Talmage Mission

Good Morning! Ephraim is a beautiful town, I am enjoying the work here. The pace is different than I'm used to, but Elder Bagley is ready to move the work, and so am I! This will be an exciting transfer, as I have a lot of goals to accomplish and too little time to do them all.  Elder Bagley is from Waco, TX and his family has a cattle ranch. He is a stud, to quote my dad, and is diligent in the work. I'm grateful to be his companion and to get to serve the people of Ephraim by his side! When I arrived in Ephraim there was a large, Scandinavian Festival scheduled. It was a great opportunity to set up a booth and share information about the Ephraim temple, and the restored gospel! There were some miracles that came from this, but it was definitely a socially draining day.  While at the festival I did meet a couple of my friends from Mt. Pleasant North! Mark Peterson and Garrett Chesnut are some of my favorite people from that Stake. It was good to reconnect, even just briefly....

Good Morning!  I need to stop pretending I know what will happen for transfers, it really is an achilles heel of mine. I definitely guessed right that I was leaving the St. George YSA 1st Stake again, but I didn't have any clue what God had in store for me.  I am being asked to serve in Ephraim, and one of the YSA Stakes up there. This is an out-of-the-blue change for me, and I wasn't sure what to think for a couple seconds. I have been asked to lead a District of missionaries, which is a smaller version of the responsibilities I've been managing for the past 7 1/2 months. I'm grateful I have a testimony that transfers are direct revelation from God to President Staples. I am already formulating how to make the Ephraim District the best District . . . Sorry to everyone else's Districts! I suppose what ultimately matters is our perception of things. My mom taught me a valuable lesson about myself; I really benefit from a change in perspective. God knows this so He ju...

Good Morning!  Before reading the quote below, take a second and place your name in the space below: "_____, whose singular praise it is, to have done the best things in the worst times, and to have hoped them in the most calamitous.  "Those are lines I would use to praise the prophets and the faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ down through the years." - Elder Holland Oct/1994 These words from a living Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ stand out to me. What does it mean to do the best things, even in the worst times? What does that say about our faith? How will that example inspire others? How does reading your name adjust your perspective of yourself? I have three amazing friends who made covenants with their Father in Heaven this Saturday. These three friends have their own unique story. And each one demonstrates precisely what it means "to have done the best things" even "in the worst times." Cali is a wonderful friend of ours. She alrea...

Good Morning! I am learning so much from my missionary experiences. It's surreal how much I've grown, and how much I still lack. Nonetheless, allow me to share how I am developing and strengthening, because of my Savior.  First, in my responsibilities as a leader, I am still growing. Elder Shipp and I have realized that we need to put more effort into planning the meetings we run, as when we don't plan it never runs as well as we'd like. This applies to everything we do; working to be more unified and striving to encourage and inspire other missionaries around us. We ran our Zone Council this past week, and it went pretty well! It also could have gone better, but it's a growing process. I am proud of my capabilities in regards to leading and conducting meetings! That is a talent I am grateful to have learned.  One thing we learned from Zone Council was to become a little bolder. Elder Gibson, one of our District Leaders, invited us to become a little boulder, and gr...

Good Morning!  This has been a pretty fun week. Lots of exchanges, a few more friends working towards baptism, and plenty of miracles! Zone Conference this week was fantastic! The Trainings went well, the Spirit was strong, and the focus was on covenants. I've learned so much more about covenants, and God's willingness to support me in my covenants. It's been a true blessing to have President and Sister Staples leading this mission, because their willingness to follow the Lord's guidance is astounding and inspiring. I want to be that open with my Heavenly Father because of their example.  The exchanges I went on this week helped shape me as a missionary. Each missionary I was with pushed me in different ways and allowed me to recognize shortcomings in my own efforts, and highlight ways to change. I have now begun asking myself "If this were my last transfer, what would I want to do?" I intend to answer this question with a focus on my personal development. Wha...