A combination of many things I want to say

The day after the last post, I didn't have to deduce that I beat the bus, I know for a fact that I did, because I passed it!

I finished a project I've been working on all summer, for the Museum of Natural Science at WSU. It is amazing. Here's some pictures.

I just went to the most amazing piano concert, Fan-Ya really is the awesomest player and it was so inspiring, like the other excellent performances I've been to since I've come home. But better. Because she's so freakin' cool. I go to school with this girl!

http://departments.weber.edu/browningcenter/upcoming/10/09/pianofundraiser/pianofundraiser.html

And a peeve moment . . . when you don't do something awesome because you're in a bad mood, you're only going to feel bad again after getting in a good mood once you realize you could have done something awesome and didn't. And it doesn't affect just you!

logical deduction

Today on my bike, I left a bit later than I should have (but that's why I had my bike, so I could do that and not miss the bus). I did not actually see the bus at WSU. I left after it was supposed to come but it tends to be late. I pedaled my heart out and somehow got to the FrontRunner station with 5 (read it FIVE) minutes to spare! The bus got there on time, which is 2 minutes before the train leaves. Actually I didn't look at the clock to know if it was on time, but as people weren't running like mad to the train platform that's my guess. Using my deducing powers that must mean the bus was approximately on time leaving WSU and had a headstart on me. I BEAT THE BUS!!! I so totally rock this bike thing! Too bad the triathlon is longer than 4 miles and not almost completely downhill...

Oh dear, I'm going to get behind

things that have happened:
-One day I rode my bike from WSU to the Frontrunner with a headstart on the bus and I beat it
-the next day the bus had a slight headstart on me and we got there about the same time.
-Thursday I had another amazing institute lesson (details below)
-Friday there were 2 opening socials for my 2 departments. I so love them both.
-I just rode my bike to Kaysville and back. There in 30 minutes, back in 34 (more uphill on the way back). It's somewhere between 5 and 7 miles one way.
-I had another run-in with a staple on Thursday. This time, it was 45 minutes before my piano lesson. Good job, me! I might be banned from staples again.
-After said staple incident, I had a run-in with a water faucet. Also right before my piano lesson. Maybe someone or something doesn't want me doing well in my studies...
-I am a freakin' photoshop master!!! more to follow.

So, institute. I hope I can get this across. The sermon on the mount in Matthew 5 was like a leadership conference for the apostles. He starts right in with the "blessed" things (or beattitudes)--which are amazing like I never really realized before! He gives the same lesson in 3 Nephi 12, but starts it off with the instruction to Follow Him and also to listen to the apostles. That part wasn't included in the NT version because the 12 already knew that, but when He taught the people it's there. And it is so important. As per last week's lesson, If we don't listen to the apostles, it's like we are rejecting Him personally, very important for us to hear that often. Actually in Matthew, they had just received the invitation to "follow Him" in the previous chapter, so it works.

We also learned about the beattitudes, that they are like stair steps, each one on a higher level than the previous one. The last one, though, is "Blessed are they who are persecuted for my sake" and it makes one think "how is persecution the highest level of blessedness?" Well, since Christ was persecuted, it puts us on His level, which is the highest! Then we looked at some translations. The word "blessed" from the Greek means "oh! the happiness/joy of..." and in Old English it means to be marked with blood (like, the blood of Christ from the atonement) and from the Hebrew means adore or kneel, like Christ adores us/Christ kneels to us! He loves us, He really does! So it was basically an amazing lesson yet again.

Pretty much anyone who wants to go to institute can! Do it!

kaunting update

I rode my bike home from WSU again (yesterday) and it only took me 1hr6min! Next time it will only be an hour. I didn't get off and walk at all but I have a definite goal for the future. Oh yeah, I also ran yesterday. I should still work on that one.

I also went to the Symphony on Friday--Beethoven was a flippin' genius! I'm serious, the 6th symphony is pure genius! I enjoyed it greatly.

And my ward got rearranged again, so now I have to find a new one. Yet another adventure! Change is usually an adventure for me, I deal pretty well. Except on certain occasions when it makes me angry. But I like adventures. So, do I go to my parents' ward? Or to another singles ward? Hmmmm...

Epiphany

Something happened at the institute today. I'm taking a class about the New Testament and we had a lesson pretty much about what it means to be an apostle.

Start in Matt 4:18-20
Fuller story in Luke 5:1-11
Then in Matt 10 the first 2 verses the 12 are called. In verse 1 it says "disciples" which comes from a word meaning "to learn." In the 2nd verse it says "apostles" which comes from a word meaning "to send." This makes sense, they are even "sent forth" to preach the word, right?
Yes! Look in verse 5
Then we discussed 7 duties of the apostles as found in the Doctrine&Covenants section 107. The 7 things are found in verses 23, 27, 33, 33 again, 35, 38, and 39. They're all really awesome and important but I'm going to share about the first one, because that's where my epiphany came from. Honestly I probably can't do it justice here but I felt so enlightened!

107:23 The twelve traveling councilors are called to be the Twelve Apostles, or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world—thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling.

Of course I knew they were special witnesses but it does not just say "of Christ" but "of the name of Christ" and the teacher brought this up and made us think about it. There are so many other verses that put it this way:
...that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son...
...and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God.
many instances of "believe on His name"
and more

So, why is it so specific to be the name and not the person Christ? Well, because "Christ" is a title, it became His name because He earned it, and in that earning of a title is where He can grant us salvation (i.e. the Atonement). In Matt 16:20, there is an interesting statement 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. This was before he completed the atonement! He hadn't earned the title yet! After that, in the book of Acts of course the apostles are freely teaching to all that Jesus is the Christ (see Acts 17:3)

There is also another reason for this. The "apostle" being a "special witness" is better defined in Acts chapter 1 specifically in verse 22 "...must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection." Yes, if one could witness of His resurrection, one could witness that He had fulfilled His mission to save mankind, a special witness of the name of Christ. How could one witness that He was truly resurrected? How would one know that the Risen Lord had a glorified body of flesh and bone? Really the only sure way to know is to touch and feel the truth for oneself. This means that anyone called to be an apostle MUST be able to witness of this!

...and indeed they do. There are 12 men today that are true apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, you can find it in their words. Our teacher shared many of their words with us but I don't have a copy. I do remember some of the more famous ones, from Bruce R. McConkie and Jeffrey R. Holland, such powerful witnesses! So anyway, I learned something tonight. I could go on, but I think I've gotten my point across. If not, feel free to ask for more.