Elder Justin Taylor: As We Remain Positive... We Remain Powerful

Words can't express the joy that I have felt this past week serving in this vineyard. I can't help but think of that scripture in Matthew 10 saying if we lose our life for the Lord that we shall find it, and as I contine to forget about myself and be obedient I'm truly finding my purpose and potential.

My mission president and I are really close and he asked if he could meet us in Socorro and just say Hi on his way down to El Paso We met up with him. He wears Ray Ban glasses just like me so I got a pic and threw the peace sign out the window when he drove off. haha He is awesome! We're grateful for our mission president and for how much he loves Alamo. He calls us his "heroes" out here and that his goal in life would be to serve on Alamo .. pretty cool.

In the Navajo culture there are four sacred mountains and the one in New Mexico is called Taylor!! How cool is that? So I want to go up and climb it someday and pray on top of it because it is named after me. haha I joke around with the natives saying maybe if I got up there I'll come down looking like a Navajo!

I set a goal for my mission just two mornings ago. I felt I needed to set a goal for how many convert baptisms I was going to have on my mission. I prayed about it, and thought logically about what I could stretch and achieve...the goal is 40! I have to get about two or so every single month until I leave. That is sort of hard in this mission I think, but I know its possible if I work hard and pray with much strength and faith.

I wanted to talk about something that has been on my mind recently and about what I feel can help. In district meeting I kind of spoke about this too, but as the title of this blog post says, "as we remain positive... we remain powerful." I made that up randomly when I was sending out a text to someone, but I believe it with all of my heart. Each and everyone of us are powerful. As I contemplate the complexity of our minds I've noticed how much positivity will help with our knowledge joy and the true power that it brings. We can overcome our natural tendencies or the natural man like the scriptures say. Now I know we all just have those sucky days when life throws us that curve ball and the opposition rises but you must remember the "glad game!" The "glad game" is what our last mission president came out with before they left. In the game you take EVERY single thing in your day that is negative and find a positive. For example: "Oh no, I'm late for my meeting"; you can glad-game-it and think, "Well, at least I obeyed the law and was driving safe." Another example: "The kids made a total mess in the house!" or glad-game-it and think, "They had a total blast playing and making it messy". Something I always do is this: "Ah, they weren't home for their appointment; Well, I know that the Lord must have someone else prepared for us to see." You see the difference? Adding that positive note on the end makes ALL of the differnece. As we continue to do that in our lives we will see less negative thoughts and words, but our natures will be changed to speaking positively. Christ was the perfect example of being positive. He faced so much but continued every day to help others. I've noticed in my life that much opposition has been hitting me with negative thought, but as I've tried controlling my thoughts with positivity the rest of my body receives strength and I smile more and keep pressing forward. Look at the apostles and prophet... don't they just seem so happy and positive? Its because they play the "glad game!" haha Just kidding... I dont' know but I do know they always are positive.

From now on BE POSITIVE in all you do. Pray that our Father in Heaven will help you with this. It is not easy... especially in the world today, but it is possible through works and faith.

Miracle story this week is about a guy named Shannon who should be baptized either this Saturday or the next. We were just talking to him outside and he was shoveling a hole and we read a quick scripture to him. I felt prompted to ask, "Shannon, is this book in my hand true? Is this the word of God written by your ancestors?" He said "Yes, yes it is... I know it is true." I said, "Well then, does that mean you believe that this church truly is Christ's true church again on the earth?" He said, "Yes it is His true church." Then I asked him, "Shannon, how do you know that?" He replied with something remarkable.... "because it has changed my ENTIRE life. Since I've met with you my family has been blessed. I've been happier. I don't get in big fights anymore. I stopped looking for a church because they all seemed to be doing it for the wrong reason until I found truth here. I want to follow God so that's why I want to be baptized in His true church. I don't care what others say about me." My companion and I were almost startled; we have never asked him that before and I was kind of nervous and wasn't sure why I asked him that. But I do know why... it's because HE needed to hear his own testimony. That right there guys is why I'm out here. Why I left it all for two years. Why I'm dead tired everyday. Why I miss my family and left it all is for people like Shannon who say that this Gospel we shared with him changed his life forever.

I testify that this Gospel will and does change your life if you allow it to. Christ lives. He is our Shepherd and as we follow Him we will not fall astray.

Love to you all and I thank you for the emails and letters of support, they help me tremendously!

Much Love,
Elder Taylor

This is the smallest dog I have EVER seen