Season 8: Glacier Park/Lake Wilderness. Episode 2: Ask Yourself Difficult Questions!

Time sure is moving on. Its strange to think that by the end of this transfer I will have spent 6 months in this area! That is a long while. And if I stay here for another transfer then I will have spent double the amount of time I spent in the Clark Lake ward in Kent (p.s. I still miss and love you Kent!).

Also we have a general authority visiting our mission next week! Elder Lawrence of the 70 will be coming. As a result our next P-day will be Wednesday the 21st (so that is when my next email time will be). In preparation for this visit one of the things (we have been asked to do quite a bit of things in preparation) is to read/watch the talk he gave in General Conference, "What Lack I Yet?" and apply what he invites us all to do. This is his invitation,

 

"However, we need to ask the Lord for directions along the way. We have to ask some difficult questions, like “What do I need to change?” “How can I improve?” “What weakness needs strengthening?”

 

Usually it seems that missionaries have things they wish they would have done more of (or less of) at the end of their mission. They will say something like "I wish that I would have helped my investigators to read The Book of Mormon more" or "I should have done a lot better job at talking to everyone. I would have baptized more people that way." As I thought about those things the question came to me, "What would I regret/wish I would have done if I was finished with my mission next month?"

As I ask questions like that, good questions that dig deep, and reflect on them it will help me be a better missionary. That way as I recognize what I can do better now, I will better be able to fulfill my purpose now! Of course I wont be perfect and there will always be something I could have done better, but this way of trying to become better I will be able to finish my mission confident that what I did pleased The Lord (because that is what truly matters).

 

My invitation for ALL OF YOU is to ask yourself deep questions in prayer and ponder them. Ask yourself just as Elder Lawrence directed, "What do I need to change [to become more like Christ?" Ponder these things and see that ye do them! Elder Lawrence closed his talk with this

 

"The Spirit can show us our weaknesses, but He is also able to show us our strengths. Sometimes we need to ask what we are doing right so that the Lord can lift and encourage us. When we read our patriarchal blessings, weare reminded that our Heavenly Father knows our divine potential. He rejoices every time we take a step forward. To Him, our direction is ever more important than our speed.

Be persistent, brothers and sisters, but never be discouraged. We will have to go beyond the grave before we actually reach perfection, but here in mortality we can lay the foundation. “It is our duty to be better today thanwe were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today."

If spiritual growth is not a priority in our lives, if we are not on a course of steady improvement, we will miss out on the important experiences that God wants to give us."
You choose who you would like to become, but remember this is the commandment. "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect‍ even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." (3 Nephi 12:48). "For behold, this life‍ isthe time for men to prepare‍ to meet God; yea, behold the day of this‍ life is the day for men to perform their labors [and to obey His commandments]. (Alma 34:32)" You wont instantly be perfected or it wont become easier to get more Christ-like in the next life. The time to start is now (D&C 130:18-19 and Alma 41:10-13)! I promise you wont regret it and you will look back with gladness that you chose to become more like Christ.

Love you all! Here is a link to Elder Lawrence's talk.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/what-lack-i-yet?lang=eng