To bring the world His truth

So many people I know are going on missions.

That's probably because all the people my age have reached the time in their lives when they can.

Boys, girls, they have all answered the call to serve.

I have always thought missionaries rock.

They can be spiritual giants.

When they speak it is a huge testimony builder to me.

Seeing them on the street, I stand in awe that they devote two years of their life to the Lord.

They suffer. They get discouraged. Satan still tries to drag them down.

Because they are the hope of many souls in this world.

Missions, they take all one's energy.

It is giving all your heart, mind, and strength to God.

To let Him guide you, to let Him shape you, to let Him teach you.

And to be His mouthpiece.

I believe we should always strive to be like missionaries.

It gets hard in this crazy world where you have a million other things to think about and do. 

Like college, a job, family, friends, etc.

On a mission, everything is for the Heavenly Father.

I always thought that was so cool that people could have two years where they didn't have to worry about anything except studying the Gospel and teach others.

Now I know it's much more than that.

It's hard work. 

And I applaud missionaries everywhere.

Missions do amazing things to people.

You witness miracles that you would normally not have the opportunity to.

You change, you love more freely, you trust in God more.

Because you have to, and because you want to.

But I think the greatest thing of all, is seeing other people change.

It's a scary thing to leave home for two years.

Leave behind everything you've ever know, your home, your friends, your career, your job....

Your family.

To go to a new place, to have to stand up in front of people and preach and teach.

And bear testimony.

Why do so many young men and women do this?

Because they don't just believe, they know.

They know there is a Savior, they know it is Jesus Christ.

They know He atoned for our sins and can take away our heartache.

They know they have a Father in Heaven who loves them, loves us.

They know there is hope and a plan of happiness.

And they want everyone to know it too.

That is why we go on missions. 

Not to get doors slammed in our faces.

Not to be called names.

Not to prove we are right.

Not to be put in scary environments.

But to rescue people, and to defend the truth.

I love this picture. 

We are as the Armies of Helaman.

We have been taught in our youth.

And we will be the Lord's missionaries.

To bring the world His truth.

The picture only shows young men, and that is probably because the Stripling Warriors were all young men.

And it is the young men's priesthood duty to serve a mission.

However, I believe even though young women don't have the priesthood, they can still defend truth and devote time to teach others' just as easily as young men can. We're just not obligated or encouraged.

Basically, it is what we feel is right. 

Honestly, I can see myself in that picture. I can be brave. I can share my light. I can love others the way Christ does. I can rescue and help and bring happiness to others. 

I am by no means perfect. But the gospel isn't for perfect people. It's for people striving to be perfect.

And this work, is indeed a great and marvelous work. 

And I want to be part of it, whether I decide to go on a mission or not.

Coverted unto the Lord

Elder Bednar: Converted unto the Lord

I love this talk. It's just too good not to share.

I remember sitting and listening to this, thinking, yes! This is exactly what it is all about.

"True conversion brings a change in one’s beliefs, heart, and life to accept and conform to the will of God."

" For many of us, conversion is an ongoing process and not a onetime event that results from a powerful or dramatic experience. Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. Conversion unto the Lord requires both persistence and patience."

 "Testimony is the beginning of and a prerequisite to continuing conversion. Testimony is a point of departure; it is not an ultimate destination. Strong testimony is the foundation upon which conversion is established."

 " Knowing that the gospel is true is the essence of a testimony. Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion. We should know the gospel is true and be true to the gospel."

I guess this is what has been running around my head the past week or so.

I want to be the best I can be, become all I'm meant to become.

I don't know exactly what that is, and it took me a looong time to figure out I had any self worth, but now I know that I have a divine and important mission on this earth. Am I scared? Of course. There are plenty of days I don't feel strong enough, feel like I am unworthy, wonder how I could possibly impact anyone's life. But I know I have been sent here to help.

I want to devote myself to the will of the Lord, I want to share His word with the world, I want to give service and show my Father in Heaven that I am willing. I want to be converted.

It's a lifelong process, but I know that I can do it.

I want to live as close to Heaven as I can.

And even at BYU-I it can still be hard, but I know I am in a good place. I know I am in the right place, at the right time in my life. I'm here to be changed, I'm here to learn, I'm here to love others the way Christ would love them. It's my time.

that one time when...

Alex & his family came to visit this weekend! Wooo! I had such a great time :)
The first night we went to Pizza Pie Cafe (Heavennnn) and then he and I watched a movie and talked.
The next day we went to Salt Lake (almost 4 hours away) and it was so worth it for me. Of course I'd already seen Temple Square before, but he never had and obviously his family never had either. It was such a spiritual experience, everywhere I walked, while holding his hand, I felt love and the spirit of God. I love the beautiful temple, I love the Visitor's centers, I love the Conference Center, I love it all.

I think it made it 10 times more special being with this boy, this boy who got his endowments (no fair) but I am sooo proud of him for it. So proud of the man he is becoming.
After that we went to the Zoo and saw the animals (or at least the ones that weren't hibernating for the winter. It was so cold! brrrrrr... But it was fun :)
Sunday was a lazy day, we just went to church, had a nap, ate food, went to another meeting, looked at cookbooks and watched Mulan. But it was great to spend time with him.
On Monday we walked around campus, but not much was open :( Then we went to Costa Vida and gorged on yummy nachos. Seriously my tummy was like a blimp. Then we went to Green Canyon Hot Springs. Soo warm on a chilly day let me tell ya. It felt good on the body though, but the steam made me dizzy after a few minutes in the really hot pool. There is some dang pretty scenery out here too, and if you know me, I'm a nature geek. Then we came back, hung out at my apartment, kinda watched a little Star Wars, ate dinner, then went to FatCats and played mini golf and the arcades. It was our last date before he goes on the mission...

Oh man guys, saying goodbye was tough. I mean, how do you say goodbye for 2 years to your best friend in the whole world? We cried and cried and cried and clung and promised and said I love you like a million times. It was sooo hard watching him walk away. But at the same time, I know this isn't the end. I'll see him again. He's going to do so much good on his mission, and in his life. He's off to be superman to the people of Texas and Louisiana. He's off to grow. I love him so much. We have so much fun together :)

Frozen

Rexburg is.... cool.

And I meant that temperature wise.

Like seriously, I've never experienced weather this. freaking. cold.

The temperature on my computer screen says -15...

-15?! Are you kidding me?! It's 9:30 AM.

Awesome.

Oh did I mention I don't have a car?

And any bare skin exposed loses all feeling?

Going outside is like a slap in the face.

I promise you don't want to go outside for long.

Which is why I've felt entirely lazy the past couple days.

I ventured out of my apartment once yesterday and that was enough for me.

So pretty much I'm going to get fat, because all I'm doing is eating and sitting and staring at the screen on my laptop.

Fun, right?

But really, who wants to go outside when it is downright miserable?

Ok, I'll quit complaining about the weather. For now.

Other than that, I think it's a pretty cool town.

I love the spirit felt on campus, and I'm still getting used to the idea that 98% of the people are LDS.

We pray at the start and end of each class period.

Doctrine is incorporated into classes, no matter the subject.

NO ONE JUDGES YOU FOR BEING MORMON CUZ EVERYONE IS.

I think I like that a lot, especially coming from such a small population of LDS kids.

I love the President of this University, I think he is an amazing man and I've only listened to him speak twice.

People have standards!

Or at least standards are enforced.

I like that most people are friendly.

There are people here from all around the world, it's crazy!

Finland, Brazil, South Korea, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Georgia, Missouri, Arizona, and quite a few from WA. I always feel good when people say thats where they're from, makes me feel like I have something in common :)

I miss home.

I miss my family.

I miss the warmth (heck 30 degrees is balmy compared to here!)

Life's not bad here. I did get blessed with two very nice, sweet girls for roommates.

I like to be around them.

But they both have boyfriends that live here and that makes me the odd man out...

Which isn't anyones fault, I just don't know anyone else here and haven't made friends yet.

Ehh, I'll figure it out.

Especially with my new calling as an FHE group leader.

Nervous for that... But kind of excited?

We'll see. I'm just relying upon the Lord.

A nice thing about iceburg is being able to see this beauty everyday...

Isn't it beautiful?

I love how it sits up on the hill so that all the town can see it.

I love how I live soo close to it.

I love walking out of my apartment in the morning and seeing the sun glowing on the temple.

That makes me happy :)

leaving is never easy

i leave early tomorrow morning...

i don't think reality has sunk in quite yet.

i mean, yeah i've been cherishing moments and packing and everything.

but i'm not a complete mess yet, like i was last year.

maybe it's because i've done this once before.

maybe it's the spirit comforting me and keeping me somewhat calm.

maybe the major meltdown is waiting to hit me ohh sunday night? when i'm alone in a new place? 

that's probably what it is.

i'm trying to be brave, but it's so hard.

i said goodbye to alex today.

it wasn't enough time, but no amount of time is ever enough with him.

i could spend forever with him and still not get tired of him.

we cried. and clung. and promised. and laughed.

i'm hoping that wasn't our goodbye for 2+ years right then.

hoping i get to see him one last time before he leaves. 

i miss him already.

but i've been strong so far.

like i said, i think i'm avoiding reality. i think my heart still thinks i'm going to see him tomorrow, going to get another one of those bear hugs, one more kiss on the cheek, another time to watch him laugh.

 but i only get to avoid it for a few more hours and then it's off to the iceburg for this girl...

it's going to be hard saying goodbye to my dad & brothers. even harder when it comes the time to say goodbye to my mom.

i hate goodbyes. even if they aren't forever.

i have a feeling i never would have survived before the time of technology so i can stay in touch with people and communicate. 

wish me luck. here i go.