Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Ask ME--I'm a MISSIONARY!!!

In October 2013, Thomas S. Monson announced that 18 year old Elders and 19 year old sisters could now submit paperwork to become missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It just so happens that I was going to be turning 19 at the end of the month on the 30th. I knew that I always wanted to serve a mission, and this announcement just made it possible for me to go sooner. I knew that this was designed by God. 

Elder Russell M. Nelson gave a particularly profound talk in that same conference. He titled his talk, "Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!" I loved this talk and still continue to pull inspiration from it. This year it is a little different for me. I am on the missionary side of it now! I will never have an experience like this ever again in my life time. Elder Nelson says in his talk:

"Yes, missionaries can help in many ways. For example, some of you might want to know more about your ancestors. You may know the names of your parents and your four grandparents, but what about your eight great-grandparents? Do you know their names? Would you like to know more about them? Ask the missionaries! They can help you! They have ready access to the vast family history records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

"Some of you are members but not presently participating. You love the Lord and often think of returning to His fold. But you don’t know how to start. I suggest that you ask the missionaries! They can help you! They can also help by teaching your loved ones. We and the missionaries love you and desire to bring joy and the light of the gospel back into your lives."

"Some of you may want to know how to conquer an addiction or live longer and enjoy better health. Ask the missionaries! They can help you! Independent studies have shown that, as a group, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are a healthy lot. Their death rates are among the lowest and their longevity greater than any yet reported in any well-defined group studied over a lengthy period of time in the United States."

"Some of you may feel that life is busy and frenetic, yet down deep in your heart you feel a gnawing emptiness, without direction or purpose. Ask the missionaries! They can help you! They can help you to learn more about the true purpose of life—why you are here on earth and where you are going after death. You can learn how the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will bless your life beyond anything you can presently even imagine."

"If you have concerns about your family, ask the missionaries! They can help you! Strengthening marriages and families is of utmost importance to Latter-day Saints. Families can be together forever. Ask the missionaries to teach you how this is possible for your family."

"Missionaries can also help you with your desire for greater knowledge. The human spirit yearns for enlightenment. Whether truth comes from a scientific laboratory or by revelation from God, we seek it! The glory of God indeed is intelligence."

"Increase in learning includes spiritual as well as temporal knowledge. We stress the importance of understanding sacred scriptures. An independent study recently found that Latter-day Saints were the most knowledgeable about Christianity and the Bible. If you want to understand the Bible better, to understand the Book of Mormon better, and gain a broader comprehension of the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God, ask the missionaries! They can help you!"

"Many of you have a deep desire to help people in need. Because we follow Jesus Christ, Latter-day Saints are also compelled by that insatiable urge. Anyone may join with us to help the needy and provide relief to victims of disaster anywhere in the world. If you want to participate, ask the missionaries! They can help you!"

"And if you want to know more about life after death, about heaven, about God’s plan for you; if you want to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ, His Atonement, and the Restoration of His Church as it was originally established, ask the missionaries! They can help you!"

If you have ANY questions--please ask me! I am a missionary! I have literally been set apart and sent out do exactly this! I love being a missionary and serving people. I wish daily that more people would ask me questions. I may not always have the answer right away, but I know where to get the answers. 

I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church on the earth today. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father that cares about us and wants to give us answers to our questions. I know that I am called of God. 

Please feel free to message me on Facebook with any questions about my church! Also, you can find many answers at mormon.org .

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy New Year!




Saturday, December 28, 2013

Merry Christmas!!!

 Merry CHRISTmas everyone! As you can see, I too had a very great Christmas! There is nothing like serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during this special season! 

“If every member, young and old, will reach out to just 'one' between now and Christmas, millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a wonderful gift to the Savior.”
M. Russell Ballard, October 2013 general conference 

How did you do?

Dressing up for a Jerusalem-style dinner


Christmas presents!
Vancouver North Zone Sisters

Vancouver North Zone Elders

All of our stockings!

My stocking!

The wonderful couple who welcomed us in their home on Christmas and SPOILED us all!



New leg warmers!








Thursday, December 19, 2013

What I Expect To Get Out Of My Mission & My Life

For our latest conference, we were asked to prepare three different talks. The topics were "How To Work With Ward Members", "How To Teach With Power And Authority", and "What Do You Expect To Get Out Of Your Mission And Your Life". They were then to randomly select three missionaries to share their talks on any one of these topics. I was not chosen to share on any of these topics, but I did obediently prepare for them. The topic that I enjoyed writing the most was "What I Expect To Get Out Of My Mission And My Life."

The almost obvious answer for every missionary is to become more like Christ. I decided that I would focus my studies on one quality that I would want to emulate. Through my studies, I came to the conclusion that in my mission and in my life, I want to be meek. Moroni 7: 43-44 says:



One thing that I have learned as a missionary thus far is that in order to do anything we must first have Faith. Faith then leads to hope, which leads to charity. Without charity we are nothing. This scripture tells us that you cannot have faith, save ye shall be meek and lowly of heart. It all starts with meekness.

Another great scripture on this is Moroni 8:26. It says:

 26 And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.

We want the companionship of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost fills us with hope & perfect love. The Holy Ghost will lead us to Eternal Life. We have the opportunity to live with our Heavenly Father for forever. We must first be meek to be a candidate for Eternal Life.

 Elder Ulisses Soares said this in the recent general conference, "Meekness is vital for us to become more Christlike. Without it we won’t be able to develop other important virtues. Being meek does not mean weakness, but it does mean behaving with goodness and kindness, showing strength, serenity, healthy self-worth, and self-control. Meekness was one of the most abundant attributes in the Savior’s life. He Himself taught His disciples, 'Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.' We are blessed to be born with the seed of meekness in our hearts. We need to understand that it is not possible to grow and develop that seed in the twinkling of an eye but rather through the process of time. Christ asks us to 'take up [our] cross daily,' meaning that it must be a constant focus and desire."


I can add my testimony that Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of meekness. We must develop this attribute to become more like him. 

So back to the question I was posed by Elder Corbridge: What I expect to get out of my mission and my life is meekness. I pray that I will be able to work on this attribute daily. I know that it is not easy. But the Lord will always help us through it!


Monday, December 16, 2013

Above The Line or Below The Line?

          Fruitful          
Unfruitful

Are your thoughts fruitful or unfruitful?

I learned about this concept from Elder Corbridge, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He asked us, "Are you above the line or below the line?"

There is a line. Above the line is what is good, "productive", and fruitful. Below the line is what is negative, "unproductive", and unfruitful. He said that we most often go below the line in our thoughts.

Elder Corbridge said to us missionaries, "If you feel anxiety in missionary work-Welcome to the club!" So it is with all of us in life! If you feel anxiety, like your not good enough, and that you have struggles-Welcome to the club! He went on to say, "Don't bring yourself down. We need to be alive and happy. It is the Lord's purpose for you to have joy. To have joy you need to feel anxiety." We learn of happiness when we experience sorrow. Without the negative, we wouldn't know the positive.

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." 2 Nephi 2: 11

Ether 12:27 says, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Notice that it doesn't say weaknesses. He helps us to know how we can improve. When we think that we are not good enough, it is because we see things as they are. Only through our Savior, are we capable of doing the things that the Lord wants us to do. We must rely on him.

When we think above the line we:
1. See a need.
2. Assume responsibility for it. Own it.
3. Decide what you are going to do. Plan it.
4. DO IT.

When we think below the line we avoid responsibility. You say, "It's not my job."

Let us all think above the line! Let us rely on our Savior to build us up. He will guide us if we only ask.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The Most Exciting Time For Missionary Work!

It is the most exciting time to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Just this last June, L. Tom Perry made the exciting announcements of missionaries working online. He said, "The message they will share—that of the Atonement of Christ, the Book of Mormon, and living prophets—is the same message that I shared as a young missionary in the Northern States Mission. However, some of the ways in which we shared the message are vastly different from the way you will share it.
When I was a young missionary, we were able to speak with contacts on the street and knock on doors to share the gospel. The world has changed since that time. Now, many people are involved in the busyness of their lives. They hurry here and there, and they are often less willing to allow complete strangers to enter their homes, uninvited, to share a message of the restored gospel. Their main point of contact with others, even with close friends, is often via the Internet. The very nature of missionary work, therefore, must change if the Lord is to accomplish His work of gathering Israel “from the four corners of the earth” (2 Nephi 21:12). The missionaries are now authorized to use the Internet in their proselyting efforts.
During less-productive times of the day—chiefly in the mornings—missionaries will use computers in meetinghouses and other Church facilities to contact investigators and members, work with local priesthood leaders and mission leaders, receive and contact referrals, follow up on commitments, confirm appointments, and teach principles from Preach My Gospel using mormon.org, Facebook, blogs, email, and text messages.
Access to the Internet by missionaries and the use of digital devices will be phased over the next several months and into next year. We will be in touch with you when it is time for your mission and area to use these tools. Of course, safety is paramount in this new frontier of missionary work. Mission presidents will monitor missionaries’ online work to help them remain safe in all they do."

 "Brothers and sisters, if our greatest and most important duty is to preach the gospel, as the Prophet Joseph Smith stated, then our purpose is clear: by virtue of our membership in His Church, each of us is called and commissioned to “invite others to come unto Christ,” whether they be active members, new members, less-active members, or nonmembers. If any around us—nonmembers or less-active members of the Church—have not received “the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, [and] receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost,” we invite them to do so.
This responsibility does not rest solely on the missionaries."

He ends his talk by saying, "May we, both members and missionaries, ever be united in fulfilling our missionary purpose to help others come unto Christ. May we be a light and a beacon to all the earth and particularly to God’s children who are seeking the Lord’s blessings."

I know that these online tools are for our benefit to share the gospel with others. We will be blessed as we share what we know with our loved ones. I hope that all of my family and friends will act. Try posting something from the church websites like lds.org, mormon.org, or familysearch.org at least twice a week. I know that the Lord will bless everyone with missionary opportunities as they do so. This IS the Lord's work! I love it and know that this what he would have us do!


Friday, December 6, 2013

Portland, Oregan Temple Trip!

I wanted to write a quick post about my day on Wednesday! I was able to attend the Portland temple with the whole Washington Vancouver mission! I feel so blessed to be able to serve here in this part of the Lord's kingdom! The Portland temple is SO beautiful! Don't be fooled by this picture--it was freezing outside!


I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for all of my many blessings! 
He shows me how much he loves me everyday!

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Washington Vancouver Mission!

Hello friends and family! I am so excited to be able to share with you all my new missionary blog! I am currently serving in Battleground, Washington in the Maple Grove Ward!

In order to increase missionary efforts, missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints have now joined Facebook, started blogs, and have vamped up their mormon.org profiles! I would encourage all of my family and friends to start their own blogs, create mormon.org profiles, and share something about the gospel at least once a week.

If you aren't sure how to get started, follow this link! Sharing the Gospel Online

Once you get there, you will find this quote:

“There are new ways to invite others to ‘come and see.’ Let’s make sharing our faith online more a part of our daily life. LDS.org, Mormon.org, Facebook, Twitter—all provide opportunities.”
— Elder Neil L. Andersen

I have a testimony that this is the Lord's work. President Monson has said:

“Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act in faith to fulfill His work.”

May we all do our best to help in this great effort! To end my post, I will quote Elder Neil L. Andersen again:

 "Brothers and sisters, as surely as the Lord has inspired more missionaries to serve, He is also awakening the minds and opening the hearts of more good and honest people to receive His missionaries. You already know them or will know them. They are in your family and live in your neighborhood. They walk past you on the street, sit by you in school, and connect with you online. You too are an important part of this unfolding miracle."