WEEK 96: To My Cousins

Dear Cousins (and others!),

I would like to dedicate this letter to you! We have all been raised in good homes, and have been raised to follow Jesus Christ and his commandments. I'd like to bear you my witness, that everything that we have been taught by our "goodly parents", is true.

The mission has changed me. Well, the Lord has changed me, through the mission. I'm not in the slightest perfect, but he's taught me so much, and He's been able to help me improve and progress. He's been able to show me the greater perspective. He's shown me what matter most. He's helped me to see what I really want in life. He's helped me to start living for something higher than myself. I've gained a witness for myself, through diligent prayer and scripture study that He lives, and that Jesus is the Christ. 

I know at His Atonement is very real. He suffered the major consequences of our actions, so that we wouldn't have to, if we would just truly repent. I've felt his redeeming love from that great sacrifice. No matter what mistakes we may have made, we can always turn towards Him and he will accept us as we faithfully strive to follow Him. And when we do, He is able to change our nature. There is always hope. We are able to become more Christ-like with every small decision that we make. His Atonement makes it possible for us to find true joy in this life, and in the next. It's because of Him that we can return to live with our loving Heavenly Father. 

I know that Joseph Smith saw what he said he saw. We again have the fullness of he Gospel of Jesus Christ because of that event, and those events that followed. It's all true. It's incredible, the power and light that can come into your life, by simply loving God, living His laws, abiding by His principles, and serving His children. I know if I wish to find true joy in life, all I have to do is live His Gospel. It's really that simple. But, He wants all of us. He needs our full attention and diligence. It may not always be easy, but I know it always will work out if we put our trust in Him.

Stay close to Him in all you do. You've seen what happens to those who stray from the Gospel. Hold fast to he rod and obey Him. You'll more often be able to taste of the fruit that is "sweet above all at is sweet". He'll take care of you, and you'll be truly happy, I promise. 

Love,

~Elder Carroll

"And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise." (Moroni 7:41)

Adam's Caynon hike in Layton today!

Diane's Baptism!

WEEK 95: Visions and Blessings of Old Are Returning

MAY 11, 2015

It's been a fantastic week. Some of the people we've been working with have gone out of town for a bit for summer, but they're getting back soon! Diane is still on date for May 16th, and Alex for May 29th. And get this! Danny (from my last area) is on date for May 28th!! Great things are happening :) I love the mission.

The other day we went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders in Bountiful, and so I was able to attend their monthly Zone Training Meeting. During the meeting, we sang Hymn #2, The Spirit of God. This song never necessarily grabbed my attention, but for some reason, it did this day. The words especially. There's something about music, that brings the Spirit so strongly. Here are some of the words..

The Spirit of God like a fire is burning!
The latter-day glory begins to come forth;
The visions and blessings of old are returning,
And angels are coming to visit the earth.

The Lord is extending the Saints' understanding,
Restoring their judges and all as at first.
The knowledge and power of God are expanding;
The veil o'er the earth is beginning to burst.

I'm a witness that the Lord really has and is bringing back the blessings "of old". Joseph Smith truly is the first Prophet of our time and I know he saw what he said he saw. I'm eternally grateful for the opportunities that we have to partake in His Ordinances and Covenants, that have come with this Restoration. I know if we make and keep our covenants, so much joy is in store. I know that by obeying His laws is what truly can set us free. I've seen it in my personal experience, in the lives of those around me, and through burning confirmations of the Spirit. The Atonement is real and has a lasting effect on those who search and obey Him.

By turning to the Lord in all we do, He is able to provide us with further light and knowledge that can benefit and bless us in incredible ways. I can't express through this email completely, what the Lord has helped me to understand and learn. This is His Gospel. His Son leads it. If we will follow him, we will find maximum amounts of joy in the life and into the eternities.

Turn towards Him.

~Elder Carroll

"Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice." (Mosiah 15:9)

A nice Sunday drive.

 We finally got Ipads!

WEEK 94 Sanctify Yourselves

I can't express, through words, the deep gratitude and love I have for our loving Heavenly Father. He's there. He's very aware of each of us. He's engaged in our lives. He's interested in the details of the details of the details of our pursuits. He wants the best for us. He'll let us fall every once in a while, only so that we may know that He is the ultimate source of truth, light, and joy. We will only know joy if we have experienced opposition. We're given weaknesses so we will humble ourselves and come unto Him. We must rely wholly on "Him who is mighty to save" in all things.

The Area

This past week has been one of the busiest weeks on the mission! Zone Conferences, 4 total companion exchanges after each day of Zone Conferences, and a full day of teaching on Saturday! 4 Sacrament Meetings yesterday, and a Worldwide YSA Broadcast with Elder Robbins of the 70 in the evening, which we were able to attend live at the Tabernacle on Temple Square! Revelation has been flowing and amazing things are happening. Dianne is still solid on date for May 16th! Alex is going out of town for 3 weeks, but is set on being baptized as soon as he gets back on the 29th of May! We are so incredibly blessed to be working with the individuals the Lord has placed in our path.

Guess who we had a scripture study with this week... A President of one of the Quorums of 70--kinda!!  In the Community of Christ Church (formally known as the RLDS church)! It was a woman. They believe she has the Priesthood. She's over the entire Western United States for their church. A little background... We've been teaching this guy named Tyler, who was baptized into the LDS church 3 years back. Within the past year, he's been attending the Community of Christ. Something has drawn him back to the LDS faith and we are working with him to help him gain a stronger testimony. He said he had some "friends" that wanted to come observe our lesson with him and this is who he brought!! Anyways, having scripture study with this woman was like having scripture study with Elder Rasband in the eyes of the Community of Christ!  What an amazing opportunity to be able to sit down in harmony and have a Gospel discussion. She didn't say much, but she was really nice. Oh the mission experience!

Last week I mentioned that our portion of the trainings at Zone Conference was going to be centered on "motivations". Last minute change, we ended up focusing on Sanctification, or being sanctified. Here's a few thoughts from that training:

Sanctification

"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." (Joshua 3:5)

In order for the Lord to use us in His great work, and for him to be able to bless us with all blessings available, we must sanctify ourselves. So what does the word sanctify even mean? Well, there's at least 2 meanings used in the scripture. The first is meaning to cleanse, or purify. This is what the Spirit can do to us to help us become whole.

"That ye may be sanctified [cleansed] by the reception of the Holy Ghost." (3 Nephi 27:20)

The other definition is to set apart for a specific purpose, or to consecrate. This is what we mean when we ask the blessing on the Sacrament bread.

"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread" (Moroni 4:3)

We are not asking God to cleanse the bread of sin, but rather to set it apart for the specific purpose of the Sacrament. This is the kind of Sanctification that I wish to discuss today. The Sanctification of ourselves.

So why is it important to be sanctified, or set apart, or consecrated unto the Lord? I guess you could say this answer is obvious, but let's dig a little deeper into it.

"Purge ye out the iniquity which is among you; sanctify yourselves before me." (D&C 43:11)

First off, it's a commandment. The Lord doesn't want just a part of us. He wants all of us. He expects us to "purge" ourselves of any sin or ungodly thing. Although we cannot truly become clean without the cleansing of the blood of Christ, we must do our part to obey Him, and repent when necessary.

"For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified." (Moses 6:60)

We must keep in mind that we alone can do nothing, but because of the atoning blood of Christ, we can be made whole.

"Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power" (D&C 43:16)

Just because we are "endowed" in the Temple, doesn't mean we are entitled to that power with no conditions attached. If we expect the Lord to bless us with His strength, we must do our part. We must stay true and faithful. We must Sanctify ourselves, and the Lord will do wonders among us.

"Therefore,  sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you." (D&C 88:68)

In order to receive continuous revelation, we must be worthy and receptive to it. By sanctifying ourselves, we are inviting the Lord share further light and

knowledge with us. Knowledge and truths that are Eternal, which will benefit us for the rest of our existence.

"And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they might also be sanctified." (John 17:19)

Christ sanctified Himself for us. If we intend to become a more effective instrument in His hands, we must do the same. If we take care of His, He'll take care of ours.

How Can I Sanctify Myself?

Knowing the importance of become personally sanctified brings up an important question. How can I best sanctify myself? Well, it all goes back to priorities-- Eternal Priorities. Is the Lord your first thought each and every morning? Do you commit each morning that you keep your covenants by obeying Him in every thought, word, and action? Do you repent when you fail to do so?  Do you put as a priority to "feast upon the words of Christ" through diligent daily scripture study? Do you attend all 3 hours of church every week (which by the way is only a less than 2% if your week) and strive to magnify your calling? Do you attend the Temple regularly, if at all possible? Do you sacrifice your time, talents, and everything he has blessed you with, to Him? Are you allowing the Lord to gradually change your nature, so that you can become in reality, a Latter-Day "Saint"? Do you invite the Spirit into your life on all occasions? Do you apply the Atoning sacrifice of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ regularly? Do you do all you can to tap into the enabling power, or grace of The Merciful One?

This may seem like a lot to do. I think it may be because it is. Joseph Smith stated:

“A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.” 

Eventually, we must be willing to sacrifice everything to the Lord and in effect, sanctify ourselves. This time on earth is a "time for [us] to prepare to meet God". When the Lord asked us to take up our own cross (D&C 56:2), did he just want us to take it to the bottom of the hill at Golgotha? Or just to the top? Did he just want us, when we got to the top, to say, "Ok Lord, I've come this far and sacrificed this much. Go ahead and get up on that cross while I stay down here and watch you suffer."? No. Christ wants and needs us to give our lives to Him, our whole lives, just as He gave His life to the Father. All of us.

Conclusion

Getting to the point of complete sanctification, consecration and conversion is obviously a life-long process. But we must start now. I invite all of us to set goals and make plans to progress in our journey of self-sanctification. Self-evaluate and be honest with yourself. As President Hinckley would say, "Try a little harder to be a little better". Only true joy awaits as we learn to give our will (which is the only real thing of ours we have to give) to the Father in all things.

Stay close to Him.

~Elder Carroll

"Only the deeply converted will survive." -President Stephen W. Hansen

Pioneer YSA Stake Talent Show. Sisters Pearson, West, Elder Ohl

Elder Steed & I in the car

WEEK 93: What Is Your Motivator?

April 27, 2015

The Lord is good! It's been an incredible busy week yet again. Staying on our toes with transfers, leadership meetings, and planning Zone Conferences, which start tomorrow! We'll be touring the Mission with President and Sister Spendlove for these all-day Conferences Tuesday-Friday. I love the opportunity we have to associate ourselves more fully with the entire body of the mission.

We have the privilege of speaking in 3 sacrament meetings yesterday, and teaching an Elders Quorum & Relief Society class (at the same time! We had to split!). I am so grateful for how often I am able to testify of Eternal Truths. It just feels good. The Spirit is there, and I'm able to learn from it every time.

While planning our segment of Zone Conference Trainings, I've had a lot of time to think and ponder on our training topic, being: What Is Your Motivator?

What Is Your Motivator?

There is such an incredibly wide variety of motivators that drive us to make every and all decisions in our lives. Whether it's instant gratification, pleasure, peer pressure, knowing the personal benefits of making a certain choice, knowing it's your duty in some way or another to make one decision over another.. the list can go on and on. After studying and pondering on this topic, I've come to understand what our true motivator for serving the Lord should be. I've heard it over and over, but now I understand the why of this principle. Christ once said:

"But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence." (John 14:31)

Christ was motivated to be exactly obedient to the Father, in reaction to His love for the Father. Love is the motivator. Love should be our motivator.

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—" (Moroni 7:46)

I've read this scripture so many times, but it have never had any significant meaning to me, until now. Charity will never fail us. All other motivators will, eventually, not be good enough. When our Abrahamic trial comes, we must be motivated by something more than our own personal benefit. We must be motivated to keep the Father's commandments, because we love him. Christ attempted and succeeded to teach Peter this very principle at the Sea of Tiberias, after his resurrection:

"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17)

He taught Peter that his motivation to serve Him to the end, had to be Charity. It had to be the pure love of Christ. All other motivations were going to fail him.

So the question is, how can we come to more love the Father, and the Savior? How can we change our ultimate motivator to love, or charity? This is why understanding the nature of the Godhead is so very important. This is why strengthening our relationship with the Father is so important. We can increase our love for God by have more often earnest prayers. We can increase our appreciation for Him by studying His atonement. If we truly could comprehend what the Savior went through, we would have a perfect love for Him. We would be obedient to Him, because we love Him and are grateful for what He's done for us. What do you need to do to increase your love for God?

I can promise that as we strengthen our charity for other around us, and God, we will have a new Light within ourselves. A new joy can and will be found. The Gospel is how we can access Eternal Happiness and life eternal.

The Area

Liz, a girl from my last area, got baptized yesterday!! She is 18 and from Vietnam! She's awesome. She's been attending the LDS Business College. She is gonna be a rock solid member!

Dianne is still on date for May 16th. Excited for her!!

Stay close to the Lord, you'll be happy.

~Elder Carroll

Liz's Baptism!

WEEK 92: His Healing Light

April 19, 2015

Elder Steed and I with President Spendlove

at the Bountiful Temple

Hello!

We're at the mission home tonight with all 19 departing missionaries (including some past companions of mine, Elders Burt, Harward, and Taylor!), President and Sister Spendlove, and their 14 year old son, Mitch! We just had dinner and now President is talking with the departing missionaries. Elder Steed and I are finishing up the transfer board for all the other missionaries that we'll be sending out to them tomorrow morning.  They will know if and where they will be transferred to on Tuesday. We will be taking the departing missionaries to the airport tomorrow at 6am and then picking up the new arriving missionaries at 3:30pm. Two training meetings for new leaders and trainers will be in between those times as well. Since I won't have time to send a note home tomorrow, I'll send it now!

What an amazing opportunity it is to be allowed to work in the Lord's service full-time. I am eternally grateful for what the Lord has done for me. He has been able to teach me things that I know are going to bless and benefit me for the rest of my life. I know anyone can have the experience of the Lord teaching them great things. If we let him, He is able bless us with incredible amounts of knowledge and completely new perspectives on life and all things that pertain to our existence. With the help of the Gospel, we are all able to learn at an exponential rate. If we are willing to put in the effort and patience, the Lord will bless us with "all things that are expedient for [us] to understand" (D&C 77:78). It's been an amazing experience to take part in this promise.

What Is The Light?

Christ is the "Light of the World". What does that really mean? What does it mean to "taste the light", as Alma describes? Is having light in our lives important? How can we receive more light? How can we let our "light so shine before men"? All of these are questions of which I have pondered over. I pray that as we come to more fully understand the principle of receiving the Light into our lives, we will have a more joyful and purposely driven life. The Light is peace, comfort, direction, hope, drive, love. The Light is everything we need to find true joy in this life and in the eternities. The Light is Christ.

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Do you have the Light of life?

Why Do We Need Light?

Have you ever been a completely pitch dark room all by yourself? So dark that you can't even see your own hand just inches in front of you? How well can you progress in while in this state? How do you know where to go? Can you know? What does it take for you to maneuver in the correct direction? We can liken this dark room to the fallen world we live in today. We can also add loud and harsh voices influencing us and calling us every which way. Without the Light in our lives, it's difficult to know which way to go, or which way is right or correct. It's hard to see what can truly bring us true joy. The pleasures in a dark world are so convenient when it comes to gaining instant but temporal satisfaction. Pleasure, or temporal happiness, is easy to find in the world we live in today. Without the Light to show and remind us of an eternal perspective, contentment is found in that pleasure. With a limited perspective, why would it not? There are no spiritual or eternal consequences with only a mortal perspective. What is the harm in committing a little sin if there is no hell? That is one of Satan's most curious tricks. One of the greatest human tendencies is trying avoid accountability for ones actions. Think about Adam in the Garden. When he transgressed and realized he was naked, what did he do? Satan tempted him again and he hid.

 "And others will [Satan] pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance." (2 Nephi 28:21-22)

I am a witness that Satan uses this technique all the time. If we're not careful, we too can easily be "pacified" by Satan's lie. There is a hell, just as well as there is a heaven. This is all very real. We must be willing to take responsibility and be accountable for our own actions and deeds, so we can righteously apply  moral agency into our lives. (Moral Agency = 2 or more choices  (choice) + different outcomes or consequences deriving from those choices (freedom) + knowledge of those choices and outcomes (agency)). You can learn so much by studying the Gospel.

Light Comes Through..

Light is a result of righteousness. If we wish to have an increased amount of Light in our lives, we must be willing (choose) to live a righteous life. We must be obedient to an all-loving Father. We must be willing to "putteth off the natural man" and sacrifice things that diminish that Light. If we are expecting the Light to follow us into our dark alleyways, we're wrong. If we plan on being able to see life more so through God's eyes, we have to do our best to live as He lives. We must live by His laws, as far as we know them and are capable of living them. As we begin to invite the Light into our lives, it will become brighter and brighter every day. Keep in mind, light is not gained in our lives by overcoming huge or overwhelming trials or challenges. Those times is when the Lord expects to use the light we have accumulated over many hundreds and thousands of decisions and choices we've made to build up that Light in our lives. The choices we make on a daily basis add up quickly to what our overall nature and character is. When those obstacles come, that is when we must  be able to stand upon the Rock that we have been building over the past months and years. As we build this Light, it will naturally "shine before men", and others will be able to benefit from it as well.

"And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.

He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things." (D&C 93:27-28)

Christ's Light has the Power to Heal

I can testify confidently that when we allow the Light into our lives, that is when we will have the true peace and direction that we yearn for. Some have come so far in their regression of recognizing the Light, that they are "past feeling".  It's awfully sad to encounter someone in this situation. It's like all hope is gone for them. They don't see a need to obey Him. They aren't willing to accept the Light into their lives in order to Eternal Perspective. The adversary has "cheateth their souls", then "carefully leads them down to hell."

Christ's Atonement is real. The grace or enabling power that we can derive from it is real. I've felt it's influence and power. The Light we can obtain from properly using His Atonement will change us. It will change our nature. We will "become new creatures in Christ". It is up to us to decide if we are willing to go through the proper efforts and steps to use this Priceless Gift. If we give Him our all, He will do the same. I promise this is true. I've experienced it for myself. He will carry us through the rough and deep, as we stay faithful to him in all circumstances. His arm will be "stretched out still" no matter what time in our life, and it is our duty to reach out to grab it. Again, we must be willing to put in the efforts required to obtain His mercy.

I know as each of us does all we can, every day, to invite the Light into our lives, we will receive a peace and confidence that can be found in nothing and nowhere else. I know that that Light is essential to not only gain joy, but also to gain eternal life, the ultimate goal and purpose of this mortal life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was established for the benefit of our joy. Lasting joy and Light comes through loving God, and staying faithful to what he has taught us. The Light will heal us as we do all we can to deem ourselves worthy of it. We will "taste the light" as we put in the personal effort required. As we partake in the covenants and ordinances He has revealed. As we pray daily, read daily, and attend our church meetings regularly. As we strive to have a more Christ-like character. When we feel as if there is nothing we or anyone else can do to fix our mistakes and regrets, there is always hope. Hope and healing in and through the Light is offered to us through the merits and mercies of Jesus Christ. Light chases the darkness, and the darkness can never outrun the Light.

The Area

Good news!! Dianne, who has been meeting with the Elders since before I got in the area, just put herself on date for baptism for May 16th! She's awesome! She's 21, and was raised in the Gospel since she was younger, but never got baptized. She had some concerns with some of the cultural things of the church, but knows the Doctrine is true. Excited for her!!

A lot of amazing other things are happening, and the Lord is being merciful by letting us teach non-stop! We are getting appointment after appointment after appointment!! A true blessing to stay busy. I love being able to teach and testify. I'm able to feel the Spirit so strongly when I am able to testify of a correct doctrine or principle. I'm grateful to know that the Spirit is the real teacher, and I just need to be worthy and willing.

Last night and today, Elder Kopishcke of the 70 came to our Stake Conference! I love Stake Conference in YSA. He did a 2 hour Q&A with the Priesthood leadership and another 2 hours similar with the general YSA. What an incredible blessing it is to have the Lord's faithful servants so close and willing to share what they know, with us.

Keep up the good work, stay busy, stay safe, and stay close to Him. He'll take care of you!

Love,
~Elder Carroll

"The Sabbath day is a day of revelation."-Elder Kopishcke

WEEK 91: Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father

April 13, 2013

The Gospel is the truth! As we live the principles taught by the Savior and His Prophets, we can see, for ourselves, this reality. Living the Gospel standards is what can bring us true and lasting joy. I am a confident witness of this.

Having the solid opportunity set apart each morning for dedicated studies is an absolute marvelous blessing we have as Full-Time Missionaries. My studies have brought me a deeper and greater conviction of the truthfulness of the Gospel, the reality of the Savior, and a love for the scriptures and words of the Prophets that I never saw inside myself. I've been able to search out and stumble upon doctrines and principles that have greatly blessed my participation in this Great Work, and that I know will bless me for the rest of my life and beyond. The Lord is willing to teach if we're willing to put the effort into listening.

Something I have been thinking and studying about recently is the concept or principle of surrendering our will to God. Why do we so often hesitate to give up our will to Him, even when we have strong testimonies of His wisdom and power?

"If I but learn to do His will,
I'll live with him once more."  -I Am a Child of God

It is a requirement. We must look to Christ as our ultimate exemplar. He was exactly obedient, sacrificed everything to the Father, and was totally and completely consecrated. I believe that Christ was the happiest person to ever walk the earth, because of His commitment and dedication to the Father's will. The Father trusted Him.

"I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me." (John 5:30)

If we want to find true joy in life, we've been instructed to simply love God, and therefore obey him. Love is and should be the great motivator. God knows much better than we do. Rather than relying on our own wisdom, we would be much better off trusting in an ultimate, supreme, and perfectly loving Father. He knows what will keep us from unnecessary pain and turmoil. He has given us the laws that we need to live in order to gain the true joy that he knows. I not only have a spiritual witness that this is doctrine is true, but experience after experience has even more so convinced me that when we can learn to let our will be "swallowed up in the will of the Father's", we will have true joy in life. Then we will have the peace of mind that we are searching for. Then we will have better health. Then we will have better family relationships. Then we will have the knowledge required to live as He lives.

"The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we “give,” brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!" -Elder Neal A. Maxwell
Jordan was baptized on Saturday! It was an amazing service! There was so many people, we almost had to move it into the chapel, but we squeezed tight into the Relief Society room. It was packed! That's one thing I really love about the YSA wards here. They are so supportive when it comes to being friends with investigators and new members. She was confirmed yesterday. Jordan is a living witness that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and active in our lives. She shared a dream with us a few weeks ago, when we first started meeting with her. In the dream, it was her baptism day, and when she went under the water, an air bubble followed around her, like she couldn't be baptized. She felt like she couldn't be forgiven for things she'd done in the past. Just on Friday, she had a powerful experience while reading D&C 20:37, and said she knew had been forgiven. The Atonement is real and powerful.

Elsa received her Patriarchal Blessing! She invited us to go. What a testimony builder. She was given a powerful blessing by a good brother who is a former Temple President of the Bountiful Utah Temple. Elsa also went to the temple for the first time to do Baptisms for the Dead! She is doing well.

This last week, we go kicked off of Temple Square! During a lesson! The less-active guy we are working with always carries 2 big knives with him. They're always visible. Apparently no weapons of any sort are allowed on the grounds. The Temple Square sisters got freaked out and called security! It was hilarious. Brandon (LA) is one of the nicest people I've ever met! Good times!

Miracle! A few days ago, we got a text from a Recent Convert, saying that she had an investigator that wants to meet with us. A missionaries dream! His name is Alex. We've been able to meet up twice in the past few days.  He has committed to live the law of chastity and has accepted baptism on the 2nd of May! He's awesome! He had a list of around 10 really good doctrinal and cultural questions about the church for us to answer. He didn't argue any answers we gave him, but accepted them completely. So stoked for him!!

Guess who we saw driving right next to Temple Square the other day? Elder Cook of the Twelve! Just riding along and waving at us... We're so lucky to be serving so close to the Lord's chosen servants. We’re blessed to be in the right place at the right time.

Please pray for Alex, Jordan, Genaro, and Nicole, that they will continue to gain stronger testimonies of their own. Thank you!

I love this work. Wouldn't trade the mission experience for anything.

Stay close to the Lord, He'll bless you.

~Elder Carroll

Jordan's Baptism!

Lunch w/ Caleb Baker from my hometown!

WEEK 90: Finding Joy In Eternal Priorities

April 6, 2015

I can't express, through words my feelings, thoughts and impressions that the Lord has helped me to develop concerning his Restored Gospel. He has helped me to see what matters most. He has helped me to understand how to effectively place my priorities that I may have a happy and successful life. He has allowed me unforgettable experiences of my own and the opportunity to work closely with incredible examples, who I have seen gain true and lasting joy by living true principles. He has helped me to gain a burning testimony of the divine reality of Himself, His Son, His Gospel, and everything that it entails, including: the need for Modern-Day Prophets, Priesthood, the Book of Mormon, Temples, Ordinances, Covenants, Prayer, (etc.) and most importantly the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Something that I feel like I can't capitalize on enough, especially as a missionary, is the importance of us knowing what things matter most in life. What will bring us joy, or lasting happiness? What should be our Eternal Priorities? Do we even need to set priorities? There are so many options and distractions to sort out in our busy lives, and sometimes I feel as if we lose track of what things truly need our focus and attention. We must keep an Eternal Perspective while we are making Eternal Decisions. So what are decisions that we make that are Eternal?

"By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." (Alma 37:6)

This is a principle that I have come to know and love. More often than not, the "small and simple" choices we make daily add up over time to make up what our life is as a whole. Every decision we make eventually adds up to be an Eternal one, to some degree. Therefore, we must always strive to keep that Eternal Perspective.

What are a few things that we can focus on, to ensure our Eternal Joy? Let's look at the things that are Eternal. What things do we take with us after death and into the Eternities?

 (In no specific order)

1. Our Family/Friend Relationships

2. Our Testimony and Conversion unto the Lord

3. Our Character

4. Our Faith

5. Our Knowledge (of the Gospel)

If these 5 things are held close to us as priorities, we will experience lasting joy, not only  in this life, but also in the life to come. Don't get me wrong, there are other things that bring happiness to us in this life, but remember, we must keep an Eternal Perspective even in our current mortal state. Do some of the things we now put as priorities in our lives really matter in the end? We may ask ourselves: What is our current focus in life right now? What should/needs to be our focus? What are we able to take with us after this mortal life is over? If we feel as if our life is repetitious, mundane, or even depressing, we should look within ourselves to see what our priorities are.

Are we doing the little things to help develop these 5 internal successes? Are we striving to mold within ourselves a Christ-like Character by putting the Lord as a Priority, keeping His commandments, repenting and using the Atonement regularly? Are we increasing our knowledge regularly through daily scripture study/prayer? Are we strengthening our family bonds through weekly Family Home Evening? Are we increasing our faith and testimony by weekly church attendance? Are we building our conversion unto the Lord in regular Temple attendance?

These are just a few of the many simple applications we must engage in, in order to keep these Eternal qualities and attributes a Priority throughout our "busy" lives. I know that by striving to stay close to the Lord in all we do, and keep these simple priorities, we will discover amounts of joy that we didn't know were possible. We may be able to "taste a [new] light" in our lives. Only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, can and will we find this whole amount of joy. I know as we strive to become devoted disciples of Jesus Christ ourselves, we will be able to help other along the path of conversion, through our friendships, words and example, which also brings an increased amount of joy. There are no loopholes in the Gospel. I love it. It all fits together so nicely. It's the way the Lord has instructed us will bring lasting and eternal joy.

Jordan is doing well. She is on date for baptismal on April 11th, and is pushing through challenges that are coming her way. She is going to be a solid member of the church.

We were able to attend the Saturday AM and Priesthood sessions of General

Conference at the Conference Center! What an amazing blessing to be serving in Salt Lake City and having the miraculous opportunity of giving  the experience for investigators to see the current Prophet of God speak right in front of them.

Conference was great, as always! If you weren't able to see every session, repent and go watch them! You won't be disappointed!

Stay close to the Lord and I promise He'll bless you.

~Elder Carroll

easter.mormon.org 

#BecauseHeLives

Priesthood Session! Ross, E. Steed, Christain (RC),

Me, CJ, Genaro (RC), Simi, Ryan

WEEK 89: Test the Doctrine!

March 30, 2015

Over the past months, I've had a lot of time to contemplate what I truly want in life. Or what matters most to me.  I have been led to my current desires through personal experiences and through observing and working with people around me. Whether its members, less-active members, or non-members, I've been able to clearly see the difference between an active Temple-goer and a less active member. I've been able to witness the difference in the lives of someone who strives to live God's laws and principles, and someone who doesn't.  I never really paid much attention or focused on this before the mission, but the Lord has helped me to see very clearly, what kind of life I want to lead.

I've had time to really think and ponder on what this life is all about. And let me tell you, this life is not about this life. This life is but a testing ground for the eternal life that is ahead. Although just a testing ground, this test is the final exam. What we do in this life affects everything we're involved with here afterword. If we can keep this mindset and eternal perspective, our choices will be affected positively, and a new, brighter light will be brought into our lives. I often wonder to myself, "Am I focusing on the right things? What should I be focused on? What are my priorities? What matters most? Am I progressing or regressing?" The amazing thing is: with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Atonement as our resource, all questions such as these can and will be answered. I've seen it firsthand.

One sure way I've found to have a more enjoyable and happier life, is by doing all I can to gain characteristics of our ultimate exemplar, Christ. He has characteristics such as charity, faith, hope, obedience, humility, diligence, patience, compassion. If we would turn outwards rather than inwards in my time of trials, we would be imitating more so the Character of Christ.

"There would have been no Atonement except for the Character of Christ" -Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Think about this one. The act of the Atonement was the ultimate example of turning outwards rather than inwards in a time of pain or sorrow. How can we imitate that Character? Do we need to imitate that Character?

"Therefor I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." (3 Nephi 12:48)

So the answer is yes, eventually. Another word for perfect is "whole".  The Atonement has the power to make us whole. It's our choice if we want it or not, though.  Although God doesn't expect us to be perfect today, but does expect us to progress today.

"Where we are today won't be good enough for tomorrow." -President Spendlove

On a course of steady progression, we can find peace and true, rightful contentment in this, our mortal lives. Remember CPR? Church, Pray, Read. There's a reason we learned these principles in Primary! These are the basic elements and factors in our progression. Once we have these down, we can add on more resources to help! Such as: the Temple, fasting, Family Home Evening, home/visiting teaching (which is the Lord's program, by the way), "magnifying our calling", serving others, etc. If we can continue to steadily progress on building our faith, conversion, and foundation upon Christ, then we are doing what the Lord expects us to do. It is when we stop actively engaging in these things, that our regression proceeds. If we're not progressing, we're regressing.

"Once the telestial sins [knowingly doing wrong] are left behind and henceforth avoided, the focus falls ever more on the sins of omission [knowingly failing to do right]. These omissions signify a lack of qualifying fully for the Celestial Kingdom. Only greater consecration can correct these omissions, which have consequences just as real as do the sins of commission [knowingly doing wrong]. Many of us thus have sufficient faith to avoid the major sins of commission, but not enough faith to sacrifice our distracting obsessions or to focus on our omissions." -Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Through being obedient to an all-wise God and loving Father, we will be able to achieve a measure that we would in no other way be able to obtain. It's through "obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" that all may find true joy (lasting happiness) in this life and rest in the Lord throughout the eternities. That's why we're here. These are true principles. I've had to many experiences to believe otherwise. If we would simply take the Gospel  teachings to heart, and apply them, we would and will be so much better off and so much happier. Test it and see for yourself.

"If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:17)

I love the Lord. I love this Gospel! If we'd learn of it, live it, and put it as our first priority, we'd find more happiness than we would anywhere else possible. These aren't just correct and valuable principles to live by. It's the truth.

Stay close to the Lord!

~Elder Carroll 

mormon.org/easter #BecauseHeLives

My friend, Danny!

President & Sister Spendlove, their son and

my companion, Elder Steed.

Late night fun in the office :)