What was your tender mercy today?

"...behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

Tender mercies is something I've been thinking a lot about this week. The Lord has chosen all of us! He loves each of us more than we can imagine and really does desire to bless us. Sometimes I think I don't even recognize the little blessings, those tender mercies. If I've learned one thing this week it is that as we recognize those blessings we receive more!

One of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon is Mosiah 24...

Alma and his people were a righteous people, they had just left the evil reign of King Noah. Although they were righteous they were persecuted relentlessly. They weren't even allowed to pray, so they cry to the Lord in their hearts. This is how the Lord answers their prayers: 

" And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

  And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease,and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord."

Life is not easy, it's not suppose to be. There are times when we are in bondage and we can't get out ourselves. These people were praying and although they weren't delivered immediately they were strengthened to be able to endure patiently and cheerfully. 

How do we endure patiently and cheerfully? That sounds like an awfully hard task. I don't know, that'd be a good one to ask Heavenly Father. I can tell you one thing though! Noticing the tender mercies makes life easier! Not just noticing them but being grateful for them. 

What is the first thing that Alma and his people do when they get out of bondage?

"...they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God.   And they gave thanks to God, yea, all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God."

Look for those tender mercies! I can promise you that they are there whether it's something as big as a new job or as simple as warm muffins, they are there. When we start to notice them they start to multiply! What was one of your tender mercies today?

My tender mercy for today would be the North Carolina trees... that don't look like this right now. They are beautiful!

My Missionary Hero

We had a marvelous dinner with the Preece family and challenged them to pass out a Book of Mormon. The next day we were driving along when our phone started going off like crazy. We pulled over to see if the sky was falling (or if there was going to be a giant storm and we needed milk and bread). We got the best text possible from Sister Preece, Ashley is the greatest missionary and has taught me a thing or two about sharing the Gospel.

Ashley had taken the Book of Mormon to school without anyone knowing. She shared it with her friend, who she had been talking to about the church a little, and asked her to read it. Her friend read the first chapter of the book of Nephi while waiting for carpool.

WHAT AN EXAMPLE? Am I right?

Ashley took sharing the Gospel back to what it was meant to be, easy! As human beings we get caught up in the simple things. We worry way too much. It is completely normal to feel apprehensive about sharing something that means so much to you. Talking to her afterwards she talked about how she was nervous. When faith replaces fear miracles are wrought, I personally can testify of that. 

Sharing the Gospel isn't always the easiest thing that you can do, but I can promise that it will bring so much happiness to yourself, those you share it with and your Father in Heaven. This is the work we are meant to do! Let's follow the examples of Ammon and Ashley! Let's be beckons of light and help others come unto Christ. 

Someday I hope to be as good of a missionary as Ashley! 

Doctrine and Covenants 18 says...
"15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

 16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

 17 Behold, you have my gospel before you, and my rock, and my salvation.

 18 Ask the Father in my name in faith, believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men."

The Seven Penny Challenge

     This Sunday in Relief Society we had a lesson on Jesus Christ. His life was a the epitome of a service-centered life, He was sent here to show us how to live and he did, one act of service at a time! His life concluded with the greatest act of service and love, the Atonement. 

     Service. Service. Service. We get so caught up in life and the things that we are doing that it's just another thing that we are asked to do. Even as missionaries, are we doing service for the right reasons? Do we find service as just another thing to check off the list?

     I think like missionary work, service is something that we all do without realizing! Service is important, it can be as easy as doing the dishes or going to the temple. We need to make sure that service is a priority. Most times we put of the "urgent things" before the "important things." If we realize the importance of service and the blessings that it brings us it can help change our attitude of service. We will seek for those small and simple ways to serve those around us as our Savior did through out His life. 

    We were given seven pennies as a way to keep track of our service and help us to remember to do it daily. I immediately put them in my bag and thought "Hey! I'm serving a mission. I've already given the Lord everything. I don't need to do this." Very quickly I was humbled and taught a lesson I thought I already knew. The lesson: there is always more we can do. There is always a way we can come closer to our Heavenly Father. There are always ways to become more like our Savior. 

 

    In conclusion, I have taken the challenge! You should to! It's only one week, seven acts of service, seven pennies and countless  blessings. It can be anything from smiling at your neighbor to going and doing your Visiting or Home teaching to going out with the missionaries! It's simple. I can promise you that it will bless your life and help you come closer to your Savior and make someone's day.     

I'll report in a week! I would love to hear your experiences too! 

What's on your Title of Liberty?

The war chapters of the Book of Mormon are some of my favorite! The story of Captain Moroni is incredible!  

First, we start with a wicked and cunning man, Amalickiah.

"Yea, we see that Amalickiah, because he was a man of cunning device and a man of many flattering words, that he led away the hearts of many people to do wickedly; yea, and to seek to destroy the church of God, and to destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted unto them, or which blessing God had sent upon the face of the land for the righteous’ sake." (Alma 46:10)

Moroni wasn't happy...

 "And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah."(Alma 46:11)

at all. Then he does something incredible! 

 "And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole."(Alma 46:12)

Not only does Moroni put his standards on a pole for the world to see, he puts on his armor (and I'm sure the full armor of God)!  

 "And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land—" (Alma 46:13)

What armor do we put on every day? 

What standards are we showing the world? 

How can we become more like Captain Moroni?

Don't we all want someone to say this about us?

 "Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto (insert your own name here), behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." (Alma 48:17)

I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded!

Life. Life gets busy with everything we have to do daily. So many things demand our time whether it be school, work, church, friends and family. How in the world are we suppose to be doing all these things? That's where the Gosple of Jesus Christ kicks in! 

I love in 1 Nephi 3:7 where Nephi tells his father "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the things which he commandeth them." What a glorious promise! As we GO and DO what has been asked of us by our Heavenly Father, He will prepare the way and make it possible for us to accomplish all the things that we need to! 

My favorite story from General Conference is about Corrie ten Boom:

"Corrie ten Boom, a devout Dutch Christian woman, found such healing despite having been interned in concentration camps during World War II. She suffered greatly, but unlike her beloved sister Betsie, who perished in one of the camps, Corrie survived.

After the war she often spoke publicly of her experiences and of healing and forgiveness. On one occasion a former Nazi guard who had been part of Corrie’s own grievous confinement in Ravensbrück, Germany, approached her, rejoicing at her message of Christ’s forgiveness and love.

“‘How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein,’ he said. ‘To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!’

“His hand was thrust out to shake mine,” Corrie recalled. “And I, who had preached so often … the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.

“Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. … Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him.

“I tried to smile, [and] I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.

“As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.

“And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.”"

This is about forgiveness but relates so perfectly! Heavenly Father doesn't just ask us to GO and DO, He gives us all the tools to accomplish everything he asks of us. I know that this is true. I know that life gets hard; but as we rely on the Lord and seek to do His will, He will give us the strength, energy, motivation and desire! Everything is made possible through Jesus Christ!