Thursday service in the Temples

For about two months now we have had the privilege of going to the temple and serving every Thursday morning.  This is a rare privilege for a full time missionary, and I love it!   

 Sometimes I find that talking with people on the chats can become overwhelming and tiring.  I find the temple is a place where I can “recharge” and again find the motivation and Christ-like love to help all of those people I meet and talk with.  I feel there is no substitute for the peace which we can find in the Temple, and every time I go it helps me to know it is where God wants me to be.  I think it is summed up well here in Psalms 65: 4;

Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

Ironing shirts is a good thing. Good things are not always easy.

Ok, so it is not that I dislike ironing, or that I find it painful and overly burdensome.  I think it has more to do with being a diligent missionary— 

As I work as an online missionary, the majority of my day is spent over at the referral center at the Missionary Training Center (MTC); although I do sleep off campus with my companion in a side room at a member’s house.  The MTC is designed to be a closed campus to facilitate and manage the many missionaries who come through here.  Because of that, I am able to do almost everything I need here at the MTC, including laundry.  However, I do not keep my clothes here, and I do still need to transport them back and forth from the MTC and the house.  For this I simply use a large laundry bag that I cleverly stuff everything in; hence the need to iron all of my white shirts. 

The conflict for me comes in taking the time to iron my shirts.  When I return in the evenings I feel too tired and worn out from what I have done that day and all I really want to do is go right to bed.  Then in the mornings when I get up it seems I am already in hurry and that I have more than enough to do without ironing.  And getting up earlier is not an option worth consideringJ.

I think we all have many choices like this in our lives.  Where we have something we really should do; but we don’t really have to do, or want to do.  I don’t think anyone would care if I were to wear a wrinkly shirt.  Most everyone I talk to is over the online chat or phone anyway, and I never see them.  However, I have found that taking the time to do the “little things” is something which can spill over into everything we do.  It helps us to have more confidence in ourselves and in everything we do.  I feel people are able to realize they are talking to someone who takes pride in who they are, and what they are doing.  I am very proud and grateful to be here as a missionary.  Taking the time to attend to the menial matters is something which I have found extends far beyond having a pressed shirt.

Pearls found in 1 Nephi during scripture study

At a meeting a few months ago President Allen, a leader in our mission, used an analogy of “pearls” to talk about little pieces of wisdom or insight in the scriptures.

I came across such a pearl this morning during my studies.  I was watching the BYU scripture discussions online this morning as they discussed in the beginning of the Book of Mormon the story of how Nephi and his brothers were able to obtain the brass plates.  The plates were important because they had the scriptures on them.  Having those enabled them to teach their posterity in the future the commandments gospel of Jesus Christ which is necessary for us to find real happiness and joy in life. which would bless and help them in their lives.  In the Book of Mormon we read Nephi and His brothers have trouble getting the plates from a wicked man name Laban.  They try many different things, but in the end Nephi is led by the Spirit, and finds Laban drunk and passed out.  Nephi, as led by the spirit, kills Laban, and is then able to obtain the plates.  We know God commanded Nephi to do, as it was the only way for them to get the plates; but it still makes me wonder why Laban was killed. 

Prezi Presentation

So, this presentation has taken me a lot longer than it should have to finally get it done.  But, it is finally done now.  It is just a brief overview about what we understand the Gospel is.  It is having faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, being baptized, and enduring to the end.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ on Prezi

Rare Privilege

Being a missionary is in itself a rare privilege.  While I have been a missionary I have been able to see tremendous changes in not just my life, but also in the lives of those we have met and taught. 

Being a referral center missionary, we seem to be blessed that above other missionaries.  As our mission is based at the Missionary Training Center (MTC), we are privileged to have many general authorities of the church as frequent visitors for devotionals or other meetings.  Recently at the end of June there was the training for all of the new mission presidents around the world.  Throughout this week long training all of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency were able to come through the MTC to train them.  Although I was unable to meet any of the Apostles or First Presidency, I did have an encounter with President Jay E. Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy.