Be Devout!!!

1. Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 
 tune my heart to sing thy grace; 
 streams of mercy, never ceasing, 
 call for songs of loudest praise. 
 Teach me some melodious sonnet, 
 sung by flaming tongues above. 
 Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, 
 mount of thy redeeming love. 

2. Here I raise mine Ebenezer; 
 hither by thy help I'm come; 
 and I hope, by thy good pleasure, 
 safely to arrive at home. 
 Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
 wandering from the fold of God; 
 he, to rescue me from danger, 
 interposed his precious blood. 

3. O to grace how great a debtor 
 daily I'm constrained to be! 
 Let thy goodness, like a fetter, 
 bind my wandering heart to thee. 
 Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
 prone to leave the God I love; 
 here's my heart, O take and seal it, 
 seal it for thy courts above. 

My companion, Elder Horner, and I decided to sing

this musical piece today for a meeting that we

had with all the other missionaries. I was really 

paying attention to all of the lyrics and there was 

one line that really stood out to me.... Which one 

Speaks to you??? 

Well the one that hit home for me

is the line that reads, "Take my heart, O take and

seal it, seal it for thy courts above." I love these 

words! What greater gift can we give God then to give 

him our will, and heart. I know that if we can really 

apply this song to our lives we will one day live 

with him again. What an amazing day that will be. 

We all may have those days' that we feel that line,  

"Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it, prone

to leave the God I love..." I know that I have felt this. 

And if you really focus on giving your whole heart to him

and ALWAYS remember him, you can overcome those

feelings. You are human, and so am I. I have found in my 

life that I can overcome all things in Christ! :) 

I am truly blessed to have this testimony!! 

Blessed...

To start off, the most important thing I can say is this... I have the greatest friends in the world. The last few days I've realized how important it is to be close to people who have strong faith in The Gospel. I've learned life lessons through their testimonies and have found a greater love for my Savior by their doings. The quote, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care" really rings true for me this week. I have so much to say, and really don't know how to say everything at this time. I guess I can do this, and bear you my testimony. I don't know that I've yet done this on my blog, but here it is-

I have testimony of this Restored Gospel. I have the strongest love for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for all that He has done for me. The perfect example He has set for me is something that I reflect on time and time again. I know that the only real way to find happiness in life is to follow Him and to strive to become as He is. I know and understand that it's our choice to do so, all He can do is simple invite. I have a testimony of the Atonement. It's not until you're at the lowest points in your life that you begin to understand the great love that the Lord has for you. I would not be able to go throughout my day without the knowledge and understanding of Chirst's sacrifice. It brings me comfort to know that He suffered all things that I go through. He lives and He knows and loves all of us individually. I'm forever thankful.

I have a testimony of Eternal Families. I love my family so much. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of them and what they have done for me. My testimony was first planted by my wonderful parents, who love the Lord and have devoted their lives to the Gospel. It's because of them and the things that they taught me in my youth, that I have had the opportunity to become the man I am today. I love them so much, and I'm so grateful to be able to live with them forever. The blessing of my family is something that will never end. The rest of my family is much the same as my parents, they are wonderful people who strive to live more like our Savior. I know that because of the sealing power of the Priesthood we can all live together in the eternities.

I too have a testimony of friends, Good and Bad. I know that as we surround ourselves with people who strive to live the Gospel, we can find in our own testimonies growth. The things that I've learned from my friends' examples and knowledge has been life changing in my life and will never be forgotten. I have some of the greatest friends. I've been blessed. I know that those people we surround ourselves with, are who we become like. It's happened to me in both scenarios, good and bad.

I have a testimony of the power of The Book of Mormon, the reality of The Restoration, and  magnificent calling of The Prophet, Joseph Smith. I know that The Book of Mormon is scripture, and that it can change your life, like mine, if you but let it. The power and goodness of this book is something that I have recently been touched by, and that has changed my life forever. I know that its true, and will forever defend my love for it. I am grateful for the Restoration of the Gospel and Joseph Smith's hand in so doing. I know that many scriptures were fulfilled because of his heroic courage. I know that because of him we are able to again be blessed by the fullness of The Gospel in which Jesus Christ taught.

I'm truly grateful for the time I have had to be a missionary. I love this Gospel so much and I would give anything to help someone receive these things that I hold so dear to my heart. I would be so selfish if I didn't share the things that I've been taught in my life. I'm forever grateful for my "Missionaries" (Mom & Dad, Family, and Friends) who taught me about the Gospel by their examples and through their testimonies.  I know that these things that I have written are in fact true. I hope that in someway your testimony of the Lord, Jesus Christ has been strengthened upon reading these words. I love him greatly, and I thank our Heavenly Father each day for the blessing of this Gospel.

You live & learn...

Have you ever had a bad day.. your power goes out, the car won't start, your boss is in a bad mood, dinner burns.. you catch my drift! :) I want you to try something; the next time you run into any of these things... Simply tell yourself, "Come what may, and love it." I've figured out that in this crazy world, it's really all that we can do to stay happy. I've found things don't work out, people let us down, trials never end, and things bring heartache. I often ask myself though, what is to be done, how can I fix these things.. Well for me the way I over come those things is to simply focus on "The Things that Matter Most", and not the little things that bring me down.. My mom once told me, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." Think of how this applies to your life, because it applies over and over again to mine. All of the sudden my outlook changes I begin to focus on "The Things that matter Most", and the little things that bother me suddenly turn into stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks and growth begins. In our moments of anguish remember, "Come what may, and Love it!" Another one of my favorite quotes reads, "Happiness is not getting what you want-it's wanting what you have." This is definitely easier said then done, as I strive to turn my attitude from a - "Glass half empty" to a "Glass half full" look on things. It seems life becomes more meaningful....

"Who R U?..." (Day 16)

There are so many people around me that are inspiring. My mom, dad, sister, brother, brother-in-law, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. There are missionaries I look up to, people I try to be like, sports stars, musicians, and many more.. Let's just say, whatever you do... someone is always watching you. :)

I look up to so many people and hope to one day be as great as many. There is a few though that stand prominent at the top of my list that I didn't mention... Some that the normal people would forget about, these are:

-The Prophet; Thomas S. Monson-

One of my favorite quotes said by him is this..
"We tend to become like those whom we admire."

And at the top of the list is....

Christ is the perfect example and the greatest inspiration to me.

 I long to be more like him each day and hope that through my faith I'll be strengthened to do so. I'm so grateful for men and women who live good lives. They are the ones that make me want to be a better person! :)

"I am still learning." -Michelangelo

1. Let the Holy Spirit guide;
Let him teach us what is true.
He will testify of Christ,
Light our minds with heaven's view.

2. Let the Holy Spirit guard;
Let his whisper govern choice.
He will lead us safely home
If we listen to his voice.

3. Let the Spirit heal our hearts
Thru his quiet, gentle pow'r.
May we purify our lives
To receive him hour by hour.

The reason I post these lyrics, is because I need to do a better job at letting the "Holy Spirit Guide" me. This morning I lost something because I didn't head the promptings that I recieved. I had the thought, "I should leave this in the car", but instead of going with it, I thought, "It will be much safer in my pocket".  I'm pretty upset with myself, that I didn't pay more attention, and that I relied on my own knowledge.. I was totally wrong, and now I'm paying for it. During the course of my morning I realized that it had fallen out. I have no clue where it's at... I hope the Lord will give me another chance, and guide me this evening as I go in search of finding my lost item! One thing that I do want to say is that, "The Lord is in the Details of Our Lives." No matter how big or how small, he's aware of everything, and anything. As we rely on him, and follow him, we'll be so blessed. He really does know it all, and I myself, need to do better at following his council.

"Whatever you are, be a good one."

I've been thinking about this the last few days... I think that this quote really rings true to a lot of people (including myself) at times, because of the world and it's spotlight on fame, we have everyone thinking that they need to become something other then what they are. Maybe a sports star, or the most popular head cheerleader.. Have you ever thought of you needing to be on student council, the most muscular guy, or the smartest girl in the class? What about becoming the President of the U.S.A, or the girl on the cover of some magazine..? The list goes on and on..

The first thing that came to mind was- if you really want something, you have to work for it. Richard G. Scott said this, "We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day." Also I found this quote that applies, "We tend to live up to our expectations".

I want to say this as well, the world constantly tries to make us into something we're not, and it's all part of Satan's plan to get us unfocused on the things that matter most. The question is then, what does it take to make it big in the world and to fill that sense of accomplishment? Well I know that the greatest example that we have to look toward is our Savior. President Hinckley gave us some awesome attributes to focus on that will help us to be great people, and indeed more like Jesus Christ.  

 "It takes courage to grow up and be who you really are"... and the greatest person you can become is that like Christ.. :)

it makes you... you. :)

I've been thinking the last couple of days of the effects of attitude.  I found this quote online today, and it reeeally made me think for a little while.

It reads,

"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same." I find this to be so true, and if we really want joy in our lives, we simply have to choose to have it. In 2 Nephi 2:25, it says, "....Men are, that they might have JOY." I know this verse of scripture and this quote to be so true, we have to work to be happy. :)

One of my best friends posted this on her blog wall, and it just hit my heart. I had already been thinking about this topic, and then with this story, I decided this week is going to be great & filled with nothing but positive attitude! :) haha Here is the post:

John  is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time How do you do it?'

He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood

I choose to be in a good mood.'

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.

'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins..Wanna see my scars?'

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.'

'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked

He continued, '..the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'

'What did you do?' I asked.

'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity''

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything .

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.



Day 02...

  A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.

Alex Larsen and I

So this was an interesting one. I had to think about it, because I have so many people that I'm close to and that I 've grown to love. I think I have the greatest family and friends. I would try to at least name them all... but I don't want to forget anyone. :)

I decided that it had to be my cousin, Alex. She and I have grown up together and we often joke about being twins. She grew up in Cedar City and me in Riverton. Then after a few years, our families both decided to move to Holden. Alex and I have spent millions of hours together and I really have grown to love her like my sister! She's also one of my best friends.

I think of her and think of what a wonderful person she is. She truly has so many of the Christ-like Attributes that I long to develop; such as, kindness, charity, faith, humility, and most of all goodness (and bunch more).

One of my favorite scriptures is found in 2 Nephi 1:30, "...and I know that thou art a true friend..." Alex is a true friend for life and I love her so much for all that she does for me and those around her!!

I'm so thankful for my true friends and especially my family! I love them all so much!!  

  

The Civility Experiment!!!!

<

THE TAG!!!

So this picture describes me to the fullest and really shows to the world what I am!! I love this picture.

SO this is my missionary nametag!!  You might notice my name, “Elder Lund”. You might recall that Elder isn’t my first name (but it means someone who’s set apart to spread the gospel)... That’s not the point. It only says, “LUND”, this represents years and years of what my family has worked for, and what they have made that name become. I hope that makes sense. I don’t just wear, “Garrett” on my chest, I truly represent generations of wonderful people. I love my family more than anything else (CHECK OUT MY FAMILY POST).  I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I, in anyway, was to dishonor THEIR name. Your name should mean everything to you. It represents your values and who you are as a person.  I’m humbled greatly by my call to represent such a wonderful group of people!

Next, you’ll not just notice the name of the Church I represent, but most importantly, the name of the Savior, Jesus Christ. My family, this past week, sent me a few things and one of them was a cool card. On the front it has a picture of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and it says, “My Missionary Commission”. On the backside it reads, “I am called of God. My authority is above that of the kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Master and he has chosen me to represent him. To stand in his place, to say and do what he himself would say and do if he personally were ministering to the very people to whom he has sent me. My voice is his voice, and my acts are his acts; my words are his words and my doctrine his doctrine. My commission is to do what he wants done. To say what he wants said. To be a living modern witness in word and deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous latter-day work.”