oh deer

Thanksgiving morning we were part of a "special moving team." We were asked to help a member move one of his deer from one pen to another. Our job, in moving this sleeping doe, was to hold her head so that it wouldn't hit anything. Silly me let it slip right out of my hands. Luckily she was still OK. She was sound asleep and snoring like a baby. After we had her on the stretcher, we moved her from one pen to the next, while she lay there with no resistance.

I couldn't help but realize how easy and simple it was to help her into a better situation. She wasn't in danger, she wasn't harmed but we knew where she would be happier. Sure she may have struggled for a little while but once the "dart" set in, she was submissive and ready to be helped. Often times we are not this submissive. We may not be in harm, we may not be in danger but our Father in Heaven knows where we will be happier. Once we let the "dart" of humility set into our hearts then we allow Him to help us.

The Scriptures remind us over and over to be "...humble, and be submissive and gentle..." (Alma 7:13)

"I once owned a pen that I loved to use during my career as an airline captain. By simply turning the shaft, I could choose one of four colors. The pen did not complain when I wanted to use red ink instead of blue. ...With greatest reliability it performed every task I needed, no matter how important or insignificant. It was always ready to serve." (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

I have seen in my own life how being submissive and humble brings about greater blessings. As I have been ready to serve and given up my will and selfish wants for the greater happiness of my brothers and sisters I have seen my Savior's love in everything that I do. I have felt the blessings pour down from Heaven. We may not want to admit that we are being prideful, we may not want to say that we are doing what we want. But we need to step back and see if we are allowing our Savior to hold our heads and our Father in Heaven to move us to a happier place in this world. "Life is hard, but the Gospel is easy." (President Barry)

and i'm a mormon

While I have been on my mission I have heard it all. From false rumors to unknown facts. People all over the world are unsure of who "Mormon's" are and what we believe. So how do you know what is true and what is false? Mormon.org is the best place to go for the correct information. There are all sorts of wonderful things on this website.

You can:

                     -Learn what Jesus Christ means to you.

                     -Learn about the Restoration of the Gospel
                           of Jesus Christ.

                     -Read a personal Testimony of someone like Kyra.

                     -Watch Videos of Jesus Christ, Temples, Members
                           of the Church and many other's.

                     -Chat with missionaries online

These are only a few of the many things you can do on this interactive and informational website. You will be able to feel the Spirit of the Lord and learn more about how this Chruch can change your life. 

I am so proud to be a Mormon. I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know who I am, and I know God's plan. These are things I want you to know and feel in your heart. Look at Mormon.org, feel the Spirit that is there and learn and come closer to our Savior Jesus Christ. You will never regret it.

no beauty

When my mind gets going... there is no stopping it! The other day I was staring at flowers. They were so beautiful and just brilliant to look at. I caught myself staring and realized I had just gone off into a little dream world. I started thinking of how beautiful those precious flowers were, how easy it was for me to day dream and to love the delight that was sitting right in front of me.

It is so easy to love something that is beautiful. However it is not easy to love something that has no beauty. That is when it takes effort and a determination. Most of the time resulting in a deeper love and a stronger attachment. My mind remembered a scripture that talks about Jesus Christ "...and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him." (Mosiah 14:2) Although He had no beauty to desire, the things that He did for us are beautiful! "Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Mosiah 14:4-5)

I do not understand all that He went through. I will not ever know the pain that He felt. But to me it is beautiful. To me it makes my heart melt and my spirit rejoice. He is beautiful I have come to feel and see the beauty that radiates off His redeeming love. His beauty is much bigger then any I have ever seen or held. I can not wait for the day when He says to me "Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet..."(3 Nephi 11:14). He is my Savior. He is my brother and He is beautiful. On that sacred day will I rejoice for the testimony that I have. I will rejoice for the efforts I have done to keep His commandments and I will praise and adore at His feet.

smelling the roses

God has created so many wonderful and beautiful things! What a special privilege we have as brothers and sisters to be a part of this world that He made just for us! "Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it." (1 Nephi17:36) I love to just take in the beauty of the world that is around us. I sit and marvel and the wondrous things that He has created just for us. "..all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." (Alma 30:44) There has to be a God! There is no way that this world just happened to be here.

 It makes me feel so special and so loved! He knows each of us so individually and loves each us so much! Yet there is so much out there in this BIG BEAUTIFUL world!  It amazes me that we are all so different even down to the very hairs of our heads. One day my companion and I were sitting in the car during a lunch. She was talking about her hair and how she wanted to get it cut. As I sat there thinking about it, I started comparing our hair. Thick and thin, soft and coarse! We are so different. But we are all created in His image!

I am so thankful for a loving and wonderful Heavenly Father that cared enough for me to send me here to this Earth. As beautiful as it may be it is hard, but it only makes those moments when you stop and smell the roses that much sweeter! It makes me feel like He is so close!

best friend

Have you ever been asked "If your house was on fire and you could only run back in for one thing what would you go get?" I have thought of this question time and time again. Lately only one thing comes back to my mind... My Scriptures! That is the only thing that I would run back in for. Yes I enjoy pictures and I love family keep sakes, but no worldly item mean more to me then my precious and loved Scriptures.

I love my Scriptures so much. I treat them with great respect and they have become a great friend to me. I love  Doctrine in Covenants 130:18 "Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection." I want to attain ALL the intelligence that I can. I want to know my scriptures front and back and back again. In them I find the true meanings of life. I find the bold and loving truths and I find a stronger relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ. "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (John 5:39) I search them. I mark them and I desire to become what they teach us to become. 

I know that the scriptures are true. Not only the Bible but the Book of Mormon. I have taken the promise of Moroni, (Moroni 10:3-5) I have asked in faith and I have received an answer that it is true. If my 9 year old Nephew can read the Book of Mormon, pray and ask if it is true and receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that it is, anyone that wants to know will receive a witness!! Love your scriptures. Make them one of your best friends and you will never be let down. We will run in together to grab our most prized possession.  

one language

Last night we were teaching a man, we shall call him Steven. Steven is from Mexico and speaks very little English. I am from Indiana and speak even less Spanish. My companion luckily is from Colombia and speaks English and Spanish. What a blessing it is that she is able to translate. Usually when we meet with Steven I sit there praying for my companion to be instructed on what to say and I sit there smiling like I know what is going on. Last night as we taught him something was different and something changed. A miracle that I will not soon forget. A lesson I am so thankful I learned.

I have often read 2 Nephi 31:3. It says "For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding." I would always think to myself  "Hey self there is one God (Ephesians 4:5) and He knows how to speak all languages." But as we sat in that lesson last night with Steven a new meaning to this scripture came to me. Here we were, the 3 of us, sitting around talking about the Book of Mormon and we understood each other. We literally understood one another and it took little translation. We felt the Spirit! And the Spirit of God taught us and instructed not only Steven but my Companion and myself. Thomas S. Monson taught: “There is one language . . . that is common to each missionary—the language of the Spirit. It is not learned from textbooks written by men of letters, nor is it acquired through reading and memorization.... Proficiency in this language permits one to breach barriers, overcome obstacles, and touch the human heart” (Preach My Gospel pg 133)

I am not perfect nor am I close. But I know that what President Monson said is true. Last night we breached barriers and each of our hearts were touched. The Spirit of God is real! If we can feel the Spirit and all learn in a lesson where we dont understand each other perfectly, think of how much the Spirit can touch hearts when we all speak the same language. It is real! I know that the Spirit comes when we are speaking truth. Through my experience last night my testimony has grown stronger and is rooted deeper into my heart. This is the Lord's Church once again established on the earth.(Intro to the Book of Mormon) I am so thankful for the Spirit and all that it teaches me! I know the Spirit can touch your heart like it did with our's last night. 

hold to the rod

There was once a mighty mud truck. This mud truck thought it could take on the world. Nothing seemed to stop or harm it. Little did it know that there were dangers and rough roads ahead. When once he thought he was safe, our dear little mud truck ventured off into a not so little puddle, filled with danger and bad news. Getting a little messy and dirty didn't seem so bad. But after 2 hours of being stuck this mud truck didn't feel so mighty anymore.

Sometimes I think in our own life's we decide that walking into the "little puddle" just a short way will be just fine. We justify, we say anything to ourselves to make the situation seem better then we know it is. We lighten our grip on the iron rod (1 Nehpi 8:19). We change our mindset from a focus on the Savior and the fruit that lies ahead, to selfish and inward thoughts.  Dragging us down and causing us to fight harder. There is great danger in a light grip! We must hold tight and never ever let go. 

The mighty mud truck didn't realize just how deep he was. Not until he was out and found that he was in mud clear past his tires. Sometimes we don't realize just how light our grip on the rod has gotten.

It is never too late. Do not allow your grip become any lighter then it may be. "The Savior made an infinite atoning sacrifice so that if we have faith in Him, repent, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end, we can receive forgiveness of our sins and enter and follow the path that will lead us to eternal life in God’s presence (see 2 Nephi 31:13–21)." (Preach My Gospel)

As I have kept a tight grip on the rod I have seen the blessings that come. I know that if you re-evaluate your life, tighten your grip and try harder to follow our Savior Jesus Christ you will be happier!

"Hold to the rod, the iron rod;
’Tis strong, and bright, and true.
The iron rod is the word of God;
’Twill safely guide us through."

(Hymns #274)