Promises of the Prophets fulfilled

 The other day at mission conference, all of the departing missionaries for December and January were asked to give their departing testimonies. I knew what I was ready to declare, and I declared it with fervor and fire in my eyes. I want to briefly recap. I want to tell you all that the promise of a prophet of God, was fulfilled, to ME. Those promises are stated clearly in the mission call. But first, I want to touch on the fulfilment of promises a little way back.. just before the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As Mary and Joseph travail in Bethlehem- trials of all kinds increase their struggle to just but find a place to stay;- yet across the world, the believers of this Savior's birth also struggle, for their very lives. Prophets had told of the signs that would come- the signs that would signify and lead to the Savior's birth..specifically, at this time, night staying day..  but the sign wasn't coming in the timing the people expected, and those who doubted began to become angry.. They became so angry that they plotted to murder those who still believed. My whole mission.. even every day- is just that. Working, and pushing, and praying- and waiting for the fulfillment of the promises of Father to me each day- in a contact, in a lesson, in a baptismal commitment, in a couple choosing to be married or sealed, in an answer to a prayer, a restoration of health or optimism, in seeing others' lives come together, in hoping to be a tool to facilitate those wondrous miracles that are truly accomplished by God's hand alone, through this Savior... but there MUST be a struggle first. There is always a struggle- every doubt, and every test that can be placed in our way to prove us, to see if we still believe in the words of the Almighty God, beyond all visual signs showing us that there is no hope. As Nephi rushed off and prayed desperately to the Father, amidst this barron hopelessness and the potential of his people being killed, he heard these words... These still, sweet, precious words from the voice of the lamb, of the prince of peace, of the Savior of the world... so calming.. so endearing..

 "Lift up your head.." He said,  "and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets." He is My Jesus.. my Savior..My Christ.

I KNOW- I know with every ounce of my being that the words of His prophets are REAL. That sign DID come- the wicked became frustrated, for the sun stayed out all night and REALITY sunk in- the real world, the ultimate world, the ultimate destiny- the whole purpose..  The gospel of Jesus Christ IS THE REAL WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And now, let me tell you briefly, the fulfillment of my mission call to me.. I'm not done yet, oh no- I've got time! But I've passed that 18 month mark and in those 18 monthes for sure, every word, every promise WAS fulfilled through that sacred Atonement of Jesus Christ- through that Savior who was promised to come into the world, to SUFFER, and then redeem his people..to redeem me, and let me experience this privilige.. and be in it, and conquer it, and have it.. 

I was called to serve as a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
I was assigned to labor in the California Santa Rosa Mission. I would serve for a period of 18 (.5) monthes.
I reported to the MTC June 16th, 2010 on Wednesday. 
I was recommended as one worthy to represent the Savior as a minister of the Restored gospel. I was an official representative of the church. As such, I was expected to live the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of my loving mission president. My purpose- my VERY purpose IN LIFE- is to INVITE everyone- EVERYONE to the Savior Jesus Christ, by having faith in him- repenting, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost- enduring to the end- enduring beyond the end- and inviting them to receive and make EVERY ordinance and every covenant that God has in store for them!!!! That is my purpose hereon and now out, beyond this field!! To educate, inform, share, lift, strengthen, love, empathize and relate and serve and serve and serve- mourn with and be there for, that is why I'm here on this very Earth!!!!

I devoted my time and efforts and attention to serving the Lord, leaving all personal affairs behind, and when they came up I worked with Father In Heaven to resolve them. As I did these things- the Lord blessed me and I experienced GREAT JOY- GREAT BLESSINGS- GREATER HAPPINESS THAN I HAVE EVER KNOWN IN MY LIFE!!!!!!! I was placed in the first Presidency's confidence, that they knew, as God told me aforehand- that I would become an effective missionary. That I WOULD serve a successful mission, as Father in Heaven promised me the day I was set apart- that I HAVE served a successful mission, and that I am serving a successful mission!!!!!!

I have NEVER felt so good, so accomplished- so at peace. And I know it is because I have learned years worth of trinkets, or treasures- I have seen the inside and outsides of situations I could not ever have imagined and I have taken a step, and crumpled- only but a step towards that awful Gethsemane.. and then the Savior healed me.. and rescued me, and rescued the sons and daughters of God RIGHT before my eyes as I but testified. There is nothing greater than this. There is nothing I could possibly want more than that Eternal life to be with my Father in Heaven and Savior- and that has become my greatest desire.. just to get back home with him.. and to invite all willing to come back home too. I would that all of us come back home. That's why I came out here, and that's why I'm here.
 2 Nephi 33:12 "And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day."

MTC, week one.

"The shining babies (elders) welcomed with joyful beams, which dramatically became the beams of angels (sisters) as well. Blazing sunlight illuminated the faces, as I descent into the other world.. the Planet MTC, which hovers just below Heaven itself, and gazes down upon Earth. The threshold was passed as I became a part of this magnificent symphony of a land, a place of incomprehensible love which no typical mortal man could have any capacity of expressing. They all said 'Hi Sister' so sweetly, nearly every one of them..

And then it happened.

The glorious badge, the token and jewel and diamond in the rough, the symbol of the authority I WAS GIVEN- to invite God's children to be baptized. As it was placed upon me, powerful rays burst out! I grabbed my badge, squinting as the light threatened to burn my eyes, struggling for oxygen amidst its brightness- wondering if my mortal frame and soul were too weak to bear this great calling as an ambassador of the Lord. The angels and babies watched with careful concern, and spiritually held my hand as I thrashed against the brilliant blaze. Alas, I was not the only one thrashing- for three sisters I roomed with, also preparing for Santa Rosa, squirmed a bit also, against the weight of this call setting in. "Shall we live, oh we might die!" we announced.. but the angels and babies who had been here for some time, kept saying "Sunday" Sunday the light would not burn us, for we shall be it, we shall represent it, we shall love it.

Sunday came.. and the babies and angels could be discerned. We awoke, fire bursting from our eyes, and we smiled, and we declared that we loved this sacred planet- the Missionary Training Center, for the greatest stripling warriors had come and came here to prepare.. Incredible desire for this task overcame my intense shock, and resistance. I yearned to love the way those around me did, with the Eternal hope of having the endearing, longsuffering love that the creator of galaxies, of individuals, so intimately has for us!

I could just build a tent and stay here, I don't ever have to leave...

..though I must take these experiences and learning, and bring them to Santa Rosa, California.. where the REAL test begins, where my faith and desire, will determine success.. and success is providing Heavenly Father's story, inviting others to Christ; it is fulfilling every measure and whit of my purpose to being an instrument in opening the gateway to FULL access to the Atonement of Christ, to the Celestial Kingdom.. through repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. It all begins here.. here and now.. the springboard into the Eternities of others, and mine as well."

Trunky for the Temple

I hope my mission reaches into the Eternities- I firmly believe it will.
I know every experience had and that I still have, holds treasure chests of knowledge that will be applied to every life circumstance and situation that can face me..
but I know that when chaos hits in life,
My first thoughts aren't, and typically won't be 'oh, this is just a test. I'm ok!" My first reactions may range from shock, to anger, to fear or isolation, paranoia, discouragement, distress- to asking God what I did wrong, to all forms of defeat.
And that is why home is here on Earth.
Home in a finite castle-like masterpiece, in many! Therein power and Holiness from on High reach within and shelter the attendants with peace, with collection... with the true reminder, of the truest realities, amidst a turbulent world.

It is the Mountain of the Lord, the Garners, the House of God- this is the temple. This is the why for baptism- that opening covenant is SO important to make with Heavenly Father for it is the gateway leading into MORE- to the temple, to GREATER covenants, greater protection and love. And in time I will have the exceedingly glorious privilige of living within sight of it, within sight of home.. I will race there as much as my beating heart desires!!!! Even now though, I have the exceedingly glorious privilige to invite my brothers and sisters on this Earth to have what I'm about to have on a constant basis- to achieve access to these temples, to these Houses of the Most High!!!

I yearn for the temple- I crave it; I can put off my desires for all else BUT the temple. Nowhere on Earth have such grand feelings been captured for me, but there. Nowhere has my worth and divinity been shown to me, like there. And what an instrument in God's hands we each are in that Holy place! I am starving, famished, prepped to feast for the temple. Truly, I desire more passionately than the first day I arrived in the mission field, to get everybody into the temple, I will ALWAYS desire that- And I still get to see the Savior's hand performing miracles, leading people we teach there...but MAN will I be SO stoked when I live RIGHT NEXT TO IT!!!!!!!!!! 

This IS joy. The temple is better than the best gets. It all comes down to the temple.. renewal, strengthening, empowering, promising, all encompassing, blessing, consoling, and rewarding.. My greatest dreams, and epiphanies, feelings of wholesomeness even while I am NOT at all whole.. springs from the temple... Where Father in Heaven and Our sweet precious Savior are most closely located to us.

*Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in His temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.. For the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes..*` Revelations 7:15/17

*Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people* Isaiah 56:6-7

This is.. Gethsemane.

I can imagine it was a still night. I wonder if the presence of His disciples could even ease that awful stress that began to rest upon the purest of all minds. He asks for them to wait for Him. I don't know that it is 'imperfect'  to feel afraid; to feel the need for love- yearning for someone to say "It is going to be ok.. I won't leave you" It must have hurt to hear that from His dear friends, and yet KNOW He'll still be alone soon.

He begins to step away... He begins to feel it. That excrutiating sorrow, mounting within Him.. And here.. I wonder if He knew what he would face, for He knew us, yet He had not fully experienced us..until this point. By now He had organized His perfect church under Heavenly Father's direction, as it had been on the Earth since Adam- since a prophet of God lived, despite having it fall apart time and time again because of ignorance of the world. This perfect church by and of Him would heal the body, the mind, the heart, the soul.. for time, and for Eternity.

He had led the way His whole life.

I wonder if He hoped Peter could be there for Him.. for Peter couldn't be there for Him. The Savior was willing to die 1000 times over for each of us, for each one of us- so GREAT was His incomprehensible compassion.. and then He DID! Yet right before, right as it began to start.. He felt inadequete- He, the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD- the Son Of God..

 He went a little further, and in His unrelenting agony, bowed to the only one left to turn to.

"O My Father..." Abba, Daddy.. This grown, beautiful Son Of God.. this absolute epitome of the kindest sweetheart, the dearest friend, the most patient teacher, this jovial and cheery, powerful man.. began to cry. To sob. And like an innocent child, He asks if Father was willing to make the pain go away.. but as a perfectly matured man, reemphasizes that He will do whatever He needs to.. to get us home.

He was left totally alone. Not even the presence of an angel could rescue Him from OUR hurt. OUR suffering, and the whole Earth's; from the beginning to the end of the world! He gave ALL he had, which was more than we'll EVER mortally have. He experienced US. Abandoned, disgraced, cast beneath the darkest of Hell, disowned.. so that we don't have to be.

Who could know us when every corner rejects or misunderstands?! Who could support us with hope while IN our failures?? Because to some degree, every one of us has taken a step or two, towards Gethsemane, and sometimes five.. but the Savior was the only who went the whole way. To rescue me, and many so that we can help Him rescue others. To rescue His others to show us all that never are we permanently cast into unending torment, left alone.. BECAUSE the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ LIVES. He now in almighty power holds the keys to freeing us from spiritual and physical death!

Mary held that precious child, who would redeem her, who would give HER Eternal Life.. and she was told a sword would pierce through her own soul. In time she would watch her own Son crucified; abandoned even of Heaven to suffer that final, AWFUL blow of spiritual death on the cross..and then, when it was finished- when evil was conquered FOREVER then and there- He would physically die before her eyes.
..and none of us would ever have to be spiritually abandoned again.
All of us would be resurrected.

Father in Heaven, so loving US perfectly, allowed his most intelligent and righteous child to go in our place when we fell short in ANY way, to make sure- that through the commandments, through Eternal channels and ordinances in our life.. we could, through HIS Son who was sacrificed, return Home to Him.. and even then, find joy in this life through the fulness of His gospel.

I testify with every ounce of my soul and physical being.. that He lives. I know it more than anything I've ever known. He is the source of every good thing that does or can happen to us. He is the light and the life of the world.

 3 Nephi 17:17 3 Nephi 20:25-27