I've been home from my mission for a couple of months now. Life has changed dramatically for me. However, one thing has not changed, and that's the fact that the Gospel is the SAME no matter where we go. With that in mind, I want to talk about some of the lessons I have learned since being home. It's a long way up this new mountain of trials and lessons. Are you ready to climb?
Best Friends in the world - clockwise from top:
Scott, Dano, Nate, Jon, Ben, Jake - and me in the middle.
I heard a quote once that if a man had 5 friends that he could count on to stick with him through to the end, through thick and thin, through every trial of life and never turn his back on him, he was a lucky man. When I heard that, I started thinking of my friends and what they meant to me. I counted out my best friends - the ones that never ever turned on me or blamed me for my (very many) mistakes that I've made, and I realized that I am indeed very lucky to have my brothers in the Gospel. I have a lot of other good friends as well, but my friends Scott, Dano, Jake, Jon, Nate, and Ben - they are the 6 who have helped me through my trials, and always been there for me whenever I needed it. Even on my mission, I have felt their support and strengthening.
What makes a friend? I like to think of it that its someone who holds you to your true self, and doesn't try to change you to fit to society's standards. I've always been blessed to have friends who have supported me in my decisions, and who have always helped me become better. Even though we're thousands of miles apart right now, while we are serving our missions, its still amazing to me how my friends will build me up and support me while I'm here in Tennessee. I know these guys have my back.
The other important thing is that they help me live the Gospel. I have standards, and they know it, and I know their standards. We help keep each other up, and I know that if I have a problem, I can depend on them. Choose friends who are going to do that - and not bring you down. A "friend" is not someone who puts you to shame because they think you should be something better. A true friend is going to help you become the best you can be.
I love this video that LDS.org just released - it describes how friendships can exist and help us come closer to the Gospel and the Savior.
"Jacob Cody Pratt "Jake" - The bright candle that was ignited on August 29, 1989 when Jacob Cody Pratt was born to Jessica Jensen Pratt and Donald A. Pratt was extinguished in a tragic automobile accident during the evening of May 27, 2005. Jake's incandescent smile, cheerful outlook, and genuine love have blessed the lives of all who know him. Jake died at age 15. He would have graduated from the ninth grade at Farmington Jr High on the day of his viewing. He was looking forward to sophomore football at Viewmont High School this fall. He loves his long, naturally curly hair, making music with an acoustic guitar, his many friends, and literally everyone he meets. He has no enemies because he makes a friend of anyone who tries to be his enemy. Jake is so very greatly missed by his Dad, Don Pratt, his Moms; Jessica Barona (and her husband Pascual Oscar Barona) and Jennifer Pratt; his brothers, Jason and Colton; his sister, Mikayla; his grandparents Isabel and Lyle Jardine, Jody and Pete Pratt, and Lynadale and Ken Powell; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends."
I remember getting home from a trip to Idaho to visit my grandparents - I went in and checked my email and saw an email that said "In Memory of Jake Pratt." I thought to myself that it was probably just a joke. But as I read through some more emails, I saw a couple of links to a statement that was related to a teenage girl getting killed. I thought that it didn't make any sense, and it didn't. I called a friend and he said "Dan, Jake got killed in a car accident on Friday."
My heart sunk. I wasn't blood-brothers with Jake Pratt, but I knew him and talked with him and had hung out with him a few times with some other friends. He was a good kid. I had gotten along well with him. And now here, 4 days before the end of my Jr. High experience, I was being told he had died, and that another other friend, Eric, and a girl that I didn't know who was riding in the backseat, were both in critical condition at the hospital.
Now what if I did not have the knowledge that I could live with my Heavenly Father again after this life? What if I did not know that because Jesus Christ lives again, I can also. My friends and family can also. If we keep the commandments and live with the peace the Gospel brings, we can know that. It would save a lot of heartache for a lot of people.
It is sad to see someone pass away. But I am a firm believer and I know that because our Savior lives, we too can live. I know that. It brings peace to me.
WHABOOMMMMMMMM!! <------ That is the sound I have been hearing quite a few times the past few days.
If any of you have been watching the news, you will know that Tennessee has been getting some pretty interesting weather lately. Lightning, high winds, rain, tornadoes...Its been an interesting few days. Last Tuesday, I was with my 2 companions and one of the other missionaries in the mission. We had gone to bed to a reasonable light rain, and it didn't look like much of a storm was going to happen.
Well, I guess I was wrong. About 1 a.m., I woke up to the tornado sirens going off. In my apartment, I sleep on the couch right next to the window. I poked my head up to see what was going on, and it didn't look very bad outside so I just closed the blinds and tried to go back to sleep. 10 minutes later, the sirens went off again and I opened the blinds and looked outside. It looked like the movie "Twister." Wind blowing, trees trying to hang on, and lots and lots of rain. So I yelled at my companions to wake up and we ran into the bathroom, brought in the mattress, and sat in the bathtub. Right about that time, the power decided to go out. So it was dead silent... and we could still hear everything beating on the apartment building.
We were joking around before-hand about how if we saw a tornado or got caught in a tornado, how cool it would be. But right there, at that time, I started to shake really badly. Yeah, heck yeah, I was scared senseless. Every time I hear the wind blow after, I can still feel my self getting a little bit edgy. But anyways, as we sat there, listening to what sounded like the world getting destroyed, something told me just to say a little prayer and that everything would be alright. And so we did. We said a prayer, and it turned out to be alright. A cool lightning storm occured after, and it took a little while for everyone to get to sleep again, but things were alright.
I was reminded of a storm last year that happened in May 2010. I was in Kentucky at the time, but Nashville got hit bad. It was the worst flood recorded, and it took out a lot of homes. Even a few people were killed.
A lot of people ask themselves why God allows things like this to happen. Why is Mother Nature allowed to roam free sometimes? To be honest, I don't know. I do know, however, that God has a plan for us - a plan that we accepted before we came to this Earth. I also do know that God has a purpose for everything, and He loves his children. Sometimes when we experience trials, it makes us more willing to listen to what our Heavenly Father wants us to listen to.
Our trials make us stronger and more willing to help others out. Think of a story you have heard when someone has helped someone else out in the midst of a crisis. How has that person been uplifted, and how in turn were YOU uplifted as you listen to that story?
Elder D. Todd Christofferson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, shared the following story:
"On August 15, 2007, Peru suffered a massive earthquake that all but destroyed the coastal cities of Pisco and Chincha. Like many other Church leaders and members, Wenceslao Conde, the president of the Balconcito Branch of the Church in Chincha, immediately set about helping others whose homes were damaged.
"Four days after the earthquake, Elder Marcus B. Nash of the Seventy was in Chincha helping to coordinate the Church’s relief efforts there and met President Conde. As they talked about the destruction that had occurred and what was being done to help the victims, President Conde’s wife, Pamela, approached carrying one of her small children. Elder Nash asked Sister Conde how her children were. With a smile, she replied that through the goodness of God they were all safe and well. He asked about the Condes’ home.
“It’s gone,” she said simply.
“What about your belongings?” he inquired.
“Everything was buried in the rubble of our home,” Sister Conde replied.
“And yet,” Elder Nash noted, “you are smiling as we talk.”
“Yes,” she said, “I have prayed and I am at peace. We have all we need. We have each other, we have our children, we are sealed in the temple, we have this marvelous Church, and we have the Lord. We can build again with the Lord’s help.” "
I know that Heavenly Father loves each one of us. I know that he wants us to learn from everything - even if it isn't the most convenient or fun to have to go through it. Its something we all go through - and the best we can do is to go forward with it.
I'm laughing to myself as I am typing this, because I can hear another major storm right above my head right now. We had a tornado strike less than a mile from my aparment 2 nights ago. I slept right through it, thankfully. We have had massive amounts of rain (including the rain we're getting right now) and it sounds like many things are flooding. As I sit here, all I can think about is the many blessings that I have received, and how I can count on those to get me through the storms of life.
