Farewell Talk

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today was a big day for my family and I. Today I got to deliver my farewell talk before I leave on my full time mission to Cleveland Ohio. My theme for my talk was : "Member missionary work."

I know that a lot of you that read this were already there, but I wanted to share what I said for those of you who didn't get to be there! Here is the file: farewell talk

I love you all so much! If you have any questions for me before I leave please shoot me an email or leave an anonymous comment and I'll reply! Thank you each of you for all of your support and love. I couldn't have gotten here without you and your example and love. Every single one of you is amazing. I know Heavenly Father loves you and He will bless and guide you as you choose to follow Him.

In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen farewell talk

Love,
Samantha

Experiences this week

You too can preach the Gospel. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This week I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in many wonderful mission type experiences. I would like to share some with you briefly.

First, my family had the opportunity to have the full time Elder missionaries at our house for dinner and a short message. It was a wonderful experience for my family and I to be able to ask questions and learn more about the things I will be doing in only a few short weeks. The Spirit that we felt with them in our home was great. I was so happy that I was able to have them over so that my family could see what things I will be doing when I go out to Cleveland Ohio.

Second, one of my good friends was baptized, and today will be confirmed a member of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch and experience his baptism with him, and oh what a joy it was. The Holy Ghost was present and I felt the Savior's love for my friend. Watching my friend grow and change has been absolutely amazing; I know that his example has strengthened my testimony and faith.

Third, I was able to spend time with family and friends as we helped prepare for Christmas. The Spirit that I feel when I am with family and friends and we are serving others is the best feeling in the whole world! Being able to serve those around us with those I love is awesome. When we are serving others, we are really serving our Heavenly Father. (Mosiah 2:17)

Fourth, I had the opportunity to go to the temple with a great friend of mine. We had the opportunity to do work for those who have passed on without their temple work being completed. I love being in the temple to do this work for those who cannot do it without our help. These people are counting on us and all we have to do is give of ourselves a little time each month, or week (however much you can give) and go to the temple and do their work. They are waiting and only we can do this for them. This work is the difference between paradise and prison for these people.

In conclusion, I just want to say that I am so thankful for this time of year and that I have been so fortunate to spend it with those I hold most dear. I know the Lord has a plan for each and every one of us and His timing is perfect. The timing of the beautiful experiences I got to participate in this week are heaven sent; they are happening now for a reason. I am so thankful for the restored Gospel and I know that it is true, and I cannot wait to share it with the people of Ohio.

I want you to know that your participation in this the Latter Days is crucial. What are you doing to help the Lord further His divine work, and how can you do better? We need to be actively engaged in this great cause, especially at this Christmas season. I want to invite each of you to think of a person or family that needs you this Christmas, and give them your love and service this season. Be a friend to all, and not just now but every day of the year. Heavenly Father needs you to be His missionary too, full time or not: we can all be missionaries today. What will you do? I have shared some of my simple experiences. Be not afraid, open your mouth and it shall be filled if you are continually feasting upon His words. You will be prepared, and the Lord will be able to count on you.

Of this I bear testimony, In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

Something Short

You have to open the door. Trust Him. He loves you.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Power of Hope & Comfort in Trials are two videos that helped me in difficult times. I hope they can help you too.

These past few days have been especially emotional for me, as will the weeks leading up to my departure for my mission. I have been feeling very inadequate and unprepared to leave, and having desires to stay home. But every single time The Lord graciously reminds me that He needs me out there in Cleveland and that I am enough and I do know enough. Every single time He answers my spoken and unspoken prayers. He rescues my wandering heart; He carries me through every storm I cannot stand on my own. He is my Savior and I love Him.

Today I chose to share these videos to remind you this: YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Christ is knocking at the door and all you have to do is let Him in. All you have to do is have faith in Him and patience in His timing for you and for others.

I want you to know that I know that My Heavenly Father lives and that He knows me and loves me personally. I know that He sent His son, my Elder Brother and Savior Jesus Christ, to live and die for me. I know that the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and it can cleanse and heal every wound and help strengthen anyone who may be struggling with anything weather it be big or small. Everything any of us face, we face with the Savior. He walked our paths personally when He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. There is not one thing in this whole world that He did not face before you did, and He did it all for you. Because He loves you. I promise you that. I know that no matter what is going on, it will all work out; it will all be okay because He lives. Stay close to Him, listen to His Spirit- He will never mislead you.

I want to leave you with this, my testimony of the Savior and His divine role and purpose in our lives.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

Stake Conference

Elder Larry R. Lawrence 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to go to my local stake conference, where Elder Larry R. Lawrence from the quorum of the seventy spoke. Along with Elder Lawrence, we had many other speakers address us. Today the message I wish to share with you is what I learned from them today.

President Camp, our stake president spoke about when he was young, he lived on a farm and he had to help his dad make furrows for watering. He explained that his father was very particular about making sure his furrows were nice and straight; not crooked. The way to do this was by first choosing an object across the field to focus on; line up the tractor nose and never take his sight off that object. Then after the first furrow was made he had to line up the tractor with the path he had already made and keep his paths straight. If he got distracted for even a little bit, the furrows became crooked. He compared this to our lives, how we have to focus our lives on the Savior and every path we walk must line up with His so we can make it back home if we endure till the end.

President Kilpack, the mission president for the mission area I live in, shared this scripture that goes along with President Camp's talk. Isaiah 40: 3-5; 29-31

"3 ¶The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

"29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

President Camp shared 5 ways we can keep our paths straight:
1- Follow the Prophets and Apostles
2- Study Holy Scriptures
3- Participate in Temple Worship
4- Sabbath Day Observance
5- Being Honest

As our concluding speaker, Elder Lawrence spoke about how we can keep Satan from getting in the way of doing the things President Camp instructed us to do. He reminded us that we are all in the midst of an ongoing spiritual war, and we cannot afford to be distracted. He reminded us that in order to adequately fight the war against sin we need to know the enemy's tactics. He shared with us 4 of these tactics and how we can fight each one. They are as follows:

1- He uses direct temptation. The way we fight this is by: sending him away. We have power as Christ's people to say to Satan: "Satan leave me alone! Get away!" Christ did this when He was praying to the Father and Satan was trying to tempt Him. Jesus then, after casting out the devil, quoted scriptures to fill Himself with the Spirit. It is very important that we study, and memorize scripture daily.

2- Satan uses lies and deception. Satan will often tell us that we need to try everything "just once" to experience everything. THIS IS A LIE! We fight this by never trying harmful and potentially addictive things such as drugs, pornography, etc. Not even once!!

3- Satan uses contention to get to us. We must fight this by stopping and making peace, solving the problem right away to halt all contention and anger. We must not seek fault in others.

4- Lastly, Satan uses discouragement to hurt us. We must fight this evil by recognizing that our loss of joy is coming from Satan and doing something to change it. We must be happy. We need to do things to keep us happy and healthy such as exercise, listening to inspiring music, saying sincere prayers, and receiving priesthood blessings. We must learn to bridle our tongue, because Satan only knows the words we speak, not our thoughts. So we must not murmur so the enemy does not find our weakness'.

To conclude, we must always remember that we are in the middle of a war, and we CANNOT afford to become distracted. Remember that if we are on the Lord's side, we will win. Do not quit now, we are almost there. Stand strong. I know that Heavenly Father will help us and love us. We need to remember whose side we are on and fight valiantly and courageously until the end. I know that we can do this. I add my testimony to that of Joseph Smith, and our living Prophet today, Thomas S. Monson that He Lives. He loves us, and He will help us. I know these things are true.

In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

It's Coming!!

What will you do for Him this Christmas??

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

Only 25 more days! It's almost here! Can you guess?! For those of you who are Christmas fanatics like myself- you know: CHRISTMAS IS IN 25 DAYS! (Christmas Eve) What are you doing to prepare for this special day? What does this day mean to you? 

For me, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Why do I love it so much? With all the shoppers, the traffic, the hustle and bustle, the snow, the traditions, the work, the long hours of cooking, etc. Why do I love Christmas so much? Because my Savior was born. 

Click here to discover "Why We Need a Savior".

1- Watch the 2 minute video called "A Savior is Born" 

2- Watch the 2 minute video called "Imagine a World Without a Savior" 

3- Explore the website! 

Think about what you can do this Christmas to make it a little more special, heartfelt, and for the Savior than you did last year. No Christmas is not about the getting things, it's not about spending money, it's not about Santa Clause- Christmas is about giving, it's about helping and serving, it's about being with those you love and hold most dear, and most importantly: it's about the Savior. What will you do to make it about Him this year?

I just want to leave you with my testimony that I know that a Savior was born more than two thousand years ago in a little village called Bethlehem. I know that He was sent by our Heavenly Father to earth to live and die for us. This Savior is Jesus Christ- our elder Brother, and advocate with the Father. He suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane and He was raised on the cross on Calvary's Hill for our sake. He was buried in the tomb and rose again on the third day. I testify that He lives again. I testify of His love for you, me, and every single person that lives, has lived, and ever will live. He knows every single one of us personally and individually. He took your life individually and suffered for you individually. There is nothing you will ever encounter that He has not yet been through for you. He walked your life in your shoes so you will never ever be alone. Because of Him- you can be forgiven, and you can return to be with Him and our Heavenly Father and Mother for eternity if you choose Him. I know these things are true. I beg you to find out for yourself these truths. He will make it manifest unto you, as He continues to do for me, I so testify, In the name of Jesus Christ. 

Amen 

Love, 

Samantha 

Let Go and Let God

Let Him heal you. 

Dear Family and Friends,

As I partook of the Sacrament today, I prayed for the Lord's guidance and forgiveness. As some of you know I will entering the Temple this Wednesday to make sacred covenants with my Heavenly Father. I have been praying for weeks that I will not only feel the Holy Ghost, but that I will know that I am in the presence of Heavenly Beings. (My Heavenly Father & Mother and Savior Jesus Christ) I have been praying that I will also be worthy to be in Their divine presence, continually asking for forgiveness and striving to do and be better than I was yesterday. As I took the Sacrament today I truly felt the Spirit testify truths to me and bear comfort and peace to my heart and soul.

As I have been on this journey to enter the Temple and then go on a mission, there has been a constant question in my mind: "Am I really worthy to enter into such a sacred place and be with such clean, divine, pure, Heavenly Beings?" I am far from perfect. I have made choices in my life that were contrary to The Lord's teachings- but I have also repented, and I know that I have: so why then, am I feeling this way?

The once sort of "muddy" answer has become quite clear over the last few weeks and especially today as I took the Sacrament.
1. I know that we still feel guilt after we have repented and been forgiven: this is to help us to not make the same mistake again. Guilt is something that we, with time, prayer, and faith: overcome. He heals us.
2. Satan uses that guilt to make you doubt. That is one of his biggest weapons against us: doubt! Dieter F. Uchtdorf, of the First Presidency, once said: "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." Satan will see and use any tiny trickle of doubt to make you doubt more and cause that trickle to become more of a stream, then a river, then a pond, then a lake, and eventually an ocean if we let him get it that far. I saw this happening in my own life- and I didn't like it.

The short version of: My Story of Doubt:
I chose to go on an LDS mission.
Satan knew it would be a long hard road, so before my call even came he started to send doubts to my mind. He knows that I have always been hard on myself. He knows that I tend to think I am consistently not good enough- so using these thoughts he made the fears of my mission grow deeper and deeper.
I have always wondered: "Am I really worthy to enter the Holy temple and be set apart as His witness?"
Satan used this doubt to make me feel guilty all over again for things that I thought I had dealt with, cleaned up and "put away." My constant thoughts were: "I know I've repented. The people who have helped me along the way have helped me know that I have truly been forgiven- so why am I feeling this again?!"
Along came my mission call and I was feeling confident and ready! But then came the preparation for my mission and I was suddenly very un-confident and very overwhelmed.
Satan used my overwhelming feelings and turned them into doubt and frustration with myself and others. I was suddenly not very happy about my mission. I wanted it to be further away. I didn't even think I wanted to go anymore. The only thing that kept me holding onto my call was that I didn't want to be a quitter. My fear of giving up too early was greater than my fear of "not being enough or having enough to give."

So now we are here: with questions and thoughts entering into my head that are making it next to impossible for me to love my mission call. I almost quit. I didn't think I could do it anymore. "Wouldn't it just be easier to stay home and do school?" But then I remembered a quote my mom always had on the wall while I was growing up. It had a picture of Christ and it said "I never said it would be easy- I only said it would be worth it." and that kept me going. He walked-alone, the hardest path ever known to man or God, and He did it for me, so I could therefore walk this path, with Him and for Him.

Still as I am preparing for the temple, I was unsure if I was really worthy. But I knew I was- so why did I feel this way? How could I feel better so that I could really feel His presence in His Holy Temple? As I have been pondering this- and as I took the Sacrament, praying for answers- I heard a voice tell me: "He wants you there too. Don't let fear keep you out. You are clean and forgiven. Both you and He know that. Go to the Temple. He will be by your side." Then- "Let go, and let GOD. His power and grace is sufficient for you." Go be with Him." I felt peace. I didn't want to open my eyes. I just wanted to sit there and enjoy that feeling and that knowledge for hours. I could feel His love.

Brothers and Sisters, I do not know what trial you may be dealing with. I do not know what things you are working through, but I do know that our Heavenly Father knows and He knows perfectly. You are not alone. He loves you more than you understand. If you are struggling with anything- please: let go and let God. He truly does have the power to make you clean before Him. He will forgive you. He will heal you. Let Him. He will bring you back into His presence if you let Him. Please: Let Him.

I love you, and I know you can do this. Do not give up. He is right by your side.
Of this I testify and bear my witness,
In the sacred name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

The Priesthood Blesses My Life

Your situation matters to Him. 

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was a rather busy one for me. I have been helping some of my great friends to take care of their kids while they were out of town. Well, this week I have also been feeling the pressures of the world with friends and family and trying to prepare to enter the temple and go on a mission. I have been feeling very overwhelmed with everything going on lately- and right in the midst of my crazy busy week right when I was feeling like I was about to drown in things to do: I had some immunizations for my mission and came down with the flu. Thinking I could just sleep it off I went home early and went to bed. The next morning I woke up and wanted to get ready for the day- but my body had other plans. As I went to get ready I could suddenly feel myself blacking out. I yelled for my mom and before I knew it I thought I was dreaming- but the next instant there was a cold wash cloth on my face, my body was tingling and I heard my mom talking to me asking me to respond to her. I realized I had passed out- and according to my mom, I had hit my head too, maybe causing a concussion. As soon as I could I asked my mom to call someone to give me a blessing. She ran and got the phone and called my dad home from work. As soon as my dad heard what was going on, he left work to come home and help me. By the time he got home I was able to crawl across the hall to my bedroom so I could lay down. After we had gotten me back into bed my dad gave me a priesthood blessing. In the blessing he not only asked Heavenly Father to help me get better, but he also reassured me that Heavenly Father is aware of me and my challenges. He also let me know that Heavenly Father is proud of my choices to go on a mission and that He needs me out there and that with His help I can do it. It was a beautiful blessing- one that I'm sure I'll never forget- not only for its healing power(I got better quickly and didn't have a concussion!) but also because it reconfirmed to me the power of the priesthood. My parents knew that I was feeling overwhelmed, but only Heavenly Father knew exactly why, and that was addressed in the blessing from my dad- reminding me that the blessing wasn't from my earthy dad, but my Heavenly Dad and that my earthy dad acts as His mouthpiece when he acts worthily in his calling as a priesthood holder.

I just want to bear my witness to you that I know that the power of the Priesthood is real and it has been restored to the earth today. I know and testify that Joseph Smith restored that power back to earth. I know that without a shadow of a doubt. And when things get hard and sometimes I question my own testimony- I always remind myself to trust my Heavenly Dad- because He knows all- just as this experience reminded me. He truly knows each of us personally, He cares about us and He loves us more than we know. I know these things are true.

In the Name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha
* Here is a video about the blessings of the Priesthood if you'd like to watch it click here.
Anyone can receive a priesthood blessing if they ask a worthy and willing priesthood holder to give them one. Also- blessings are reliant on your faith in Heavenly Father to answer you and your plea for His help.