How Can I Be Like Moroni?

Hi everyone! Has it really been another week already?  The snow outside is the only thing that keeps reminding me it's November now.  I keep thinking I'm still back in September.  Time definitely flies when you are doing what you love :)


I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween this last week too! We had a fun activity put on by our mission presidency that was so wonderful.  I was sad to close the square so early, but I know it was all just for safety reasons so that made me feel better about that :)  We had a wonderful dinner and even got to watch a movie.  I have to say I was a little nervous about what the movie would be. My mind is so focused on this work that I didn't want anything pulling me away, but I am so grateful for the movie that we did watch.  We saw, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe," and it was amazing.  When we watch this movie with the right eyes, it truly teaches us so much about the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ and the matchless love He has for each of us.  I think I'll make it a new Halloween tradition :)


We decided to get these wonderful shirts at Wal-Mart with goats on them...we walked around saying,
"we are bringing them ba-a-a-ck to the fold." Ohh Halloween as a missionary :)

I hope I can gather all my thoughts today as I write.  My testimony grew so much this last week.  I am really experiencing and learning first hand the truthfulness of the saying, "Your mission is the MTC for the rest of your life," and I would even like to add, "Our lives and our personal missions are our MTC for the Celestial Kingdom of God."


I love our Senior Couple, The Frosts!!! Halloween picture :)

This last week I was reading in the book of Alma.  So often we hear people talking about the majority of this book being "the war chapters."  True--most of what is in here is wars, but we cannot discount it thinking that it only applies to us if we are physically fighting in a battle.  I have a very firm testimony that everything, I mean everything, in The Book of Mormon is for our gain
 and can be applied to our lives. Everything can be a direct letter from God to you.

One of my favorite scriptures this past week was Alma 48:17 which says,

"Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."

I shared this scripture with a lot of young men that I came in contact with this week.  I shared it with Elders just about to enter the MTC, I shared it with soon-to-be Fathers who were nervous about fulfilling their important role as a parent, and I shared it with Danny.

Danny is a good friend of a Sister serving here who will soon be going home from her mission.  Danny and her grew up together in California and he has always been referred to by this sister as "a powerful guy, clean-cut guy with a strong desire to do good and to be a good person."  Before she left on her mission, she gave Danny a Book of Mormon and he was receiving phone calls from the sisters here at temple square.  However, after a while, Danny stopped responding to their phone calls.  This Sister felt she should give me Danny's information.  I tried calling Danny twice, but with no luck, that is....until yesterday...Danny answered :)

I got to know Danny and really have a tremendous amount of respect for the person he is.  He is 23 years old and is in the air force.  He is an engineer and helps to configure the engines of the various planes. Danny was sounding like he wasn't too interested in hearing much about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and then Alma 48:17 popped into my head. 

Very boldly I said, "Danny, I want you to write this down- Alma 48:17."  For those of you who know me, you know I'm not a very bold person, and I think Danny already could already tell that about me, and he sounded a bit caught off guard. 


SISTER TAYLOR PASSED OFF!!! (a mile stone for Temple Square)
and so we celebrated by going to The Lion House with some sisters!

He said, "What's Alma 48:17?"

I read the words to him, and then afterward there was silence for a few moments.  I wasn't too certain what I should say, and then he broke the silence saying, "Wow.  I want to be like him."  I went on to ask him what it was he would do if he could be a man like Moroni. 

He responded, "I would do anything to be like him.  If I knew how to be like that, I would do it.  The world needs more men like this guy."

Throughout my week I have thought just as Danny.  The words of this scripture have passed through my mind and I too have asked myself, "How can I be like Moroni?"  Can you imagine how powerful it would be if we were each like this man that could shake the very powers of hell giving more power to the powers of heaven?  Think about it.

And then think about this...

Moroni is an amazing man.  He was humble, he was meek, he was faithful, his heart gloried in God, he was true to the commandments (Alma 48) and yet there is another who was and is even more...Jesus Christ.  Do we realize that?  Do we realize that by following the example of Jesus Christ we can become not only like this man Moroni, but we can become like the Savior of the world? The question we should always be asking ourselves is not always just, "How can I be like Moroni," but "How can I be like Jesus Christ?" for it is in him that Moroni even received the power that he had to do such good.

I testified to Danny then as I testify to you now, that because this truly is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, it gives us every step to not just become like Moroni, but more importantly to become like our Savior Jesus Christ, our elder brother.  I know that obedience is the first law of heaven, and it is by obedience that we can fulfill our hopes of becoming more like these exemplary people we are meant to all become. 

The gospel of Jesus Christ sets higher standards because it doesn't just ask us to be followers of Christ, it asks us to be His disciples.

A bunch of the sisters dressed up as princesses and spoke to us in relief society about what makes them royal.  Remember girls...you are ALL daughters of a King

 

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!  I invite you all to read Alma 48 and to be familiar with the characteristics of Moroni and the characteristics of Jesus Christ, only by so doing will you be more familiar with their characteristics within your own self :)

Love always,
Sister Briggs :)

 

Sister Taylor and I carved a pumpkin and named it Charly!

SHOUTOUTS:  Mom and Dad, Nyal Sewell (sorry I missed you at the square!), Sister Dimatera, Barry Donakey (you're the best! Thank you for writing!) Robert Donakey, Sara, Mary, Becca, Liz, Reid, Brother and Sister Donakey, Sister Britt Lam and Sister Kim Blauer :)