Comment

I would just like to comment on Peter's post about his greatest fear. Not knowing who your roommates will be is a scary thing. I also didn't know who my roommates were when I was coming into Heritage Halls but I have found that even though they have their quirks, you can always find the good in people. I have come to love my roommates through serving them and being a listening ear. Though I was scared of not knowing my roommates, I think it has been a wonderful opportunity to make new friends.

FEAR

What is my worst fear, you may ask? Well to be prefectly honest, I am terrified of death. Old age, the nursing home, the coffin, the whole shabang.

On a positive note, this fear does not usually impact my daily life except on the rare occassion it crosses my mind. I seem to be much more concerned about not tripping on my shadow and looking like a complete fool.

I suppose eventually I may grow out of this fear, however, it does not seem like the fear that one simply grows out of. The older I get, the closer it comes.

RIP. Rest in Piece. More like Rest in Pieces.

Happy Halloween everyone.
Enjoy those few short years you have left.

Conference Rhetoric

For a bunch of guys who know everything about the gospel, they sure know a whole lot about writing too. General conference talks are full of rhetoric. One rhetorical technique from this past conference was in Elder Nelson's talk. His repetition of the phase "Ask the missionaries. They can help you!" along with his amusing hand gestures made his talk memorable. Not only was it catchy, but it emphasized that the missionaries can help you with basically anything you are struggling with. The light and direction that the gospel brings is a powerful tool that can change lives. Elder Nelson's repetition of that point left the audience with a clear understanding of the importance of missionary work.

Emerson

I've been waiting for this prompt for a long time. This is the lovely part of the blog where I get to tell you why the URL is so awesome. Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance essay is probably one of my favorite pieces of literature. The beauty and eloquence of his words are extremely influential. Emerson says in this essay, "It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude". I've tried to live by this notion. Even when it seems that everyone is doing it, we can stand strong and live by the values that we’ve constructed. We are individuals, and as such, we are entitled to stand alone. We just have to find the self-reliance and strength within ourselves to do so.