Tyler's Mission in Seoul

This week I went on an exchange with Elder Collins and he taught me about how we can keep ourselves eager and desirous to serve each day. The example he used was Alma. In Alma 29, we see just how earnest and sincere Alma is each day in seeking to serve the Lord. He says his joy comes from being an instrument in the Lord's hands and expresses his desire to declare His word to all the world. It isn't easy to get ourselves to this point that our own greatest desires are to serve the Lord, and that our very nature is to do what He wants. Our drive, energy, and eagerness naturally fades over difficulty and time. A powerful way we can maintain this eagerness to serve that we might feel at a time of great spiritual illumination, like general conference, is gratitude. When we recognize and pour out our souls in gratitude each day, we remember, like Alma, the immense blessings of our life. We need not forget, like the Nephites did again and again, the Lord's merciful hand in our life. Expressing gratitude with equal or even greater fervor than when we ask for more blessings builds greater love for God. It invites the Spirit to be with us. As go through daily life, taking more of our time and energy to examine how we have been blessed, rather than how we still want to be blessed, helps us realize that Heavenly Father has blessed us with answers and mercies we never before recognized.

In a talk by Elder Bednar, he talks of an experience where Sister Bednar was asked to say a prayer of only gratitude. Despite the fact that they had just learned of a tragic event if the life of a friend, she did so. The result was a deeper sense of love and joy than could have been obtained by praying for comfort, though doing so is right and good. It helped them to see plainly the joy and comfort that had been and always was being given to them. I would challenge everyone to give a prayer of only gratitude each day. I know that doing so will grant greater strength, joy, and love each day.

Thanks for your messages everyone! I hope you get better soon Bishop Christensen! You are in my prayers too.