Best 19th birthday present

Serving a mission will benefit any young man or young woman who decides to serve for forever, and their families, converts, and the people they just barely even talk to because some people don't always join the church the first go around. There are eternal blessings to serving a mission, and those blessings only come through serving a mission. "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God... And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" (D&C 18:10,15-16) God loves each and every one of us, and when we bring someone to the gospel we have joy, and if we bring several people to the gospel our joy will multiply a million times over. We don't serve missions just because we are supposed to, we serve because we love our fellow man and want them to share the joy in living the gospel just as we do. That's why it's called "serving a mission", that's all we do on missions, serve.

I felt the call one year and 20ish months ago (almost two years) when I heard the prophet announce the age change and I knew I had to serve a mission. Believe me, a mission, up until that day, was not in my plans in the least. I was planning to go straight into college and not look back. But I knew I had to serve a mission. I had a warm feeling in my heart and I felt something say that I am going to serve a mission. It was wonderful and shocking, haha. And then when I went with the sister missionaries, all by myself, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am going to serve a mission, and I will love it because I love people and I love my Savior. I want other people to have the same joy I have in His light and His atonement.

This confirmation became even clearer when I went to someone's house who was taking the lessons, and her mom told her, while the sisters and I were there, that she could just keep going to her church. She said, "No mom, I don't want to go to your church, I want to go this church." Her mom asked why. She said, "It feels right. Every time I go to church with them I feel this warm feeling that just tells me that it's the right place to be." I saw it click in her eyes, and it was the most beautiful thing I ever saw.

I can't wait to serve a mission. I look forward to it more than Christmas, my birthday, even attending SVU. It will be such a grand adventure! A mission is so important to me and I know I will do my best and I will try and please The Lord. I bear my testimony on the power of the Holy Ghost and it is the only power that converts people. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Home at last, but onwards and upwards

These past couple of weeks have been insane. I flew back on a red-eye flight to Notth Carolina (with something wrong with my stomach, so no sleep and I felt like I was going to puke). My mom and my sisters met me at the airport.

I was home for two and a half days before I felt truly at home, I felt at home at church. I love my ward, I loved being able to come home to all of my friends, my wonderful ward family. The ward in Tropic was lovely, but I love the ward that I grew up in. I am a military brat, so I grew older in a lot of different places. Fayetteville Third Ward is where I grew up, I grew into the young adult I am becoming. This summer was fantastic, and it was such an adventure, I do wish I could come back to Ruby's maybe next year, but Fayetteville is my home. It is the place where I have most of my important history so far in my life.

On another note, my life has only begun. This summer at Ruby's flew by, and so will this school year. Next summer will be absolutely crazy, mostly because I will be preparing to serve a mission. I have quite the adventure planned for the next few years, and I look forward to the surprises (mostly) and blessings (entirely) I have in store. "Trust in The Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path." (Proverbs 3:5-6). I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, and if we listen to his guidance we will find our way back to him.

I bear my testimony that God has a plan for each of us. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Bad Pancakes and Guidelines

Today I tried to make pancakes. I have always been able to make pancakes, but I guess I was more of a blonde yesterday. I thought everything was going fine, until I mixed in the milk. Flour doesn't dissolve like this batch seemed to. So, I added more. And more. And more. 2 1/2 cups of the powdery substance. Then my aunt came in and asked if I really added that to my batter. I said, "Yes, why?" She then pulled out the actual flour. I started to laugh sadly. This was supposed to be my lunch and dinner. I added some real flour to my batter and cooked it up, curious to see what would come of it. What came out was some shortbread sort of tasting, gooey in the middle, not so good pastry things. They smell good, but they aren't pancakes.

This is sort of like trying to live your life in resistance to the gospel, you will get mostly edible doughy sort of things, but you won't get pancakes. God have us rules and guidelines for a reason, and shortcuts aren't going to cut it. 

I bear my testimony that I know that God gives us commandments for reasons, not just to "oppress" us. I know that we will be blessed as we keep his commandments, I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Our Greatest Resources: Family and People

Yesterday, I was able to go visit my great great aunt Rainy, she is my grandma's mom's sister. I got to sit in with the adults (I guess I am one now, aren't I?) and listen to her talk about her life. She grew up a nonmember, in a home of five or six siblings.  She did not have a happy childhood, her father was physically abusive to her brothers and her mother, they were very poor most of her childhood. Aunt Rainy said she didn't like to talk about it, but stories like hers need to be heard. She was an amazing woman who sounded like a wonderful mother to her children.

I loved listening to her stories and what she knew about her family history. I loved finding out more information about the people who wrote the letters I have at home (some are written by her brother Porter, who died in WWII). 

She is so full of charity, the pure of Christ, that I just wanted to keep talking to her. She is such a loving person; she doesn't judge anyone. I loved talking to her and listening to her stories. Her patience and love made me want to become like her one day. She came to her challenges, and used them to springboard into becoming the wonderful woman she has become. I want to come see her again, but this time with my my mom and dad, and siblings. They will love her and she will love to hear from us.

I bear my testimony that families are eternal. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Service Doesn't End with Death

Yesterday, I went to the temple with my Aunt Teresa and cousin Keilani. I had brought names and I planned on being baptized and confirmed for them.

Unless a person is baptized by proper authority of the priesthood, taking upon themself the name of Christ, and then confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints with the gift of Holy Ghost, a person cannot go to spirit paradise. In the temple we are able to be baptized in behalf of  the dead so that they may go to spirit paradise also. 

While I was there I felt my family surrounding me, they were there, hugging me and thanking me as I did their work for them. I still have work for them, but it was the most amazing feeling. Their love and gratitude for allowing them to be with their Savior was overpowering. I cried with joy. 

All of my deceased relatives, I looked up their records, I knew a few of their stories, I felt like I knew them, and they knew me and I felt that. They had been waiting for me. I was able to be baptized for my great grandma, and I know who she is through the stories my dad tells me about her. Lorna Lovina Parker. I don't know if she would have been a member in this life, but I know she was grateful, I know she accepted the gospel from the spirit missionaries in the hereafter.

I am so grateful for my Aunt Teresa and cousin Keilani. They came with me and helped me with some of the ordinances that needed to be done. I am grateful I was able to share this experience with them. I am so grateful I am able to serve my family, even though they are not here with me now. I look forward to being able to more work for them, and many more. I know that Christ lives, and through His atonement all mankind may be saved, through the laws and obedience to the gospel. Family history isn't just looking up names, you are allowing your family to be with their Savior again and to be with you again. It is one of the best and most special feelings I have ever felt.