Again, I'm so close to the end of my mission, that I have been reflecting a lot. I feel I haven't blogged enough in the last few months. I'm not really sure what I have planned for this blog, but I want to just express some things that I've come to learn a little bit more about, and things that have led to how I feel right Now; the greatest feeling of True Joy I've ever experienced.
I've thought a lot about what the word "happy" really means. The scriptures often talk about the "Great Plan of Happiness." (aka plan of redemption, or plan of salvation) In the end, that is why we came to this world; to discover what this whole idea of "happy" means, and then to achieve it for eternity. "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25) This is God's entire reason for making the universe. He wants us to have Joy, and an immortal body to experience it with.
As 2 Nephi also teaches, there must be an opposition in all things (vs. 11). How could we know the light without the dark, comfort without discomfort, etc. I think it makes perfect sense then why a lot of the happiness that come in this life is actually from negative things we experience going away. That's why the atonement of Jesus Christ is the true source of happiness. Christ allows all guilt, pain, suffering, sorrow, and anything we ever go through, because of ourself, others, or just misfortune, to be swept away and forgotten. That's the true beauty and miracle of the atonement. That's why Christ is the source of true happiness.
Well I've come to learn this concept more as I'm in the process of applying the atonement to my life through repentance, change, and service. I've come to see why serving others is the source of that true joy. When you help someone else experience happiness, or when you help them overcome some pain, you can't even start to think of the pain you have. I'm so caught up in someone else's happiness in that moment, and I am just so full of Joy that they have been able to experience that change. I feel that True Joy is helping others find happiness. This is why the mission is the happiest and most full of joy I've ever felt. I also think that this is why parenting will be so great, because I'll be able to see this happiness and joy come into lives of those I'm completely devoted to with complete love.
I know that as we serve others we can help their Happiness increase, and especially as they come to be rid of all pain through the atonement of Christ. This is the True Joy. Helping others find this is something we can do our whole life. I want to help others feel this happiness any chance I get. I want them to feel the change I've felt. Then they in turn will want to spread the happiness they've felt, producing that Tru Joy in their life. I know we can all help this joy spread, through spreading happiness and love, and the message of Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Open Your Mouth, and it Shall Be Filled
Doctrine and Covenants 33:
8. Open your mouths and they shall be filled...
9. Open your mouths and spare not...
10. Yea, open your mouths and they shall be filled...
I am reaching the tail end of my mission. It's an amazing and frightening thing. I have loved this chance more than words can express. I have come to realize that the most important thing I have been carrying around, and that I'll maintain with me as I move on, is my testimony. I have learned that to tap into that testimony, all I have to do is open my mouth, and trust that the words will come. That's a hard concept. I want to talk about how to prepare for testimony bearing opportunities, how to deliver the words that you have prepared with spiritual power, and how to know the spirit directed the words to say what was necessary.
As I left my mission, I received a challenge from my Stake President to bear my testimony in every possible place and situation I could. He especially encouraged me to bear testimony in every fast and testimony meeting. I am happy to report that I have achieved 24 out of 24 fast and testimony meetings. I knew from the start I would be doing this, so I decided to have an experiment with the spirit in this particular time. I've always been told scriptures that say basically this, "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say, ... and it shall be given you..." (D & C 84:85)
Well I decided that fast and testimony meeting would be a good time to put this to the test. Every meeting, I would purposefully NOT think of what I was going to say in my testimony. This was a hard temptation. Knowing I'd be going up there, I'd want to think of a good joke, or a list of good stories or lessons to sound profound. I had to clear my mind, and just wait til my turn to speak. I figured, this testimony can be whatever comes out. If a 5 year old can get up and do it, how bad could I mess it up. I knew that no matter what I said, it'd be fine.
I learned several things from this experiment:
1. If you're not thinking about what you are going to say, you can pay attention to the people speaking.
2. When you sit back down, you won't think about all the stuff you were going to say and didn't remember to in the heat of the moment.
3. I truly had to lean upon the spirit to direct me, and trust that the words would come.
I found myself saying things I never thought I would. I'd pull up scriptures out of the blue, or stories that I hadn't even thought of for months sometimes. I just could feel that the spirit was taking control, because I had given the reigns over. I not only was uplifted through the experience, but I knew that God could use me to help anyone that may need what I had to offer. It became easier and easier to yield my words to the spirit.
I also feel that this is closer to the way God wants us to bear our testimony. 2 Nephi 33:1 "...when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men." Right from the first time I bore my testimony this way, I felt total satisfaction in what I said. I knew that what I needed to say, I did. I also found that my testimonies were shorter in length and felt more clear. Sometimes I could hardly even remember what I'd said, but I knew I'd said what I needed to. The spirit is the central key to making words reach someone's heart.
I've been trying to apply this concept throughout all my dealings. As a missionary, we spend a lot of time preparing what we're going to teach people. Preparation is a very crucial part of all we do. I also learned this principle in these types of situations. As we prepare for something, we are giving the spirit things to pull from, ideas to use, and making the direction that it can lead us have more options. As is taught in Preach My Gospel pg 30, we should be prepared and even have some things memorized, but we should then yield to the spirit's direction. We may not use much, if any, of what we have prepared, but we give the spirit direction, and gain insights that we can use for ourselves and others as needed.
I have a firm testimony that the spirit Will direct us. "And it shall be given thee in the very moment what thou shalt speak and write, and they shall hear it, [and] I will send unto them a ... blessing." (D&C 24:6) I know that I have felt the spirit direct my words both spoken and written, and I'm so grateful for the guidance and direction available when the reigns are handed over the spirit, who knows infinitely more than I do about who needs to hear what, including myself. I have taught myself by my own words, and I know that God sends us His will through the channels that He has established.
8. Open your mouths and they shall be filled...
9. Open your mouths and spare not...
10. Yea, open your mouths and they shall be filled...
I am reaching the tail end of my mission. It's an amazing and frightening thing. I have loved this chance more than words can express. I have come to realize that the most important thing I have been carrying around, and that I'll maintain with me as I move on, is my testimony. I have learned that to tap into that testimony, all I have to do is open my mouth, and trust that the words will come. That's a hard concept. I want to talk about how to prepare for testimony bearing opportunities, how to deliver the words that you have prepared with spiritual power, and how to know the spirit directed the words to say what was necessary.
As I left my mission, I received a challenge from my Stake President to bear my testimony in every possible place and situation I could. He especially encouraged me to bear testimony in every fast and testimony meeting. I am happy to report that I have achieved 24 out of 24 fast and testimony meetings. I knew from the start I would be doing this, so I decided to have an experiment with the spirit in this particular time. I've always been told scriptures that say basically this, "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say, ... and it shall be given you..." (D & C 84:85)
Well I decided that fast and testimony meeting would be a good time to put this to the test. Every meeting, I would purposefully NOT think of what I was going to say in my testimony. This was a hard temptation. Knowing I'd be going up there, I'd want to think of a good joke, or a list of good stories or lessons to sound profound. I had to clear my mind, and just wait til my turn to speak. I figured, this testimony can be whatever comes out. If a 5 year old can get up and do it, how bad could I mess it up. I knew that no matter what I said, it'd be fine.
I learned several things from this experiment:
1. If you're not thinking about what you are going to say, you can pay attention to the people speaking.
2. When you sit back down, you won't think about all the stuff you were going to say and didn't remember to in the heat of the moment.
3. I truly had to lean upon the spirit to direct me, and trust that the words would come.
I found myself saying things I never thought I would. I'd pull up scriptures out of the blue, or stories that I hadn't even thought of for months sometimes. I just could feel that the spirit was taking control, because I had given the reigns over. I not only was uplifted through the experience, but I knew that God could use me to help anyone that may need what I had to offer. It became easier and easier to yield my words to the spirit.
I also feel that this is closer to the way God wants us to bear our testimony. 2 Nephi 33:1 "...when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men." Right from the first time I bore my testimony this way, I felt total satisfaction in what I said. I knew that what I needed to say, I did. I also found that my testimonies were shorter in length and felt more clear. Sometimes I could hardly even remember what I'd said, but I knew I'd said what I needed to. The spirit is the central key to making words reach someone's heart.
I've been trying to apply this concept throughout all my dealings. As a missionary, we spend a lot of time preparing what we're going to teach people. Preparation is a very crucial part of all we do. I also learned this principle in these types of situations. As we prepare for something, we are giving the spirit things to pull from, ideas to use, and making the direction that it can lead us have more options. As is taught in Preach My Gospel pg 30, we should be prepared and even have some things memorized, but we should then yield to the spirit's direction. We may not use much, if any, of what we have prepared, but we give the spirit direction, and gain insights that we can use for ourselves and others as needed.
I have a firm testimony that the spirit Will direct us. "And it shall be given thee in the very moment what thou shalt speak and write, and they shall hear it, [and] I will send unto them a ... blessing." (D&C 24:6) I know that I have felt the spirit direct my words both spoken and written, and I'm so grateful for the guidance and direction available when the reigns are handed over the spirit, who knows infinitely more than I do about who needs to hear what, including myself. I have taught myself by my own words, and I know that God sends us His will through the channels that He has established.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)