I love the gospel.

I know I haven't written on here in a long time, but the very few who may see this, I love the gospel with all my heart. I am so happy to be a part of this great work. Being a missionary really is a way of life. We must have full dedication to the things we are required to do.

The "gospel" is not merely just attending sacrament meeting, the principle of obedience, serving in our callings, or other meaningful events that happen within in the church each and every day.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is having faith in Him, repenting, being baptized (or renewing your baptismal covenants), receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

As we apply this doctrine into our lives, power comes, true power from our Heavenly Father. In 2 Nephi 31:21, we read, And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen."

This is the way! The only way! When we truly figure out what it means to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, our lives our changed. It becomes a pattern of righteousness to pattern our lives after.

"What are you thinking?"

A talk that I loved from General Conference came from Elder W. Craig Zwick. It was one of the talks that resonated with me long after the conference was over. It was about virtuous and uplifting communication.  I not only loved the topic, but I already loved and respected Elder Zwick because he came to visit our mission sometime last fall, and this talk helped me to love him even more.

Something that he said when he came to North Carolina stuck out to me so much. He bore such a powerful testimony that we were assigned to this mission for a specific reason. And I know that to be true. I know I was called to this mission for many reasons. He strongly and boldly stated, "You have been assigned to the North Carolina Raleigh Mission for a reason. Of that I bear witness." For some, it may have just been words. For me, it changed the way I viewed my entire mission. From that point on, I had no doubt (not that I had had much before) that I was supposed to be in this specific mission. I knew I had to be serving in North Carolina. That way, when times got hard, I could reflect on the way I felt on that day. I knew for a certainty that the words he was saying were true. I knew that I had to figure out the many reasons I was assigned to serve here (more on that some other time).

Back to his talk in conference, titled, "What are you thinking?" That question could be so commonly used to condescend or degrade. But instead, Elder Zwick used this phrase to help us internalize how can can look outward, and not inward. Often times, we jump to conclusions about why another person is feeling what they are. And we really don't know.

My companion and I have been pondering on how powerful words can be for good, or for bad.

This portion of Elder Zwick's talk from Conference answered a lot of my questions.

"Children sometimes speak to beloved parents with tongues as sharp as blades. Spouses, who have shared some of life’s richest and most tender experiences, lose vision and patience with each other and raise their voices. All of us, though covenant children of a loving Heavenly Father,have regretted jumping headlong from the high seat of self-righteous judgment and have spoken with abrasive words before we understood a situation from another’s perspective. We have all had the opportunity to learn how destructive words can take a situation from hazardous to fatal.

A recent letter from the First Presidency states clearly, 'The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to love and treat all people with kindness and civility even when we disagree' (First Presidency letter, Jan. 10, 2014).What a masterful reminder that we can and should participate in continuing civil dialogue, especially when we view the world from differing perspectives.

The writer of Proverbs counsels, 'A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger' (Proverbs 15:1). A 'soft answer' consists of a reasoned response—disciplined words from a humble heart. It does not mean we never speak directly or that we compromise doctrinal truth. Words that may be firm in information can be soft in spirit."

How true that is! I invite you all to speak more kindly this week!

Change is the only real constant.

Last week at transfer meeting, Sister Bernhisel shared thoughts from the talk given by President Monson called, "Find Joy in the Journey." That phrase has often been quoted and has been a big motivator for me on my mission. Sometimes when I feel that I am looking too far into the future, I try to step back and remember this quote. She shared another quote that I hadn't heard quite as frequently: "Nothing is as constant as change." How true that is.

As I have embarked upon this new journey in a new area, I have enjoyed the refreshing time to create new goals and friendships. Although it was extremely hard to leave my last area because I loved it so much, I am ready for new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of me. I will have to catch on to this area rather quickly because my wonderful companion will be finishing her mission at the end of this transfer.

I know that the Lord has been with me through it all and I know that He can comfort you in the change and the trials that you face as well. We must turn to him always, so that we can receive the blessing that He already has in store for us. I have found that the best way to do this is by pouring our souls out in mighty prayer. 

In the Bible Dictionary under 'prayer', it says, 

"The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. 

We all want happiness, don't we?

Recently, I found two scriptures that reference "happy" or "happiness" in the Book of Mormon that I really love.

The first is found in Mosiah 2:41. As background information from the chapter, this is when King Benjamin is teaching the people of Zarahemla in a General Conference-like address. (What is General Conference? Click here!) Everyone has come great distances to be able to hear what their king would instruct them on. The very last verse of the chapter reads,

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

Let's break down that verse a little bit. He is asking everyone to consider and ponder about how happy and blessed the people who keep the commandments of God are. I think of some of the most faithful people I know. These are the people who read their scriptures every day, that pray every day, and that they live in accordance with God's will for them. Then I think, "How happy are they?"   

The first person that comes to my mind is my dad. Every morning growing up, I would always see him eating his Wheatie cereal for breakfast and reading his scriptures. Reflecting on that now, I realize how big of a difference that has made in his life, not only for his spiritual growth, but for his happiness. My dad is one of the most calm and level-headed people I know. He is also one of the most happy people I know. Not much makes him upset and I think it would be safe to attribute part of that to the fact that he reads his scriptures every morning.  

Reading gives you knowledge. Reading give you patience. Reading the scriptures makes you  happy! What a concept! I often tell people (including myself), "If you aren't reading the Book of Mormon every day, you aren't as happy as you could be." I firmly believe that is true.

The next verse I love is found in 2 Nephi 5:27. It reads,  

"And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."

(When I searched "happiness" on LDS.org, this is what came up)

The first time I heard this verse was when my friend Savannah shared it with me as her favorite verse found in the Book of Mormon. I had never really recognized this teeny tiny verse in the Book of Mormon. When I read this verse, I thought to myself, "How can I get that? How can I live in a manner of happiness?" That was one of my greatest desires at the time. 

Reading the surrounding verses of the chapter gave me a lot of insight. Verse 17 especially stuck out to me.

 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands." 

What was one thing they did to be happy? They worked so, so hard! That is something that I apply to myself when I am having a tough day as a missionary. My wise trainer read the following quote to me from President Harold B. Lee on one of my hardest days on my mission.

“One of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. There will be no homesickness, no worrying about families, for [he will have] all [his] time and talents and interest … centered on the work of the ministry. Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work."

The same would apply to everyone else, in all phases of life. In closing, I would suggest that reading the scriptures and working hard are two things that will make you happy. It has worked for me and I know it will work for you! Evaluate how well you are doing these two things if you are struggling to be happy. I know that through improving upon these two things (and others) you will be able to have a clearer mind and cope with the challenges of life more fully.

I love the Lord and I love my mission!