Missionary work is all around us

I wanted to write this post Sunday evening, but couldn't find the time with everything going on.  Sunday evening I attended a church fireside that was held for my stake.  I heard about it a few weeks ago in elders quorum and it sounded interesting to attend. The topic of the fireside was "Missionary work". All though I didn't serve a mission, I still felt I can gain something from attending. As I arrived and looked around to see if I noticed anyone, I found a seat in the back.  I started looking around and noticed a few people from my ward. I also noticed that the chapel was full of so many young individuals, such as return missionaries, high school seniors, and many others that may be preparing to serve a mission.  This made me feel a little out of place, and also had me realize that I have 1 year left in the singles ward. HA, I guess I will be going to a family ward come then, I will be eaten alive in the mid-singles adult ward.

I really enjoyed the talks that had been given at the fireside. It had me reflect on lessons I had given in sunday school, as well as a talk I gave in sacrament. We are all to be examples of Christ in all that we do. We are all missionaries. Just because we don't have a name tag doesn't mean people wont notice us.  We do missionary work in ways without even knowing, such as being an example. If we live righteously, people will notice. It is all around us in various ways.

Here is a talk I gave in sacrament meeting almost a year and a half ago.  It is about being an example, and can also be related to missionary work. I might have shared this with some of you before, but thats okay.
Enjoy!

I work in a big factory with a large variety of different people. One of my hobbies is staying fit, and being active. Before the school semester started, I would go to the gym 5 to 6 times a week. I can honestly say that at least once a week I have someone who will come up to me at work and ask me for some sort of advice on fitness. It makes me feel really good about myself, and helps me notice that I am accomplishing something and I look forward to that almost every week. If I wasn’t physically fit, working out and doing what I told them to do, then I could not BE that example or that motivation to the person who is looking to get themselves back into shape.

In Lynn G Robins Talk from last April General Conference, he said,

“The Savior often denounced those who did without being—calling them hypocrites: “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6). To do without to be is hypocrisy, or feigning to be what one is not—a pretender.

Conversely, to be without to do is void, as in “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17; emphasis added). Be without do really isn’t being—it is self-deception, believing oneself to be good merely because one’s intentions are good.

Do without BE- Hypocrisy portrays a false image to others, while BE without DO, portrays a false image to one’s self. James 2; 17 reads: “Even so faith; if it hath not works is dead being alone”

I can think of a time in my life not too long ago, where this scripture plays out perfectly. About a year and a half ago I was living in downtown salt lake. I would work 50 plus hours a week and it really wore me out. Then came the weekend and I would sleep in till noon and then I would go out with friends till all hours of the night. Sunday would come around and I had church at 9am. I told myself I was going to sleep in. My roommates would even come and try to get me up, but I would just ignore them. Well… weeks went by and I kept doing the same thing. I started noticing a change. My daily prayers and scripture reading turned to weekly, monthly, then just disappeared. I was living the word of wisdom. I wasn’t doing anything wrong (so I thought), and at the same time I wasn’t doing anything right. I was just coasting, I wasn’t committed to anything and my life began to feel empty and even though I tried to deny it, I knew why. That carried on for a bit longer and I even had friends and family notice things where off a bit. After talking with a friend about this I finally realized what has been missing. I needed to make some changes in my lifestyle and most importantly I needed to make changes in myself.

I love being an uncle. I have many nieces and 2 nephews ranging from 12yrs old to 2 months. They look up to me in many ways, and I look up to them and their great examples of trust, faith and good works. I look at them and I know what I need to DO. I need to BE that example. They are depending on me to be there for them. The same goes with certain friends, family, and even co-workers. Some may not be members of the church, some may be inactive. Many people I come in contact with may see me as the only person they know who is a member of the church. Either way, I know that I need to be a righteous example. We all have struggles and trials we deal with, and I have learned the past few years that the trials don’t go away, they just change direction. I feel it is our job as Latter- day Saints to overcome our challenges and problems and rise above them. Trials are given to us to grow and that is how we learn. This is part of Heavenly Father’s plan.

We as Latter -day Saints are counseled to be as Christ like as much as we can possibly be.. It’s not an easy thing to do, I’m sure we can all relate. But if we are doing what we have been taught, those things that we know to be true, if we are living the gospel to the fullest, I promise you, it won’t go unnoticed. Everyone is looking for an example in many different ways. So ask yourselves this. ” What manner of men and women ought we be? “Let us BE that example, and leader.

3 Nephi 27:21

To become as He is, we must also do the things He did: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do”

Everything Has It's Reasoning.

Okay Okay peeps. Sorry it's been ANOTHER minute, But I promise I will start to pay more attention to this thing haha.
 So... it's been.....shy over 4 months since my last post. Time to catch you up! Well Last school semester didn't go as planned. Sad to say it turns out I am not superman after all.  I took on 13 credit hrs, while working full-time. Okay so a lot of you out there can do that. That's awesome, unfortunately I am not one of them. Turns out its harder for those with A.D.D. Who knew right?... So that being said I moved  back to part time school, and full-time work. I am still working in Salt Lake for 3-form. Been looking for a work closer to home. All though I miss SLC for certain reasons, I really don't feel like moving back. I have grown to like it in Lehi. I have made many friends the past 2 years, plus I enjoy going to UVU. I am looking for work near home, but at the same time very thankful to have a job that supports my needs.
SO... I have been going through some motions the past 6 months. Like I have said before in a previous post. We all have our vices we deal with. I live in a house that is probably not the best place for someone trying to aspire in their beliefs. I did very well for a long time. It's so funny how you think you can be so invisible from sin, but then when you least expect it BOOM! You've made a mistake.  Granted, nobody is perfect. That's why we have repentance.  It's so easy to slip away without even knowing. It can start from something simple like not saying your daily prayers, then moves onto scripture study. From there.. You miss sacrament meeting, or all your church meetings. Their are reasons why we are told to say daily prayers, and study the scriptures.
Think of all we do in our daily lives that can distract us from living righteously.Just going to church on sunday sometimes isn't enough. We take the sacrament every sunday to remind us of the covenants we have made, to be forgiven.  We need to be studying the scriptures, and saying daily prayers.
This past week I have been reading/watching/listening to a talk given in last Octobers session of General Conference. It was given by Elder David A. Bednar. Titled "Converted To The Lord"
As members of the church, we all have a testimony, but what does it mean to be converted to the lord?
Conversion requires persistence and patience, as well as humility.  When Reading this over and over,one thing he said really stuck out and hit me.
"Testimony alone is not, and will not be enough to protect us in the latter-day storm of darkness and evil in which we are living. Testimony is important and necessary, but not sufficient to provide the spiritual strength and protection we need."
To me... being converted to the lord means service, charity, love, being examples to those all around you.
Scriptures come in many forms. They are given to us by prophets of old, as well as living prophets. Church magazines, Through others around us.
It's so easy to do, but at the same time...So easy to fall away. I love this talk, and I encourage others to read it.
I know who I am, and I know where I want to be. Sometimes we fall, and maybe the reason we fall sometimes is to show others they are not alone. That we all go through this. Sometimes we need help from others to get there. Everything has it's reasoning. It's our job to figure out what means.