Let's focus on our faith

      For the first time in my life, I went skiing this week. And in the beginning, it was the absolute worst. The first time I went down the mountain, I fell on every hill we went down. I would fall halfway down the hill and then just ride down on my butt until we hit a flat part. At that point, my friend Jack had to yank me up (because it is way hard to stand with giant skis on your feet). The only time I managed not to fall was the hill right at the bottom of the mountain. And even though I hadn't fallen, by the time I got to the bottom of the mountain I was ready to go home. It was miserable falling over and over again. But my friends dragged me on the lift a second time, and then a third.
      By the third time down the mountain, I felt practically like a pro. Granted, I totally wasn't, but I didn't fall once. And that felt like a huge accomplishment to me. I realized that I would have never accomplished this had I not gotten back up and tried again (with major help from my friends). When went down the mountain the second time, I reminded myself that I hadn't fallen on that last hill. And sure enough, it worked. Before every hill I reminded myself I hadn't fallen on the last, so I wouldn't this time. In my head, I told myself over and over again that I would not fall. I decided I was going to focus on the times that I hadn't fallen, rather than the times that I had. If I had let the fear of falling take my focus, there is no way I was going to make it down that mountain without falling.
       This week in class, we were taught a similar idea. We were in Moses 5, and we read about the sacrifices Adam and Eve and their children had offered to the Lord. After several days of sacrifices, an angel appeared unto Adam and asked why they are offering a sacrifice to the Lord and Adam tells the angel that he "know[s] not, save the Lord commanded [him]" (verse 6). We expounded on this statement in class. Adam knew what he was supposed to do (sacrifice the animals) and he knew how to do it. But he wasn't sure why. And that's okay, because he didn't let that get in the way of following the commandments he's been given. Adam didn't let what he didn't know to get in the way of what he did know. This reminded my of President Uchtdorf's well known quote : "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith."
     Like I hadn't focused on the times I had fallen, we shouldn't focus on the times that we fail. Or the times that we doubt. We should focus on our faith. We should focus on the times that we hadn't fallen, and when we do fall, we should focus on standing back up again. Trying again. I would have never experienced the amazing thrill of skiing down that mountain if I hadn't gotten back up and tried again, and I feel that we won't be able to truly experience all that life has to offer if we stay down.

Please enjoy this really bad picture :)