Letter 9/28/14

Dear Blogger Peoples,

You know, those of you with my email can write me questions and I'll answer on the blog if you want. I feel like I never know what exactly to say so it would help me!

So, lets see...news.....well for one; CONFERENCE IS COMING UP!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED--AREN'T YOU?!?!?!?!?!? It's going to be this Saturday and Sunday from....well here in Arkansas its from 11-1 and 3-5 :) you can get local times from LDS.org and watch it there live! 

So here's something I've learned really clearly about on my mission--every opportunity in the Gospel is what you make of it! So, if conference is less of a wonderful experience than you want it to be then lets MAKE something more of it on our end shall we? I mean, we are hearing from INSPIRED MEN, called of GOD, including the PROPHET OF THE LORD. That's AMAZING! That's like getting to hear from MOSES or NOAH or JOHN THE BELOVED! But in all seriousness it's even more than that. We know that Prophets are mouthpieces for the Lord. So, really, the things said will be the things that Jesus Christ would want us to know. Basically it's the things He would say.

So, here's a few questions for you to consider to yourself:

How do I prepare for this?

Some suggestions? :) How about getting plenty of sleep the night before? :) Having plenty of food/snacks? Taking a bathroom break beforehand? Making sure your viewing experience (TV, internet, the church building...) is all set up and your timing is right?

But more importantly, are we preparing spiritually for this experience will determine what you take from it. This question may be one to consider prayerfully over the next week:

If I were going to get to speak with God, and ask him anything I wanted, what would I ask?

The invitation is this--over the next week, write down questions you want answers to. These questions can be broad such as "how can I draw nearer to you?" or "what do you want me to know/do?", situation specific such as "what should my major be?" or "how can I help fix ________problem?", or specific to gospel concepts like "How can I improve my scripture study?" or "How can I understand the atonement more?".

 I would specifically invite you all to ask for confirmations on spiritual truths which you would like to know the truth of yourself. As YOU pray for help with questions (for answers and to ask for help on what to ask), diligently study the scriptures (looking for answers and help), and do all other things you feel you should (perhaps fast? read other conference talks?), you will receive a much more spiritual experience at conference. Conference will be a spiritual feast instead of pajama church. It will be a testimony strengthening experience. Please take this chance! It's beautiful!

Love,

Sister Short

 Thought for the Day comes from the Ensign. V.T. message on "The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: Comforter."  Because Christ suffered the Atonement for each of us, He will not forget us.  "Our Savior has taken upon Himself..... our pains and our suffering and afflictions so that He can know what we feel and how to comfort us."  

     "In visiting teaching we reach out to each other.  Hands often speak as voices can't.  A warm embrace conveys volumes.  A laugh together unites us.  A moment of sharing refreshes our souls.  We cannot always lift the burden of one who is troubled, but we can lift her so she can bear it well."  By Sister Elaine L. Jack - 12th R.S. general president.  

     "Our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our heart as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments.  There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us."  President Thomas S. Monson.

Letter 9/21/14

My mom sent me this thought this week:
      Thought for the day comes from Stand a Little Taller by President Gordon B. Hinckley.  D&C 6:10 "Behold thou hast a gift, and blessed art though because of thy gift.  Remember it is sacred and cometh from above."               You need never feel inferior.  You need never feel that you were born without talents or without opportunities to give them expression.  There is something of divinity in you.  You have such tremendous potential because of your inherited nature.  Every on of you was endowed by your Father in Heaven with a tremendous capacity to do good in the world.  Cultivate the art of being kind, of being thoughtful, of being helpful.  Refine within you the quality of mercy which comes as a part of the divine attributes you have inherited.

     So, I was thinking, God is really kind. God is so kind that he gives us exactly what we need when we need it. I so often feel weak, but I keep asking for help. I keep asking and trying, and I've found that the Lord gives me exactly what I need in exact second I do. Like yesterday; I have been studying the atonement so much! I'm trying to learn how to use it in my life more and understand it more. Yesterday I got my answer in a tender way. Also yesterday, we didn't know where to go at one point and we drove to like 2 places thinking they would be good. Finally, because we needed to finish planning, we drove to the Walmart parking lot. We were talking about how we can get members to participate more and things like that, and then I just decided that if I wanted everyone else to do hard things I needed to. So, I got out of the car and went and talked to a worker there. We got his number and everything and will be setting up an appointment soon. 

Love,

Sister Short

Letter 9/15/14

Dear Everybody,

You know what I've been thinking about? I've been thinking--isn't it cool that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Now this doesn't mean that everyone can't feel the Spirit--they definitely can and if you didn't think that you need to study up some--but to have the Gift of the Holy Ghost is a promise of His companionship as long as we are worthy. This is a promise that anyone can join in on--just ask the Missionaries how. Pray about it. Do you know why this Gift is wonderful? Because "the Spirit will tell you all things that ye should do"!!!!!!! So really, if we are ready and willing, we will do everything the Lord has asked!

Now, a question--do we keep our listening ears on? I know I don't always. It's something we have to work at. We have to consciously listen don't we? We have to seek out those words and feelings. 

Might I suggest that we each take some time--be it 5 minutes or 20 minutes--to rid oneself of all distractions and just listen? Pray and read the scriptures. Listen. Become accustomed to the feelings and nudging of the Spirit--that will do you much good in any situation and will affect all aspects of life. Know the voice of the Messenger of God--it will teach you of Him. This is how you'll know it's of God. 

With hope and love,

Sister Short

Thought for the Day - (from Stand a Little Taller) D&C 84:88  "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will so before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."  Sometimes you pray to the Lord with great earnestness for help, for relief from your struggles.  You wonder why your prayers are not answered as you would like them to be.  We have all had that experience.  But we come to know as the years pass that our Father in Heaven does hear our prayers.  His wisdom is greater than ours, and we come to know that He answers our prayers even though the answers at times are difficult to discern.  (President Gordon B. Hinckley).

Letter 9/7/14

So this week we had Zone Training. It was a really tender experience as we all remembered the life of Sister Vea. I can't describe the Spirit that was there.
Our mission President told us that a young adult is 8 times more likely to pass away off a mission than on one. It's easy to worry when missionaries get hurt because we consider someone called by the Lord to be protected. I think we must be careful to remember that the Lord is in control, and the Lord understands. It's hard to comprehend why sometimes, but it's important to remember God's love for each of us and for us collectively. I'm trying to make this make sense, but I think the most important thing we need to do is simply honor those who sacrifice in the Lord's name--no matter what that sacrifice ends up being.
Love,
Sister Short

 Thought for the day comes from the PG East Stake Relief Society Newsletter.  Article written by Laura Bichon. " How willing am I to be taught by the Lord and His servants? How receptive am I to the inspiration I receive? Do I do the things, like consistent personal prayer and gospel study, that will help me to be more receptive to His counsel? How do I respond to correction? Do I ask questions when things aren't clear or do I just go on in my confusion? Do I express gratitude when the Lord helps me?
     These are some hard questions to ask, and they may be even harder to answer honestly. However, asking and answering these questions honestly can help us to open ourselves up more to the influence and counsel of the Lord. If you feel like these are some questions that you would like to examine in your own life, I would encourage you (and all of us) to take the time to seriously ask ourselves, and answer,
these questions."

Letter 9/1/14

I've been thinking so much that there are causes and effects to everything in life. Our perception of the world and therefore our actions are shaped by prior thoughts. Is it any wonder that Christ gave the higher law as a law of causes and thoughts--to not even think of sinning? Now, that sounds like a lot in many ways right? But have we ever considered the thoughts we have as being an effect of something deeper as well? What, at the deepest parts of our soul, define us? 

Helaman 5:12  "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundations; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fail."

It is my hope and prayer that each of us will take the time to seek to understand--TRULY understand--our Savior and especially His Atonement. His Atonement is the power to be more than we are. It is literally the power to change. It is the power to become all that our Heavenly Father sees that we can become. 

It is my testimony that the more we learn of the Atonement, the more we begin to see all that we wish to understand about it. 

Please begin now to pray and ask God to help you recognize the power of the Atonement. It is the ultimate cause and it's effect is eternal joy. 

With love,

Sister Short

Thought for the day: (Comes from the book titled "Prayer")  Our personal prayers need not be long, but I think it appropriate to remind all that they should be more frequent.  We do need to thank God in all things and ask for his help in our keeping all of his commandments.  We have been commanded to pray under all conditions wherever we are.  Our spirits are heaven-drawn, anxious for constant communication with the source of all great strength.  The Savior set a beautiful pattern as shared in 3 Nephi 19:17-34.