My Experience In Truth

Are you preparing to serve a mission? Are you currently serving a mission? Did you just get back from a mission? Are you simply trying to figure out your life's mission? Then this book is for you! ​ I've always loved good mission stories. I grew up listening to my dad tell of his adventures in Italy, and then later listened to my brothers-in-law tell of their experiences in Louisiana and Brazil. I myself served in California and have quite a few stories to tell. The thing that's always struck me about mission stories is that people can serve in vastly different places, and yet learn the very same lessons. In this book, Ben Bernards does a beautiful job at teaching those lessons through stories. From being chased through the jungle by angry tribesmen, to receiving golden name tags, there's a lesson to be learned on every page. The subtitle of the book, "7 truths for your eternal mission," helped me realize that there's so much more I can be doing....

A letter I recently wrote to my mission president and his wife, which I would now like to share with all of you: "Dear President and Sister Alba,  At our last mission reunion I shared with you some of the miracles I have seen while sharing the gospel online. I'd like to tell it to you now in a little more detail. On my mission I developed a sincere love for the gospel and I wanted to share it with everyone, but my introverted personality made it difficult to talk to people on the streets.  I remember Elder L. Tom Perry coming to our mission and saying 'When Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook he had no idea that he was hastening the work of the Lord.' When I became a Facebook missionary I instantly saw its potential and I knew it was something I could do. The last few months of my mission I was determined to not get trunky (as Elder Spencer Davis will testify), and so I convinced myself that my mission would never end and my return home would literally just be an...

Wonderful! Fantastic! Absolutely brilliant! That is how I would describe Al Carraway's new book "More Than the Tattooed Mormon." Scriptures aside, I have never been more affected by a book than I was with this one. Let me tell you why: First of all, I want to point out that this book is dedicated to the reader. That means you and me. Right from the start Al decided to make it personal. All throughout the book she reminds us that the book is not about her, it's about us and our relationship with God. She teaches us that life, although difficult, can be absolutely glorious if we put our trust in Him. Next, this book made me feel incomplete. but not in a bad way. Maybe a better way of saying it is that it made me "hunger and thirst after righteousness." (Matt. 5:6) Reading this book made me realize that my life could be so much better than it currently is. It made me realize that when you put God first, He takes care of your needs and He blesses you more...

One day while serving an LDS mission in Benicia, California, my companion and I were knocking on doors looking for someone to teach. Anyone that has served a mission knows well the days of endless rejection. This was one of those days. Near the top one particularly large hill we knocked on a door, and almost immediately we heard the sound of two young boys running to answer it. The following dialog is what we heard through the door: (we assume they were looking through the peephole): Younger Boy: "I want to see who it is!" Older Boy: "I'm older so I get to see first." Younger Boy: "I never get to see first!" Older Boy: "You can see first next time." (Older boy looks out) Younger Boy: "Who is it?" Older Boy: "I don't know, it's just a couple weirdos." Younger Boy: "I want to see! I want to see!" Older Boy: "I'm still looking." Younger Boy: "Let me see! I want to see!...

I have spent years trying to forget most of the things I am about to write. I'm going to tell you about the most miserable time in my life. My experiences during this time are the single worst memories I have. The only reason I am doing this is because I feel like there is someone out there that needs to hear it. There is someone out there that needs to know how I overcame the hardest trial of my life. This story does have a happy ending, but I went through hell to get there. So here we go. This is me in 2004: I was a scrawny kid just out of elementary school, headed into junior high; scared, but also excited; pretty much your average 7th grader. I remember my first day at Elk Ridge Middle School. It took me so long to get my locker open that I was late to my first period. Once again I was your typical seventh grader sprinting through the halls with a map of the school trying to find his class. I remember that I was especially excited for this one: Tech Lab. I'd alwa...

I wrote this poem two weeks before the end of my mission. It is my witness of the reality of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. "Whom Shall I Send?" My head was high, my smile proud My heart was hard, my laughter loud. I loved myself, and me alone My brother lacked, I had a throne. I saw him lonely, with a frown To build me up, I tore him down. I laughed and mocked his lonely stare The pain I caused I did not care. The praise of man, my only goal Caused me to lie, destroyed my soul. To change my ways, I had no thought In my own eyes I had a lot. I spent my life on useless things I gave my all to worldly dreams. Then came the day when all was lost With nothing left I felt the cost. The pain was great, my soul was racked I lost my strength, my body slacked. I fell upon my knees to pray "Dear God" I said "take me away. I see my sin, I cannot bear To stand beneath thy piercing stare. I neve...