Farewell my Nauvoo

Wow, I can't believe it's already over. Two years have never gone by so fast. This Thursday, June 7th, I complete my mission and fly home to Idaho. These past two years have been some of the greatest and hardest years of my whole life. The way I feel right now is, i'm sure, similar to the way the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints felt when they had to leave the great city of Nauvoo. Its hard to leave something you have grown to love, but we can always have a firm hope and trust in God that great blessings, opportunities, and happiness lie ahead when were trying to be faithful.
When the early Saints headed north up the Mississippi river they came to an area with large swamps. There they drained the swamps and began to build the city of Nauvoo. This was no easy task for them. Many of them became ill with ague, an infectious disease that includes fever and chills. Everyone made tremendous sacrifices, giving almost everything they had to help establish this great city. Although it was a hard time for everyone, for more than six years those Saints displayed a remarkable degree of unity, faith, and happiness. And because of their faith the Lord poured out His blessings on them. Miracles were wrought by the Prophet Joseph Smith and many other righteous men who held the true authority of Jesus Christ. They went around healing those who were sick and restored them back to their proper health. The Lord also gave the Saints more scripture and revelation during this time, as well as a commandment to build a Temple. The Saints built the Temple and then entered in and became sealed to their families for all eternity never to be separated at death. The Lord had truly extended his tender mercies and prospered His people. However, due to mob violence, Joseph Smith was martyred and the Saints were driven out of their beloved city. This is when they decided to travel west and settle in the Salt Lake valley. I'm sure it was hard for those Saints to leave Nauvoo, but I know they had a firm trust in God that He would take care of them and that everything was going to be alright.

I truly testify, from experience, that no matter how hard life may be, hope and happiness can always be found. I know the Lord never forsakes those who are striving to do whats right. I know God, our loving Heavenly Father, and His son, Jesus Christ, are real. I love them and I know they love us. They are watching over each of us from Heaven and they bless us everyday. The Atonement is real. It happened and we can be cleansed and strengthened from it even today. I loved serving this mission! I loved serving around so many great people here whether they were members, missionaries, or those not of our faith. I pray the Lords choicest blessings will be poured out on all of them, and may God be with you 'till we meet again.

mormon.org/jesus-christ/

Click here to watch  Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration a video that shows the early Saints building Nauvoo and the life of Joseph Smith.

Serving In His Name

Well, hello! Sorry its been almost a month since my last blog post, but let me tell ya I've been pretty busy. At the end of April I transferred from Florida to South Carolina. Within the first 15 minutes of me being in South Carolina we were already out talking to people trying to share our wonderful message. The people here are great! They have received us so well, and we have already been blessed with being able to work with many amazing men and women desiring to change their lives to come closer to God. I think one of the greatest opportunities I have had here is being able to go onto Parris Island every Sunday and teach the Gospel to the Marine recruits there. I am so grateful for that opportunity!

I love being around the courageous men and women working so hard to prepare to serve and protect this great country. The recruits there are clean cut, unified, and very dignified. I'm always impressed when I see them. My purpose for going to Parris Island is to help with the church services we hold there as well as teach a Sunday school class. One Sunday, during our main worship service, I heard the speaker say "once you graduate here you will take upon yourselves the name of a Marine, and you will always be known as a Marine." As I thought about that statement I realized that what these great men and women do, especially if they're wearing their uniform, in public will reflect on the whole Marine corps. If they act positively in public, then the public will have a more positive feel about the whole Marines corps. Now I'm no Marine, but I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. And I have taken upon myself the name of Jesus Christ. In the scriptures we read that after we are baptized by proper authority we "take upon [ourselves] the name of Christ" (2 Nephi 31:13) which means as disciples and Christians what we say, do, and think should reflect what Jesus Christ would say, do and think. Elder Mervyn B. Arnold told of an experience the 8th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints had when he was young. He said "When President George Albert Smith was young, his deceased grandfather George A. Smith appeared to him in a dream and asked, 'I would like to know what you have done with my name.' President Smith responded, 'I have never done anything with your name of which you need be ashamed.'...Just as President George Albert Smith had to account to his grandfather for what he had done with his name, someday each one of us will have to account to our Savior, Jesus Christ, for what we have done with His name."
A great blessing about being a missionary for the Savior is I get to wear His name on my badge physically identifying who I am. But most of the time people dont wear badges identifying they are disciples of Christ. The Savior told His Apostles how other people would be able to tell if they were truly His followers when He said "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35)
I believe true discipleship is not only knowing about Jesus Christ, but its becoming like Jesus Christ which includes helping others as He would. I know as we "love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart..." and as we "love [our] neighbour as [our self]" (Matt. 22:37,39) others will then be able identify us as true disciples of Christ and we will honor His name which we have taken upon ourselves. Having charity really means we love everyone as the Savior loves them, and we not only love them but we are willing to help them. And when we serve others we are only serving God (see Mosiah 2:17). I wonder what I will say if Jesus ever says to me "I would like to know what you have done with my name"?

                     http://mormon.org/service/