Reason to Rejoice

Life is good.  There are a lot of really happy times that I can remember.  Times where I laughed, times where I smiled, times where I rejoiced.  Some of them include when the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup (we won't talk about them this year), when my high school rock and roll band played a stellar show, and more importantly, when I opened my mission call to the Montana Billings Mission.  Just thinking of those times fills my soul with joy. 

I had an experience recently that kind of threw me for a loop though.  The experience led me to believe that there are so many more times that we can and should rejoice.  In 1 Peter 4:12-13, Peter is explaining how suffering should cause us to rejoice.  He says, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings..."  That scripture hit me like a brick wall.  Never have I ever thought of that we could rejoice in suffering.  Logically, it doesn't make sense.  Spiritually is a whole different story. 

Times of trial should be considered blessings.  Trials refine us and define us.  Often times when hardship is happening, a blessing is the last thing we want to call it, but we can rejoice in Christ.  We can rejoice that we are suffering with him, and through that suffering, we grow that much closer to him.  We start to understand what he went through, while he fully understands what we do go through.  He loves us and will never leave us comfortless.  We must not sulk in sorrow during our suffering, but rather celebrate because of our sanctification, and realize the reason to rejoice!

2011: Entrusted by Heaven

Our theme for the Billings, Montana mission is 2011: Entrusted by Heaven.  To me, trust has always been something I treasure.  People don't just automatically have my trust.  They have to prove to me that they deserve it.   Trust is never given, only earned.  But all the trust in the world can be shattered in seconds.  It just takes one act to lose someone’s trust.  Then it's harder and harder to earn it back. 

Now, let's get back to the theme.  As missionaries, we are entrusted by heaven.  We are sent to spread the gospel to as many people as we come in contact with.  In a sense, we're doing what the savior told his apostles to do at the end of the Book of Matthew.  "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: an lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.  Amen."  (Matt. 28:19-20).  He says he will always be there with us, but we have to earn his trust first.

When I think of trust, I think of the Army of Helaman.  Those 2000 or so warriors were the epitome of trust.  Alma 53:20 reads, "And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all - they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted."  Think of how much good we can accomplish if Heaven trusts us.  If they know that we'll only use their power for good.  That'd be awesome.  If we live our lives in a way that proves we can be trust by heaven, there will be nothing that we can't accomplish.