Truth.

This weekend was LDS General Conference.  We had two days chucked full of amazing servants of the Lord telling us what we can do to improve our lives.  My highlights:

- Social Media?!  A theme throughout all of the talks!  We have these amazing tools for connecting and reaching out to people; it's easier than it's ever been.  Twitter, Facebook, Texting, Email, Video Chat, Mormon.org, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Blogs...  We should use them to spread the amazing joy of the Gospel to others.  Service and missionary work has never been so convenient!  Yay for the church being up with the times in technology!

- Stand constant and fearless.  I noticed a huge theme about the growing chasm between the standards of the world and the standards of the Lord.  We cannot stay in luke-warm water, in between the good and the bad.  We must make a decision to stand for what is right and resist the temptations that surround us.  Then we must have the courage and charity to share our knowledge and happiness with others.

- Families are Forever.  I have always loved the emphasis our church places on the family, and it was definitely reiterated in conference this weekend.  We must make our family a top priority, and cut out other things in our lives that get in the way of that priority.

- Busy does not equal productive.  This talk was very special to me because this is what I have been striving to embrace for the past year.  It has been my goal to change my life so that I prioritize what is most important, and cut out the unnecessary extra responsibilities that always creep up.  We should allow ourselves enough time to be well rested, enjoy family bonding time, grow closer to the Savior, and listen to spiritual promptings.  Sometimes we may have to cut out other responsibilities to make room for that, but I know from personal recent experience that it is so very worth it.


Those are the main things I took from conference.  Wasn't it wonderful?  Feel free to leave comments of your highlights of General Conference, I'd love to hear!  I am so very grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God and receives modern revelation to guide us and help us in our every day lives.  I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that he personally knows and loves each one of us.  I am grateful to have the scriptures as such a wonderful tool to invite the spirit and peace into my life at any given moment.  I love the power of music and the wonderful spirit that hymns bring as we praise the Lord through song.  I am so grateful that I get to be with my husband, Brock, for eternity and for this wonderful church that supports us on our journey.  My name is Aubrey, and I'm blessed to be a Mormon!

Missionaries

So, Brock and I have a lot of close family and friends that are out serving LDS missions right now.  I just spent all morning writing to them, and I got to thinking.  I was telling my little brother that I am so happy for him that he's out serving, and that my whole life I always wanted to be a missionary, but that the Lord had a different plan for me that was just as wonderful....  his name is Brock :-)

And I kind of feel like I got to serve my own mission, here in Logan.  Right when I turned 21, the standard age for a Sister Missionary, I got called as the Relief Society President in my ward.  I served in that calling for 9 months, until Brock and I felt that it was the right time to move into a new place.  I learned so much from that calling, and I am so grateful that I had that opportunity!  And now I have a calling in the Primary, with the music, and with Activity Days!  And I feel like this is the second part of my mission.  I am a firm believer in the organization of Activity Days.  One of my best friends in the world joined the church because of that organization, back when we were really young.  I had her over to play, and Activity Days started so I invited her to join.  It turns out that we learned to sing a song in Sacrament at that activity.  So I invited my friend to come to that as well, since she had learned the song.  It was that moment that led her to continue coming to church, and eventually getting baptized.  Now she is married in the temple and has a beautiful family.  She inspires me every day!

And I feel so blessed to now have that opportunity again, to influence the lives of these young girls in Activity Days!  I know that it is where I am supposed to be right now, and I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given to serve.  And I am so grateful for all of the people out there who are serving full time missions, who inspire me every day and remind me what's most important.

We don't have to be out in a foreign land, set apart as full time missionaries, wearing the badge, to be missionaries and do the wonderful work of the Lord.  As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we covenant every week to take that name upon us.  We are wearing the badge, and it's important to remember that and to be an example of the believers.  Every day we can find ways to serve others and bring people closer to Christ.  And maybe one day, Brock and I can serve a full time mission together... but until then, here's to member missionary work!  :-)