The Importance of Clear Perspective

Have you ever watched something on YouTube and the image was blurry and unfocused? And then you watch the same video or a different one that has a clearer or completely clear picture? The difference is astounding. You don't realize how much you're missing until you can see clearly.
It's like sunglasses; you put them on and everything gets a little bit darker. Take them off and the color is restored.
Try it. Grab a pair of sunglasses, put them on, leave them on for as long as you can stand it and take them off. (If you do it during the summer, or just on a sunny day, and you do it outside you get the full thing.) The difference is amazing. The image before was colorless and dull. The image after is colorful and lively. If you keep the sunglasses on for a while then you begin to get used to them and in a way you forget what a clear vision looks like...until you take them off. And then it's like BAM!! color restored.
Our image needs to be clear. Can you imagine going around with sunglasses on? Everything would be gray and...boring. Yuck.
Now, imagine that you need glasses. If you have glasses already then imagine you're buying a new pair. Right now you're creating you're own pair of unique glasses. The only thing you cannot change is the lens. Your lenses are specially ordered lenses. Unfortunately that means you cannot tint them. And they are not the kind that turn into sunglasses when you go outside. Sorry! So with that information, what do they look like? What do they feel like? You might even think about what they smell like, I don't know. Are they red? Blue? Black? Silver? Neon green? Polka dotted? Are they horn rimmed? Are they rectangular? Oval shaped? Whatever you want (as long as it'd be on a real pair of glasses; you can't have spy glasses like in Spy Kids).
You've bought the glasses. Before you open the case and read the owner's manual you need to commit to keeping your glasses clean and well cared for. I mean, you wouldn't wear them if they were blurry, scratched and/or dirty. You'd clean them, get them repaired if necessary, whatever it takes. These glasses help you to see so please keep them clean.
...What are you waiting for? Open the case! ...Wow. They look awesome. Try them on. Cool. Don't forget the manual now.

Glasses 1 pair

Custom Made

These belong to _______________

Owner's Manual

YourGlasses Inc.

Cleaning Instructions

If your lenses are blurry - exhale lightly on lens and clean with smooth cloth.

If lenses are dirty - follow above instructions for blurriness. If that fails clean gently with a damp cloth. If that does not work, take your glasses to the closest YourGlasses consultant.

If lenses are scratched - if it's a small scratch you should be fine. If bigger or you gain more, have lenses replaced.

WARNING

Do NOT drop, step on, put in a blender or do any other thing to glasses that may result in damaging them.

Warranty

This product has a life-time warranty.

However, YourGlasses Inc. will not be able to change your glasses design once you have chosen it due to the complex contract we hold.

If you need to replace your glasses, please bring them to a consultant. They will help you to replace them.

YourGlasses Inc. Contract/Agreement

YourGlasses Inc. pledges to give you only the finest custom made glasses available. Glasses are designed by you therefore YourGlasses is not responsible for "messed up" or "terrible" designs. YourGlasses will not change the design you have made once you have placed your order. 
A YourGlasses consultant will help to replace lenses and, if necessary, the glasses themselves. Replacement is completely free but we cannot guarantee a quick fix.
If you are not completely satisfied with your product please meet with a YourGlasses consultant.

Common Questions

• Why do you call some of your employes 'consultants'? Because our consultants will consult with you on how to fix or replace your glasses.

• Why do I need special lenses? I've never had really bad eyesight. Our lenses are handmade by only the best thus each pair is unique as is each person and each person's personality. This is another reason why we allow you to design your own glasses.

• When I went to have my glasses replaced all my consultant and I did was talk. And we didn't always talk about glasses. We talked about me. And after that my glasses were fixed. How is that? Are you magicians or something? No, we are not magicians. The truth are these glasses help you see spiritually. Your frames represent your personality, what you think of yourself and your uniqueness. When you talk to a consultant about yourself, your lenses or glasses repair themselves because of your personality. In a way you could say we are magicians but a better way to put it would be that the glasses are magical.
• Who can be a YourGlasses consultant? Anyone who feels that they can undertake the job. A consultant must be ready to act at anytime and must be willing to let their house be used for work when needed. They must also be able to comfort, assure and understand others.

So, have you read through the manual? Good. We'll move on then.

I was at a conference once and one of the speakers spoke about wearing spiritual glasses. That is partly where I got the idea for this paper. The other half of inspiration was gained when I was watching a video on YouTube. I watched one version with unfocused pixels and then I watched the same video but with better focus. I'd already watched the video before but I was surprised at how much detail I'd missed and how much detail I'd forgotten from just watching the unfocused one once. Like I said, it really is amazing how much we miss when we don't open our eyes.

I hope we can, as they say, "open our eyes to see." That sounds so simple and weird doesn't it? But sometimes we're unfocused and the colors we see are dull, we need to see all the colors and all the details. We need to clean our glasses and see what we're missing.
There are many things that can and will cloud our minds. Some examples are pride, feelings of worthlessness and sin. The consultants represent mentors, parents, good friends and family. When we're feeling down we can talk to them.
Your glasses represent you. As it says in the manual, the glasses are like your personality, what you think of yourself and your uniqueness. I'd also like to add your beliefs and opinions. The frames and lenses are special because you are special. You pick your personality. And in a way, you can't change your personality.  Well, you can, I guess, but I'm not going to get into that.

Anyway, what I would like you to remember is:

Keep your glasses clean. 

Pioneer Trek

The following really happened.
I just finished participating in a Pioneer Trek. A pioneer trek is when we (youth) dress as the pioneers did and we push a handcart for as many miles as our leaders set for us.
It's hard but it's so worth it. Not to mention it was totally fun. We each had a family including kids, a Ma and Pa, a baby (a baby doll full of rice) and you might even have an aunt and/or uncle.
We had five families and five handcarts. We started on a Wednesday and ended on Saturday. I think we hiked somewhere around 15-20 miles. 10-12 on the first day, 3-4 on the second, 0 on the third (it was the "Sabbath") and 3-4 on the fourth and final day.
First day:
We got together at the meeting place, met our families, designed our flag, checked our stuff, had lunch, put together the handcarts and headed out.
Unfortunately and not unfortunately, we were rained on. Luckily it didn't last for long but it left everyone wet and cold. And our shoes were soaked.
It was a tough first day. We had a lot of uphill and a lot of puddles. My socks that I was wearing were white. They are now purple and brown. (Don't ask me were the purple came from, I don't know and I'm not sure that I want to.)
We arrived at the place designated for our first night and set up plastic tarps to sleep under. We unfolded all the plastic, put the sleeping bags on one half and then folded the other half over.
For dinner we had bread and broth. It tasted amazing.
Day two:

We woke up damp and a lot of people, if not everyone, had partly or fully wet sleeping bags. We had oatmeal with raisins for breakfast and were visited by a member of the US army. The men were asked to join. They agreed because we didn't have anymore food and the army would pay us in it. So the men (excluding the fathers) went and joined the Mormon Battalion. So began what we call The Women's Pull. Us girls pull and pushed our handcarts 1 1/2 miles mostly uphill where we met the boys. We hiked another mile or so to the top, stopped for an apple lunch and went the mile or so downhill. The men stood in front of the bar and us girls held a rope tied to the back of the handcart. (We pretty much got pulled along.)
Below is a handcart so you can get the idea of what I was talking about.

Before we could get to our campsite we had to cross a stream. The water was cold but felt good. The rocks on the other hand were a different story. Then we all unloaded, set up camp and participated in some activities. We each had a different campsite. And this time instead of sleeping in between the tarp we took ours and made a lean-to. Sort of. We tied a rope to two trees and put the plastic over it. Then we pulled out one side, folded part of it underneath. You know what that's just confusing.
Our lean-to looked kind of like the one below but the back was pulled down and duct-taped to the bottom.

We ate chicken and rice with homemade bread and sweet potatoes for dinner. We had a fireside and then we went to bed. And we dried our sleeping bags out next to the fire..
Day three:
It being the "Sabbath," we changed into our second set of clothes and had some of our church meetings, Relief Society/Priesthood and Sunday School. In between lunch and dinner we had solo time. Solo time was where we went into the woods be ourselves for three hours and we were to pray, think, ponder, write in our journals and read our scriptures. After that we dinner and then we had Sacrament meeting. It was also a testimony meeting. After that we had Family Home Evening at our campsites. Then we all just hung out for a while until we were called tot he bigger campfire for popcorn. We ended up singing late into the night. It was awesome.
Final leg of the journey:
After cleaning up the campsites we headed out. We arrived at the last spot in the afternoon and were greeted by our parents.

There are many things that I have not put in; it would take a lot of time to write it all. I can't really make you understand because unless you've been on a pioneer trek, you don't know what it's like. It's like a roller coaster, you can tell your friend all about it but they won't really understand until they ride it themselves. Or a better example might be this: if you went on a camp out and then came home and told your friend all about it they would enjoy listening but they really won't know what it was like and what it felt like because they weren't there.
I'd like to finish by saying that the Trek was hard. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. But it was also one of the most meaningful things I've ever done.


---
I would like to note that a Pioneer Trek is a tradition for the youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Different things for Trek are done in different places.

The power of YOUth

First of all I would just like to say that the YOUth thing (the way it was spelled) was not my idea.

-----

Do you know how powerful you are? Do you know how powerful you are and how powerful you can be?
I would like to talk specifically to youth and I would like you to take this subject seriously; this is a real thing. This doesn't mean that the other things I've written aren't real things too, I just want you to understand that in this age your power can be powerful beyond measure. You can do things no one else can do.
So do you know that you can do amazing things? Did you know that you can be a leader to those around you? Do you know that you have something inside you that you could use to change the world?
I have seen the power of youth. I have seen people who are quiet, shy and seem like more of followers, stand up and lead. There are some who have a natural leader sense built in. Others do not. But that doesn't mean that those who don't cannot gain one.
The world needs leaders. Leaders who take charge, who are responsible and reliable, leaders who stand for the right and leaders who aren't afraid to stick out and stand up.

The actions of a leader speak louder than his or her words.1

Isn't that cool? Actions are louder then words. I'd never really thought of it that way but the way you act really does matter when you're a leader. If you're a leader then you want to act in a way that people want to follow. You act in a way that shows you're honest, humble and confident (and being humorous isn't bad either!).
To be leader you aslo need to be kind, caring, understanding, trustworthy, all the characteristics of a great person. Think of things that you look for in a good friend. Another way might be to look for things you want in your future spouse.
Another important attribute of a leader is that you're open-minded. You can have your own opinions (obviously) but you don't want to be narrow minded; be open to other ideas. In fact, you need to be open-minded in almost everything in life. We don't all have to agree but we can't bash heads and think only one person can be right.
Another skill is being firm but not controlling; there's a difference. You want people to know you're serious and you can get stuff done but you don't want to be pushy. (It sounds like a lot but it's not that bad.)
If you don't have those things then you'll probably be a crummy leader. So develop them now.

Challenge: Look around. Everyone is always looking for someone to stand up and lead. It doesn't always seem like it but there are opportunities to lead all the time. Nobody wants to lead but someone needs to. Will it be you?
Being a leader may not come naturally to you, that's fine. I'm a shy person; until I got called into a leadership position at church, I was totally an un-leader-ish type person. I had to step out of my comfort zone (something we should do every so often) and I grew and I learned so much. When you're a leader, even if you don't do it everyday, it teaches you numerous things. You learn how to work with people, how to think for everyone and how to talk to groups.
A good way to practice all those things is working or volunteering at a camp. It could be a summer camp, a day camp, whatever. You'd be surprised at what you can learn about yourself, others and how to deal with problems.
You just might find that you're a natural leader.

Remember: Anyone can be a leader. The question is what kind of leader will you be?

---
1 http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/styles/quiet_leader.htm

They are watching and they will help

The following is a true story.
I recently went on a 27 mile backpacking hike on the Appalachian Trail with a bunch of other young women my age. We started at Angel's Rest and ended at Dismal Falls. I wish I had a map but I don't. Anyway, what I'd like to share with you today took place on the second day of travel.
So, everybody was tired and sore but we were all pretty happy. During the afternoon, I had to keep telling my self to just put one foot in front of the other. You just get so tired that you have to keep walking because 1) if you don't you might never get started again and 2) sometimes your feet hurt more when you stop.
Helpful advice if you ever go on a backpacking trip: it's worth it at the end so just keep walking.
Anyhow, I'm just trying to keep my feet going and then I was reminded of three things. 1) Before the hike, the person in charge had said that "the Lord won't give you more then you can endure." 2) I'd recently watched 17 Miracles, a movie about the Mormon pioneers. In the movie it shows/talks about how sometimes the pioneers felt like there were angels pushing their wagons. 3) Before watching 17 Miracles, we had two missionaries there and one of them said something that is both inspirational and creepy. She said, "Your future children are watching you right now."
Remembering these things I prayed and, only for about five seconds, it felt like somebody had lifted the bottom of my backpack. Like I said, it wasn't for very long but it gave me the boost I needed to keep going. And it happened more then once.
I know that I had help from angels that day and I feel certain that it was my future children helping me. I know that our future children or any relative whether they've passed on or haven't been born yet. I know they can help us with our righteous desires if we just ask.
Asking seems simple but simple things are the essence of big things. Like L. Tom Perry said, "While some very intelligent and insightful people might believe our more complex time demands ever more complex solutions, I am far from convinced they are right. Rather, I am of the frame of mind that today’s complexity demands greater simplicity."
So remember "keep it simple."1
------
1 The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan pg, 225

YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD TODAY

Before you start reading, I'm just going to say that I feel really, really strongly on this subject and I've been working on this for ages so this is probably going to be kind of long.
(And there's so much more I could say!)

------

In some of my spare time I like to take quizzes like 'which character are you in this movie?' I recently took a quiz on the Zimbio quiz website called, 'Which Dr. Seuss character are you?' and I came out as The Lorax. Now, at the end of the quiz when you find out who you are, they also give a description, so to speak, of the character. The description of The Lorax said, "You're a champion...with the grit and courage to stand up for your principles. You speak for those who cannot speak for themselves and fight for change because you know that caring a whole awful lot is the only way to improve your world."
Sometimes we think that other people will do it or that we can't do anything. Both are completely normal things to think but we can't let those thoughts get in the way. Why not? Because anyone can make a difference.
I went to a conference a while ago and I got the opportunity to listen to a very inspirational and motivational speaker named Merrilee Boyack. First of all, before I continue, I'd just like to say that she is truly and awesomely-amazingly AWESOME. She gave a talk on standing up in a sit-down world. And how cool is that? I mean, aren't we pulled down by the "just-sit-down-and-do-nothing" gravity of the world? Don't we fear that we'll stand up and be shunned? When we stand up we could be shunned but that shouldn't stop us. In fact, try to take pride in being different. What if everyone was the same? That would be 1) super weird and 2) super creepy.
Some of the things Merrilee Boyack said was that we need to be the one. The one who goes and does, not the one who sits and doesn't. There's always something we can do. One of the simple things that Merrilee Boyack said we could do today was, every month give $1 to Humanitarian Aid. (The $1 dollar will probably help people in Africa, because, believe it or not, 1/4 to 1/3 of the people in Africa are dying or dead due to Aids.) 
She also quoted Helen Keller who said, "Fight apathy or don't." So, what is apathy? According to Google search apathy is: 

noun: apathy

1. lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

   "widespread apathy among students"

   synonyms:

   indifference, lack of interest, lack of enthusiasm, lack of concern, unconcern, uninterestedness, unresponsiveness, impassivity, dispassion, lethargy, languor, ennui; More rareacedia "widespread apathy among the voters"

Origin

early 17th century: from French apathie, via Latin from Greek apatheia, from apathēs ‘without feeling,’ from a- ‘without’ + pathos ‘suffering.’

In the book The Alchemyt by Michael Scott, Hekate says that "Great change always comes down tot he actions of a single person."
I've probably already mentioned this story before but, Jamison Shoemaker, an Indiana farmer, was the reason Texas became a state. (Don't believe me, look him up; it's fascinating!!)

One thing we need to do to be able to change the world is to "open our eyes to see" as Merrilee Boyack said. We need to notice things and then act. Example: somebody at church told this story in a talk they gave. A family from Japan, I think it was, moved into a neighborhood. We'll say this families name is Green. So, the Green's start receiving casseroles which they accept gratefully. But, if one was to look harder you'd see that what they really needed was help unpacking and friends to talk to and hang out with. The casseroles were nice, yes but the Green's would have been even more happy to have some friends.

That's one way to change the world, look and act. Another way is to lead. Leading is not bossing or pushing; leading is encouraging, stepping up to the plate, taking action and being an example.
In their book Edge, Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward wrote:

"Someone should do something! That's a cry (or sometimes just a thought) that occurs millions of times a day, all around the world. Everywhere, in a ll times, and at all places, there will always be situations in which people will wish for someone to step forward and "do something." In every case where someone actually does step forward and do something, that person is demonstrating leadership. Leadership is one of those topics that seem extremely simple on the surface. ...But in reality, when it comes to real life situations, leadership is anything but easy. This is why most people stand around wishing for "someone" to do something. Only the rarest type of individual actually steps forward and does it. ...A leader is anyone who assumes responsibility to take action against a situation that needs changing. ...Take a step forward. Volunteer. Influence others. Do something. ...The first step to leading others is to lead yourself."1

(That's only part of what Mr. Brady and Mr. Woodward wrote; I wish I could type up the rest but that'd be pretty long and besides this paper is taking up a lot of room.)

In his 1996 address at BYU, Gordon B. Hinkley told the the students there to stand up for truth. He said:

"In this world so filled with problems, so constantly threatened by dark and evil challenges, you can and must rise above mediocrity, above indifference. You can become involved and speak with a strong voice for that which is right.

"You can reach out to prevent a foolhardy decision on the part of a boy or girl. Your interest, your caring attitude, and your voice may make the difference between life and death in a very literal sense.
Stand up for integrity in your business, in your profession, in your home, in the society of which you are a part.
"Again, it is not enough that you retreat to your private cloister and pursue only your special private interests. Your strong voice is needed. The weight of your stance may be enough to tip the scales in the direction of truth.

"Stand up for integrity in the home.
"You can be a leader. You must be a leader. Do not let fear overcome your efforts, for as Paul wrote to Timothy: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). The adversary of all truth would put into your heart a reluctance to make an effort. Cast that fear aside and be valiant in the cause of truth and righteousness and faith. If you now decide that this will become the pattern of your life, you will not have to make that decision again. You will put on “the armour of God” and raise your voice in defense of truth whatever the circumstances now and in all the years that lie ahead (see Ephesians 6:11)."2

I know that was long, but it was amazing. I love how he says that "YOU can be a leader. You MUST be a leader." That, to me, means that I have a job, a responsibility to lead others. You have that job to, the question is, will you accept it?

Wesley Prankard lives on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and he's made a difference by raising money to build playgrounds for kids who live in third world conditions. At first nobody thought a kid could make a difference but Wesley Prankard did it; he raised money and he built that playground. And, as far as I know, he hasn't stopped.

One another thing Merrilee Boyack mentioned was the song Sit down, you're rockin' the boat from Guys and Dolls. In the song Nicely Nicely Johnson (great name, right?) is at a revival meeting. He's asked to give testimony and he makes up a dream where he is persuadided to repent of his wicked ways. The song is talks about, obviously, siting down and not rocking the boat. It's also super catchy and fun.
(Another song that talks about not standing up is Stick to the Status Quo from High School Musical.)

I'd just like to clarify something really quick; you don't have to build a playground or be someone famous to make a difference. I know I say that a lot but it's true. Have you ever donated money to a charity or organization? If you have, then you helped to change the world. If you haven't I encourage you to do so. Find a charity or organization you like or really want to support and do something for them; raise money, tell others so they know too. Every little bit helps.
Another super simple thing you can do is smile. That's right, just smile. Smiles can make miles of difference. How? I was at a homeschool youth conference a few years ago and a guy named Thomas Blackwell told us the experience his wife had once in college. She was walking to a class and she noticed another student walking in her direction, head down and clearly showing that he wasn't going to smile or nod at her as she went by. She then had an impression to smile and say hi to this stranger. To do this she actually had to bend down to see the guy's face. So, she bent down, said hi, then went on her way. A couple days later she was called in to see a professor. This professor said that a student had come in, describe her and asked who she was. The professor went on to explain that this guy had been down in the dumps that day and had been contemplating suicide. When she took the time to say hi, he'd thought that if a stranger was willing to say hi with a smile, then there was a reason to live.

How amazing is that? "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass."3 It's like the butterfly effect. They say when a butterfly flaps it's wings on one side of the globe, the wind can eventually create a hurricane on the other side, or something like that. The point: little things make up the big things. 

And anyone can do little things.

---------
1 Edge by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward, pg 130, 131
2 "Stand Up for Truth" Gordon B. Hinkley - http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=738
3 Alma 37:6 

Always Remember

With 4th of July coming up (especially for those of you in the US), I'd just like to challenge you to take a moment to reflect and think about how we got here. Think about all those people who made it happen. Think about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; remember that those two documents are real and important, whether the rest of the US thinks so or not. I know I say that same kind of things in some of my other essays (or at least it seems like it) but I do it because I know that those two papers matter and I believe they matter more now then they did then. And that means we need to remember the things they stand for and protect those things and those rights and those ideas that created our country; a country that is slowly going down hill because we're forgetting the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. And that is why we have to, we need to remember those things and never forget.