Ooh, it's Valentines Day, which makes me relevant!

So, here's a lesson that comes straight from my own thoughts and feelings rather than my usual method of research and present. This is something I myself have trouble with. Learning to love others. Loving others is an important thing to do in this life. If we just go through life hating everybody that walks our way, we're not going to be too happy, and people aren't going to be too happy with us. Loving others can help us bond with people, it can help us socialize, be kinder, and become more Christ-like.

We all strive to become Christ-like, correct? Christ loves everybody, even though there were a lot of people that wronged him. Therefore, in order to be more like Him, we should also love everyone, even though there are those who truly hate us. Right? I can speak for those who have trouble with this, that it's not always easy. Personally, my displeasure from people doesn't come from race, or anything like that. It comes from the attitudes that these people have. And I have a really hard time just staying calm while I'm in the same room. I would like to say I'm doing better, but I need to throw more of an effort to do it.

If you're like me and have trouble loving others, I thought of this little tip to help you out. While I don't think that it'll make you love them, I think it will help you with not thinking that they're terrible people. For every mean thought you have about them, think of at least three thing you like about that person. It can be anything. You could say that you like their hair, something about how they look, or even how you respect them. One or two is fine, but I like to use three because I've had these feelings for a long time, and I want to think more of the positive. So instead of drawing your attention to the negative and making your day bleaker, bringing out the positive can make you happier, and make the day brighter. This is something I also need to do better.

Well, I hope you guys have a good rest of your Valentines Day. If you have a girlfriend/boyfriend, go ahead and snuggle up to him/her, and if you're single like I am, just keep fantasizing about that girl/boy. That's what I've been doing all day.

-Joe

I love reading these! ^^ Thanks for always writing them. Side note, I gave a talk about Service. People said I did really well

So...this isn't perfectly relevant to the topic, but I have a question that I'd love more input on, even though I've already made up my mind on this matter for the most part...

Waht's your stance on relationships before the mission? It seems like some LDS people are perfectly okay with them although in For the Strength of Youth it says "Avoid going on frequent dates with the same person. Developing serious relationships too early in life can limit the number of other people you meet and can perhaps lead to immorality." For me I've decided that relationships are things I should avoid (not dating, but like bf/gf). So...could I have some thoughts on this?

So sorry for not replying to this sooner. I've actually been a a little busy with schoolwork, and didn't realize you replied.

Anyways, my stance on the topic is that having serious relationships is something to be avoided, so I agree with you. The reason being, I think that when you have a serious relationship with a guy or a girl, you're tempted to not go on a mission for their sake. You think, "Oh, what if he/she leaves me while I'm gone?" "Think of all the memories I'll miss out on." And so on and so forth. I think it's a lot better to wait until after your mission to start really cracking down and trying to find that special someone. However, dating in general, I think, if fine. It can really help you out with discovering what you like in a girl/boy before you pick one to spend the rest of your life with. I also think that socially dating is a good thing because with all those other people you date, you'll find new friendships in them. And since we're all gathered on this website because of the magic of friendship, I would imagine that having a lot of good friends will lead you down the path of righteousness.

Again, sorry for not replying earlier. Have a good one!