So, I have decided to name my blog Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Its something I believe is important for all people to realize that each of us, no matter where we are in this world, have those three rights. Each of us have a life, each of us can make our own decisions and all of us are looking for happiness. 

So for my first post, I want to share why I have created this Blog. One of my teachers in church actually inspired me to create this blog. He had said something one day in Institute along the lines of this: "If you do not share what you have learned, then you are no better than the frustrating ignorant man down the street. Why? Because you did not try to help him overcome his ignorance. Instead you hoarded the knowledge to yourself."

That really struck me. Growing up I had been the "smart one." In summer camp my nickname was this close to being Hermione. So knowledge and learning have always been a part of my life. So now, I want to share some of the things I have learned.

 The other day I was studying hope. And because I was studying hope, faith was right there in the mix of it. The definition of hope is noun: 1. a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. 2. a person or thing that may help or save someone. 3. *archaic* a feeling of trust. I really like all three of these definitions because the definition of faith was noun: 1. complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Then I got to thinking: faith and hope are like best friends. You can't every find one without the other. They each support and hold up each other.

Hope is the starting point for all things good in this world. I had thought of an analogy of sorts to help me better understand how faith and hope work together. So, hope, is believing that we are all on a journey, and the journey has a beautiful destination. Hope is our guide, pointing us where we should go. Faith, is having the courage to go on this journey. To take that first step and continually trust that our guide will not lead us astray.

 There is a verse in the Book of Mormon that I really like and that inspired my little analogy. It is found in the Book of Ether 12:4 and it reads: ""Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. My favorite part about that verse is that it says hope "maketh an anchor to the souls of men."

And going back to the analogy, if we are walking on a trail, we have an anchor beneath our feet. That dirt is going no where if we have that hope that we are going somewhere. Hope is the opposite of discouragement just like faith is the opposite of fear. Hope is forever there, a light that will never cease and will always lead us to our Heavenly Father. Following is a poem, by Emily Dickinson about hope and I think she explains it better then I ever could.


Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all

And the sweetest in the gale is heard
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm

I've heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea
Yet, never, in extremity
It asked a crumb of me