Arie Belle Blog

It is an inevitable fact of life that we compare ourselves to others. Yet it can be a very dangerous practice. If we give ourselves a superior rating, we fall into the trap of pride. President Ezra Taft Benson has warned us that "the proud depend upon the world to tell them whether they have value or not. Their self-esteem is determined by where they are judged to be on the ladders of worldly success" ("Beware of Pride,"  Ensign,  May 1989, p. 6). If we see ourselves at the top of the ladder, we diminish the significance of others, sometimes overlooking important qualities that our grading scale ignores. We may not even be aware that we are doing this. Not long ago, Rex and I visited a small ward in another part of the world. There was no organ or piano present. The bishop didn't own a suit jacket or even a tie. The Relief Society president didn't use a day planner. But the spirit in those meetings filled our hearts with love for our Savior and for our ...

Boy have things changed in my life this summer! I haven't posted in awhile which is a shame because some days I have had really good ideas of a subject to post about but then I find myself busy with something else or just to tired at the end of the day to put in the effort. So for the next few posts I will be making up for the lost opportunities and thoughts that I had earlier in the month. I think this is my first post for August... and it is August 23rd... woops.     my first day of college! So I am now in college, but I am not just in college. I have my own house, I have my own car, I have my own bike, I pay my own bills and I now live all by myself. It is a big change and unlike most college freshman I took the less followed and slightly more "scary" route to travel. But I knew I didn't want to live in the dorms, and unfortunately I didn't end up with any roommates, but I am still hoping I will get a roommate during my freshman year because I want company ...

A talk by Elder L. Tom Perry Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their liberty and, in turn, their eternal happiness come from obedience to His laws. None of us should ever underestimate how driven Satan is to succeed. His role in God’s eternal plan creates “opposition in all things” ( 2 Nephi 2:11 ) and tests our agency. Each choice you and I make is a test of our agency—whether we choose to be obedient or disobedient to the commandments of God is actually a choice between “liberty and eternal life” and “captivity and death.” Stand ye in Holy Places and Be Not Moved. I am a very religious person, and I know that following God's commandments are hard, I often make mistakes and break the rules and do things which I know are not good for me. But I know that God is forgiving and loves me, and I always have a way back. I felt like sharing a spiritual message today, because I was moved during church today, and for anyone who wanders upon this message, I...