It has been 3 months that I’ve been home now! Crazy! Time is flying so fast!
Honestly though it was a struggle for a while for me to adjust to normal life.
Something was missing in my life and I had no idea what it was, life was really
difficult for a while after I stepped off the plane. It was hard for me to find
happiness and I didn’t really know why. Then one day as I was looking for the
answer, these scriptures in Alma 36 gave me the answer I needed!
11 And the angel spake
more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did not
hear them; for when I heard the words—If thou wilt be destroyed of
thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God—I was struck with such great
fear and amazement lest perhaps I should be destroyed, that I fell to the earth
and I did hear no more.
12 But I was racked
with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the
greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities,
for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I
saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his
holy commandments.
14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his
children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great
had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my
God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
15 Oh, thought I, that I could be
banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to
stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
17 And it came to pass that as I was
thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by
the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to
have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one
Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought,
I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who
am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the
everlasting chains of death.
19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could
remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my
sins no more.
20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light
I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could
be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto
you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and
sweet as was my joy.
22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our
father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with
numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and
praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.
23 But behold, my limbs did receive
their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto
the people that I had been born of God.
24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have
labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I
might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste;
that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy
Ghost.
I realized that I wasn’t
doing what Alma did after his conversion, he went out and served the Lord. I
realized that I had been self-absorbed and hadn’t been serving others “without
ceasing” like I had been doing on my mission every day, so of course I wasn’t
adjusting well! I had gone from doing missionary work and serving people every
day to doing none of that.
President Hinckley said this
on the blessings of missionary work “I can promise you that you will grow as
you have never grown in a similar period during your entire lives. I can
promise you a happiness that will be unique and wonderful and lasting.” (https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-gordon-b-hinckley/chapter-21-the-latter-day-miracle-of-missionary-work?lang=eng)
And that is what I was missing!
I can promise all those who are contemplating serving mission that there
is not a better experience on earth! I honestly never felt happier with my life
than when I was on my mission or when I’m just helping people, so do it!!
Remember what Ammon!
1 And now, these are the words of Ammon to his
brethren, which say thus: My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you,
how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when
we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted
unto us such great blessings?
3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the
Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold,
how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God!
And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been
made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.
Missionary work and service to others will bless your life
immensely, I know it and Ammon knew it! Go out and share your example and
testimony to everybody!
