Counting Down The Days: One More Month

As I come closer to my MTC enter date (March 25th) I've been trying to put myself in the missionary point of view in order to not be so shocked by various thing.

Knowing my personality, I'm going to want to teach and baptize everyone I come in contact with, but that's incredibly unrealistic. The main thing the sister missionaries from my ward have taught me is that you can't teach someone if they're not prepared to hear our message. I made a Facebook post that briefly expressed my thoughts, but I thought I should elaborate more, just because it's so important to me.

When on a mission, I'll come across a lot of people, and I'll have opportunity to teach a lot of people, but the mass majority will reject my message. I know that it'll devastate me. I'll be sad and discouraged, because my blue personality creates this drive in me to want everyone I know and love to be happy, but I can't force anyone to do anything. That's where the concept of agency comes in. We have the ability to choose for ourselves "happiness or misery in this life and in the life to come." Of course I want people to chose happiness, and of course I get frustrated because I have the key to happiness in the palm of my hand, but people won’t apply it. The Plan of Salvation is also named The Plan of Happiness. Elder Richard G. Scott said this, "Essential to His plan of happiness is agency—the right of personal choice." When we chose to obey commandments, and make covenants as stated in The Plan of Salvation, we will be happy. I KNOW that. I've experienced it. But I can’t FORCE my happiness upon others. It needs to be their choice, and I’ve really come to terms with that lately. It makes me sad, but I know that the Lord has a plan for everyone. If the people I love, or the people I will love, while on my mission, don’t chose to accept the gospel, I know one day they will be faced with the opportunity to accept, whether in this life, or the next. Richard G. Scott, in the same talk given in October of 1996, promised this “I promise you that through your obedience and continuing faith in Jesus Christ and your understanding of the whole plan of happiness, even if important parts of it aren’t fulfilled in your life now, they will be yours in the Lord’s due time. I also promise you that you can have significant growth and happiness now in your present circumstances. As a daughter or son of God, live whatever portion of the plan you can to the best of your ability.” I honestly testify of this promise, and I hope that I can help the people I love so dearly apply it in their lives.

Can’t believe the mission is happening so quickly! Thanks again for all of your support.

Love, Brianne