"How Great Shall Be Your Joy"

Sometimes I still struggle with the fact that I did not get to serve a mission, especially since the age has been lowered and sister missionaries now are more common and viewed more positively. When I start feeling jealous or inferior, I remind myself that I don't need a name tag to be a missionary and that the emphasis is on members being the fishers now. But how to start? High school presented plenty of opportunities to share and defend the gospel, and I even gave a Book of Mormon to a friend. Then while attending BYU and living in Mesa/Gilbert, it was harder to find and interact with nonmembers. But now here in Phoenix, the field is white and ready to harvest!

A couple weeks ago I finally met my downstairs neighbors, a mom and her 10-year-old son from the Chicago area. We've been hanging out ever since. Monday evening they were over here and we got talking about what Mormons believe. It led to me giving the mom a Book of Mormon and discussing the gospel until 9:30 p.m. She shared that she felt peace at that moment and the Spirit in our home every time she comes. She was so excited, and I was excited that she was excited. She said she felt like this is what she was missing in her life.

I could not believe my ears! Although my close friends have always been respectful of my beliefs and willing to listen, and the friend I gave the Book of Mormon to accepted it, I have never received the kind of response my neighbor displayed. I was so ecstatic and nervous--and lost at times because I felt so out of practice. She reignited the fire within me. Even before this golden missionary moment, her closeness to the Spirit and desire to follow God's will and trust Him completely inspired me to work more on my own spirituality and relationship with Christ.

Yesterday we discussed the Atonement. My simple explanation taken from Alma 7:11-13 gave her the comforting answers she was looking for. I told her about fast and testimony meetings and she asked if she could come to the next one. I asked her if she wanted to meet with the missionaries and she agreed, though she doesn't understand why it's necessary since she said I was doing just fine teaching her. She thanked me for giving her this great treasure (a "nugget" in her own words).

Today she shared with me that she told her out-of-state boyfriend about what happened and he reacted positively. I was afraid he would tell her to stop talking to me or something, but apparently, before now, neither had heard anything about Mormons beyond the name!

I feel like a real missionary. I am so excited and happy, as described in D&C 18:15. I wonder if this is how the missionaries feel when they teach investigators and if the feeling wears off as time goes on or gets more intense. I am so happy to be part of this woman's spiritual journey, even if it doesn't lead to baptism. She has proven to be a blessing in my life as well. We already have a great friendship!

Challenge: Don't let fear or insecurity keep you from sharing the most precious gift you can offer Heavenly Father's children. You don't have to be a formal missionary to be an instrument in the Lord's hands!

April 2013 General Conference Highlights

Highlights from the 183rd Semiannual General Conference in April 2013:

*I was in awe how dramatic the increase in missionaries was due to the age decrease announced last conference. When the bar was raised several years ago, the numbers slightly dropped and remained stagnant all these years. But now we went up 10,000 in less than six months (since those numbers were from the 2012 report, there are probably a few thousand more by now)!

*In accordance to the above, President Monson asked us all to donate to the General Mission Fund. And Elder Nelson noted that many schools will grant students an 18–30-month deferral to serve a mission.

*Two new temples were announced: Cedar City, Utah, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

*There is a new Young Women Presidency: Sister Bonnie Lee Green Oscarson as president; Sister Carol Louise Foley McConkie, first counselor; and Sister Evelyn Neill Foote Marriott, second counselor.

*For all of you parents who have little hope for your mischievous boys, listen to President Monson's talk from the Sunday morning session. Just goes to show that even prophets were once disobedient little boys who do dumb things!

Favorite talks:

*Sister Elaine S. Dalton on acting well our parts
*President Thomas S. Monson on obedience
*Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on faith and belief (he is always a favorite!)
*Elder Enrique R. Falabella on establishing a righteous home

Favorite quotes:

"Faith is a real power, not just a strong belief . . . there are few things more powerful." ~President Boyd K. Packer

Tomato seed analogy shared by Elder M. Russell Ballard

"Just begin." ~Music & the Spoken Word (talking about tackling large obstacles)

"Paint a missionary tag on your heart." ~Elder Neil L. Andersen

"The words we speak to children should reflect the love Heavenly Father has for His son, Jesus Christ, and the love He as for us." ~Sister Rosemary M. Wixom

Sharing Time: What were your favorite talks and quotes from General Conference?

Agency and the Fall

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I think I have a pretty good understanding of the plan of salvation, as far as my mortal mind and level of spirituality allow. However, one thing escaped me: I knew why there had to be the Fall in the garden of Eden (2 Nephi 2: 22-23), but I didn't understand why there was a garden of Eden to begin with, as opposed to just sending Adam and Eve straight to a telestial world. Then a couple months ago as I was reading 2 Nephi, which I've read a thousand times, I finally understood. It all centered on agency.

Every aspect of the plan of salvation revolves around agency. Agency has always existed; we had it long before our testing on earth. We know this from the war in heaven. When Heavenly Father presented His plan, Satan used his agency and presented another one, in which there was no agency, and Jesus used His agency to volunteer to be the Savior and glorify the Father. We then exercised our agency to choose between following Heavenly Father's plan or following Satan's plan.

Agency cannot exist, however, unless there are opposing things for us to choose from (2 Nephi 2:11-12). In the pre-mortal life, Heavenly Father's plan was opposed by Satan's plan. Those who chose to follow Satan were cast out and became the devil and his angels living in hell, the opposition to Heavenly Father, His angels, and heaven.

If Heavenly Father had sent Adam and Eve straight to a telestial world, it would not have been as a result of their agency, as every other part of the plan of salvation is: choosing the Father's plan to come to earth, choosing the right while on earth, and therefore choosing our eternal destinies. Although Adam and Eve had chosen to come to earth, they also had to choose the Fall.

Therefore, He created and sent them to the garden of Eden. Since there had to be opposition (v.16), there was the tree of life and the tree of knowledge (v. 15), the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth and the commandment not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

Now there was opportunity for Adam and Eve to use their agency. Satan tempted Eve and she chose to eat the fruit. Once Adam found out, he chose to do the same. Their use of agency resulted in the Fall: being physically and spiritually cast out from God's presence, which can only result from sin (or in this case, transgression), another reason why the Fall had to be chosen as opposed to being thrust upon them. It had to be the consequence of an action.

That consequence allowed for the need of the Atonement, the most important part of the plan. We now have the opportunity, through our agency, to use the Atonement and be brought back into Heavenly Father's presence.

Agency is truly the core of all gospel principles. Without it, everything loses purpose (vv. 11-12).

Receive Your King

The following is adapted from the devotional I gave at my Relief Society's Christmas party.

“At Christmastime we talk a lot about giving, and we know—we all know—that it is more blessed to give than to receive. But I wonder if sometimes we disregard or disparate the importance of being a good receiver,” said President Uchtdorf at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.

He continued, “I hope that this Christmas and every day of the year we will consider in particular the many gifts we have been given by our loving Heavenly Father.”

At Christmastime, we celebrate God’s greatest gift He has given us: His Son. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King!” exclaims the joyous hymn.

But what does it mean to receive Him? 

To receive something requires action: we must accept the gift being given to us. First we “prepare [our] hearts” (Alma 16:16). In fact, the next line in “Joy to the World” is “Let every heart prepare Him room.” We do that by making sure we have “good ground” for the gospel of Jesus Christ to take root in our hearts (Luke 8:5–15). Next, we must become as a little child (Luke 18:17). President Uchtdorf noted how children receive gifts with excitement and gratitude and advised us to have the same attitude toward the gifts Heavenly Father gives us. Once we receive Christ into our hearts, we must follow Him, stay rooted and established in the gospel, and abound in thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6–7). 

When we receive Christ and His Atonement, Heavenly Father will bless us with even more gifts. One of the blessings we will receive is a change of heart. The greatest gift we will receive is eternal life.

President Uchtdorf shared another blessing: “Every gift that is offered to us, especially a gift that comes from the heart, is an opportunity to build or strengthen our bond of love. When we are good and grateful receivers, we open a door to deepen our relationship with the giver of this gift.”

Furthermore, he warned, “But when we fail to appreciate, or even reject, a gift, we not only hurt those who extend themselves to us but in some way we harm ourselves as well.” Some of the things that stop us from receiving Christ and His Atonement are pride, sin, and lack of faith. When we let these things stop us, we hurt ourselves and stop more blessings from flowing to us.

I invite you all to receive Christ into your hearts this Christmas. I close with the reverent words of another Christmas hymn.

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav'n.
No ear may hear his coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.

(“O Little Town of Bethlehem,” Hymns, 208) 

Challenge: Receive Christ into your heart.

Joseph, the Stepfather of Jesus

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Mary the mother of Jesus is revered in Christianity, particularly in Catholicism. She was "highly favoured" and "blessed . . . among women" (Luke 1:28, 30). But we seldom talk about her husband, Joseph. He too must have been highly favored and blessed among men to have been given the honor of raising Jesus.

Joseph was a "just man" and not spiteful: when he learned of Mary's pregnancy, he did not publicize it, but wished to divorce her privately (Matthew 1:19 footnote b). He was also very unselfish toward Mary during her pregnancy (Matthew 1:25).

Joseph was obedient to the Lord, as shown when he followed angels' commands to still marry Mary (Matthew 1:20-24) and flee to Nazareth to protect little Jesus from King Herod (Matthew 2:13-15). Joseph served as young Jesus's example of a righteous husband and father. The Bible Dictionary states, "Joseph was naturally regarded in Nazareth as [Jesus's] father, and the holy child treated him as such (Luke 2:48, 51)" (see also Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3). It only seems logical that, knowing the influence a father has on his son and all the duties that come with fatherhood, Heavenly Father prepared Joseph for this calling just as He prepared Mary for hers.

I think the Primary song "When Joseph Went to Bethlehem" describes Joseph best:

I think there at the busy inn that he was meek and mild

And awed to be the guardian of Mary's sacred child.

Perhaps all through the chilly hours he smoothed the swaddling bands,

And Jesus felt the quiet strength of Joseph's gentle hands.

And close beside the manger bed, he dimmed the lantern's light
And held the little Jesus close upon that holy night.

Challenge: When you read the nativity story, remember Joseph as well.