Called to Serve

On Tuesday I GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!!!!:D

Oh my goodness, words cannot describe how wonderful my day was, and honestly my week because of that!

I loved every second of our day! When we first pulled up to the temple I was really shocked at how tiny it is!!! All the pictures make it look like the Draper Temple, but it's actually suuuper tiny!

But there were several zones there so I got to see my old district leader, and that was really fun. Then when we went into the temple there was a huge line of all the missionaries getting their temple clothes, and we were at the very end. But then the temple workers called out our names and had us skip all the way to the front because we had family names they were holding for us that they wanted to make sure we got! So that was kinda funny:)

But the actual temple experience was so wonderful! The spirit was stronger than I have ever felt it before! Something to do with being in the closest thing to Heaven on earth with a bunch of amazing people just trying to do their very best to follow Christ. It was life changing. I wanted to stay in the Celestial room forever.

I love it when we go through experiences that are so testimony fortifying. I know that opposition is so crucial for us to grow in this life, but I will be honest- I love the ups of life, and Tuesday was definitely the highest I've ever felt before. I love when the gospel just becomes so real. So factual. There are days where it doesn't even seem like faith anymore because you just know it to be true so strongly. My desire to share the amazing message of the gospel increased so much that day, and I had thought that I was really motivated before that experience.

After the Temple session we went across the parking lot to one of our church buildings and had a great discussion about the Atonement. We have been reading a collection of talks about the Atonement as a mission and finished them the day before we went to the temple, so we all talked about the different parts that we liked and the things we felt we learned as we did our studies and how we have applied them to our lives.

I am so grateful for the Atonement. There are no words to express how much it means to me and how deeply I love it. As I studied the Atonement more deeply the thing that stuck out the most to me was the potential we have in this life and the next because of it. I have really been thinking lately about the things we are asked to do as members of the church. My friends, that is quite the check list. And I'm sure we have all felt a little inadequate to accomplish everything that's been asked of us at times. But we need to really take a step back and remember the why. I remember people would always tell me in Young Womens "Personal Progress is not just something you check off. It's something that helps you growth and learn and change and become more like the Savior." And I always understood that, and agree with that. But it hasn't been until recently that I have really let that truth about the gospel sink into my heart. It's so easy to learn all of these things about the gospel and know all of the "right answers." But until we let those truths sink down from our brain into our hearts it's just information. It's not beneficial for us at all. You can visit every needy person, and weed 100 yards, but until you let those experiences soften your heart, and help you develop true Christ-like charity, they won't be benefit you a single bit. They will just be things that fill in the blanks in your schedule. There was a quote in one of the talks that I read about the Atonement by Neal A Maxwell, and when I read it, these things really stood out to me and I realized how much more I could be becoming every day. He said: "Remember, not only are we to have faith in Christ, but we are to strive to become more like him in our goodness, and loving-kindness." The Atonement allows us to do that. As we better yield our hearts to Him, He will help us recognize the divine potential we already have inside us. It's not so much that we are changing who we, rather we are discovering who we really are, and who we really want to be. I am so grateful for the Atonement and how it enables me to better pursue my divine nature and potential each day. I look forward to the day when I get to see my Savior again. I love Him more than I can simply express over an e-mail. And because of that I have for Him, and that I know He has for me, I want to do everything I can to show him my gratitude for what He has done for me. I don't want a single moment of His suffering to be in vain. I want to use it to help me make those changes and overcome the challenges each and every day, so when that day comes that I do get to see Him again, I will be able to say "I did everything I could."

So as I left zone conference with these thoughts in my mind, I felt so uplifted and so empowered. The temple is a wonderfully beautiful place. I never realized how much it meant to me until I wasn't able to attend for so long. I have been able to feel the blessing that come from the temple every day since we attended.

In other news! President Miles made an exciting announcement to conclude our conference. PRESIDENT NEILSON WILL BE COMING TO SPEAK TO US JUNE 11th!!! :D I can't believe it! I was overwhelmed with gratitude when I heard an apostle was coming to our mission last month, and now we will have a second coming in less than 20 days!! I promise I will be better at telling you all about the experience than I was when Elder Christofferson came!

It's funny, as I look over my journal to write about the highlights of my week I realize that everyday I have had a wonderful testimony strengthening experience. Wednesday I thought a lot about prayer and how wonderful a privilege it is to talk with our Heavenly Father every day of our lives. On Friday we had an amazing lesson with a less active about our Heavenly Father and His nature. He felt because He is "a just God" there is no way for Him to be a loving God, or a merciful God, and he doesn't ever want to be that kind of a dad, so why would he take the time to get to know Him, and try to become like Him? It was actually a really tough lesson, but at one point I just stopped the debate that was going on and told him the truth. We don't have all the answers. I honestly don't think we ever will. But what I can tell you us that I know that my Heavenly Father loves. I know He loves me. And I know he wants what's best for me, and is willing to bless me as long as I do the things that will help me become a happier person. And that, is enough for me. I then asked him what will be enough for him. He is a very intelligent person and is really good at analyzing every single thing and really dissecting things and learning so much more because of that, but like I mentioned before- he has all the information in his mind, but he hasn't let it sink into his heart. So no matter what we talk about in our lessons, he always has more questions. So I invited him to really think about what will be enough for him, and then turn to his Heavenly Father and pray for the answers He sees fit for him at this time.

Then on Sunday Sister Allard and I sang a duet in church. We sang "I'll go where you want me to go" by Craig Petrie. It is a beautiful arrangement, and I was really happy with how it went! I love that song so much, and this gave me the chance to really think about the lyrics and what they mean to me. I'm grateful for music and how we can feel the spirit and God' love that way. Hopefully we will have more chances in the future to sing again:)

Alrighty, I'm out of time! Sorry, there were so many amazing things that happened this week I don't have time to write about, but I'm sure I'll tell you all about it some time down the road! :)

I love you all and hope you have the chance to really take that step back and evaluate your life and testimony and see where you can improve.

Don't waste a single day.
Each night ask yourself what did I do today to come closer to my Savior?
I pray we will always be able to think of something every night.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Dobyns