This week was actually a really humbling week for me. Me and my companion went through all of the Christ-like attributes and found ways that we could improve on each. Even though most were just simple corrections, some were things that I hadn't even realized I had been doing. Even though me and my companion were doing good work and working hard every day, we realized how much better we could be doing. I would say we are a pretty obedient companionship but I realized that it goes far beyond just being an obedient companionship. There is a difference between teaching the lessons and teaching investigators. When we were doing our Christ-like attributes I realized that I need to be a lot more loving to people. I had always thought that I was loving and I felt like I loved most people. I have realized that I need to love everyone and really get to know them. They aren't just investigators that I want to share the Gospel with, they are my brothers and sisters. It's not people that I have never met before, but instead people that I don't remember meeting. Before we came to Earth we lived with God and Jesus. We being all of the people on Earth. These people that we teach really aren't just strangers, they are our brothers and sisters. In a talk by Troy Dunn titled "Life is a Football Game" it talks about how when God gave us the choice to choose Jesus or Lucifer. 1/3 of our brothers and sisters chose to follow Lucifer. I think a lot of times we don't realize that they were our brothers and sisters. People that we played basketball with, people we hung out around within our Eternal Family Room and people we did their hair or had dinner with. Lucifer had enough power and enough persuasion to take 1/3 of our brothers and sisters. If he has that much power to do that, think of how hard he can and is working on the rest of us. I realized that even though I was doing what I was supposed to be doing and being what I thought was a pretty good missionary, there is always something we can be doing to improve. One of the things that I always try to remember from my mission president is to never plateau. Never stop progressing. Even though people sometimes think that missionaries are perfect, we work every day to better ourselves so that we can better others. I created an analogy that I think describes our life on Earth and our testimonies.
On the big Christmas Tree of Life we have many many instances that build our testimony in God and Jesus Christ. Each one of these instances is like a little light on a Christmas tree. As we see the Hand of God in our lives and see what he has done for use we add to those lights, we add and we add until we have an entire tree that is bright, illuminated and gives light to others. At the head of all of our Christmas trees is, as the name Christ-mas refers to, Christ. He is the Christmas Star, the Star of Bethlehem at the top of our Christmas tree. All of our testimonies and all of the little things we see in our life, testify of Him. He is the shining light in all of our lives, the pinnacle of light and at the top of our Tree. He is the example that we are trying to be like and the only way we can return back. Everyone always try to remember the true meaning behind Christmas. Even though that is good, we need to realize what the true meaning of this life is for. Jesus Christ suffered for our sins so that we can return to Heaven to live with our Father. We qualify for the Atonement, it is not something that is forced upon us. As we really do try to remember the real miracle of the birth of the Son of God, let us also remember the miracle of the Atonement. As we remember the birth of our Savior, think about the true meaning of Savior. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year because of the birth of Christ. It is the time when we remember the gift our Father gave us. The give of Life Eternal. I know that no one is perfect, but I also know that everyone can work on becoming so. I know that our Father in Heaven loves us so very much, and I wish I could show just a fraction of His love with all of you. I know that Jesus is the Savior for each and every one of us and that he would have done the Atonement for even just one of us. I know without a shadow of a doubt that He loves us, that if we could see Him right now He would hug us and tell us how much He loves us. He is our Big
Brother, the one that helps us through the troubles of life. I know these things, and I say them in the name or our Brother, and Savior of Mankind, Jesus Christ, Amen.
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