I'm SO Thankful that I came on a mission!

Hey there everyone!  I hope that you all had a great thanksgiving!  Sister Thomas and I had so much fun!  Tons of people wanted us to join them for Thanksgiving so we just went from house to house.  It was great!  By the end we definitely had had our share of turkey and pie.  I've been eating turkey everyday for over a week now.  I can't believe that I still like it. 


(we taught Candi's children the Plan of Salvation while building a gingerbread house)

This week I had a great lesson on faith.  We were teaching Candi about a commandment that she doesn't keep.  We had been waiting for the perfect time to teach it to her without anyone else around and the Lord answered our prayers and it all worked out.  Often when people struggle with certain commandments they don't want to hear that they are doing things wrong.  The scriptures are full of accounts of people who decided to not follow God because they liked their sin too much.  We often read a line that says something to the affect of, "the wicked take the truth to be hard."  It's true.  When we teach many people the commandments (big or small) they decidedly choose not to live them.  Well, Candi knows that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored.  She knows that the truth is back on the earth.  As we taught her this commandment that to her might be pretty hard her answer wasn't "why" but "how."  It was just like Nephi when he said, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."  Candi is just like Nephi.  She knows that the Lord wouldn't ask her to do something if it was impossible.  She also knows that there is a reason for each of the commandments.  Isn't that amazing?  We asked her how she thought that she could follow it and she said to "just say no."  Exactly!  Just say no to sin!  The Lord is there to help us.  He's on our side and everything that He asks us to do we can.  There is a reason for everything, even little things like only having one piercing in each ear.  We need to decide to follow not only the big things but also the small things.  Personally, I think that it is pretty easy not to kill someone but something like going to church might be a little bit harder.  No matter what though, if we live the commandments and have them written on our hearts we cannot fail.  There is no way.  Lets have attitudes of how and not why.  I know that that attitude will forever bless us and when hard things come up we'll already know the answer.  

We have had a hard time catching up with Sandra lately.  She's so busy with work, family, and everything else that life throws at her.  Well, we finally were able to catch up with her last night.  I asked her if she had been reading and she responded that she decided to start the Bible from the beginning.  It's better then nothing.  She had pages of notes/questions that she wanted answered from Genesis.  Among the questions were how many people were in Noah's family, etc.  After going through a question and answer exercise for a bit I asked her what her intentions were.  What did she want from reading the Bible?  What was the end result that she wanted?  It was interesting because she didn't really have an answer.  I asked was it to find the true church, to come closer to Christ, etc and she didn't really know.  She said that she just wanted to know and understand it. 

As I've thought about that, I realized that so many people are desperate for the truth, for the thing that will make their lives better.  Sometimes they even have it right in front of them but they don't want to focus their efforts in the right area.  It's kind of like the good, better, best thing.  It's good to understand the Bible. It's better to have a testimony that it is the word of God and will change your life.  It is best to use it hand in hand with the Book of Mormon and to let its teachings take root in your heart.  Knowing the facts about the Bible can not and will not save you.  We are only saved in and through Jesus Christ.  We must live His Gospel and not be swayed by anything else, even if it seems like a good idea.  

We receive salvation only after we have done our part.  2 Nephi 9 says, "And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam."  There has been a big push for us to understand 2 Nephi 31 because it is the Doctrine of Christ.  I love this chapter because it lays everything out and ends with, "And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God..."  If we want the answers to lives greatest questions, they can be answered in this chapter.  If we follow this chapter we gain happiness, understanding, the information we need to live with our families forever, direction, and so much more.  Everything is there!
  
This week I was asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting.  I didn't really know what I was going to say but I prepared a few ideas on gratitude and knew that the Lord would fill my mouth for 15-20 minutes.  Well, the youth speaker spoke for over a half hour.  Sister Thomas and I were also asked to sing a musical number and there was one more speaker.  Basically I just stood up and spoke for 3 minutes about how we all have every reason to be grateful.  The Lord has given us everything.  We have way more than we lack.  I told them about one of my very first investigators, David.  David lived behind a car shop and had very few belongings.  Among those belongings was a couch and a large piece of cardboard to block himself from the sun and rain.  In the eyes of the world he had nothing but he thought that we was the luckiest man alive.  Happiness and gratitude do not come from monetary things.  It comes from understanding your relationship with God and that everything comes from Him.
  
Like every week, this week was an awesome week in the mission field.  I'm SO thankful that I came on a mission.  It has blessed my life so much and I'll never regret this decision.  Well, I hope that you all have a great week and enjoy the winter wonderland up there!  The church is definitely true!  

Love, Sister Anderson