Going to church won't save you.

"Knowing the gospel is true is having a testimony. But being true to the gospel is having a continuous conversion."

As many of you know, I spent a few years in the southern states of the US being a missionary.
They talked a lot about how "it is by grace we are saved."
and though I wholly believe in this concept, I want to take another angle.

When I was little, I took music lessons.
I really liked my music lessons!
But it's important to note that if I hadn't practiced, I wouldn't be able to progress in my piano/guitar/percussion playing abilities.
My mom would still pay for my lesson and my teacher would still teach me... but I didn't grow.

A concept really hit me today.
Church is the vehicle to the gospel.
Going to church is not the thing that will save us.

It is our faith in Christ that does that. Not just our daily acts, but our hearts.

Now, don't get me wrong because I love everything about church.
I love 3 dedicated hours a week to take my mind off of how I wish my life was perfect, and learn how to make it that way.
I love the activities that church gives us. Church activities have taught me SO MANY life skills, good habits, talents, and prepared me for my future life not only physically but spiritually too.
I love that church gives us a family when we otherwise might not have one. There is always a place to belong and people for you to love.

But I think that sometimes (especially growing up in Utah) we put a little too much faith in the "church" and not in Jesus.

Christ is the one who saves me daily.
Would our worship be different if on Sundays we woke up thinking, I get to go hang out with the spirit instead of thinking about "going to church?"

I think most of us are pretty good at this and I just wanted to share my thoughts about elevating our minds. The gospel is about faith, not food or friends.

Church teaches us how to get to our destination but it won't take us there.
It will prepare us and teach us everything we need to know, but it's up to US to get back to God. We all want to be with our families forever. Our covenants and promises that we make to God and keep are the most important thing we can focus on.

I've heard time and time again that the gospel is not a to-do list or a box to check off in our weekly plans. But it is the way we live our lives. Becoming like Christ isn't a game of tag that we try to reach him every so often until he taps us back, but it is about walking with Jesus and letting him carry us when we need it.

Thank you to my parents, siblings and other family members, bishops, leaders, missionary companions, good friends, and home and visiting teachers that have taught me the way.
Because of all your lessons, care, love, and examples... I have slowly learned more and more about who Christ is and what the gospel is.
Now it's my job to live it.
Going to church won't save you, but the things you learn there will.

Peace and Blessins,
marissa xoxo

P.S. (those music lessons eventually paid off when I WANTED to learn and get better!)

How to have a Harry Potter Party

Everyone loves Harry Potter these days. With the "Cursed Child" book release and the new movie "Fantastic Beasts" coming out this November, Harry Potter hype is back in full swing.

 Please watch my youtube video linked above to get an idea of what we did at the party and how everything was organized and set up. Plus there is some footage and ideas that aren't featured in this blog post. But I will include some pictures for you to get a few ideas as well!

What really makes a Harry Potter Party magical is the details. Look on pinterest and google for printouts and try to put everything in containers or bowls to keep the magical effect.

 Having your guests dress up is a great way to keep the Hogwarts vibe going! Everyone loves a good excuse to dress up. If your friends are having a hard time making a costume, invite them took look at target or walmart especially in the men's sections. They often have Harry Potter shirts. If not, websites like Hot Topic usually do!

Creating a magical atmosphere is something your guests will never forget.

-marissa moments-

Pressures of Perfection

"Fake it till you make it" is one of my favorite sayings.
With enough encouragement and positive affirmations you can convince yourself of almost anything.
Confidence is one of my strongest attributes. But what you don't know is that I have an insecurity that has been plaguing the back of my mind for years.

 I really started noticing it in Jr. High school. People I thought were my friends brought to light an imperfection that I was blissfully unaware of.
Beaky. That's the first name I remember. I was standing at my locker putting on some lip gloss when the comment was made. I carefully inspected my profile and noticed that indeed my nose was humpy.

People have asked to feel it. I have been counseled that I would make a really good Halloween witch multiple times. I remember once on my church mission someone answered their door and said "nice schnozz."

Each time one of these comments has been made, it cracks my confidence. My belief in myself to be anything and anyone I want slowly becomes limited to "the girl with the big nose."

There are some days that having this insecurity feels like a flashing neon sign and the only thing that people notice about me when they see me. But in reality, I'm sure it's quite the opposite. That in reality the people that really love me hardly notice.

Every morning I look in the mirror and reflect on all the blessings and good things in my life. But there is always the little voice in the back of my mind saying "I'm sure I would be happier if I could just change this one thing about myself." But.. it's no secret that there will always be things we don't love. It's the conditions of mortality and living in a fallen world. We will never be truly happy in the flesh.


I want to be brave. I want to be confident in my own beauty and happy with the way God made me.
But it is SO HARD.

There is such a constant level of perfection and standards of beauty that are unattainable and insignificant.
What if instead we focused on a person's worth and contribution to the betterment of our world, rather than things they can't really change?
What if everyday we looked for the beauty in people instead of the imperfections?

Sometimes I think that my nose is holding me back from becoming the real me. But in reality, it is what makes me unique and special. When people see me they see more than just my nose. They see my smile, my eyes, and the passion and zeal I have for life.

When I hold myself to a standard of having a narrow nose, I am in turn having a narrow mind. And those that can't accept me for the beautiful person that I am because they are too hung up on an imperfection... they are narrow minded too. And they are missing out. I would much rather be ravishingly interesting than drop-dead gorgeous. Beauty always fades with time.

"Anyone can be pretty with enough engineering. Interesting is more than just dyeing your hair pink or getting a septum piercing. Interesting requires genes. An interesting beauty stands out from the crowd."

And besides all of that - big noses are sought after in many countries outside of the USA. They display such a sense of pride in your heritage! If someone tells you that you have a big nose, it is a compliment, because along with that, it comes with the associate that you have wisdom and prosperity. Ancient mythology Goddesses and much of European art are depicted with women having larger noses because without them, they are completely boring.

At the end of the day, I may suffer with this insecurity but I don't know if I would want it any other way. I do not want to be just another cookie cutter pretty girl, I don't want to be just another face in the crowd. I want to be Marissa and I want to be happy with that being enough.

Your insecurities do not define who you are. They make you special and they make you worth knowing. You can always change something you don't like, but I also feel like there will always be something you need to change, so you might as well learn to love and respect yourself the way that the people who truly love you do.

Don't change - your imperfections make you sparkle.