The Ability to Create

I was all set to blog today about my very first experience with a Neti Pot last night, but as I worked my way through a network of blogs today, I stumbled across a video that I rather liked and felt would be more worthy of today's blog space than a comical account of saline solution being poured through one nostril and coming out the other. (I'm not kidding--and now that I'm thinking about it, maybe it's best that I don't post on the Neti Pot. Ever.)

About a week or two ago I became aware of a YouTube channel called Mormon Messages. A statement on Lds.org explains its purpose: "If you are looking for a simple way to watch and share brief, gospel-centered videos, visit Mormon Messages, a Church-sponsored YouTube channel that is updated each week with teachings of our basic beliefs, stories of hope and inspiration, and more." I think this channel is not only a great missionary tool, but also a great way to give members of the Church both uplift and clarification on various concepts. These short messages, I believe, can help unclutter our own personal articulations (or inarticulations, as the case may be).

The video that automatically plays when you go to Mormon Messages right now is on why Mormons build temples. I sent this video to some of my temple prep students last week because I felt like it was a great great sum-up of what we have learned in class. I found it to be very powerful as it was direct, informative (but succinct), and quite uplifting. I'm sure many of you have seen it. If not, here it is:



It's a great video, but not the one I came to blog about. The one I wanted to talk about briefly was one I found in my blogging travels today. It is a talk/music/image medley. The text of the video is taken from a talk President Uchtdorf gave at the last General Relief Society broadcast:



I'll be honest, I usually feel like these kinds of videos are a little bit cheesy, but for some reason instead of rolling my eyes a little bit, I felt comforted and inspired.

I loved this talk when it was given, and I actually quite like how it is presented here. I believe him when he says that the desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. I also believe him when he says that we can satisfy that yearning through the small and simple tasks of our day. Too often, I think, I want to change the world by being involved in a great, far-reaching, world-impacting organization or cause. Too often I forget that creation is something I do every day, and that my actions often have a domino effect, affecting more people than I realize.

I know this blog usually revels in the ridiculous, but I want to make sure I take time every once in a while to share the things that matter most to me--such as family, temples, and eternal progression--because in a lot of ways this blog is a major creative outlet, and, while I absolutely love to entertain you all (I really mean that; It brings a lot of joy to my soul), I also hope that sometimes I can provide a little positive lift. Especially on a dreary Wednesday morning following a very... interesting experience involving a Neti Pot and allergy medication. Ah Spring.