.: Pick up your trash!

Hey Fam!

I'm writing today because this week we have interviews every single day! Change of P-DAY!

My heart is a little bit heavy this week. On Wednesday I will have completed a year on my mission. That means that I only have 6 precious months left! I had a freak out attack yesterday! I LOVE my mission! There is no place I would rather be. I pray that when I come home, I can continue to apply all of the truths I have learned here! I don't ever want to forget my mission!! I have truly felt pure joy here- I think we can only feel this kind of joy as we share the gospel! Yesterday we had a lesson with Estuardo, he received the priesthood and this Sunday he will bless the Sacrament. That's pure joy! He shared with us a scripture that he really likes in the Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 13:21-24

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.

We cannot serve two masters. We have been given the gift of free agency, we can decide for ourselves our eternity. Liberty and eternal life through the great mediator of all men, or captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil!

We cannot pick and choose which commandments we will keep. We cannot serve two masters!!! Mom, Dad, Weston and Zane, don’t ever take your sights away from the temple, the scriptures, or our Prophet. And promise me that if I ever start drifting that you’ll shake me until I wake up! These are the LAST days! Satan is bringing out the big guns! That means that we need to be firmer, stronger, and more steadfast! Don’t forget the simple things. Many are falling away for ignoring the every day essentials. I repeat: daily scripture study, personal/family prayer, sustaining the living prophet, paying a full tithe, fasting, and sharing the gospel! Satan is bringing out the big guns, but I testify and promise that if we as a family constantly apply the important actions listed above, Satan's guns will have ZERO ammunition!

I know that you are striving with all of your hearts to do the right thing. Keep going! Use the atonement everyday to put off the natural man. We aren’t perfect, sometimes we are straight up dummies, but ya know what, pick up the trash, take it out and DO NOT DELAY! Some day you might miss the trash can a lot -- you raised your voice, said an ugly word, maybe you want to do worse than toilet paper your neighbor. I don’t know. The point is, we all have our bad days, but lets not blow them out of proportion. The atonement is real. Its all good! Eye on the prize (eternal life, and vanilla ice cream with caramel).

Also, sorry this letter is kind of random, but I'm just saying what I feel I should say. I'll let you on in a little secret of mine. I have a lot of weaknesses (that’s not the secret). I have found even more on my mission. In some occasions on my mission I have found myself saying, “What is this 18 year old district leader saying to me, he has no idea what he is doing!?” or... “If I could be Zone Leader for a day..” Well, that’s bad. Luckily, over time and through fervent prayer, I have learned to sustain my leaders and I now understand the importance of upholding them. Whether it be an 18 year old DL, a deacons quorum advisor, a Bishop or even our Prophet. They need our help, love, and support. Our leaders are human and therefore, imperfect, but I do know that they get down on their knees at night with heavy eyes and sometimes heavy hearts and they pray for us. We must sustain our leaders. Even when we don’t understand. We don’t need to ask “why”? They are called of God. Sustain means to support, love, uphold, and to pray for them. I know from the little experience that I have that when we sustain our leaders and especially our Prophet, life is happier, easier and fluffier. Is that a word?

Next point of business: The Book of Mormon. FYI, its my favorite book. I put a goal to finish reading it in Spanish by June 12^th- my year mark. I’m almost done! I will never tire of reading the Book of Mormon. I always learn something new. Always. My favorite part of the Book of Mormon is Christ's ministry in the Americas in 3 Nephi. Sometimes I find myself speed reading through Helaman and the beginning of 3^rd Nephi just to get to my favorite part. But this time, I slowed down. I noticed that as I got closer to 3 Nephi 11 (Christ's ministry) I could clearly see two distinct groups: The wicked and the faithful.

The Faithful

3 Nephi 6: 14 And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.

The Wicked

3 Nephi 6: 18 Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully rebel against God. 29 Therefore they did combine against the people of the Lord, and enter into a covenant to destroy them.

We can decide on which side we will stand. We cannot serve two masters! As I read these chapters, I realized that history is repeating itself. As the second coming approaches it will be clear and easy to see who is a true disciple of Christ and who is not. I love the Book of Mormon and I know that it is TRUE.

Jeffrey R. Holland says, “Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don’t live it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but DEFEND them.”

I love you family! Write me about your lives.

Now go and kick some Satan trash. Onward and upward!

Hermana Minnick