GRATITUDE

Dear Missionary,

Have you ever biffed it and just felt like a complete dummy?  Well I sure have.  Just last week I was skateboarding and was crossing an intersection and hit a sewer drain.  My board completely stopped and I went flying!  To add to my troubles, my heavy backpack threw my weight forward, and I finished lying on the street with my backpack over my head and my knees scuffed up.  Ouch!  As I got up, brushed off my pants, and readjusted my backpack, I couldn't help but wonder if we can really be grateful in any circumstance ;)

We have been commanded to "thank the Lord thy God in all things", and we have also been told that "in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things..." (Doctrine and Covenants 59).  Why would the Lord to command us to give thanks in all things?  What benefit is there when you give thanks as you lie face down, either literally or figuratively, with your knees scuffed and throbbing in pain?

President Uchdorft put it beautifully as he said, "It might sound contrary to the wisdom of the world to suggest that one who is burdened with sorrow should give thanks to God.  But those who set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding" (Grateful in any Circumstance).  I testify that gratitude allows us to access the power of God and find true happiness regardless of our circumstances.

President Uchdorft later mentions that we often times are so caught up in waiting for a rainbow that we forget to be grateful for the rain.  I think this happens more often than we would like to admit.  I have always thought it is so funny that sometimes, during a meal, we find ourselves talking about other types of food.  As we eat steak we talk about the great sushi we had last weekend; as we stuff our faces full of delicious burritos we feel the need to talk about which type of chicken is our favorite at Panda Express; as we eat a big bowl of Cinnamon Life we have the classic debate of whether sausage or bacon would win in a fight. 

(we all know sausage wins every time haha!)

To be honest, there is nothing wrong with talking about different foods as we eat: in fact, I think it can be quite fun.  But sometimes we treat life this way... thinking about what we don't have and forgetting about what we do have.  Happiness isn't having what you want, but wanting what you have.

I think this is most applicable to relationships with others.  When, as a pre-missionary, you are stuck at home for the months before you leave and have to put up with your annoying little siblings; when, as a full-time missionary, you are stuck with a companion that drives you up the wall, or an investigator who won't seem to do a single thing; or when, as a member missionary, you are stuck with a neighbor, friend or co-worker who trashes your beliefs... you must choose, in these moments, to be grateful even for these people.  Choose to say prayers of thanks for these people.  Give thanks to God for your siblings that bother you.  Give thanks for your companion that drives you crazy.  Give thanks for your professor who loads on the homework.  Give thanks for your relationships with others, for in so doing, you will find gratitude is a key that unlocks a part of your heart that can love more than you can imagine!

Above all, let us be thankful to our Heavenly Father, who sacrificed his son, and to Jesus Christ, who sacrificed his life.   I testify that they love us and will help us be grateful at all times and in all things.   Let us embrace their help through humble prayer, both of supplication and of gratitude.

Remember who you are!  You are a grateful Missionary!

-- Parker

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

FAMILY HISTORY WORK

Dear Missionary,

You know, I'll be honest, I have never taken a family photo like the one above.  I can only imagine the joy that it must bring to throw on a white dress shirt, some blue jeans and mount a big fat branch with your siblings and parents.  However, I have felt the incredible joy of doing work with my family tree!  Believe it or not, family history work is essential to hastening the work of the Lord and furthering missionary work!

This past summer I went to the BYU library to hit up some family history work.  It honestly turned out to be one of the most incredible experiences I have had as I was able to find a handful of ancestors in need of temple ordinances who share my middle name, Judd.  As I walked home I stopped under a huge tree, laid underneath it and soaked in the peace of the moment.  It was such a spiritual and symbolic moment as I lay beneath a tree after having performed work on my family tree! :) I had to snap a pic!

Have you ever wondered why we use the symbol of a tree in connection with family history work?   Although I am no biologist, I want to talk about how the roots, trunk and branches of a tree magnificently symbolize family history work.   A large, healthy tree, like the one above, needs deep, well established roots in order to sustain life.  The trunk connects this source of life to the branches, which produce leaves, flowers, and fruit in some cases.  Each part of the tree, the roots, the trunk and the branches, are essential for the success of the tree.

Likewise, establishing and expanding the roots of our family tree is essential to producing fruit in the Lord's vineyard.  When we search out the names of our ancestors and perform the necessary temple work for them, we free them from the bonds of sin and allow them to work hand in hand with us in missionary work!  Alma states that "angles are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word..." (Alma 13:24)

So let's begin to free our ancestors, establish our roots, and open the floodgates of heaven!  To do this we must first become familiar with the resources the Lord has given us to hasten family history work.  These resources include familysearch.org, ancestry.com, rootsmagic.com and many others.  President Monson told us that "we are going to make mistakes, but none of us can become an expert in family history work without first being a novice."  He goes on to testify that "the Lord will bless us as we accept and respond to this challenge" (Hastening the Work, June 204 Ensign)

I trust you to be a big boy or a big girl and figure out the first step for you in this incredible work.  Even though I was initially a "Doubting Thomas", I started exploring my family tree on familysearch.org and in a short amount of time I have found dozens of names of my ancestors in need of temple ordinances.  And I have found that there is NOTHING to compare to the sweet joy of performing temple ordinances in their behalf!! :)

For both the living and the dead, you are a Missionary.

-- Parker

Please share any experiences you have had with family history work!!!

FASTING

Dear Missionary,

We all know the feeling.  It's Sunday morning and we open the pantry to find our favorite cereal looking back at us.  We pour ourselves a nice big bowl, grab the milk and douse the cereal to our heart's content.  As we shovel a spoonful of cereal into our mouth, we begin to wonder why we are the only ones in the kitchen and why we are so darn hungry.  As we chew and swallow the first bite, it hits us.  It's fast Sunday!

Fast Sunday can seem to sneak up on us and catch us unawares.  Yet fasting is one of the greatest tools the Lord has given us in building his kingdom and MUST be utilized to invoke the full powers of heaven as we seek to be missionaries. 

The Lord often refers to his kingdom as being a "field, already to harvest".  Imagine yourself being in a huge field on a hot, sunny day and given the task of harvesting all the crops by yourself.  Pretty daunting, huh?  Often times, missionary work feels like that: a burden of hard work in which we are all alone.  However through prayer and fasting, we are not alone.  We call down God's spirit and innumerable angels to work and harvest in the field with us.

In the Book of Mormon we are taught that "angels are declaring [the gospel] unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word..." (Alma 13:24).  These angels will come to work in the field with us as we "join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who [know] not God" (Alma 6:6).

I am reminded of the story of Elisha from the Old Testament.  The King of Syria was upset with Elisha the Prophet and sent a great group of soldiers on horses and chariots to capture him.  When Elisha's servant woke up and saw the surrounding army, he was afraid.  Elisha comforted the boy and prayed that his eyes would be opened so that he would know that "they that be with us are more than they that be with them" (2 Kings 2:16).  The boy's eyes were opened and he saw an innumerable heavenly host surrounding and protecting them.  If only our eyes were opened to see how the Lord is sending heavenly hosts to prepare the hearts of many to receive the gospel!

There are many ways we can access the powers of heaven in missionary work, but here is just one suggestion.  On fast Sunday, take just 5 minutes to offer a prayer asking the Lord who he has put in your path than you can share the gospel with and bless during the month.  Write down the names that come to mind.  Prayerfully choose a few names of people from the list that you will seek to reach out to during the coming weeks.  As you pray for those few people and reach out to them, I promise that the windows of heaven will be opened and the Lord will send forth heavenly hosts to work in the field with you.  

You'll never know unless you try!

Remember who you are.  You are a Missionary.

--Parker

P.s.  Any other ideas or experiences on how to use fasting more in missionary work??

LISTENING

Dear Missionary,

Wanna hear one of the greatest human mistakes?  Often times we listen half, understand quarter and tell double!  Like our friend Willy above, its easy to just put on a listening face, act like you are interested and just hope the person doesn't ask you to repeat what they just said :).  But the natural man who would think of chocolate waterfalls and gum that tastes like plums rather than actually listen has no place in missionary work! As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints, we must learn to listen as Christ would listen if we are to HELP our brothers and sisters come unto the Savior himself.

It has been said that listening is one of the greatest duties of love.  Have you ever had a moment when you wanted to share something very personal and important and the person you are speaking to isn't listening at all?  I think I would rather talk to a pet in those instances because at least you can imagine that the pet is listening and understands :).  On the flip side, have you ever had a moment where you share something personal and important and the person you are speaking to listens with love and care?  It's moments like those when trust is built, a support system forms, and a friendship begins.  People truly don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Let me elaborate with a bit of an analogy :).  I am by no means a rancher, but I have heard that at times it can be difficult to lead a horse to water.  Anyone who knows anything about horses knows that the last thing you want to do is try to drag the horse with a rope to the water.  The harder you pull, the harder the horse will pull back.  Instead, one needs to go where the horse is, calm it down, and walk SIDE-BY-SIDE with it to the water.  In the same way, all of us as missionaries need to go where others are, spiritually speaking, listen with love to understand where they are coming from and walk by their sides with great care towards the waters of eternal life, Jesus Christ.  Only in this way can we HELP others to come unto Christ.

As in all things, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are the perfect examples of listening with love.  Have you ever considered how much our Heavenly Father listens to us patiently?  Every time we pray he is completely intent on listening with love and fully understanding where we are coming from.

So before seeking to respond, let us follow the example of our Heavenly Father and listen with love.  Stephen Covey said that "Most people don't listen with the intent to understand, they listen with the intent to reply".  Why don't we choose to be different than "most people" and listen with love?  

Whether we are full time missionaries or member missionaries, the skill of listening is vital.  As a full-time missionary that may include asking more questions like "how do you feel about baptism?" or "what are your thoughts about coming to church?" and then listening with your whole heart and soul to make sure you understand them before you respond.  As member missionaries it may simply be asking a friend or neighbor what their beliefs about God are and why they believe that way and then listening with care. Don't worry about what in the world you are going to say... your goal should be to just understand.  When you truly understand, then the spirit will whisper to your soul the words that you should say.

So my invitation and challenge to all bold enough to be every-day missionaries is that you ask someone in need this week a spiritual question and then listen to them with all of your heart.  If you do, I promise that you will know how to share something meaningful that will point them to the Savior Jesus Christ!

So my friend, choose first to be a listener.  Remember who you are.  You are a Missionary!

-- Parker

P.s.  Do you have any cool stories or insights about listening with love?  If so, please share :)

FOLLOWING UP

Dear Missionary,

I can't believe it, but it has been a year since I finished serving my full-time mission in the Everett Washington Mission!  When I finished my mission, my sister Shelby and my Mom came and picked me up.  Haha I remember seeing them for the first time and thinking they were SO tall because I had gotten used to all my shorter Hispanic amigos :).  During that next week we went around visiting people that I had worked with throughout my mission which of course involved A LOT of great Mexican food (my Mom and Shelby almost threw up a few times from eating so much... haha!).  Apart from the great food and great company, that week of visits taught me the great importance of following up with the people that God puts in our lives.

If you haven't already noticed, I love analogies... I think its because I am still a little boy at heart and I just learn better through visuals and things that aren't hard to understand!  Imagine that you were given some delicious ingredients to make the most amazing cake in the world.  You put the ingredients together, spend time stirring them all together, pour the batter into a nice greased up pan and stick it in the oven.  Now imagine that you never gave that cake a second thought and didn't check in to see how it was doing.  Pretty soon your delicious cake would be a flaky mess of burnt ashes!

Just as in baking a cake, consistent and loving follow up is ESSENTIAL for success in missionary work, especially member missionary work!  About 6 months into my mission I had the opportunity of working with an older Mexican man named Florencio and his daughter Rocio.  Florencio and Rocio progressed quickly after coming to church because of a member who invited them.  After meeting with them for several weeks, they committed to be baptized!  Man, we were so excited for them!  Although Florencio continued to progress and prepare for baptism, Rocio unfortunately took a bit of a nose dive with some of her former addictions and stopped meeting with us.  Florencio was baptized by himself and we were super happy for him, but I couldn't help thinking that all was lost with Rocio!  However I didn't give up on helping her or her father.

Throughout the rest of my mission, I would periodically write Florencio and sometimes even get permission to give him a call.  Things didn't seem to be getting much better with his daughter Rocio... in fact they seemed to be getting worse!  She got deeper and deeper into her alcohol abuse... not comforting to hear right?!?  As I got home from my mission, I decided to stay in contact with Florencio about once a month to continue to be there for him and to help him continue forward in the gospel.  We would talk about Rocio often and I was happy to hear she decided to go to a rehab center.  I got some contact info for the rehab center and would call her periodically to see how she was doing.  

When she got out, she moved back in with her father and decided to meet with the missionaries again.  A month or so later she was baptized!  It was a sweet moment to get a call from Florencio and to hear his excitement as he told me about the change that has occurred in his daughter Rocio.   Rocio has been bearing her testimony and moving forward in faith since the day of her baptism :).  This experience has shown me that following up with those that the Lord puts in our lives is SO important.  We often think in terms of days and weeks, but I am convinced that the Lord thinks more in terms of years and decades with people's spiritual progress.  We must have the faith and patience to consistently follow up with love!

Even though I have been home from my mission for a whole year, I try to keep my mission alive by consistently following up with the Hispanic people I was privileged to work with during my mission.  I love my mission SO much and I could never imagine leaving it as a thing of the past.  During the last week in Washington with my Mom and my sister Shelby, I set a goal to contact each of the significant people I worked with during my mission at least once a month for the rest of my life!  I know its a lofty goal, but I have seen incredible miracles as I have called, Facebook messaged and texted people from my mission!  The Lord gave me a delicious "cake" of a mission and I won't let it go to waste!

Whether or not you have served a mission, you can follow up with the people that the Lord has put in your life.  I invite you, my dear friend, with all of my heart, to think and pray about who the Lord wants you to follow up with.  Just a simple call, text, or note of appreciation can help others feel of your love and support and can help spark the fire of the gospel in their hearts! In Alma we read, "Then... ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and your patience, and your long-suffering..." (Alma 32:43)

As Elder Ballard has said "if we follow up, the Lord will not let us down".  

Remember who you are.  You are a Missionary.

-- Parker

P.s.    I was interviewed by Alex Ba when I got home from my mission and here is a short video about following up :)  Please share any comments you have about how we can better follow up with people!

  

TECHNOLOGY

Dear Missionary,

Have you ever seen the movie Napoleon Dynamite?  If you have, you either were rolling on the ground laughing at the ridiculous humor, or you wasted an hour and a half of your life, bored out of your mind!  There is no middle ground when it comes to this classic movie.  One of the most ridiculous and controversial characters is Kipland Dynamite, commonly known as "Kip".  Near the end of the show he sings a song at his own wedding about how much he loves technology (which is appropriate seeing as he met his wife, Lafawnduh, chatting online)!  The lyrics go something like this.

Haha sounds like our boy Kipland has an everlasting, celestial-like love for technology.  Although we all know that poor Kip is a very lost when it comes to social norms, perhaps his view on the importance of technology isn't all that far-fetched.   In a recent devotional for young adults, Elder Ballard mentioned Facebook, Pinterest, Instragram, and even Snap Chat as means of sharing the gospel!

So what role can technology play in missionary work??  In Alma 37 we learn that the Lord doesn't often take large, drastic, and dramatic leaps when it comes to furthering his work.  Rather, "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass..." (Alma 37:6).  Technology has made it like a million times easier for all of us to do "small and simple things" which allow the Lord to work mighty miracles.

Think of the largest building you have been to.  When I was a young little pup, I went with my family to New York and we huffed and puffed our way up to the top of the Empire State building.  The view at the top took away the little breath I had left (haha just messing I used the elevator).  It truly was MAGNIFICENT.  That building didn't just fall out of the sky one day.  It was build bit by bit for 1 year and 45 days.  

Now the question is, do we continually add a "brick" or two, so to speak, to God's skyscraper of salvation??  With the help of technology we can practically sit back in the comfort of our own home, click a button or two and add a few bricks to God's masterpiece.  It hasn't always been this easy!  Back in the early days of the church, saints would go hungry, sacrifice material possessions, and spend hours building magnificent temples to further the work of salvation.  Are we willing to sacrifice a minute or two and maybe a bit of social pride to continue the work of salvation which they started??  You best believe we are willing!!!

Here are some ideas on how to use the classic social media platforms that we are on all the time!

1) On your Instagram profile, put your favorite spiritual quote

2) Throw up an Instagram that has something to do with a spiritual experience you've had

3) Make a funny or powerful meme that has something to do with the gospel (personal fav)

4) Rate the Book of Mormon on Amazon.com so it comes up as a related book to the Bible

5) Create a Mormon.org profile and then link it to your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts

6) Send a PERSONAL Facebook message to someone and share a scripture or quote

7) Reach out to all the people you worked with on your mission!

8) Follow church Twitter accounts like Mormon.org and then give them some good ole retweets.

9) Send a little snapchat of gratitude to someone

10) find out who the missionaries are in your area and then add them as friend on Facebook!

There are like a million more options, so get creative.  Above all, remember that "every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God." (Moroni 7:13)

Remember who you are.  You are a Missionary... even when you are online!!

-- Parker

P.s.  Do you have any other ideas about how to share the gospel online.  Share them in the comments below por favor!

 

Dear Missionary,

Have you ever thought about some of the great things that have happened in the history of the world?  For example, the first time fire was created was a huge step for human progression!  So were the invention of the wheel, the printing press, the industrial revolution, and landing on the moon!  Yet comparing the importance of these events with the coming of Christ is like comparing the light from small candles to the light of the sun!

Jesus Christ is the center of the all of the Missionary messages.  The Message of the Restoration is not so much about the restoration of a church organization as it is about the restoration of his gospel that gives us access to his atoning power.  The Plan of Salvation is not just a drawing on the board, but is a journey of transformation founded on Christ's atonement.  And, of course, the Gospel of Jesus Christ would consist of meaningless ordinances were it not for Him.

Jesus Christ is the savior of the world.  He has experienced the pains of every human that has ever existetd!  Because He has descended below all things, he has the power in his hands to lift us above all things.  In tribute for what Christ has done for me, I wrote this song about "The Master's Hands" :)

Here are the lyrics!

The Master’s Hands

The Master’s hands, so innocent, so undefiled

His mother smiled.

Those hands matured, as he became a carpenter:

Master of wood.

But would he know? That with those hands he’d shape my soul?

The Master’s hands.

A busy street, a blind man who could not see,

Against the wall.

As tears of pain fell from eyes like drops of rain.

The lonely man.

A gentle touch, from those hands wiped tears of shame;

His sight regained!

The Master’s hands are drawn, he holds the healing balm

The Master’s hands are worn, can’t you see the palms are torn?

The Master’s hands are drawn, he holds the healing balm.

The Master’s hands are worn, can’t you see the palms are torn?

The knuckles white, as he prayed with all his might

That lonely night.

Those humble hands, those humble hands were bound,

But he made no sound.

The wood once shaped by his hands became the place

He would hang.

And though once dead, the Master was resurrected

The Master’s Hands.

The Master’s hands are drawn, he holds the healing balm.

The Master’s hands are worn, can’t you see the palms are torn?

The Master’s hands are drawn, he holds the healing balm.

The Master’s hands are worn, can’t you see the palms are torn?

Those loving hands are still outstretched for…

Those loving hands are still outstretched for…

Those loving hands are still outstretched for…

Those loving hands are still outstretched for…

For you!

 

Remember who you are.  You are a Missionary of Jesus Christ

--Parker

p.s.  How have the Master's hands shaped your life?  Comment below!