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while im on my mission i will write thoughts on this blog that will be free for anyone to read:)

lets be extaordinary

I have been asked to speak on a talk entitled “After all we can do”. It was given in this last conference by Elder Claudio D. Zivic. So I’d like to ask, what happens after we have done all we can do. The answer is found in 2 Nephi 25:23. It states, “For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do”. We all want to be saved by grace, so what does it mean to do all we can do. Elder Zivic suggest that in order to accomplish all that we can, we have to choose not to be ordinary men and women. He quotes from another author saying, “I choose not to be an ordinary man: it is my right to be someone out of the ordinary...” It is all of our right to be extraordinary people. In fact, Elder Zivic states, “My feelings were and are that we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, have chosen not to be ordinary men and women. So, if we are not ordinary men and women, what are we doing that is making us extraordinary? This is something we all have to ask ourselves. Elder Zivic gives us some suggestions to help us do “all we can”.
First, repent. He says, “We will never be able to reach our divine potential if we remain in our sins”. This statement is so true. Imagine standing at the judgment bar and saying that you have done all you can do except for repenting of your sins. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. Repentance is key to progressing spiritually. This is my challenge to every one here today. When you kneel down to pray at night, after you have reported your day and thanked your Heavenly Father, take some time to rethink all the things you could have done differently that day. No one is perfect; our days are filled with mistakes. Consciously think of them and then humbly ask you loving Heavenly Father to help you do things differently the next day. You will grow closer to you Savior as you daily check yourself and use the atonement to change. In the MTC we were asked, “Do you love your Heavenly Father? Then spend time with him on your knees.” As we learn to make repentance a daily process, spending time on our knees with our Heavenly Father will become a great joy and support to our lives.
Another thing Elder Zivic suggests we do in order to do all we can is to “share the gospel of happiness with all mankind”. As you can imagine this is really important to me right now since I just returned from the MTC a couple weeks ago. I love this gospel with all my heart and I love sharing it with people. It truly is the gospel of happiness. I was sent home with Ulcerative Colitis, which they can’t send missionaries to the field with. But being home does not stop me from being a missionary. Elder Zivic says, “Look for and develop the opportunities that life within the gospel constantly offers us” this is what we all have to do. We have to look for and develop these opportunities that are all around us. Once again imagine the judgment bar and being able to say, I have done all I can do and have brought others with me. What a joy that will be. This gospel offers us many opportunities to serve. Look for them and act upon them. From the Wonderful book, “Preach My Gospel” we find quotes from the prophets on missionary work. I would like to quote three. President David O. McKay said, “Every member… a missionary!” “True Christianity is love in action. There is no better way to manifest love for God than to show an unselfish love for your fellow men. This is the spirit of missionary work.” Every body here has neighbors. What are we doing to show unselfish love for them? President Harold B. Lee says, “Missionary work is but home teaching to those who are not now members of the church, and home teaching is nothing more or less than missionary work to Church members.” Home teaching and visiting teaching is an incredible way to be a missionary. Never belittle this calling. You should be honored to be an instrument in the lords hands in helping and lifting those you are called to teach. And lastly our beloved President Gordon B. Hinckley says this about missionary work, “Let there be cultivated an awareness in every member’s heart of his own potential for bringing others to a knowledge of the truth. Let him work at it. Let him work with great earnestness about it.” Think about the power of this quote. He has asked us to have an awareness of our potential in helping this work. We all have something we can do; we just have to not be afraid to do it.
Elder Zivic also says, “Recognize that the Lord has given us all that we have. He is responsible for all that is good in our lives.” What a profound statement. With thanksgiving so close it is the perfect opportunity to make gratitude apart of our lives. The Lord really has given us so much; we need to recognize His blessings as blessings and not forget to thank Him. He truly is responsible for all that is good in our lives. I hope we will all strive to be extraordinary people because that is our right and someday we will all want to be able to say that we have done all that we can. And after that we will be saved by the grace of our savior. I love this gospel and I know that it is true and this I say in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Debbie at the hospital

Here I am with my nieces.