Being That Person
It has been an interesting day. I started with my bi-monthly High Council Meeting. We had the opportunity to receive a recently returned missionary from the stake. When he walked in the room, you could see the light radiating from him. He was a different young man from the one who left us some 2 years ago.
The comment that stuck with me as I listened to his words was that if nothing else, he became converted to the gospel. He comes from a good family. His mother and ward did everything they could to help prepare him for his mission. He said that before he left, he felt pretty comfortable with the gospel, scriptures, and what he was supposed to do on a mission. When he entered the MTC, he learned that he was still a child. When he entered the mission field, he learned that he had a great deal to learn.
I have carried that thought with me all day. I had the opportunity to sit in with the Young Women of our ward. They were talking about good and bad traditions. I was amazed that many of these young ladies did not have traditions in their homes. Well, they did not feel that they had any traditions. For them, life was a hardship. They were never able to have fun, do what they wanted, or be who they wanted to be. My mind went back to this young man who reported to us. Where was he before he left?
Where are you? What traditions do you have in your life that would make you the person He would want you to be? In young women's we talked about those traditions. There was not anything new. It was all the same, prayer, scripture study, family home evening, writing in your journal, personal fitness, valuing family time, fellowshipping those around you, and more. The response was, Why?
Why do we have do these things? How does it help me? What is wrong with the way they do things? Is it always a battle? What is different between them and him?
He wanted to learn. He realized that he needed to learn. He saw beyond himself and envisioned someone that the Lord wanted him to be. We must to the same. We should not focus on just the two years. We should be focused on every day of our lives.
Was it the best two years of his life? He hopes not, but it was an incredible two years of rapid growth and learning. It has given him a basis to start the rest of his life. See if you can find that basis now.
The comment that stuck with me as I listened to his words was that if nothing else, he became converted to the gospel. He comes from a good family. His mother and ward did everything they could to help prepare him for his mission. He said that before he left, he felt pretty comfortable with the gospel, scriptures, and what he was supposed to do on a mission. When he entered the MTC, he learned that he was still a child. When he entered the mission field, he learned that he had a great deal to learn.
I have carried that thought with me all day. I had the opportunity to sit in with the Young Women of our ward. They were talking about good and bad traditions. I was amazed that many of these young ladies did not have traditions in their homes. Well, they did not feel that they had any traditions. For them, life was a hardship. They were never able to have fun, do what they wanted, or be who they wanted to be. My mind went back to this young man who reported to us. Where was he before he left?
Where are you? What traditions do you have in your life that would make you the person He would want you to be? In young women's we talked about those traditions. There was not anything new. It was all the same, prayer, scripture study, family home evening, writing in your journal, personal fitness, valuing family time, fellowshipping those around you, and more. The response was, Why?
Why do we have do these things? How does it help me? What is wrong with the way they do things? Is it always a battle? What is different between them and him?
He wanted to learn. He realized that he needed to learn. He saw beyond himself and envisioned someone that the Lord wanted him to be. We must to the same. We should not focus on just the two years. We should be focused on every day of our lives.
Was it the best two years of his life? He hopes not, but it was an incredible two years of rapid growth and learning. It has given him a basis to start the rest of his life. See if you can find that basis now.
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