“I hire people who tweet for a living”

We’re all normal people, I promise. Even if you hear strange rumors going around the rumor mill, we’re not all that strange.

“Roots and Branches”

In April, we had the opportunity to watch the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s an amazing opportunity we have every six months to listen to our living prophet and the twelve apostles and other general authorities of the church. I’ve very recently learned to love General Conference more than I did before my mission. I know that the messages are truly inspired and can speak directly to us if we let them.

I bring this up because it’s where the story begins. On Saturday afternoon, Elder Quentin L Cook of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles spoke and it was all about family history. Roots and Branches was the title of his talk, and at first it wasn’t really anything new. I’ve heard the whole “family history is important” thing before. I’ve also been one to say “my family has been in the church for years so my family history is pretty much done as much as it’s going to be.” 

Well. That was before I listened to Elder Cook. 

Every Family Has A Story…

… What’s Yours?

#ItwasMom

If there’s one person I don’t think I could ever live without, it’s my mom.

 

… This is an old picture. Now your hair is long and mine is not. You’re still the best mom I could ever ask for. I’ve grown up now and I’m far away serving a mission, but I know that I couldn’t have gotten this far without you.

The Message of the Restoration

Elder L. Tom Perry of the quorum of the 12 Apostles briefly recounts and explains Joseph Smith’s experience when he knelt down to pray in the spring of 1820.

“Well… That’s a new one.”

Being in a skirt and wearing a nametag day in and day out usually draws some attention. Especially when you’re riding around on a bike, too. A lot of people ask us if we’re Jehovah’s Witnesses, which we’re not, and a lot of other people turn us away without even listening to what we have to say. Some days it’s hard, but after the first few weeks or so in the field, you get used to it.

One thing I never tire of, however, is hearing what some people already think about our church. Sometimes they already know a lot. Other times we get the usual misconceptions. Sometimes people mix us up with the Amish. A lot of people think we’re not Christian. But I think my favorite was something we heard from a construction worker who we stopped to talk to outside while he was eating his lunch. After chatting for a little bit, the conversation went a little something like this:

“In the Arizona Phoenix Mission…”

What’s life like as a missionary? What’s life like as a missionary in Arizona? Well, for starters, we sure see a lot of these every day:

But, that’s probably one of my favorite things. Cactuses are new to me, having grown up in humid, cold Wisconsin. I have yet to pass my first summer here with the crazy heat, but you know what? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.