Christ-mas Time is Here

I love Christmas time, and am always sad when it seems to end so abruptly with the passing of December 25th. Some of the things that have always made Christmas so memorable have been the fun family traditions we carry on with each passing year. From Secret Santas, to our annual christmas village, there are always lots of fun things to look forward too. The past 2 years have been especially great, as I have been able to spend time with the people I love here in the Carolina's, while also getting to talk with my family back home.

Along with all the fun family traditions come memories of special Christmas moments. I remember one time delivering newspapers at 3 in the moring, still half asleep, as christmas music played on the car radio. I remember delivering neighbor gifts, seeing the lights, and participating in church christmas programs. I remember fun times with friends and family. Most of all, I try to remember Jesus Christ. "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." (2 Cor. 9:15)

My Dad always writes our family christmas cards in poem form, telling the story of our year in rhymes. He always puts at the end a specific paragraph focusing on Christ, and this last week he sent me an extended version he used in a talk for church that I really enjoy.

Like my father, I testify of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season. He is the King of kings, Lord of lords, the Prince of Peace. He is the Light, the Life, and the Hope of this world, even the great I Am. "God be thanked for the Matchless Gift of his Divine Son." (The Living Christ)

www.christmas.mormon.org

Saviors on Mount Zion

As missionaries, we are out all day, every day, doing our best to serve others and to teach them about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We do this on weekends, holidays, birthdays, and every other day inbetween. The only time we do anything different is for 8 hours on Monday. This is our time to go shopping, clean the apartment, do our laundry, and maybe do something fun if we have the time. On top of all this, Monday is the only day we are able to write family and friends. On one particular Monday, I had recieved lots of emails from family members and friends. We were pretty busy that day, so I only had an hour or 2 in which to write everyone. I rushed through the emails as fast as I could, only to find that I had foolishly put of writing my mom, and I only had a couple minutes left. I rushed a quick email off to her, but I knew she would still be disappointed when she recieved it (though she would never show it). Sure enough, that week a letter from my dad showed up in the mailbox. The majority of the letter was just talking about thoughts he had while reading the scriputres that week and encouraing me. But after his signature came the PS, the real reason he had written me.

Fortunately, I had already repented before recieving this "non-reprimanding" letter, and had sent my mother a handwritten card that showed up that Friday back in Utah. I am grateful for this letter though, because it has been a great reminder of all that my mom has done for me and my family. For this reason, I wanted to write a personal shout out to the moms I know, and thank you for everything you do. As Elder Holland said this last general conference, "No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child."

To my friends who are or someday will be moms: 

You are going to do great! God is trusting you with one of his own spirit children whom he loves very much. That is a pretty incredible fact, and it can be overwhelming, but I know you can do it, because you yourselves are also daughters of Heavenly Father. He loves you just as much as he loves your child, and he is going to support you.Thank you for your friendship and your wonderful examples to me.

To mother figures in my life, both on my mission and back home: 

Most of you who fall in this category probably won't even realize how much you have done for me. From everyone who has fed, cared for, and helped me on my mission, to those who taught and helped me through school and early college, to those who taught me in church, you have all played a huge role in my life. Thank you for loving me enough to go out of your way to help me, even though I am not your actual son. Your care has ment so much, I wouldn't be where I am today without you

To my own mom: You are the greatest example of Christlike love, service, and optomism I personally know. Thank you for always living the gospel and being an example to me. Thank you for cheering me on in my hours of sadness or heartache. Thank you for encouraging me, providing for me, and carrying me through life. Thank you for taking on the task of raising me and my siblings. Thanks for the late nights of homework, the extended help in scouts - and the most important job of all - teaching me how to be an honorable diciple of Christ. I love you.

In closing, I love and echo these final words of Elder Holland: "To all mothers in every circumstance, including those who struggle--and all will..."

It's About Obedience

This last week in sacrament meeting, a member of the ward shared an experience she had back in college with David A Bednar, a former president of Brigham Young University Idaho. She had asked him why the school's dress code banned students from wearing flip flops on campus. She was prepared to fight against what she thought was a ridiculous rule, but she was humbled by what he told her. He said "It's not about flip flops, its about obedience."

This last week during the priesthood session of general conference, President Monson talked about the blessings of simply being obedient to the commandments, even when we don't understand them. In his own words, he said "My message to you tonight is straightforward. It is this: keep the commandments."

The same message that President Monson shared seemed to be one of the themes throughout all of conference. I loved the story Elder Von E. Keech told of the surfers who wished to surf past the impenetrable barrier off the coastline of the beach, until they realized that barrier was the only thing that protected them from the sharks they hadn't previously noticed.

"Like the barrier," he said, "God's commandments can sometimes be difficult to understand...but He who “comprehend[s] all things”² knows exactly where those dangers lie. He gives us divine direction, through His commands and loving guidance, so that we may avoid the dangers"

Sister Carole M Stephens shared her own experience with her granddaughter who wouldn't buckle her seatbelt, until she realized that the purpose of the seat belt was protection, and the commandment to wear it was because of the love and concern her grandma had for her safety. Our Heavenly Father gives us commandments for the same reasons, and when we follow him, we are showing our faith and love for him.

I have seen many times where keeping the commandments has kept me safe and happy. Likewise, I have also had my fair share of times where I made mistakes, and as a result I paid the price for the choices I mistakenly believed would bring me joy. I testify that commandments are there for our benefit, and no matter how pleasurable something may seem, it is always much safer (and more fun) to obey. I'm grateful for scriptures and for living prophets who give us commandments. I know that if we are obedient, we will receive the promised blessings, and we will be safe.


PS: LDS Youth did a great job with this video, check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/ldsyouth/videos/983777155014525/

How Great Thou Art!

One of my favorite parts of serving in North Carolina is all the beautiful scenery here! Between the busy things we are doing every day, I love the moments when we are riding in the car or walking around the city and we have the chance to pause and take in the beauty around us.

I love the beauty of the Carolina's

Back home my family loved to go on little "rambles out yonder." Whenever we had a free weekend or a break from school, we would often load up in the car for a brand new adventure! I loved all the fun and beautiful places we would go.

 

"The Wave" located near the Utah-Arizona border

 

A beach along the Washington state coastline

 

Antelope Island, located in the Great Salt Lake in Utah

 

Being in nature has always allowed me time to rest, to feel calm, and to talk with my Heavenly Father. I love the serenity and peace I am able to feel. I believe that it is for these same reasons that Joseph Smith went out to the sacred grove to pray for answers to his question on which church was true. Or like in the Book of Mormon, when Enos prayed for close to a full day for forgiveness and knowledge. In the Bible, Jesus Christ retired multiple times to the sea, the wilderness, or even the Garden of Gethsemane, where he paid the ultimate price for our sins. As we spend quiet time alone with our Heavenly Father, whether it be when we are in a ramble out yonder, or even the privacy of , we can feel the great significance of the world, and how very small we are. In those moments however, we are also able to feel how very important we are individually to our Father in Heaven. He knows us personally and he loves more deeply than we can understand. I love the words of the popular hymn "How Great Thou Art," and the beautiful testimony they share of our God and his love for us. I'm so grateful for our God, and I love him too!

My Duty to God

 

I remember once when I was probably 7 years old something that still makes our family smile to this day. My mom was at the time involved in Scouting for our church sponsored Scout troop, and I was out with her at an event they were having. I remember I was looking at some small pictures of badges that were a part of cub scouts, and to me I was certain they were a bobcat, a wolf, and a yak! My mom later informed me with a laugh that it was in fact a bear I had been looking at, but I can still remember how excited I was to get the chance to start my scouting 'career' when I was 8 years old. Since that time, I have been blessed with wonderful leaders and mentors to help me along my personal path through Scouting. Throughout my journey of Scouting, I have learned and developed a number of new skills and hobbies. But even more important than the things I have learned to do are the values I have learned to cherish and the morals I have learned to follow.

 One of Scouting's main desires is "to find the good in every boy and develop it" (Baden Powell, the founder of Scouting). Essential to the scouting movement is a duty and desire to follow God. In fact, Baden Powell said "Their is no religious side to the movement, the whole of it is based on religion. That means on the realization and service of God." In the end, my gratitude is not for Scouting itself, but for the window Scouting provides to allow us to see the true source of light, which is Jesus Christ. As Thomas S. Monson has said "I am pleased to stand firm with an organization that teaches duty to God and country... whose motto is be prepared, and whose slogan is do a good turn daily."

I echo that the most important thing we can do in this life is to learn to know and follow God and his son Jesus Christ. God is our father, and Jesus Christ our savior. We learn about them as we study the Bible and Book of Mormon, as we pray, and as we seek the good in this life. One of my favorite scriptures says "the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God." (Moroni 7:16) I know as we all do our duty to God, we will find lasting peace and joy. After all, God isn't just important for young boys, he is important for all of us as well.

Check our this video all about our duty to God: http://bcove.me/ijl4ntdt


 

Let Your Light So Shine

This past week I have had the opprotunity to think about all of the wonderful people who have been examples to me in my life. I honestly don't think I can descride how grateful I am for each of you and for how you have helped me. Specifically, there are too many of you to name, but in general, you could be summed up as those who "let your light so shine." (Matthew 5:16)

I believe these thoughts started arising as I sat in church on Sunday. For those who aren't familiar with the church, on the first Sunday of every month members of the congregation have the opprotunity to bear our personal testimonies about Jesus Christ, the Gospel, or anything else we believe. The week before, all of the local youth had been out on weeklong summer camps. The young men went on a 50 mile kayaking trip in the ocean, while the young women went to a weeklong camp where they played games, sang songs, hiked, and had spiritual devotionals and testimony meetings. So on this particular sunday, a dozen of the teenagers in the congregation took the opprotunity to express gratitude to the men and women who had voulentered their time to give these youth such memorable experiences. Many of the youth talked about the spirit they felt on their trips, and the change it had on their lives. As I listened to these testimonies, I thought back on all the people who gave their own time to help me as I grew.

I thought of my immediate family, my extended family, and of friends, who were always willing to offer support and encouragement. I thought of my own church and scout leaders and their families, who sacrificed time in order to help us youth learn skills and values to make ourselves better. I thought of school teachers or administrators, who ran programs and gave council that allowed me to further my education throughout high school and college. I thought of the people I have been blessed to know on my mission for just short periods of time, but whose examples have left lasting impressions on me. And most of all, I thought of my Savior, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed everything in order to provide me a way to live with him and our Father again. "Oh it is wonderful that he should care for me, enough to die for me. Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me." (I Stand All Amazed, Hymn 193, LDS Hymn book)

I am grateful for the opportunity I have to live his gospel, and to hopefully be an example for others that I interact with. I invite us to strive to help others, and to "Let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven." We may not be perfect at it all the time, but I know as we do our best, the Lord will help us be an example and a strength to those whom we may not even realize are watching. I testify that we make more of a difference than we think we do, and I thank those who have done so much good for me.
 

 

All Day, Every Day

I come from a family of 5 back in Utah. My dad is from Denver, Colorado and my mom grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho. My parents were married in the Idaho Falls temple and started raising a family. They ended up totaling at a family of 5, myself, my brother Hunter, and my sister Emily. I will be the first to tell you that my parents did an absolutely fantastic job at raising all of us! I have now been on a mission in North Carolina for 1 year (we serve 2 years total), and since leaving them I have come to realize the great examples they were to me even more.

My Family the Christmas before I left for the Carolina's
From left to right: my Dad, my sister Emily, me, my Mom, and my brother Hunter

Many of the lessons I learned while under their care consisted of normal life lessons, such as getting to places early, holding open doors for people, getting work done before play, or why we shouldn't touch hot stoves (but did I listen at 4 years old? of course not!) But I think the best lessons I learned from them were the ones that taught me how to be a true "example of the believers" (1 Timothy 4:12).

One of the things my mom always taught me over and over was to "make sure that you feel the Spirit at least once a day." It seemed to be her own sort of spiritual "apple a day" prescription. The Savior teaches the same principle in the sermon on the mount found in Matthew 6. As he prays to Heavenly Father, he includes the phrase "Give us this day our daily bread." (vs. 11). I realized my mom was teaching me the importance of what the Savior really meant here. So I decided to start doing my best to find my "daily bread." The Lord ask us to "pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul." (2 Nephi 32:9)

Because I was striving to make sure my performance was for the Lord, I started looking for ways to make sure he would consecrate my labors. Some of the best ways I personally found was reading the scriptures daily (especially the Book of Mormon) and praying. As I did so, it was impossible for me not to notice the blessings that flowed into my life. I felt more love for my family. I felt a clearer mind when dealing with school or projects. I was better able to recognize the blessings God gave me in my own life. And most of all, my testimony of the gospel was consistently strengthened. I know that these same blessings are available for all of us as we make sure to "feel the spirit at least once a day." I testify that by doing so, we can become like the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob, who had such marvelous experiences that he "could not be shaken", even when faced with those who actively wished to destroy him and his faith. (Jacob 7:5) I thank my parents for teaching me the blessings of living the gospel daily, and I hope we all remember the wise council of our Savior to search for our daily bread all day, every day!

E'ry Day!!