Dedicated To Vernon Evertson

First of all, I need to share an experience I had today:

In my ward, there are a lot of elderly people who can't make it to sacrament meeting. Because of this, each week four of our 6 priests have to take the sacrament to their homes. And, as I'm first assistant, and because a chunk of the Priests is almost always unable to go for various reasons, I've gone every week for the last two months, maybe more. I can't tell you have amazing it has been to be able to go every week, to feel of the Spirits of those who are so much further along the journey of life than I am.

In my taking of the sacrament to those who are homebound, I have been able to build some amazing relationships with some of these people. I realized today just how much those relationships mean today when I learn that one of these elderly angels on earth had a stroke yesterday, and will not be on this earth much longer. There is a real possibility that I blessed the bread for him for the last time today. In ways I would never have imagined, this man, Vernon Evertson, and his wife, Verna, have changed my life. They have shown me what it means to endure to the end. They have also show me enduring love, and sticking my your spouse through everything. I will miss Vernon Evertson very much when he goes.

Thank you, Brother Evertson.

I also need to talk a little bit about Christmas considering it's on tuesday. As I've grown up, I've learned what Christmas really is about: It's about love. The true Christmas Spirit is love. Love of family and friends coming together to enjoy each other's company. Love of each of us for those around us that we don't think about as much; the poor and the needy. Love of a Father giving His Son that we might be redeemed from our transgressions. It's about love, and it's about Christ. I heard something interesting in seminary the other day: Christmas only matters because of Easter. Without the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, Christmas wouldn't mean anything.

Let it be our prayer that Christ will always be in our hearts and minds, and we will carry the Spirit of Christmas into our lives in have it burn within us for the all of this coming year, and year afterward.

Preston Miller 

Faith

I have a love/hate relationship with faith.

Here's the problem: I need to be in control. That's a just a person need that I have. It's the way I work. I need to be in control of my life, of what is happening to me, and of the way things are going. When I'm not, I feel powerless. But, I am also a perfectionist, and the fact is I'm not perfect. So when I'm in control of things, they turn out imperfectly. I want to control things and make them perfect, but when I'm in control, I mess stuff up. It makes for a big issue.

Thankfully, I don't have to always be in complete control of everything around me, and I can give it over to God. When he is in control, things turn out perfectly. But that requires that I trust, and that I give up my control.

And this, my friends, is when faith comes in. Faith is trusting in the Lord enough that I can let everything go, and not worry about it, and completely out of control, and know that things will work out anyway! When I am able to truely have faith, I don't have to worry about a thing. I cannot tell you how awesome it is to not have to worry about anything. I am able to trust in and rely on the Lord completely. It's an incredible feeling.

Like I said, though, I have a hard time getting to that place. I have a need to control, so I don't like letting go. But when I do, it's one of the most amazing things ever.

I misspoke earlier. I don't have a love hate relationship with faith. I love faith, and the amazing things that it does for me in my life. I hate the fact that I have such a hard time actually have true faith.

Considering it's Thanksgiving weekend, I'm doing to write this post on the most corny and generic thing I can: Gratitude.

But really, think about it for a second: Myself and most of those reading this are among the most blessed people in the history of the world!! This is something that I realized a little while ago. We have the Gospel restored in it's fullness here on the earth. That in and of itself is something to be pretty darn grateful for.

Because of the Gospel, none of us have to fear death, the one thing people have fear since the beginning of time, because we know that we will live again. Also, we know that beyond this Vale of Tears is a paradise waiting for us, where we can not only spend eternity with those we love, but progress eternally and eventually become Gods. Is there anything more amazing than that? I don't think so.

With the Gospel comes the Priesthood. At no other time (to my knowledge), except maybe Christ's time have families been blessed with the fullness of the Priesthood within their own homes. The powers to heal, guide, and bless, in the fingure tips of the men of the Church. That's pretty amazing.

I could go on and on about the Gospel, but I'm going to move on now. We live in a world of technology and modern conveniences, and more importantly, the means and abilities to access them. We live in a prosperous and growing country and have the ability to grasp all of temporal blessings this day and age has to offer. That's pretty dang cool.

Beyond that stuff is also the amazing people we associate with in our daily lives, and out families; two of the greatest blessings we could ask for. These are the things I think of when I tell my Heavenly Father how grateful I am.

And more important than all of that, we have a Savior, and Elder Brother, who suffered and died for us. The Prefect Man, who descended below all things, and bore all things, and sweat drops of blood  that we might be SAVED!!! A God loved us enough to take on all of Hell and thensome so that we wouldn't have to. Does it get better than that?

When we actually take the time to think about our blessings, when we actually think about all the things we do have, I think we can see that have very, very little to complain about. I complain about the fact that I have to do homework! What kind of joke is that!? How many children never had the oppritunity to learn? How many children stayed up all hours of the night so that they could get in a little bit of precious homework after a long day's work in the field? What would they have given to be able to do homework and read all day long? When I think about it that way, I feel kinda silly, to be honest.

And more than that, Gratetude will being us joy. When we are focused on what we have, on our blessings, on our joys, life is pretty good.

There's my Thanksgiving thought of the week.

Etiquette Simulation 2012. . . Amazing. Just amazing. Most of you reading this were there, or have gone before. I've been to all four simulations, and this is the best one we have ever had. This one was so good because somehow, we all got it by the end. The Spirit was able to teach us all so much.

After processing everything I learned at the Simulation, I have gained a much greater understanding of what the role of a man is. I was thinking about it in church today, and it can all be summed up in these words: The role of a man is to take care of women and children, and to lead them. It can also be described as creating an environment in which a woman can fulfill her role, that of motherhood, while taking care of all the outside issues and obligations.

I always kinda knew this, I didn't understand it. I do now. It's a really good feeling, to understand what my job is.

So there's this idea. It's called commitment. Without it, you can't do anything awesome. And my musical theater class, unfortunately, doesn't have it. And it makes me want to scream at them.

AAAAUUUUGGHGHGHG!!!!

That will have to do.

    But seriously though. Commitment, loyalty, integrity: doing and being what and who you say your going to. Without this basic human value, things kinda fall apart. Trust is so vital to all human relationships. Without it, none of us would ever be able to go out on a limb. We'd never be able to risk anything. Also, none of us would ever be able to accomplish the things that require more than one person. We would all be so focused on not being hurt that we wouldn't be will to accomplish anything that requires more than one person.
    Trust, loyalty... yeah, they're big. They make society possible. Thank you to all of you that I can trust.

I've been writing my speech these last few days. It's on how family has been redefined, and how that is a really bad thing. As I've been doing my research for this speech, two things have been very reinforced to me.

The first one is that the family really has been defiled in so many ways. It's really sad to see the way that Satan has twisted people's minds. 

The second thing I found is that no matter what, in 99% of cases, the traditional family produces better results than any of it's "replacements," statistically speaking. Now, I could have told you that a long time ago! But now I've seen the statistical proof. I can't tell you how fulfilling it is to see the truths of the Gospel proven by the world.

But beyond the statistical proofs, I've been show once more just how important the family truly is. It literally can mess kids up when they don't live in a good family. Family is where morality, hard work, religion, and everything that is basic and true are taught. Without that foundation, I know that I would be in a very bad place. Family is so very important.

Today in sacriment meeting, I was thinking about stuff, and writting in my journel. I was really worried about some things in my life. I was trying to think what I should do about these things. Then, out of no where, the Spirit came and said two very important things:

First: Everything will work out. Let me tell you, that assurence was a huge comfort. It's a huge testimony to me that the Lord is there, and that He loves us. The things that are important to us, are important to the Lord, simply because He loves us. When we follow Him, things will work out. Is that not just an amazing, comforting thought? All we have to do to make sure that things work out the best way they possibly can is follow the Lord. I think that's pretty dang awesome. :)

Second: Cast out your fear. Fear... there truely are few emotions that are as strong as fear. When we are physically afraid, it can paralyse us, and stop all action, thereby comfirming our fears. In a Spiritual sense, fear makes us doubt the Lord, and want to do things our way. Fear truely is the opposite of faith, and it can destroy us. When we are able to cast it out, I can testify that our capacity to do skyrockets! We are empowered beyond measure when we are acting strictly on faith.

The two principles above are a product of having faith. Faith is one of my favorite concepts ever, which is interesting, because it's hard for me to live. My personality wants to control everything around me; I don't like leaving things up to the Lord. But when I actually do, I cannot tell you how free I feel. There is a strength, a power, that comes from faith. This I can testify of.

There is my thought shpeel for today. Have a good sunday!