1 year ago TODAY! I entered the MTC (Missionary Training Center) to start one of the GREATEST, DIFFICULT, MOST INCREDIBLE spiritual journeys ever! Every single one of those 365 days been SO WORTH it. Everybody Ive met has been such a blessings, and Im so grateful for every individual. Heres what Ive learned: 1. Goodbyes are hard. January 22, 2014 was one of the hardest and loneliest days of my entire life. But it was also one of the very best days Ive ever lived. I cant believe how fast its gone and how little precious time I have left. I cant say Ive loved every minute of it or appreciated all of the see you laters Ive had to say, but there is something more than happiness and thats peace. Id rather have peace than happiness any day. 2. The Book of Mormon is true. Ive only read it nine times on my mission, and six times in the rest of my life. I dont know everything; Im just starting out. But there is one thing that I know for certain, and that is that its true. All of it. Every single word was inspired by our Heavenly Father. We can receive power far beyond our own capacity that comes from the pages of this precious book. Im no scriptorian, but what Elder Scott said about memorizing scriptures and they become some of your greatest friends is true. The world doesnt know this book yet, but thats why there are missionaries and member missionaries! 3. Which brings me to number three. Missionary work TRULY is the greatest work that we could ever do. I could not say that one year ago today, but I can say it now. Im very grateful for this time of my life that I have to share it 24/7. Even after I come home, I know that I will continue to be engaged in this work, because I know that its the Lords work. 4. What you do not know will always be trumped by what you know. ALWAYS. Stick to the testimony of what you know to be true, especially in the face of adversity and anti-Mormon literature and Bible bashers and Satan. There is a lot of crazy out there in the world, and there are many other things that can destroy our conversion, but NONE of it matters if we stay true to our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, our modern day prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and the doctrines and truths that we know to be right. 5. Lifes hard and then you keep going. Many times this past year, I didnt know if I was going to make it. No worries, my life wasnt usually in danger, but times got rough. You dont need or want details and I dont want to think about it, but this hasnt been a year of sunshine and daisies. But, I know that the Atonement is real. Christ came to this earth for a great purpose, and that was so we could live again and live today. By live today, I mean make it through the sorrows and hardships and trials and sicknesses and struggles in our daily lives. I have no reason to doubt that without my Savior, I would not have made it through this year. His love and power and grace are so very real and so very enabling and so very available to us all. We just have to reach out and accept His gift. To sum up the mission, heres a quote by C.S. Lewis that lays it out perfectly: Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 01:24:58 +0000
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