5 Tips for Finishing Personal Progress

Post written by Alissa Merrill,
who recently received her Young Women's medallion at age 14.

I look up to this girl a lot. She has so much faith and a rock solid testimony.

 5 tips for finishing Personal Progress:

1.) Don't get discouraged -  If you look at the whole book, it does seem like a lot of work. If you do it in sections, it is a lot easier. It may not be that exciting when you first start working on it, but trust me it really does become addicting and it is so exciting to finish new things. If you stick with it, you will never ever regret it. 

2.) Find stuff you're already doing that can be incorporated in Personal Progress - I finished lots of my projects and experiences because I couldn't believe how much I already do! You just have to keep track of it and you're good to go! If you're in sports or take part in a performance of some sort, you can use those hours of practicing for a project!

 3.) Have fun with it - Don't make the projects a drag! Find something that interests you and something you will enjoy doing for 10 hours. Doing something you enjoy makes it fun and you're more likely to finish it if you're doing something you like!

 4.) Make goals and pace yourself -  Personal Progress is all about keeping track of and meeting goals. If you give yourself a certain time frame to finish something, do it! It's so much easier to stick to goals if you know what they are. 

5.) Get it done as early as possible - Personal Progress is an amazing tool we have been given for our day. It really is an inspired program that can help you grow so much in the gospel. I couldn't believe how easy it really was to finish. I was home schooled for my 7th grade year, and that's when I began to work on it the most. It really does help to finish it over the summer or when you have time so it's less stressful to get it done before your 18th birthday. Finishing it before high school helped me a ton. And plus, getting to wear your medallion everyday makes it so worth it. 


Blessings I have received from earning my medallion:


Personal Progress was a HUGE eye opener to me.
I honestly thought it was so dumb and boring, but when I started to feel alone
or feel like I wasn't good enough, I would turn to it.
I literally tested it. I was feeling so sad one day and saw my book 
and literally thought to myself, "I wonder if this'll work.. well.. I guess i can try it" 
so I picked it up and worked on what I was struggling with. 
It was Individual Worth at the time. I was feeling so alone but when I picked up that book and started reading the scriptures, I felt this peace that was so indescribable.
I cannot even tell you what I felt when I picked that book up for the first time. 
It was like all of my problems and all of my doubts had gone away. 

Personal Progress literally made me go from sad tears to happy tears
in a manner of about 10 minutes.
 I felt the Saviors love for me. 
And it was the first time in 3 years that I had felt that. 

If you are struggling in any way, Personal Progress can help so much.

 If you feel your faith is faltering,

  work on Faith. 

If you feel you're not sure who you are or what you're meant to be,

 work on Divine Nature.

If you're feeling inadequate and alone, 

work on Individual Worth. 

If you're confused, spiritually or mentally or in any other way, work on Knowledge.

 If you're not sure which path to take, 

work on Choice and Accountability. 

 If you're struggling with serving others, 

work on Good Works! 

 If you're standing alone, 

work on Integrity. 

If you're ridiculed because of 

your beliefs and values, work on Virtue. 

These values are here for OUR day. We just have to turn to it. 
No one can help you if you don't put your arm up and reach out for help. It doesn't work. Personal Progress was my friend when no one else was. 
It pretty much saved my life and it can do the same for you. 
I know it can and  will if you help you in your own life if you will make the effort.
It may not come right away like it was for me, 
but I know it can help with anything and everything.

Letter to My 17 Year Old High School Graduate Self

Dear Ashley,

Congratulations on graduating High School!
It is a huge accomplishment. Something worth celebrating.
But guess what, my dear?! This is just the very beginning. 

There were many things you wished that would have happened in high school
that didn't, but it's okay. You will succeed in life because you have learned 
one very important principle, to always try and to never give up.

Your high school status and popularity, or lack thereof will not limit you. 
You were destined for greatness and just because you never felt like you fit in,
doesn't mean that didn't have a purpose within itself. 

Listen to the confusion. 
The moment you start to feel confused or conflicted about a situation, 
it probably isn't right for you.

Stand with Integrity over being nice.
You're going to face a lot of peer pressure.
You were blessed to not face a lot of it in high school,
not to scare you... but just you wait!
If you will remember The Lord is on your side and wants the best 
for you, then you will have the strength to say no and avoid these situations.

You have been taught your whole life to be kind to others and accept 
what others believe in.
But there will come a time when you have to choose between being nice
or standing by your values and staying true to yourself.
If you choose to go along with what others are doing,
you're going to loose yourself very quickly and then you won't have 
the ability to help others or help yourself.

Don't get lost in the crowd. 
You are YOU - you are a girl with integrity.
Stand strong to your convictions NO MATTER what
other's around you may believe.

Don't be afraid to start up a conversation.
The secret to having a friend, is to first be a friend.
Reach out more. Give more. Love more.
Take some chances on people and get out of your box.

Your faith is going to be tested. You have prepared yourself so 
well through out your young teenage years to have a testimony in the 
gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 
This testimony will be your anchor!!! 
At times you will question things, you will have doubts, temptations and trials. 

You will look back often to rely on the strength of your faith you had built upon
in the early years of your life.
You will be able to compare the peace and happiness you felt in high school 
with the confusion, fear and loneliness you will feel in the near future. 
You will know without a shadow of a doubt that
happiness comes from living the gospel and trusting God in everything that you do.

You're going to have many opportunities to break hearts.
Remember how it feels when your heart has been broken, go easy!

You are going to go through things that will later on help you connect and relate
to all the trials and heartaches that teen girls have to face on a daily basis. 
Remember the lessons that you learn so you can teach and mentor girls 
and pass your wisdom onto them.

There will be days when you will feel lost and all alone, thinking you don't even matter
and no one would notice if you disappear off the face of the earth.
This is a trick, a mind game brought on by the adversary. IGNORE IT!
Don't you dare dwell on this thought for more than two seconds.

You will experience heartbreak, many, many different times, in many different situations.
You will justify this and think that this is how it is supposed to feel, 
so you won't do anything about it but be the victim. 

I wish I could spare you this heartbreak, but this will be a pivotal experience
in your life, helping you to become stronger and more independent. 
It will allow you to realize you can't do it on your own, 
and you will need to rely upon the atonement to overcome the pain you will feel.

You will chase goals and dreams, putting your entire heart into a goal 
that will mean more to you than you could ever imagine.
Don't get discouraged if it doesn't play out how you so desperately hope it will.
The hours of preparation and dedication that you will put in, will not be a waste.

You're on the right track, beautiful girl.
Hang on tight and enjoy the ride.
Life won't always be perfect, but when you put Heavenly Father
first in your life - I promise you with my entire heart that you will ALWAYS 
be HAPPY!

Dream BIG, WISH hard & Be believing!!!
With so much love,

Your 25 Year Old Self

{I graduated 8 years ago from Murray High School}

3 Beautiful things that come from opposition

3 beautiful things that come from opposition:

1. You know something amazing is about to happen - You are on the right path or Satan wouldn't be testing you so much. Satan's entire plan and purpose is to get you to be miserable like unto himself (2 Nephi 2:27). He must see a lot of good and potential in your destiny or he wouldn't even need to try to bring you down.

2. It is a chance to experience happiness. You are given the opportunity to compare the negative you  experience through the trial, with the positive you knew right before it. And if you recognize it quickly enough, you can seek out the truth and you can fix the problem immediately before it eats at you and destroys what you have been working towards in the first place. There is no possible way to know what happiness is without heartache and misery.

3. You are brought down to humility. You realize that this journey is hard and it is SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY! There would be no point of this life, no point of the test and no point of Heavenly Father's plan if it was easy. We need the atonement of Jesus Christ to make up for what we lack. We can't do this on our own. There is no way we could return to live with our Heavenly Father again without the atonement. It is through the Savior that we find strength and peace to get through opposition. Once we realize we can't do this on our own and we become humble enough to ask for help, that is where the humility is found and peace and assurance is given. 

In the Book of Mormon, it states:

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad." (2 Nephi 2:11)

I have had two friends in the past 3 months recommend to me THIS talk.

Some mornings I have to listen to it multiple times for comfort and to remind myself that I am not alone in feeling doubt and opposition. And the thing is, this doubt and confusion comes most often right before or right after I have had a very spiritual experience or an amazing breakthrough. I can have so much faith and undoubted trust in The Lord and then BAM - Satan comes along to see if I can be tested and shaken.

Elder Holland states:
"This opposition turns up almost any place something good has happened. It can happen when you are trying to get an education. It can hit you after your first month in your new mission field. It certainly happens in matters of love and marriage. It can occur in situations related to your family, Church callings, or career.

With any major decision there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. Certainly don’t give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. Face your doubts. Master your fears. “Cast not away therefore your confidence.” Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you."

Opposition never has to define you. You actually become a hero and a warrior once the battle is over and you won the fight. Stay true to your convictions and turn to your loving Heavenly Father when you feel lost, confused or forgotten. I have no doubt he will let you know he is there and that he loves you. I have felt his peace and love in my own life more times than is fathomly possible to count. Even times when I felt like I didn't deserve to feel it. He is there, I promise!

A Mother's Love - A tribute to my mom

#ItWasMom

Ever since I was a little girl, I LOVED spending time with my mom. I was the girl that cried when she left the room for just a few moments. I was the girl that always begged to go to the store with my mom. I was the girl that longed for my mom and the comfort she could offer after a hard day. 

When I was 5, I remember we would walk over to Smith's to get doughnut holes and then we would come home and watch the cartoon of Aladdin while we would snuggled under the covers all morning long.

When I was 7, I remember my mom reading the story "Say your sorry" to me over and over and over again to prepare me for my baptism.

When I was 10, I remember coming home one day after school and she was sitting at the dining room table, games all set up and I walked in the door and she said "Let's play." She had even made us a special treat to share.

When I was 13, I remember my mom always taking me out to dinner for some "mother-daughter bonding moments".

When I was 17, I remember my mom going to girls camp and trek with me that summer. It was such a blessing to have her there on such a spiritual journey. My testimony has been anchored and strengthened because of her example.


To this day my mom is there to listen to my heart when it is heavy. She is there to show unconditional love and support when I tell her about my imperfections or worries. She has the strongest ability to comfort and love even when moments seem hopeless.

My mother is the most loving, forgiving and personable woman I know. She inspires me each and every day through her love, kindness and compassion she has for every single person she comes in contact with. She can make anyone feel of their infinite worth. She is always thinking of others and has the biggest heart.

#ItWasMom that was there for me sacrificing so much on my behalf.

#ItWasMom that kept our family together and our house in order.

#ItWasMom that encouraged scripture study and prayers so that I could gain a testimony of my own.

#ItWasMom who encouraged me and believed in me when I doubted myself..

I am forever grateful for my mother and from this day forward I plan on letting her know how much she means to me without letting a day go by. She is seriously an angel in my life. She demonstrates strength and courage that I never knew was possible. I have my own struggles and she went through the same ones before I ever did, I can look up to her and know I will be okay because she is now there to guide me through.

My mom will always be my best friend, I can tell her anything!!

Mom, I love you endlessly!!!

Self Esteem Advice Column

 Guess what's back??? - That's right!!! Dear Ashley Marie is back!! 
An advice column for girls everywhere!!!

Dear Busy girl,

Dry Shampoo is a GREAT alternative to washing your hair mid week.

Is your hair blonde or brunette?

BLONDE - sprinkle a little baby powder in your hand then take a big cheek brush 

and lightly brush the top of your hair with the powder, using your hands to massage it in!!

BRUNETTE - sprinkle a little mineral powder in your hand and do the same thing as above!!

Baby powder can't be used with brunette's or it will look like you have dandruff or something else crawling around in those beautiful locks!!

Good luck!

Sincerly, Ashley Marie

Because of Him - An Easter Reflection

#BecauseofHim

Faith is not faith until it has been tried. My faith has been tested on countless occasions but having gone through these trials and experiences, I have every bit of faith in the world that Jesus Christ died for every single person on this earth and he sacrificed so much pain and sorrow so that we can have second chances.

There has been many many things that I have wanted in this life and worked very hard for and when they didn't come to be, my heart ached and I had moments of doubt wondering why I even try. Feeling all alone, discouraged and sometimes even forgotten. 

There has been relationships I tried to make work, sacrificing more than was spiritually or physically good for me, because I had absolutely every desire to show selfless love unto the Lord. I have competed in 9 different pageants and never walked away with the title I was seeking, hoping that was the mission that I had been called to do to serve the Lord.
I have reached out to others and gone out of my way to make people feel special, only to feel like I didn't fit in and would never feel apart of something.

Life is hard, and for each of us our trials are very different and very unique to our hearts. But these trials are real and God is aware of each and every single one of them. 

It is through the atonement of Jesus Christ that we can experience peace in our every day life, even through the trials we are facing. My faith has grown so strong and steady over the past year as I have practiced diligence in prayer, exercising faith by small and simple actions, by serving individuals one at a time and by coming to know what the atonement has to offer me. I have learned through my own experience that the atonement is SO REAL! It takes away fear, guilt, sorrow, loneliness, shame, agony, depression, and every other negative emotion you can fathom. 

Jesus Christ is my best friend. It has taken some time for me to truly get to know him but what a blessing it is to know that even if I was the only one on the planet, he would still be willing to come down and sacrifice and bleed and die just for me. That is how much he loves each and every single individual person, he is willing to do anything and everything for you to return to live with God again.

Because of him, I know peace and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Because of him, I have had the opportunity to start over and have been renewed.
Because of him, I can be with my future spouse and my family forever.
Because of him, I can overcome my weaknesses through his strength and atonement.
Because of him, I can draw on the powers of heaven when I need help.
Because of him, I am never alone through his unconditional love.
Because of him, my hope has been restored and my heart has been filled with mercy & grace.
Because of him, I can see things from a different perspective to know that this world is beautiful and I am here for purpose and this is not the end, but only the beginning to much better and brighter things.

5 Ways to be more Humble

Humility - "Humility is an acknowledgement that your talents and abilities are gifts from God. It is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; it is an indication that you know where your true strength lies. You can be both humble and fearless. You can be both humble and courageous...The Lord will strengthen you as you humble yourself before Him."
 - Quoted from True to the Faith

"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble...Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (James 4:6,10)

"Humility leads to strength and not to weakness. It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and make amends to them." - John McCloy

"A true princess not only posses beauty but prizes her virtues, and always stays humble."

"Be Humble! Recognize that everything you have - your time, your talents and skills, your health and energy, your accomplishments, and your very lives - come as free gifts from your Father in Heaven. How grateful we ought to be for His goodness to us. How humble we ought to be to think that He knows who we are, and that He is waiting to guide our every step." - Gordon B. Hinckley - Way To Be! 

5 Ways to be more Humble

1. Look for the good in others
We are all very very different - but this is for a purpose! The qualities and traits you see in others can either be seen as a strength or a weakness. Always see them as a strength. Respect people that are different than you - for they always have something to offer and a lesson to teach you! Good exists in every single person and it will keep you humble when you are constantly searching and finding it in every one you come in contact with. For they are your brother and sister after all. They are a Child of God, see them as the Savior would see them. This takes practice and patience but along the journey, you will gain confidence in humility.

2. Gratitude Journal 
We all have so much to be grateful for. When you are constantly searching for things to be grateful for, you will find out how many blessings God sends your way on a daily basis. Realizing that blessing come from God allow you to focus on him and the Savior Jesus Christ and less on yourself. Give God the credit and find small and simple things that are HUGE blessings on a daily basis. Write down these blessings so you can keep track of all the tender mercies that bless your life. When you are having a hard day - you can turn through the pages and be humbled all over again.

3. Say Thank-You often
There are SO MANY opportunities to say Thank You! Look for them and then say it. Thank your parents, teachers, friends, leaders. Thank those that provide opportunities for you to serve. Thank Heavenly Father for being alive. Thank those that give compliments, gifts, love, support, sympathy. A thank you note a week will keep you humble and focused on everyone else around you!

4. Prayer
Turn to God with your problems - you can't do it all on your own and he doesn't expect you to! When you admit to Heavenly Father that you can't do it on your own and you need his help, he will be there for you when you need it the most. This life isn't easy, but he puts obstacles on our path so that we can remember that we will always need his help, love and guidance. Use prayer when you need happiness and peace in your life. 

5. SERVE
Service is the most amazing opportunity that God has given us to let the light of his shine through us. We can be servants and instruments in the hand's of God if you allow him to work through you. When you realize what gifts you have been given to share with others, and you embrace them with all your heart, humility starts to take over and you feel all your burdens being eased by lifting up others in the process. Get outside yourself and do what God is asking you to do.


Humility always takes more strength and courage which means it offers more blessings and always makes you the better person.

Personal Experience with Humility: I was at work the other day punching at least 1,000 pages of paper. The paper punches spilled all over the floor. I was slammed with work and feeling a bit stressed out. I was already wondering how I was going to accomplish all the tasks that lied before me. It was near the end of the day so I knew the building cleaners would be coming in a short time. I can't believe I even had this thought, but I wanted to just leave my mess behind and let the building cleaners take care of the mess for me. I was in a skirt and heels, why should I be the one to pick up the mess off the ground. Then Ashton Kutcher's speech crept into my mind. He said "I believe that opportunity looks a lot like hard work. I have never had a job in my life that I was better than. Every job is a stepping stone." I was definitely not "too good" to be picking up paper confetti off the ground. I made the mess, so I humbled myself...got down on my hands and knees and promptly took care of the mess. You know what the neatest part was? God blessed me, somehow I had enough time to finish all my work that evening. Humility is all I want to focus on as try to be more like my Savior. #becauseofhim