A visit to the Cathedral...

A very nice architectural photo, shot properly to bring the verticals close to true. This is the west facade of Washington National Cathedral, aka The Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. The towers are named, left and right, The St. Peter Tower and The St. Paul Tower.

Almost a year ago(procrastination at it's finest...), my roommates and I went on a tour of the National Cathedral!  It was absolutely fantastic!~

It was done by one of the Cathedral Docents, Andy Bittner, who knows the Cathedral and how it all fits together(He lives in the boundaries of one of my previous wards that I served in.)

The north inner aisle of Washington National Cathedral's nave, looking east toward St. Mary's Chapel.

The Seal of District of Columbia... Washington D.C.

There is peaceful, solemn feeling felt throughout the building (except for the occasional tour that passes through). During our tour we crossed paths with people who were praying, meditating, or perhaps just looking at this wonderful building and learning its history.

There were beautiful windows of stained glass throughout the Cathedral, with works of art worthy of the masters of their trade.

The heroic-sized statue of Lincoln is by "Monument Man" Walker Hancock. Lincoln is depicted in a travelling shawl, standing on the back platform of a train, addressing the people of his adopted hometown, Springfield, Illinois, as he departs for his first inauguration. He never returned alive. The speech, carved into the wall, speaks for itself, and may be one of the saddest public addresses I've ever read. I think Lincoln may have had a greater facility for packing more meaning into fewer words than almost any other in the history of written English.

The Cathedral is a place of reflection.  I could see that, I could feel it.

Throughout the halls were many places to stop and think about God's glory(if you so chose) or to pray to Him.

It is full of history, with monuments to our country's Fathers laced throughout the arches.

The very existence of these memorials help us to remember where we came from, as a country and as people.  We know that these things can help us remember so that we can avoid repeating the past.

Andy told us about the stories built into the Cathedral itself, which he called the 'Kajillion-piece jigsaw puzzle', a witness to him that God has a hand in this building.

Each small thing, whether big or small, has a place in the Cathedral, and Andy himself said that he has yet to find all the pieces.

The architectural term for the Cathedral's front hall, between the two towers, is narthex. The narthex floor at Washington National Cathedral is inset with 52 marble seals; 50 state seals from the 50 states, the Seal of Washington D.C., and a larger U.S. Seal. Indiana is the source of Washington National Cathedral's primary building stone. In fact, Washington National Cathedral is the largest chunk of Indiana one could ever walk through that is not in the State of Indiana.

It was beautiful to see.  I know that I could spend hours in Cathedral just walking around, thinking about different things, using it as inspiration for writing.

There is a power there.  I could feel it.  It is something tangible and a cause for reflection.

A quiet reverence was observed throughout the building.

Scientists and Technicians, aka "The Space Window", commemorates those in the field of science and technology. Designed and fabricated in the late 1960s and early '70s, by artist Rodney Winfield, the window asks, "Is Not God In The Height Of Heaven?". The window was installed in 1974 and dedicated on the fifth anniversary of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon. The imagery shows a deep blue and green orb in the lower right-hand corner, which represents the earth. From that circle a white line of trajectory loops out, up and around the large, red circle in the center top. In the center of that circle is a white ring, and in the center of that ring, a dark spot. That dark spot is a piece of moon rock, brought back from the moon by the Apollo 11 crew.

The netting stretched beneath Washington National Cathedral's ten-story high ceiling, is a post-August, 2011-earthquake safety device. The colored light projecting through Rowan LeCompte's three-story high, clerestory windows, landing on the net, is something of a silver lining. Someone named that effect, "The Cathedral Borealis"

The main window in the Lincoln Bay, dedicated, of course, to President Abraham Lincoln, is called "The Agony of Civil War", and is by the artist Robert Pinart. Although Mr. Pinart has provided a much more complex intent, I simply interpret the window as... What is not flame colored is either blue or gray. Partially visible in the bottom of the frame is a carving addressing a key point in Lincoln's second inaugural address, that the war be ended, "with malice toward none". The carving is of two hands passing an olive branch.

The sun pouring through the Lineage of Jesus window, by artist Rowan LeCompte.

A distant view of the Mormon Temple in Silver Spring, Maryland, from the Pilgrim Observation Gallery at Washington National Cathedral. Distance... a little over 5.5 miles.

When Andy pointed out the Washington D.C. Temple, I started comparing the National Cathedral to the Temple...

To begin my comparison, I looked up the definitions,

Cathedral:

• The principal church of a diocese, with which the bishop is officially associated.

While the LDS definition of a temple is:

• Temples are literally houses of the Lord. They are holy places of worship where individuals make sacred covenants with God. (Full article here)

Next, the purpose of the two buildings are almost completely different.  

As it states on the National Cathedrals about page, they see the Cathedral as being, "...A catalyst for spiritual harmony in our nation, renewal in the churches, reconciliation among faiths, and compassion in our world."

On the other hand, Temples are places where we make sacred promises with the Lord and perform vicarious work for our ancestors because "...millions of people have died without having any opportunity to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or receive saving ordinances."(Full Article)

Ability to enter:
Those who enter the temple must be worthy, which means that they keep the commandments and are prepared to make and keep sacred temple covenants. In two interviews—one with a member of a bishopric or a branch president and another with a member of a stake presidency or a mission president—Church members certify their worthiness to enter the temple. In these interviews, the priesthood leader asks about the individual's personal conduct and worthiness. Those who are worthy receive a temple recommend, which allows them to enter the temple.

Dress Code:

When individuals go to the temple, they should wear their best clothing, as they do when they attend church. When they are inside the temple, they exchange their clothing for the white clothing of the temple.

Washington National Cathedral from the north, with the formerly-over-three-hundred-foot "Gloria In Excelsis" bell tower, crowned in scaffolding that is currently only stabilizing earthquake damage. Very little actual repair has taken place on the tower. In the cross-shaped floor plan, the portion of the building jutting toward the viewer, with the large, round window, is the northern arm of the cross.

Several notable non-members have commented in regards to their experience in the ensign article,

The beauty of the temple impressed the visitors, including many prominent Filipinos. Writer Celso Carunungan commented on “a feeling of holiness, that when you get inside you are going to confront your Creator.” Colonel Bienvenido Castillo, chief chaplain of the Philippine Constabulary, said the temple is “a place where you can contemplate heavenly things because you are in such an environment.” Two nuns felt the temple “is truly a house of the Lord.” Eva Estrada-Kalaw, a member of the Philippine parliament, told guides, “I wish you would build more temples here." (Article)

The Cathedral is massive, even overpowering, giving an insignificant feeling. You feel the 'power' of God. It is a holy place.

The Temple... everything is close, warm, and nearby. It feels like home.

In the temple, it feels like Heavenly Father could be right around the corner, sitting in one of the chairs.

You don't necessarily feel power, but you can feel His presence.

You do not wonder if it is a holy place or not. You can feel it.

I've come to find that it's in interesting how different religions portray God. That's one thing I've learned to appreciate during my mission.

Distant, Omniscient being.

Loving, Caring Father.

How we see him even shows in the very architecture in which we build.
___________

Here are some pictures of the inside of the temple!~

_________________

Here are some videos expressing what temples are about!~

_______________

__________________

______________

Elder Harston walking onto the driveway for the Cathedral's underground parking garage. From this vantage point, one can clearly see the flying buttresses that are holding up the ceiling of the north transept, from the outside. The security vehicle in the background makes me want to mention that the Cathedral has it's own security division. Some of us like to call them, "The God Squad".

Check out Andy's Blog!~

Picture of Kiev, Ukraine Temple taken from 'here'
Picture of Laie, Hawaii Temple taken from 'here'
Picture of Gila, Arizona Temple taken from 'here'

No pain, no gain.

Pain.

According to the National Institutes of Health pain "...is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. [It] may be sharp or dull. It may come and go, or it may be constant. You may feel pain in one area of your body, such as your back, abdomen or chest or you may feel pain all over, such as when your muscles ache from the flu."

They go on to describe that pain can be beneficial, as it helps you identify and treat a problem which may have otherwise gone unnoticed.  Once the root cause is addressed though, the pain usually goes away.

Wonderful.

You may be wondering, "Why is Elder Horowitz talking about pain right now?"

I thought you would never ask.

I have had the opportunity to experience pain over the past couple of weeks.

No, not a spiritual pain for the sins of the world, not the mental anguish of sin, just your regular, everyday, old-fashioned, physical pain.

In VERY large amounts.

Story time:

I have a history of pain in my legs. That history came back to haunt me about a month ago...(Yes, I know, it's quite the delay but I am also working as a full-time missionary, which takes a lot of time.)  Throughout that day, the pain in my knees had been getting steadily worse. I took some ibuprofen and hoped it would go away or lessen to a more manageable level, like it usually does.

But it didn't, it got worse, till I couldn't bear it any longer. The pain felt like tiny knives jabbing underneath my kneecap every time I moved.

Which resulted in me having a late-night ER visit with one of my companions.

Not fun for him. I have picture evidence!~

Long story short:  I spent eight hours in the ER for a 20 minute visit, a couple x-rays, and for them to tell me I needed to see an orthopedist.  A week later, my appointment with the orthopedist came through and he told me I had Patellar Tendinitis.  Something which indicates poor muscles around the knees, which might explain the whole 'chronic knee pain' thing.

Well, if nothing else, it was a good experience and I managed to talk to a few people about the gospel!~

Thinking back on it, though I'm still feeling some pain in my leg, there are many ways this character building experience can be applied to the gospel, but the one that I would liken it unto would be this:

Repentance.

That's a big word.  It's a scary word for some people.

But it's not supposed to be.

Pain can follow a variety of different paths but when we sin, we feel guilt for what we have done.  I like the way that a certain Elder put it in his medical parable (which is beyond compare) that you can read here,

"Sin is the medical term we use for both the cause, and symptoms of 'Imperfectia.' The first time you exhibit an imperfect attribute, behavior, or tendency, and allow that to influence your decisions, it is a sign of a spiritual malfunction that is inherent with humans. In short, when you give in to weakness, and either do something wrong, or fail to do something right, it damages your spirit and the scar tissue causes you pain. This pain is known as "guilt."

"I feel fine now though, are you sure it isn't gone?", you respond.

"Unfortunately, it's not that simple. With something like high blood pressure, which can be triggered by a lack of exercise, its effects can be reversed when you begin exercising again. But once you've contracted Imperfectia, you cannot be cured by resuming a good life. Unless every element if imperfection in you is eliminated, your spirit will continue to have occasional failures, which will in turn lead to more pain."

Though sometimes, I feel like I've gone beyond, the pain reminds me that it's still there.

If it's not treated by repentance, confessing and forsaking said sin, then it festers until it becomes a gaping wound. 

Unless I start ignoring it, thinking, "It's not too bad, I can manage with this."  The sin holds me back and eventually, I forget about it.  I begin changing my thinking to accommodate,

"This is normal"

"This is the way things are."

The pain which was once NOT normal, which I had avoided, becomes a part of me and I begin to not want to part with it. It becomes part of my identity and I don't know what I would do without it.  I become dependent on it.  It becomes my crutch.  I no longer am free and I hobble around yelling to everyone, "This is the way I am!"

Sometimes, life forces us down, shoving us to the ground.  We feel like our enemies surround us and we have absolutely no way out.  Occasionally, all we can do is let ourselves be taken down.

I remember, this one video game, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core the main character Zack Fair was trying his best to save a friend and get back to those he cared about.

***Spoiler Alert*** (If you care)

"Those wings... I want them too..."-Zack Fair

He succeeds in saving his friend, yet he gets critically injured.  He'd been trying so hard to become a hero to his friends and those around him, but life had shut him down.

As he was lying there dying, he saw his mentor, teacher, and friend, Angeal(who had died previously) flying in the sky.  All he could do was look up and say, "Those wings... I want them too..."

*** End Spoilers ***

When we're on our back, we look upward, seeing those who are free and, like Zack, we want that freedom.

We want to be free from the confines and the constant struggle of trying to survive(At least that's how I feel sometimes).  For me that freedom is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Every soul confined in a prison of sin, guilt, or perversion has a key to the gate. The key is labeled repentance. If you know how to use this key, the adversary cannot hold you [down]. The twin principles of repentance and forgiveness exceed in strength the awesome power of the tempter."  -Boyd K. Packer  "Cleansing the Inner Vessel"

Because we are imperfect, in this life we have pain, and we can either let that pain rule us and force us down a path we don't want to go, or we can learn and grow from that pain, trying to forsake our sins and bad habits and become better than the man(or woman) we were yesterday.

When we use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to turn that pain into progress, we take advantage of an infinite power source to carry us further in our own goals.

Yes, I know, this is meant to motivate us to work out, but I would liken it to spiritual growth.

That guilt we feel doesn't need to hold us back. We can learn from it, forsake it, then flex our spiritual muscles and prepare to fly. We don't need to be earthbound. We're children of a HEAVENLY FATHER.  Why let our sins and our pain hold us back?

I admit, sometimes, it's not that simple. There are some things which we cannot change, there are some things which are natural or inborn, within us...

But do we give in to our desires? Do we throw discipline out the window? If our physical muscles are screaming for relief but our workout set isn't done, do we stop?

Or on the flip-side, if my knee is damaged do I keep using it as I had, before it is healed and risk further injury?

If there's anything that I know I have a testimony of, it's that Jesus Christ has felt everything that we have and can help strengthen us in our weakness if we let him.

All we need to do is ask.  

If you feel like you are too unworthy to ask, too scarred by past mistakes, too far gone, or even just scared for whatever reason, remember this little quote from one of our Apostles,

Taken from his talk, "Like a Broken Vessel"

To Learn more about Jeffery R. Holland, click here!~

To learn more about Boyd K. Packer, click here!~

Life: Always changing yet still remaining the same...

To preface this post; 
We're sorry!~ It took a little while to coordinate this post!!!!

When Elder Hart is speaking, he will use this font.
When Elder Horowitz is speaking, he will be using this Font

With that, LET THE GAMES BEGIN!~

Ever since I was set apart as a missionary on Sunday, September 16th, 2012,  I have had another missionary companion.

Missionaries are connected at the hip with their companion. We're supposed to stay within sight and sound of each other, never leave one another, and continue to work together with this person for, at the very least, 6 weeks.  We get no choice in who this person is, he (or she, if you're a woman) is assigned to you.

For the last 3 months of my mission, I have been put in a companionship with this one guy.  His name is Elder Wesley Cannon.

When he got his mission call, it was to Brazil, Curitiba. 

 But he didn't get his visa... so they reassigned him to the Washington DC North Mission, where Elder Horowitz and I were called to serve.

[I also had a companion(Elder Harston) who was assigned to Brazil, but was reassigned here because he hadn't gotten his Visa yet...]

Here's a pic of my call letter.

So last Tuesday was pretty crazy.  After having district meeting in Calvert, I drove him to the Washington DC Temple Visitors' Center.

I dropped him off and someone was supposed to be there to pick me up, but they weren't there yet. So for about 20 minutes or so, I didn't have a companion.

Have any of you missionaries past or present been in this situation?

AHH!! I don't have a companion!  That's against mission rules!  J.S. Armstrong was there with me for some of the time... and Elder Hatch was there while his companion was doing a project... but I was taking deep breaths trying to remain calm.  I tried calling Elder Dickerson.

NO ONE ANSWERED THE PHONE!!!   

AHHH!!! some more... but only in my head.

I CALLED AGAIN! STILL! NO! ANSWER!!!

Same.

I was going to wait 5 minutes and call them again, but they came and rescued me. 

I'M FREE!    :D

It was weird because I was the... Bowie... Elder... instead of being one of the Bowie Elders.
And I wasn't even in Bowie!
And I wasn't going to be in Bowie until I got a companion the next day!

I spent the night there in the Bethesda/Rockville areas' apartment with Elder Reedy, Elder Thornton, Elder Von Trapp and Elder Dickerson; four of my favorite missionaries out here.  They all have been great friends to me.  It was a little weird being there again because I had served there before when I was assigned in the Potomac and Bethesda wards.  It was a little nostalgic.

The next day we had a transfer meeting in the morning. :)  It was wonderful.  All the missionaries in the mission came together and met in the auditorium in the Visitors' Center.  The missionaries who went home gave their testimonies as they departed the mission and went home.  We sang our mission song, "Testify of Me" as a mission.  Elder Eyring, the director of the Visitors' Center spoke and our Mission President, President Cooke spoke.  The Spirit was felt and we recommitted ourselves to doing the Lord's work.

I loved it too!  President Cooke essentially told us to buck up and rededicate ourselves to the Work of Salvation.  The testimonies of the departing missionaries were really moving. Particularly that of Elder Alca and Hermana Engman, both of whom I knew.

During that time, I felt invigorated and ready to serve! For lack of better words, I was pumped! 

Though sadly, I had to tell my old companion Elder Harston, goodbye, and welcomed my new Companion, Elder Stanley to the area! 

After the meeting, all the missionaries go upstairs and out to the parking lot to unload and load up suitcases, luggage, crates of our stuff into the right cars assigned to the new area we have been assigned to.  Then each companionship drives back to their areas and resumes proselyting.

Since it's not a preparation day, we're supposed to go straight to work once we return to our area. 

Selfie!
(wait, is it a selfie if it is two people?)
This is my new companion, Elder He! (pronounced huh)

Elder Hart and Elder He in the Bowie East area

In two more weeks, we will be back at the Visitors' center receiving more missionaries and bidding others farewell at the Washington DC North Mission Transfer Meeting.

Sincerely!~
Elder Hart and Elder Horowitz

Mission possible

 

Your Mission, (should you choose to accept it)

Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end  (Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service, pg 1).  

This is your purpose as a missionary.

Notice how it doesn't say "Invite others to go unto Christ..." how lame!

We are to invite, not force.  We are to bring and stay, not deliver and leave.

In order to bring souls unto Christ, we ourselves must be on the Lord's side. 

Jeffrey R. Holland speaks at a Priesthood session of General Conference

"We are all enlisted"

Here's a video of it,

 

Here are some of my favorite lines from his talk.

I especially ask the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood to sit up and take notice. For you, let me mix in an athletic analogy. This is a life-and-death contest we are in, young men, so I am going to get in your face a little, nose to nose, with just enough fire in my voice to singe your eyebrows a little—the way coaches do when the game is close and victory means everything. And with the game on the line, what this coach is telling you is that to play in this match, some of you have to be more morally clean than you now are. In this battle between good and evil, you cannot play for the adversary whenever temptation comes along and then expect to suit up for the Savior at temple and mission time as if nothing has happened. That, my young friends, you cannot do. God will not be mocked.

So we have a dilemma tonight, you and I. It is that there are thousands of Aaronic Priesthood–age young men already on the records of this Church who constitute our pool of candidates for future missionary service. But the challenge is to have those deacons, teachers, and priests stay active enough and worthy enough to be ordained elders and serve as missionaries. So we need young men already on the team to stay on it and stop dribbling out of bounds just when we need you to get in the game and play your hearts out! In almost all athletic contests of which I know, there are lines drawn on the floor or the field within which every participant must stay in order to compete. Well, the Lord has drawn lines of worthiness for those called to labor with Him in this work. 

No missionary can be unrepentant of sexual transgression or profane language or pornographic indulgence and then expect to challenge others to repent of those very things! You can’t do that. The Spirit will not be with you, and the words will choke in your throat as you speak them. You cannot travel down what Lehi called “forbidden paths”⁵ and expect to guide others to the “strait and narrow”⁶ one—it can’t be done.

But there is an answer to this challenge for you every bit as much as there is for that investigator to whom you will go. Whoever you are and whatever you have done, you can be forgiven. Every one of you young men can leave behind any transgression with which you may struggle. It is the miracle of forgiveness; it is the miracle of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. But you cannot do it without an active commitment to the gospel, and you cannot do it without repentance where it is needed. I am asking you young men to be active and be clean. If required, I am asking you to get active and get clean.

Now, brethren, we speak boldly to you because anything more subtle doesn’t seem to work. We speak boldly because Satan is a real being set on destroying you, and you face his influence at a younger and younger age. So we grab you by the lapels and shout as forcefully as we know how:

Hark! the sound of battle sounding loudly and clear;

Come join the ranks! Come join the ranks! ⁷

From every man, young and old, who bears the priesthood, I ask for a stronger and more devoted voice, a voice not only against evil and him who is the personification of it, but a voice for good, a voice for the gospel, a voice for God. Brethren of all ages, unbind your tongues and watch your words work wonders in the lives of those “who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.”¹⁰

Haste to the battle, quick to the field;

Truth is our helmet, buckler, and shield.

Stand by our colors; proudly they wave!

We’re joyfully, joyfully marching to our home. ¹¹

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Master, amen.

(End of talk)

I testify that the words of Jeffery R. Holland are true.

I love the hymn "We are All Enlisted."

Because God loves us, He has given us commandments.  To show that we love Him, we keep those commandments.  We can accomplish our missions and be a part of the Savior's great work of salvation.  I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Seasons Come and Go...

This past Wednesday was Transfer meeting...

     

The Missionaries that had completed their assigned time spoke in front of the rest of us, the new arrivals(fresh from the MTC!) were introduced with their trainers(I was in their place a bit over a year ago!), we all said our Goodbyes; tears were shed, good luck was wished and we went on our merry ways.

Thinking back to when I first arrived, I didn't know anybody; who was leaving, who arrived with me, it was just my MTC companion and me...

This time, I knew all eleven of the 'dying'(departing) missionaries, I respected them for who they are and had a personal relationship/friendship/acquaintanceship with each one of them.  I also knew most of the Senior Couples.

Some of the Fantastic Senior Couples that left!

A scripture came to mind at this point:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted...  -Full Reference-

It's crazy what can happen in a year.

People change over time.  I've definitely changed as I have gotten older.  We keep on improving, knowing that there is purpose in our life, even if it's the purpose we give it.

As I mentioned before, there were several missionaries(Elders, Sisters, and Senior Couples) whom I respected immensely who went home that day.  They had finished their mission.  It was tough to see them go, but it was time for them to move on...

So here I am, ready to face the new day, knowing that in a year, I will be in their place...

Speaking of time,

The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he(or she) does, whoever (s)he is.  -C.S. Lewis

This is not a picture of me...

Lessons you can learn from your shoes...

So it's been a while since I've posted.

I put the blame on shinanigans.  And laziness.

Therefore I, with the beginning of a new year (a month late) have decided to rededicate myself to this blog and share the small and simple things, which is what I originally wanted to write about when I started this blog.

So, I apologize.  This is my personal reboot.

So, a couple of days ago, I was polishing my shoes (something us missionaries have to do on a routine basis to keep up a professional appearance.) and something occurred to me:

This was the first time I had polished my shoes in at least 3 months(to my shame) because I previously been in a bike area.  Consequently, my shoes looked a little... worn.

One of the laces was broken, torn by overuse, the other was almost destroyed, scuffs were everywhere, and the shoes looked like they had been through a battlefield (not entirely untrue).  Now that I'm in a car area, I had no excuse for unpolished shoes, and quite frankly, the damage was a lot more noticeable than I originally thought.

So I went to work!  Lo and behold...

They looked brand new~(almost)!  I was a lot more proud of my freshly polished shoes than I thought I was going to be.  This caused me to stop for a moment:

Sometimes, I go about life without thinking care in the world, 'scuffing', so to speak, my spirit and I don't really think much of it.

My spirit gets worn down, bit by bit, and one day, when I take the time to finally step back and evaluate the damage, it's a lot worse than I originally thought. (It's better to just 'polish' regularly)

But the beauty of repentance, is that I can 'polish' the sins away, by asking for forgiveness and trying my best to stay away from the sins that I've committed. (Still better to polish regularly, it keeps everything nice and shiny)

The shoes are still worn, but like in life, I have learned, I have grown, and those marks are apparent as I go through this existence with the wisdom that I have gained.

Moral of the story?  POLISH YOUR SHOES REGULARLY!

Shoes get dirty quick and if you procrastinate polishing them, it takes a lot longer when you actually sit down to polish them!  It took me a grand total of almost a half an hour to polish both of them, something that could've just taken 2-3 minutes!

It's amazing the things you can learn from your shoes...!

Lessons Learned from Jenny Oaks Baker

Yes, I am a day late.

~BUT NOT A DOLLAR SHORT!

So on Sunday I was able to meet Jenny Oaks Baker for the Second time.  With Alex Sharpe!

Both are absolutely amazing and great people!

Now I've had a total of TWO Conversations with Jenny Oaks Baker and the first went something like this;

I pushed through the crowd asking for a picture(the one directly above), she agreed, posed, and the picture was taken.  Afterwards, she took a look at my name tag and said, 

"That's a very musical name."  I knew she was making a reference to my last name: Horowitz.  

I opened my mouth preparing to make some sort of witty response but another person pushed through asking for a picture.  I was already pressed for time, and she was occupied so I chalked it up to being famous, with a mental shrug of my shoulders, I wished her a good evening and got on my way!

The second went like this;

There was less of a crowd this time and my companion, Elder Elliott wanted a picture, I thought, 'why not? what's one more picture?'

This time she noticed my name tag first, and unbeknownst to her, she said the same thing again,

"That's a very musical name." Internally I thought, 

'Here we go again... I wonder how many pictures she has people ask her for on a daily basis?'

Now ready for the rush that would happen after the picture was taken, I had already prepared my response,

"I get that a lot."  I said with a smile, my quick thinking, my wit, all summed up those five words. Perfectly suave in all aspects.  She gave a wry smile,

"I bet you do."

~~

Looking back on this gave me the opportunity to think about names.

Names help us identify things.  We use them to describe things, people, actions.  She may not have remembered me, but she recognized my name.  She, with her 10+ years of musical study, knew the name Horowitz and stated what she had associated with it.

For me right now, I'm on a mission, that entails me spreading the gospel pretty much 24/7.  We are at this time, representatives of Jesus Christ and should act as such.  It's stated perfectly in 'My Mission Commission'

I am called of God.  My authority is above that of kings of the earth.  By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my master and He has chosen me to represent Him--to stand in His place, to say and do what He Himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me.  My voice is His voice, and my acts are His acts; my doctrine is His doctrine.  My Commission is to do what He wants done; To say what He wants said; to be a living modern witness in word and in deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous Latter-day work.
How great is my calling!

We each do our best and though were not perfect.  We know what we're aiming for!

T