July 17, 2017 - Healthy and Alive!

"Parley P. Pratt had served as a missionary for 25 years of almost constant labors. He had just returned from his latest mission in Chile. He was hopeful that he could now remain at home and enjoy his family, but such expectations were short lived. President Brigham Young called him to serve yet another mission- this time in the eastern states. One can imagine the feelings that must have swelled up in Parley's heart. Perhaps the thought, 'Haven't I given all that a mortal could be expected to give? Don't I deserve to spend some time with my family and friends? Can't I just relax for a while?... On September 7, 1856, shortly after learning of his call by Brigham Young, he offered the following tender reflections and prophetic insights: 'I have desired , after traveling for twenty-five or twenty-six years, mostly abroad, to stay at home and minister among the people of God, and take care of my family; but God's will be done, and not mine. If it is the will of God that I should spend my days in proclaiming the Gospel and bearing testimony of these things, I shall think myself highly privileged and honored. And when the spirit of God is upon me, I think it matters but very little what I suffer, what I sacrificed- whether I secure the honor or dishonor of men, or where I die, if it be that I can keep the faith, fight the good fight, and finish my course of joy. I have all eternity before me, in which to enjoy myself"

This week I was reading a talk which talks about as missionaries we need to sacrifice many things to become this missionary that changes lives. I really loved this talk because it was saying how we need to put these things on the altar of sacrifice. All the disobedience, fears, romantic passions, pride, negativism and sarcasm are all things that we need to give up to become this ideal servant of our Heavenly Father. Well these changes can also and need to be applied to all people especially members and their callings. If we want to be an amazing member who not only  completes but magnifies their callings we need to sacrifice a little bit of our pleasures and traits that drag us down. We always need to focus on our Father in Heaven and His kingdom on this earth. We can't have half of our heart, might mind, or strength focused on the work and the other half on some topic that is not eternal. Well I know it is a challenge to focus on our callings and still focus on the challenges of this life but when we put our Heavenly Father first and as we "seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" we have the promise of our Savior Jesus Christ that "all these things (that we need in our lives) shall be added unto you"(3 Nephi 13:33). Our Savior Jesus Christ promised that we will have the things we need when we focus on edifying the kingdom of God. These blessings may come in a day, in a week, in a year, in 10 years, and some might only come in our celestial glory, no matter when they will come, we need to stay strong and pushing forward "with an eye single to the glory if God". He loves us. He blesses us. He is our friend. 

Love,

Elder Mark Daniel Adams

P.S. Im healthy and alive!