Personal Check

I have now been home from my mission for about 4 months. During my scripture study this week I was reflecting back on what I have learned in these last 4 months. I was reading in Alma 7 where Alma is talking to the people of Gideon, and how he is pleased with how they have been acting while he has been away. This is a stark difference from chapters 5-6 where Alma is chastising the people for their actions.

I imagined which one of the speeches Alma would give to me after now being home for a couple of months. I hoped that it would be like chapter 7, and some parts were, but there were also parts from chapter 5 and 4 that seemed to also fit me quite well.

I want him to say to me... "yea, hath given unto me the exceedingly great joy of knowing that they are established again in the way of his righteousness." (7:4)

Although I am not perfect, I still have much room for improvement. Being home has been hard and its taken me a few months to feel back on my feet but as I reflected on my time home realized that I had continued to learn so much, even though I was no longer out serving the Lord 24/7. In my case I feel like I may have even learned more being home. This isn't me writing about what I have learned but more on the importance of looking back and reflecting what we have learned and where we are now because of it.

I hope that I can stay in the way of his righteousness now and forever.

Let Your Hearts Be Comforted

This week I went back and read some scriptures from my mission that meant a lot to me. I came across one that really impacted me and helped me to feel calm in regards to the upcoming future. 

16 Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God. 

My mission president shared this scripture with me and said that we can replace "Zion" with anything that is going on in our lives. This time I read it and replaced Zion with SCHOOL. School stresses me out more than anything in this world. I put so much pressure on myself to do well in school that I am constantly worried about what will happen. This scripture helps me to know that I am in Gods hands, and he will take care of me. When we really believe that God is God, and has all power and can do anything, than we can be still and obtain the peace that we want. 

I hope that as I remember this scripture I will be able have a comforted heart admit the finals and 3 years left of school that I have. 

Grateful Hearts

There are a few things that I feel like the Lord is constantly reminding me of. In may scripture study this week I was reminded of one of these things.

Alma 26:8
8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever.

Gratitude. I think that it one of those virtues that we get to when we already have the other virtues, like charity and kindness. Its a harder virtue to obtain because it requires a lot more virtues to come before. Kind of like prerequisites to gratitude. 

I really believe that when we have gratitude in our hearts we will be so much happier and be better able to see the hand of God in our lives. I personally can be more grateful in my prayers. Instead of constantly asking for things I should be constantly singing praises of thanks to my father in heaven, who has given me so much. 

I love that when we are grateful we start to feel less in titled to blessing that we don't have because we see all of the blessings that we already have in our lives. 

I hope that I can have a more grateful heart and remember the Lords mercy in all things. 

A Savior To All

I had always loved 3 Nephi 11. As a missionary I would always find ways to share this chapter of scripture with those we were teaching. A special spirit always came from reading those verses and learning of Jesus Christ. This week while talking more in depth about 3 Nephi 11 I was once again reminded of the powerful testimony these scriptures give of Jesus Christ.

Brother Griffen talked about the Jesus blessing everyone "one by one" and the significance of the savior being our personal savior. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and walked away feeling the spirit.

15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

Later that night I was talking with my friends and one brought up how she hates that she is constantly feeling bad for her situation when its really not bad at all and there are people that have it much worse. While there may be truth in what she said, I immediately thought of how Jesus Christ is ALL of our savior. Not just the people who have it really bad off, or who have a really good life. He ultimately saves us all, in everyones personal needed way. Its a case by case situation. We all need the savior but we may all need him in different ways. I shared this with my friends and we had a very good talk about how the savior doesn't think we are any less deserving of his love because our lives aren't as terrible as those living in poverty or in war stricken areas.

He loves all of us.

Perspective

The past few days have been ones of growth. You learn so much about yourself in college. But I've learned that having a eternal perspective in mind helps. By eternal i mean looking at a larger image. Looking at the things in life that matter and try to not let the little things in life get you down. Making decisions with "eternal glasses" on helps me make better ones. It also helps keep me on track and holding onto that 'iron rod.' I read more about the Tree of Life in 1 Nephi Chapter 8 and Chapter 11 this last week and it was a good time to reflect where i was on the path. Was i holding to the rod or was i lagging behind??

This week i also went to the temple. The temple is a special place to me (as i am sure it is to most of you). It is where i can escape the world and focus on things that really matter. I went this morning and it was such a refreshing experience that i really needed. When i walk in i immediately feel a peace come over me. I am no longer worried about that Chinese exam i have on friday, or the reading that i need to do for my classes. I leave feeling ready for the weeks to come, spiritually feed, and with a different perspective. A better perspective. A eternal one.

Remember to think of a eternal perspective always, i promise it helps. 

Be grateful

This week I was reading in the Book of Mormon and I kept coming across scriptures that were reminding me to be grateful. Recently my prayers have consisted of me constantly asking for help, guidance, peace, happiness and answers. But hardly do I ever stop and thank him for helping me, giving me guidance, allowing me to feel peace, bringing me happiness and answering my prayers.

Nephi is a great example of a thankful person. Despite his more than difficult situation he was always thankful to the Lord. He never complained and he was always sure to immediately thank the Lord after a blessing had come to pass.
His dad Lehi was also an excellent example of someone who was always giving thanks to the Lord. I love 1 Nephi 5:9...

"9 And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel."

Nephi and his brothers had just returned from a long, dangerous trip to go and retrieve the plates from Laban. They were tired and I'm sure that his parents were VERY happy to see them arrive home safely. They could have easily just enjoyed each others company and celebrated but the first thing that Lehi does is give thanks to the Lord! It really shows where his thoughts and mind are- always directed to the Lord.

When we give more thanks I think that it was cause us to ask less for things because we will already see all the blessings that we have been given. I am grateful to the Book of Mormon for reminding me to always we grateful in all things.

His Yoke is Easy

Relying on the Lord is at times harder than we think. Sometimes we just get so caught up in the world and what is going on that we seem to be relying wholly on ourselves to accomplish what seems to be the impossible. Sometimes I find myself thinking "How am I ever going to get done everything that I need too?!" But then I realize that as long as I do my best, and my part, we can rely on the Savior to help with the rest. He is always there lending a hand to us that feel burdened down by the lists of "to-do's" and countless amounts of things to always remember.

I was comforted this week by a commonly quoted scripture... Matthew 11:28-30
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

I know that if we are willing to come unto christ we will find rest to our souls. Not necessarily saying that we will suddenly have nothing to do and be able to sleep, but our souls will find rest, which to me means that we will have peace. So despite how crazy life is we can have peace, because His yoke truly is easy and his burden truly is light.