What did you just say?

In my last transfer as a missionary I had a hilarious experience with my companion. His name is Elder Sutherland and he only had 3 months of being in Argentina. Surprisingly, his Spanish was pretty good for only having 3 months in the mission field and he was well ahead of the other incoming Elders. But as you will see from this story he clearly had more to learn. We had just finished a delicious lunch with a member family and we wanted to go and get some dessert afterward. So we went to this bakery where they have facturas which are like really good cinnamon rolls. So the guy working there asks us where we are from and some other questions. And then he asks my companion, "So which girls do you think are more attractive. The girls from the United States or the girls here in Argentina?" My companion then paused for a few seconds and looked as if he was in deep thought. I waited apprehensively for his response. He then says with a calm and normal look on his face, "I like them both." I couldn't believe what I had just heard. The man laughed and said, "Well of course you do. They are both woman right?" Honestly, I was stunned. We left the bakery and I turned to my companion and said, "Elder! How could you say that? You are a missionary! You can't say things like that!" With a confused look on his face he said, "Why not? All that I said is that I like both the United Stated and Argentina. What's wrong with that?" Then it all made sense. He clearly didn't understand the question. I then told him what the man had really said and I had never seen his face go so red. He was so embarrassed. I couldn't stop laughing about this for about a week! I still laugh about it today. We really left a great impression as missionaries that day! Missions are very hard but there are also tons of funny things that happen. It's a fun time and a life changing experience.

Broken and Fractured

Many years ago a truly tragic event took place. My family always goes up to my uncle Lon's house in Newdale, Idaho for the Easter holiday. We usually spend four or five days there and it is way fun! But one year, at least for me, it wasn't so fun because of a accident on the trampoline. My uncle Lon has a deck in his backyard and right below it is a trampoline. So us kids were all taking turns jumping off the deck onto the tramp and having the funnest time of our lives. One time right when I was about to jump my brother had this awesome idea to lift my hands off the deck so that I would just fall onto the tramp. As he detached my arms from safe wooded object I knew that it was not going to be good. I should mention that in between the deck and the tramp there is about a twenty foot gap. So yes I did fall but not exactly onto the tramp. My back smacked the metal bar of the tramp and the momentum was so strong that I was thrown onto my face with a loud thump to the ground! I couldn't move my arm for about 3 hours afterwards. I thought that I was never going to be able to use it again. But slowly I could move it again and we went to the doctor to find our what I had broken. It ended up that I fractured my shoulder blade and I was better in about 3 months. But the pain of smacking that metal bar was excruciating. All of the other years at uncle Lon's were wonderful and enjoyable.

Consider the Blessings

Consider this quote from our Prophet President Thomas S. Monson. "We live in a unique time in the world's history. We are blessed with so very much. And yet it is sometimes difficult to view the problems and permissiveness around us and not become discouraged. I have found that, rather then dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness." (Consider the Blessings Oct. 2012 Gen. Conference italics added) What simple and yet profound counsel from our inspired Prophet. We each have blessings in our lives but sometimes we fail to recognize them. Too often we are like Zerahemnah in the Book of Mormon and neglect the Lord's goodness to bless us.

He was a leader of the Lamanites who fought against and eventually lost to captain Moroni. Clearly the Nephites had received help from on high during their battles and it is interesting to note the response of Zerahemnah. He says, "Behold, we are not of your faith; we do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you." (Alma 44:9 italics added) We may choose to look to another source other than God for an answer as to where our blessings come from. But that doesn't change the fact that in reality they came from Him. We have all heard of the glass of water as being half empty or half full. But if we look closely enough we will realize that is a blessing from God that there is even any water in the glass in the first place. "Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous works of God?" (Mormon 9:16) I know that if we will consider the blessings that we have in our lives then we will find greater joy in each day. The Lord has blessed us with so much more then we can ever fully comprehend. We just have to open our eyes and soften our hearts to recognize His goodness to each one of us. Consider your blessings everyday this week and I know that you will see a big difference in all that you do. Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Are you sure?

The day had finally arrived! Everything was ready for the special event to take place in the afternoon. The roses and ring had been bought and the chocolate covered strawberries were carefully placed in a red bag to be stored until later. As most of you can probably already tell by now this is the story of how I got engaged. Anyways, Nicole is a person that really likes nature. But since it was snowing and it was cold outside we couldn't go on a hike or anything like that. So we found this reception home near my house called Western Gardens and went to check it out. It was beautiful and the perfect place to propose. So then I bought some roses and chocolate covered strawberries and set up a tour at Western Gardens. Nicole, now my fiance, had no idea that this was coming by the way. She thought that it might be coming in a month or so but she was never expecting it to happen so soon. So I told her that we were going to this tour so that we could get some ideas for the future. It was a short 10 minute tour and then it was turn to ask her to marry me. So what I did was I had previously cut out some really ugly and weird rings of a magazine and I glued them to a lined sheet of paper. I only put 4 or 5 on one paper. After we had finished the tour we sat down together on this wooden bench and I told her that I had a question for her. Then I reached into my pocket, pulled out the lined paper, and I asked, "So what do you think of these rings Nicole?" I could tell that she didn't like them. I myself didn't like them and it really took some effort to act like I had really considered getting her these rings. So we talked about the rings and their styles for about five minutes or so and then came the final question. I said, "There is one more ring that I want you to see Nicole." Again I reached into my pocket and this time I pulled out a little blue box with her real ring and got down on one knee. I then asked, "What do you think of this ring Nicole?" She was shocked and there was a silence for about 5 seconds. She then said something that I will never ever forget. The first thing that she says to me is, "Kip, are you sure?" "Are you sure that you want to marry me?" Of all the things that I was expecting her to say that was the last thing that crossed my mind ha ha. I answered, "Yes Nicole, I am positive. Will you marry me?" Thankfully she replied, "Yes. Yeah! Yeah! Yes!" You all know what follows. Then there was lots of hugging and kissing and saying, "I love you!" It was such an amazing experience and the best day of my life! I hope that each of you get to have a similar experience one day because you won't find anything better any other way!

Thoughts on being engaged

It has not even been a month since I have been home from my mission and I'm already engaged! It has been a little over month now but when I got engaged on January 26th I still had not been home a month. I honestly never thought that it was going to happen so quickly but when that answer came I knew that I had to act. I had dated my fiance for a year before my mission and I have known her for most of my life. We grew up in the same ward together and we both attended Hillcrest High School. During my mission we wrote each other almost every week and she ended up waiting for me even though all of my companions said that she wouldn't hold out. I am so glad that she did! Her name is Nicole and she is my best friend in the whole wide world. It doesn't matter what we do, as long as we are together, that is all that we need. I can't recall any other time in my life that I have been as happy as the day that I proposed to Nicole. It was the best day of all my life! I can only imagine how it's going to be on that special day when we get married. To all of you guys out there who are thinking proposing soon to that special someone I highly recommend it! It will be the funnest and most exciting thing that you will ever do! Unless of course she says no which would just be awkward and really crappy. I don't wish that on anyone! But honestly I am so happy and excited for all that is to come!

A witness is power

Testifying of Christ is so vital and important! That is the calling of every prophet, apostle, and missionary who has ever lived and will ever live on this earth. The message that we as members are called to preach is that He, through unspeakable suffering, overcame death and hell. That everyone's tomb will one day be empty and that everyone's soul can again be cleansed and pure through the Savior's Atonement. I know that this is true and it is a privilege and blessing to be apart of this great work. Jesus Christ lives and He can heal our wounded hearts. He personally felt the shame and guilt for each of our sins and for the sins of all mankind. That burden caused Him to tremble because of pain and bleed from every pore as He took upon himself the bitter and brutal cup of sin. I testify that He did pay the price for you and me. He made our repentance possible and through Him we can be cleansed, healed, and transformed. We can qualify for heaven and God's kingdom only through Him! Let us all eagerly accept His promise and invitation, "Come unto me... and I shall give you rest unto you souls." (Matthew 11:28, 30) The faster we come unto Him the faster we will feel of His peace and love in our hearts. So why not start now?

Repentance and humility go hand in hand

Repentance is an act of humility. In order to repent we have to recognize our mistakes and feel a sincere sorrow in our hearts. We must have a desire to be clean and to change. Only when we are brought down into the depths of humility can we truly repent. The prophet Enos exercised that type of humility when he received a remission of his sins. "And my soul hungered, and I kneeled down before my maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul. " (Enos 1:4) It takes humility to bow down before God and confess our sins. It takes humility to say, "Father, I can't do this on my own. Please help me." It takes humility to cry out from the depths of our souls, "Dear Lord, have mercy on me a sinner. I want to change and do what's right. Will you please forgive me?" This is the essence of humility. If we will humbly seek the Lord then He will hear our cries and cleanse our souls. All who will repent He will receive! (see Alma 5:33)