The Best Two Years

Very soon I will receive my notification of where I will be serving the Lord for two years. It's crazy. I never thought that this time would ever come. Since Primary I guess I have grown a foot, at least. I am so excited to serve because of all those faithful friends and family that have gone before me and testified of how amazing and great it is. I know that I will do well as long as I rely on the Lord, but that is not always easy. I am a very organized person and I typically like to do things by myself because I like the way I do it. I do accept help too, just not as much as I will need to on my mission. I look forward to increasing my testimony of the Savior by testifying of Him to those who need some guidance in their lives. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. I know that the Atonement is real and helps us in our everyday lives. I am so comforted by knowing that I am enough because of the Atonement and I have realized that I use it a lot more than I think and I invite you to use it every day. I know that Thomas S Monson is a true prophet and that he was called of God to lead and guide this Church. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it contains the fullness of the Gospel. I am ecstatic to have the Lord by my side these next two years and know that He can be beside you every day. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I'll let everyone know where I am serving before the middle of March! :)

How I am Preparing for Life

Yesterday I was able to give a talk in Church and I thought that I would share it with you all! Not every single part of it is in sentence form so it is not a continuous thought process. Please enjoy! Listen to the Spirit and ponder on what He is telling you you need to do...

How I am Preparing for Life

I.

Declare your availability date below; Indicate how interested you are in learning a language; Rate how successful you feel you would be in learning a language for your mission; Upload a photograph of yourself, dressed and groomed according to mission standards; Based on the name and address information that you entered, your name and address will appear in your call letter exactly as shown above. I never thought that I would reach this exciting part in my life so quickly!

D&C 38:30

D&C 4:3

Luke 22:32

We have been commanded, When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren, however, there is an unavoidable step that cannot be brushed over. As proclaimed by General Authorities and Apostles, Heavenly Father needs strong and hard-working missionaries that He can trust. Therefore, strive every single day, to add positively to your own personal conversion. I know that if you do this you will be guided, have power to resist temptation and will become more like your Heavenly Father every day.

Now, my talk seems to be directly focused on youth preparing to serve but do not think that you can sit back and relax because God has a work for you to do. In taking the necessary steps to prepare for a mission, one is more aware of Satan’s temptations, has a stronger relationship with their Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and above all, one is able to lead others away from Lucifer to the God that gave them life.

So I would encourage you, even though my words are delivered in the context of missionary work, apply these principles to wherever you are in your life because they will bring you greater peace and a strong confidence in your divinity as a child of God.

II.

Missionary purpose

         Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

How do YM and YW Best Prepare to Serve a Mission? M. Russell Ballard

“Attitude is the key. Young people need to commit themselves early in life to the idea of a mission. That way, when they get older and begin to face some of the world’s temptations, those temptations will be less likely to penetrate their hearts or minds. They will resist the temptations because they are focused on becoming a servant of the Lord.”

“I encourage every young man and every young woman to get acquainted with Preach My Gospel. Young people have the obligation to enlighten themselves, to understand for themselves the doctrines of the Restoration. That preparation is every bit as important for a girl as it is for a boy. Whether the young woman gets married or serves a full-time mission, the gospel has to operate in her life.”

In the Fall of 2011 the Kirtland Ohio Stake Presidency organized a training academy entitled Kirtland Missionary Academy. What is that?

KMA Purpose: To motivate, inspire, and prepare Young Men and Young Women to become True Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ by becoming member missionaries now and qualifying for full full-time missionary service; to preach the Restored Gospel by the power of the Spirit and Build the Kingdom of God on the earth.

- KMA is once a month for an hour and a half.

- Full-time missionaries are there to help the priests/laurels in teaching principles that they will be teaching to future, real investigators.

- How each class goes: Get taught some principle, practice that principle through role play, debrief and then closing remarks by Stake Presidency.

Every month is worth it. I always want it to go longer; we have great teachers in Brother and Sister Jones who are inspired of God to prepare the youth in the Kirtland Stake for their missions they will fulfill in their life.

The Church came out with an amazing tool for missionaries all over the world and those preparing to wear the nametag called “Adjusting to Missionary Life” In the back of the booklet, …

1. Find Ways to Serve Others

2. Talk with others about this adjustment

  3.   Focus on strengthening your relationship with your Heavenly Father

  4.  Be kind to yourself and others

  5.   Expect the unexpected

Splits with missionaries:

Done three 24-hour mini missions with Ward missionaries and have gone with them on countless occasions to lessons and stop-bys. You get to meet people that are discovering a purpose in their lives that was non-existent prior and that is a powerful thing to see. Go out with the missionaries! You will feel the Spirit and become recommitted to serving the Lord with all purpose of heart and your desire to do good will be increased. There is no better way to lift up your spirit and protect yourself from the adversary than by sharing with our brothers and sisters the good news of the Gospel.

III.

Book of Mormon: Stake Goal… Promise: You will have the Spirit present in greater abundance in your home and will become more converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Having a testimony of the Book of Mormon is thee most important tool you can have when entering the mission field. Joseph Smith said….

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its

precepts, than by any other book.”

Young Men and Young Women, if you have not received a witness for yourself that The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ, and the keystone to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, start today. Not tomorrow, not next week, today.

Worthiness: Scott

“Your righteousness gives others a confirmation of the goodness of life anchored in eternal truth. If … you haven’t yet been a missionary, prepare to be one. You will bless many other lives and crown your own with great, enduring rewards.”

Of Missions, Temples, and Stewardship

Hinckley Oct 1995 Gen Conf

"I throw out a challenge to every young man within this vast congregation tonight. Prepare yourself now to be worthy to serve the Lord as a full-time missionary. Prepare to consecrate two years of your lives to this sacred service. That will in effect constitute a tithe on the first twenty years of your lives. Think of all that you have that is good--life itself, health, strength, food to eat and clothing to wear, parents, brothers and sisters, and friends. All are gifts from the Lord."

    "Of course your time is precious, and you may feel you cannot afford two years. But I promise you that the time you spend in the mission field, if those years are spent in dedicated service, will yield a greater return on investment than any other two years of your lives. You will come to know what dedication and consecration mean. You will develop powers of persuasion which will bless your entire life. Your timidity, your fears, your shyness will gradually disappear as you go forth with boldness and conviction. You will learn to work with others, to develop a spirit of teamwork. The cankering evil of selfishness will be supplanted by a sense of service to others. You will draw nearer to the Lord than you likely will in any other set of circumstances. You will come to know that without His help you are indeed weak and simple, but that with His help you can accomplish miracles."

    "You will establish habits of industry. You will develop a talent for the establishment of goals of effort. You will learn to work with singleness of purpose. What a tremendous foundation all of this will become for you in your later educational efforts and your life’s work. Two years will not be time lost. It will be skills gained."

    "And above and beyond all of this will come that sweet peace in your heart that you have served your Lord faithfully and well. Your service will become an expression of gratitude to your Heavenly Father."

    "You will come to know your Redeemer as your greatest friend in time or eternity. You will realize that through His atoning sacrifice He has opened the way for eternal life and an exaltation above and beyond your greatest dreams."

    "If you serve a mission faithfully and well, you will be a better husband, you will be a better father, you will be a better student, a better worker in your chosen vocation. Love is of the essence of this missionary work. Selflessness is of its very nature. Self-discipline is its requirement. Prayer opens its reservoir of power."

If there is one last thing I could leave you with it is to always have the spirit with you. When you have a member of the Godhead with you at all times there is no temptation, no deception, or no trap that you will fall into.

I know that preparing for a mission is important because there are people out there specifically for each one of us to bring into the Gospel. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that it was translated by the power of God through Joseph Smith the prophet. I know the Bible to be true and along with the Book of Mormon, we can come closer to our Heavenly Father. I know that missionary work is important and that God has a work for everyone to do. I know the Atonement is real; it works. It has worked through me and I know that it can work through you. I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves each of his brothers and sisters. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.