I'm trying to be like Jesus

This week I watched the movie Ephraim’s Rescue for the first time. As we watched it with our investigator I learned some very valuable lessons. I was struck by an exchange near the end when a women tells Ephraim, “You must be a holy man.” His humble response is something like, “I have too many flaws to even count.” Her question to him is then, “Then how do you accomplish so much good?”

His answer is what truly stuck with me, “I try.”

Does trying count in the eyes of God?

We all have grown up with quoting the famous “Do or do not, there is no try.” Although I can appreciate the sentiment trying to be portrayed in this scenario, I believe that our loving and forgiving Heavenly Father recognizes that we will not always be able to accomplish all that is placed before us 

but He asks us to try.

I’m trying to be like Jesus, I’m following in His ways

I’m trying to love as He did, in all that I do and say.

“I do not believe in a God who would set up rules and commandments only to wait for us to fail so He could punish us. I believe in a Heavenly Father who is loving and caring and who rejoices in our every effort to stand tall and walk toward Him. Even when we stumble, He urges us not to be discouraged—never to give up or flee our allotted field of service—but to take courage, find our faith, and keep trying.”

“My dear brothers and sisters, don’t get discouraged if you stumble at times. Don’t feel downcast or despair if you don’t feel worthy to be a disciple of Christ at all times. The first step to walking in righteousness is simply to try. We must try to believe. Try to learn of God: read the scriptures; study the words of His latter-day prophets; choose to listen to the Father, and do the things He asks of us. Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible—and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you.” –Uchdorf

I know that as we follow this council to try, our efforts will be blessed and through Christ we will be able to accomplish all things. He knows what each of us are capable of becoming and

He will help us to get there if we will try.

What desirest thou?

All of us have heard the scripture, “For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.” (D&C 137:9 ) For much of my life I have found comfort in knowing that even though my actions are flawed and I often fall short, God will look upon my heart and recognize that I meant to do what was right. I’m sure that many of us have come to that same conclusion, and it is true. As we stand before our Eternal Judge He will look not only upon our actions but our hearts also. It was only recently that I realized that maybe my desires are not as easy of a cop out as I once thought. They too are riddled with pride, selfishness, greed and envy and they too need to be educated and refined.

 

Elder Anderson said “In order to serve as a substitute for action, desire cannot be superficial, impulsive, or temporary. It must be heartfelt, through and through. To be efficacious for blessings, the desires of our hearts must be so genuine that they can be called godly.”

I began to ask myself some honest questions. What are my hearts desires? Some were honorable and genuine, like a desire to return to live with my Father in Heaven as an eternal family.

Other desires were a lot less appropriate.

Elder Oaks said, “Have you ever found yourself doing something you thought was right, but doing it because you “had” to? Did you ever keep a commandment of God with an attitude of resentment or self-righteousness, or even because you expected some immediate personal benefit? I suppose most of us have had this experience. Remember your feelings on such occasions? Do you think such feelings will be ignored by a Father in Heaven who gave us the willpower we call agency? Don’t such feelings tell us something about the desires of our hearts?”

I came to the realization that like it or not, reality requires that I acknowledge my responsibility for my desires. What do I really desire, God’s plans for me or Satan’s?

It is up to us. This is life’s greatest and most persistent challenge. When people are described as “having lost their desire for sin,” it is they, and they only, who deliberately decided to lose those wrong desires by being willing to “give away all [their] sins” in order to know God (Alma 22:18).

President McKay said, “The greatest battles of life are fought … within the silent chambers of the soul.”

So how do we educate our desires? Where do we begin? Elder Oaks counseled to start with our feelings. “The desires of our hearts are deep-seated and fundamental. But our feelings are closer to the surface and easier for us to identify and influence… In order to have righteous desires, we have to control our thoughts and achieve appropriate feelings.”

It is up to us. God will guide, but He will not force.

Righteous desires need to be relentless, said President Brigham Young, “The men and women, who desire to obtain seats in the celestial kingdom, will find that they must battle every day.”

Fortunately for us, our loving Lord will work with us, “even if we can do no more than desire to believe,” providing we will “let this desire work in us” (Alma 32:27.)

I know there is real power in desire. I testify that if we will seek to build our righteous desires, heaven will not abandon us and our Heavenly Father will give us answers to our prayers. The love of God is most desirable (1 Nephi 8:12) and if we let Him, I know that true happiness comes when we align our desires with His. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Savior Wants to Forgive

 

In October 2012 General conference, President Monson counseled:

“We need to bear in mind that people can change. They can put behind them bad habits. They can repent from transgressions. …We can help them to overcome their shortcomings. We must develop the capacity to see men not as they are at present but as they may become.”

 

Our Heavenly Father knows what we are facing, that we all sin and “come short of the glory of God” again and again. He sent His Son, who “knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted.” His Son teaches us to “pray always that we enter not into temptation.” We are told to “cry unto God for mercy; for he is mighty to save.” The Savior commands us to repent and to forgive. And although repentance is not easy, as we strive with all our hearts to obey His gospel, He gives this promise: “Verily I say unto you, notwithstanding your sins, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you. I will not utterly cast you off; and in the day of wrath I will remember mercy.” The Savior wants to forgive.

 

While on my mission I've been blessed with the opportunity to see this principle in action. I have stepped into homes full of hard feelings and broken families, then been able to see Jesus Christ transform them as they take hold of His Atonement.

 

Again and again I hear the stories of their darkest times, their lowest points all with a common thread, "He never left me. He was always there."

 

As members of the church we are very quick to say, "You can have the companionship of the Holy Ghost only as long as you are worthy of it." This is true, when we turn away from the Spirit, when we choose to ignore His voice and avoid His embrace we can loose the feelings of comfort and council that He brings. I believe however that that companionship is never lost. I've received countless witnesses that tell me He was there for them in that dark pit they had dug for themselves. He didn't just throw in a rope but climbed down in there with them and lifted them up and out.

 

“And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."

 

Let us remember our commission from the Savior to find those that wonder and are lost. He has not forgotten nor forsaken them and neither can we. I know that God is mindful of all of his people. I know that there is nothing we can do to separate ourselves from His love. We can help others to return to that love again!

 

 

O Remember, Remember

"I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old." Psalms 77:11

This week my remembering skills have been put to the test! 

It is no secret that a missionaries life can change on a dime and last Wednesday my life changed with one phone call. "Sister Taylor, you are being transferred to Great Falls." Honestly I thought he was joking with me. How did he know that I had left my heart in Great Falls a year ago and I wanted nothing more then to go and find it there again? I was so excited.

I felt like I'd climbed aboard a time machine rather then a transfer van as we pulled into the city limits of Great Falls MT. In an instant so much from my life here came rushing back. I knew exactly where I was! Although I had experienced some of the most trying days of my mission when I was here last summer, I felt like I was returning home.

Then came the test of my memory. Sister Greenfield and I were ambushed with countless new names and place. I felt an instant pressure to remember each person and name. I knew each person was precious and was a gifted opportunity for me to share the gospel. Within hours I was tempted to get frustrated and disheartened.

"Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men" D&C 3:3

I've been put into some pretty trying circumstance on my mission, some of them right here in Great Falls. I remember first arriving in the mission field, scared and overwhelmed. Feeling under prepared and inadequate. But I also remember the way that the Lord carried me. Through my experiences he taught, stretched, shaped and qualified me for the work. I remember it came one day at a time, one experience at a time. He never left my side and he never let me fall.

"I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me." Alma 29:10

President Eyering said, "My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies... It won’t be easy to remember. Living as we do with a veil over our eyes, we cannot remember what it was like to be with our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, in the premortal world... The key to the remembering that brings and maintains testimony is receiving the Holy Ghost as a companion. It is the Holy Ghost who helps us see what God has done for us. It is the Holy Ghost who can help those we serve to see what God has done for them."

I can testify that the companionship of the Holy Ghost not only will comfort us in times of trial but he will help us to remember all that God has done for us in the past. He will testify of the enabling power of the atonement, and remind us to turn to the source of all light, truth and strength. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

The One

In a recent interview with my mission president I was counseled to focus on the one.  The one person that I can reach. The one person who needs me the most. The spirit touched my mind that day and I have thought about that direction again and again.

True disciples of Jesus Christ have always been concerned for the one.  Jesus Christ is our greatest example. In this way we can become more like the Savior who was perfect in his efforts

to reach each one.

Whether he was speaking to thousands:

“And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth” (3 Ne. 11:15) “And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them”

(3 Ne. 17:21)

Or if he was ministering to an individual:

“And he ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the Nephites; and all this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him.”

(Ether 3: 18) 

As a missionary I am blessed with the opportunity to enter peoples homes and make life changing connections with them. As I minister to the one as Christ did, we are both edified together. My prayer as I enter each home is to be window to the love that Christ has for each one of the people in that home. 

Paul K. Sybrowsky posed the question. “What would our Savior do with the opportunities that we have to affect the one?” Each one of us can make a difference in someone’s life, even his or her eternal life, but we must act; we must do; we must labor diligently.

We are to be our brother’s keeper. We cannot neglect this commission given by our Savior. We must be concerned for the one.  Linda Burton said, “For some, serving or ministering one by one, following the Savior’s example, doesn’t come easily. But with practice, each of us can become more like the Savior as we serve God’s children. To help us better love one another, I would like to suggest four words to remember: “First observe, then serve.”

After my interview I have received a renewed enthusiasm to minister and care for the one. I know that each of us is a child of God and a “chosen vessel” to him. I pray that I will be an instrument in his hands to share that love with each one that I encounter.

Family, isn't it about time!

 

One of the very first principles of the gospel that missionaries share with a new investigators is that the family is ordained of God and central to His plan for us here on Earth. 

Preach My Gospel states, "Because families are ordained of God, they are the most important social unit in time and in eternity. God has established families to bring happiness to His children, allow them to learn correct principles in a loving atmosphere, and prepare them for eternal life."

Recently I asked a new investigator of ours why she thought the family was so important. The spirit bore testimony to me of the truths she spoke. She said, "Jesus Christ has to be at the very center of our lives and our family is the supporting circle that surrounds Him." I can testify of that happiness that comes from a family that was structured this way.

On Sunday I was blessed with the opportunity to call my family for Mother's Day. Almost 11 months to the day since I had seen them and I couldn't love them anymore! My only niece, little Payton Jane was center stage as the video chat connected. She was a little shy at first but quickly warmed up to tell me all about her small world. The neighborhood kangaroo is sick (yes we have a neighborhood kangaroo) and she was terribly worried about him. She told me about everything from her pony ride to her "pretties" in her hair. 

 

As the time wore on we had the opportunity to turn the conversation towards the gospel and we began to share our testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and His love for our family. The spirit was there in abundance as together my family built that supporting circle around Jesus Christ.  Whether we were sitting around the dinner table or around a camp fire, I've always been blessed to have that strength in my life.

"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." -Gordon B. Hinckley

I am grateful to belong to a family that exemplifies what President Hinckley said. I know my life has been blessed as we focused on principles of faith, had regular prayer and scripture study, and participated in "Family Home EVENING not Family Home hour". We've loved, and fought, and learned and played our way through a complicated world, but each of us knew that the walls of our own home could be a sanctuary from it all. A holy place.

Mantle of Charity

I remember the conference not long ago when with our hearts and with our hands, we formally sustained President Monson as our inspired leader for this day. The mantle of the prophets now rests upon him. He holds the authority in the holy priesthood. All the keys and powers given by the angels to the Prophet Joseph Smith have been conferred upon President Monson. He is today’s authorized and divinely chosen successor in a long line of prophets.

As the mantle of the prophet fell onto his shoulders a change came over him. He was still "Tommy Monson" but he was now holding the weight as the prophet of the world.

In the church we use and understand the word mantle in many ways:

The Mantle of a prophet:"He has summoned them to high callings in his ministry. A sacred mantle has descended upon them, the mantle of their divine commission, the mantle of prophecy!" -Mark E. Peterson

The Mantle of a bishop: "He can sit in a a sacrament meeting and look out at his flock and know who is in trouble, look at his Aaronic Priesthood and know which ones need his counsel." -Robert D. Hales

Have you ever considered the mantle that comes along with being a priesthood holder?

The Mantle of the priesthood: "There should be nothing casual, nonchalant, or indifferent about holding the  priesthood. Once accepted, it should not be ignored, neglected, or cast aside. It is a mantle of honor and power that may be ours forever." -Ray H. Wood

After being set apart as a missionary last June I became very aware of the mantle that comes upon The Lords Missionaries.

The Mantle of a missionary: "You have authority to preach the gospel... As you prayerfully and worthily exercise that authority, you will receive spiritual power, which is evidence of the reality of your call... When you were set apart by priesthood authority, you received the right and privilege to represent the Lord." -Preach My Gospel.

When we recieve The Lords Mantle, "We speak with new voices; we are guided by a heavenly light. We are ordinary no longer! We are the anointed ones—the chosen ones—chosen by Almighty God!" -Mark E. Peterson

Many callings and responsiblities in the church are cloaked with this Mantle, but we each need remember that membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints carries its own mantle and it is not "a cloak of comfort but rather a robe of responsibility."

So what exactly is our mantle as members of the church? D&C 88:125 say, "And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle."

"In a hundred small ways, all of you wear the mantle of charity. Life is perfect for none of us. Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life." -Pres. Monson

It's a scary thought that in a short time I will be released from my call as a missionary and will be asked to remove my black name tag. My mantle as a missionary will be removed, but I'm comforted to know that I can still carry the Mantle of Charity! Each of us have been so freely blessed with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and through Christ-like love I can share that joy with other people for the rest of my life.