Taking the Hint

Hey everyone!

     Well, first and foremost, I must admit that I have not been the most physically fit person on the mission. It's a routine which I have tried to get into multiple times, and yet I still have fallen short. A reason for this was that the Young Elders did have a scheduled time to work out together as a group, but this was on certain days of the week, at 5:00 in the morning. There are things which I would rather be waking up for, so I decided against this. Not the best missionary behavior, I know. However, I was not the only one. President Fenn noticed this problem, and so he will be implementing a couple of changes soon.

     Do you remember the story I told you about how the mission schedule changed so that we only have to be at zone at 9:30? Well, President Fenn wants to begin scheduling a mandatory workout three days a week. This will take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. You are probably wondering what this has to do with me, and why I am telling you this now. Well, President Fenn has one of the senior missionaries (the new driving coordinator, Elder Boone), as well as two of the Young Elders, to plan and coordinate this new activity - the two Young Elders are me and my companion. So, in essence, I think the Lord is giving me a little hint about my physical health, as well as giving me an opportunity in leadership. So, to make this program work well, me and the other missionaries will have to work hard. However, I am excited to see where this goes - now that working out is easier, as well as required, among the Young Elders, I think we will see an improvement among us all. Talking about this gives me an idea: if anyone of you back home have any ideas of things we could implement in this new exercise routine, please do let me know! Just shoot me an E-mail at elderbrycepetersen@gmail.com. Thanks in advance!

     Aside from working out, work in the zone has not changed a ton. FamilySearch has been having a few server issues as of late, so we have been getting a lot of phone calls most days. That has been quite a bit of what my job has been - telling patrons that something is broken. I have also finally gotten access to another type of case, which involves helping patrons resolve membership issues in FamilySearch. I have been doing these quite well - so much so that I have already gotten a certificate of recognition for it from my supervisor. This type of case is fun to work, for me anyways. And when I am genuinely having fun, then I can work a lot faster and more efficiently. I like that about myself.

     The wife of our zone leader has also been having some fun as of late - she has called together any interested Young Elder in the zone to perform a musical number for an upcoming sacrament meeting in our branch. I love opportunities which give me a chance to sing, so I did not hesitate in signing up. There is some work to be done though, the other Young Elders still have much to learn about music (not that I don't, of course).

     Well, that's about the whole week for me. If you have any more questions, do feel free to ask me about the E-mail I gave earlier. It is good to hear from all of you, I appreciate your support. Thanks again, and have a great week everyone!



From,

Elder Bryce Petersen



     Challenge: One of the fundamental truths of our gospel is that we are all children of God (Psalms 82:6). However, it seems that sometimes, we forget this when we view other peoples' actions, whether they be evil, bad, or just downright annoying. We are all asked to forgive all men (D&C 64:10), and judge righteous judgment (Matt. 5:1 - See JST). How can this be possible when people do things we so strongly dislike? The easiest way to do so is to see people how God sees them - not as corrupted beyond repair, but as imperfect beings who are a child of God, just as we are (D&C 18:10). Of course, this does not mean that abuse should be tolerated (D&S 98:41-44). If you do feel such treatment does happen, try and make amends with the person who has offended, before bringing up such issues with the proper authorities. But, generally, all people do deserve our forgiveness. So, do try and look at people the way God sees them, and you will be more able to forgive where it is needed, and to judge unrighteous judgment.