All Is Well, All Is Well

Today as I attended sacrament meeting, I was feeling pretty down. A young woman in the ward gave her farewell talk, for she is reporting to the MTC this Wednesday for her mission to California. I also asked for my mission plaque to be removed from the wall outside of the bishop's office until I figure out whether I'll be going back on my mission. It was also the first time in a few weeks that I was able to partake of the sacrament because of travel and illness. My feelings were tender and I struggled to pay attention to what the speakers were saying, and I continued to struggle until the choir stood up to sing a special musical number. The piece they selected to perform was "Come, Come Ye Saints," and it wasn't until hearing it today that it had special meaning to me. 

"Come, come ye saints, no toil not labor fear. But with joy wend your way. Though hard to you this journey may appear, grace shall be as your day."

One mission companion loved the phrase "grace shall be as your day," because grace is part of Christ's love and His sacrifice for us. Because of the Atonement, we are able to partake of His grace and be healed and forgiven. When going through a difficult time, like I am right now, we need only rely on the Atonement. To be honest, that is something that I struggle to do. I like to be my own savior, but that's not how this life works. We don't have to be our own savior, because we have a Savior who sacrificed all for us because of love. 

"Gird up your loins, fresh courage take, our God will never is forsake." When we face something that looks so daunting and difficult, like the loss of a loved one, or a mental illness like depression or anxiety, sometimes we want to curl up in the corner and close ourselves off to the world. But this hymn counsels us to gird up our loins and take courage! Roll up your sleeves and labor with all your heart, might, mind, and strength to overcome the trial that looms before you. 

"We'll find the place which God for us prepared, far away in the West." That was my mission. God prepared a place for me to serve my mission there in the Salt Lake City West mission. There I labored diligently, but fell under a difficult trial that I couldn't overcome while on my mission. 

"And should we die before our journey's through, happy day all is well!" I "died before my journey's through," because I had to go home before my mission was over. It's a social stigma that you have to finish your mission to have served an honorable mission. What a load of lies and deceit! I served honorably, and it's okay that I didn't finish, because all is well! God will bless me because of my service, and will strengthen me through my weaknesses. So through these trials, I will "make the air with music ring, shout praises to my God and King." I am His daughter, and I will pull through this. And I know that whatever trials each of you is going through, you can pull through them as well. Don't give up when the fight gets hard. Have faith, and everything will work out the way God intends it to. I know this with all my heart. God bless you all.