Before You Snap

The other day I was studying Preach My Gospel, the manual that the church leaders have given us to help us become better missionaries. It's an incredible, inspired book. One of my favorite chapters in Preach My Gospel is chapter 6, which is on Christlike attributes. It has a section on faith, hope, charity and love, virtue, knowledge, patience, humility, diligence, and obedience. At the end of the chapter, it has this "Attribute Activity." It's a series of statements, and you then rate yourself on how true that statement is of you. It's a great way to evaluate yourself and to see where you can improve. I love it. Here's a link to that activity:

http://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/how-do-i-develop-christlike-attributes?lang=eng

(scroll to the bottom of the page, and choose "click to view larger")

So, I did this activity last week. Coming in LAST place by a long-shot was....wait for it ladies and gentlemen.... the Christlike attribute of PATIENCE. So that is what has been on my mind as of late.

As I've thought about patience, I've thought about it in two different categories. Patience with others, and patience with myself. Both of which I know I need to work on.

I think patience with others is the obvious one. When I hear "patience," that's what I think of first: being patient with those around me. The first thoughts that come to mind are "Okay, don't yell at the cars on the road, don't get frustrated when people don't call back right away, etc." Little moments of impatience like these can build up. Before you know it, you're like one of those big ol' tree branches under pressure, ready to snap at any moment. I've seen that with myself. And nobody likes it when you snap...

So as I've tried to improve, I've been a lot more aware of my own moments of ignorance, stupidity, or obliviousness. I recognize that sometimes--believe it or not--other people have to be patient with ME. Recognizing and remembering that has made a huge difference. It's caused me to hesitate before losing my patience with others. I've started giving people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they're having a hard day, or perhaps they simply didn't see me. As I've done this, I've found that I am so much happier. I know there's a correlation between being patient with others and the level of peace and happiness we feel each day. So give it a try! Choose to be patient with people.

The kind of patience that was a little less obvious to me was patience with myself. One of the statements in this activity was "I am patient with myself and rely on the Lord as I work to overcome my weaknesses." When I read that, I realized that it definitely wasn't true of me. When I do realize I'm weak in some area or that I've slipped up and made a mistake, I get upset with myself. I furrow my brow and think about how bad I messed up and I tell myself "You had better not do that again, or else!"

We all know that nobody is perfect. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23) But do we really believe that about ourselves? I don't think I did. I thought "Yeah, yeah nobody's perfect, but I shouldn't be making so many mistakes." I didn't realize it, but I was expecting perfection out of myself. I wasn't being patient with myself at all.

So I've since tried to have more patience with myself. Just like I had to hesitate before I snapped at others, I had to do the same with myself. When I mess up, I have tried to think constructively rather than destructively. I've realized it doesn't help at all to get mad at myself when I'm not perfect. Sometimes I feel like I have to; It's like I have to say to the Lord, "Hey, I'm not happy about this either!" But that's not the case. We must be patient with ourselves. Obviously we don't excuse our sins, but rather we repent, make a commitment to do better next time, and do all that with a smile on our face! I know this works. My whole mindset has changed as I've tried this. I'm so much happier :)

So there you have it. Patience. I've been so blessed as I've tried to develop this attribute, and I plan to keep working on it. I would encourage you to try it too! Hesitate before you snap. Choose to be patient.

Author and Finisher

Christmas time as a full-time missionary is unlike any other Christmas I've ever experienced. One could see a lot of things that make it hard, and there are a lot. I'm away from my family. That's number one. I'm also not indulging in all the fun festivities of Christmas like I normally do. As far as missionary work goes, I'm still doing pretty much the same thing, except now it's cold outside. So Christmas has been different.

But I also have an incredible opportunity, an opportunity to focus like never before on the real reason for the season. As I've immersed myself in living and teaching Christ's gospel, the celebration of His birth has struck a chord in me deeper than it ever has in years past. I've been really grateful for that. It's been an eye opener. Recently I took a minute to ponder on and write down how I was going to dedicate this Christmas to the Savior. What I wrote was that I wanted to more fully keep the promise I made at baptism, that I would "always remember Him" (Moroni 4:3). As I've had that at the forefront of my mind, these are the thoughts that I want to share:

There's a phrase often used to describe the Savior; it's one of His many names and titles. That phrase is "the author and finisher of our faith." That phrase is found in a couple different places in scripture:

In the Bible:
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."-Hebrews 12:2

In the Book of Mormon:
"And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith."-Moroni 6:4

There may be more, but those are the two spots I know of. But lately as I've studied, that phrase has really stuck out to me, and I've been thinking a lot about it. The author and finisher. How has Christ been the author and finisher of my faith?

I think if I had to define "my faith" I would say that it's knowing that if I live the gospel that Jesus Christ taught, I'll be cleansed by His atoning sacrifice, making it so that I can live with my family forever and be eternally happy.

Simply, living the Gospel means following Christ's example. As the author, He penned my faith with the life He lived. He's the source of everything I believe and strive to do. It all stems from Him. The life I'm living is just my best effort to pattern my life after the Savior's life. He is the author of the perfect "book," and I'm doing my best to follow its words.

Looking back at my definition of my faith, the next thing I talked about was how living the gospel makes it so I can be cleansed through His atoning sacrifice. That's where His mercy and grace come in, and that's how He is the finisher. Without Christ, I could never achieve a state of never-ending happiness. I wouldn't be able to be with those I love forever. His sacrifice allows me to have those blessings. Just as He is the author of all my joy, He will be the finisher. When all is said and done for me here on this earth, I'll joyously look back at my finished "book." It wouldn't be a joyous finish without my Savior.

There ya have it. That's what Christ means to me this Christmas. I'll continue to go about my missionary service this holiday season, but hopefully I'll remember Christ a little more. I know He is the author and the finisher of our faith, and the Savior of the world.

The Source of My Joy

Alright, here we go! I'm doing it. I'm going to attempt to keep a blog.

My name is Elder Tim Hansen, and I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Washington DC area. I'm joining thousands of others in dedicating my time and talents to sharing what has made me happy: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are many other missionaries who have also "gone digital," and there are many more to come. My blog will be one of many coming from missionaries. I don't know if what I have to share will be extremely unique or different from other missionary blogs. It may not be the most exciting, or the most cleverly written. But I've decided to do this, in hopes that I can share something that will help YOU find happiness. Because that's my calling.

The title I chose for this blog is "A state of never-ending happiness." That statement comes from a verse of scripture, found in the Book of Mormon:

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."-Mosiah 2:41

I love this idea. Or this truth, rather. Never-ending happiness. I feel like that's what we're all searching for. It's this "pursuit of happiness" that we're all on. Each person on earth wants that, simply put. We want happiness. We want peace. Well, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the source of all that! It's the source of ALL happiness. I know that's true. The search is over. It is found here.

If you want real, genuine, pure, lasting joy, the only place you can find it is in this gospel. There are counterfeits and cheap imitations out there. They're easier to find and easier to get. But they won't last. I know that's true. I've found this "never-ending happiness" that King Benjamin was talking about. And I know you can too.

My vision for this blog isn't completely clear at this point. I don't really know exactly what it'll turn out to be. I don't know how often I'll be able to update it, or how I'll chose subjects, etc. I've never done this before; I'm a rookie blogger ;) But I figure it'll all unfold as we go. But what I've said I know is true. It has come from my heart. Thank YOU for taking the time to listen :)