What it Means to Sustain

 I am loving being a Temple Square missionary more and more with each passing day.  Just yesterday was my 5 month mark and I can hardly believe it.  I still feel so new, I still feel like I'm just getting my feet in, I still feel like...well, a baby bird :) (those of you who know me know I always use that saying haha) However, I do feel very different.  I really am seeing that the mission is the "MTC" for the rest of my life.  I have never experienced so much growth, felt so much love, witnessed so many miracles, gained so much knowledge  of felt such strong true happiness in all my life.  This truly is the work of God :)



Reunited with Sister Lin! She's training too and she's a district leader! It is so wonderful to have her back!

This last week was my first week as a trainer and in serving at the Beehive House and it has been a fun adventure! The Beehive house was Brigham Young's home when he lived here in the Salt Lake valley and it is absolutely beautiful.  There is so much history there and there is also such a very strong spirit. 



Exploring the relief society building...scripture power!

Earlier this week, Sister Taylor (my amazing and wonderful companion, you will all just absolutely love her!) and I took a tour with a Chinese man currently living in missionary and an adorable member family who was out for the day having fun exploring Salt Lake City.  It was a mother and her 4 children and they had such a strong enthusiasm that was contagious in being grateful for Brigham Young as a prophet as well as all the prophets we have had since then.  Sister Taylor and I were sharing about how a prophet is not called by the people, but we all sustain him.  We then went to explain the members sustained the prophet Brigham Young by the work that they did in building up the temple, in building up the community, in walking the 1,300 miles here with faith, trust and hope to push them through.



Sister Taylor and I loving the fall weather! aww it is beautiful!

The mother then said, "I really like that you two sisters keep saying 'sustain.' To sustain someone means we don't just support them, but we take some of their responsibility upon us as well.  We do the things they need help with and the things that they ask for us to do.  We carry part of their work."

That really stuck with me.  In the church, we are always asked to sustain those around us in their various callings.  The thought came to me that in fulfilling our various callings whether they be ward choir leader, Relief Society President, Young Men's second counselor, Bishop, Young Women's teacher or even missionary we are sustaining someone much higher than ourselves--we are sustaining our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We are taking some of His work, and doing parts of it, no matter how minute or small our contribution may seem. We are helping to carry His load and His most important work among His children here on earth.



Having fun at the Church History Museum :)

Whatever it is we are called to do, we receive the sustaining of our family members and our ward members, but most importantly we receiving the sustaining of our Father in Heaven--HE is the one who calls us and especially the one who qualifies us.

Alma 29:12 reads, "Yea, I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers; and that same God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians did deliver them out of bondage."

I do believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and I know that the same God who helped Moses is the same God who has called me to be a full-time missionary.  He is the same God who has called you to be in the nursery, to be the chorister, or to be on the high council, and He is the same God who called Joseph Smith to restore the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ here to this earth.

Alma 29:13 says, "Yea, and that same God did establish his church among them; yea, and that same God hath called me by a holy calling, to preach the word unto this people, and hath given me much success, in the which my joy is full."



I am so grateful that everything in this church allows us the opportunity to be in a partnership with God.  As verse 13 says, it is God that gives me success, it is He that sustains me and allows me to do any good or have any influence as a missionary, and it is my choice to sustain Him.  I know that every little good thing we do, is sustaining our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.  Through our contributions we are all able to carry some of their work as they keep their  arms extended in carrying us.

That is my invitation to you this week! Think about how it is that you can sustain those in your family, in your ward, in your stake and more importantly your Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.  I have been so blessed to see so many powerful examples in my life of this and it completely makes me smile every single day :)

Alma 29:14-- "But I do not joy in my own success alone, but my joy is more full because of the success of my brethren..."




Out "proselyting" with Sister John!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Love Always,
Sister Briggs

SHOUTOUTS: Judith Genster (Sister Genster's Sister- congratulations on your mission call to Cleveland, Ohio!!!!!), Mom, Dad, Casey, Robert, Mary, Sara, Becca, Brother and Sister Donakey, The Johnson family (good luck to Anthony on his mission in Argentina!), Danny Payne and Angela Convington (all of those dinosaur stickers made my day!)

Miracles on West Temple

We had a fun little photo shoot since Sister Siegle has never experienced a Utah fall with all the lovely trees!
"Always remember, Look Up!"

Alright, who is ripping out all the pages in my calendar?  Where did September go?  Where did August go? The time here is going by so so quickly-it's already half way through October!

This last week really was a miracle.  When I add up all the experiences I had, little to grand, it may almost seem unbelievable, but I choose to believe.  I don't look for a way to explain all that happened, because I know that God's hand was in everything, and God is still surely a God of miracles. 

 

Yesterday we had our transfer conference and we all found out our new companions, new assignments, apartments, and even got to hear from our new Assistant to the President.  Sister Schill, from Virginia, is our new AP in the mission.  She walked up to the podium and shared an insight for God's miracles and with an enthusiasm I had never before seen. She explained that growing up she LOVED to make chocolate chip cookies with her Mom.  Although she would always get flour all over the floor, in her hair, really everywhere except in the bowl, her Mom always let her help because she enjoyed it so much. She then said,

"God allows you to be here, serving him in this mission, doing His most precious work, because He knows YOU love it, because YOU love being on the front-line to see all of God's miracles."


Brazilian Bakery Celebrations Last Week!

It is a miracle in itself that God allows me, allows all of us to be a part of His most important work, yet He does it because He loves us, and because He knows the joy and the happiness that it brings when we really serve Him in this way.

This last week I really saw that miracles especially happen when we give our whole might and mind to the Lord.  This past week I was working diligently to get caught up on reading my 6 pages every day in The Book of Mormon.  With General Conference and transfers taking place, all of us have become a little bit behind.  Any spare moment I had, I was reading the scriptures. This is not to say it was easy...there were times I had to sacrifice fun times bonding with the other sisters, or getting into bed earlier than 10:30, but it has been completely worth it.  As I have read The Book of Mormon, I have read of God's miracles, and each day, I have seen my own miracles :)


We'll miss our favorite Senior couple, the Creers!

One of my favorite verses I came across this week is Alma 5:7.  One line in there has stuck with me and has been something I have shared in almost every contact I have had with others this week...

"Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word..."

How beautiful and powerful is that?  All of us may be a little lost in some way.  Maybe it is not a thick mist of darkness, but many of us have fears, doubts, questions, concerns, worries that darken our view our cloud our perspective.  Is there something you wonder about?  Read The Book of Mormon.  Is there a fear that you have?  Read The Book of Mormon.  Do you wonder sometimes how you can be everything you were meant to be? Read The Book of Mormon.  Do you want to see miracles?  Read The Book of Mormon.


Happy 21st Birthday Sister Asay!!!

As I have read diligently this last week specifically, I have felt this in my life, I have felt my soul being illuminated.  The most beautiful part about being illuminated too, is that it gives off a light for others to see and feel too.  I know that because I was illuminated by the scriptures, I was able to be more in tune with the spirit, to say what it is God would have me say, to be where He would have me be and to love the way He loves.  Yes, by reading the scriptures, not only was I illuminated but I was "on the front-line to see all of God's miracles."


Remember Patrick?  "He knows where home is" man?  This is him :) and we just love him.  He shared with us this week that the one hymn he refuses to play for people on his harmonica is, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief."  He said, "I may be financially stretched, but I am not poor; I have Jesus Christ, I have my Heavenly Father, I have their gospel, how could I ever be poor? I have everything and more I could ever need."

Cora and Katie were one of God's biggest miracles this week that I was able to witness and be a part of.  Sister Siegle and I were standing under the Tabernacle as the rain poured down, waiting to see if anyone would show up for our assigned flagpole tour.  Out of the door of the Tabernacle came a mother, Cora, with her adorable 4-year old daughter, Katie.  Cora said, "What is this place?"  but she said it in a sense of awe and wonder.  I stood there quietly looking at her and smiling as she glanced up at the temple.  Looking at me she then said, "This is a special place, isn't it?" I nodded my head smiling and responded, "Yes, it is." Our whole 20-minute conversation took place there, by the door of the Tabernacle, hiding for cover from the rain, and was one where I was completely led by the spirit, testifying of the temple and of the Plan of Salvation.  I asked questions I had never thought of, I explained things in a way I had never thought of before, and I watched as her eyes became misty that she was experiencing something she had never felt before- it was hope, faith, trust, love, and God was allowing me to be a part of it.  We would teach her things and she would respond and say she had always believed it, just never knew where to find it. 

Miracles don't just happen on 34th street or on West Temple Street, in The Bible or in The Book of Mormon, but they are happening today and they are happening now.  Be a part of these miracles. Hey, you yourself may even be one of God's greatest miracles.

 "And if there were ^amiracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he ^bchangeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles." (Mormon 9:19).

Let The Book of Mormon illuminate your soul this week and let me know what miracles you find.  Write them down, be aware and never stop believing :)

Love Always,
Sister Briggs :)


Celebrating Sister Nelson's 22nd birthday! :)


Roommate bonding one night.  We had a little testimony meeting together.

SHOUTOUTS: Brigham (thanks for the note, you're oh so wonderful! Sorry I missed you at Temple Square!), Bryan and Casey, Mom and Dad, The Donakey family, Robert Donakey, Caroling Slater, Sister Moffatt, Grandma Jeanie (thank you for the new dinosaur stickers! ohhh how I love them!), and Sister Brock's Dad (I met your daughter this week and she said you two would read this sometimes, I promise I'll take good care of her here!)

P.S. Two sisters are coming to the SALEM, OREGON mission for their out bounds...their names are Sister Mulli (from American Samoa and Tonga) and Sister Ichimaru (from Japan) please keep an eye out for them in Bend! :)


Sister Ichimaru (from Japan)

Sister Mulli (from American Samoa and Tonga)

"...become ye as little children."

 Oi! Is it just me or are the weeks starting to pass by quicker and quicker?  I think part of it has to do with conference as well.  How did everyone enjoy conference?!  I have never experienced something quite like it with being at Temple Square.  Being a missionary here really gave me a whole new perspective on the whole General Conference experience.  I want you to think of where you were this weekend for Conference.  Were you at home?  Were you at a friend's home or with family?  Did you watch on your computer, on a TV?  Think of the miracle General Conference is brothers and sisters.  Here at Temple Square I was a witness to thousands and thousands of people flooding the streets to go and hear a Prophet speak, to go and hear the words of God as spoken by his prophets and apostles.  Think of the miracle that is :) 


Day 1 of Conference with Sisters from all around the world! So exciting!

Walking around Temple Square we were able to meet people from around the world, people who had traveled thousands of miles and had sacrificed great amounts to be able to come and attend even just one session of General Conference. As a missionary at Temple Square, they needed us up on the square talking with all of the visitors, so we were able to attend just one session (the Saturday morning session), and even that gave me so much hope and so much joy to hear from and be in the same room as the Prophet, to be in a room holding so much hope and faith.


With Sister Deleu (France) and Sister Siegle (Brasil...my adorable companion!) right before day 1 of General Conference

To be prepared for General Conference, we had a meeting Friday night as a mission.  Before the closing of the meeting, we watched a short clip from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.  He said something that really stuck with me, "General Conference tells the world- God not only lives, but He speaks."  I testify to each of you that God does live and that He does speak to each of us, His children, today. I know that so many prayers and questions were answered throughout the world this past weekend, and not only with the distinct words being uttered by those who spoke, but also with the quiet whisperings of the Holy Ghost. I am so grateful that these words are recorded that we can go back and read them or view them as often as we would like to.  These words are revelation and they are revelation for the world!


With roommates and friends before heading back up to the square to finish out a wonderful conference weekend!





Can you see now why The Book of Mormon and why The Holy Bible are so important and so precious?  These books contain the records of ancient prophets.  God spoke to them, and He speaks to us now.  I am so grateful for how dependable our Father in Heaven is.  He truly wants to make Himself accessible to all His children around the world.


Sister Humble and I celebrating our first General Conference on the mission!

Something I love so much about the gospel of Jesus Christ and about the words of the Prophet, is that the message is so pure and so simple that "even a child can understand it."  One of the most touching experiences I had this weekend was at the Reflection Pond on the east side of the Salt Lake temple.  Sister Siegle had run into an older couple who spoke Portugese.  They had served a mission in Brasil and had come to General Conference with their granddaughters, Taylor and Courtney. 

As Sister Siegle spoke with this amazing couple, I was inspired and so uplifted by these two young girls before me.  Taylor and Courtney are twins, they are 8 years old and were just baptized this past Sunday. They were so sincere and so genuine as they spoke about the joy they felt at their baptism, of the presence of the Holy Ghost that was so strongly there.  They told me about the missionary work they have been doing with teaching their friends at school about the gospel.  I knelt down beside them and picked up two small "forget me not" flowers and handed them to the two little girls before me. 

I explained that these were flowers that can remind us to always remember the little things in our life, to remind us to always have joy.  I asked them about what little things there are in their life that make them happy. Taylor looked at Courtney and said, "Well, she's everything to me- Courtney has been with me forever.  We were born together, we were baptized together and we'll probably even die together...but I'm not really sure how that works." haha as you can imagine, these little girls were so cute and so adorable. Then Courtney smiled and twirling from side to side grabbed Taylor's hand and looked right into her eyes and said, "Yeah, we have been together forever, but we were with someone even before and now he's with us even more since we got baptized." 


Sister Barrett (California) is so much fun and has such wonderful stories! I feel so lucky to have been in her same district this transfer.

These two 8-year old girls went on to explain to me that Jesus Christ was their "forget me not flower."  These girls knew that they had lived with God and Jesus Christ before, and that they would return to live with them again. I remember feeling the spirit so strongly as these girls spoke about their love for Jesus Christ and of their love for their Heavenly Father and they shared that they were already preparing for missions because of the announcement and because of the emphasis on missionary work at general conference.

It was in this moment that I really learned what it means to come unto Christ as a little child.  In "Jesus the Christ," it reads,

"Christ would not have had His chosen representatives become childish; far from it, they had to be men or courage, fortitude and force; but He would have them become childlike.  The distinction is important.  Those who belong to Christ must become like little children in obedience, truthfulness, trustfulness, purity, humility, and faith."

Courtney and Taylor were my angels this General Conference weekend who truly were examples to me.  Their trust in God, their purity, their humility, was a reminder that we are to always remember WHO'S we are.  We are children of God.  Just as our Fathers here on earth, He wants us to succeed and He did not send us here to fail.  I know that General Conference, having a living Prophet and Apostles, the gift of prayer, church, the scriptures are all here to help us succeed.  Sometimes we may think that in order to succeed by the church's standards, by God's standards, we are sacrificing a lot.  If we really look at it though, we can see that this gospel, the doctrine of Jesus Christ, His plan, is perfect and we are everything to Him because we are His children.  I promise you that if there is something that you have been encouraged during this conference weekend to give up, or to be better at, it truly isn't a sacrifice but it is a tremendous blessing and opportunity to be transformed.



With roommates and friends before heading back up to the square to finish out a wonderful conference weekend!

Sister Asay (from Texas) and I were SO excited about Dinner Sunday night.  A local stake made us homemade Cafe Rio! Ahhh! :)

"What we give up only blesses us and prepares us for exaltation; there is no such thing as a sacrifice." (a quote shared with me by a fellow missionary).

I love you all and hope you have a most marvelous week!


Love always,
Sister Briggs


SHOUTOUTS: Sister McDougle, Zach Hansen, Carmen Bone, Danny Gessell, Joe Morris, Kenny Hutchings, Alexx Levya, Caroline Slater, Bryan & Casey, the beautiful Ensign King Family, Briana Layton and her cousins, Robbie Hernandez, Cory, Joe Peters, Sister Stephenson and Kate Thornock :)



Our amazing Zone Leaders (Sister Martinez from Spain and Sister Hvistendahl from Greenland) after our District Meeting...amazing spiritual thought from Sister Huffaker from California who shared with us her own version of Ether 12:27 (about making weaknesses strong).  She compared it to Pokemon and said , "Gotta teach 'em all!"  We love her :)

The Gospel Restored and People Restored.

Hi everyone! It's been yet another amazing week here at Temple Square.  Each week I realize more and more perfectly how well God knows each and everyone of us.  I feel blessed that this is where He assigned me to labor for 18 months His full-time servant.  It is a very exciting time to be at Temple Square.  We have a countdown to General Conference in our mission office and it gets me so excited every time! Only 11 more days!  This week we were so blessed.  We were able to hear from Sister Ruth Todd, the head of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which for me was a dream come true as I studied Public Relations at BYU before my mission), we got to see MUSE come and take a tour before their big concert, we met inspiring members, we made new friends with visitors from around the world and we were even able to volunteer to clean the inside of the temple and see the room where James E. Talmage wrote "Jesus the Christ."

 Our wonderful district this transfer with our amazing district
leader, Sister Moldogalii from Mongolia!

I just have to start off this letter by testifying to you all that I really know the temple is the house of God.  I felt so blessed yesterday to have the opportunity to mop, dust and vacuum in the Salt Lake City temple.  Even with the vacuums and the scrubbing, there still was a peace there. It says so much about God and who He is not just as the creator of the Universe, but also as my Creator, as our Father as well.  Think of how many times you've wanted peace in your life, comfort or solace.  Think of how many times you've wished you could have a quiet place to rest and to be away from the world where you can just be.  The temple truly is a place set apart from the outside world.  As I walked up and down the halls vacuuming I couldn't help but think, "I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has homes here on earth and that He invites to come inside.  Do I invite Him into my home?"  I know that God wants to be a part of our lives just as much as we want to be a part of His.  Let Him in, and I promise you will see miracles :)

I call her "Momma Olden."  She is from Australia and has completely looked out for me since day 1 :)

As I have let God become not just a part of my life, but everything in my life, I have seen so many miracles.  I have started to realize that I really am nothing, yet to Him I am everything.  I feel very blessed to be here at Temple Square to be a link between these visitors from around the world and their Heavenly Father.  Every day this week I saw God turn my footsteps another direction, fill my mouth with different words, or talk to people I hadn't even seen there at first--He is trying to come to each and every one of you, let Him in :)

Thank you for the package Mom, you're the best!

Friday especially was a miracle day.  Sister Siegle and I were walking out of the mission office, past the Assembly Hall when a man stopped us to ask a few questions about the building.  I told my joke that I made up a few weeks ago...have I told you all my joke?  Okay, well here is a quick version of it without my silly Sister Briggs faces and hand motions :)  "The temple was built using granite rock.  These early members of the churches carved these granite rocks by hand and they gathered all the chippings together into a pile.  The pioneers were very resourceful and then used these granite chippings for the exterior of the Assembly Hall.  So we can really see that the pioneers didn't take anything for granted."  Get it? ahhh I crack myself up sometimes :) haha

Sister Ince gave me an honorary Canada skier sticker for the back of my name tag...
yes, there is also a BYU sticker :)

Anyway, here was this man, Paul, a member of the church from Saint George Utah who was taking around two business associates from New York.  Both men were wonderfully kind and had such a pure love for others.  Lester, originally from Guyana, is an "adopted" Dad to about 50 youth living in New York City.  He is there for them as a mentor and even throws them birthday parties so they know they are loved and appreciated.  He even said that for some of his youth, he would love to bring them up to Temple Square for their birthday--that Temple Square was the best gift anyone could have.  Karl, originally from Jamaica, is a man always involved in the service of others no matter what the task may be.  Paul asked us if we had just about twenty minutes to spare that we could show Lester and Karl around on Temple Square.  I feel so blessed that Sister Siegle and I were able to be with them for those short twenty minutes.  This was one of the strongest spiritual experiences not only of my mission so far, but of my life.  As we spoke with these two men and shared with them about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, they seemed to have a light go off inside of them.  In just those short twenty minutes, I saw the countenance of these two men completely change.  Lester and Karl would continually say, "yes, this all makes sense.  I feel something here I have never felt before yet somehow it feels familiar."  Wow.  That is the power of the spirit- and it is a power that cannot be replaced. So often we have people asking us for evidence something is true, for secular sources to verify The Book of Mormon, but I have learned a very valuable lesson on my mission.  Yes, there are secular sources, and yes, I have seen books that talk about the validity of these ancient inhabitants in the Americas, but this really means nothing to me. I pose to you this question, "Do you take physical and tangible evidences to be more powerful than God Himself telling you something is true?"  God is the source of all knowledge and truth, and I think it is so powerful that of all of the ways we have to find out something is true, He asks for us to ask Him.

Sister Siegle and I.  I absolutely love this girl, I am so grateful to have her as my companion
 and am learning so much from her.  My testimony is getting longer, little by little in
Portuguese and I am so grateful for all the time she takes
 to teach me her language!

Our experience with Karl and Lester really has stuck with me this week. I saw these two men change in just 20 minutes.  I saw that the light of Christ within them, within each and everyone of us, was being embraced and brought forward even more so than it already was. That night as I read The Book of Mormon, I really fully grasped one of the "why's" of the Restoration of the gospel.  
In 2 Nephi 30:8 it reads,

"And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth."

Notice it talks about the restoration of the gospel, "his work among all..." but then it talks about bringing about "the restoration of his people."  Brothers and Sisters, family, friends, neighbors, strangers, whoever you are, this is the profound message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Gospel restores God's children to who they used to be, so they can be who God wants them to become. At any stage in learning about the gospel, we start to feel a change within us, we start to feel a difference in our lives, and yet that difference is something familiar and something comfortable.  The gospel of Jesus Christ needed to be restored in its fullness to help each of us remember who we truly are and then gives us everything we need to grow into who God wants us to become.  We are His greatest work. 

 I was so excited, Sister Huffaker drew us all dinosaurs for our district meeting!

Thank you to all of you for everything you do and everything you are.  No good deed ever goes unnoticed, there is no such thing as a small act of kindness.  I invite you all to let the light of Christ shine more fully in you.  Get back to who you were so you can get to who you need to become.  It's like in a math problem--if we are trying to solve an equation and along the way we get stuck, we need to go back to the beginning and start from the top to get to the end.
Love Always,
Sister Briggs :)

SHOUTOUTS: Jessica & Katy (two amazing girls who did baptisms twice in two different temples in one day...such good examples!), Madeleine Kmetzch, Sister McDougle, Sister Samuels, Kayla and Kevin Lussiers (your picture from your wedding is beautiful!), Grandma Jeanie, Momma Briggs (thank you for the letter and package!), Bryan and Casey Briggs, Dad, Donakey Family, Robert Donakey, Kylee Rowley (from one Sister to another---you AMAZE me :) thank you SO much for your letter, I cannot tell you how excited I am for you, Washington D.C. is so very lucky! I'll be writing you soon sweet girl), Sister Rushing, Sister Dimatera.


Also, fun shoutout--Sister Marsh, my MTC companion, and I started dancing one day, laughing, crying, hugging one night because our MTC teachers, yes, the lovely Sister Moffatt and Brother Ellsworth are now engaged---to each other! Congratulations you two!  We couldn't be more excited!!! :)

We'll Bring the World His Truth

Hello Hello again everybody! 

I hope you all have had a truly wonderful week.  It's been hard for me to decide what I want to write about in this letter because there just was so much GOOD.  Really, it's a problem I'm okay with having though :)  That's something I love about being a missionary, it really helps me to see just how blessed and lucky I really am, it helps me to see that everything of God is good.  I know this to be true as now as a missionary, I go around talking about God, our loving Heavenly Father all day, and I have never seen this much good in my entire life.  Look around you, everything of God is good :) 

THANK YOU MOM for the package!!!!!!! :) you're the best!

It's been a busy week full of youth conferences, tours, chats, phone calls, LOVE, reading, growing, testifying and I am loving every minute of it.  I've gotten a couple of questions about the youth conferences, so here's a little update on what I do :)  There are three companionships, and we meet together each day to discuss the requests that have been called in or e-mailed to us regarding different groups of youth.  We then are in charge of getting the youth their schedules, their lovely Deseret Book lanyards and doing orientation for them.  

So most days at 8:45 am and at 2 pm,  my companion and I are talking with 100s of youth! It's the best! We loving telling them that the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored because of the faith and determination of one youth, of Joseph Smith.  He was just 14 years old when he prayed and now look what has happened.  He had every trial that could have ever possibly come upon him, his family and those he loved, but he could not deny the truth, and he was a youth. I know Joseph Smith truly was a called prophet of God to bring in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  I think it's powerful that it all started with a prayer. Never ever underestimate the faith that you have, and the trust Heavenly Father has in you.  You can do more than you know :)

The view from my window :)

Exciting news!!! For those of you who know me,  you know I LOVE to pretend I speak Spanish haha.  It is so much fun for me to try to understand Spanish or to try to put together broken Spanish sentences.  And now, I have DOS HERMANAS from Mexico living with us.  Neither of them speak hardly any English, and so we are all having so much fun every night trying to learn from each other.  It's a wonderful apartment to come home to :)  Los misionarios son mis amigas!

Me with my roommate Sister Lee--she has Biscoff spread
(Tag Madeleiene Kmetzch! also, she wrote me a letter-shoutout!)

Okay, I can see this is already getting a bit long, sorry :)  

One of my favorite moments this week though came from a tour I took yesterday.  I was on exchanges with my old roommate, Sister Li, from Hong Kong, since her companion was feeling really sick yesterday. Sister Li and I were so excited to get to be together for the day and to catch up with one another.  I learned so much from her too. She is an amazing girl and such a powerful teacher.  We met a couple from Arizona  outside of the Tabernacle on Temple Square named Don and Mary.  We started in the tabernacle and then moved just next door to the Assembly Hall for our next stop.  When we came in, there was a kindergarten warming up on the stage.  My goodness, they were all so sweet and so adorable--not to mention, have you ever seen a little kid's violin? AH! They are TINY! I loved it and it made me think of The Donakey family...all of them with their violins :)  

We were going over the history of the building with Don and Mary when the kids started to play.  Don loves music so he asked if we could just sit and listen for a moment.  Of course we said yes and we all sat there excited to hear this young orchestra play.  It took only a few moments for Sister Li and I to realize what song these kids were playing.  They were playing "We'll Bring the World His Truth."  Sister Li and I looked at each other, and without saying anything, we both started singing along with it.  "We have been born, as Nephi of old.  To goodly parents who love the Lord.  We have been taught, and we understand, that we must do as the Lord commands.  We are as the army of Helaman, we have been taught in our youth.  And we will be the Lord's missionaries to bring the world his truth."  Sister Li and I both just started to cry, and we looked back to see Ron and Mary staring at the two of us almost in awe, with tears in their eyes as well. 

On exchanges with Sister Li from Hong Kong yesterday,
she's the sweetest and was my roommate last transfer! :)

This was one of the most spiritual moments on my mission thus far.  We both bore a simple testimony to them about why we were on missions, about how grateful we are for our families and loved ones at home who have taught us everything we know and cherish in our lives.  I really don't think it's any mistake or coincidence that the VERY FIRST scripture in The Book of Mormon starts with, "I Nephi, having been born of goodly parents..."  Our parents are everything.  Our families really are how God shows His love.  I started to think about how I love my Savior Jesus Christ for so many reasons, but one big reason is because he has been there before.  Every joy, every hardship, he has already walked through it so that he could pull me through it after him.  I then started to think of how God really shows His love to us through our parents.  These people too have been our same age before, they have had similar trials and difficulties, they too have asked the common questions that we ask as youth.  I am so grateful for my family and so grateful that they truly are Christlike in that they use those things that they have endured, to guide me in my own life later on. (I love you Mom and Dad!)

Sister Humble and I trying to learn Tagalog...
you can see by the look on our faces it's a bit difficult haha

At the end of the tour, we were able to exchange information.  It was so touching to me that they said at the end of our tour, "We can really tell through your smile, through your words, through the way you carry yourself that you really know and believe what you shared with us."  They were amazed that we were not paid for our service as missionaries, or that no one else is paid for it in all the church organization.  I love the purity of this gospel in that way.  That every member of the church is busy with families, with school, with work, with other activities, but they devote everything they have to fulfilling their callings in the church without any sort of monetary payment.  

The people at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints don't testify or say the things they do because someone is paying them, they do it because they genuinely know it and treasure it in their lives.  I am so grateful that I was able to meet Ron and Mary.  I am learning I sometimes fall in love with people too quickly...haha the Sisters joke that I am terrible at saying goodbye because whenever they go to leave I act like they're my best friends.  Well, I really do see everyone and anyone I meet as my best friend--we are all in this world together, trying to do the best we can.  I hope that in even the smallest of ways I can leave people feeling uplifted, or even just a little better than they did before.

With Sister McQueen from New Zealand! Today is her 20th birthday!
Anyone and Everyone...write her a card! :)

As you can see, I thought  a lot about family this week.  I thought about how all growing up, I would run to my Dad and say, "Dad! Can I tell you a story!?"  He quickly learned that I wasn't ever really asking, I would tell him my story whether he said I could or not..I just liked to ask to be polite anyway :) haha So now, whenever I would say, "Dad! Can I tell you a story!?"  (and trust me, it's a lot, I love telling stories and talking with people)  He would smile at me and respond laughing, "Well, you're going to tell me anyway aren't you?"  This has always been such a funny aspect of me and my Dad's relationship--he knows me so well, and still loves me enough to listen and just hear me out even though he knows he didn't have much say in the matter haha.  I have talked with a lot of people this week about how they say they hope The Book of Mormon is true.  When we ask them what will happen when they receive their answer that The Book of Mormon is true, they often say things like, "Well, I'm not sure yet."  I think this is often times why people say they pray and pray for an answer from Heavenly Father, yet they don't receive it.  Heavenly Father, like my Dad, knows us SOOO well.  He knows if we are really asking to know, or if we are asking just to ask.  My Dad knew that whether he said yes or no played no role in me telling my story, just like Heavenly Father knows that for some of us, His answer will go unnoticed or unappreciated by us.  I have really strengthened my testimony that when we truly pray with sincerity, when we ask Him as He is our own Father (which He is), He cannot help but tell us.  He is excited that we are asking Him, that we are listening, and that we genuinely act on what we will hear.  

Sister Tupou, from Tonga, gave me her flower from her hair and
told me she wanted me to be an islander today :)

So, here is my commitment or my invitation to everyone, everywhere.  Pray with sincerity of heart.  Figure out why you want to know--is it because if The Book of Mormon is true it means you can be with your family for eternity?  is it because if The Book of Mormon is true it means the Jesus Christ really knows you personally and loves you?  is it because if The Book of Mormon is true it means that each day is a new day full of opportunities for progression and growth to return home to our Heavenly Father to live in never-ending happiness for all time?  Think about it, read even just a few verses a day of The Book of Mormon, and ask Him.  Don't ask Him like I would ask my Dad if we could have story time, I would ask knowing that no matter what he said, I wasn't going to change my idea of what was right for the moment-my story.  Ask your Heavenly Father with an open heart, with a real desire to hear Him out, and I PROMISE you that you will know The Book of Mormon is true.  And knowing that, oh my goodness, has been the greatest blessing in my life.  



Really, I say this all because I can't help but smile as I write this, I can't help but smile because I have found out for myself, purely, genuinely and truly that this really all is true.  

It is a "gospel of second chances and happy endings." 

(Elder Holland)

Thank you SO much to everyone for reading this, I know that this is long but it was an amazing week full of inspiration and growth as I really learned to full-heartedly rely on my Heavenly Father!  


I wish for nothing but the very best and happiest for all of you! I hope to hear from you all soon!  YOU ARE LOVED...SO SO LOVED.  Please know I am always thinking about you all and get SO excited to hear from you, really, I do kind of an awkward dance when I receive mail haha you're all the best!


Love always,

Sister Briggs

SHOUT OUTS!!!

-Thank you to Sister Donakey, Cami Jensen, Britt Lam, Casey Briggs, Mom Briggs, Briana Layton, Curtis Layton, Dad Layton, Peggy Kinkade, Johanna (from the Philippines), Robert Donakey, Becca Donakey, Brother Donakey, Sara Donakey and Mary Donakey for all the letters and packages!

- Also, SO wonderful to run into so many people I know this week! ---> So happy to see Britt Lam, Cami Jensen and Ally Morgan! Congrats to Britt Lam who got her mission call to THAILAND! I am so proud of her and am so excited to write her and hear about all of her adventures! She will be SO AMAZING! Also so happy to see Seth Chatterly and Taylor McBride, I am so happy to see you both doing so well! Also, wonderful to see my Grandfather and Grandma Jeanie as they were passing through! Thank you with everything for the goodies and for the hugs! It meant so much to me to see you!

Mahal Kita!

Oh yes...
and always remember....

Smile :)