Who Would You Share the Gospel With??

I LOVE SCHOOL!!!
I love my school. I love everything about the opportunities I have at my University, and especially the opportunities I have because of the LDS Institute there. The Lord worked hard to make sure that I ended up at UVU for my college education. As in He changed the course of my life so drastically my senior year of high school through a long-term illness, that UVU was literally my only option. I was bent on going to BYU, but I am now so grateful I was not able to choose that path. However, throughout my three years at UVU, there have been multiple times when I did not want to be there, and was bent on transferring to BYU as soon as possible. With the help of the Spirit, each time I've felt this way, I've been reassured that UVU was exactly where I needed to be and as more wonderful experiences came out of my being there, I was able to accept with more and more gratitude that this is where I ended up.

In the past week or so, the Lord has made me painfully aware that I will not be in this place of my life forever.....and especially that I will not be at UVU and the institute there forever. This has brought me some sadness to think about (not because I want to stay in this phase of life forever, but because I've come to love the place so much for all the experiences I've had here), but with this thought has also come a determination to make the best possible use of my time in this place. I suddenly have an increased desire to be involved in everything I possibly can. I want to seize all the opportunities I have not yet taken. As I was thinking about this tonight, I thought about the people who I've been impressed to somehow befriend or share the Gospel with who I've met in classes at UVU. I realized that I have not acted fully on many of those impressions, and I feel ashamed of that. The thought came "If for some reason, tomorrow was your last day to get to be a student at UVU, who would you share the Gospel with? What actions would you take in sharing the Gospel that you have so far been too afraid to take?" This question pierced the very center of my heart. There are actions I need to take to invite certain individuals to learn more of Christ. I know exactly who they are, and I am thankful to the Lord for telling me to stop being afraid and stop putting it off.

So.....Wherever you are: life, a job, a class, etc..... If you knew your time there was limited, what would you do, specifically, WHO WOULD YOU SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH??

(Sorry for so many blog posts lately. I am really not that into blogging, this is just a super convenient way to record some of the things that have been important for me to remember lately. Forgive me for so many posts recently.)

Just one more good boy....

Throughout my life I think I can honestly say that I have been blessed to be friends with some of the most special, spiritual, stand-up people to have ever lived in my generation. Seriously. Through those years, I have had the privilege of knowing some extremely good young men. They have been such a huge blessing and motivating factor in my life. I think I can honestly say that much of who I am today has been shaped by those good young men I've had the blessing of associating with. Two or three, in particular, have really helped me see a proper vision of who I am through the way they've treated me, and who I can become through the way their goodness has inspired me to be better. 

The point of all that is to tell you that yesterday, I was on the receiving end of the example of one more good boy's example. I was in the temple doing baptisms for the dead. There were a couple young adult men helping with the ordinances who were not temple workers. Shortly after I got out to the font, one of them entered to be the baptizer. I do not know why this happened to me yesterday....I have been at the temple plenty of other days when young men have been there volunteering to help with ordinances, but yesterday, this young man's example literally pierced my heart. He emanated a spiritual joy that felt to reflect joy and gratitude at being in the temple. I had been having a little bit of a rough day and needed comfort and reassurance. For some reason, the fact that there was a boy who had chosen to be at the temple as a volunteer to baptize people on a Saturday afternoon and that he had such joy about it filled my heart and gave me so much comfort. I was comforted that there are people like that out there; I was essentially comforted by this person's goodness. I know that young man had no idea that the Lord was going to use his simple service to bless someone else's life in such a profound way. He was simply doing a good thing. In doing so, the Lord used his example to change my day and remind me of things I was doubting about people. (And no, that has nothing to do with dating, I promise.) I was so grateful for that person and that he was there, serving in the temple with such joy. He was just one more good boy - I don't even know his name -  but his actions blessed me in a way that I do not think I can even put into words. 

So, let me encourage each one of you....Keep doing the good things you do. You never know when Heavenly Father may use your example to deeply bless and answer the needs of someone else, even through actions that may not seem like a big deal to you. Being good really does make a difference.