The Richest Love There Is

 45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

Before I start this, I want you all to know that I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves us so much.  We are His hands trying to "Love one another" as He commanded us.  When we show our love, we don't ask for things in return because doing kind things and loving our brothers and sisters is what Christ himself would do.

Recently, I have thought a lot about how something can lose its value if there is too much of it.

For instance, inflation.  If there is inflation in an economy, the currency loses its value.

Charity is not puffed up.

The Savior's love is not an inflated love.  He did not tell everyone that he loved them to become popular.  He helped the lame to walk, the blind to see, the sinners to be cleansed, and the dead to live.  He performed the Atonement and died and was resurrected to fulfill the plan of salvation.

Ever since I became a missionary, I have been paired up with a companion.  We work together to bring people closer to Jesus Christ.  We both have a set of talents and abilities, strengths and weaknesses too that make each person unique.

Right now I am in a companionship with Elder Eshiet.  He and I are two peas... from two different pods. :) We are quite different and so we talk a lot about understanding each other.

He told me he noticed how positive and upbeat I was.  He let me know that it was cool that I was willing to tell many people that I loved them.  He told me that it was not necessarily a good thing though.  He told me of how it could lose its value.

He said that if you tell too many people that you love them, then the value of what "I love you" actually means when I say it will go down.  I thought about contending and I may have even contended a bit with my view of "I want everyone to feel loved."   :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)

But I really thought about what he said.

And he wasn't telling me to not tell people I love them... just not to overdo it, or inflate the love I have for people.

I am in the greatest mission in the history of life.  There are so many people that have touched my life in a wonderful way and have blessed my life.  They are metaphorically writing in the book of my life.  Whether a person writes a sentence, or a few chapters, I am SO grateful for them being in my life, and I feel I should tell them of my appreciation.  It makes me happy especially when I get to serve them or they serve me.

When I am with a group of people after a spiritual high, I usually will be more eager to tell lots that I love them.  I want everyone to feel the love that I feel.  However, I can give the wrong impression to some if I tell them I love them.  OR, if I tell one person I love him/her, and then he/she sees me say that to 20 or 30 other people, that person might not feel like my words meant much to him/her.

Said President Thomas S. Monson,
"Said William Shakespeare, 'they do not love that do not show their love.'"

You can say "I love you" all you want, but it is when they are backed up with actions that the receiver of the love can feel the most love.

Also, it can go the other way around.  If a person NEVER says "I love you," to someone he/she loves,

 how will that someone know?

If I want my words to mean a lot, I should mean what I say, and say what I mean, and not throw out words like "I love you" or "I'm sorry" if I don't mean it.

Another companion of mine said that I sometimes throw out "SORRYs" like candy.  He told me, if I say it once, I need to mean it then change.  The word sorry doesn't need to be in every sentence I say.  Even if I feel like what I say might not be what the person wants to hear.

I have learned many lessons of self-improvement and giving and receiving constructive criticism from being a missionary.  I have learned lessons of repentance and forgiveness; and of people having spiritual gifts.

Each person we know and each we don't know is an individual child of our Heavenly Father.  We should respect each other, be kind to each other and understand each other.

Another thing: We may only have one connection with certain people... as in, we might only see a certain person only once in your life.  So, be careful what you say.  You might ask yourselves "Am I a blessing or a burden?"  A kid could ask, "am I being nice, or mean?"
This doesn't mean you should treat poorly those you see often and every day.
They should be the ones we try to love most.

I have relearned something else important from Elder Eshiet.  Actions speak louder than words.

Dayton's Legs

I know that charity is the pure love of Christ, and charity never faileth.

Coming back to things losing value if you have too much of it... Our Savior's love is infinite and eternal and may not apply to this situation.  When we receive that love, we need to show it to our brothers and sisters.

Show kindness.

I'm Trying to be like Jesus - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

I'm trying to be like Jesus.
I'm following in His ways.
I'm trying to love as He did
in all that I do and say.
At times I am tempted 
to make a wrong choice
But I try to listen
as the still small voice whispers

Chorus
Love one another
as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness
in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving
in deed and in thought;
for these are the things
Jesus taught.

I'm trying to love my neighbor.
I'm learning to serve my friends.
I watch for the day of gladness
when Jesus will come again.
I try to remember the lessons he taught
then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts saying:

Love one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought;
for these are the things Jesus taught.

Do you feel that?  That's the Holy Ghost telling you that what I have said is true. :)  
Remember to say your prayers and read your scriptures.
Peace be with you.

Time to meet God! ...are you ready?

What will it be like when we meet God?

What kinds of questions will he ask you?

What answers would we give?

How comfortable would we be in His presence?

Did we make our Heavenly Father proud of us?

Did we make the choices that He knew would make us truly happy?

God is just.  He might ask you to share your testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He might ask you how much you know of the Gospel.  What is your Gospel understanding?
I believe many questions our Loving Heavenly Father will ask us, will be about how we (God's children) treated others (more of God's children).  Mosiah 2:17

Did we help people who struggled?

Did we lift one another's burdens?

Did we strive to help people feel loved?

Did we LEARN how to love?

Did we TEACH how to love?

Did we LIVE as examples of His Son, Jesus Christ?

Did we mourn with those that mourned?

Did we comfort those that stood in need of comfort?

I do not believe God needs to ask us questions because he doesn't know the answers.  He might ask questions so that we answer.  When we answer certain questions, our souls are stirred up in remembrance of what we have been taught, whether we were taught yesterday, or long before.  Jesus Christ asked many questions.  I think this is a good teaching skill that we all should seek to develop.
A good example is in Matthew chapter 5

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 

I believe that much of our judgement in the end will have to do with how we kept the two great commandments.  

 in Matthew 22, we read:

  37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

 38 This is the first and great commandment.

 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.

 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,

 44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?

 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

I put together some of these questions and some of these thoughts so that you might be stirred up in remembrance of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  I invite you to make right choices.  Be the man or woman God knows you can be.  God loves you.  He roots for you.  He cheers you on.  He wants you to be happy.  I know that happiness comes from making right choices.  Living as God would want you to.

"Be the change you wish to make in the world."  -A Quote by someone unremembered by Elder Hart at this time, but I really like it.

In short

Be good.  Stay good.  Rely on Jesus Christ.  Perhaps God won't smite you at the judgement day.  :)
...and remember... God loves you.  He is your Father... and He loves you.

There's nothing stressful about Jesus Christ

So as I started writing this blog post, I started writing about the stress that comes with being a missionary... but now I realize as I've finished my blog post, that it's more about how I have found peace from the scriptures.
If you are living a busy life like me, you are probably experiencing some sort of stress.
If you are a child of God (trust me on this, you are), then you can find peace in Jesus Christ.

What helps me is knowing that we are not alone.  Jesus promised his disciples,

 "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."   

When I read that in my personal study, He is speaking to me and I feel my Savior's love.
St John 14:18   ...John 14:26-27 are also good.  Those verses talk about the Holy Ghost, which is how I feel my Savior's love often times.  :)

For some, stress might come and go while for others, it might be pretty consistent, but in this journey of life, it's pretty hard to miss the pit-stops of stress.

As a missionary, I experience stress.  Stress makes me tired, upset, worried, confused, anxious, and depressed.  Usually not all at once.  That would be bad.  My companion would have to call the mission president.

Sometimes it comes from what others say to me.

• I want to talk to people about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Some people don't want to listen, others do want to listen, and then there are those who want to tell me what I'm doing is wrong, that I'm too young to be doing it, or I'm in the wrong community.  

• Sometimes my leaders say things to me that give me stress.  Sometimes that stress is needed for me to grow.  I can recognize that.  Usually we don't recognize it right away when they say the thing that makes us stressed.  When a leader says "You're not doing this right," or "You should be doing this instead of this," it is tough for me to handle in the moment.  Occasionally I can handle it then, especially if it is said with love, but usually understanding and growth comes from after I am cut down.

Sometimes it comes from what I do or do not. (as Yoda says).

• As a missionary, THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO AND KEEP TRACK OF!  It blows my mind how organized everything has to be.  Keeping up with the workload and assignments is tough sometimes, but I remember that it's the Lord's work, and it's not about me, and I keep going.

• I am somewhat of a worry-wart.  I am constantly forgetting where I put things I need, and I am constantly asking myself "Am I doing all I can to serve the Lord effectively?" Improvement doesn't come all at once and does not come without some sort of stress.  Improvement takes humility.

• I rely on the Lord to know what to say and ask to each person.  Each one of Heavenly Father's children are unique and their needs are different, but I know that whatever their needs may be, the Savior and His teachings will help everyone.

This is a scripture from the Book of Mormon that helps me understand that stress isn't a new concept in missionary work.
Alma was doing missionary work

27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

The next verse reminds me that I have it good.

29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.

I suppose these missionaries experienced more stress than I am having.  I am grateful for the stress I am going through.  I know there is a cause for it all.

30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

This is why I'm out here.  I really don't care what I have to go through.  It probably won't be as much as Alma, but if there's even just one.  One person.  One person I can help realize how he or she can return to live with God again... that would make me so happy.  Just one.
Doctrine and Covenants 18:15-16

I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON!  I am sharing my testimony of the Book of Mormon with as many people as I can, even if it might get a bit stressful. "Read this I pray thee" (Isaiah 29:12)
 

I am grateful that my trials are not as challenging as Alma's or as Jesus' or many other prophets and missionaries of old.  Whenever I get stressed out, I think, "Well, I haven't been cast into prison for preaching the gospel yet like these guys have in the Book of Mormon."

I don't know what you have gone through in your life, what you are going through, or what trials lie ahead for you, but I know someone who does.

Jesus Christ was there for us, He is there for us, and He will always be there for us. He knows what we're going through, WHATEVER it may be.

 11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Alma 7:11-12 says that he DOES know all that we go through in this life individually so that he might know how to comfort us, and so that he could pay the price we could never pay for our sins.

He yearns to help us with his arms outstretched.  I love this scripture in Alma chapter 5 
 33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.
Peace and rest come with accepting the Savior's invitation.
side effects may include being cast out, mocked, spit upon, smitten upon your cheeks, stoned, taken and bound, and cast into prison... nah just kidding! :)  ...but seriously... through the power and wisdom of God, you will be delivered from all side effects and stress.

I leave you with this last scripture that might trump all the other scriptures about easing stress.

St Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I know that's truth.

Thank you for reading my blog post.  Merry Christmas! :)