Post-Semester Blog

Well, I'm all done with another semester. It was... interesting. My classes ended up being a little boring, but oh well. I did a lot of stuff with Neil. It was a lot of fun while he was around. I worked at Brick Oven for a couple of months, but that ended up not being as fun as expected. So now I have no job, school is done, and I spend all day doing random things (working out, working at my house, etc.)

For all of you who I haven't told (like anyone even reads this anyway) I go to boot camp for the Marine Corp on January 2. I'm going to be a mortarman (I get to blow stuff up by shooting explosives into the air.) I'm really excited to go.

As my roommates were saying their goodbyes to me, they were trying to give me advice. They couldn't think of anything too specific, but Russ said, "Just to let you know, for the next 2 1/2 years you're going to be physically and emotionally stretched." He's right. I have a big task ahead of me. Heavenly Father will help me through. The Book of Mormon is going to be my strength through these tasks. The peace, charity, and physical strength I receive from reading this book of books is the only thing that has helped me make it through the various adventures I've had throughout my life. That, and lots and lots of prayer.

I'm off to bed. The Church is true. The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith was a true prophet and Gordon B. Hinkley is the living prophet today. Have a great day!

Home Sweet Home

On my way home I had a layover in Houston. I was a little bored so I walked around and got some Panda to eat. I was walking back to my terminal when I saw a familiar face. Is it really her? There's no way! There was Angela Olsen with her sister coming back from Honduras. We had the same flight but she sat three rows in front of me and it was packed so we couldn't socialize.
It was a nice trip home. I love airports and flying. Going through security seems to be one of the best parts. Sounds crazy, huh? I love it.
It's great being back home. I thought I would miss Tennessee and Georgia more, but I surprised myself how much I actually DO like Utah. The dry weather, the openness, the mountains, friends, family; it all adds up to "Awesome!"

Ready for school? I know I am! I'm taking some pretty interesting classes this semester. You want to know what I'm taking? Of course you do! Haha

1. Critical Introduction to Literature
2. Interpersonal Communication
3. Fundamentals in Acting 1
4. Creative Process and Imaginative Writing
5. Doctrine and Covenants or the Four Gospels (I haven't decided yet.)

That's a lot of big words, huh? It makes me sound smart. :P

I'm listening to "The Adventure" by Angels and Airwaves as I type this. I'm putting that fact to blame for my poor writing. I overlook what I'm typing here and I realize that what I'm writing sounds like I'm in junior high. Now I just need to spe11 thyngs like I nEv3r whent tu skool. Th3r3 w3 go.
Blech. Enough of that! That's gross! I don't have much to say. As long I have something to say, I will write. But with absence of thought comes absence of the pen (or keys in this case.) What I really should do is write and write and write until something takes form. Alas, I'm listening to music and only putting half an effort into writing right now. I'll have to write later.

Who Am I Really?

First off, Jean's reaction (see "The Final Week of Tennessee) to everything that I said to her was a lot of polite nodding and smiling. She thought it was interesting and was glad that I could tell her more and straighten it all out. Sorry the previous post might seem disjointed. Someone called about halfway through my writing it. :P

SO... I've been going to early morning seminary this week. It's at a Morgan's house (a new found brother of mine) and it starts at 6:40--which isn't too early. All of the guys from my ward go every morning so it's a lot of fun.

I was at a ward member's home (Phil Smartt's) for dinner on Sunday night when a certain thought struck a chord. I have pondered it since and what direct meanings it has to my life (and the lives of my friends and family.)

Brother Smartt, as I call him since he's my Sunday School teacher, invites his kids and their families over one Sunday of each month and has a gospel discussion after dinner. He thought Kyle, Joyce (Kyle's wife), and I should tag along last Sunday, so we did! We were mingling with the relatives after dinner when Brother Smartt called us all to attention.

"Now look here," he said with his booming six-foot-two-230-pound voice, "we're gonna have our discussion now so everyone gather 'round and BE QUIET!"
A little one might peep out, "But grandpa-"
"No buts," he answers while he points his 60-plus year old finger at the child, "only your's in that stinkin' chair! Now you're gonna listen and you're gonna like it, ya hear?"
The icing on the cake is the old man's glare he adds to the entire thing. Sticking his head forward a bit and with a seemingly emotionless face, besides the eyes getting so big you would swear they would pop out of their sockets, the old man's glare is an admired expression of mine and will probably take 60-plus years to master.

Okay, so maybe Brother Smartt isn't like that at all. Although, he is a big guy and can be blunt at times.

We started the discussion (obviously, I don't remember what it's about or I'd give you more details), continued the discussion, and was near the end of the whole shebang when the thought came up. We were talking about the celestial kingdom--oh, yes! Out discussion was about the different kingdoms of glory--when one of the daughters, in her early 30's, started talking about Christ (I can't remember what it was, but it tied into the what Brother Smartt says next.)

"Now," Brother Smartt started, "you know why Christ atoned on this world? Do you know why, out of all the worlds, he was sent to this one?"
Everyone was puzzled. I was sure I didn't know it and, from the looks on their faces, I could tell no one else knew it either.
He proceeded, "It's because of all the worlds that God made, this world was the only one wicked enough to crucify their Savior."

I have researched this statement only a small bit and have found no doctrinal support for this claim, but, as I reach into the dusty cupboards of the "Interesting Statements" section in my brain, I do remember hearing the same claim before. I'm not saying I believe it with my heart and soul because, frankly, no prophet or apostle has said so (at least to my knowledge.) After reflecting on it, two main ideas popped into my head: "What a world" and "Who am I really?"

What a World
We live in a wicked world. We all know this. Filthiness, sleaze, deceit, murdering, stealing, and the list goes on. All of the other worlds have good and bad as well. But Christ, descending below all things, made his infinite atonement on this world. If Brother Smartt's statement is true and I really do live in the most wicked of worlds, then there must be a reason I was sent here and not to another world.

Who Am I Really?
People come and go throughout the ages. They're here for a time and then they die and move on. They were sent at certain times because of certain reasons (of which I admit to not knowing all the different reasons.) But I do know that I, and you, reader, are here on this earth at this time because of our righteous choices in the pre-mortal life. We have been told over and over again that we have been reserved for these last days.
Reserved, which Dictionary.com defines as, "To keep back, as for future use or for a special purpose." Which brings me to think, "Who am I really? And what was I like before coming here? If I was reserved for these final days, I must have done something good in my past life. Why was I sent to this world instead of another? What is my special purpose here? I must have been a good man in my past life, but I have forgotten all of it. If only I could remember."

Considering the claims that, a) this is the only world wicked enough to crucify Christ, and b) we have been held in reserve for these days, I see myself and my fellow men with new eyes. God must have said, "Philip," or whatever my pre-earth life name was, "I'm sending you to earth to prepare the way for mine Only Begotten. The world will be worse than it ever has been. People will do horrible things to each other. Many of my sons and daughters will forget about me after falling into selfishness and sin. You will also forget, my son, but you will be able learn of me and do what is necessary to return to me because of your brother Joseph, who has restored my gospel for the last time. You will know when you find the truth. My Spirit will make it manifest unto you. Now go, my son whom I love, and help your brothers and sisters. I will be waiting to help you."

I, nor you, were sent here to fail. Again, we were not sent here to fail! Life is long, but it's really not. What we do now determines what happens to us for the rest of eternity! We have been saved for this final dispensation because we were already righteous. We told God that we would come to earth and follow Him. The decision has already been made. All we need to do is follow through.

The Final Week of Tennessee

The internet in my apartment has started working so I will write again as I promised.

I made a sale on Friday night to a lady named Jean. She invited me in and gave me a glass of ice water while we filled out the paperwork. I asked her where she goes to church--Kyle thought up that question as a gospel sharing ice breaker--and she said she's Lutheran. She knew I wasn't from around here because the way I talk is "smoother", as she put it, than the way the Southerners talk. I told her I'm from Utah and that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints--did that primary song just pop into your head? It did in mine! Then the discussion started:

"So what have you heard about our church," I said.
"Well," she started, "I know you guys go to church on Saturday and there was some guy, Smith?"
"Yeah, Joseph Smith."
"Yeah, this Joseph Smith guy found some plates in the dessert. But that's all I've really know."

I was immediately relieved that she didn't straightway condemn me to damnation because the Book of Mormon is "adding to the Bible" and going against what is said in Revelation 20:18: "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book." I can't count the number of times people have told me this. "You Mormons are adding to the Bible! It says 'no adding to the Bible' in Revelation! That book is adding to the Bible!" Just smile and walk away, that's all I can do at that point without "Bible bashing"--which is a waste of time and makes things worse than before.

I continued, "Well we actually go to church on Sunday just like everyone else."
"Really?! I thought you were like the Seventh-Day Adventists."
With a slight grin and shake of the head I responded, "No, we're a little different."

I went on to tell her about the First Vision (should that be capitalized? It's a specific event so I would think so. I wish I had English-major-Meridith here to help me with some of the punctuation.) I explained what the Book of Mormon is about and how Joseph Smith came to get it. I told her that salvation can come to all men through Christ and through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel and then further expounded on baptism and the restoration of the priesthood.

There's only one inconvenience with sharing the gospel: choosing the "right" topics to talk about and not going on tangents. It all fits perfectly like a million different strands woven into a beautiful tapestry. It's nearly impossible to start at one and continue on without "getting lost" in another strand.

The perfect gospel. This is what we have. We don't claim ancient apostles as the head of our church. We aren't reading the Bible and trying to copy the organization as best we can. We have had and will continue to have direct revelation from our Lord God. That's what makes us so different. Isn't it great to be a peculiar people? :)

It's My Birthday!

Hey! It's my birthday! Holla back, y'all! It's cool. I'm 18. I can get thrown in jail now. I guess I should stop using mailboxes for batting practice now. Dang... well... I gotta go! See ya!

I went to youth conference this last weekend and completely fell in love with the people here--don't worry ladies, I'm still single. ;) I had a lot of fun playing frisbee and going to workshops at youth conference and workin' my magic as always. I also gave a talk on Sunday on "Preparing to Serve a Mission." It went better than planned! I was shaking so bad before I got up that I nearly had a seizure in my chair. But then after speaking a few sentences I was able to loosen up. The closing hymn was "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" and I nearly cried during the whole song. It took a while, but now the people here feel like my family. And they are! They are all my brothers and sisters and I hope with all my soul that we (people in Tennessee, people in Utah, and people all over the world) will choose the right so we can all enjoy each other's company in the life to come.
Once again, I have to get off because my manager needs to use the computer (we're at the office) and I still don't have the internet. But look forward with hope! I WILL WRITE AGAIN! Hee hee hee... :)

My Apartment Life

Hello again! I'm typing this at the office computer because the network that I usually bum the internet off of is down at the moment.

I got paid today! Yay! Getting paid makes me feel like I'm six years old and I'm finally getting the Christmas present that I've been waiting for all year. Oh yeah, pay day is Christmas day.
Only six more weeks till I get home! I return on August 19 at 11:55 P.M. I'm excited to come back and see my family and friends again. I love you guys! :) This has definitely been an adventure to remember and I still have six more amazing weeks to look forward to.

Guess what? Really... guess what? Ok, fine, I'll tell you. I'm going to the Atlanta, GA temple on Friday with all of the other youth in our stake! It's going to be one of those all-day workshop things. I've never been to a "temple workshop," so this will be another fun experience. I actually made the decision to go while I was at church yesterday. They've had this planned for a couple of weeks, but I initially declined and told them I planned on working that day. Then the thought came to me, "Phil! Hello? You're going to skip the one temple trip of the whole summer so you can WORK?! Absurd, I say! Go to the temple! It's necessary for your salvation and the salvation of others! The Lord will help definitely help you if you do what He says. He HAS to! Again, that is what makes choosing the right so powerful!" So, needless to say, I'm going to the temple on Friday and I'm PUMPED!

Well I gotta go. My sales partner, Kyle, wants to go home to his wife. But I will write again! You can count on it!

Independence Day and Stuff

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. We get to celebrate our freedom! What a great thing it is to be free. Think about it; what was one of the big differences between Christ's plan and Satan's plan? Agency, A.K.A. freedom. That's why America is so great! We can choose!

Anyway, enough preaching. Time to write.

I'm stuck in my apartment all day today. I've been sick for the past week, but today it was especially bad (which is weird because I was feeling great yesterday.) I'm taking a lot of medicine and resting a lot, but I want to write and so I will write.

Phil's Independence Day celebrations: I went wakeboarding for the first time! Well, I had gone before, but it was at Deer Creek and it was after the sun had set (in other words, I was focusing more on staying alive and less on wakeboarding.) I actually got up and moved around a bit! It was exhilarating! The best part was wiping out. I don't know why people don't like it. To me, it's half the fun (especially when skiing down a mountain really fast and I can't stop.)
The other great part about wakeboarding was being on a boat. I love boats. I love the feeling of the wind rushing past as the boat speeds along. It's one of those times when the entire world goes away. There isn't anything that needs to be done immediately, nothing to worry about; tomorrow will come and so I will enjoy today.
The final (and best part, kind of) about boating is getting completely fried from head to toe. I recently got a hair cut and my hair is very short so the sun had no problem burning my head ALL OVER. But alas, God has created aloe vera gel. Next to Reeces Pieces, this is one of the greatest things ever created. Haha random thought: aloe vera gel is like repenting. First you get sunburned (sin,) then you feel the burn (sorrow for sin,) then you... rub aloe vera gel everywhere (repent.) Oh well, that could've been really good with some thought. :P
The cap on the night was going to a singles young adult party. It was a little... tiresome, but there were some really fun and interesting people there to make it enjoyable. Oh! The other best part about the whole thing was catching fire flies and squishing them! Their glowing stuff continues glowing when they're squished (great for glow-in-the-dark war paint!)

Well, another blog done. I love this thing. Blogs are so fun! It's an opportunity to share yourself with the world. You wanna say something?! Say it!

"HELLO, WORLD! MY NAME IS PHILIP JAMES WOOLLEY; BORN AUGUST 10, 1988 IN STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA! You bombard me with your culture and try to get me to stray from the path, but I WILL NOT STRAY! I AM HERE TO PLEASE THE GOD OF ISRAEL AND NONE ELSE!"

Oh yeah, isn't that fun?! There is great power in writing or speaking what you believe. Stand up for truth even if it means standing alone. You will never stand alone with God. That's what makes choosing the right so powerful.

Technology nowadays!

Well this should be fun! A blog of my very own! Kinda like keeping a journal, only different.
WOAH! I can even add pictures! Oh, this'll be fun!
"This'll" ? That's kind of different, huh? BTW this is a picture of Tyler Hansen looking at the San Diego temple. ANYWAY...

I'm in Chattanooga, TN. It's a lot of fun. It's going to get really hot now that July has come. I went on splits with the missionaries last night and we talked to this guy who looks EXACTLY like Joe Dirt. It was a lot of fun because we went to a trailer park. Some of the people there are so cool!

Let's see... what to write... I wrote a letter to my family today and wrote one to Ryan Hess and then I wrote in my journal so I'm a little written out. But life is good. Keep checking up on this and you'll probably get some fun stories.