Oh, pardon, I meant “Hello friends”.
I was lucky enough to spend last fall in Europe! I know, way
cool! I studied literature, culture and film in Paris, and enjoyed all that
London and Dublin had to offer on the way! I learned a lot about other people,
other cultures, and myself while I was out, but two of the most important
lessons I learned are these:
1.
My Heavenly Father wants me to be happy, and the
church is designed for that. For reasons I can’t explain, I got it stuck in my
head that in order to be a faithful member, I had to ONLY do things that fit
what I thought was the “perfect Mormon mold”. ie. If I am not delivering
someone cookies or studying better homemaking RIGHT NOW, I wasn’t good enough.
Unsurprisingly, I really enjoyed myself on this trip, and I was able to
strengthen my testimony that He knew what I was doing, He was watching over me,
and He was even happy that I was happy, even though I wasn’t studying my
scriptures every single second, and sometimes I missed church because I was
travelling. This doesn’t just apply to me or travelling, however. He knows all
of us, He knows what we thrive on and what makes us smile, and He wants those
things for us! We can live a full life on this earth and be faithful members at
the same time. Sounds pretty obvious, huh? It wasn’t for me, and I can tell you
it was a total game changer.
2.
The happiness I can get from travelling the
world doesn’t even come close to the happiness I can feel from the gospel. In
fact, the joy that I can receive from the gospel is so powerful and far
reaching I’ve discovered that it IS actually possible to be happy even when you
have to get up at 5 am in the Seattle rain every day for work. Astounding! But
in order to access that happiness, I have to be connected to the gospel,
connected to the spirit, more than just learning how to say “I’m a Mormon” in a
different language! Temple attendance is a great way for me to strengthen that
connection, but what is even easier to access is Institute. I LOVE going to
institute. An hour spent diving into the scriptures in a room full of others
all seeking truth has an AMAZING impact on my week, and I find myself looking
forward to institute more than anything else in my schedule.
There have been times in my past when my
institute attendance was far more driven by guilt than a desire to learn, and I
can’t tell you what an incredible difference it has made for me to go with a
new perspective. I urge and invite you to
listen to President Monson and make institute a priority; if it can help me be
as happy here on a cold Monday morning walking to work as I was walking through
Paris on a sunny afternoon, who knows what it can do for your day!
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