    I love all the seasons God has created for us, but I love the autumn months the most. Autumn is
the season where the trees really shine and cause people to stand in awe. I find the biology of leaf
cells to be meaningful because it reminds me to absorb light and reflect that light everyday.

Happy Love Day