This is the talk that I gave in my YSA ward yesterday. I think there is a typo or two, but enjoy!
Elder Marvin J. Ashton once related the following story. He said:
Years ago while walking with a wise friend of mine, we passed one of his neighbors as he stood in
the front of his home. My friend greeted the man with “How are you Bill? It's good to see you.” To this greeting, Bill didn't even look up. He didn't even respond.
“He is an old grouch today, isn't he?” I snapped.
“Oh, he is always that way.” my friend responded.
“Then why are you so friendly to him?” I asked.
“Why should I let him decide how I am going to act?”
The vital lesson that Elder Ashton learned from his friend was how important it is to act instead of being acted upon. Every day we are faced with hundreds of opportunities that force us to choose how we will act and what kind of attitude we will have. Those actions display our commitment to and testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
President Hinckley taught that “The course of our lives is not determined by great awesome decisions. Our direction is set by the little day to day choices which chart the track on which we run”.
Although it may seem that many of the decisions we make have very little, if any, impact on our eternal salvation, I think we would be surprised at how many of them actually do affect our day to day, week to week, and year to year happiness, as well as the happiness of those around us.
A good way to gauge how we are doing with our decisions is to remember that God's purpose is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”. Is this not our purpose as well? When we realize that we share this purpose, it becomes a powerful “personal Liahona”. If our actions are leading to the eternal progression of ourselves and of others, we can have a perfect knowledge that it is a correct choice and is exactly what our Heavenly Father wants us to be doing. I know that we can and will receive constant confirmation and support in the actions that we take to help fulfill the purpose of God.
My favorite book in the Old Testament is Romans, which was written by Paul the Apostle. Paul is a fantastic example of an individual who showed through his actions his commitment to and testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He stated both in words and deeds that he was “not ashamed of the gospel”. David B. Haight said of Paul:
“The Apostle Paul was fearless and never wavered in his testimony of Jesus. His faith and determination lifted him from being a tent maker to become a teacher, a missionary, leader, and organizer of Christian branches. He most certainly wasn't a sissy or weak. People of great faith know what is right and they do it. They have uncompromised determination and commitment and are capable of enduring pressure or hardship. Paul knew what was right and you know what is right. When you take courage like Paul and do what you know is right, nothing will stop your progress but yourself.”
There are four specific actions I would like to talk about today, that we can make in our daily lives that will show that we, like Paul, know what is right and are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. They are: Be doers-not complainers, have a positive attitude in all of your relationships, complete daily acts of service, and bear a simple testimony.
Being a girl, I understand that venting, or complaining, often seems like the best solution or easiest way to deal with a problem. However, recently I have been working on changing my attitude in difficult or frustrating situations by asking myself “what am I going to DO about it” or “is there anything that can be done at this time?” I work in a call center. As many of you may know, people are A LOT more likely to get upset and raise their voice over the phone than they are in person There are times that after dealing with a particularly difficult call the temptation to vent or complain about the individual is hard to overcome. I have made it a habit to say “I love our members” or “I love people”after finishing a difficult call instead of starting a negative conversation with a coworker. Even when said sarcastically, it still helps to prevent complaining and gives me the opportunity to move on from the problem. Instead of allowing that individual to decide how I am going to act, I choose to act in a way that Christ would. This allows me to create a more positive atmosphere for myself and those I work with. By acting in a more Christ like way, I testify in a small and simple way that I believe in Christ and in his true and living gospel.
Elder Ashton told another story of a man he was acquainted with who had a brother serving time in a state penitentiary. He said:
“On several occasions I have asked this friend of mine to accompany me to visit his confined family member. When asked most recently, he responded with an emphatic, "No, I don't want to go. It's no use. He won't talk. He won't listen. He's no good. He will never change." His last statement, "He will never change," prompted me to think, "and apparently neither will you."
In every relationship that we have, whether it be family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances, or strangers, we have the opportunity to choose how we will treat that relationship and what we are going to get out of it. I have a friend who struggles socially and has a hard time fitting in. When I first met her, my patience was tested with the constant stream of text messages, calls, requests for rides, and silly conversations. It took a few months before I realized that event though she could be overwhelming at times, she was still my friend and I could choose to be frustrated, or I could choose to learn from it and be a good friend in return.
I have been greatly blessed by this friend with a strong testimony that our Heavenly Father places people in our lives for our benefit. There is something that we can learn from everyone we meet, and there is something that we can DO to help every single person that we come in contact with. When we are willing to look for the best in others and seek for the lessons and blessings in all of our relationships, the hand of the Lord will be more abundant in our daily lives. We will be a walking testimony of his goodness and mercy.
A few years ago in a Sunday School class, I received from my teacher a handout that has stayed by my bedside ever since. It give two suggestions of things to pray for every day. The first is “How can I repent”. The second, “Who can I serve”. To the second suggestion I have added a note that reads “Don't leave your knees until you have an idea”. Although I will admit that I have not been 100% consist with following my own advice, I can tell you that the days that I don't leave my knees until I have an idea of how and who I can serve, have more purpose and meaning than the days that I don't. These acts of service don't need to be big things, they just need to be things. I have noticed that a simple smile and “hello” can make a persons day faster than a plate of cookies. Another favorite of mine, is sending a quick text message to check in with someone, to tell them that I love them, or remind them that I think they are really great. Random Thank you's are also a small act that makes a huge impact on someones day. Saying “Thank you” for being a friend, a sibling, a great boss, or a good example is a fast way to strengthen a relationship and and increase your gratitude for the people in your life. Just as Christ took the time to help those that he came in contact with, so can we be a witness of his love by doing the same.
The last suggestion I have of an act that will show that you are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to bear a simple testimony every day. A phrase that is often heard in my family's home and among my friends and I is “don't worry, the church is still true”. Or “did you know, that the church is true”? I had a Book of Mormon teacher who said this in every single one of her classes, and she touched my life greatly. I can not even begin to tell you the strength that it has been to my testimony to say at least once every day that “The Church is True”. As this habit has become a part of my daily routine, I have seen the change that it has made in myself and in others. I have caught myself thinking more and more often “how can it not be true” instead of the oh so common “why is it true”. Bearing this simple testimony to my family, friends, and sometimes even strangers, as strengthened the relationship that I have with them as well as with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. By bearing our testimonies every day in simple and humble ways, we can say with Paul that we “are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ”.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Action
So, I have been asked to give a talk in church this sunday on Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ". I found this talk that referenced it and thought it was pretty good. Enjoy!
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve
Conference Report, October 1970, pp. 36-38
Years ago while walking with a wise friend of mine, we passed one of his neighbors as he stood in the front yard of his home. My friend greeted the man with, "How are you, Bill? It's good to see you." To this greeting, Bill didn't even look up. He didn't even respond.
"He is an old grouch today, isn't he?" I snapped.
"Oh, he is always that way," my friend responded.
"Then why are you so friendly to him?" I asked.
"Why not?" responded my mature friend. "Why should I let him decide how I am going to act?"
Action or reaction
I hope I will never forget the lesson of that evening. The important word was "act." My friend acted toward people. Most of us react. At the time it was a strange attitude to me, because I was in grade school and following the practice of "If you speak to an acquaintance and he does not respond, that is the last time you have to bother," or "if someone shoves you on the school playground, you shove him back."
I have thought many times since this experience that many of us are perpetual reactors. We let other people determine our actions and attitudes.
We let other people determine whether we will be rude or gracious, depressed or elated, critical or loyal, passive or dedicated.
Perpetual reactors
Do you know people who are cool toward an acquaintance because last time they met she wasn't warm in her greeting? Do you know people who have quit praying to the Lord because he hasn't answered (so they think) their prayers of last month or last year? Do you know people who give up on others because they don't respond in the ways we think they should? Do you know people who fail to realize that Christlike behavior patterns encourage us to be the same yesterday and forever? ( Heb. 13:8)
The perpetual reactor is an unhappy person. His center of personal conduct is not rooted within himself, where it belongs, but in the world about him. Some of us on occasion seem to be standing on the sidelines waiting for someone to hurt, ignore, or offend us. We are perpetual reactors. What a happy day it will be when we can replace hasty reaction with patience and purposeful action.
Negative attitude in relationships
I am acquainted with a man who has a brother serving time in a state penitentiary. On several occasions I have asked this friend of mine to accompany me to visit his confined family member. When asked most recently, he responded with an emphatic, "No, I don't want to go. It's no use. He won't talk. He won't listen. He's no good. He will never change." His last statement, "He will never change," prompted me to think, "and apparently neither will you."
This man is allowing his confined brother to control his actions; in fact, he has created a negative attitude in his relationship. The free man has not maintained a positive drive to do what he feels is right; instead, his brother has set the pace for both of them—no communication, no visits, no change in either life.
Action program in Church
What a pleasure it is today to be part of a great action program in the Church that makes it possible for us to take a prisoner or others with social problems from the level we find them and help them move forward. Our concern must be to impress our associates with the fact there is a better tomorrow, and it belongs to those who live for it! Forgiveness and repentance are action principles. What a blessing it is in our lives when we come to realize there is hope and help for all of us in the days ahead, regardless of where we find ourselves at this hour.
"We've got a problem"
When Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 radioed across almost a quarter of a million miles of space to Houston, Texas, a few months ago that something had gone wrong in their spacecraft, he taught the world a mighty lesson with his statement: "We've got a problem." Here were three brave men on a voyage to the moon faced with the staggering realization they might never see the earth again. Something had gone wrong. What do they do now? Act or react? Instead of demanding, "Who's responsible for this error?" his statement, "We've got a problem," rallied our best to their support. When Jim Lovell and his crewmates were later asked if they had fears of not reaching earth again, they responded that they just concentrated on the jobs they had to do. They did everything in their power to get back to earth. A terrifying problem was theirs, but they were determined to handle it a step at a time, and hoped and prayed their efforts would succeed. Through action they overcame fear; through action and teamwork they triumphed. What happened is history, but the lesson of action is for our use today.
Being true to ourselves
Shakespeare had a glimpse of the importance of man's personal action when he wrote the following lines in Hamlet: "This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." (Hamlet, Act 2, sc. 3.)
Being true to ourselves can mean knowing where we are, where we are going and why, and assisting our associates in traveling the right paths with us.
"Doers of the word"
Scriptures such as "be ye doers of the word." ( James 1:22), and "But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved." ( D&C 45:32) take on new significance as we realize our responsibility to act and not react.
Our Prophet Joseph Smith was a man of action. Torture, belittlement, and all manner of inhumane affliction, including a pending martyr's death, did not halt nor even slow down his life of purposeful action. He acted as one totally committed to "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation." ( Rom. 1:16) He didn't just think about the gospel or react to it; he lived it. He was true to himself and to those principles he valued more than life itself.
Purposeful action
The gospel of Jesus Christ is purposeful action. "Ask," "Seek," "Knock," and "Judge not" and "Love" are words of action, not reaction. Jesus led his fellowmen as a mighty master because "he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." ( Matt. 7:29) Jesus was true to himself and to his Father; and so important to all of us, he was true to us.
How weak the following reaction philosophies are: "See if your neighbor loves you first before you manifest love toward him." "See if your acquaintance is friendly before you offer your friendship." How powerful the action commandment of "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." ( Matt. 22:39)
I humbly pray that we may be men and women of action, and not let anyone else lead us from his paths. If we follow the teachings of this great gospel of Jesus Christ to the fullest of our ability, it can truthfully be said of us, through our actions also, that we "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." ( Luke 2:52)
Thrust in sickles
We start to fail in our homes when we give up on a family member. We fail in our positions of leadership when we react by saying, "It's no use, they won't come." "It's no use, they won't respond." Let us thrust in our sickles with all of our might ( D&C 4:4) in the fields in which we have been called, and not spend our time reacting to the location or type of crop we have been called to harvest.
I bear witness to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ is an action way of life, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. May our Heavenly Father help us to actively be about his business I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
Assistant to the Council of the Twelve
Conference Report, October 1970, pp. 36-38
Years ago while walking with a wise friend of mine, we passed one of his neighbors as he stood in the front yard of his home. My friend greeted the man with, "How are you, Bill? It's good to see you." To this greeting, Bill didn't even look up. He didn't even respond.
"He is an old grouch today, isn't he?" I snapped.
"Oh, he is always that way," my friend responded.
"Then why are you so friendly to him?" I asked.
"Why not?" responded my mature friend. "Why should I let him decide how I am going to act?"
Action or reaction
I hope I will never forget the lesson of that evening. The important word was "act." My friend acted toward people. Most of us react. At the time it was a strange attitude to me, because I was in grade school and following the practice of "If you speak to an acquaintance and he does not respond, that is the last time you have to bother," or "if someone shoves you on the school playground, you shove him back."
I have thought many times since this experience that many of us are perpetual reactors. We let other people determine our actions and attitudes.
We let other people determine whether we will be rude or gracious, depressed or elated, critical or loyal, passive or dedicated.
Perpetual reactors
Do you know people who are cool toward an acquaintance because last time they met she wasn't warm in her greeting? Do you know people who have quit praying to the Lord because he hasn't answered (so they think) their prayers of last month or last year? Do you know people who give up on others because they don't respond in the ways we think they should? Do you know people who fail to realize that Christlike behavior patterns encourage us to be the same yesterday and forever? ( Heb. 13:8)
The perpetual reactor is an unhappy person. His center of personal conduct is not rooted within himself, where it belongs, but in the world about him. Some of us on occasion seem to be standing on the sidelines waiting for someone to hurt, ignore, or offend us. We are perpetual reactors. What a happy day it will be when we can replace hasty reaction with patience and purposeful action.
Negative attitude in relationships
I am acquainted with a man who has a brother serving time in a state penitentiary. On several occasions I have asked this friend of mine to accompany me to visit his confined family member. When asked most recently, he responded with an emphatic, "No, I don't want to go. It's no use. He won't talk. He won't listen. He's no good. He will never change." His last statement, "He will never change," prompted me to think, "and apparently neither will you."
This man is allowing his confined brother to control his actions; in fact, he has created a negative attitude in his relationship. The free man has not maintained a positive drive to do what he feels is right; instead, his brother has set the pace for both of them—no communication, no visits, no change in either life.
Action program in Church
What a pleasure it is today to be part of a great action program in the Church that makes it possible for us to take a prisoner or others with social problems from the level we find them and help them move forward. Our concern must be to impress our associates with the fact there is a better tomorrow, and it belongs to those who live for it! Forgiveness and repentance are action principles. What a blessing it is in our lives when we come to realize there is hope and help for all of us in the days ahead, regardless of where we find ourselves at this hour.
"We've got a problem"
When Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 radioed across almost a quarter of a million miles of space to Houston, Texas, a few months ago that something had gone wrong in their spacecraft, he taught the world a mighty lesson with his statement: "We've got a problem." Here were three brave men on a voyage to the moon faced with the staggering realization they might never see the earth again. Something had gone wrong. What do they do now? Act or react? Instead of demanding, "Who's responsible for this error?" his statement, "We've got a problem," rallied our best to their support. When Jim Lovell and his crewmates were later asked if they had fears of not reaching earth again, they responded that they just concentrated on the jobs they had to do. They did everything in their power to get back to earth. A terrifying problem was theirs, but they were determined to handle it a step at a time, and hoped and prayed their efforts would succeed. Through action they overcame fear; through action and teamwork they triumphed. What happened is history, but the lesson of action is for our use today.
Being true to ourselves
Shakespeare had a glimpse of the importance of man's personal action when he wrote the following lines in Hamlet: "This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." (Hamlet, Act 2, sc. 3.)
Being true to ourselves can mean knowing where we are, where we are going and why, and assisting our associates in traveling the right paths with us.
"Doers of the word"
Scriptures such as "be ye doers of the word." ( James 1:22), and "But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved." ( D&C 45:32) take on new significance as we realize our responsibility to act and not react.
Our Prophet Joseph Smith was a man of action. Torture, belittlement, and all manner of inhumane affliction, including a pending martyr's death, did not halt nor even slow down his life of purposeful action. He acted as one totally committed to "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation." ( Rom. 1:16) He didn't just think about the gospel or react to it; he lived it. He was true to himself and to those principles he valued more than life itself.
Purposeful action
The gospel of Jesus Christ is purposeful action. "Ask," "Seek," "Knock," and "Judge not" and "Love" are words of action, not reaction. Jesus led his fellowmen as a mighty master because "he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." ( Matt. 7:29) Jesus was true to himself and to his Father; and so important to all of us, he was true to us.
How weak the following reaction philosophies are: "See if your neighbor loves you first before you manifest love toward him." "See if your acquaintance is friendly before you offer your friendship." How powerful the action commandment of "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." ( Matt. 22:39)
I humbly pray that we may be men and women of action, and not let anyone else lead us from his paths. If we follow the teachings of this great gospel of Jesus Christ to the fullest of our ability, it can truthfully be said of us, through our actions also, that we "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." ( Luke 2:52)
Thrust in sickles
We start to fail in our homes when we give up on a family member. We fail in our positions of leadership when we react by saying, "It's no use, they won't come." "It's no use, they won't respond." Let us thrust in our sickles with all of our might ( D&C 4:4) in the fields in which we have been called, and not spend our time reacting to the location or type of crop we have been called to harvest.
I bear witness to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ is an action way of life, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. May our Heavenly Father help us to actively be about his business I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dear elder
May 19th
I’m glad to hear that my sparse letter writing makes them all the more special and exciting for you! That does make me feel slightly less guilty.
Your last letter said exactly what I needed to hear, and it came at the perfect time. I was so excited to see that I got a letter from you, but didn’t get a chance to read it until late that night which made for a long afternoon. There wasn’t one line in your letter that didn’t help me in one way or another. I really appreciate that you took the time to give me guidance and direction. You were inspired and I’m so grateful that you are living your life worthy to be guided by the spirit to say the right thing to the people that you come in contact with. Both in the mission field and in letters to friends back home. You are amazing.
I loved what you said about knowing that right now you are exactly where you are supposed to be. It was a very true statements and I’m so glad that you get the opportunity to feel that. It’s interesting to see that when you are on the right path doing the right things that opportunity after opportunity is placed in your life to be able to learn and grow from difference experiences. Whether it is a friend that you have the opportunity to give and receive help from, or a companion that is constantly teaching you by example, or by letting you lead. ;)
You said that God leads and guides us in all things, and that we rarely recognize it until after it is all said and done. I have such a strong testimony of that principle, and yet I have so much to learn about it. There are times, like now, that it is hard to see how it is all going to work out or why we are going through these experiences, but it isn’t until it is all said and done that we are able to turn around and see the wonderful things that the Lord has done for us and glimpse at the person we have become. It is the being patient part that is the hardest. There are so many times in my life when I stop to ponder and I realize how truly blessed I am and how there were so many opportunities and experiences that the Lord allowed me to have so that I can be the person I am today and that I will become tomorrow. I completely agree though, that it doesn’t usually seem like any kind of a blessing until you look back on it, and then you realize that it is the best thing that could have happened to you.
I have been thinking about the spirit a lot recently, and I think a big reason for it is because of some of the things you have said in letters to me, as well as the letters that are posted on your blog. There was also a fireside that I went to about a month ago that impacted me a lot. The first counselor in my singles ward bishopric, Brother Sorensen, was speaking about his mother who passed away several years ago. He talked about the kind of person that she was and how much he loved her. He described her as “connected”; to people and also to the Lord. He said that she was so incredibly close to the spirit that when she talked with someone she was able to know exactly what they needed to hear to make their day better and to feel loved of the Lord. She was such a good listener and he said “after you talked with her, you felt like you could accomplish anything”. He spoke so highly of his mother and what she did and then encouraged us to “stay connected” by doing the things that we are supposed to every day to build our relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. He encouraged us to read our scriptures, attend all of our meetings, and especially to pray every day. Bro. Sorensen has such a strong testimony and does an incredible job of expressing it.
I went home and wrote on a post it note “Stay Connected” and put it on my mirror in my room. I’ve been trying to follow that counsel ever since so that I can be better and recognizing the needs of those that I come in contact with. I guess in a lot of ways it is very much like a mission. Both she and you missionaries pray daily that you will be able to know who to talk to and what to say in order to touch their lives. That is something that I have been trying to do as well. Knowing what to say changes your perspective and I feel like it has helped me to be more patient and kind with those that I come in contact with.
I don’t know if I already told you, but the church decided that they aren’t going to have separate singles and student wards. This didn’t really matter to most of the LDS population, because it didn’t change anything for them, but it drastically changed my singles ward. My ward covered pretty much all of BYU campus. So when this change occurred we all ended up in separate wards. So I am still in a “Young Single Adult” ward, but I more just got transferred in to a student ward. We meet in the Wilk, and it still weirds me out sometimes to walk past Jamba Juice on my way to sacrament meeting.
So I started going to this ward a few weeks ago, and so far it has been really fun. It is weird to have to start over and remember names again, but they are all really nice and its been fun to get to know new people. Yesterday, the 22nd (yes this letter has taken me 4 days to write so far), I got a text message from a guy in the ward letting me know that a member of the bishopric would like to meet with me right after church. Of course I agreed and headed to the bishops office/ Health Advisement Center to meet with them. I was pulled in to one of the back offices and was asked if I would be willing to accept a calling as a Visiting Teaching Supervisor. Now this is kind of funny, because of many reason, but to save on time and paper I will give you the low down. I kind of, sort of, really struggle with Visiting Teaching. Why, you ask? I’m not sure. I try to do my visiting teaching each month and really get to know the people that I am assigned, but I still struggle with it.
In my last singles ward I had an amazing companion. She was called in our stake to be one of the Young Single Adult Advisors. Her name is Cheryl Rose, and her husbands name is Dave Rose (Yes THE Dave Rose who coaches the BYU Basketball team). She was amazing and is the most humble and kind person I know. The girls we visited seemed to love her as well. So when I would call them and ask if we could set up an appointment to visit with them, I have to admit I was shocked when they would flat out say “no” or agree and then call and cancel the day before. My all time favorite was when I was on the phone with one of the sisters and asked if we could come over to visit her later that night. She agreed and we talked for another minute or so. Before I got off the phone I said “Okay, well I will see you tonight at 6”. She responded with “I don’t think that’s going to work”. What!? She didn’t even give me a chance to get off the phone and feel like a successful visiting teacher, she bailed on me on the same phone call that she said it would be okay. I was so confused.
So I struggle with visiting teaching. I think this is both because I have had a hard time being able to do my visiting teaching, and I have never really been visit taught, which I hope isn’t my fault. It’s kind of funny though, because my Mom also struggles with it and my older sister does as well. We are all kind of thinking that there is something in our genes that is a conflict with Visiting Teaching; we just aren’t sure exactly what it is yet.:)
Anyway, I have been called to be a Visiting Teaching Supervisor and I start today calling people to see if they have visited their assigned sisters. I’m hoping that this will both help me get to know the girls in my ward and increase my appreciation for and testimony of Visiting Teaching. Cross your fingers.
June 7, 2011
Your last letter said exactly what I needed to hear, and it came at the perfect time. I was so excited to see that I got a letter from you, but didn’t get a chance to read it until late that night which made for a long afternoon. There wasn’t one line in your letter that didn’t help me in one way or another. I really appreciate that you took the time to give me guidance and direction. You were inspired and I’m so grateful that you are living your life worthy to be guided by the spirit to say the right thing to the people that you come in contact with. Both in the mission field and in letters to friends back home. You are amazing.
I loved what you said about knowing that right now you are exactly where you are supposed to be. It was a very true statements and I’m so glad that you get the opportunity to feel that. It’s interesting to see that when you are on the right path doing the right things that opportunity after opportunity is placed in your life to be able to learn and grow from difference experiences. Whether it is a friend that you have the opportunity to give and receive help from, or a companion that is constantly teaching you by example, or by letting you lead. ;)
You said that God leads and guides us in all things, and that we rarely recognize it until after it is all said and done. I have such a strong testimony of that principle, and yet I have so much to learn about it. There are times, like now, that it is hard to see how it is all going to work out or why we are going through these experiences, but it isn’t until it is all said and done that we are able to turn around and see the wonderful things that the Lord has done for us and glimpse at the person we have become. It is the being patient part that is the hardest. There are so many times in my life when I stop to ponder and I realize how truly blessed I am and how there were so many opportunities and experiences that the Lord allowed me to have so that I can be the person I am today and that I will become tomorrow. I completely agree though, that it doesn’t usually seem like any kind of a blessing until you look back on it, and then you realize that it is the best thing that could have happened to you.
I have been thinking about the spirit a lot recently, and I think a big reason for it is because of some of the things you have said in letters to me, as well as the letters that are posted on your blog. There was also a fireside that I went to about a month ago that impacted me a lot. The first counselor in my singles ward bishopric, Brother Sorensen, was speaking about his mother who passed away several years ago. He talked about the kind of person that she was and how much he loved her. He described her as “connected”; to people and also to the Lord. He said that she was so incredibly close to the spirit that when she talked with someone she was able to know exactly what they needed to hear to make their day better and to feel loved of the Lord. She was such a good listener and he said “after you talked with her, you felt like you could accomplish anything”. He spoke so highly of his mother and what she did and then encouraged us to “stay connected” by doing the things that we are supposed to every day to build our relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. He encouraged us to read our scriptures, attend all of our meetings, and especially to pray every day. Bro. Sorensen has such a strong testimony and does an incredible job of expressing it.
I went home and wrote on a post it note “Stay Connected” and put it on my mirror in my room. I’ve been trying to follow that counsel ever since so that I can be better and recognizing the needs of those that I come in contact with. I guess in a lot of ways it is very much like a mission. Both she and you missionaries pray daily that you will be able to know who to talk to and what to say in order to touch their lives. That is something that I have been trying to do as well. Knowing what to say changes your perspective and I feel like it has helped me to be more patient and kind with those that I come in contact with.
I don’t know if I already told you, but the church decided that they aren’t going to have separate singles and student wards. This didn’t really matter to most of the LDS population, because it didn’t change anything for them, but it drastically changed my singles ward. My ward covered pretty much all of BYU campus. So when this change occurred we all ended up in separate wards. So I am still in a “Young Single Adult” ward, but I more just got transferred in to a student ward. We meet in the Wilk, and it still weirds me out sometimes to walk past Jamba Juice on my way to sacrament meeting.
So I started going to this ward a few weeks ago, and so far it has been really fun. It is weird to have to start over and remember names again, but they are all really nice and its been fun to get to know new people. Yesterday, the 22nd (yes this letter has taken me 4 days to write so far), I got a text message from a guy in the ward letting me know that a member of the bishopric would like to meet with me right after church. Of course I agreed and headed to the bishops office/ Health Advisement Center to meet with them. I was pulled in to one of the back offices and was asked if I would be willing to accept a calling as a Visiting Teaching Supervisor. Now this is kind of funny, because of many reason, but to save on time and paper I will give you the low down. I kind of, sort of, really struggle with Visiting Teaching. Why, you ask? I’m not sure. I try to do my visiting teaching each month and really get to know the people that I am assigned, but I still struggle with it.
In my last singles ward I had an amazing companion. She was called in our stake to be one of the Young Single Adult Advisors. Her name is Cheryl Rose, and her husbands name is Dave Rose (Yes THE Dave Rose who coaches the BYU Basketball team). She was amazing and is the most humble and kind person I know. The girls we visited seemed to love her as well. So when I would call them and ask if we could set up an appointment to visit with them, I have to admit I was shocked when they would flat out say “no” or agree and then call and cancel the day before. My all time favorite was when I was on the phone with one of the sisters and asked if we could come over to visit her later that night. She agreed and we talked for another minute or so. Before I got off the phone I said “Okay, well I will see you tonight at 6”. She responded with “I don’t think that’s going to work”. What!? She didn’t even give me a chance to get off the phone and feel like a successful visiting teacher, she bailed on me on the same phone call that she said it would be okay. I was so confused.
So I struggle with visiting teaching. I think this is both because I have had a hard time being able to do my visiting teaching, and I have never really been visit taught, which I hope isn’t my fault. It’s kind of funny though, because my Mom also struggles with it and my older sister does as well. We are all kind of thinking that there is something in our genes that is a conflict with Visiting Teaching; we just aren’t sure exactly what it is yet.:)
Anyway, I have been called to be a Visiting Teaching Supervisor and I start today calling people to see if they have visited their assigned sisters. I’m hoping that this will both help me get to know the girls in my ward and increase my appreciation for and testimony of Visiting Teaching. Cross your fingers.
June 7, 2011
Yes it has taken me nearly three weeks to finish this letter. Can you believe that? It’s been kind of a crazy past couple of weeks.
So I told you in the email that I would tell you a little bit about my trip to California last month. I went with my older Sister Genevieve. It was really fun to be able to spend time with her, and see family. We had a pretty busy trip, but I loved it. We left on a Wednesday night after I finished work and got there super early Thursday morning. I drove for most of the trip until I couldn’t stay awake much longer. We stopped by a donut shop when we got in to Whittier and took pictures. It was fun to just hang out and talk on the drive down. Genevieve is an awesome sister, but she is also one of my best friends.
We slept in pretty late on Thursday and then got up to eat breakfast with my Grandma on my Mom’s side. We talked with her for a while and then got dressed to head over to the temple. We set up an appointment for baptisms at 1pm. We got there a little early so we walked over to the newly remodeled visitors center. We walked up and were greeted by a Sister Mortensen, who was just sitting on the front steps of the center waiting for us. She was so kind and took us around the visitor’s center. She is from Idaho and has such a sweet spirit and strong testimony. She was constantly bearing her testimony and the spirit grew stronger and stronger the longer we were with her. The visitor’s center is amazing! There is some awesome technology that the church is coming out with that really adds a lot to the experience of the visitor’s center.
After visiting with Sister Mortensen for about 40 minutes, Genevieve and I then headed over to the baptistery for our scheduled appointment. It was kind of weird because we walked up to the doors of the baptistery and found that they were all locked. There is a speaker on the side and we rang the buzzer and talked to the lady and she transferred us down to the baptistery where we talked to a lovely sister and let her know that we have an appointment. Soon after a brother, who was quite large in stature, came and opened the door for us. We walked down the long hall to the baptistery while he chatted with us and made fun of Utah. He was so kind and just hilarious. I thought it was kind of weird at first because in all the other temples I have been to everyone speaks in very quiet whispers. He didn’t yell at all, but he spoke with us just as he would if we were in his home. I thought it was really cool that he wasn’t afraid to get to know us and be friendly. Part of that may have been because Genevieve and I were the only people in the baptistery. He helped us pick out white suites and lead us to the changing rooms. He said that he would meet us out front in a few minutes and that he would be the one to baptize us. Genevieve and I walked in and got ready and went out to sit by the font.
The font in the L.A. temple is HUGE and the oxen at the bottom look more like buffalo because of how massive they are. The font is in a very large room with a mural of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus Christ along the back wall. Because the font is in the middle of the room and is pretty high up, there is a bridge type walk way that is about 15 feet long that leads to the font. When the brother who was helping us came back he lead us down and took Genevieve in first. We both had the chance to do about 10-12 baptisms and confirmations. It was a wonderful experience and I loved every moment. The temple was so peaceful and everyone was so incredibly friendly. I couldn’t help but think to myself: I hope this is what things are like in heaven.
After the temple we went and took a picture with Sister Mortensen and thanked her again for her kindness and testimony. We changed and headed out again. We spent the rest of the day wandering around Hollywood, California. We saw the sign up on the mountain as well as the Stars walk of fame. It was pretty cool to see, but it wasn’t anywhere near as enjoyable as the temple was. It was really interesting to see the contrast in the spirit and people that we saw and talked to.
We spent Friday at Six Flags Magic Mountain going on all the super scary roller coasters. It was really fun, but I was exhausted by the time we left. On the way home, we spent a long time on I-5 because of the stop and go traffic. We at dinner with family and then just hung out. It was really fun. Saturday was a shopping day, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We ate dinner with my Grandma and enjoyed the many stories she had to share with us. Afterwards we drove down to Huntington beach to walk around for a little bit. The water was perfect and it was fun to walk in the sand for a while. Sunday we went to church with both of my Grandma’s and then packed up to head home. The trip passed by so fast, but I enjoyed spending time with family and friends. California is fun, but it really makes you appreciate the spirit and people who are in Utah.
Since California things have been staying pretty busy. For Memorial Day weekend, I went with my friend Chelsey and her kids up to her Aunt’s cabin in Bear Lake. If you didn’t know (because I didn’t) Bear Lake is on the border of Utah and Idaho. In order to get there though, you have to drive through Wyoming, back in to Utah and then around the lake to Idaho. Weird? Yes. It is a very pretty drive though, with lots of cows and fields. It was still freezing cold that weekend and we woke up Sunday and Monday to almost an inch of snow on the ground, so I didn’t get a chance to go to the actual lake, but it was still fun. We played cards all weekend and just hung out. It was one of the most unproductive weekends I have ever had, but it was nice to take a break from things. Bear Lake is beautiful!
On Monday, we went “in to town”. There is a couple of small cities/towns/a few houses that are really close to Bear Lake. One of which, is the famous Paris, Idaho. In the year 2000, the census counted a grand total of 576 people. Chelsey’s Grandfather was born in Paris and lived there for a good portion of his life. We drove around for a little bit and saw the house that we think he was born in. We did get a chance to drive by (its hard to miss) the Paris, Idaho Tabernacle. The Tabernacle seats 2,000 people. Yes 4 times the amount of people who actually live in Paris. I loved it! I don’t know if you have ever seen the show “Gilmore Girls”, but it reminded me in many ways of the city that the main characters live in. Its small and everyone knows everyone else. They have the small town drama of: where to put in the first street light, or the town wide activities that happen in the main square. Its fun to see the little and simple things in life amplified when you don’t have the cares of a big city. I don’t know if I will get the chance, but I would love to live more out in the country like that; hopefully a little bit closer to civilization (Walmart and Costco), but a smaller town nonetheless.
This last weekend, Chelsey’s son Logan was baptized. He was baptized by his Dad, Taylor, which was a huge deal. The spirit was so strong during the baptism. It was such a cool experience. I am yet again jealous of the opportunity you have to experience this as often as you do. I read your most recent letter about Brennan’s baptism. That is so awesome that he was so blessed with the desire to be baptized. Just as you saw, his decision didn’t just bless him; it also strengthened his family as well as the entire ward. What a “convenient” time for the ward to have a baptism, a whole family reactivated and new missionaries. The Lord has impeccable timing.
Things in my singles ward have been going pretty well. The calling as a Visiting Teaching Supervisor hasn’t been too rough. We will see how this month goes though. On Sunday Bro. Browning in the bishopric asked me to speak next Sunday on Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ”, which is a great topic! I’m excited to speak, and hope that I can be inspired so that I can saw what the members of the ward need to hear. Depending on when I finally finish putting your package together, and my talk, I may send my talk to you with this letter. We shall see.
You are doing amazing and I am so proud of you! Keep up the good work and don’t ever get discouraged because the church is still true and the Lord is on your side! Have a wonderful day! I can’t wait to hear from you!
Always,
Kaytlyn M
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