The Corridors of Time

This last week I was at a Young Single Adult Conference for my church, held in Seattle, WA, and the theme of the conference was “A Vision to Call My Own”. Throughout the course of the conference, I caught better hold of my own vision for my life. Saturday President Stapley told us that “a vision isn’t relationships, but it’s about where you want to go and who with.” This vision to call my own started to take hold better of my heart. Then it was added upon as we watched Sunday the historic broadcast: The Work of Salvation.

I feel more and more each day how personal this whole work is for me. I have been saved to “come to the kingdom for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14). The Lord has saved EACH ONE of us for this day and time.

“For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming of the Lord. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not. True, there will be some individuals who will fall away; but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its head—even Jesus Christ. While our generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time. It is that God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God.

All through the ages the prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it—you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized. Now is the great day of the devil’s power, with the greatest mass murderers of all time living among us. But now is also the great day of the Lord’s power, with the greatest number ever of priesthood holders on the earth. And the showdown is fast approaching.” -Elder Ezra Taft Benson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 1979.

Every time I read this quote, it gives me the chills. Am I really this important in God’s plan? Do I have what it takes to be a part of the honor of being in the world as such a time as this? Of course! But the adversary is a sneaky one, who slyly attempts to disillusion us into thinking that we’re just nothing much. But we are destined to become so much. So much knowledge, joy, obligation and growth is ours to claim as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“We of this generation are the end harvest of all that has gone before. It is not enough to simply be known as a member of this Church. A solemn obligation rests upon us. Let us face it and work at it.

We must live as true followers of the Christ, with charity toward all, returning good for evil, teaching by example the ways of the Lord, and accomplishing the vast service He has outlined for us.

May we live worthy of the glorious endowment of light and understanding and eternal truth which has come to us through all the perils of the past. Somehow, among all who have walked the earth, we have been brought forth in this unique and remarkable season. Be grateful, and above all be faithful.” -President Gordon B. Hinckley, Prophet (1995-2008)

So why are you here? Haven't quite figured out that out yet? Come. Come and see. Come and learn of your place in the Father's design. God Himself is waiting for you to discover who you truly are and learn of the true joy found in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Come and join His fold.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." -Psalms 23:1

I'm Going on a Mission!!!

Three weeks ago I received the best of piece of mail that probably I'll ever receive in this life. I received my mission call. And I am humbled to tell the world that I have been called to the Brazil Recife mission! There, I will serve the people of Northeastern Brazil for 18 months. I will learn to speak in their native tongue - Portuguese - and it will be the hardest, yet the best, experience of my life thus far.

Tonight I was watching this video about Jesus Christ and, in reflecting on the Atonement, I realized that this is the purpose of my mission to Recife. I have the most magnificent blessing to share the message of the Infinite Atonement. And what a most precious gift that has become to me. I have a Savior who loves me. I have a Father in Heaven who forgives me so constantly and frequently, I can't but help feel of His great love for me when I recognize this. And I have the blessing of having the Holy Ghost constantly at my side and in my heart - which helps me remember that I am never alone, even though I have been inclined to feel like that a lot lately.

And this weekend, I have the opportunity to become closer to Heaven then I have ever been before. And I am so grateful that this time has finally come. It has definitely been a bit of a bumpy road -- BUT -- I am clean. I am worthy. And I am ready to make this next step in my life. I am ready to take His name upon me more fully.

For any of you out there who are hiding from the shadows of your past - listen up. I know the Lord is tapping on your heart - telling you to change. I've been where you are now. And the burden is so heavy to carry. I once carried that weight too. I testify to you that this side of life - a side only possibly with a repentant heart and aid of Church leaders -is SO worth it. The Lord loves YOU. Bring it into the light. And in the light you will stay with His help. =) Where else could be better then that?

When you begin to kid yourself that your effort to be a little better isn't good enough, consider this from Elder James E. Talmage; "the best, if offered willingly and with pure intent, is always excellent in the sight of God, however poor by other comparison that best may be."

Burdens. Whose Are They?

Life is full of many things that burden us down, and if we are not careful, we might just keep us down. Recently I've been feeling those burdens weighing me down, but it wasn't until after three full hours of church, and I was finishing up listening to a fireside that I realized what the Spirit was trying to help me realize for a while.

My burdens aren't my own, well, if I choose them to be that way. Christ has atoned for me. He can help me carry those burdens, I don't have to do it alone. I can't do it alone. In Matthew 11, verse 30, it says: "for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light". When we choose to take our burdens and given them to Christ, our burdens our shared. They become, in part, His burdens too and then we share that yoke with Christ, and oh is it so much better that way! =)