Where your heart is, there will your Treasure be also.

Once upon a time, a girl made a decision. She struggled with it because she realized, in a small way, what it would mean to her; to her family; to her friends.

But mostly she was happy with her decision because she knew what it meant to her and what it would mean to God. And that's what really mattered.

So she finished college, bid her roommates and FHE brothers a "Farewell until we meet again," and she began. She started by shopping for clothes - a winter coat fit for negative forty degrees, lined and water-resistant warm boots, thermals, two skirts at DI, and a couple odds here and ends there. Part of her thinks she is ready, and part of her says she couldn't be further from being just that.

She had quite a few trials as she prepared, many of which taught her valuable lessons, and all of them witnessed to her how important her responsibility was. On one such night, she felt inspired that the Lord was hastening His work, and she was blessed to be a part of it. She knew she didn't have to be called on a mission to be a missionary, for all of us have been asked to "Stand as a witness of God." But seeing as she had been called on a mission, she realized she was going to dedicate, or rather consecrate, a year and a half of her life to God. In essence, she became a part of an army of youth, each having the same desire to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whether they'd been called on a mission or not. With this impression weighing on her mind, she was inspired to write these words:

 

The Army of Helaman

Our Heavenly King is calling to us
To come and join the fight,
To bring our shields and helmets, too,
And come with swords held tight.
For lo, the numerous enemy lines
Are marching, thousands strong.
Yet we have faith in Christ our King,
And He upholds our arms.
Although weighed down with what we face,
We know that we will win.
For Christ is fighting on our side:
We are His Army of Helaman.
We come with faith in the living God,
As missionaries do,
And we will go with courage strong
To bring the world His truth.
It matters not where we are sent,
For God protects us still,
And we, with hearts firm in the faith
Shall stand with iron will:
We won’t give up, we won’t let up
For the God of miracles.
We will press on, we will hold on
As the Hope of Israel.
And though we struggle to face the foe
In the fight against all sin,
There is no sword that slays the truth
Or hurts the Army of Helaman.
The call is to come, to not give in,
Be loyal, strong and true,
For that is what the Saviour did
When He died for me and you.
So courage, friends! Come join the ranks
Of missionary men and women
Who stand with testimonies firm.
In the God of the Army of Helaman.


And now, there are two days left until she leaves.

She is leaving a lot of small things - her fluffy pillows and warm blankets; her awesome high-heels that made her feel like she really was tall; her violin which had been her comfort on some of the hardest days of her life; her education which has been a constant trial, but a constant blessing; her phone and her ipod, each of which were used as tools to do good.

But more than these small things and others, she is leaving a lot of treasures:
She is leaving a lot of friends - people she really cares about; people she loves with all her heart.
She is leaving a lot of family - seven of which are the most blessings amazing blessings in her life, and each of which of which is sacrificing for her.
Every person will always be a treasure to her.

And yet, there remains one more treasure - one that she can't touch, put in a back pack, or place in her pocket.

This one is found in her heart.

And this one she's not leaving behind.

This one, this treasure, she is taking with her. And that is her testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is where her heart is. This is what means more to her than many things. More than a post on her blog and more than a text on her phone. It ranks up top with some other special treasures.

She hopes to share this treasure with the people in Montreal, Canada. And she will sacrifice all she has to do it.

As one final word to her friends and family who read this blog, she wishes to say something, because it's her last post for a very long time. But don't worry, she'll be back.

And so, with happiness in her heart and bittersweet tears in her eyes, she would like to tell you to
Remember who you are
Trust in the Lord
Treasure up the word of God in your hearts
Rely on the Spirit
Lean on your friends and family
Sing with all your heart and soul
And never forget the ultimate goal of life: to make it to the Temple, for from there you may learn how to gain eternal life - the greatest of all the gifts of God.

God be with you till we meet again.

Love,

Sister Murdoch

 

or, maybe just Sunshine today.

Happiness.

Happiness, you might say, can be a lot of things. Blankets and hot chocolate, a good book or a beautiful song, a handsome boy or a genuine smile. Yes, yes, it's all those things. But right now?

I would say that happiness is something you can only hold on to if you share it.

I find happiness in sharing the gospel; in smiling at someone because I love them; in holding her hand because I want her to know I love her; and giving him a hug because he means a lot to me.

Happiness.

And maybe it's not just a feeling. But an action.

"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." Mosiah 2:41

And just remember, that there are good and better things to come.

In other words, there is happiness ahead.

What? I'm not cold, I don't know what you're talking about . . .

The Montréal Arctic Blast.

Believe it or not, Utah’s freezing temperatures have been topped. Yes, my friends, Montréal just experienced a whopping daytime high of -22.

Once again, that’s a daytime high.

:)

But that’s pretty good, considering it’s their coldest day of the year so far. Unfortunately, with wind chill, temperatures drop to -40 degrees. The news reporter indicated that they're only 50 degrees below what they normally would be. No big deal or anything, but if you were to be stranded, you should have a warm coat and a blanket in your car trunk, or "it could mean death."

:)

There were problems on multiple train lines this morning. In this photo taken by Philip Risacher, people line up in vain at the Bois Franc station in an attempt to get on board. He said one train never showed up. Check out the coats.

Forward Ho.

Once upon a 19.

Today was a big day.

I turned nineteen today. Nineteen on the Nineteenth. 

:)

And if you count today, I also leave for Montreal in 19 days. It's exciting, really. Last year, I never would have guessed that a year from then I would be preparing for a mission.

But I guess I've been preparing my whole life for it. I've been preparing to serve the Lord for my whole life.

Looking back, I can clearly see how His hand has been guiding me.

Looking forward?

Well, let's just say it's full of snow and a lot of cold weather. :)

When You Least Expect It.

I feel like January could be summed up in one word:

January.

Yup. That's it.

January means cold, snow, bleak, starting over, cold, brown grass, and sore throats.

But that doesn't mean you can't find something to be happy about. That one little ray of sunshine that creeps out of the clouds and scares you  because you never would have thought it could make it. I would wager that  the most important thing to do when January looks bleak and hopeless is to"consider the blessings," and especially the ones you  least expect. Right now. Look back.

Remember when he opened the door for you?

Remember when you randomly flipped to the scripture that turned your whole day around?
Remember when you asked a blessing on your food, to strengthen you that day, and you actually made it?

Remember when you thought you would fail your exam, but you remembered at the last second the one answer that saved your score?

Remember when there were magically cookies in your cookie jar?

Remember when your mom gave you a hug and told you she loved you?
Remember when he asked you out on a date and made you feel important?
Remember when your best friend called you to tell you she was thinking of you today?

There, look at all those blessings. If it was so important for the Nephites to retain in their remembrance "what great things the Lord hath done for them," should we not do the same?

All I can say is that sometimes in this dreary wilderness of January, it's worth it to have faith and hope that surprises are coming soon. 

And often when you least expect them. 

In the twenty days I have left before my mission, I'm thankful for those little mercies and surprises, each one bringing a little ray of sunshine into a really cold day.

Moroni 10:3

"Behold, I would exhort you . . . that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it (the tender mercies) in your hearts."