The Journey to Perfection

I have been thinking a lot about hope lately; what it is, how we obtain it, etc. It's a pretty broad topic and one that I think is often overlooked. As a missionary it can be easy to get into a routine and just "go through the motions" of being a missionary but if we don't keep our purpose in mind of bringing our Heavenly Father's precious children back to Him, we can't do as much good. We, as missionaries, have to have a vision of who these people are and what they can become. Heavenly Father has a vision like that for each of us but if we don't catch that vision in ourselves we can't become what He knows we can become.

It's so easy, in the world that we live in, to put ourselves down by comparing ourselves to others. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said  
"Let me cite a hypothetical example of a dear sister in any ward, the one who has perfect children who never cause a disturbance in church. She is the one working on her 20th generation in her family history, keeps an immaculate home, has memorized the book of Mark, and makes wool sweaters for the orphaned children in Romania. No disrespect, of course, intended for any of these worthy goals. Now, when you get tempted to throw your hands in the air and give up because of this dear sister, please remember you’re not competing with her any more than I’m competing with the members of the Quorum of the Twelve in winning a 50-yard dash. The only thing you need to worry about is striving to be the best you can be. And how do you do that? You keep your eye on the goals that matter most in life, and you move towards them step by step."  

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Everyone has their own strengths and their own weaknesses and it doesn't make anyone better than anyone else. We are all at different points in our progression but the point of this life is to become better. Perfection doesn't come in this life but we have a responsibility to constantly be stretching and growing. Heavenly Father knows what we can become and He will help us get there as long as we are trying our best. Sometimes we blame ourselves when people (children, siblings, friends, even parents) choose to do things contrary to what they have been taught but it is important to remember that everyone has their agency and all we can control is ourselves. In Preach My Gospel it defines what a successful missionary is but I think it is also the definition of a successful person.
"When you have done your very best, you may still experience disappointments, but you will not be disappointed in yourself. You can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when you feel the Spirit working through you."  

Heavenly Father only looks at our own personal effort. What others do after we have done our best is up to them but we can know that Heavenly Father is pleased with what we have done through prayer and studying the scriptures. Elder Carl B. Cook counseled us "to try not to look sideways to see how others are viewing our lives but to look up to see how Heavenly Father sees us. He doesn’t look on the outward appearance but on the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7). And He knows, better than anyone else, what each one of us needs."
So just keep doing your best. Place your faith and trust in the Lord and He will help you have the hope that you need to make it through.

I'll Go Where??

The beautiful Redwood trees in Eureka!

Well the time has come for me to leave Eureka. I've been anticipating this change for a couple of weeks so I've done a lot of reflecting on my time here. I have loved serving here! I've learned a lot and I honestly wish I could stay. But I didn't expect to feel that way when I came up here in November. When I found out I was coming here I had only been in Santa Rosa for 3 months and I loved it there! We were seeing so many miracles and was sure that I would be there for another 6 weeks. When we got transfer information Sister Luscher and I found out that both of us were getting transferred. To put it simply, I was really upset. I really wanted to "forget" about transfers and just not show up but instead I tried to have a good attitude (emphasis on the word "tried"). I pretended to be excited to come to Eureka. Don't get me wrong I was excited because I had heard wonderful things about the area but I just wasn't ready to leave Santa Rosa. Needless to say, my first couple of weeks up here were really hard. I spent a lot of time praying to love the area and to be happy and content with where I am instead wishing that I was somewhere else. Gradually, as I got know the people in Eureka I started to like it more here so that by the time Sister Hernandez came up here I loved it! And the past 12 weeks with her have been amazing!! We have seen many miracles and continue to see them every day! I don't really want to leave Eureka but I'm at peace with it because I learned my lesson. I've learned that the Lord's way is much better than my way. He always knows better.

Me and my new companions, Sister Uehara and Sister Aoyama 

However, even though I had been expecting to leave Eureka this transfer I still had a test of that new found testimony. Transfer calls came and I was told I would be going to Middletown to serve in a trio. I was really excited because I had been there for a day and I loved it! Then the next morning I got a phone call from our mission president and he told me that he had a change in my assignment. He told me that I would still be in a trio but that I would be going to the Lake Herman ward in Benicia. I really know nothing about Benicia and I didn't really know my companions either. But instead of getting upset or resenting the change I embraced it. And the thing that amazed me is that I didn't have to pretend to be excited! Sure, I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't be going to Middletown but I was/am excited for this new adventure/challenge in my life and in my mission. Sometimes it's hard to accept change in our lives, I'm not a fan of it myself, especially unexpected change. But I have learned that the Lord always knows what is best for me. He knows where I need to be to help the people that need me and also to meet people that will help me. In the words of Elder Clark "I'll go where the Lord wants me to go with a smile on my face" because I know that His way is always better than mine. So the next time you wonder if what you are being asked to do is from the Lord I invite you to get down on your knees and ask. Then when you get up, go to work, and do what the Lord has asked of you. That is where true happiness comes from, doing the will of the Lord.

Barely Hanging On

Jeffrey after his terrifying ride to church

As Sister Luscher and I drove out of our apartment complex on the way to church last Sunday I looked out my window and saw that there was a bright green grasshopper clinging to it. We figured that he probably wouldn't be able to hang on for very long as our speed increased to 35. But as we got to each stoplight he was still hanging on and would try to reposition himself to have a better hold. As we got closer to the church Jeffrey (that's what we named him) was still hanging on for dear life although there were several times we thought he wouldn't make it. I continued to force myself to go the speed limit because there were other cars behind us but 35 suddenly just seemed too fast because when you're a grasshopper it's probably the equivalent of going 100 for us. I thought when we got to the 25 speed limit zone that would be better but it didn't seem to make much difference for poor Jeffrey. By this time we were almost to the church so we were really rooting for him to just hang on a little longer (even though I'm pretty sure he couldn't hear us). Finally, we pulled into the church parking lot with Jeffrey still on the window. We were so relieved and surprised that he had made the journey of 3.2 miles, to us that doesn't seem very far especially when you're driving but to a little grasshopper on the window it's a lot farther.

Ready for the real life application? So as I watched this poor little grasshopper on the window and as I've thought about it since I realized that Jeffrey is a lot like us. We all have times in our lives when we feel like we're barely hanging on and we're not sure if we're going to make it. We wonder why God thought we could handle all this but He's always there to help us. He cheers us on (even when the noise of the world is too loud to hear Him), He gives us little breaks so we can get a better hold on the gospel and remember that our goal is to get back to live with Him and in order to do that we have to go through some tough stuff here. He sees the eternal perspective while we only see what's right in front of us. One of my favorite scriptures says "My son [or daughter], peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes" (Doctrine & Covenants 121:7-8). It always reminds me that even though things are hard and I can't see what the end results will be, God does. Our trials don't last forever and we are blessed as we are faithful to the gospel and keeping the commandments.

The Best Path

A few days ago during companionship study Sister Luscher and I were talking about the things we invite people to do and how they respond. As missionaries we invite people to do a lot of things (read the Book of Mormon, pray, come to church, get baptized, etc.) and one of the responses we hear quite frequently is "I'll try." Trying is good but it requires some doing and usually includes falling short a few times. The conversation reminded me of a time in my life when I thought I was trying but I wasn't doing my best.





Quick story from the life of Sister Tucker... Before I came on my mission I was in college at BYU-Idaho. The last semester I was there I was taking some pretty tough classes that I didn't enjoy very much, I wasn't particularly thrilled with my roommate situation, and I really didn't like my job. To say the least, it was hard. I got my mid term grades and realized I was failing a couple of classes and not doing too well in the others. Obviously I knew I needed to step up my game and just do the work I needed to but I was so overwhelmed with everything else going on in my life that I didn't know where to start. It was then that I realized that every talk in church, every devotional I went to focused on daily prayer and scripture study.... Oops... That's what was missing in my life and that's why nothing seemed to be going right. I had let those small but very important things slide for far too long. I made a commitment that I would start waking up earlier to read my scriptures before I got ready for class. It wasn't easy at first but as I kept that commitment and just did it I started to see the blessings. I was able to get all my homework done and I didn't dread it as much. I got better grades on tests. Work was tolerable even though I still didn't completely enjoy it. I was able to start hanging out more with someone who is now one of my very best friends and still maintain a good relationship with my roommates and other friends. And the best part...I decided that I was definitely going to serve a mission, which is the best decision I've ever made. What started out as the worst semester turned into one of the best because I committed to living the gospel and doing those small and simple things each day. It wasn't easy and I wasn't perfect at it but as I put forth my effort Heavenly Father blessed me. He will do the same for you as you truly commit to live the gospel. Christ commanded us to "be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48) but that doesn't mean He expects it all at once. It is the same way when missionaries invite people to do something like read the scriptures every day. I know that it's not the easiest thing in the world but is possible as you rely on the Lord and do your best each day.

True Happiness

Well, this is my first blog post ever so we'll see how it goes. I have been trying to think of a name for this blog for weeks now and last night as I was praying it came to me. Service with a smile. That's what my mission is all about. I'm here to serve and share the gospel and anyone who knows me would probably tell you that they have rarely seen me without a smile on my face. And I feel the same about Hermana Courtney Anderson and Elder Trevor Nuckles (pictured to the right), they are almost always happy and excited to be wherever they are. And I could say the same thing about most of the missionaries that I know. In fact, I was with a group of missionaries today and looking around the room I realized that we are a pretty happy bunch. So why is that? How can people who get doors slammed in their faces on a fairly regular basis be some of the happiest, most optimistic people I know? It has to do with what we do every day. Every day we talk to people about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. We share what we know to be true "through prayer, study, experience, and keeping God's commandments" (Preach My Gospel, pg. 176). But the thing that really puts those smiles on our faces and keeps them there is Jesus Christ. He is at the center of everything we believe and everything that we teach. As we follow His teachings and strive to live the way He did, we will have true happiness. Not a happiness that fades after a few hours, but eternal happiness. How awesome is that?! That is why I am out here sharing this message with everyone that I meet. Because it makes me happy and it makes me even happier to watch others change as they realize the peace and happiness it brings into their lives. It comes as we do the small things. Scripture study. Prayer. Going to church. Constantly trying to follow the Savior's example. As you do these things regularly I promise that you will feel our Savior's love and you will be happier.



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