STUFF

USLCHMission 7

Our home was full of stuff – stuffed, and spilling into our garage!

Our living room was occupied by a full-sized organ and piano, as well as other typical furniture, and our kitchen full of gadgets and gizmos to enjoy the process of living.

Family and friends came and provided serious assistance cleaning, filling boxes, carrying and lifting, as well as carting off discards no one needed - or wanted.

So why do we keep so much of such stuff?

Just because it seems useful to us? – if not immediately, perhaps for a possible future project, or plan?

Or do we let stuff own us?

How many memories can be cherished? For how long?

We began to let go - and we shared! Lots of other people needed such stuff. It was useful to them.

Do we depend on ‘things’ for prideful status, appearances, or some way of emotional or physical security?

What about our spiritual status or security?

Is it on hold, packed in some corner of our mind and life - until when?

We mostly stuffed our things tightly into 2 of 4 bedrooms (including closets), then covered racks and shelving with household linens, and locked those doors. We also covered garage storage cabinets and shelving with protective plastic.

We decide to take some stuff with us in a 5'x8' trailer.
Driving with a trailer can be a cumbersome task.
The trailer seemed huge, but it was quickly stuffed.

So was the car - no space left!

None at all! YIKES!!

This all makes my brain feel stuffed. BUT we are packed, a renter is living in our home, and we are traveling to our mission.

We gained a fresh perspective at a rest stop when we parked in 'truck and trailer’ parking with the nose of our car aligned with the nose of a semi-truck. Our car and trailer seemed so tiny.

We laughed! New perspectives change most problems, whatever their size, making concerns seem much smaller. We marveled at God’s love. He allowed His son Jesus Christ to compensate for every burdensome worry, or misery. What is that perspective? Will I allow Him to help? Will we?

We drove several hours, slept and breakfasted at a hotel, did the same Saturday, visited a cousin overnight, attended church there on Sunday, and arrived in Utah to briefly visit with family.

We enter the Mission Training Center (MTC) Monday, February 23, 2026 to learn more about accepting the atonement of Christ and how to assist other people around us to gain the same knowledge.

We will move to our apartment and assignments in Salt Lake on Friday.

COMPOUNDS

USLCHMission 6

Good is a simple word of only four letters.

We all know when something is ‘good’ – don’t we?

It is a readily applied descriptive term in common use.

I quired the internet. AI quickly provided an overview of synonyms and options to succinctly summarize and delineate what ‘good’ really can be.

The lists went on and on and on and on – including new to me slang from younger generations. It seems every decade develops a unique flair of expression. 

Synonyms may include “excellent, great, fine, nice, pleasant, satisfactory, beneficial, admirable, and superior … depending on if you mean high quality, morally sound, skillful, or favorable.”

However, “to add impact” and emphasis “for quality try superb, exceptional, outstanding, virtuous, or righteous,” or if you are referencing skill “choose words like masterful” or “use skilled, proficient, or adept,” and a word such as “remarkable for something surprising.”

When Job of biblical fame was faced with the extreme opposite of ‘good’ scriptures tell us that he told his wife, “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?”[1]

His experience seems to indicate that our lives consist of both good and opposites of good – opposition.

In the Book of Mormon[2] the lives of the prophet Lehi and his family consisted of much good and otherwise. He counseled one of his younger sons, Jacob, “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. … Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; …” [3]

Elder Ames comments, “If something is happening, that is good – things that occur give us choices. If nothing is happening that isn’t good!” I like that. Whatever may be happening we can make good choices, choices that increase good for ourselves and others.

In 1830 Joseph Smith taught his associates that all things are both spiritual and temporal. “And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet”[4]

We intend to look for more ‘good’ – especially during opposition. These 2 things are a synonymous compound!

Opposition is our reminder to watch for hidden good! Where? What? When?

---

[1] Job 2:10

[2] The Book of Mormon is an ancient volume of holy scripture like the Bible. The Bible is one witness of Jesus Christ, and the Book of Mormon is a second witness of His ministry, His teachings, and His mission as our Savior.

[3] 2 Nephi 2:11

[4] Doctrine and Covenants 29:39

Christmas IS Coming!

USLCHMission 5

Guest blogger: Elder David D. Ames

We weren’t waiting for a temple in Moses Lake.  I was waiting to retire so we could move somewhere to live near a temple – anywhere near a temple (ideally within walking distance); but we didn’t have to move.

April 7, 2019, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it would build a temple right here – in Moses Lake, Washington. We were astonished - a dream come true! 

When we were first married, the nearest temple was about 600 miles (10-12 hours driving). 

We began to plan, sold our home 10 miles (15 minutes) away from the announced location, and as construction began summer of 2022 moved within 3 blocks of the new Moses Lake, WA temple .

Retired couples often serve 6–23 months as missionaries. We weren’t waiting to go on a mission.  

Linda and I agreed that serving in the temple, helping in our community, and other church callings would be our mission.  We began when the temple was dedicated September 10, 2023.

We were content. Content, until one day, in September 2025 (two years later) we were impressed that we should serve a formal mission. We went to the ‘serve a mission’ website and began the process:

Interview with the Bishop. 

Interview with the Stake President. 

Fill out questionnaires.

See the doctor for extensive physicals.

See doctor again - records DO state we are a bit over 50!  

Medical tests. Eye tests. Hearing tests.

More medical tests.

Blood tests.  More blood tests. 

Still more blood tests. And yes, just one more blood test.

Stress tests. Radioactive stress tests. 

(Did I morph into a super hero? You guess!) 

With the medical papers completed and on the Bishop’s desk, we waited, and waited. 

 Curious, I went into the ‘we want to be a missionary now’[1] website [2] and discovered that we had to push a SUBMIT button to say, “medical papers are on the Bishop’s desk.” 

There are stories about people putting in mission papers who are called the next day.  That did not happen with us.  We had to wait. With all the waiting I told my wife: “Christmas is coming.” My family used to say that when we had to wait.

7:03 a.m. Christmas morning a text said to check our email. Our call to the Utah, Salt Lake City, Headquarters Mission arrived.   We clicked the red ‘DO IMMEDIATELY’ link and began filling out forms.  There appeared to be just 2 or 3.

Each form seemed to generate a dozen more forms!  With the forms filled out, calls started coming from the mission asking for clarification to answers on the forms, giving instructions, making sure we had no questions...

So, what will we be doing? We will find out once we get there – after a week at the Mission Training Center, and then orientation week! 

Check back in a couple weeks ...

Elder David D. Ames

[1] Children’s Songbook page 168

[2] See ‘Mission Portal’ on the ‘Resource’ tab drop down menu at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng 

COVENANTS & COMMITMENTS

USLCHMission 4

Covenants are promises ...

Commitments are promises ...

What is the difference? 

And so what? Why do either matter? 

Defining differences and meanings may help to clarify what matters, and convince us of truths or errors in belief or resolve.

What are promises? 

Merriam Webster dictionary states that a promise means to "definitely do, give, or arrange something; undertake or declare that something will [or will not] happen." 

These action verbs create expectations. 

Commitments usually involve trust and imply obligations of loyalty and support. They are "an agreement or pledge" to engage directly in future dedicated actions. 

Covenants are defined as formal contractual agreements between 2 or more individuals or parties - promises generally pledged in writing and/or ceremonies that enforce duties and outcomes for all involved. 

We have covenanted to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with our fellowmen for 23 months, almost 2 full years! We have committed ourselves to follow His example to assist with assignments in the Utah, Salt Lake City, Headquarters Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Who is our covenant with? With Jesus Christ, of course.

What exactly does that mean? 

What will we be doing daily? 

We will be inviting others to have faith in Jesus Christ and know more about Him - about His love, His mercy, and His grace. We will do that in a variety of ways for 40+ hours each week. 

AND we will also attempt to let you know the daily details, and exciting results of the nitty gritty nonentities - the seemingly insignificant sequences involved.