I just finished for the semester and I couldn't be happier. It was a rough semester, not that the classes were hard, it is just difficult working full-time and taking 16 units and three semesters straight lead to burn out. I have an easy load for next semester, 12 units and four of the units are institute classes.... I'm so excited for that. I am also interning.
Another big change, I decided to work grave yards at work because they were having issues working around my not so normal school schedule. It should be interesting.
The other week I was listening to an old CES broadcast by Elder Oaks. He let his wife speak for a couple of minutes and she shared a quote by Elder Holland talking about why things are hard and why life is hard. It says "Elder Jeffrey R. Holland addressed that problem while talking to missionaries about their struggles in the mission field. He spoke about the price we must pay to return to Heavenly Father. His advice applies to anyone who is struggling to know and serve God. Many of the missionaries he addressed were frustrated, seeing little success, and wondering if their missions were of worth. They asked, “Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. . . . We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the [Church]? . . . Why isn’t it easier?”
Elder Holland replied: “I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. It is not Church doctrine. . . . I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience.” (And I would add that a university experience or this life experience is not easy because it is not a cheap experience.) “Salvation never was easy. We are the Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, He is our Great Eternal Head. Why would we believe . . . that it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? . . . How could we possibly bear any moving, lasting testimony of the Atonement if we have never known or felt anything of such an experience? As [members and] missionaries we are proud to say we are disciples of Christ—and we are. But mark my word. That means [we] must be prepared to walk something of the path He walked, to feel something of the pain He felt, to at least occasionally . . . shed one of the tears of sorrow that He shed” (The Atonement [address at seminar for new mission presidents, June 26, 2007], 8).
Salvation is not a cheap experience, and we should remember that. Never let any trials stand between you and your allegiance to your Heavenly Father. Never let any insult or challenge separate you from partaking of the sacrament and lead you to spiritual weakness and possibly to a spiritual death. Hold fast, and remember what you know to be true."
How true it is. I think all of us at one point in our lives have those thought of why thing are so hard.
A this time of year I am grateful for the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ, for his mortal parents who were willing to raise the Son of God. I am so grateful for the Atonement He went through for all of us so that we can make it through this life to return to live with our Heavenly Father and Mother again. What a blessing it is to have two holidays a year that are for Christ. Just think how much better off the world would be if we thought more like Christ and more of Christ.
If I don't happen to write on this again before Christmas, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I hope you remember the reason we celebrate this time of year!
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