I particularly love New Year's because it is what kick started my testimony of the gospel.
It was the year of 2017, January 2nd, the day I committed myself to live the things I had learn all throughout my childhood. I would say it is one of the biggest turning points in my life (I have had many on the mission, but because this was the first big one, I consider it more significant). Two days before Sunday, January 1st, I was asked by a member of the bishopric to give a talk on New Year's resolutions. Though surprised, I willingly accepted the assignment and I prepared.
The previous autumn, I had been particularly excited about becoming someone extraordinary, breaking through the norm by dreaming for the future and setting worthwhile goals. I had been inspired by my older brother's big changes and the leadership seminars we attended to together. I was excited to share some of the insights that I had been learning about. I gathered my thoughts on how to reach for more in life in the gospel context.
I wouldn't say that the talk I gave was really anything that spectacular. For the first time, I was excited to give a talk. After sacrament meeting, I don't really remember anyone commenting on or mentioning the talked I gave; it wasn't important to me. I was just proud that I could share the cool new ideas that I had learned about setting goals to become something more
.
The following day, January 2nd, (I was still on winter break, so I wasn't bogged down by my usual busy schedule) I got up and prayed in the morning, and then ended up reflecting on the talk I gave the day before. While doing so, I heard the Spirit whisper to me. "This talk is a method of your Heavenly Father speaking to you! You, yourself, haven't even set goals for the New Year. Don't be hypocritical. Go on." (MTC President Martino has once said "If you are never chastened by the Spirit, you've never heard him!" 딱 맞다!) So I took that prompting to heart and immediately got to work! I was brainstorming, thinking and dreaming and recorded everything. I stayed in my room the whole day, pondering the things I loved, the things I felt were important in life, and the things that I wanted to accomplish before I headed out on a mission that summer. It was spiritually energizing! I was so motivated! In addition, I was under some pressure and given a deadline because of my upcoming mission.
I set multiple goals, some for school, some for hobbies like learning how to play all the hymns in the hymn book and so on. I would say that greatest and most life changing goal I made was to commit to praying everyday. I was determined get up and go to bed with a prayer and to read the scriptures daily. I wanted to know, for myself, if the things I had always been taught to do actually made a difference. (I had set a goal to read all of the standard-works before going out on a mission. I wanted to be able to say I had read the scriptures and also be familiar with them to some extent before I went on the mission. However, I mostly felt a motivation to read the scriptures because I felt the guilt of saying I had personally read them all when I was assigned to read them in seminary, when really I hadn't read them completely ㅠ.ㅠ What kind of a student was I? Haha)
There had been a bunch of things that I had experienced, in the year leading up that day, that prepared me somewhat spiritually. I know God was preparing me! And, since that day I have read the scriptures daily, earnestly seeking answers to questions in my life, and praying. It felt so good to actually be following the teachings I had heard from the prophet, the leaders I had, and especially my parents' guidance. The feeling I had was more than just a feeling of relief that, in fact, I was finally living according to what I knew was a good. No, I would say that greatest feeling I received came straight from the Holy Ghost.
To me, it wasn't too unfamiliar of a feeling, because I had felt it from time to time when having family prayer, or at priesthood camps, or when I received my patriarchal blessing, etc. But, this time it wasn't just for a moment. This time I kept that feeling of warmth and exceeding joy with me!!! That was a change for me. It was actually quite thrilling to have that feeling with me always. I guess you could say I was starting to enjoy that great gift I had received at baptism and I was finally living worthy of it. The Spirit followed me everywhere, and the joy it gave me was contagious!!!! I swear I could feel my whole countenance changing the longer I continued with my inner commitment. Guess this is what Nephi meant went he said that following the baptism of water and receiving the gift of the Spirit, comes the baptism by fire.
"...take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel."
People at school who had previously seemed irritating, and those whom I had disliked, became good people in my eyes. I started getting better grades. I began to feel a greater love for people.
Even though all these great things were happening, I could still feel Satan trying to stop me from actually getting a true testimony of the transformation that happens when we live what we teach as members. For we all know, and even Satan knows, that "Faith without works is dead." I didn't let him stop me. I gave up my old way of life, and from that point on, I have felt more alive then ever!
New Year's is a fantastic opportunity to take time to align our lives a lit bit more with what we already know is true, which is the will of the Father.
Right now I feel the same eager energy that I had two years ago when I was preparing for a mission, because my mission is coming to an end right when Fall begins this next year. I am expecting change to come about in my missionary work! It has happen before why can't it again?
Let's shoot for the stars together!
Ask God for help on your goals this coming year! If you see a shortcoming in yourself that you want to change, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Love you!
Elder Alger
All of these things were taken by Elder Torres
and almost all of them are random and on the spot.
I was taking down tape from the ceiling.
We had decorated the whole church for our branch Christmas party!
The boyfriend of the someone we are teaching,
came up to us while we were promoting for English Connect!
Presents from a member in our branch, Sister Kim Hyeon Me.
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