Friends at BYU

One thing that I noticed about being at college is that you have the opportunity to be with your friends constantly.  It is such a neat experience and you build very strong relationships because of it.  I also think that because we are at BYU we tend to all have the same standards and therefore we immediately become very close friends.  I am so grateful for the friendships that I have built up at BYU.

Research Essay -- Physician's Assisted Suicide

I changed my topic yesterday as I was about ready to start my essay.  So I have been focusing more on research than starting the first 2.5 pages of my essay.  

Thesis:  Although the ability to end your life may benefit a patient experiencing extreme discomfort or inevitable death, it demeans the value of life, leads to eventually passing a euthanasia act, and prohibits the recovery or misdiagnosis of the patient.  

A patient that is experiencing extreme discomfort or is diagnosed to pass away within the next few months may benefit from having the ability to choose to take his or her own life, however the value of life is much more important.  In the past decade or so, there have been three states that have found physician's assisted suicide a reasonable right to every individual suffering from an critical illness.  The first of these three states to pass a bill was Oregon.  Under Oregon’s death with dignity act allows, “doctors can prescribe medication to hasten the death of terminally ill patients with six-month prognoses. Patients must be mentally competent and they must administer the medication to themselves.”    

Cupcake Recipe

A couple of days ago I decided that I really wanted cupcakes, so made this wonderful recipe.  I had a blast making it, and i got to enjoy some awesome cupcakes...alright so I have a confession.  They weren't that amazing but they were at least my cupcakes.  Oh and I really love Cream cheese frosting and chocolate so it was my favorite.  It was a fun experience that produced a tasty treat.  All in all, I consider it a win.  

Ingredients

• 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sweet butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 egg whites

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 1 Tbs. corn syrup
• 1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbs. grated orange zest
• Food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In top part of double boiler over boiling water heat chocolate, 1/2 cup milk, brown sugar and egg yolk. Stir continuously and remove from heat when smooth and thick. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together into medium bow.

In separate large bowl, beat together butter and sugar, add egg yolks, 3/4 cup milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Slowly add flour mixture and stir until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and combine. In separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into batter. Bake in cupcake tins for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in tins. Remove to cool completely. Combine frosting ingredients and frost cupcakes.

Whitney up at BYU

This semester, about a week after my birthday, my girlfriend was able to come up and visit BYU.  She absolutely loved it and we had so many fun experiences.  We were able to play in the snow --it was her first time being in snow for more than an hour.  It was a very new experience for her.  We also went up to Park City on a fun date and had a very nice dinner at a BBQ restaurant.  The food was incredible!  We also went sledding and built a snowman.  It was one of the funnest weeks I had up at BYU.

Our Divine Destiny By David A. Bednar

We are taught be several Apostles of God that obtaining a body is central to the Father's plan.  It is a necessary step in order to eventually return back to our Heavenly Father.  In the book, "Prospective on New Media," Elder Bednar talks about the importance of having a body.

Joseph Smith taught, "We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom.  The great principle of happiness consists in having a body.  The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment." It is very important that we have a body, it is important that we do not forget the important of having a body.  The devil's ultimate goal is make force us into taking advantage of using our body.  

Joseph Continue's by saying, "The devil has no power over us only as we permit him; the moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power."  I'm not sure which apostle said this, but we are stronger than sin the moment it first presents itself to us.  However as we dwell on it and allow it to enter our mind, we are allowing satan to take control.  We need to immediately conquer sin.  In Brother Bott's  Mission preperation class, we recently discussed the importance of overcoming sin immediately.  Brother Bott teaches that there is an internal battle between your perfect spirit body and your imperfect physical body.  Before we came to earth, we perfected our spiritual body.  We could exist in the presence of God.  However now that we have obtain an imperfect physical body, our goal is to prefect them so that we can have perfect control over it.  Once we can complete this, we will be able to experience true happiness.  In Doctrine and Coventants 93:33-34 its states, "For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy."  Our body's can make us eternally happy.  If we can follow God's commandments, we will be able to return our perfected body's back to Heavenly Father.      

Me and My Sister's Birthday

My Birthday was so much fun!  Both my sister and I had our very best friends come up and visit for our birthday.  It just happened that our best friends are dating each other too.  During the entire weekend we went snowboarding, had a little party, and shared a bunch of other fun memories.  I am so lucky to have a great sister and great friends!

Mission Call!

This semester, probably the most significant event in my life happened.  I GOT MY MISSION CALL!  Two lines on a peace of paper determined where I am going to live and serve for the next two years of my life.  I am extremely excited to share my love of the gospel with others in Kennewick Washington.  I can't wait to get out there.