Salvation Never Was Easy - August 11, 2014 email

On my mission, we have to write a short talk for EVERY meeting (one to two times a week), and then one person is randomly chosen to give their talk.

For Zone Training Meeting, we were given the topic "Motivation Through the Love of Christ".

The morning of the meeting, I wrote a talk with lots of words straight from my heart. I have been struggling on my mission, and I have been completely relying on the Lord to get through my difficult moments.

When I said my personal prayer to close studies, I literally said to Heavenly Father: "I don't like speaking, but these words matter to me and I am ready to share them." 

I told nobody I said that prayer, not even my companion. Two people out of thirty were chosen to speak. Guess who was one of them?

Here is my talk:

While I was in the MTC, I had an especially hard day. I was having a lot of doubts. I wondered if I should even be on a mission. I was having a little bit of a pity party.

I prayed, and the next day my prayer was answered.

In class we watched a talk by Elder Eyering. In it he says that missionaries will always ask their mission presidents: "Why is this so HARD? Why won't more people listen to me? Why am I not seeing more success?"

Elder Eyering says simply: "Salvation never was easy." He begins describing some of the Savior's GREAT sacrifices for us.

Jesus Christ suffered every temptation. He suffered physical, mental, emotional and spiritual anguish for our -- for MY sins. He wore his crown of thorns with more honor and purpose than any ruler had ever worn their crowns of gold.

What the Savior did for me was HARD, and He deserved none of it.

Elder Eyering teaches us that when we are in our most difficult moments on our missions, we are working shoulder-to-shoulder with our Savior, Jesus Christ, for the Salvation of souls.

Matthew 18:11 simplifies the Savior's purpose, and our purpose as missionaries:

"For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."

Jesus Christ loves each and every one of us. He loves each and every single person we come in contact with each day.

We are doing our best to be instruments in His hands, so that those who are "lost" may be "save[d]".

On the short while I have been on my mission, I am learning the hard way that "salvation never was easy".

But during my HARDest moments of struggling is when I can begin to understand maybe .015% of the sacrifices Jesus Christ made for me, and those are the moments that my appreciation and love for Him deepen the most.

I know that I am here for a reason. I know that it is HARD work, but it is worth it. Not only is it worth it, but it is some of the most important work I will ever do on earth. I'm grateful for my HARDships that have made me lean on my Savior, and deepened my love for Him.