Prelude to My Life in "A Major"

Well, here it is. The end. Or as Strong Bad would say "It's Over!" (If you have no idea what I am talking about, disregard or check out http://www.homestarrunner.com/ for a good time)

The California Santa Rosa Mission; a place that has come to feel like home. A place that has changed me from the boy I was to the man I have become. My mission has more or less taught me 3 basic things which have impacted my life for eternity. My mission has become the prelude to my life. It has taught me the importance of a Savior and how Jesus Christ can make more out of me than I can make out of me.

Prelude to Life (A Time to Prepare to Meet God)

Alma teaches us that this is life to prepare to meet God. I relate my mission to life like elementary school is to college. It's only the beginning of a long journey, but it still plays a huge role in who I will be and what I will later become.  Spencer W. Kimball taught us this very concept:

Your mission is preparation. It is your school for eternity. You won’t forget that, will you? This mission is not just a 2 year stretch. This is the time when you cultivate the seeds of godhood so that you can help other people on their way toward exaltation. How small are we who think of the mission as just being a stretch of time, some physical things to do, a little studying to do, some praying. This is the most purposeful thing, perhaps, you have ever done in your life and possibly the most purposeful thing that some of you will ever do. It’s up to you to let this be the prelude to your life, to let it be the beginning of a great and glorious life.

The prelude of a performance or the prelude music in a meeting is important. It sets the tone for the rest of the performance or meeting. Just like Rachminov's Prelude in C sharp minor (above), those relatively few short minutes of music playing before we get to what we came for sets us in the mood to get the most out of it. It calls our attention and excites us for what is to come.

A mission is no different. I don't know from personal experience of course, but i've seen the example of others and how their mission has set the tone for the rest of their life. They played the prelude well and are all warmed up and ready for the rest of the performance.

On my mission I've learned what I really want in life, who I want to be, and more important, who I want to become someday. I've learned what life is really about and how I can continue to improve myself. I've learned the value of time and of the importance of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Atonement is for Everyone

   I've learned that the Atonement is not something for everyone else but me. It something that is for everyone else and me. I've come to really appreciate this gift that Jesus Christ has given to all of us; the gift of change and repentance. I've seen this power work miracles in the lives of others, especially my own. I will never forget the people that have shown me the power of the Atonement to change us from carnal beings into spiritual ones and i'll never forget the simple yet powerful experiences that have changed me. I think most of all the Atonement has applied to me in this way:

 The Atonement will carry you missionaries perhaps even more importantly than it will carry the investigators. When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon, and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity, is through Him- the Way, the Truth, and the Life. –Jeffrey R. Holland

When we turn to God for help He will make us into more than we can become by ourselves

When I came on a mission I was this guy. A pretty good guy i'd say, but definetly had some things to learn. A lot more things than I ever thought I needed to learn. I found that many of the things I needed to learn were a little out of my control or ability to change. But I found that as I went to God with my weakness He turned them into strengths.

    Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life. –President Ezra Taft Benson

One of my favorite passages in the Book of Mormon is Ether 12:27. Here Moroni prays to the Lord fearing that people will mock the words which he and other prophets have written (seems a little ironic since the Book of Mormon is such a powerful record testifying of Jesus Christ and of a living prophet). The Lord tells him:

"Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;

 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Moroni then says:

  "And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith;"

This passage has strengthened me in those times of worry and inadequacy. I know that our Savior has felt all of those pains and that through Him we can be strengthened. I think it is interesting that we were given weaknesses so we may be humble and come unto Him. What a blessing it is to have weakness so that we may turn to Him and feel His love.

IT'S OVER!!

 And so now begins the actual performance. The Prelude is over, but the symphony is just warmed up and ready for the opening number.

Thanks to all of you who have taught me and helped me so much. I'm grateful for each one of you.

Well, here goes something! We now open the next act, where bugs bunny will shave Elmer Fudds already bald head and Elmer will attempt to finally kill the Wabbit  Elder Crowther becomes just Crowther (haha. you thought I was going to say my first name), and the adventure of regular life begins. Though this time of my Life is over, THIS IS MY LIFE. Therefore, it will never really end. :)

Keep Smilin'!

-Elder Crowther

When is a Missionary Most Like An Elephant?



Uh....it's not what it looks like...



When He starts to get TRUNKY

Note: If you haven't seen Part one of this post may I direct you to Elder Sharples Blog "Who Me? Trunky? Nah..."

I would like to testify of what my companion has said. Trunkiness can be the worst of diseases or the best of motivators. I know. I've experienced both. Quite recently actually. We all have bad days. We make mistakes, but we can change and correct those mistakes. The mistakes of the past can refine us instead of define us if we will let the Atonement of Jesus Christ take part in our lives. I recently read the talk from Elder Ardern called A Time to Prepare. It was made very apparent to me how precious our time is and how it is important to not only be busy, but also productive. A favorite song of mine says:

What will you do with the time thats left?

Will you Live it all with no regrets?

Will they say that you loved till your final breath?

What will you do with the time thats left?

Now i'd like to take this trunky theme on a different plane ride path.

How many times have you thought this:

"I'LL BE HAPPY WHEN (Fill in blank. i'm married, finish school, adopt a puppy... eat a turducken)"

                     

It becomes all you think about and you lose focus of the now. The present is a gift (pun intended). Today is the time to prepare to meet God. Today is the day for us to perform our labors. Today is also the day for us to fly home be happy. Happiness is an attitude, not a airport destination. It's a choice. We choose everyday whether to be happy or sad; positive or negative; trunky for the future, or grateful for where we're at. So if you're feeling a bit trunky, stop it. Count your blessings, look up to God, pray, and go to work. Be obedient.

In closing may I share one of my favorite quotes from our Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson:

   "Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today. Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present. This is the day of our opportunity, and we must grasp it." –Thomas S. Monson

Run Home Jack! Homerun Jack! Make it count! Be Happy now! Whoever you are; missionary or not; we can all choose to be happy, use our time wisely, and pack our bags pack up our trunkiness and be grateful for where we're at.

SMILE

TRADITION!

"Because of our Traditions everyone knows who he is, and what God expects him to do."

This has always been a favorite play of mine. Fiddler on the Roof. It's a story about Anetevka. A small Jewish town. One of the themes of the play is Tradition and how it can play a major part in helping us remember who we are, what our purpose is, and who God is. It also shows how breaking traditions can be good or bad.

The Holidays are coming up. Each year I like to take some time to reflect on my traditions. Not only my thanksgiving, christmas, etc. traditions, but also the traditions of each day, week, month, etc. The traditions that have made me who I am.

Some of these more often occuring traditions are things like family scripture study, family prayer, family home evening, attending church meetings, having dinner together. The list goes on. Each one of these things have helped me to become who I am today. Each one seems small and insignificant, yet day by day, week by week they add up to influence my character. I'm so grateful for these traditions that have helped to know who I am and what God expects of me.

But I also like the larger traditions. You know what i'm talking about. The days of preperation and cleaning just for those few hours when the family gets together for that huge feast on Thanksgiving day. The hours and hours of shopping, wrapping, and gifting presents just for those 10 minutes on the morning of December 25th when all that wrapping comes flying off and everyone's all smiles.

I like those.

Some traditions maybe don't even make sense to others. Like at my house, every weekend (either Friday or Saturday night usually) was Nintendo tournament. All the kids and Dad (every once in awhile Mom) would get together for some Super Smashing, Mario Karting, Mini Gaming FUN. Yeah it was pretty awesome. Grab your Wii-mote, pull up a chair (or sit on the floor), grab a snack (but don't get it on the controller!), and get ready for some fun.

"Without our Traditions our lives would be as shaky as a Fiddler on a Roof"

What's a Tradition you have that has made you who you are?

Healing Waters

There’s been a couple things on my mind lately; two things that sorta collided and became one and then inspired this post. The first was a DVD that I got from a past companion called Small and Simple Things. The next was a letter from my recent convert, Stephanie. I’ve posted the video “Small and Simple Things” below. The song is called Healing Waters. This song combined with this video shows how the gospel can change someone’s life.

I love that song. Healing Waters. What an appropriate analogy for baptism. Baptism represents coming unto Christ, Following Him, and entering into a new, sinless life. Baptism is a beautiful ceremony where people are truly coming unto Christ, repenting of their sins, and making a determination to follow Christ until the end. It truly has the power to change lives and heal the wounded soul.

I've been thinking more about baptism lately because of a letter I received from Stephanie where she explained some of the blessings she had received since her own baptism. It was great to see the growth in her and feel the power of her testimony. I pondered how the gospel truly did change her life and heal her wounded heart. I asked Stephanie to share her experience. As you read, listen for how the gospel healed her heart and helped her gain the understanding that our Heavenly Father wants for each of us, His children. 

We each are on our own spiritual journey here in life. We are each being prepared to receive the blessings our Heavenly Father has waiting for us. 

Stephanie was searching. She says "When I was 15, I lost my mom to cancer. Since her passing, it was very difficult for me to still feel her presence, something I desperately needed. My mother had been everything to me and I felt as if I had lost her forever. The missionaries used the gospel and explained how this wasn’t true. She wasn’t gone; she was just in another place waiting for me to join her. What was more, she could still see me, was still watching me, and if I just listened, I’d be able to feel her next to me always.

  

I was prepared for the gospel because I was at a point in my life where I needed to be sure of the promises the gospel gave. Though I hadn’t known about all the promises – eternal life and happiness, being with my family forever, never having to face a challenge alone and being able to bear all the challenges that came my way – I was ready to take them into my heart the moment they were made aware to me."

That's what the gospel is about. Healing wounded souls. Binding up the broken hearted. Giving hope to those who are willing to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. He truly has the power to heal us as far as we let Him. As we make that covenant of baptism; entering the waters in the footsteps of our Savior; we are allowing Him to Heal us, that we, with the power and assistance of His grace, may be whole. This is why we share the gospel: To bring others unto the One who can heal them. No matter who, it is. No matter what the hurt. No matter where they live. Jesus Christ, The Redeemer, The Savior, has the power, perfect love, and ability to heal us.

Our life on earth is but a short moment in contrast to the broad expanse of eternity. Our time is short, yet so important. The way is rough. There will be heartache. Yet I know that our Savior is there to heal us. Let each one of us not waste a minute to come unto Him that we may be healed.

Please Hold

To those who may be wondering "Is Elder Crowther still online/alive?" The answer is Yes. I'm working on a post, but it is taking quite awhile. I'm sorry. Here's something I was thinking of the other day though, found it on Youtube, and, well, almost drained my eyes all over myself in the library. Enjoy! It's definetly an oldie, but a goodie.

Thank you for Holding, your tuning in is important to us. Please continue to tune in.

SMILE! -Elder Crowther

Loved this video!

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

Many of you may know that i'm a Quoter. I don't make the quotes, I just quote the quotes (for a more or less complete list of my quotes click on the "Quotes" tab at the top of the page). We each have heard or read something that has had a powerful effect on us. Something that jumps off the page or shouts in our ear. Something that pierces our hearts. Joseph Smith had such an experience when reading James 1:5. He tells us:

"Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible."

One of the things that the Holy Ghost does is it makes scripture or other things we need to hear stand out to us. Well. I guess the point is that I had such a moment a little while back with this one by Elder Henry B. Eyring of the 12 Apostles:

"I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tinted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, am lifted up in prayer, and labor with power. My face is set, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed, will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table with the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the case of Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me and when He returns for His own He will have no problem recognizing me."

Now that was something to knock my socks off! Like Joseph Smith this seemed to be something that I was looking for! Something I wanted to live by, but didn't know where to find it. I know that the Lord knows our needs and that He speaks through living prophets to help us and guide us along our path back to Him.

What's a quote that YOU live by? How has it impacted YOUR life?

(Please note that anything you place here may later be quoted :) )

Grin and Bear it.

Sometimes smiling can be a rough thing. We all go through hard times in life and it may seem difficult to keep smiling and look up and move forward. Sometimes it just seems easier to sit still and pout until something comes along to make us happy. My Mom had a simple cure for those days where I just wanted to give up.

"Just Grin and Bear It"

Sometimes just putting a smile on your face can brighten things up. When things aren't going your way, smiling can make them better. In fact, science says that just slapping a smile on increases the chemicals in your brain that make you happy. Pretty neat. Almost like God created it that way hmmm?

We're here to be happy. Sure there will be down days, disappointments, and discouragements, but rather than let those things weigh us down, how about we do away with the frownies and turn those lips upward? Our attitude towards opposition will decide whether the trial was a lesson or a burden. We can either grow from it, or let it weigh us down.

I encourage each of us to "Grin and Bear It". I know that doing so will turn our burdens into blessings. Besides, if the Bears can do it, we can do it also. They Bear it all day (sometimes not so much grinning as growling though. But hey, nobodies perfect!).



Bears Courtesy of Prankster that took them from
Black Bear Diner and stuck them in the church parking lot



I LOVE to see the TEMPLE

Ah what a day! I am just so full of happiness! We got to go to the Oakland Temple. What a treat. As missionaries we don't get to go that often because we're focused on helping others to get to the temple. Or as a plaque (definitely made by a Sister) in a member's home once said "Missionary: Noun; Someone who gives up their own family for a short time, so others can be with theirs Forever".

As we were at the temple today I pondered about all the blessings that have been given to me in my life. I have a great family that loves me and that has taught me the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that His authority to seal families together has been restored to the earths I know that my family can be together even after this life.

While I walked the temple grounds I thought of my people; both past and present. I want them all to have these same blessings. The blessings do not stop at baptism. Baptism is only the beginning of the path that leads to eternal life. This path goes right through the temple where we can receive all the ordinances to prepare us to enter into the presence of our Heavenly Father. Yes, I want my people to receive baptism. But I shouldn't stop there. I need to point them to the temple.

The temple is a Holy place, a place of love and beauty. I want everyone to enjoy this sacred place and all of it's blessings. I encourage all those who haven't made it to the temple to get there. Why wait? Blessings are waiting for you that are worth more than anything this world has to offer.

The Tree of Charity

And Now, a Special Blog Post from Elder Brower:

  

   As another beautiful day in August has come and gone, I’ve been once again pondering on the teachings of Christ and the beauty behind it all. I stand in awe at the incredible blessings that are poured out upon us from heaven as we seek to be more like Christ and follow his teachings. The one I would like to focus on tonight is that of Charity: the pure love of Christ. 

   From Alma chapter 32 in the Book of Mormon, we learn of the seed of faith and how it grows to be much more than what it was in the beginning. “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves – it must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me” (Alma 32:28). I love the incredible teachings of Alma to his sons as he directs them to follow Christ and be like Him. Faith is that first step to becoming who we are meant to be. Faith leads to a hope inside of us; a hope that Christ is the way and the light.  

   Similar to the way Alma compares faith unto a seed, we can easily compare hope unto that young, vulnerable tree that we all see and patiently ponder on: “When will this youngling grow into a tree bearing fruit?” So I ask, when will our faith grow into hope, and when will our hope grow into that tree of charity? As we live our lives with charity we begin to see the beauty in the world. Fear becomes faith, trials become lessons, and weaknesses become strengths.  

  

   A few months ago as I was serving in Kelseyville, California, my companion, Elder Gengler, and I had an incredible experience concerning charity. One nice Sunday afternoon as we were driving back to Kelseyville from our church meetings in Lakeport, we were headed south on the highway and noticed a white van pulled off to the side of the road with its hazard lights on. As we got closer we realized that the van's back left tire was blown out and a lady had gotten out of the drivers seat to examine the situation. Recognizing this as an opportunity to reach out to someone in need, we quickly pulled off to the side of the highway to offer our help. Little did we know, this was more than just a stranger with a flat tire.  

   We were caught by surprise as the lady's young daughter turned, pointed, and exclaimed “Hey! It's the missionaries coming to help!”. A little confused how they knew us, we got out of our car and went up to them to begin helping. The lady immediately thanked us for stopping and commented that we probably didn't recognize her. She then introduced herself: Sister Hall. A less-active member of our ward that we had been trying to get a hold of for 3 months. We were in awe that the Lord had put us in the right place at the  right time for this to occur. The tire change was a simple one and she knew that the Lord had blessed her by placing us there at the right moment. She asked when they could have us over for dinner and a lesson, and we set one up with out hesitation. A fire seemed to be rekindled in them and we continue to pray that they keep on putting one foot in front of the other towards Christ. In the Bible, Paul teaches that “Charity never faileth” and experiences like this testify to all that it is true. 

   I testify to all that Charity is the pure love of Christ. The scriptures teach: “And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Corinthians 13:13). When we nourish our faith and strengthen our hope, we will possess true charity that this world so greatly needs. Jesus is the Christ and was sent to redeem all who turn to him with full purpose of heart. I urge everyone to have charity, extend helping hands to those in need and think of others before yourself. This is the path back to our Father in Heaven and I leave these things with you in the name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

The Pine Cone

My Mom sent me this analogy this last week. She is the Young Women's leader and they have been preparing for an activity to help strengthen the youth's testimonies.

Here's the analogy:

"Pinecones start out just a small little woody stem on the end of the branch of a pine tree. They grow and hide among the branches and needles as green, tight, sappy and sometimes sharp cones covered with a tough skin. They hold on very tight to the tree and are hard to pull off a branch. These cones provide a home for growing pine seeds. Although each pinecone is different, one cone can house literally a hundred seeds. They stay on the tree for a couple of years and are rarely noticed. If the tree is nutured right with sun, rain and nutrients from the soil, they will grow, with scales tightly closed, until these seeds mature. In time, the pinecones lose their greenish hue and gradually change to brown and russet as they dry out. Then one day, just like a bird fluffing it's feathers, the cone begins to open its scales. As the scales seperate from one another, they reveal the mature seeds. Not all fall out of the pinecone at once and some remain in the cone for two or three more years. Even a fallen cone frequently still has many seeds inside, but it is usually at this time when most people really notice pinecones, when they are old, dry and empty. Yet we hold value to them."

   "Our testimonies are like a pinecone. They start out ever so small, maybe hanging to a small portion of our parents or leaders or friends branch of their testimony. They might feel hidden or overlooked as they ever so gently start to grow seeds of faith, knowledge and experiences that fill us with desire for more. If we hold on tight to what we already know and nourish it daily with prayer, scripture study, spiritual experiences, our testimonies can grow and mature sometimes still unnoticed, but nonetheless, still growing and filling our lives with many different little seeds of knowledge. Maybe our testimony seeds will be about how prayers are answered, or how paying our tithing has blessed our lives, or how much our Heavenly Father loves us. Every testimony will be just a little different because nobody has the exact same experiences. Then one day, just like the pinecone, we open our hearts and our mouths and the small, yet maturing seed of testimony are shared with others in the simplest ways. By saying what we know to be true, by being the friend that someone needed, by just acknowledging the presence of the Holy Ghost, we are sharing ever so small seeds of our testimony and it feeds others. We start to realize and continue to build upon what we know to be true and more seeds are shared with others. And someday when we feel that we are dry and old and empty, we will realize that our testimony is our most precious and beautiful possession and it has blessed ourselves as well as countless others."

Just like pinecones each one of us are at different levels of our progression in the gospel. It is up to us to plant and nourish the seeds of divine testimony. It will take a little bit of work, but when our testimony opens up and is visible to ourselves and others we will treasure it more than anything else. The knowledge that we gain in this life is the only thing we will be able to take with us to the next. It will be something that we will treasure.

Happiness: The Object and Design of our existence

Who wants to be happy?! You do? Why do you want to be happy?

  

   The reason I want to be happy is because when i'm happy I feel closer to God and the scary world we live in seems a little bit brighter. But have you ever thought about where true happiness comes from and how we can attain it?



   The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and it will be the end thereof if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God." (emphasis added)

   We are designed  to be happy! Our Heavenly Father created us to be happy! In the Book of Mormon we read that "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25. Emphasis added). God created us to have joy, but will not force us to be happy. He knows the way to be happy and will teach us how to be happy, but it is up to us to choose that path.

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:27 emphasis added)

   May we all pursue the path of liberty and eternal life by being virtuous, upright, faithful, holy, and by keeping all the commandments of God. I know that our Heavenly Father desires us to be happy because when I feel His Spirit I am filled with joy. I testify that He lives and loves us. He loves each of us so much that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die so we might live and find eternal happiness.