9/14/14
I have been called to serve in the New Jersey Morristown
Mission September 17 speaking Spanish… good thing I studied French for four years in high
school! :)
I think we all have a specific idea of what a missionary for
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is… but I wanted to share the
words of Russell M. Nelson concerning missionaries.
“Missionaries… are blessed with gifts – such as the power of the Holy Spirit,
the love of God, and testimonies of the truth – that make them powerful
ambassadors of the Lord. They share the good news of the gospel that will bring
true joy and everlasting happiness to all who heed their message.”
TODAY I'VE BEEN ASKED TO SPEAK ABOUT…
The Book of Enos and how my testimony has grown and prepared
me to serve a full time mission.
Last fall I moved into the dorms at BYU and there was a lot
of hype and peer pressure for girls to serve a mission. As I considered it, I
pushed that thought away thinking it’s too hard/not for me/just a trend.
Throughout the year I learned a lot about Joseph Smith and
the scriptures, Heavenly Father’s eternal love of His children, and I gained a
huge appreciation for all that the gospel blesses us with.
This summer, I had the opportunity to work at Aspen Grove
Family Camp which is set up by the BYU Alum Association. When I first got
there, I wanted to make sure my priorities were set appropriately. I spent
prayerful and scripture focused time in the mountains. For those of you who are
familiar with the area, you will have no problem understanding how every single
day I appreciated God’s beauty. This increased my testimony of God’s love for
us and His desire for us to enjoy this world and to recognize His hand in all
things.
As I developed relationships and had meaningful
conversations with friends, the idea of serving a mission kept recurring and I
decided to not just work out in my mind the pros and cons of serving a mission,
but discover the Lords will for me.
After struggling and constant prayer, I didn't feel like I
was getting an answer, but I decided to approach Heavenly Father in a more
humble way. Instead of saying “I don’t have to go right?” I changed my attitude
and said “If it is Thy will for me to serve a mission, I will do so.”
In the Book of Mormon student manual it addreses Enos’
wrestle in prayer,
Enos did not wrestle with God.
The record states that Enos wrestled before God in prayer. Such
wrestling is the struggle to find and express one’s real desires under the
inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Praying in this manner requires that a person
eliminate vain, trite, or insincere repetitions and to pour the deepest desires
of his or her heart into words. Each phrase becomes an expression of yearning
and desire to do God’s will. Such prayers are assisted and guided by the Holy
Spirit
By talking With the Lord not just TO the Lord I came to find
my answer.
The peace I felt was confirmation that His plan for me was
to serve a mission.
As I read Enos, I always love His desire for the Welfare of
Others
This is another excerpt from the BOM student manual which
reads:
After feeling the blessings
of the Atonement for himself, Enos prayed for the welfare of his own people,
the Nephites, and then for the spiritual welfare of his enemies, the Lamanites.
Elder Robert D. Hales spoke about the concern those who have been
converted feel for others: “The scriptures confirm that the truly converted do
more than just forsake the enticements of the world. They love God and their
fellowmen. Their minds and hearts are centered on the Savior’s atoning
sacrifice. From the moment of their respective conversions, Enos, Alma the
Younger, Paul, and others turned wholeheartedly to the task of bringing
themselves and their fellowmen to God” (in Conference Report, Oct.
2000, 6; orEnsign, Nov. 2000, 8).
Because I've asked for and worked to increase my desire to
serve the Lord and his people, I’ve been able to overcome my feelings of
inadequacy and fear and just feel excitement to invite others to come unto
Christ.
I am more than excited to be an ambassador of the Lord
teaching others how to wrestle before God instead of thinking they are
wrestling with God and see the mighty changes they make in their lives as they
come closer to Christ.
This Gospel has given me everything: faith, hope, peace from
the knowledge of eternal families and repentance, and enduring to the end.
I am so thankful to be a part of a church that has living
prophets. I am thankful for the companionship of the Holy Ghost and that I can
communicate with my Heavenly Father through prayer and He will always answer
those prayers. I am grateful for the priesthood and the blessings we can all
receive through it. I am so grateful for temples and the sacred covenants we
make there. Temples really are the House of the Lord.
I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God given the
authority to restore the gospel in its fullness to the earth today.
I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus
Christ. I know that it is the word of God.
I know that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the only
way to have TRUE and ETERNAL happiness!
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
In relief society on 
