So, what have you learned on your mission?

It's been a long, long time since I've had time to sit down & write a blog post.

To start, I'll tell you that I have about 9 weeks left on my mission (as in ... 9 weeks from tomorrow I fly home to Utah). That is crazy stuff! My companion and I go on quite a few exchanges each transfer -- this transfer, we have 11 exchanges.

On these exchanges with new missionaries and new people, I often get asked the question, "How long have you been out?" When I answer, "Nearly 16 months," I almost always get a wide-eyed look, coupled with, "So you're almost done."  

Done. Done. That word kind of scares me ... I mean, sure, I will be "done" being a full-time missionary. I'll no longer have a name tag attached to me at all times. And I know that's what these people mean. But, surely, I am not done with other aspects. I feel like I am just starting to learn how to learn (awkward, seeing as how I graduated from college ... nearly 18 months ago). But, I am learning how to learn in a new way. I am learning how the Spirit speaks to me. I am learning how to become more than I am. I am learning how to trust in the Savior, no matter what I am asked to do.

Another question I am asked is, "So, what have you learned on your mission?"  I hardly feel like I have been out long enough to be asked this question (I still feel like a new missionary! Are you sure I am going home in two months?). But, this question oddly leaves me with a thousand things churning in my brain & not one quick, solid answer. To help with this situation, I decided to compile a list of various things I've learned.

Right now, I want to tell you something I learned from King Benjamin. I'll label this lesson as such:

GRATITUDE --> KNOWLEDGE --> BEHAVIOR

"12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

 13 And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due."

What was the application? As we consistently pray and give thanks for our many blessings, our testimony of our Heavenly Father will be strengthened and we will KNOW that He is real. He lives and He loves us. As our testimonies are strengthened in our knowledge of our Heavenly Father, our very nature changes. This is why the gospel of Jesus Christ helps us to become something. The gospel of Jesus Christ is more than just knowing information. When we come to know, it influences how we live and who we are. 

I am grateful for this pattern. I know that as we show our gratitude, our knowledge of God and His plan for us increases, and our behavior really can and will change. 

This was just one of the things I've learned, but I hope I can post more in the future! 

xoxo,

Sister Peacock