Our Soldiers

A couple of weeks ago we got the sweetest oppurtunity to go onto Fort Campbell Army Base with some recent converts to the Church. These recent converts happen to be the Thompsons and I LOVE the Thompsons! They were baptized into the Clarksville 3rd ward last month, and are some of the coolest people that I have ever met. We were invited to go onto post with Sister Thompson and to go see what Brother Thompson does every day of his life. We got to the hangar and he showed us around. He showed us the helicopter engine and how it works. He showed us how the rotors work and what the helicopter is made of. He showed us the different weapon systems on each bird, and he even let us sit in them and he showed us how to control it.

This was probably one of the coolest things that I have done as a missionary. I got to see how a copter works, spend time with people that I love, and I had some time to think. As I stood in the hangar and looked out at the airfield I couldn't help but think of all of our soldiers fighting for our freedom on a daily basis. I couldn't help but think of the sacrifices that our servicemen and women are making, especially within their own families. I couldn't help but think of all the hard times that each soldier has to go thru out in the field. Emotionally. Spiritually. Physically. As I missionary we go thru some things as well. Homesickness. Tried testimonies. People attacking our religion left and right. I guess you can say that we are soldiers in God's Army. But we aren't getting shot at on a daily basis. (Well...at least that's what I tell my Mama. What she doesn't know won't hurt, right?) We don't have the threat of getting bombed day and night. We don't have to worry about potentially losing our life every day when we wake up. Our soldiers go thru everything that we go thru, PLUS the physical threat too. I thought about some of the soldiers in the Book of Mormon and in Alma 43:47 it tells us what they fought for: themselves, their lands, their country, their rights, their families, and their religion. Isn't that exactly what our modern-day soldiers are fighting for today? It is. And I have the upmost respect for these soldiers. I'm so grateful that I get this chance to serve a mission right here next to Fort Campbell and that I get to bring them the hope that comes from restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Being here in Clarksville has taught me about sacrifice. Sacrifice on many levels, but especially on the level of what our soldiers are willing to sacrifice for our freedom. For MY freedom. With the 4th of July coming up I hope all of us can celebrate our nation's birth, but let us all remember our soldiers who are diligently fighting for us everyday.

I Stand All Amazed....and our soldiers and what they sacrifice for all of us.

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Yesterday was our last Zone Conference with President and Sister Hutchings. I am gonna miss those people. Two Zone Conferences ago, President trained on being Patriarchs over our own areas and at the end of the conference he opened it up for questions to all of us. One of us asked him how he became a man of God, and his answer to that was so simple. He said, " I found men of God in my life and I patterned my life after their's." I have taken that answer to heart and I have been identifying men of God in my life so that I can look to them as an example. I know that each of us are all different people with different personalities and that is the beauty of life, and I think there was a lot of wisdom with President's answer. He understood the fact that all of us have our own qualities and our own personalities and there isn't just one mold of a "Man of God." But, a good example in someone's life is key in helping them get to the point where God wants them to be. Think about Jesus. He is our perfect example and in all things we want to be more like Him. We try to change things in our lives to bring ourselves in closer harmony with the things that He taught and how He lived. This is quite similar to having a "Man of God" example. Not that these men of God are perfect like Jesus, but that they have progressed to a point where they can be examples and beacons to the world, and represent the Savior Himself. Now that I have confused myself, and probably you, what I'm getting to is, President Hutchings is a Man of God that I look up to. He is an incredible example of what we are all striving to become. He has taught me how to be a Priesthood leader. He has taught me how to be an example of the believers. He has taught me how to love and respect a Woman of God, his wife Sister Hutchings. I  love the Hutchings. They will forever have a place in my heart as people that I look up to, respect, and want to be like. With their departure next week, the mission will not be the same, but I know that President and Sister McKee will pick up the slack quickly and hit the ground running because I know that whom the Lord calls, He qualifies. This link is a link to the song, "God Be With You Till We Meet Again." This is the closing song that we sang at Zone Conference yesterday and as I sat there next to President, my emotions were too great and I could barely sing the first line before tears were streaming down my face. Tears of sadness, tears of joy, tears of love, tears of respect, tears of adoration, and tears of knowing that God placed the Hutchings in my life for my eternal benefit. After the song, we took some pictures and then President said his goodbyes. As I embraced that role model and that Man of God, I broke down again, and we just sat there and hugged for a good minute. I will never forget that moment in my life. God be with the Hutchings.


http://youtu.be/Qu40Mo1zxwo 

I Stand All Amazed...at President and Sister Hutchings and the Man and Woman of God that they have willingly become.

We Are As The Army of Helaman

http://youtu.be/B_SNU3b3ri0

This EFY Medley song touches my heart every single time I hear it. EFY stands for Especially For Youth. It is a summer camp in which members and non-members of our church can go to be spiritually fed for an entire week. The week consists of really good food three times a day, classes about Jesus Christ, dances, activites, awards, and just a really good spiritual week. I had the oppurtunity to go 3 times to EFY and I loved every session that I was privileged to go to. I met a ton of people and made a lot of new friendships and strengthened others. At the end of the week, there is a big formal dance. It is the one that everyone looks forward to. We get all dressed up and get to eat really good food, and then after we get to dance the night away. At the end of the dance, all of us sing this medley. The boys sing the "Army of Helaman" part and the girls sing the "As Sisters in Zion" part. I cried everytime I did this. Not because I'm an emotional person, but just because everytime we sang this song I all the sudden had a really bad case of allergies.........This song has always touched me because it is true. We are as the army of Helaman. We have been taught in our youth. And we are NOW the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth. In the MTC all of us sang the "Army of Helaman" song and I remember how powerfully I felt the Spirit that night. As I looked around me at all the white shirts and suit coats in the gym that night, I felt like a soldier going to battle. I felt like one of God's warriors waiting to go out and to fight this battle against the devil. And that is exactly who we are. Right before I left to become a missionary, the young men in my home ward sang this song in Sacrament meeting. As I watched these young men sing with confidence and with courage, I saw them differently. I saw each one of them as valiant missionaries out in the world, spreading the gospel. One of those young men was my little brother. I know what a great missionary that he will make as he becomes a soldier in God's army. So even though we may look a little bit different than the army of Helaman in the Book of Mormon, and even though I'm not nearly as ripped as one of those young men in the picture up above, we really are like that old, great army. And I testify that we are doing a good work. We are doing the Lord's work. We are bringing the world His truth. And not just us missionaries, but all the faithful members of this, God's true church. Let us all stand valiantly to the responsibility that we have been given, and with confidence say, "I am on the Lord's side!"

I Stand All Amazed....at the army of Helaman.

Sharing the Gospel

https://lds.org/youth/video/inviting-all-to-come-unto-christ-sharing-the-gospel?lang=eng

This story is awesome! Look at what happened when one kid decided to share the gospel with one of his friends. Imagine what great missionaries these young men will make as they go out into all the world proclaiming the truth. This is member missionary work at its finest. It doesn't take a lot of skill, all it takes is opening your mouth and telling your friends what you know to be true. Growing up in Utah, I didn't have a lot of non-member friends. I didn't have the chance to share the gospel like other people out here in the South have the oppurtunity too. Looking back now though, I could have done better at being "an example of the believers." Instead of just going with the flow and trying to fit in with the "in crowd," I should have stood up for what I believe in and I should have been a better example. Being a missionary, it is obviously easy to share the gospel. That's the whole reason why we put the black nametags on every morning. But nothing gets done in missionary work until we find people to teach. And the most effective way of finding people to teach is thru members. By normal church members opening their mouths, being an example, and inviting their friends to come unto Christ and to receive his gospel, I know that missionary work would skyrocket! Each of us would have stories like this video because we were about our Father's business. Even if its just a pass-a-long card or an invite to a church activity, I know that that is progressing the work of the Lord. Not only that, but the joy that comes from sharing the gospel cannot even be expressed. I know these things are true. And if all else fails in member missionary work, St. Francis of Assisi said it best, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."
I Stand All Amazed...at the joy that comes from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

A Remarkable Relationship

With Father's Day tomorrow I think its only right that I talk about my Old Man. So, here is the Captain himself...

Its been said before by many sons that their father is their first hero and that is very true in the case of my dad and me. He is, plain and simple, just the MAN! He is tall, athletic, loving, motivated, and spiritual all together. I dunno how he does it, but the guy has everything that any son could ask for. I love him. I look up to him. I wanna be like him. And most of all I know that he is a man of God who I can model my life after. (I know that at the bottom of this blog he is gonna deny everything that I said about him, and if he does that, just ignore it because all that I have said is true). There are so many experiences I could share about hangin out with Dad. Playin ball in the backyard, going boating, going for a drive, going to sports games, helping in the yard, seeing him cheer me on in sports, grounding me when I needed it, providing for the family, up-holding his church callings, schooling him in one-on-one on the basketball court, etc. The list goes on and on. Most importantly, I know that my dad loves me. I know that he cares about my life and I know that he wants what is the very best for his family. That is how I know that my dad is my hero. If I can be HALF the man that my dad is, I will succeed in all aspects of my life.

Growing up, I had a picture much like this one in my room. I remember looking at it from time to time and thinking about my dad and how much I love and respect him. We have, and always will, share a remarkable relationship with each other. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gives an amazing talk on this relationship between a dad and a son. I remember sitting, next to my dad, in the Priesthood Session of conference when this talk was given and I remember the spirit that I felt when Elder Ballard was speaking. Here is the link to the talk, it is a little long, but I know that it is worth enduring to the end for:

http://lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/fathers-and-sons-a-remarkable-relationship?lang=eng&query=father+son+priesthood+session  

To my dad, I love you. I respect you and I look up to you. Thank you for all that you have taught me. I cannot begin to tell you how much you mean to me. I really do wanna be just like you. Your example says enough to the world of who you are. You are one who is noble and who is obedient and who is valiant. I know that the Lord is pleased with who you are. And if everything else fails in life, always know that you will forever have a #1 fan. All my love.

I Stand All Amazed....at my Old Man.

Moments That Matter Most

http://radio.lds.org/video?lang=eng#!l70e1TfN34w

This video was pretty cool. I think that this was something that I needed to hear today, so I hope that it helps you as well. I love what President Uchtdorf said in the middle, "Lift up our eyes and truly see the things that matter most." How often do we do this? Just take a minute and lift up our eyes to see what matters the most in life? This was something that my parents were really good at when I was growing up. My dad would take the time away from work, rest, and his own hobbies to go outside on a hot summer day and play some catch with my brother and me. Mama would slave in the kitchen for hours to make us dinners that would put 5 star chefs outta business. I've seen pictures of my dad wrestling with us and reading us bedtime stories. These were the moments that mattered most to us. I especially remember the time that we all spent on the boat down in Lake Powell for a weeks together. They would both put their lives aside and create memories for us that have lasted a lifetime. We would get up early to get the morning ski in when the water was glassy. (I never went on the morning trips....that was way too early for me..) We would stay up late playing games and enjoying one another's company. Truly, they understood what matters most. Most importantly, I remember the sweet moments of family scripture study and family home evenings where we would spend even more time with each other. We felt the Holy Spirit together and we grew with each other. They realized that building strong family relationships and creating memories with each other. I'm grateful for the time that they spent to help my siblings and me to grow. I know that our Heavenly Father wants all of us to do the same. He wants us to "lift up our eyes." He tells us in Psalms 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

 I hope we all can lift up our eyes and our hearts and find the moments that matter most in our lives. Every day each of us can have a still moment where we can remember the Lord, and why he matters most in our lives. I Stand All Amazed...at the moments that matter most.

(P.S. My soccer coach of many years, Coach Laura, is cheering on her daughter at the soccer game in the video. She is the one jumping up and down with her hands above her head at about 1:00 into the video.)

"Don't You Quit!"

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gives an awesome talk about a family and the struggles that they had getting across the country.

http://youtu.be/8nczw6xHJ0I

I really liked the underlying theme of the whole story. "Don't you quit!" When he said that, I thought about the times when I wanted to "quit." Senior year of high school. Hell week 2-a-days in football. I got my car taken away that week (I dunno why, I mean I was a perfect kid growing up. Never, ever got in trouble....) so I had to bike about 3 miles to the field, run my heart out, and then when all that was said and done, I had to bike home. I remember on day 2 of the "fun" week, we were doing "monkeys." That's where three players get together and do a series of jumping and rolling. I would explain it, but I think I would confuse everyone, including myself. As I was rolling across that turf that felt like it was on fire, I thought about just giving up. What did I have to lose? I could just get up and walk out and go (well, bike) home. But what good would that have done for me? Nothing. And forever I would be kickin myself for being a quitter. I finished that practice and the whole "Hell Week." I know it was something small, but for me, it means a lot. I took the advice of Elder Holland and I didn't quit. We all have these experiences. I'm sure that each one of us can think of a time when we just wanted to quit. Sports, school, church, dating, life, etc. Remember those awful papers that we had (or are having) to do in college? Yeah, been there. Remember feeling overwhelmed with everything going on in life? Yeah, been there. Remember feeling guilty for something that you have done wrong? Yeah, been there. We all have. But do we all remember our Heavenly Father saying, "Don't you quit!"? Do we remember how He sent us people to comfort us and to help us, one of which being the Holy Ghost? Do we remember that Jesus has felt ALL these feelings and pains? He didn't quit. He endured. He bled from every pore, and He didn't give in. He was scourged mercilessly, and He didn't throw in the towel. He had nails driven thru His hands and His feet, and He didn't quit. He hung on that cross for hours, and He didn't deviate one bit from His divine purpose. And He did that for us. So that all of us could have a chance to not quit. I know that He is the motivation for many people, including myself, to not give up. I know that He is the reason for the countless hours that missionaries spend preaching the gospel. I know that He is the reason that young men leave their families for two years to come out and sweat great amounts of sweat and get doors slammed in their faces. I know that He is the way that all of us can repent and be clean of all our sins. I know that in our darkest hour, when all hell is bearing down upon us, He is the light at the end of the tunnel. I testify that He is real. And I know that everyday He looks down on us and says, "Don't you quit!"

I Stand All Amazed...at our Savior Jesus Christ.

Mormons Are Christians!

Here in the South, people, who don't know any better, have learned many (many) misconceptions about our Church. Some of the misconceptions are far-fetched and frankly ridiculous, while others are sincere questions of a wanting soul. I will give one example by sharing an experience that we had today:
There we were, Clarksville, TN. We had just got done riding our bikes for about 3 miles in the 96 degree heat; plus the humidity, it was probably about 100 degrees. Needless to say, the three of us were dripping with sweat. Our faces were all bright red, our legs felt like jelly, and if anyone knows how I get when it gets way too hot to be outside with no lake to jump into...I'm not a happy camper. (I said that because I think my family is down in Lake Powell right now.....but I'm not bitter...) We went to our 2 o'clock appointment and she bonked us, so we went and met with a less-active in our ward. After that, we started finding. We found two families who invited us to come back! I LOVE teaching families! After we talked to them, we were walking back to the bikes when we walked past a home with a bunch of SUV's in the driveway and one of them had stickered on the back window of one of them this stick figure family: 

We decided to knock on that door because we wanted to teach a family. We knock on the door and this middle-aged man (about 35) came out and said, "Are yall mormon?"
"Yes sir!" We said. And then he started to lay into us. He said that he is a non-denominational church pastor and started asking, more like accusing, a ton of dumb questions about anti-mormon literature. Now, lets remember the situation. I am onery as it is, I am soaked in sweat, and the last thing that I needed right at that moment was some guy who doesn't know a thing about our religion (and honestly nothing about his either) accusing us of weird doctrines. I, which was very wrong of me and I shouldn't have done this, gave it right back to him. We started bashing about religion and the bible and grace, and the trinity, and prophets, and etc. I had no patience with this guy and we put him in his place, not even kindly but forcefully. I kinda want to go and knock on his door and apologize, because I really do regret the way I handled the situation. The saddest part for me is going to be standing as a witness at the judgement bar of God and testifying against this man.

Its situations like these of why I am sharing this video. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gives a powerful talk on the true nature of the Godhead.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/the-only-true-god-and-jesus-christ-whom-he-hath-sent?lang=eng&query=only+true+god  (yall can read the talk, but I would suggest watching it. Its much more exciting)

I place my testimony with that of Elder Holland. God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are three, distinct and seperate beings. I know that to be true. I Stand All Amazed...at God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost.

Hope



Each month in our zone, we have a "Zone Theme" for that month. In April, our zone theme was "Desire." In May, our theme was "Thanksgiving." For this month it was gonna be "Power in Positivity," but as we talked about it, we decided to change it. The zone theme for June is "Hope." I know that my mama loves the topic of hope and she is a perfect example of someone who has hope. I know that she has been thru a lot in her life and she has had the oppurtunity to exercise hope in her life. I love and respect her so much for that. In Preach My Gospel, hope is described as, "An abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. It is believing and expecting that something will occur. When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good. Hope helps you conquer discouragement. The scriptures often describe hope in Jesus Christ as the assurance that you will inherit eternal life in the celestial kingdom." (I couldn't think of a better description myself, and you really can't argue with the apostles, they tend to know their stuff) Think of instances where you have had to exercise hope in your life. A broken friendship? The repentance process? The loss of a family member? The death of a family member? Hope isn't just something that we can obtain overnight. In order for it to become part of us, in order for us to be hopeful people, we must exercise hope daily. How often to you exercise hope? We should be exercising hope every single day. What should we hope for? "And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise." (Moroni 7:41) As a missionary, our hope is that God will prepare His children to receive the gospel with open arms and to see the change in people's hearts. I love the scripture in Hebrews 6:10, because this is my hope, "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." I understand that all of us aren't missionaries, so how can hope apply to your life? Hope can be our anchors to our souls. When the trials and the hard times occur in our lives, this is God giving us the oppurtunities exercise hope in His Son. We've all been there. Those times when we need Him most. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf explains to us the "Infinite Power of Hope":

http://youtu.be/UbsU3b2srQA

My HOPE is that each of us obtain that hope that we are searching for in our lives. I Stand All Amazed...at the hope that we can all obtain thru Jesus Christ.