Home

I'm home now. Only after four months out in the mission field and now I am home. Why? The only way anyone can complete a mission is if they have the Holy Ghost with them. As I was out in the field I didn't have it. I was trying to complete my mission but that was the problem. It wasn't my mission, I was on a mission for the Lord. On my mission I didn't take any notice to how much the spirit affects the work, but It is everything.
While preparing for my mission I did everything that I could to get ready to leave home for two years, but there were a few things that I overlooked. Thats why I am home now. Thats why I have to start getting ready to leave on a mission all over again. This post doesn't have any spiritual doctrine in it, or anything about the church, this post is just me. I am so sad that I am home. I loved my mission and I can't wait for the day when I can get back out there. Please if any of you have any questions just let me know. Comment on the post and ask any question you want to. I am going to continue my blog while talking about my everyday life and how the gospel has been able to help me while not in a missionary setting. I hope that my blog helps you out in any way and if there is anything that you would like me to write about just comment and I will do my best, I'm not perfect by any means. No one is, but with Christ's help we can all work towards perfection.

Hope, Sacrifice, Joseph Smith

 Moroni 7:41-42 "And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope."

I love these two scriptures. Hope is such a big part of our outlook on life. One person comes to mind when I think of hope, Joseph Smith. When he was a young boy he hoped that there was a better way, he hoped that there was only one way to interpret the Bible. That hope and faith that he had led him to pray to Heavenly Father and receive his answer to his questions and more then he had ever hoped for, but because he asked in faith, knowing that his prayer would be answered, so it was.

Joseph Smith, after he received the first vision from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, suffered greatly. Only his family believed what he said he saw. He was persecuted for his belief and for the Book of Mormon which he translated. He was persecuted until his death, until he was murdered at Carthage jail.  

Christ,"[ suffered] his cross, and [bore] the shame of the world," (Jacob 1:8). He suffered for all of us. He suffered so that we might be made clean like unto him. Christ didn't need hope that his atoning sacrifice would be enough, because he KNEW it would be the last great sacrifice. 

We need to have hope. We need to be able to hope for a better life after this. If we have faith then we must have hope, and if we have hope then we must have faith. We need to be like Christ and even Joseph Smith. We need to hope for better things to come even if we are being punished or bullied for what we believe. Christ has promised that if we are faithful unto him as we are being persecuted for our believing in him, we will be made strong. 

One of my favorite scriptures in the new testament is Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheth me." I know that if we all persevere through all of our trials in our lives with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope and faith, that we can be so happy. I have seen it work in my life and I know it will work in yours too. 

Past, Present, Future

"A mistake is only a mistake if we fail to learn from it." I have heard this saying all of my life, and how true and false it is. Let me explain my reasoning for both as it pertains to living the gospel.
As we strive to live God's commandments, Satan throws curve balls at us, sends tidal waves in our direction, and pushes mountains in the middle of our path. Through these tough times, we will falter. We will choose the wrong path every once in a while. Why? Because none of us are perfect. Choosing these wrong paths are mistakes, but as long as we learn from them we will know how to avoid them later on down the road.
A mistake is a mistake, but if we learn how to not make that mistake again then we have learned the lesson that we should have. There have been many times in my life that I have made the wrong choice, driven down the wrong road, and hung out with the wrong crowd. All of these were mistakes, but as I pushed through these trials, I learned a very valuble lesson that I could only learn from making these mistakes.
Mistakes are also always going to be mistakes if we keep looking back at them and beating ourselves up over them. The saying "forgive and forget" applies to us personally as well. In order to learn from a mistake we need to keep truckin along down the road, AND not look back on them. Dwelling on the past can be just as painful and degrading to ourselves as making the same mistake again.
As long as we follow our only perfect example, Jesus Christ, we can lead the best life that we know how. We can turn those mistakes, those past transgressions into lessons well learned. Lessons that we can teach others, lessons that we can apply in our lives to make us happier and more at peace with the things we have done wrong.

I am so thankful for the Saviors perfect example and his atonement. Without repentance it would be impossible for anyone to enter into heaven. This video explains more about why we shouldn't look at the past as much as we should look forward to the future.

Any Burden Can Be Lifted

This video can explain and show the forgiving power of the Atonement better then I ever could by just using words alone. The power of Jesus Christ's everlasting atonement does so much more then we realize. The atonement can cleanse us from sin, soften our hearts, and help us forgive one another. 2 Nephi 2:22 says,   "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation." 
As long as we put all of our faith and confidence in the Lord, and his Atonement, we can and will be made whole  through him. As Christ himself had once said, "...be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." We can be made whole through Christ, and I can promise you that as you let the atonement work in your life that you will see a huge change, for the better.

Ask a Mormon

People are always getting told so many wrong rumors about Mormons. Many people go and ask preachers, and other people of high standing, but no one knows exactly what Latter-day Saints (Mormon) believe better then a Mormon. This video will answer some questions that many people have. Watch it and find out!!

Mountainous Climb

In life everyone has their own different challenges. Some are harder then others. Some seem to tear people down, down to where they themselves think that they can not get back up. I am hear to tell you that anyone, through the help of Jesus Christ, can get back up.
Life is a roller coaster. Only being 19 years old, I am still confused. What am I going to do with my life? Am I supposed to be doing this? Why am I doing this? These questions go through me head all the time, and I do not know the answers. One of my favorite analogies is this:

Life's struggles and challenges are like mountains, and we are the climber. We look up on these challenges and wonder, "How in the world are we going to climb over this road block in our life?" We can climb the mountain by ourselves, without any equipment but it will be difficult and we will slip and we will fall. Climbing a mountain without a rope or harness is like going through life without Jesus Christ or the gospel in our lives. Jesus Christ is the rope, harness, and all the equipment necessary to climb our own personal mountains, to overcome our obstacles in life. If we fall, Christ is there to catch us, and get us climbing again.
I have been through difficult struggles in my life and I have not always had the harness on, and I have fallen. We might always be able to get over the mountain, even without equipment, but how much easier will it be with it?! One elderly man we were teaching, we will call him Steve, was so close to being baptized. He was almost baptized about 40 years ago but the water was too cold, so the missionary told him to get out. He knows that this church is true, and he knows that he needs to be baptized, so why aren't we teaching him anymore? Well he told us to not come back for a while, I was crushed. He was so close! Now after much thought and praying on the subject I know that as I trust in the Lord, that He will lead and guide me as what to say and do for Steve.
Isaiah 26:4 "Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:" I know that as we trust in the Lord, no matter what we are being afflicted with, we can climb that mountain, drive around that roadblock, and we can again be on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life.

Satan's Game

 "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil" (Matt. 4:1) Satan knows us, he knows our weaknesses. By accepting God's plan, we also accepted the hardships and trials that this life would bring. Satan is everywhere, he is in movies, books, magazines, and people. He hits us while we are down, he takes cheap shots anywhere and everywhere he can. There are no referees, no coaches, no rules. He does everything he can to make us feel worthless and pathetic. Even the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was tempted by the devil himself. Satan tried to break down the will of Christ, if he tempted the only perfect being ever to walk this earth, why wouldn't he tempt us also? 

But there is a way out. There is a way through the difficult times when Satan is hitting us with all hes got. Christ. We have to turn to Christ, turn to His love, and the love of our Father in heaven. We need the strength that only Christ and God can give us if we want to make it through the barrage of Satan's attacks. Philippians 4:13 states, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheth me." How true this statement is.

I have seen in my own life the love that our Father in heaven and Jesus Christ have for me. I know without a doubt in my mind that the only way to have the strength sometimes to get through tough times is to turn to Heavenly Father. I know that if we do, then we can get though any trial, climb any mountain, and beat Satan at his own one-sided game.

Easter!

When I was little, I never took much notice to the importance of many things. I didn't understand the need for my parents to work, why I needed to do chores at home, and why I had to go to church. As I grew older I quickly came to the knowledge of why these things had to be done, but one important date I was still confused about was Easter. Why did we celebrate Easter. It seemed silly to me to have a holiday centered around a little bunny who hides chicken eggs around. Many people forget the importance of holidays. Christmas is taken just as a day to recieve gifts, money, and a day off from work. Even though Christmas and Easter both are days that we should be with our families,  recognizing our savior Jesus Christ should be the main focus on those two days. As a Christian and a Latter-day Saint, I want to expound just a little about why Easter is so special. Easter is the day that Christ was resurrected. After three days of laying in a tomb, he was risen from it and his spirit was reunited with his body. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." Easter is a day to remember Christ rising and breaking the bonds of death,so if we follow our Father in heavens commandments we too can loose the bonds of death and become like christ. Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." This video is just a short but profound look on what Christ had to endure to fulfill his father's will. As this Easter season comes upon us, I would invite all to turn your attention to Christ and really try to understand what he did for us.

General Conference!!!

Twice a year the general authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, the prophet and apostles, speak to the whole world. It is broadcasted on tv, and also at every LDS church on Saturday Spril 2 from 11-1, and 3-5, and Sunday April 3 at the same times. We invite everyone to watch! A prophet of God is taking the pulpit and speaking to everyone, just like the prophets of old. Follow this link to learn more about General Conference!

Faith in God

"Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." 1 Nephi 7:12 reminds us why we need faith. Without faith then God will not be able to help us. As we promise to obey Him and His commandments, He promises blessings to us, but without faith in Him then we will not recieve those blessings. Matt. 13:58 explains why Christ didn't do some miricles, because those people didn't have faith in Him, or Heveanly Father. Moroni 7:40 says "...how is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope." If we do not have faith in Christ and His plan, how can we hope for a better life both here on earth and the life hereafter. In The Infinite Power of Hope, a talk by President Uchdorf, he speaks of a story about his mother and the hope and faith that she exhorted in finding her lost children. I promise toeveryone that if we can all just trust the Lord and follow Him in Faith, that we will have a better life. How can you show your faith took our Heveanly Father each day?  

Important or Not?

"I am not sure, is it worth it?" How many times does this familiar phrase go through our heads? How many times do we answer wrong? I know in my life that there have been many times that I have been faced with a difficult problem, and I don't always choose the right path. There have been many times where I have put many material things in front of what is really important. Family is one of the most important things in this life, and too many times have I not put them before my hobbies or activities. I would invite everyone to watch this short video, and then ask yourself these questions, "Do I need this? Is it above the worth of my loved ones? Is it really worth it in the end?"

Armor of Snowboarding

For each different outdoor activities, there are different things that we need to have so we can achieve the most fun and be the safest that we can. Snowboarding is one of my passions in life. Each article of clothing that I put on when I go to the mountain is significant in their own way, and they all act together for a larger purpose, for protection.
The first thing we need is a nice warm coat. Coats come in many different styles, colors, and fabrics. We need to make sure that the coat we pick is suitable for the task of snowboarding. An ideal coat should be water proof, not too bulky, but very warm and breathable. A good coat is what will keep you warm and dry, likewise with a pair of snow pants. They should be warm, light, and water resistant. With all of these components in these two articles of clothing, you will have a great chance of staying warm.
Next we need are other little things that if left unattended or ignored, will lead to a miserable time on the mountain. Gloves, socks, and maybe a face warmer. Gloves are something that everyone needs. Everyone falls. Everyone needs hands to carry out the tasks during the day. Keeping your hands warm and safe is very important while snowboarding. I can promise you that if your hands are cold, you will have a miserable time. The same things that you look for in a coat, or pants, is the same for gloves. Socks of course keep your feet warm and comfortable. Snowboarding you are on your feet all day, with bad socks your feet will get cold and blistered. Socks are so important and many people overlook that fact.
The next and one of the most crucial components of snowboarding is a helmet. The helmet protects your head. The most important body part. Without proper head gear, we can get seriously injured. We use our head, or mind to think, to make choices each and everyday. When choosing a path to go down on the mountain, we need to be able to pick out the best route to go down for our needs. Whether we want jumps or just a nice easy trail, we need to be able to choose accordingly. Without a proper helmet, we might lose that ability to be able to interpret situations and choose to the best of our ability, due to an injury.
All these basics are needed for a safe and enjoyable time on the ski hill. If we listen to experts, and heed their advice and warnings, then we can have fun and be safe. Many are wondering how this relates to the gospel, here is how. The world we live in today is full of temptations, and people trying to misguide us. We need to be centered in the gospel for our protection. Coats resemble families. If we have a good family we can stay strong in saying no to drugs, drinking, and other inappropriate behaviors. Snow pants are just as important as the coat, so are friends just as important as the family. If we have good friends, if we are around other people who have the same morals as we do then we will want to follow them and they likewise will want to follow us.
Gloves and socks are our teachers and bishops and even prophets of the church., anyone we look up to. With them helping us led a good life, as long as we follow their example then we can not be led astray. Prophets have given us their teachings so that we can follow what our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to do, these writings are The Book of Mormon and the Bible. With those things at our hands and leading the way on our feet, we can lead a very happy, and joyful life.
The helmet is the most important part, and likewise with Christ. He has given us a perfect example to follow. As long as we have him always on our minds, then even if we crash or stumble in life he will protect us and help us not receive any serious injury. With his atonement he suffered for us. He paid the price of our sins. A helmet will protect us. It will get broken and damaged but all the while being there to protect us. As long as we follow what Christ has put forth for us, we will be able to be safe, but if we are breaking the rules then our armor or protective gear wont be able to help us. We have to stay within the bounds, within the limits that Christ has set. In this video, even though it is skiing, it teaches us the importance of why we need to stay in bounds and abide by the laws that our church follows. This amazing article entitled Helping Teens Stay Strong by Brent L. Top and Bruce A. Chadwick, explains to us why we should all live the gospel standards, and in doing so how we can set an example for others.
I know that as we follow the laws that Christ has put forth for us, then we can live without regrets, that we can be happy and safe. Let Christ into our lives and see how He can protect us, and see what blessings come from following his commandments.

Faith In All Things

Faith is the first and a very important step in the gospel. Faith in our Heavenly Father and his Son is the first step in his plan for us. Jesus Christ set forth the gospel here on earth for us to follow, and that first crucial step is faith. A scripture that I love is 1 Nephi 3:7. Nephi is commanded by the Lord to go and get the brass plates. He has so much faith in the Lord that no matter what he is commanded to do he will go and do it without question. I know that as we have faith, we can do anything. In the talk by Elder Rafael E. Pino of the seventy, titled Faith In Adversity he speaks about faith, trials, and how faith in the Lord and his teachings can do for us in our lives.
Through faith, Christ can do amazing things for us in our lives. Through faith we can repent through Christ's atoning sacrifice, and we can receive help in our most difficult times. Only through faith are any of these things possible. The first question that Christ asked his followers if they needed anything done for them is, "Do you have faith?" or, "Do you believe that I can do this?" The first step to anything is faith. Through faith anything is possible and I know that as we put our faith into action that we can be led by the hand of our loving Heavenly Father and his Son to do great works, because faith alone will not qualify us for the highest degree of heaven, but  by exercising our faith. There is a saying I once heard. I am not sure if it is a scripture, or just a saying so if you know please let me know so I can quote it properly but it reads, "Faith without works is dead, and works without faith is fruitless."
Let our faith shine through with how we act and what we say. Matthew says it best in the new testament in Matt. 23:15. I council to everyone reading this that faith is so important and without it we are lost. Have faith, show that faith in your works and deeds, and you will have the strength to get through those everyday trials that we all are faced with.

Joseph Smith

“Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it” (D&C 135:3). Joseph Smith was such a remarkable man. Everything he did from the time he was 14 years of age was devoted to our Lord and his son Jesus Christ. The Life and Minisrty of Joseph Smith is an account of President Smith's life. I encourage yall to read it, or just parts that you are courious about, and leave me feedback. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

"Of Things That Matter Most"

Today, I was wondering what to write my post on, so I started reading a talk by President Uchtdorf, entitled "Of Things That Matter Most". He talks on slowing down, learning to know ourselves, and really focusing on what is important in our lives. Read this talk and try and put what President Uchtdorf asks us to do into our lives and see how happy it can make us.

Choice and Accountablilty

Every morning we have two hours of study, one hour of personal and one hour of companion. As I was taking that hour to study I fell asleep, but it was not in vain. I had a dream about choice. I was at a car lot. There was a really nice red sports car. It was cheap, really good looking, and fast, but there was a catch. A hidden price that I had to unwillingly pay if I bought this car, there was a ninety percent chance that i would get pulled over and get a ticket every time I drove it. On the other hand, there was a different car. A normal four door sedan, nice paint nothing broken on it, but a little more expensive. The best part was is that there was a zero percent chance of me getting pulled over and getting a ticket. So which one do we choose?
As I woke I pondered on my dream. I had woken up just in time so I had to decide which car I wanted while I was awake. "Which one?", I thought to myself. As I started weighing my options I took into account everything that I had witnessed about each car. The sports car was beautiful, fast, and cheap, just what a teenager is looking for. The other was a nice reliable, four door, normal looking car that was a little expensive. I was in a rut. At first my thoughts were, "Well duh I will take the sports car!" As I thought about my decision I was taken back to the idea of getting pulled over. Ninety percent chance. The other car, even though more expensive now, will be cheaper in the long run because I have a zero percent chance of getting pulled over and getting a ticket.
I pondered what this all meant for some time. I came to the conclusion that the sports car was temptation, it symbolized the wrong path, while the four door sedan symbolized the right path, the gate and way to happiness. Sins may look tempting now. They may be fine in society today, but they are not what we should be doing, because we will pay the consequences later.
Choosing the right path, the right friends, and the decision to live your life worthily starts right now. If we drive that sedan, if we can follow Christ, we will have freedom and happiness. He has already paid for our "tickets", or our wrong doings. All we have to do is follow what He has set for us.

"Stay on the High Road" is a talk in which President Gordon B. Hinckley explains why and how choice is so important.

"In my quiet moments, I think of the future with all of its wonderful possibilities and with all of its terrible temptations. I wonder what will happen to you in the next 10 years. Where will you be? What will you be doing? That will depend on the choices you make, some of which may seem unimportant at the time but which will have tremendous consequences.

"Someone has said, 'It may make a difference to all eternity whether we do right or wrong today' (James Freeman Clarke, in Elbert Hubbard's Scrap Book [1923], 95).

"You have the potential to become anything to which you set your mind. You have a mind and a body and a spirit. With these three working together, you can walk the high road that leads to achievement and happiness. But this will require effort and sacrifice and faith."

I invite you all to choose the sedan today. Choose whom ye will serve. In 3 Nephi 13:24 it says, "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." (see also Matthew 6:24) Choose right now the path that you want to follow, pick the sedan and see how much further you can get with out getting a ticket.

The Atonement

The Atonement is such an amazing thing. Without the atonement then we would never be able to live with our Father in heaven. None of us are perfect, but with the atonement we can all be made perfect. Matthew 5:48 says, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." The only way that we are able to accomplish this is through the loving atonement that Jesus Christ suffered for us. In the video Finding Faith In Christ, Thomas, one of Christ's apostles, says this, "Greater love hath no man then this, to lay up his life for his friends." Jesus Christ suffered for us, he gave his life so we all could be made perfect and live with him and our Heavenly Father once again. If we are lost, if we are confused, if we are scared or sad, turn to Christ. He is the way. He is the path in which we need to follow here on earth so we can have eternal life and live with Christ and Heavenly Father again. 

Companionship Study

Everymorning we have personal study time and companionship study time. This mornings companioship study was different then usual. We had three other elders stay with us last night, and since we all had to shower and get ready this morning three elders went to another apartment to shower and study over there. Left in my apatment was me and two other elders that were not my original companions, but of course we still did companionship study. Two of us read Helaman 5. An amazing chapter that speaks about dedication, sacrifice, and faith. I don't want to give anything away but I challenge everyone to read this chapter in The Book of Mormon and see what Nephi and Lehi went through so they could serve their missions and serve our Heavenly Father. As we serve him with all of our with heart, might, mind and strength as the scriptures continiously tell us what to do. I can promise that as we do this, that our Father in heaven will bless us for it.

The Sabbath Day

Church is something that should be sacred to all of us. We should want to strive every week to want to go to a building that is set apart from the world so we can worship our Heavenly Father.  The fourth commandment in the book of Exodus is to keep the sabbath day holy. Different people take this commandment and apply it differently. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we refrain from work, playing sports competitivly, and shopping on this day. I can promise you that as we keep the sabbath day holy then we will see the blessings that come from it.
The other night I was at our church building with another missionary, and a recent convert asked us if we would want to talk to her two children about respecting the chapel. We decided to take them into the chapel and explain to them why it was so important and why we do not run or be disrespectful in it. They were both pretty young children and I still am not sure if they understood why the chapel is so important, but I could tell that the mother could feel the spirit testifying to her of the truth of what we said as we tried to teach her son.
Church buildings are sacred and they need to be treated as such. We need to take time out of our busy week so our Sunday is free and open to worship, go to church, and be with family. What are your thoughts on the importance of the sabbath day?

The Book of Mormon; The word of God

Being out on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not easy. There are so many people here ready to argue their beliefs and try and tear down my faith, and The Book of Mormon itself. There are many people that believe the Bible to be the word of God, and we as Mormons believe the Bible to be the word of God as long as it is translated correctly (article of faith 8). I am not as learned in the Bible as many of the people out here, and what is new to me is the opposition from people who believe the Bible but will not believe the Book of Mormon. There are many who are extremely nice, caring, and genuine followers of Christ. They will do whatever is commanded of them to get back and live with our heavenly father again, and that way is laid out in 2 Nephi 31. This chapter is all about the doctrine of Christ. The doctrine of Christ is the plan, or steps that we have to do here on earth so we can return to live with God again. Only through faith, repenting of our past transgressions, being baptized by someone holding the restored priesthood authority of God, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, can we be received into our Father's kingdom.
The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our savior and only through him we can reach our father in heaven. I would invite those not of the LDS faith to read The Book of Mormon, and then pray with a sincere heart, having faith in Christ, (Moroni 10:4-5) and you will receive an answer to your question. You too can come to a full understanding of Jesus Christ's full and perfect gospel through The Book of Mormon.
In the introduction of The Book of Mormon it reads, "The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel."
 I promise that as you read this book and pray for the truthfulness of its message, you will know in your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit that these things are true. You will know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God.

Patience

Patience is something that for me personally is hard to understand, and I have to work very hard at it everyday. Learning patience is something that I have learned a lot of on my mission even though I have only been out a few months. God works in myterious ways, and I might never come to a knowledge of His ways, but if I can just acknowledge that patience is how he works, then that is what I will do.
The other day I was with Elder Hyde as my two companions were in a leadership training. Elder Hyde came into my area and we went about going house to house as I had planned the night before. All of our plans and all of our people we wanted to see fell through, or weren't home. We decided to go try and see a man that we had never seen before and from what I had heard he was not very interested, but we decided to head to his house anyway. On the way there we ran into a family that was moving out of their house. We decided that it would be a great service opportunity. We helped them move some pretty heavy stuff into the moving truck, while it was raining, all the while telling them about the church and why we are out on a mission. When it was time for Elder Hyde and I to leave, we offered to help them move into their new house or have missionaries in that area help them, but they weren't really that interested in actually sitting down and having a lesson with missionaries at all. Even though they didn't want to be taught and we didn't get an appointment with them, we left them with a good feeling about the church that we belong too. I wanted to be able to teach them but that will come in their own time, and God's time. He will decide when they are ready to hear the message that we have come out here to share.
 In the mormon message, Continue in Patience, President Uchtdorf gives examples of why we need to be patient and how our common adversary is trying to pull us away from our goal, trying to pull us away from our Heavenly Father. I invite you all to watch this video, and your testimony will grow as mine has as you recognize the situations where you need to be patient and why you need to be patient.
I know that if we just wait, and allow the spirit to work in us it will manifest to us that we are not giving into temptation for a reason, that what we are doing is what God wants us to do. As we strive to follow our Heavenly Father's plan and follow his guidelines that we will be able to live with him again and have everlasting life just as He has promised.

Greenie all Alone

My two companions, Elder Walker and Elder Dye, went to a leadership training today. They went to become better trainers and missionaries. So that leaves me, a greenie with hope that some other missionary with a year or so under his belt will come down and help me out in Thompson Station. Elder Hyde was the one who I brought back down with me so we could find new investigators and continue in the work that I was left to do. He has only been out one transfer, six weeks, longer then I have so you can understand my reservations about leaving us two alone in a big area, in which we were both new too. As I picked him up and we went to work, my attitude completely changed as we became better acquainted with each other. We are both from Idaho, and we have similar interests. With our attitude and tracting skills, we tracted for hours, we picked up a few new potential investigators, and had a great time helping a family move as we shared the gospel with them. A man answered a door we knocked on today. When we first told him about the B.O.M. (Book of Mormon) and asked if we could give him a copy he said, "Honestly I don't think that I would ever read it." Just then Elder Hyde was prompted to tell him his own testimony of the B.O.M. Shortly before we left, he accepted a copy.
Today was the first day that I really realized how much attitude can change my own outlook on a situation. How much more our Heavenly Father will bless us as we put forth the effort with a helping attitude. How much more we can get accomplished when we really put forth the effort to get it done. I have a strong testimony about attitude after today and it is something that I hope everyone can learn and apply.
 Here is a talk by President Thomas S. Monson entitled Faces and Attitudes. The attitudes of accomplishment is a very powerful section on why we need the right attitude and the different types of positive attitudes. 

Church History

I have been reading in personal study lately a lot about our church's history and the trying times that the early Latter-day Saints had to go through. There are many testimony building stories in the book Our Heritage. There were many hardships when the early Latter-Day Saints treked out to Salt Lake. Death was abundant but that didn't stop them. Here is an excerpt from Our Heritage. "Death frequently visited the Saints as they slowly made their way west. On 23 June 1850 the Crandall family numbered fifteen. By the week’s end seven had died of the dreaded plague of cholera. In the next few days five more family members died. Then on 30 June Sister Crandall died in childbirth along with her newborn baby."
A whole family dying was not uncommon as saints made the trek out west. Examples like this one help me be more humble and help me realize that if they can make it then I can make it. I love this church and I am so thankful that I can be out here serving the Lord for two years. Even though I miss my loved ones and friends, it is but a small price to pay.

Obedience

Todays entry is short and sweet. Obidience is something that almost everyone struggles with. Many people do not like rules and everyone has heard the saying, "rules are made to be broken". I completly disagree with that statement. The more we follow the rules that our Heavenly Father has put forth for us to live by the easier our lives will be and the more blessings we will be showered with. Follow with all the steadfastness in your heart and you will be rewarded.
3 Nephi 27:21-22 

Prayer

 The power of prayer
I have only been out here on my mission for about a month and already I have seen the importance and power of prayer in my life and my investigators lives. I have too many experiences to recount on here but I just now have such a strong testimony of how prayer can influence your life. In the Book of Enos in the Book of Mormon he begs the lord for forgivness all night, and is forgiven of his sins. The power of prayer is great and we must pray often so we can always feel close with our Heavenly Father, recieve guidience, and ask for forgivness so we can be made perfect, even as Jesus Christ is perfect. Which leads me to the Scripture of the day.
3 Nephi 12:48

Tracting!

So my first real tracting experience yesterday and it was interesting. A member referred us to tract her street so we decided that that is what we were going to do. So Elder Dye, Elder Walker and I went tracting for about an hour. Some people were really nice and just said 'Hey ya know i really respect what you guys are doing but I am happy with my church.' So we kept pressing forward. Some people simply just looked through the window and waved us off their porch. Most just didn't answer or weren't home. The most memorable was the lady who came to the door and after Elder Walker had finished telling her who we were she immediately said, "No thanks I don't believe in polygamy." So Elder Walker politely said, "Well that's good because we don't either." We then explained to her that we don't believe in multiple wives and that we only want and can have one. After that she politely declined our invitation to talk to her further and we were on our way.
I thought that talking to her was just a waste of time being a greenie, or new, to the mission field but my companions said that as long as we got to help someone understand our church a little more then it wasn't wasted time at all. 

Scripture of the day. Alma 5:51

Baptism!!!

Our investigator has a baptismal date for this Saturday!!!! But we had some set backs. So we live in Springhill and we are covering two wards which both go to two different buildings. Each building is about 30 minutes away from where we live and where anyone in either ward lives. The ward that our investigator will soon be in meets in a building in Colombia which is south 30 minutes from us, but on Saturday in that building there is already a wedding and two other baptisms. So we either have to drive the other 30 minutes in the other direction to have her baptized or go to a lake, whatever it takes we have faith that it will work out and she will get baptized this Saturday.

Baptism

We had a baptism for this saturday...but we had to cancel it. The lady that was supposed to get baptized didnt come to church. So frustrating. I just want to bring them closer to Christ

First Post

Hey yall so this is my first post. Ask anything you like to either get to know me more or ask away about the great gospel!