Why the title?

Music and the Gospel? What's the connection? I don't understand!!

Lately, I've felt that I should start a blog as I get nearer to entering the Missionary Training Center, but the title of the blog had to be good.

It had to mirror the intent of the blog.

Of course, what gave me my answer? General Conference. Wilford W. Andersen gave a phenomenal talk at the April 2015 General Conference. [Side note: read it. It's called "The Music of the Gospel."]

This talk explained what I want my missionary work to be like. I want it to be me acting as the Lord's hand to help people hear the music. Because it's so beautiful!

I leave to serve as a missionary on July 1. I am called to the Texas Lubbock Mission, and wow! I haven't even set foot there yet, but it feels like home! I never understood until now what people meant when they said they felt their call was perfect for them. But Lubbock is mine, guys!

But, just as my bishop warned me, the sooner I get to leaving, the harder the Adversary pounds at me. I had no idea how difficult it would be to prepare. There are so many things fighting against me to go, but I swear--nothing is going to stop me.

So the purpose of this blog isn't all that simple.

• It's for people who are in the same boat as me. They can relate and know that at least there is one other person feeling the same as them. (I mean, other than the Savior. We've always always got that cool fella.)
• It's for people who may not be preparing for a mission, but they're still going through...life. Life is hard no matter what! The winds blow harder at different times for everyone! And I want to remind them of the beautiful melodies of the Gospel and how they can help us dance through the trials.
• It's for people interested in missionary work. Maybe they are wondering if they should serve a mission. And I hope that even though my posts may emphasize the difficulty of preparation, they will also prove how worth it it is. [Side note: who else hates sentences where you have to say "it" twice in a row?]
• It's for non-members! And investigators of the Church! Maybe someone out there is wondering, "Why on earth are those little teenagers walking around my neighborhood wearing those little tags? And why the heck are they so HAPPY??? Stop smiling!!!" I hope I can give some insight on the motive of a sincere missionary of the Church.
• It's for me! Ya know how when you give a talk in church, you realize the topic was totally something you needed to learn a thing or two about? This blog, I hope, will be like that for me. It's selfish, but whatever. I hope this blog will be another source of preparation for me! One way that can happen is if all y'all comment and let me know what you think! Give me advice, share your own stories....ANYTHING! (I mean, besides mean stuff. None of that please.)

But when it comes down to the nitty gritty facts, I just hope one thing for this blog. I HOPE IT DOES SOME GOOD. I hope it helps more than just me. I hope it can touch lives and prove to be another form of missionary work.

This Gospel is incredible, and I want to share it with everyone! Not just those super cool Texans! It's such a beautiful song, and I can't wait for everyone to hear it.

Have a great day! Smile! I hear it's good for you.