Lesson 6: The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The gospel of Jesus Christ is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, & enduring to the end.

"Gospel" is a word that I threw around A LOT growing up. I threw it around in talks and in seminary and in Sunday School. But my understanding of "the gospel of Jesus Christ" was very vague. Before my mission "the gospel" was this kind of blob that involved things like reading the scriptures, keeping the Sabbath holy, having faith, and doing what Jesus would do, etc.

So when Brother Doxey defined the gospel of Jesus Christ in our first lesson at the MTC, my mind was blown! What? THIS is what the gospel is? It's so simple! And it encompasses EVERYTHING we believe in the church. It encompasses all the commandments, it encompasses using the Atonement in our lives, serving others, etc. It's PERFECT.

The pattern of faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end is presented time and time again in the scriptures. I remember one day I was reading Alma 32, which is a great sermon on faith. But then I discovered something amazing--Alma 33 . . . and Alma 34! Alma and Amulek didn't just teach the Zoramites about faith. They taught them about faith (how it's like a seed and needs nurturing, but that as you nourish it your faith is strengthened), and about repentance!

After teaching the people about faith in chapter 32 the people basically said, "Faith sounds great! But how can I get it?"

So Alma teaches them about repentance. Repentance means we not only stop doing what's wrong, but we start doing what's right. He taught them about prayer, studying the scriptures, and attending church. Why? Because keeping the commandments and bringing our lives in line with God's will through repentance is how we build our faith. It takes faith to pray when you aren't really sure if God is there or listening. It takes faith to study the scriptures because you believe it will help your family draw closer together. It takes faith to overcome your fears about being judged at church and go.

As a missionary, I was blessed to get to help people develop faith in Jesus Christ and repent. Some people chose to be baptized, others chose not to. But if their faith grew, I knew I was fulfilling my purpose. I got to be there when a woman prayed out loud for the first time and afterwards said she felt like there was a God who loved her. I got to feel the contentions in a busy household dissipate as the mother read the Book of Mormon. And I got to see people who swore they'd never come to church come and feel the Spirit there. It was awesome. :)

I'm grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I know that it's for everyone. It's just like Nephi says in 2 Nephi 31:32 to end his sermon on the Gospel of Jesus Christ: "And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen."

So, if any of you are feeling particularly brave here's a challenge I received from my mission President. Buy a new copy of the Book of Mormon (one of the soft cover blue ones is $2.50 at store.lds.org) and go through marking anything relating to the gospel of Jesus Christ. So any reference to faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, or enduring to the end. See what you learn & notice. :)

And in case you missed it, here is latest original song. :)

I hope you all have a great week!

Inspiration and Making of "Song for You"--an original song

Hey Everybody!

So, this is my 60th post on this blog. Woot, woot! :D This particular post has been a long time in the making. You may have read in previous posts here and there about how I love to write. Two years ago I took a songwriting class and I've been writing songs ever since. It's something I love to do because it combines my two greatest loves--music and writing! Best of both worlds.

For those of you who haven't seen my video yet, here it is!



"Song for You" was conceived two years ago while I was in my songwriting class. Those of you who know me know that I'm a fairly introverted person and I get really nervous letting other people hear me sing or listen to my songs. So when this tune and the first verse popped into my head, I was downstairs in our washroom where no one could hear me (or at least where I believed no one could hear me). It was around 11 pm. I pulled out my handheld recorder and

Fast forward two years. I recently returned from serving an 18 month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, wondering where to go with my life. I found my old recorder and notebook where I'd hummed tunes and scribbled lyrics. When going through the songs, I rediscovered "Song for You." I decided that this was a good place to start when getting back into songwriting. So I sat down at the piano, wrote the last two verses, and got the melody on paper.

After I had the accompaniment worked out, I recorded the song. My original plan was to record a video of me singing the song live, but it just wasn't going to work. I couldn't use 2 mics to record at once when using my webcam. So in the end I recorded the piano, recorded me singing, and combined the 2. :)

Once the song was recorded I realized, "Crap! I need a video to go along with this!" So, I decided to settle for a video of me doing what I do best--silly stick-figure drawings and lip syncing. Haha. It's not the greatest, but I had determined to get this video out ASAP. I'd already put it off too long because, I'll admit it, this is really scary! Putting one of my songs out there like this. But I'm also excited to share what I love with all of you!

Thank you for reading and watching and listening! Hope you all have a fantastic week! :D

Lesson 5: People are different, but we all have an important purpose.

Not sure this post is going to make a ton of sense, but I'm still going to take a whack at sharing my feelings about how awesome it is that we're all different and how we all have a purpose and how our differences can help us fulfill our purpose. :)

My mission was a valuable, amazing experience for many reasons. But one of the biggest blessings and challenges of my mission was working with a lot of different people. As a missionary you're constantly pushed outside your comfort zone and you interact with people you might not normally interact with.

I didn't always understand my companions--why they did what they did, how they reacted to situations. I'm sure they didn't always understand me either. But I can honestly say that my mission is where I started to really love people. Moreover, I started to love people because of our differences.

I'm not exactly sure when this change occurred. I think it happened gradually. But when it did happen, I no longer dreaded going out and talking to strangers. The thought made me excited! Getting to meet so many different people from so many different walks of life is one of the greatest blessings of my mission. I met University football players, professors, homeless men & women, carnival workers, immigrants--people from all walks of life. And one of my favorite parts of the mission was hearing their stories, their perspectives, why they do what they do.

I learned that even though each one of us is different and unique, we're all here for the same purpose--to learn and grow and become like our Heavenly Father. And our Heavenly Father has tailor-made our journey. In the Oct. 2013 General Conference, Elder Richard J. Maynes said this, "Brothers and sisters, we have a loving Heavenly Father who has designed our earthly existence so that we can individually learn the lessons we need to learn to qualify for eternal life in His presence."

Our life is tailored for our specific needs. So getting to talk with others and hear their experiences, their struggles, their concerns--and then helping them understand that those experiences have been given for a purpose was very rewarding. Because even though we're all different, we're all trying for the same thing--to be happy, to be loved. Sometimes people don't know where to find that though. But that is where the gospel of Jesus Christ comes in. It is the only way to lasting peace and lasting happiness in this world. No matter who I met or what their trials were, I knew the gospel of Jesus Christ is what would help them achieve their potential and find and keep happiness.

Another, related lesson to all of this is that Heavenly Father can and will use our unique gifts, talents, and quirks to help others as we go throughout our life. In D&C section 46 the Savior is speaking to Joseph Smith about the gifts of the Spirit and He makes this revealing statement in verses 11 and 12.

"For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God. To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby."

Isn't that awesome? Each one of us have been given a gift, a talent, something special and unique. And God expects us to use and share those gifts and talents so that all will be benefited. Because we are unique and different, we all have something unique and different to bring to this world. God wants and expects us to seek to understand our gifts and use them to help His children.

Something I've struggled with since getting home from my mission is finding my purpose. How can I use the talents God has given me to help others? I'm slowly figuring it out . . . I think. Haha. But on Sunday I found this really cool video that I wanted to share.



So, know that you're loved! Know that you are unique! Know that you have talents and gifts to offer the world that only you can offer!:D

Did You Know . . .

Since this blog is called "The Other Side of Erin" I thought I'd share some things that people might not know about me & let you see, well, the other side of Erin. ;)

Did you know that . . .

I play the piano?

I write songs?

I write stories?

I'm planning on posting some of both on this blog soon?

I love sandwiches?

I'm officially an English Professional & Technical writing major with a minor in Communications?

I'm taking a Japanese class in the Fall?

I have two callings--Relief Society Pianist & Visiting Teaching District Supervisor?

Nephi is my favorite Book of Mormon character?

I bought a Hello Kitty bobblehead?

I love to read?

I read Manga?

Me and Yoshi make a great team?

I can run a 10 minute mile?

I'm still obsessed with Korean Pop culture?

There are lots of cute boys in Ogden?

I'm not a missionary so I can think about how many cute boys there are in Ogden?

I'm wearing a Ball State University shirt right now?

Chickens can't swallow upside down?

It would take four hours to hard boil an ostrich egg?

You can't cry in space because there's no gravity to make the tears flow?

I'm really bad at writing on my blog when I say I'm going to write?

I'm sorry?

I'm going to be better? :)

My first week in the mission field I accidentally deleted all the pictures off my camera?

There's software to recover deleted pictures?

In Lafayette we used to go bowling on P-Day?

One P-Day I didn't bring normal clothes, so I bowled in my proselyting clothes?

Being a missionary was fun? :)

Lesson 4: Christ will turn everything to our good if we are faithful.

First, I think some apologies are in order. Sorry that I'm so sporadic about posting these lessons. I've been home for a month and a half and I'm only on lesson four? Pathetic! So, I decided that I'm going to post something on the blog every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It may not be a lesson, but it will be something. I figure telling you guys about it will help me stay accountable. So, please help me stay accountable and bug me if I don't post something. :)

Anyway, on to the fourth lesson from my mission: Christ will turn everything to our good if we are faithful.

This is a lesson that I learned very early on in my mission. I'd been in Lafayette for probably two or three weeks when I began to have some medical issues. I was in a new place, facing symptoms I'd never had before. I was scared that something was seriously wrong with me and that I would have to go home from my mission early. Half scared of going home, half scared because I kind of wanted to go home. Missions aren't easy, and whether everyone admits it or not, in those first few months you're kind of hoping for an excuse to go home.

During this time I was feeling very fearful of the future. What would my family think if I came home early? What would everybody say? What if I went home and turns out I was fine? What if I stayed on my mission and failed? What if I had to train? What if this? What if that?

One morning during personal study my head was so full of these fears, these what ifs, that I couldn't focus. I felt so weighed down. So I decided to turn to one of my favorite scriptures. Romans 8:35-39.

I felt some comfort in those words, but my heart still felt heavy. My eyes slid across the columns and landed on Romans 8:28.

As I read those words I got to thinking, "If I go home . . . if I stay . . . if I train . . ." No matter what the scenario is, no matter what happens, the promise is that all things work together for our good if we love God.

So, thinking about all of these "what ifs" that could happen in my life led me to D&C 122:5-7 where the Lord tells Joseph Smith all of the "ifs" that could happen to him.

"If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea; If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb; And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."

After listing everything that could possibly go wrong in Joseph's life, laying out his worst fears, and then capping it off with having the very jaws of hell gape open its mouth wide after him, the Lord gives Joseph the comforting words that these things "shall be for thy good."

That's when it really clicked for me. No matter what "what if" happens, everything will work out for my good the way the Lord intends it to. Whether I die young, whether I get married or not, whether I find a job, whether I go mountain climbing and fall off and lose my legs--it doesn't matter what the scenario is. Whatever happens the Lord is watching over me and can turn ANY situation for my good.

As soon as that clicked there was just a sweet peace that enveloped me. I felt like I could go home and be okay, or I could stay and be okay. And that feeling has stuck with me ever since. The Lord is in control. There's nothing that can happen to us in this life that won't be for our ultimate good. God loves us. He's watching over us. He will give us strength. He will help us grow and learn what we are meant to learn.

That's also when I learned that Satan's greatest tool (at least, in my opinion) is fear. Because if he can get us to focus on the "what ifs" he can paralyze us. Satan can destroy our faith in Jesus Christ and in His promise if he can just get us to be afraid. That's why we have to choose to be faithful. And remember, faith is an action word--it means we have to do something.

Fear is a tool that Satan is constantly using on me. Constantly. And it's something that I have to choose to overcome everyday through my faith in Christ. I'll give you an example. Last week I decided that I was going to go up to Weber State and officially declare my major and minor (English Professional and Technical Writing Major with a Communications Minor for those who are curious). So I picked the day that I was going to go up to campus--Tuesday.

Tuesday morning the sky was gray and it was raining buckets. I looked out the window and thought, "Maybe I should do it another day." But I know myself too well. If I didn't do it that day, it wasn't going to get done. As I was preparing to leave I was just hit with this wave of fear and all of the "what ifs" started in my mind. What if this isn't what I'm supposed to major in? What if I'm heading completely down the wrong path? What if I suck at technical writing? What if I graduate and can't find a job? What if? What if? What if?

So I dropped to my knees and started praying. I told Heavenly Father all of my worries and all of the fears running through my mind. As I prayed and started talking to my Father the fear that was constricting my chest slowly disappeared. Instead, my head was filled with the example of Lehi and his family. The Lord commanded them to go out into the wilderness--into the world. Lehi went, not knowing what was going to happen to them in the wilderness, but knowing that God would provide. And the Spirit taught me that it's no different for me. I'm commanded to go out into the wilderness. It's going to be scary and it's going to be hard, but the Lord will direct my path. But before He can direct me, I need to leave Jerusalem. I have to take some steps of faith.

After saying that prayer I grabbed my keys and drove to campus in the pouring rain before I could change my mind. I declared my major, came home and signed up for the courses I would need, and that was that. After that I felt a lot of peace and knew that I'd overcome a stumbling block. Now, do I know for sure that this is what I'm supposed to be majoring in? No. Do I know for sure that I'll get a job after college? No. But, I do know that no matter what happens, as long as I'm faithful to the Lord, things will turn out fine.

Thanks for reading! I hope you all have a fabulous day! :D

P.S. I wrote this post outside in my backyard. It's a beautiful day!

Lesson 3: You can't convert anyone past your own conversion.

This is something that you hear a lot in the mission field-- you can't convert anyone past your own conversion.

I think first we'd better talk about what conversion is. If you're converted you not only believe the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, but that knowledge changes you. It says in True to the Faith that "[Conversion] is a change in our very nature. It is such a significant change that the Lord and His prophets refer to it as a rebirth, a change of hear, and a baptism of fire."

Conversion comes through applying the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. We build our faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel by praying, studying the scriptures, going to church, magnifying our callings, etc. And the more we learn of Jesus Christ the more we want to follow Him. We recognize changes need to be made in our lives. So we make the changes. We stop doing what is wrong and start doing what is right. We rely on the Lord to help us make these changes. We make and keep covenants or promises with God. We listen to and follow the Spirit. And we repeat the process. By living the Gospel of Jesus Christ we become converted. Soon we find that we aren't just going through the motions, but that we are becoming like the Savior.

Conversion is not a superficial change. In his talk "The Atonement and Faith" Elder Dallin H. Oaks talks about this mighty change that must take place.

"We tend to think of the results of repentance as simply cleansing us from sin, but that is an incomplete view of the matter. A person who sins is like a tree that bends easily in the wind. On a windy and rainy day, the tree bends so deeply against the ground that the leaves become soiled with mud, like sin. If we focus only on cleaning the leaves, the weakness in the tree that allowed it to bend and soil its leaves may remain. Similarly, a person who is merely sorry to be soiled by sin will sin again in the next high wind. The susceptibility to repetition continues until the tree has been strengthened.

When a person has gone through the process that results in what the scriptures call “a broken heart and a contrite spirit,” the Savior does more than cleanse that person from sin. He gives him or her new strength. That strengthening is essential for us to realize the purpose of the cleansing, which is to return to our Heavenly Father. To be admitted to His presence, we must be more than clean. We must also be changed from a morally weak person who has sinned into a strong person with the spiritual stature to dwell in the presence of God. We must, as the scripture says, become “a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19)."

Whoa. . . That is pretty intense, but it's true. Conversion is the process of strengthening our spirits through the Atonement of Jesus Christ until we will eventually be as He is. This is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Lasting change and lasting happiness are possible because of Jesus Christ. But it involves sacrifice. It's hard. It's not comfortable.

Is it any wonder that we can't convert anyone past our own conversion? If I'm not making these changes, if I'm not digging into the depths of my soul every day to call upon the Savior to help me become more like Him, how could I possibly ask someone else to do the same? If repentance to me is simply cleaning the leaves, that's all repentance is going to be to those I try and teach. But if I'm truly repenting and changing and becoming like Christ every day through the Atonement, then when I invite others to change they feel it. This is what the Lord means in Doctrine & Covenants 11:21:

"Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men."

On my mission we were teaching a woman named Brynisha. She is awesome and has such an amazing family! But Brynisha expressed to us that she had some anger issues. It was the craziest things because I never saw her as an angry person, but at the time she started expressing this weakness to us, I was having trouble controlling my temper. I was struggling with feelings of anger and frustration. So as I studied and prayed for myself and for Brynisha we were able to change together. As Brynisha started reading the Book of Mormon she recognized she wasn't as angry. As I started studying the Book of Mormon and reading it before bed, I wasn't as angry.

Ultimately, our conversion is our responsibility. I can't be converted for you and you can't be converted for me. But I know that as we strive to become more converted to Jesus Christ through faith, repentance, making & keeping covenants that we will have the Spirit of God with us and God will use us to help others in their process of conversion.

So, this week I'm going to be making some changes to help me become more converted to the Lord and I would invite you all to do the same. :)

I'll end off with the song I'm listening to at this very moment--Savior, Redeemer of My Soul by Dallyn Vail Bayles. Have a great week!

Lesson 2: Happiness comes from the inside--it's a choice.

The second lesson I learned on my mission is this: Happiness comes from the inside--it's a choice.

This is a concept I think we're all familiar with, but it never really sunk into me until my mission. When I lived for 18 months without watching TV, or surfing the internet, or getting on Facebook, or listening to music I like, I learned something very important about myself. I'm not defined by what's around me. I'm not defined by the music I like, what I do for a living, the TV shows I watch, or how well I do in Mario Kart (but let's be honest, I'm kind of a boss at Mario Kart. ;D). And I was happy without those things. I lived a full & happy 18 months without those things.

True & lasting happiness comes from living true principles. Prayer. Studying the scriptures. Serving others. Seeking truth. These are all things that bring happiness. And there are countless others as well. But, each of these things is a choice. I can choose to forgive someone who's done me wrong. I can choose to pray. I can choose to have faith. I can choose to be happy, no matter what my external circumstances are.

As a missionary there are plenty of situations & people that could make you miserable if you let them. People you love & care about suddenly say they don't want you coming over anymore. Having plans fall through. People you don't know mocking the beliefs that are most precious to you. Yeah, there's a lot to get you down. And that's how it is in the world--if you don't believe it, go & watch the news. (20 bonus points for whoever names that Children's Hymn!) ;) Yeah, there's a lot of stuff that could get us down.

But the Lord has commanded us to "Be of good cheer." (John 16:33, D&C 61:36, D&C 68:6, etc.) There are seriously TONS of references where the Lord tells His people to Be of Good Cheer.

I wrote this quote from President Thomas S. Monson in the front of my Preach My Gospel, from his talk in the October 2013 General Conference. It captures what I think about being of good cheer and choosing happiness and faith.

"The history of the Church in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, is replete with the experiences of those who have struggled and yet who have remained steadfast and of good cheer. The reason? They have made the gospel of Jesus Christ the center of their lives. This is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. We will still experience difficult challenges, but we will be able to face them, to meet them head-on, and to emerge victorious."

If we choose to have the gospel at the center of our lives, if we choose to have faith in Jesus Christ, if we choose to be steadfast and be of good cheer, we will emerge victorious! Isn't it awesome? :) I know that this is true.

Now, I just want to say that choosing happiness doesn't mean that we're never going to feel sad or disappointed or have bad days. I know that depression is a real issue. But, I also know that as we move forward with the language of faith and of hope and hold to the good instead of the bad that we will find happiness. That happiness may not come in this life. We may never be entirely rid of certain demons or thoughts or attitudes until after this life. But Heavenly Father promises that as we have faith in Him and keep His commandments we will have peace. You can still be sad and at peace. You can still be depressed and have peace.

I want to leave you all with this wonderful talk from President Monson to check out. :) My challenge is to be of good cheer. Choose to be happy now. :)

"Be of Good Cheer" Talk

P.S. Sometimes the way we can choose to be happy is by choosing to go get ice cream. Just sayin'. ;)

Why being home is WEIRD and AWESOME all at the same time

Hi Everybody!

I'm working on getting lesson number 2 up, you can look forward to that in the next couple of days. But today, I wanted to talk about why being home from my mission is WEIRD, but also why it's AWESOME!

First, the WEIRD!

1-Culture shock: You mean people don't spend all of their time visiting others or studying the gospel every waking hour of the day? And after you do visit with someone you don't share a spiritual thought or say a prayer? Weird! Suddenly I have all the time in the world & nothing that seems very fulfilling to fill it. It seems like the world has all of these inside jokes from 2013 that I never heard. What does the fox say? Huh?

2- I have to find out where the new Erin fits into old Erin's world. Figuring out how to move forward. Trying not falling back into old habits (like sleeping until 2 pm . . . Hasn't happened yet & that's the way I'd like to keep it! Haha). Keeping the good from my mission & realizing that the new me might not always please people who liked the old me.

3- Not calling myself or being known by others as Sister Guy.

4- Having to relearn things that used to be so easy (like where stuff in the house is, how to use an iPad, how to work the oven, etc.)

5- Being alone--exhilarating & SCARY!

6- Not being as good at my talents as I was before. But I've gained more talents & the old ones just need polishing up. :)

Now, why being home is AWESOME!

1- Being with my family.

2- Getting to rediscover my relationships.

3- Realizing how much I DID grow in those 18 months.

4- Being led by the Spirit to know how to apply my mission in my life.

5- K-pop! ;) Allison was so disappointed when I realized I still like K-pop. Haha.

6- Wearing pants!

7- Getting to read non church related books.

8- Unlocking my heart! ;)

9- Getting to help people here with the skills I learned there.

10- I'm confident! :D

11- Movies!

12- Having others notice a difference in me.

13- Getting to write again!

14- Learning how to use an iPad.

Lesson 1: Figure out what's important to you and stick to it.

While I was on my mission I thought a lot about desires. The scriptures are full of the effects of our desires—whether righteous or wicked. (Alma 29:4). I guess in writing this, the lesson is to stick to the righteous desires & if the righteous things of God aren’t what’s important to you, make them important. Everything we do, say, think, or feel can be traced back to our desires—to what is important to us.

I had this quote hanging up on my wall in Muncie from the talk The Fourth Missionary: “Your world is in your head. Get your head right and your heart will follow, and you will be right.”

One of Satan’s biggest tactics is to try and mess us up at the root—at our desires, in our heads. If he can get us there—making us think watching that TV show is more important than doing family prayer, or that listening to that song is okay because it’s “not that bad.”—he can get us off track without us even realizing it. I know because I’ve experienced this. Before my mission I thought so many other things were important. But while I was on my mission I had to ask myself a lot of hard questions. Do I love God more than I love thinking about that song? Is studying the scriptures more important to me than sleeping? If God asked me to completely give up XY or Z, would I do it? Would I really do it?

This topic makes me think of one of the amazing people I was privileged to teach on my mission, Jennifer. Jennifer desired to have a closer relationship with God. She felt like her whole life she had known what was right & what was good & she wanted to do it. But so many people told her “Oh, that is such an outdated way of thinking. Nobody does that anymore.” The pressure to do things that were morally wrong and against what she knew was right was strong. So when Jennifer found the gospel & heard the truth, she let her desire to do good outweigh the social pressures of others. She broke up with her boyfriend and kicked him out. Her sights were set on the temple, which she knew was the only place her family could be sealed together for time and for eternity. Once Jennifer figured out how important that was to her, it made the rest of her decisions that much easier. She met with us three times a week despite a crazy busy schedule. Why? Jennifer wanted to be baptized as soon as possible because she knew baptism began her journey towards the temple and towards an eternal family. She read the Book of Mormon every day because she knew it would help her stay strong and resist temptation. She came to church. She changed her life because of what was important to her.

Before my mission I think I was kind of a pushover. I had a hard time doing what I knew was right, or standing up for what was important to me. I just didn’t like saying no to people or letting them down or causing contention. That’s because before my mission it was important for me to please people. I wanted to be someone that everybody liked. And that wasn’t always a bad thing and to some extent I still hold that quality. Except now, I am better able to stand up for what’s important to me. And what’s important to me is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Keeping His commandments. And doing my best to help others come closer to Christ too.

So, since I’ve gotten home, my decisions have been based on what’s most important to me. I’ve been setting goals & planning how I can incorporate these important things into my day. Something I realized the 2nd day I was home is that we have time for what we make time for. There are so many good things out there to fill up our time with, so for me unless I put those important things first—prayer, scripture study, attending the temple, etc.—they just won’t happen.

Now don’t get me wrong. It’s okay to have things besides God that are important to us. Something that’s important to me is writing. My family. Music. Hanging out with friends. Exercising. But there has to be an order. God is going to be the MOST important thing in my life. Writing, my family, music, hanging out with friends, even exercising come after Him. Always. Because Jesus Christ gave up everything for me. Before I left the mission field my mission president, President Porter, said that there is no such thing as balance. There’s priority. And now my priority is God and Jesus Christ first in everything. I’m not perfect at putting them first, but I’m doing my very best.

So I guess my question for everyone reading this post is, what is most important to you? What motivates you to keep going every day?

P.S. I hope this doesn’t sound too preachy or pushy or intense. But, you have to understand that these lessons I’m writing about are SO close to my heart and they are important to me. I know that they’re true because these lessons have been learned with a price and the change in my life as I apply them is incredible. So I write with so much passion because I don’t ever want to let myself forget these lessons. I’m not trying to chastise you. ;)

20+ Lessons I Learned from Serving a Mission

Hey there everyone! It's been a while hasn't it? Probably about, oh, I don't know . . . 18 months or so?

18 months. . . That's a pretty long time, isn't it? Lots of things have changed in my life, and I'm sure lots of things have changed in yours as well. For those of you who might not know, for the last 18 months I've been in Indiana serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As a part of my missionary service I invited others to come unto Christ, served in the community, & taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. I saw SO many miracles while serving the wonderful people of Indiana!

Something that my mission President challenged me to do as I prepared to leave Indiana was to write down 20 lessons I learned from serving my mission. So when I first came home I sat down, went through my journals, & made my list. Right now I have 21 lessons & I expect the list will continue growing. My mission experience taught me SO much. I am forever changed because of my decision to serve a mission. I don't think it's even possible to put into words the change I've undergone.

But I thought I would share these lessons with you here on the blog. The principles contained in these lessons are true & learning them is part of what helped me change. But, it's hard to put everything into a single sentence. So as part of President Porter's challenge to me, I will expound on each lesson in its own blog post. Lucky you! You'll get to learn everything I learned in 18 months by simply reading a blog! ;)

Lessons Sister Guy Learned from Serving a Mission!

1- Figure out what's important to you & stick to it.

2- Happiness comes from the inside--it's a choice.

3- You can't convert anyone past your own conversion.

4- Christ will turn everything to our good if we are faithful.

5- People are different, but we all have an important purpose.

6- The gospel of Jesus Christ is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, & enduring to the end.

7- We have to be willing to sacrifice everything.

8- The law of the harvest--you reap what you sow.

9- The Lord is sifting the world. Expect opposition.

10- Don't expect perfection.

11- Identify your weaknesses & trust the Lord's grace to fortify them.

12- Satan's tactics never change.

13- People can change.

14- The Atonement & the gospel of Jesus Christ are meant for ME.

15- Relationships are the most important thing in this life.

16- Communication is key to happy, functional relationships.

17- Treat others the way you'd want to be treated, even if they don't do the same.

18- Some of our greatest joys come as we help others succeed.

19- God answers heartfelt prayers.

20- Growth happens outside our comfort zone.

21- True confidence, beauty, & happiness come through living the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, there you have it! I'm excited to get to share these lessons with you all through this blog & hope you will find things to help you in your own life & the challenges you may be facing. My best advice & greatest lesson of all is to turn to Christ. Trust Him & do what He's asked & things will all work out. :)

Until next time . . .