Easter Sunday: A Day of New Life

It has been awhile since I last made a post, but with the Easter season upon us I return with a new post about the special meaning of this time of the year. I hope that each of you will enjoy and be able to remember everything that is special about this holiday.

Several years ago my family made the long drive from Utah to visit my sister in Colorado. The drive was a long and tedious one, involving hours of drive on the high plains of Wyoming and eventually culminated with us arriving late at night in Denver. My family was tired from our trip and we were ready to crawl onto the air mattresses and the futon that would be our beds for the next several days. My family didn't complain about the sleeping conditions and my sister and her husband didn't complain either about the extra six people that were staying in their home.

For a couple of days my family was united on the edge of the Rocky Mountains. We spent time to go and visit interesting sites, go on runs, and spend time together catching up. Most of all we spent time with my sister's youngest child a newly born baby girl. At the time she was only several months old and for most of my family it was our first time to see the newest addition to the family. We all took turns holding the little girl and then would switch to playing with her older brother, who was just as cute.

On Sunday my family went to the local LDS chapel and watched as my brother-in-laws and my dad gave this baby girl a blessing to help start off her life right. It was amazing to hear my sister's husband give the blessing. To feel that power and to realize that this little pure girl was just starting off her life was amazing. The entire family was so happy to be present for the blessing of my sister's little girl.

When the blessing was finished my family returned to my Sister's house to celebrate the Easter Sunday and the baby blessing. That night I sat and thought about what had happened that day.My thoughts were drawn from the baby blessing and how pure my little niece was and how amazing her life was. I thought of how special it was that she was able to start her new life and how I wished for that same thing in my life.

The more I pondered though the more I realized that I too could be made clean like my little niece and how I would be able to have a fresh start like her. I remembered the reason for that Sunday I was spending in Colorado. Two thousand years before Christ had risen from the tomb. By doing such He had signaled that we all could become pure through His Atonement and that all of us could have fresh starts and someday live with our Heavenly Father. I realized that all of those blessings were available to all of God's children no matter who they are.

As I now look back on that day several years ago I remember several things. A pure little girl, an empty tomb, and a chance to change. The memories from that day will not be forgotten in my life. I'm thankful for the blessings of Easter. For the blessings of new life. May we take time this Easter Sunday to think and ponder on the meaning of this day and see what it means for us. May we read the scriptures and find those things that will point us to our Savior.

My Family that Easter morning.

Links

Alma 7       3 Nephi 11      John 20

#BecauseHeLives

Growing Pains In Lakeview

It has now been a very long since I served as a missionary in the small town of Lakeview. It seems though as if it was only a few weeks ago that me and my companion were walking the streets of the "tallest town" in Oregon. Those were fun times. Times at which I exuded confidence every pore, times when I wasn't too sure of myself, and times where I knew serving a mission was the greatest thing for my life. There was a lot of growing that I did in Lakeview.

When I arrived in Lakeview I was fresh out of Utah. A kid who was only nineteen years old, who was so shy that I had been known in college to drop classes just to avoid people. I was not too sure of myself. Plus on top of that I was in a town of 2,500 people that was two hours away from the closest city. As absurd as it seems this little town in the middle of nowhere intimidated me to no end.

I can remember those first few weeks in Lakeview being tough. I tried my hardest to figure out just what I was doing as a missionary.Talking to people did not come easily for me. To make things worse people were polite, but "not interested". I often wondered why was I out on a mission? Why hadn't I waited until I was more mature and sure of myself to come out and tackle such a great work? I wanted to go back to my home in Utah so bad. But I decided to push on trusting that things would get better for me.

As it turned out things did start to get better. Everyday I prayed for help to overcome my weaknesses as a missionary, I studied my scriptures, and then I went out and worked. At first I noticed no improvement and so I was frustrated with what seemed to be my ineptitude to get better. I was still lousy at everything that I was doing. But the more the weeks progressed the more I began to see changes. Now these changes I was experiencing were really small. So small that I didn't see them come. So small that if I hadn't looked back on the first few days of my mission I would not have able to see any difference.

Some of these small changes that I saw were that I didn't fumble around with my words as much. I had the courage to knock on a door even if I was afraid to do so. I had just a little more confidence in everything I did. All of this happened within the first few weeks of my mission.These changes were an absolute miracle for me. For nineteen years I had been trying to grow up. To see some kind of change in my life that would let me know that I was finally maturing and becoming a new person. Finally in Lakeview I was starting to see real growth.

The secret to this growth as I found out was the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of Christ's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross I am able to change. He suffered all things, He felt all things. My sorrows and my griefs are included in everything that He felt. Because He felt all of those things He has perfect empathy and knows how to help and strengthen me. In return all He asks me to do is believe in Him, to go to church, to read my scriptures, be baptized, and continue to be a good person. It isn't much that He asks for and in return I have received strength and maturity.

Ever since I took my first few steps in Lakeview towards growing I have continued to grow and I've grown a lot. That growth has been in small steps, but I wouldn't have been able to make those steps if it wasn't for my Savior Jesus Christ and the time I spent in Lakeview. I know that anyone can change through Christ that through His Atonement people can grow and become better. Come unto Christ by keeping the commandments and being baptized. Be strengthened by Him. " For [His] yoke is easy and [His] burden is light." (Matthew 11:30)

Lakeview from above.

A Family that Runs Together Stays Together

A couple of years ago on Thanksgiving my family started a tradition that I have come love. That Thanksgiving my family decided to go on a run before sitting down as a family to have some turkey and stuffing. It was an idea that may seem weird to a lot of people, but it does makes sense to try to workout on a day known for gluttony. Also I loved the idea because I love to run.

Altogether there were seven of us that day that went to run: my parents, my two sisters, me, my brother, and my sister's husband. The seven of us drove down to Woods Cross, Utah where we jumped on the bike path that ran along the Legacy Parkway. From that point all of us were off on a ten mile run to Farmington. All of us that is except my brother who was riding his bike.

The first couple of miles went really well as all of us stayed together in a pack. But the farther we went along the more spread out our family got. As we ran along my Dad fell to the back of the run and was far behind the rest of us. This was unfortunate because he was the only one who knew where we were going. So as me and the rest of my family blazed ahead on what turned out to be an abandoned railroad track our Dad followed behind trying to catch up and tell us that we had left the path.

The path that we were following slowly got harder and harder as we ran through the gravel that had once made up part of the railroad. I can remember thinking that the path had gotten a lot harder and seemed to be taking us a lot longer than anticipated. Eventually my Dad highjacked my brother's bike and rode up to where I was and told me that me that the entire family was now going the wrong way.

My family and I then were able to get back on the right path and make it to our destination in Farmington. From this first family run on Thanksgiving I was able to gain a lot. First I got a story that my family shares all the time. But most importantly I saw how important it is to follow leaders. If my family had waited for my Dad our trip that day would have been a lot shorter and a lot less tiring.

In our day and age we also have leaders that we have been given to follow. These leaders called Prophets are men called of God who have been given His authority to guide and direct His children here on this earth. These prophets have been given to us since ancient times when men like Moses, Noah, and Elijah guided the people and made sure that they stayed on the right path.

God has placed a prophet on the earth today and his name is President Thomas S. Monson. He has been given priesthood authority to lead and to guide Heavenly Father's children. As we follow the counsel of the prophet in this day and age we will be able to stay on the path that God has given us and not take detours. We will also find blessings as we follow God's chosen leaders.For:

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Amos 3:7  

Me and my siblings.

To learn more about how there is a prophet on the earth today check out this link.

http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/restoration

One Year

It has been 365 days sine I left my home in Utah and came on my mission to Oregon. Some of those days have been very long. Others have passed quickly and I can hardly remember them. Some days contain great memories that I never want to lose and yet other days I wish could be forgotten.

A mission I have found is the greatest preparation for life that I have ever had. Up until the point I left on my mission I had not really experienced what the real world was like. Sure before I had left I had had a job, I had gone off to college for a year, and I had even had a small group of friends. But until I left I had no idea what real life was like.

I can remember being trained to be a missionary and realizing that I had to be working every hour of everyday for two years. There was no break from preaching the Gospel. There would be no naps or any rest from 6:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night. This realization was scary to me because I loved just doing nothing, but now that wasn't an option.

Then when I got to Oregon my first companion handed me the cellphone that we shared and told me to call a local church member. This made me super scared because I have always hated calling people. At home I did everything I could to avoid getting on the phone. I would pickup calls, I would text, or I would find some way to work around dialing that phone. And now here I was making a call to someone that I had never met before. It was terrifying.

The mission contained even more challenges than making phone calls and constantly working. Every single one of these challenges took me out of my comfort zone. I can remember how each time I talked to a person on a doorstep or on the street that I was nervous and how I was always drenched in sweat when we were done talking. At times I wondered if I could make it through.

But so far I have made it. The reason being that even though the work is hard and I always feel tired at the end of the day I have been able to witness miracles. I have met with people who have lived hard lives that have been plagued by all kinds of problems. People who have hit rock bottom and thought they couldn't change. But as these people learned about the Gospel they began to be happy and their lives began to be changed. They were filled with a light that could only come from Christ.

The fact that I have been able to see people change has been the greatest blessing, but the person that I have noticed change the most is me. Because when I came out here on my mission I didn't have the strongest testimony of the Gospel. Out here my testimony has taken a beating as I've been faced with problems that made me question whether any of this was real and whether there was really a God above who loved me. But every time it felt like my testimony was about to break and my faith lost I got the reassurance that can only come from God that the Gospel is true and I am loved. Every time this has happened my testimony has grown and I have become stronger.

As I start the second year of my mission I realize that I still have a long way to go. But I know that things will be for my best no matter what happens and there will be a day when I will be home. It's up to me to just make the best of the time I have and to enjoy the short time I have on my mission. It'll be a lesson I can take into the rest of my life because life is to be enjoyed not just endured. In the end we will return to our Heavenly Home where we will be stronger than we ever dreamed of and our Father will say welcome home. But until then enjoy the journey

.

Remember Mom!

With the approach of Mother's Day I've spent a lot of time thinking about how important my mom is to me. She is one of the greatest gifts that my Heavenly Father has given me She is a greater gift than my quick mind or my athleticism. The reason being that my mom saw the gifts that I was given and helped me to cultivate them. She saw that I was smart and helped me to realize that. She saw that I was a runner and so she took me running. She wanted me to be the best person that I could be.

But the most important thing that my mom helped me to learn was the Gospel. From an early age my mother told me about my loving Heavenly Father. She taught me that even though I was very far away from Him I could still talk to Him in prayer.

My mom also taught me that because my Heavenly Father loved me so much He sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth so I could live again. My mom also taught me about how I could follow Jesus by making the right choices. She taught me that I could be great as long as I made the right choices.

My mother taught me a lot and continues to teach me. She does all of this because she loves me and she wants what is best for me. Oftentimes I take my mom for granted though and forget everything she has done for me and how she has helped shape and mold who I am. I'm sorry for forgetting her and not appreciatin

g her as much as I should, but I'll keep trying to pay her back for everything she does for me.

And even though I will never be able to pay my mother back I am luck that I do have eternity to keep trying. Because another thing that my mother taught me is that I can live with her and the rest of my family for forever. This is all possible because of the Restoration of the Gospel in these Latter-Days. The same authority that was given to Peter to bind on earth and in heaven has been restored to the earth through a modern day prophet.

I know that because my family has been sealed in the Temple by the priesthood authority that we will be able to live together for eternity. I do not doubt that my family is forever for the same reason the Stripling Warrior did not fear death because "Our mothers knew it." 

Remember everything that our mothers have done for us and all that they teach us. They are a precious gift from our Heavenly Father and show how much He love us. Remember Mom!

My Dad

One of the most influential people in my life has been my Dad. He held me when I was a baby, taught me how to ride a bike, how to drive, and how to shop for apartments. He has always been there for me and to me he is the source of all truth and knowledge. Whenever I have a question or a concern I ask him to help me solve it.

When I was at home my Dad had never been too far away. If I needed to fix something on my bike or if I just needed life advice my Dad was only a shout or a phone call away. Out here in Oregon though he's several states away and I'm not allowed to call him.

Often times I miss my Dad. Because now when something goes wrong with my thirty year-old yellow bike I can't just call him up and ask him for help on how to fix it. Also when I feel down I can't just call him up and ask for advice.

The only way that I can communicate with my Dad now is via letter and email. It's a pretty slow process to receive an answer. But every letter that he sends me become an instant treasure. I store them away so that whenever I feel down I can read his advice to me. My Dad's advice to me always comes just when I need it. As I read my Dad's letters I can feel the love and concern that he has for me and how he really does care. The letters that he's sent me has helped me to appreciate my relationship with my father more.

Through the letters that my Dad has sent to me I have been able to see that even though we are far away from each other that he still loves me. Because of this I have been able to see how my Heavenly Father must feel about all of us. He like my Dad has sent his children away from home for a short amount of time. During this period of time each of us learns and grows and even though we are unable to see our Heavenly Father He is able to communicate with us and give us advice.

Our Heavenly Father knows that our time here on earth is short no matter how long it may seem to us. Eventually we will be able to go home and Live with Him forever. But for now we can rely on His advice and use this time to become the Men and Women that He knows we can be.

Just like our earthly parents love and care for us so does our Heavenly Father. So remember that whenever things are hard we can turn to Him and ask for advice just like we ask our parents and because He loves us He will answer. He loves each and everyone of us. Look to Him in prayer and you will receive comfort.

The Thirteenth Article of Faith

When I started my service as a missionary I found out just how important my example could be. The way I acted around people could affect their view of Latter-Day Saints for years. This was a concept that I really hadn't thought about before my mission. Before coming to Oregon I had never thought that anyone's opinion of the Church could be changed based on my behavior. I quickly realized that things in Oregon were a little bit different than they were in Utah.

In Utah I had been surrounded by Latter-Day Saints and no matter what I did or said people's view there couldn't be changed that easily. But in Oregon I found that there were many people in Oregon who had never heard of the Church and only knew the Latter-Day Saints as Mormons. These people were ready to make their decisions based on how I and my companion acted around them. It was a daunting task to show through our example what we believed.

At this time I was given some advice from my father who told me to remember the Church's Articles of Faith. Specifically the Thirteenth Article of Faith. As I read the Thirteenth Article of Faith I found the pattern that I needed to follow to show how Latter-Day Saints acted.

As member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
-The Thirteenth Article of Faith

This is the way that we as Latter-Day Saints believe in acting and in treating those around us. As a missionary I've done my best and see many Church members to their best to follow the admonition of Paul and be true followers of Christ. Because as member of His Church we have all promised him that we "are willing to mourn with those that mourn" and "comfort those that stand in need of comfort".

It can be a tough promise to keep sometimes, but it's always worth keeping. I have seen the blessings in my life and in my mission as I've helped those around me and always hoped for the best things in this life. I know that as we all do our best to follow the Admonition of Paul and remember the promise that we make at baptism that we will be blessed. May we all continue to endure all things.