Listen For The Light

This week was great! Another week as a missionary has already flown by, and with transfers and General Conference at the end of this week, I can't see how time is ever going to slow down! Seriously too crazy! Almost a year in, about a year to go, and way too much to do! ..That being said, Elder Ellsworth and I have been able to check a couple things off our list this week, including:

-Crafting the most delicious banana chocolate chip pancakes 
-Becoming the masters of making delicious shakes and smoothies (Just call us the shake bros)
-Seeing the most densely populated area in my entire life..
-Catching some fireworks in Korea (Sweet festival at the Han river)
-Being kissed on the hand by a drunk man (Elder Ellsworth just about died, he was so surprised, hahaha)
-Being told I would be a future President by said drunk man, and playing patty-cake with him as we waited for the cops to come.. hahha (Korea adventures) 
-..and.. making it through another week! 

I know, I know, we're amazing - thank you, thank you! Hahaha. Now, here's a little something I wanted to share this week:

..I've often wondered, especially as a missionary, How do I recognize and understand the Spirit? You consistently wonder out here, what to say, what to do, and whether the promptings you think you're feeling are from the Holy Ghost, or just the rational 'wanting to do the right thing' side of you.

..But, how can you really tell? What is the Holy Ghost? And why do people without it still do so much good? Do you have to be baptized, and receive it to feel it, or feel spiritual promptings at all?

In Preach My Gospel, Chapter 4, it tells us all about it.
"God loves you, and all His children. He is anxious to support you in your practical and specific challenges. You have been promised inspiration to know what to do and have been given the power to do it (D&C 43:15-16)." 

"A person is capable of receiving spiritual guidance before being baptized and confirmed. This spiritual influence begins with the Light of Christ, which is "given to every man, that he may know good from evil" (Moroni 7:16). "The Light of Christ is just what the words imply: enlightenment, knowledge, and an uplifting, ennobling, persevering influence that comes upon mankind because of Jesus Christ."

So, you've got this light inside of you. Or, at least, that's what you're listening to me tell you right now, haha. But take an instance where someone is in need. You pass someone on the freeway, whose car has died and is desperately trying to push their car into the shoulder of the freeway to avoid danger, and is doing so in vain. You want to help, right? Isn't that the right thing to do?

Some might say, "ah, that's just human nature. Anyone who's got a conscience would help them!" But that's not it - it's the Light of Christ inside of you, that encourages you to do good, and as you do more and more good that light continually grows brighter and brighter inside of you. It isn't just a conscience. It's something more.

As we take the time to be genuine people, and to shine a little brighter, we feel better. Right? You feel good when you do something right, don't you? Other people can tell that we are feeling 'better' too. It's this ... this emanating glow we have about ourselves when the Light of Christ grows within us. You all know someone who just seems to glow all the time, don't you? I know I do! You may wonder if they just aced a test, or somehow just happened to come across all the secrets to the universe, but, the simple part about it is - that they've just experienced a small taste of real, true, lasting happiness. And they felt it! So, how do they do it? How do you follow that Light of Christ, in turn following the Holy Ghost, and finding your way to real, true, lasting happiness? You all have challenges. Adversity? Life isn't easy on the simplest of days! Weaknesses, pains, struggles, memories, appointments.. ..and sometimes just the overwhelming feeling of "I can't do it”.

Well, God loves you and all that He asks is that you ask Him when you need help. Doesn't that seem kind of silly though? The only being we believe to be Omnipotent.. Omniscient..  Omnipresent.. needs to be told what you need? Shouldn't He already know? Shouldn't he just help us out?? I mean, come on, we're dying here! It's because He loves us that He needs us to tell Him. He wants us to grow in our humility, and to show our love for Him by actually talking to Him, and spending time with Him in our prayers. And I'm just like everyone else, I definitely don't always pray as long or as well as I should, and I often feel like no matter how hard I plead, I just can't seem to get the answer I'm looking for. But, you just can't lose hope.

My good friend Elder Miller, who is now home,  once said, " If you don't receive an answer right away, it may be because you're doing something right." Your Heavenly Father trusts you, and knows that maybe sometimes you're just asking to ask. Sometimes you don't need to know necessarily "what" to do, but "how" to do it. And He's always there to help you figure it out through what you're feeling.

So, try to pay a little bit more attention to that still, small voice that is supposed to touch your heart. When the Spirit touches the heart, hearts are changed. ..And as so many different voices are competing for your attention in this world, ask yourself.. are you listening for the right ones?

I love you all and wish you the best week ever! Enjoy some sweet firework photos and cool pics! You're the greatest! Go rule the world!

Love,

Elder DeMille!