Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

   Here in Franklin yesterday, we did not have a very good day. I have been wondering why the day was not so great. No big reason has stuck out in my mind of why our day was a drag, besides the fact that I think we let the little things bother us.
   Growing up, when I would make a fuss over something, I would occasionally hear my mother telling me old sayings like "Don't sweat the small stuff", or "Don't cry over spilt milk".
   I wonder how many of us take the time to notice an awesome sunset like this one to the left. Sometimes we may be so concerned about the hustle and bustle of regular life, that we don't even pay attention to things like this.
   It is neat how we can always make a choice to focus on the positive and be happy or we can always think about the things that aren't going exactly how we would like. I'm sure we all know people who never seem to be doing very well, and we all know people who never seem to be doing bad. Is it that some people are just lucky and have easy lives? I don't think so. I think that it mostly depends on our attitude.
   I don't know about the rest of ya'll, but I sure want to be one of those people who always seem to be doing well. Its great though, because we just have to decide to! Amen.

Car Keys and Prayer

Hey everybody, Elder Wursten here. I'm sure ya'll have heard tons of stories about how someone lost some car keys, then prayed, and then found them. But here is a really good one. Maybe I just think its really good because it happened to me.
   So there I was in K-Town, Utah. I was in a rush to take off for somewhere, but I couldn't find the darn keys to my car. So, what do you think I did? You're right! I took the spare key and drove off.
   A couple of days later, I was wondering to myself, I wonder where those keys went. I'm tired of using the spare key because it doesn't have that remote thing that unlocks the car. So I look and look and I just can't find 'em. So then its time to tell my father about my the dilemma. He tells me, "You had better find them, because that remote thing on the key chain costs a lot of money, and you will have to pay for a new one if you can't find them."
   "Oh darn", I say to myself. I had better find those keys because I sure don't want to buy a new remote thing. It was time to tell Heavenly Father about the pickle I was in. I'm sure it was just a simple prayer, but that's all right, He answered it!
   My mind traced back to about 3 days earlier when my dad and I were trying to fix something on the car. I vaguely remembered setting the keys on the back of it. The thought came to me to ride down on my bike down the road and take a gander to see if I could spot the keys. So off my dad and I went on our bikes.
   We ride a little ways and start to go down the hill nearby my home, when what do you know, I spot the some keys in the gutter! I go over and sure enough, there they are with the remote still intact and still working!
   I do know that God answers sincere prayers and that we can turn to Him wherever, whenever.

What are we doing with our time?

    Most of you probably know that LDS missionaries aren't allowed to watch TV, play video games, or watch movies. We only have certain music we can listen to, certain books we can read, and certain church movies we can watch. Since I have been striving to obey these rules for almost 21 months now, I can now understand from a different perspective the precious time that is wasted by doing these things.
   I know for sure that Satan is behind a lot of it, because if he can get us to read a pointless romance novel for instance, it may take away from time we could be reading a book about something good we could learn. If we watch a certain TV show everyday, it will take away mounds of time we could be spending with family and friends. If we listen to that darn rock n' roll all the time, we may not be allowing ourselves to receive important promptings from the Holy Ghost.
   I, like most people am of course guilty of wasting time doing some things when I could spend that time doing better things. I wonder how I would be if I didn't spend so much time watching "The Andy Griffith Show" growing up, and instead used that time to read worth while books. I wonder if I would be more in tune with the Spirit if I had listened to some "Mozart" or "Beethoven" instead of listening to "Weezer" or "Counting Crows" all the time.
  This time we have on Earth is a really short. I hope we don't waste it doing by doing things that will not do anyone any good. So after you're done reading this blog post, turn off the computer and go do something worth while!

That's What's Up

   This is a picture of some locusts. They come around in bunches every 13 years. They make loud noises too.
   Anyway, this picture doesn't have much to do with what this blog post is about. I just thought I should put it up here.
   Do any of you get annoyed that you're not as intelligent as you would like to be? I do. I sometimes just don't feel like I am very smart, but I am sure grateful that God doesn't require us to be smart to know truth.
    Some scriptures in the Bible help me feel better for not having more going on in my noggin.
  
Here are a few examples in 1 Corinthians 2.
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirt of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  

   I am sure grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is willing to give us knowledge through the Holy Spirit. I don't understand why some things are the way they are, but I do understand how I can receive Spiritual knowledge from Heavenly Father. Because of this, I know that the Church of Jesus Christ has been brought back through Joseph Smith. I do know that the Book of  Mormon is the Word of God. I know what I need to do to return to live with God again. PTL! (that means Praise the Lord).    
   

 
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Tribute to Mother

   This Sunday, as many of ya'll may know, is Mother's Day. This holiday is an exciting one for missionaries too because it is one of the two days in the year that we get to call our family on the phone.
   Anywho, I was blessed enough to have a great mother. One thing my mom taught me growing up was the importance of honesty and keeping the commandments.   
   There was this one time when I was younger when my friend and I were playing with our sling shots. We were having a jolly ole time, until I took a bad shot and the rock hit my neighbors veinel fence and made a whole in it. I got way scared. When I got home, my guilt got the best of me and I told my mom what happened. She told me I needed to go and apologize to our neighbor, so I did. I was so nervous, but my friends and I went and we apologized. The man wasn't too happy, but afterwards I felt a lot better for being honest.
   This whole in the fence situation probably is the biggest deal in the whole world, and its for sure not the worst thing I've done, but I am sure grateful for my mother teaching me of the importance of being honest.
   My mom never really forced me to make good decisions, but because of her love for me, I wanted to always choose the right.
   Happy Mother's day mom and to all the mother's out there!

Back in Business

   Alright, I'm back. Sorry about that everyone. I all of a sudden got really tired of blogs. They seem really repetitive and I was running out of ideas on how to make my blog worth while. I still am not sure if I've figured it out, but I will keep trying new things. If any of ya'll have suggestions, please let me know! I hope this blog will help people to come closer to Christ. I just don't want it to be boring or repetitive.
   Anywho, below is a picture of the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. As much as I would like to tell some non-believers that these plates are the real deal, no, they are just a replica.
   You might ask yourself, "How could I believe in a story like that of Joseph Smith?" It might seem kind of strange the way the Church of Jesus Christ was restored, but so do so many of the stories in the Bible. God still does work miracles today. I sure do know that. The truth is, it doesn't really matter how God brought the Book of Mormon forth. God can do whatever He wants. What matters is that we continually nourish the seed of testimony. We must read it and pray and completely rely on God and His answers through the Holy Ghost. Then we must act.

Translating: Elder Wursten
Scribe: Elder Cawley

Nashville Tennessee Temple

I decided to put a picture of the Nashville Tennessee Temple on here because it is a really cool picture and temples are so important. After getting this picture on here, I thought, "That's a pretty cool picture, but now what do I say about it? A good majority of the people looking at this page probably know about the temple already, and I don't really want to try and explain what happens in the temple to just a handful of people, when they can go to (this website) and get a better explanation of what temples are used for.

In short though, temples are sacred building where special ordinances, such as eternal marriages are performed. If you have questions, feel free to ask me. Temples are the best! I love being a Latter-Day Saint. If you are not LDS, go onto that website above and learn about Temples and the Restoration of Jesus Christ's church. If you are LDS, go to the Temple!

Spotted Van

   Have you ever been held back from doing something because you felt like you had too many "spots"? A lot of people feel like they shouldn't come to church or shouldn't pray because they don't feel worthy. That's kind of like this van, this van would probably love to be out on the streets, cruising around with the other vehicles, but because of all those spots, it may feel out of place.

   A lot of times Satan makes us doubt and fear. He says to us, "You don't know that the church is true." Or, "You're too far gone, you should probably just not even try." Satan's lies go on and on!

   Something that I have learned is that even when we aren't doing anything terribly wrong, our testimony can get more unstable if we aren't keeping the commandments 100%.

   Good news! Whatever the problem is, there is a way back, and that way is through the Savior. Just like that van can be re-painted and bust through that fence, we can bust through the fence of sin and be washed clean. It won't happen by just sitting there though, you've got to do all those good things you learned in Sunday School! It can happen, but it is up to us to make the choice!

Turtles!

   These two turtles are from two different areas I was in. The one here on the left is just a little guy. The one here on the right, who we named Franklin, was a bit shy at first, but he warmed up to us a bit later.

   I am sure grateful for this mission because before, I was kind of like the turtle here on the left, shy and timid. After being out here for 19 months, I feel like I have been able to come out of my shell more to tell people what I know to be true.

   Because I have come out of my shell, I ask everyone of you to read the Book of Mormon with an open heart, and then pray. Also, watch General Conference this weekend, even if its just one session. It doesn't matter who you are, if you are big or small, shy or outgoing, smart or dumb, Mormon or not Mormon, just read and pray, and listen to the words of Prophets and Apostles at General Conference. But don't do it for anyone but yourself and God because this is why God has sent us here.
   You can visit mormon.org to learn about what the Book of Mormon is and also get a free copy!

Daily Miracle

   Just a tad bit ago, we were here in the church, working on our blogs and facebook stuff, when the Spanish missionaries called and said they were with a member of the church from a different stake who needs some help. They wanted us to go to the church to meet her, but luckily we were already here!
   So this girl named Kelly came by. Kelly just joined the church about 1 year ago. She told us she had been driving after school and prayed to find some missionaries she could talk to. She felt prompted to take a certain turn, but was uncertain about it because it was a rougher looking street. She took it anyway, and found the Spanish Missionaries, who were able to help her, and then they directed her to us. This girl had enough faith to be directed and guided, and because of her faith, she was led exactly to where the missionaries were at. 
   Once we got to talk to her a bit, she told us she is trying to share the gospel with one of her friends at school, but is having a hard time knowing how to answer her friend's question. Luckily, we were able to print out some talks to help her out.
   I thought it was so great that even among kids at school who might think she is a bit weird or strange, she is still setting that example to them. I am sure those kids at school will remember her example, even if its years down the rode, and perhaps decide to learn more.
   I wish we would all share what we know to be true with those around us. Satan is the one that tries to get us to have fear. As we have faith and trust in God, He will guide and direct us to those who are prepared, but we need to act.

General Conference is this Weekend!

   So there I was, Farmington, Utah, in seminary class in 9th Grade. We were talking about General Conference, which was coming up soon, and my teacher told us that if we pray before General Conference about a certain question we have, it will be answered in General Conference. I was a bit skeptical, but I thought I would give it a try, so I did. General Conference time rolled around and what do you know, one of the General Authorities of the church spoke on a certain gospel principle that answered my question.
   Ever since then, I have tried to come up with something that I want more guidance on or an answer to a question I have. Each time, those answers to my questions came. Because of this, I know that the Prophet and Apostles are inspired men of God. God knows and loves us, and he speaks to us through them. So with General Conference coming up this weekend, take the time to think about something you need help with, maybe a problem or a concern you have. Then pray, and ask God to give you answers as you watch General Conference. I know that God does answer our prayers, and that he has called a Prophet and Apostles on the Earth today to show us the right path and lead us back to our Heavenly Father.
Click here for General Conference Info.

Oldest LDS Chapel in the South

This church building in middle Tennessee is the oldest standing chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I love the South. It is beautiful here and I especially love the people. I am so glad to be here in the Tennessee Nashville Mission and share the restored gospel with our brothers and sisters here.  I have been able to see how this gospel has changed lives for the better. If you want to know if something is good, you look at the fruits of it. I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ because I have seen the fruits of the gospel. Feel free to ask questions and make comments!

Finding Joy in the Work (Even when its cold)

   Missionary work is the best. Sometimes you get cold and tired though, like after walking around all day and nothing happens. But its not so bad when you stay happy and have fun. I love having fun, so sometimes doing something random is just what I need to make my day a good one. 















(Attempting a heel click in Kentucky)

My Favorite Scripture

  He Teaches Us to Put off the Natural Man   Watch this talk, its great!
One of my favorite scriptures of all time is found in the Book of Mormon. It is Mosiah 3:19.
   For the ^anatural ^bman is an ^cenemy to God, and has been from the ^dfall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he ^eyields to the enticings of the Holy ^fSpirit, and ^gputteth off the ^hnatural man and becometh a ⁱsaint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a ^jchild, ^ksubmissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
   I love this scripture because I think this is the way we should all strive to become. As we become as this scripture describes, we will be cleansed from sin. We will be spiritually in-tune so we can receive specific direction from the Holy Ghost.
   The world these days is drifting further and further from the Spirit because their "natural man" is ruling their lives. Since it is a struggle pretty much everyone is having feel free to make comments about your ideas of how to put off the natural man.

The way to Happiness

   Since I have been out here on a mission in the Tennessee and Kentucky area, I have seen what brings happiness and what does not. I have come to know many people who have struggled with alcohol, drugs, and other things that have really made them miserable. It is sad to see.
   Luckily, there is a way to be happy. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way we can be truly happy. I know this because I have experienced it! I have been the happiest ever since I have been spreading the Gospel. It is the greatest. The best part is it is up to us! We can choose to follow God and keep His commandments and be happy. We can also go the way the rest of the world is going and be miserable. It is up to us! Feel free to make comments!
   Finding Happiness What this video, it is short.

Speaking of Opposition

   Howdy everybody. That was pretty crazy, the last post on here was about opposition and we got another taste of that today! It was great.
   So there we were, sitting and talking with this guy on his porch, when out of nowwhere, this other guy comes up. He politely interrupts and asks if he can join in on the conversation. Then he told the guy we were talking with, that us Mormons are great people who do great things, but the stuff we're teaching is not true, but is just distorted from the Bible. Interesting, huh? Does any other church get this kind of opposition? Why not?
   If Christ's church were here on the Earth, wouldn't Satan do everything he could to stop it? Of course there would be oppostition to it, because the scriptures teach us that there is an opposition in all things.
   In Jesus Christ's time, the religious scholars rejected him. They couldn't see Him for who He was. The very Son of God was right there with them, and they couldn't see it! The same stuff is happening today. There are so many great people who love Jesus Christ and the Bible, but for some reason cannot see the truth.
   I know that the fulness of Jesus Christ's gospel was brought back to the Earth. It was done through another Prophet! Because of the Restoration of the Gospel, I can find answers to questions and can have a fullness of joy, happiness, and peace. I know that truth can be found in all of the other Christian denominations, but in order to have everything God wants us to have, the Restoration had to take place.

Overcoming Opposition

   Here in Franklin, things have been going really well. We have a few people we are teaching who are preparing for baptism! We have been really excited about the things going on. We also know however, that when God's work is moving forward, Satan always decides to come and mess things up. Just yesterday, we saw how Satan is trying to do just that! He tries to get into our heads that there is no hope, we can't come to Jesus, and we can't be happy and do God's work. But that is all false!
   When this kind of stuff happens, we can know we are doing something right, because why else would Satan come at such a time? It can happen to all of us. When opposition comes, just know you are making Satan mad and he doesn't like it, so just keeping doing what you know God wants you to do. I know this concept is true, and now when it happens, I just stop and think, then I just try and keep working and pushing forward. That is when true happiness and success comes! Think of all the times in the scriptures where stuff like this happens? Joseph Smith, who had to overcome the being from the unseen world? Abraham who almost had to sacrifice Isaac? Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sins before He was resurrected? They, as well as so many others, were blessed so much after their trials. We will be too if we endure!

Thoughts for Today

Lately I have been coming up with these big long posts to put on here about our main beliefs and what sets our church apart from other churches. Then I was thinking, this sure is taking a long time. Why not just send viewers of this blog to a great website that describes our church's beliefs way better than I ever could? So that's what I'm doing. This blog will be dedicated to sharing experiences, testimonies, and new views on different gospel topics. I hope you enjoy it! By the way, that website, in case you didn't know, is mormon.org.

The Savior's Atonement

So we are teaching this lady here in Franklin who has been an alcoholic most of her life. Just recently she has quit drinking and is doing amazing! She now wants to follow Christ's example by being baptized by someone holding the Priesthood Authority of God. She will be baptized next month.
   Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, this lady can be cleansed from all those sins and can start completely new? Isn't it great? We all have that same opportunity. No matter who we are or what we have done, we can turn to Jesus Christ and apply his Atonement to our own lives.
   I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and that we can truly become clean, so we will be prepared to stand before God having a clear conscience at the last day.

Today's Message

"The Lord sets His standards so that He can bless us. Think about those blessings: He promises those who meet the standards the help of the Holy Ghost. He promises personal peace. He promises the chance to receive holy ordinances in His house. And He promises those who endure in living His standards that they will have eternal life....You begin by holding up the Lord's standards clearly and without apology. and the more the world drifts from them and mocks them, the bolder we must be in doing that". -President Henry B. Eyring.

I love this quote. I know that the only way anyone can fully come to Christ and experience a fulness of happiness and joy is through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ that took place through the Prophet Joseph Smith.