Keep on Keepin' On

When you can't seem to tell what's right or what's true
Just keep on keepin' on.

When the sky's stuck grey when you wish it'd be blue,
Just keep on keepin' on.

When there's trials and pain and sorrow, too,
When you don't understand what's happenin' to you,
When you're stuck in a rut and don't know what to do,
Just keep on keepin' on.

Just keep on keepin' on.

--- --- ---

When you're stressed and you're tired and you feel nearly dead,
Just keep on keepin' on.

When it takes all your strength just to get out of bed,
Just keep on keepin' on.

When you just can't forget something wrong that you said,
When mistakes from the past keep you stuck in your head,
When you feel that your life's hangin' on by a thread,
Just keep on keepin' on.

Just keep on keepin' on.

--- --- ---

We can't always say why we trip and we fall
When we're doing all we can.

We just trust there's a reason and a time and a season
And it's part of a bigger plan.

So we brush ourselves off, stretch out, and look up
And we find the strength to stand

When we see Him standing right by our side
And we take hold of His hand.

--- --- ---

So we get back on our feet and we try to stand tall
And keep on keepin' on.

We know He'll be there every time that we call
While we keep on keepin' on.

He's our Heavenly Father, and He loves us all
From the great and the big to the humble and small
And he comes when he knows our back's to the wall

And the only thing He asks, at the end of it all,

Is that we keep on keepin' on.

We keep on keepin' on.

--- --- ---

A little ditty I composed as I sat at the computer on a rather dreary day. In succession, two appointments had cancelled on us, and it was looking like the third one we'd planned was headed the same way. I was a little blue, you could say.

As I sat there, though, a little melody started playing through my head. It didn't have any words, at first, but as I listened to it, the lyrics started coming, based on the motto of my trusty companion, Elder Jensen:

Keep on Keepin' on.

--- --- ---

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He lets us go through the hard times because that's what makes us grow, what makes us better. And I know that He's always there when we find ourselves (literally or figuratively) sprawled out on the ground, wondering what's happened and how we'll ever get back up.

I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

--- --- ---

New Year, New Look! I wish I'd been able to post sooner. I've been blessed with a new tool to use in the missionary work (there's a picture of it below!), and it makes it so I tend to not be sitting in front of a computer quite as much. But, whenever I get the chance, I still like to blog a bit.

Have a great week!

Proof that Elder Richmond can even look like a doofus when holding the latest in Apple technology.
Photo Courtesy of President and Sister Craig.

Oatmeal and the Natural Man

Welcome back! Today, we're going to start off with a little glimpse into my missionary life...


So, in my apartment's kitchen right now, there are two microwaves, stacked one on top of the other. Why do we have two? Well, that's a long story. Maybe another time we'll talk about it another time. For now, we'll just say that we have two microwaves. The bottom one is newer and bigger, the top is older and smaller.

For a while, the top microwave just sat on the bottom one, unused and unappreciated. Recently, though, I've found a use for it. Throughout my mission, I've enjoyed a nice bowl of oatmeal to start off the day. However, when I came to this apartment, I ran into a problem. The big microwave worked a little too well; my oatmeal would boil over if I left it in too long. I tried taking the oatmeal out before it boiled over, but then found that it was undercooked. There wasn't any way to adjust the power level on the microwave, so I had to give up the oatmeal for a while (you can make it on the stove, but I generally don't have enough time in the morning to do that and get all my other things done on time).

One day last week, though, I noticed that the top microwave had an adjustable power dial on the front. I changed the settings, put in some oatmeal, and Viola! I had the perfect bowl of oatmeal!

So, what does all of this have to do with the Gospel? Nothing.

Yet.

See, the other day, I was getting my oatmeal ready, but I had something I wanted to do while waiting for it to cook. I put my oatmeal in the microwave, turned the timer dial, and then went about doing whatever else. When I finished, I went back to the kitchen, opened the door to the top microwave...and found that my oatmeal was gone.

I was more than a little bit confused: I'd heard the microwave "ding!" when the timer ran out. I knew that I'd cooked my oatmeal; so where was it?

It dawned on me that perhaps Elder Pope was trying to pull some kind of joke on me. I was about to call him out, but then figured I'd look around the kitchen first to see where he'd hidden it. I opened the door to the other microwave, and smiled as I found my bowl. I was about to make some sort of comment on Elder Pope's silly little joke, when I noticed something: my oatmeal wasn't cooked. The bowl wasn't warm at all.

I stood there for a few seconds, puzzling over what was going on. Then, it finally dawned on me. Elder Pope hadn't moved my oatmeal bowl at all: I had placed it in the lower microwave out of habit, then started the timer on the higher microwave.

I had a good laugh at myself, told Elder Pope what had happened, then actually cooked my oatmeal. If that had been all, it would have just been a funny little experience, something to write home about so that the family could laugh at my absent-mindedness. Definitely not something worth a blog post.

But, the thing is, not too long after, I did it again! I put my oatmeal in the lower microwave, then started the timer on the higher one. Except, this time, I caught myself before I left the kitchen. I laughed again, then cooked my breakfast. I thought to myself, "Well, next time I'll just try a little harder to do a little better," paraphrasing a quote from former church president Gordon B. Hinckley.

And that's what I'd like to talk about today.

In the church, you'll often hear people talk about how we need to repent every day. That can seem a bit strange, especially if you think like I did before the mission. Before, I thought repentance was only for those that were seriously violating God's commandments: killing, stealing, commiting adultery, etc. I'd hear all of these stories about people being weighed down by the burden of their sins and feeling incredibly relieved when they felt the power of the Atonement in their lives and repented.

So, this is what confused me: I was going about, living my life, and I wasn't breaking any of those commandments. That meant I didn't need to repent, right? But then, everyone always said that we all need to repent daily so that we can always feel the Savior's influence in our lives. But...how could I do that if I wasn't sinning?

Since becoming a missionary and helping other people repent, I've come to learn a lot about what sin and repentance really are. See, it's not just deliberately breaking the commandments that keeps us out of God's presence. Because of the Fall of Adam, all of us are born into this world as imperfect mortals, or Natural Men. Mosiah 3:19 teaches us that the Natural Man is an enemy to God; in other words, all of us, no matter how hard we try, will fall short in this life, and that keeps us out of God's presence. However, that same scripture also gives us hope: through the Atonement of Christ, we can stop being Natural Men and become saints, worthy to be in God's presence.

Every time we do something wrong, every time we act imperfectly, we sin, and fall short of the glory of God. However, this is why we have repentance. When we repent, we recognize that we've done something wrong, plead forgiveness from those we've wronged (including God), stop doing whatever we've done, seek to restore any damages we've incurred, and then keep moving forward in our lives, not sinning again. Every time we go through this process, we become better, less likely to sin. As we keep doing this throughout our lives, we become more and more saintlike, more and more like our Heavenly Father.

So, that's what me learning from my oatmeal mistakes has to do with all of this. It doesn't matter how many times I fall short of making the perfect breakfast, so long as I recognize what I've done and seek to improve. And, eventually, I know I'll make it to a point where I won't ever boil over a bowl of oatmeal again.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He wants us to become more like Him in every way. I know that He has given us the Gospel so that we can achieve that goal. I know that, as we trust in Him and in His Son, Jesus Christ, we'll feel the saving and enabling power of the Atonement in our lives. We'll become better people, and we'll feel free of all our past mistakes. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond

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Note: Since the original writing of this post, some exciting changes have taken place. Firstly, Elder Clark found a good home for the smaller microwave. Second, because of the loss of said microwave, I finally found out how to adjust the power level in the remaining microwave. Things are going much smoother, though occasionally I still overcook a bowl.

Late to the Party

I'm thankful for large bodies of water, like rivers, lakes, and oceans.

I'm thankful for really good Italian food.

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[Wait, is this his Thanksgiving post?]

[When did he upload this?]

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I'm thankful for warm breezes on cool days and cool breezes on warm days.

I'm thankful for clouds and the opportunity I have to stare at them

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[No, he didn't post this around Thanksgiving...it's been at least a week...]

[Did he forget or something?]

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I'm thankful for bike rides, be they in the mountains or just around town.

I'm thankful for the smell of flower shops, especially if it's been a while since I went in one.

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[Well, this is embarrassing. Was he thinking no one would notice?]

[It's Christmas season already. Is he even going to have time to post about that now?]

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I'm thankful for really good books.

I'm thankful for tall glasses of icy lemonade after a long summer's day.

-------

So, what's going on here? It should be fairly obvious:

A) I'm listing things I'm grateful for and
B) I'm pretending to write the words of some random reader of the blog.

Why? Well, for the latter, it's something I do a lot. I like to imagine that people read my blog and actually think about what they're reading.

So why am I listing what I'm grateful for, especially since we've already passed Thanksgiving? Shouldn't my posting be a bit more timely?

Well, in my opinion, it is. When Christmas, we get a bit preoccupied with pine trees, candy canes, snowmen, reindeer, holly wreaths, and all sorts of other symbols of the season. And that's not necessarily bad. However, since I've come out to Florida, I've found that Christmas still happens, even if none of the previous things are in sight [I'm thankful for the few houses around here that actually put up Christmas lights].

So, what is Christmas? It's celebrating the birth of Christ, of course. But, in my mind, it also has to do a lot with giving thanks. Why did the wise men come with gifts? Why did the shepherds offer newborn lambs? Why do all of us sing "Joy to the World?" Because Christmas marked the beginning of perhaps the most important time of all history; the life and ministry of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Because He came to this earth and atoned for us, we have the chance to return and live with our Father in Heaven again. We know that, because of him, we'll live again after this life. We'll see our families again, including loved ones long since passed.

The very act of celebrating Christmas is the act of giving thanks. It is showing Heavenly Father that we appreciate so very, very much the sacrifice that His Son made for all of us. Besides giving thanks directly in prayer, we know that we can show thanks to Heavenly Father through obedience to the commandments and through service to others. Since we're so thankful for Jesus Christ, we essentially take an entire month to show this gratitude to God and others.

All that aside, there's something else I've learned about gratitude. As I've tried to find something every day that I'm grateful for, or at least something that makes me smile, I've found more peace in my life. I'm more content with what I have, and I seek more to share it with others. Small moments of gratitude have become a sustaining force in my life. They help me Keep Moving Forward.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He gives us countless blessings, and we'll be happier if we seek to recognize them. I know that the ultimate sign of His love is His Son, Jesus Christ. I know that Christ came to this earth to help us on our journey back to Heavenly Father, and I know that, because He lives, we can all live again as well. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond

You Already Said Yes

I've got a question for you: are you having troubles moving on? Does the future and all of its challenges and struggles loom dauntingly before you? Are you sitting, anguished, on the brink of a decision, knowing you need to make the right choice but seeming to lack the courage or strength to move forward?

I've been thinking about you recently. And I want to tell you something: I know you can do it. I know you've got what it takes. How do I know this? Well, it's because I know certain things about you. I know them because they're true of everyone on this earth.

You see, before you or anyone else was born here, you still existed. You lived as a spirit in heaven, with God, your Heavenly Father. He created you; you are and were his child. You grew up as a spirit in His presence, living and learning. You noticed that He, unlike you, had a physical body, and He also had all wisdom and knowledge. Perhaps, on a whim, you may have wondered if you'd ever become like Him, but more often than not you were content with your life with Him and all your brothers and sisters.

It probably surprised you, then, when God called for a great gathering of His family, a "council in heaven." As you took your spot, you may have been a bit apprehensive, but felt your worries ease a little when you saw Jesus, God's firstborn and your older brother, sitting at God's side. You looked up to Him, and trusted Him.

While we don't have a specific record of what happened next, I imagine it went something like this: when everyone was present and accounted for, God stood to speak. He smiled warmly at all of you. He expressed His love for each and every one of His children. He talked of how happy He was to see all of you learning and progressing. He told you how much he cares for you and how often He thinks about what He can do to make you happy.

With that in mind, Heavenly Father announced something incredible. He told you of a plan that He had created, a plan in which every one of His children, you and all of your brothers and sisters, would be given an amazing opportunity. God said He would create a place for all of you to go, in order to gain a physical body (like His) and continue learning and growing in ways not possible in your then-current state. Then, everyone would have the opportunity to return and live with Heavenly Father again, but now with perfect physical bodies and enhanced understanding. It was a plan in which all of God's children could become more like Him.

You likely were taken aback, amazed at this incredible opportunity. Thousands of questions could have sprung to mind, but in that moment, a feeling of peace probably entered your being. You knew, as incredible as it seemed, that this plan was right.

As you pondered these news, though, another voice sounded, one of discontent. Another one of God's older children stood, and, to your astonishment, spoke out against God's plan. Whether or not he'd heard of this plan before the council, you weren't sure, but he seemed to be more familiar with it than most. You listened intently as he pointed out what he saw to be a flaw in the plan. Though all of the spirit children would, indeed, be given an equal opportunity to succeed, to prove themselves worthy of the great blessings God promised, their success wasn't guaranteed. As God had outlined the plan, every one would have Agency, or the ability to choose. And, as this son pointed out, many of God's children could easily choose wrong, and lose their privilege of returning to God's presence, forever.

You were likely stunned; it hadn't occurred to you before that so much of your success would be dependent on on your choices and actions. What's more, God had said that, in order for the plan to work the way He intended, everyone would forget their previous lives. Doubt perhaps crept into your thoughts; could you really choose the right without anything to guide you?

Perhaps, at this point, Jesus spoke up, reiterating that the children of God would not be left completely alone; God had promised to send them blessings such as Prophets, the Scriptures, and the Holy Ghost to aid in their journey. He also described that Agency was what Heavenly Father treasured most, and to take it away would spoil the entire purpose of the plan But this wasn't enough for the other son. In his mind, a plan in which failure was a possibility was imperfect, and to be discarded.

Then, turning to the rest of you, this son began to tell you of his wonderful news; that he had devised a plan as well. The plan was similar to Heavenly Father's, but with one marked difference: there would be no choice. Every child of God would come to the world prepared for them, receive their physical body, and automatically do everything required to merit returning to God's presence. Not a single soul would be lost, he promised, and all he asked for was the credit of coming up with such an amazing scheme.

You pondered this idea in your mind. It seemed to be the perfect solution; and yet, something didn't feel right. That feeling, that assurance that you'd felt before was missing.

Uneasily, you turned to look at God again. He looked sad, pained by His son's proposal. Jesus then spoke:

"Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." (Moses 4:2)

And thus began a war in heaven. Whether it was a war of words or a war of weapons or a war of some other sort, we don't know. What we do know is that a "third part" of God's children sided with the rebellious son. They balked at the chance of losing everything, and flocked to the assurance that his plan seemed to offer. In the end, though, they lost the war. God, Jesus, and the rest of His children fought against the other souls, and won. As a result, all those who rebelled were cast out of the presence of God. They lost any opportunity to receive a physical body and progress. The rebellious son was then known as Satan, and from that point on he and his followers have sought the destruction of God's children.

So, what does all this have to do with you, right here, and right now? Well, before the war in heaven was fought, you and everyone else had a choice to make. Both God's plan and Satan's plan were laid out in front of you completely and thoroughly. You had absolutely all the information you needed. And then you maid a choice. You saw Satan's plan, which appeared easy and attractive. You'd be guaranteed a place back in heaven with God, and you didn't even really have to do anything.

Then, you looked at God's plan, and frankly, it didn't seem easy. You'd forget your entire life in heaven from beforehand. You'd be born into a world with natural disasters, sickness, and wars. You'd have to make your own choices and then live with the consequences of those choices. You'd have to walk by faith and not by sight. And there was a very real possibility that you could fail and lose everything you held dear.

But you looked to God, and you said "I'll do it."

Isn't it incredible? Isn't it amazing? All that time ago, you had the faith to accept God's plan. You trusted that He wouldn't ask you to do anything out of your power. You felt that, as hard as His plan appeared, it was the right thing to do. So, unlike so many others, you rejected the offer to do what was easy, what was comfortable. Where countless souls faltered because there was a chance they could fail, you stepped forward with faith, trusting that there was a chance that you could succeed and that God would help you.

When asked to do something that perhaps wasn't easy, but was worth it, You Already Said Yes.

So take courage in this! As much as you've grown and changed throughout your life, you're still that same spirit that accepted God's plan. Look deep within yourself, and find the resolve you've already shown. If you can't seem to find it, then ask God, your Heavenly Father, to help you. He'll aid you to recover what you once had, and then he'll multiply it a thousand times over.

You can do it. I know you can. Keep up the faith. Keep doing your best. Keep Moving Forward.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He created a plan so that we could be happy. I know He wants each and every one of us to succeed, and is actively working to help us do so (see my favorite scripture, 1 Nephi 3:7). I know that he'll help you in whatever trial you face. I know this because He's helped me in countless occasions. He's helped me when I've lacked the strength to do better, to be better. He's helped me when I've been lost and confused, unsure of how to proceed.

He's helped me, even when I haven't felt worthy of it.

I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond

Photo Courtesy of LDS.org

D&C 122

Do you feel as if you're falling? 

Do all of your problems seem to be collapsing on top of you, 

threatening to crush your spirit?

Does the light at the end of the tunnel seem to be dimming?

Do you feel a darkness beginning to surround you?

Does it feel as if you're one step away from being swallowed up by

all the dark and gloom in your life?

If so...

---  ---  ---

When Joseph Smith was 14 years old, he had a question. He took this question to prayer, and something miraculous occurred: God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him (more info here, on mormon.org)

After this occurred, Satan decided to turn things up a notch:

"I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects—all united to persecute me." (Joseph Smith--History 1:22)

To be clear, Joseph didn't want to harm anyone. His message was of peace, and yet it was responded to by violence. 

Eventually, Joseph found himself in Liberty Jail, a dark, oppressing dungeon in Missouri. His wife, Emma, was left alone to take care of their children. His friends and family were being driven from their homes and beaten and killed. All of this, in effect, because of the vision he had seen.

It must have felt horrible. Stuck in the jail with no light, poor conditions, and nothing really to do but think about his situation. 

Did Joseph ever doubt the veracity of what he had seen? We don't know. We do know, however, that the oppressive circumstances led him to cry out:

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?" (D&C 121:1)

To which our loving Heavenly Father responded:

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."

Following these words and other instructions, God counseled Joseph on the reasons for adversity, which we've already described with the stickies (read the full section here)

---  ---  ---

So, what can we take from all of this? Unfortunately, bad things are going to happen to all of us. Part of the purpose of this life is so that we can recognize what sorrow is, because it will help us more fully appreciate true joy. 

What I want to share is that there is truly no suffering that comes upon us without a reason. Things will seem black at times. Very, very, very black. We often won't understand why these things happen to us until some time later, but they key is that we Keep Moving Forward until that day comes. And the day will come. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-Elder Richmond

Come What May, and Love It

Hello again, and welcome back to Keep Moving Forward! My apologies for missing last week; it was rather busy setting up the baptismal service of some very close friends of mine (Pictures Here!)

While thinking about what I might write about next, I read over a talk from a previous General Conference that struck a chord (what is General Conference? Find out here). The talk, entitled "Come What May, and Love It," was written by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who has now since passed. The power and truth in his words are palpable.

So, without further ado, the talk! (For the written version, go here)



As Elder Wirthlin summed it up,

"As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial. We can say, as did my mother, 'Come what may, and love it.'" (But you should really listen to the entire talk)

I too testify that, although adversity and trials may come our way, facing them in the way that Elder Wirthlin says will make everything go smoother. As we look to laugh, see things eternally, wait patiently, and pray for support, we'll all be aided in our quest to Keep Moving Forward. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, a bit shorter this week, but I think that's alright. Onward!

-Elder Richmond

111: Love Yourself

Once again, I'm late to post! My sincerest apologies. I'm still figuring out what exactly I want to do with the blog and such, but things should even out as we go on.

So, today we come to the last part of 111, love yourself. Now, at first, that sounds awfully self-centered. I'm definitely not trying to promote narcissism here; we should not be so obsessed with ourselves that we forget to think of God or others. But, implied in the mandate to "love our neighbor as [ourselves]," it is implied that we do need to have some level of self-love. To put it mathematically (I'm a bit geeky like that),

Love for Neighbor = Love for Self

So, if we have no love for ourselves (or if Love for Self = 0), then

Love for Neighbor = 0

Which is bad.

---

Alright, now that we've spent more time than is probably necessary discussing how it's okay to love ourselves, let's apply the other ongoing theme of these posts: forgiveness. Just as we must seek forgiveness from God and be willing to forgive others, we must also be willing to forgive ourselves.

How does this work? Well, let's go back to the first story I shared, about saying something embarrassing on 9/11. Quite frankly, I messed up there. Sure, I was only about 8 at the time and I didn't completely understand what was going on, but I still get a bit embarrassed when I think about what happened. And, I've kept making similar mistakes, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, over the course of my life (I just did it this morning at the breakfast table). Now, I could start obsessing over these things. I could start thinking about them every day, focusing on how wrong I was and how things could have gone so much better if I'd have said something else. I could dwell on all the shame and remorse I feel. I could feel pretty lousy about myself in general.

Sound familiar? It's the same principle as the rosebush from last week. In fact, let's use another example from my life (someone's loving himself a bit too much here): in elementary school once, I stabbed a freshly sharpened pencil in to my index finger. How that happened, I have no idea, but one second I was holding the pencil in my right hand and the next it was stuck in my left. Instinctively, I shook the pencil out, breaking the lead and leaving some inside my finger. I promptly went to the bathroom to clean out the wound, but I suspect that some of the lead is still inside, especially since there's still a dark spot on my finger nearly 10 years later.

So, that was something that was self-inflicted, and it hurt, a lot. Not only did I injure myself, but I carry a reminder of it every day, probably for the rest of my life. But, what do I do about it?

I accept that I'm not perfect. I realize that sometimes things happen like that. I analyze what happened and make sure I don't do it again. And then, I move on. I Keep Moving Forward.

Whether it be stabbing ourselves with pencils or saying something we shouldn't or whatever else, we're all likely going to feel a bit ashamed of things we've done. But, just as we must recognize that others aren't perfect and seek to forgive them, we also need to recognize that we, too, make mistakes, and can be forgiven of them.

I've talked a lot about myself in this post, and I'm sorry for that, but I just have to express how much I know that this principle is true. I've lost sleep about things I've done before, about my imperfections. I've been a terrible critic of myself. But I've also felt the wonderful peace of mind and self-confidence that comes from letting things go, from forgiving myself. You can be your own worst enemy, but it feels a lot better to be your own best friend.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that Jesus Christ atoned for all pain, self-inflicted or not. And I know that God wants us to love ourselves, imperfect though we may be, and that Jesus Christ knows how to help us move past our pain. I'm very thankful for the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ (info here. I had to get a Mormon.org link in there somewhere), that has let me feel more peace and love in my life. I say these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, thus concludes 111! Thanks for reading! I hope this has helped brighten your week, even if only a little bit.

Keep Moving Forward!

-Elder Richmond

111: Love Each Other

Welcome back! My apologies for being a day late. While we plan out every day as a missionary, sometimes even we get thrown curveballs and deviate from our plans in order to help those in need. But, we are all set for today.

I'll start out this portion of 111 with another story, this one much more recent. I was with another missionary, and he asked to borrow some shoe-shining supplies since we were staying in my apartment. I said that was perfectly fine. Using some materials from my kit, and some that a previous missionary had left behind, he shined his shoes. As we were leaving the apartment, I noted that he'd put some of the older missionary's supplies into a bag to take with him. I didn't have a problem with that. However, I also noticed a small buffering cloth in his bag that looked awfully like one of mine. I was a bit suspicious, but didn't jump to any conclusions until I was back at my apartment later, with another missionary. Sure enough, I checked my shoe-shining kit, and one of the cloths was missing.

And that really bugged me.

We'll come back to the story later.

So, going back to the original post, the second great commandment that Jesus taught us is that we love our neighbors (i.e. everyone around us) as we love ourselves. For some people, we find that very easy. For others, we find that very hard. They hurt us with their words and actions. They stress us out. In a perfect world (not this one), everyone would treat each other with love and kindness, and hurt feelings would not exist. That world, though, won't come for a while (although it will eventually come). In the meantime, we need to learn how we can keep living with people we'd rather not have anything to do with.

First, we need to understand that nobody is perfect. To bring back the scripture from last time, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Due to a lack of knowledge or understanding, or perhaps even because of malicious intentions, people are going to end up hurting us. So what do we do? Do we mourn our social injuries, constantly bringing back the hurt we've felt? Do we get angry, despising the person at fault?

Let's use a metaphor. Say you see a rosebush, and you stop to admire the flowers. As you go to touch the blossoms, though, a thorn pricks your thumb and sticks in it. What do you do? Do you stare at the wound, tears in your eyes, wishing for the pure, unhurt thumb you had before? Do you spitefully leave the thorn in the wound, using the pain to fuel your plans to take a chainsaw to the bush?

Or do you calmly take out the thorn, step inside to get a bandage, treat the hurt, and go back to looking at flowers?

We firstly can't wallow in self-pity, longing for the happy selves we were before we were hurt. Some people believe that the world would be better if nothing bad ever happened to us at all. We know, though, through the Book of Mormon, that pain and trials are part of this life, and they help us grow (See 2 Nephi 2:27). We also shouldn't let the offending words and actions become the focus of our lives. The wound will never heal if we refuse to take out the thorn, and we shouldn't get angry at the imperfect nature of the thornbush for hurting us.

What we should do is forgive. Recognize that nobody is perfect, and be willing to move on and keep associating with those who have harmed us. As we do so, we find that we are free, that we don't let the words or actions of others define us. As stated by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 2nd Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, "We do matter. We determine our happiness. You and I are ultimately in charge of our own happiness" (See, "Of Regrets and Resolutions").

As well, God has commanded us to forgive, or to be merciful. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:7: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." He demonstrated this principle in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (see Matthew 18:21-35). In short, since we all depend on God for mercy (as discussed last time), we must also be ready and willing to extend mercy to all of those around us, be they friend or foe.

I know this is a bit hard to swallow. But, as in my story about the shoe cloth, I've obsessed over the actions of another person, and it just doesn't make me feel good. There have been other circumstances as well, in which I've become so focused on what another person has done or said that it becomes hard for me to think of anything else. But I've found freedom and happiness through letting these things go. It is hard; I've prayed for a lot of strength at times to do this. But, in the end, the past is the past. A shoe cloth is just a shoe cloth, and we'll all feel a lot happier when we're willing to let it go.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know he wants to forgive us, and he wants us to forgive others. I know that as we do these things, a greater light and happiness will enter into our lives. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, just one more installment of 111! See you there next week (and hopefully on time)!

-Elder Richmond

111: Love God

So, we'll start out the post this week with a story.

My mom woke me up later than usual on September 11, 2001. As I climbed out of bed, she told me that my Grandma had called and told us to turn on the news. Gathered together in the family room, we all watched the footage of the planes crashing into the World Trade Centers. Frankly, I wasn't exactly sure what was happening. The gravity of the situation was lost on me. Eventually, I made it to school. As I walked into class, I offered my 3rd grade teacher an explanation of why I was late. I said:

"Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Anderson. I was watching people blow up our government."

She quietly said "It's alright" and then told me to take my seat.

Flash forward more than a decade, and I feel a bit embarrassed about what I said. Maybe even a bit ashamed. I don't beat myself up about it (I wasn't quite 9 then), but the feeling lingers.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the last time I said something I would later regret. I often tend to speak before I think, it seems, and that leads to me putting my foot in my mouth a lot more often than I'd like. Awkward things are said, words are misunderstood, feelings get hurt. All of these, like my 9/11 experience, leave me feeling embarrassed and a little ashamed.

I take comfort in the fact that I'm not alone. Perhaps not everyone has said something they shouldn't have, like me, but, as imperfect human beings, everyone has done something that's made them feel a bit guilty or ashamed (see Romans 3:23). Hopefully it only happens once in awhile; however, sometimes we have bad weeks, and we get rather weighted down with everything we've done in the week. These feelings, if not attended to, can make us tired, make us downhearted. We don't think we'll ever be able to pick ourselves back up again.

So, what are we to do? And how does all this tie in to forgiveness and 111? It's simple: by asking our Heavenly Father for forgiveness, we can start the process of getting rid of these feelings of regret and remorse.

Physical pain is a type of warning for the body: it lets us know that something's wrong, that we're not doing something right (like not eating for too long or failing to avoid the soccer ball that smacks us in the face). Guilt is the same for our spirits. When we do something in a way that God doesn't want us to do it, we feel guilt as a result.

Fortunately for us, we have a way (called "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" (see this page here, starting with the subheading "Faith in Jesus Christ)) to relieve ourselves of these feelings. We first believe that such a thing is possible. Then, as part of the process of leaving that action behind, we ask forgiveness from Heavenly Father for doing something wrong. It takes humility, but I can testify to you all that it works. I've felt my burdens lifted as I've asked God to forgive me, to give me another chance. He is merciful, and if we promise that we'll try our best to do better (through "covenants," or two-way promises. See the above link), he promises us that he'll forget our sins and help us feel better (see D&C 58:42).

If you find yourself bogged down with your mistakes and your regrets, I urge you to pray. To ask Heavenly Father for forgiveness and relief. As you take the right steps to do better, you'll feel a wonderful peace of conscious. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's it for this week! We'll continue 111 next week, talking about how forgiveness applies to all those around us. See you then!

-Elder Richmond

Have Faith

Hello everyone! We're posting early this week, because tomorrow is going to be crazy busy with missionary meetings for me. A Wednesday pick-me-up is still good, isn't it?

So, if you came here from Facebook, you might have seen the teaser yesterday and found out that today's topic is Faith. Faith is really what helps me keep moving forward, what helps me pick myself up when I'm feeling down, and I believe its power is pretty much universal.

Before we get into that, though, let's talk a little bit about missionary work. As missionaries, we get up early, work out, study the scriptures, and then spend the rest of the day trying to help and teach people. In order to find people, we often resort to "tracting," which is going door to door and asking people if they're interested. Sadly, most aren't. Some people argue with us, others yell at us and slam the door in our faces. I've heard reports of some people spitting on missionaries (although that's never happened to me personally). Basically, tracting has the potential to turn out very, very badly.

So why do we keep doing it? Why do we still go out every day and put ourselves in peoples' paths? I've literally had days where not a single person we talk to wants to hear anything we have to say; why, then, do I keep trying?

It's definitely hard. And discouraging. And frustrating. But what keeps me going is this: the belief that somewhere out there, there is someone who wants to listen. There is someone who'll listen to us. There is someone we can help.

Belief is a part of Faith, but not all of it. When we have Faith in something, we believe it, but there's more involved. To have Faith in something requires us to first believe in it, and then act according to our belief. If I believe that there's something tasty in the fridge, for instance, it won't do me any good to believe it and then just sit on the couch, hungry. In order to exercise Faith, I have to get up off of the couch and open the fridge in order to see. Only then can my faith be rewarded with something tasty, like orange juice or cold pizza (delicious).

We can easily apply this back to the previous example: I believe that there are people out there (currently, in Jacksonville) who really want to hear what we have to say. But, in order to meet these people, I have to act. I have to leave my apartment and try to find them, through tracting or some other means. Only then can my faith be rewarded, and it has been, for which I'm very grateful.

Now, how do we apply Faith on a more practical level? It's all fine for missionary work and midnight snacks, but how can the majority of us use Faith?

Before my mission, I studied at BYU. I was usually pretty good about doing my homework, but I'll readily admit that the dorm atmosphere led to a lot of procrastination. I can still clearly remember some very desperate nights in which the assignments had piled up and I was very sleep-deprived. In the midst of this desperation, it was often hard to see how things were going to get better. I couldn't reason out in my mind how all of it was going to work. But, it didn't matter so much, because even though I couldn't see how things were going to be okay, I believed that they would, and then took action based on that belief.

We're all going to have bad days here and there. It's an unfortunate part of life. But believe that things can get better, then do whatever you can to realize it, and I know things will turn out okay.

One last note: perhaps you're in the state where you actually can't believe that things will get better. That level of desperation does exist, and I've been there once or twice. If you find yourself there, I'd like to share the words of Alma, a prophet from the Book of Mormon (what is the Book of Mormon? Info is here):

"But behold, if ye will... experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe..."
(Alma 32:27)

If you can't believe that things will be okay in the end, then desire to believe. Want things to be better. Want to be able to believe. And if you act on that faith, I know that you'll see the light at the end of the tunnel some day.

I know that there is power in Faith and that it can truly help everyone overcome their challenges. It's helped me overcome mine. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, until next week, everyone (all 27 of you who have been here. Thanks for coming!)

Keep Moving Forward!

-Elder Richmond

Hello, World

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." -Walt Disney

That's where the name of the blog comes from, and I felt I should pay homage to it (yes, I got it by watching Meet the Robinsons. It's a good movie). As good as that quote is, though, it's not quite what we're looking for here...

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Hello, World! My name is Elder Jesse Richmond. Currently, I'm serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We're often called the Mormons (as you may have noted from the bar to your left). If you have questions about our church, this site (Mormon.org) does an excellent job of explaining everything. If you want to learn more about the missionary program, there's more info here. I've even got a profile on the website; you can visit it and learn more about me and how I live my faith (Me!). 

Now that that's all out of the way...

Missionaries have many duties, many things we need to do. Honestly, though, I came on my mission to help people. Do I believe I can help people by teaching them? By knocking on their doors and inviting them to learn about our church? Yes. But people need other help, too.

In specific, I've found that a lot of people tend to get down and don't know how to get back up. The future, dark and dreary, seems to stretch ahead of them, and they can't see any light. They're not sure what to do: their circumstances aren't the best, and it doesn't necessarily look any better up ahead (I know I've definitely found myself in this situation).

I want to help these people. I want to help you. And, while this blog will talk about many other things, for now I just want to echo the words of Walt Disney (changing them to the imperative) and say:

Keep Moving Forward.

It'll be okay.

Keep Moving Forward.

You can do it.

Keep Moving Forward. 

The future looks terrible. It looks bleak. But, as one who's been in the dark and can't see the light, I can tell you that the only way to get out is to take that first step. Make an effort to find the light. It may not come quickly. The road may not be easy. But a brighter future is there, and you can find it if you're willing to try. All that matters is that you move, and that you move forward.

This blog will update every Thursday, that day in the middle of the week that stands in between the "hump" of the week and the glorious weekend. I've found a lot of people are a bit out of energy and motivation on Thursdays, and I hope I can help.

Until next Thursday, I leave you with the words of Elder Jefferey R. Holland, who has some great things to say on this subject: (Good Things to Come)

Keep trying. Keep smiling. Keep doing your best.

Keep Moving Forward.

-Elder Richmond