Temple Square is COOL

Many of my non-member friends don't understand how COOL my mission is! They either say "why do you need to go on a mission to Utah?" or give me a bizarre 'why are you so excited' look. But Temple Square is literally the best mission I could ever ask for! Why?

1) I really get to dig deep and learn SO much about the history of my church. I am no history buff, and have the memory of Dory, but the constant repetition of teaching it will really let it soak in and (hopefully) I'll remember it 5 years down the road!

2) I get to be at Temple Square for at least 2 General Conferences! General Conference is where our church leaders (Prophet, Apostles, etc.) speak to our church as a whole. I have never felt the Spirit so strongly as I did on Temple Square last General Conference, and to be able to experience it as a missionary will make it all that much better.

3) I will get to meet soooo many different people. People from all around the world come to Temple Sqaure, and I will have the opportunity to teach them and testify to them that this is the true church. I get to meet the people who actually want to know more about our church, with the desire and yearning to come closer to Christ.

4) I will most likely always have companions who are foreign! We are always in pairs, and because people from all around the world come to Temple Square, I will likely have foreign companions. I will get to learn about different cultures, languages and most importantly... try out new foods!! ;) Yummm.

5) I get a special name tag. Sisters at Temple Square have a name tag that also has the Salt Lake Temple on it, with their country's flag underneath! It is twice at big as normal name tags, so thankfully I won't have to worry about jewelry as much, my name tag has my decoration taken care of!

6) This one may be silly... but it is very important. There is a Chick fil a RIGHT next to Temple Square! So not only will I  be having the time of my life, but my belly  will be having the time of it's life!

7) I can be a zone/district leader. These positions in Missionary leadership are usually the Elders (men), but because my mission is an all Sisters mission, I can be one! My ultimate goal for my mission, is to inspire other Sisters to be the best they can be. You only have 18 months to serve, but you have a lifetime and eternity to reflect on it.

8) I will be likely to see the Prophet and other various Apostles! It will by my own undercover mission to see the Prophet while on my mission, up close and personal. A picture would even be a bonus!

9) I will get to see friends and family all the time who come to Temple Square! I have lots of friends who are heading off to BYU next year, just an hour away. And with Temple Square being such a hot spot, it is inevitable that I will see so many of my awesome friends.

10) I also get transferred to another mission in the US for 4 months, where I'll get to tract and proselyte (teach and testify). It will be fun and exciting to go to a "normal" mission for a few transfers, it's like getting a mission call all over again! (Fingers crossed for Las Vegas!)

I am SOOOO blessed to be able to go serve at Temple Square, it is exactly where I wanted to go. My friend Avery (Elder Grasse), said "I just knew that you were righteous enough to receive revelation to know where you were going to go and to want to serve there, so obviously you are going to Temple Square!" This is not only going to be some of the greatest 18 months of my life, but also some of the greatest 18 months for my life. I love this Gospel!!!!!! 

Check out my Mormon.org account!
http://mormon.org/me/BP5G/Gretchen

My Simple Testimony

Yesterday, someone told me that the strongest tool you have on your mission is your testimony. And how do you make your testimony stronger? You share it. 

I know this church is true. This is such a simple, yet powerful statement. Hoping is different than believing, and believing is different than knowing. But yet they are all connected, they lead one to another until you know without a doubt that it is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, sent here to restore the church that Jesus Christ set up when he was on the Earth. I know the Atonement is essential in the Plan of Salvation, and that it is the only way we can return to live with our Father in Heaven. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet on the Earth today, and that he gets modern revelation to help us in these last days. I know that the Book of Mormon and the Bible are the words of God. I know that as I live faithful, worthily, and diligently I can be with my family for all eternity. I love this Gospel, I love the Plan of Salvation, and I love my Father in Heaven.

Moroni left us with a promise, in Moroni 10:3-5

 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, 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 in your hearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Need a laugh?

Seeing as this week is a crazy/stressful/exciting/scary/daunting/thrilling/overwhelming/life changing week... I thought I'd share a few laughs with you. So enjoy! :) 

^^^ That's my friend Conner Plant... Yes he's awesome. 

HAVE AN AWESOME WEEK!! 

The Holy Ghost

If there is one thing that has grown this week, it is my testimony of the Holy Ghost. Many things have happened this week that would normally put me in a slump, but after getting on my knees and praying for comfort, I immediately felt the love and reassurance from the Holy Ghost. I believe he is one of the greatest overlooked blessings in our lives. We often thank our Heavenly Father for our families, the gospel, the prophet, the book of Mormon, etc. But not often do we thank our Father in Heaven for the gift of the Holy Ghost and all that his constant companionship entitles. I am grateful to be baptized into the true church where I can receive the Holy Ghost and his guidance and comfort in my life. I have seen his role in my life remarkably more this week than ever before. He comforts me by reminding me that God has a plan for me, and I know that if I stay worthy, true and faithful, everything is going to be better than I could ever hope for. He is my comfort, my guide, and my beloved blessing.

Called to Serve!!

Dear Sister Brock,
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission!!!!!!

Someone pinch me!!! Is this real life?! Did I actually just get called to the mission that I WANTED?! Goodness! I feel so blessed. I leave September 25th 2013 and could very likely get out of the MTC (missionary training center) right before conference weekend! So guess who gets to be a green-y missionary on one of the busiest weekend of the year? This girl!! I have just over 4 months to start preparing for this, and I am NOT going to waste it! Starting June 8th, the day after graduation, I am going to start living the missionary schedule! Though I may not be going out to proselyte, I'm going to wake up at 6:30 and do the typical missionary morning routine: Wake up, eat breakfast, workout, shower, get ready, personal study for an hour and then companionship study for another hour. Now who wants to be my companion?!

Though it's probably pretty silly... one of my favorite preparations for my mission thus far has been going shopping for mission clothes!!! Now that I know where I'm going, I'm able to scope out more clothes at work. I get most of my shirts from my work (Plato's closet) but have struggled to find long enough skirts there. One of the few drawbacks of having mile long legs. But recently I have ordered quite a few skirts and dresses online... and I LOVEEE them!! It's from asos.com. If you have not checked it out, I highly recommend you do. Modest and suppper adorable!

I love President Monson!

I love President Monson!!! There is no doubt in my mind that he is the living prophet. Yes, I do admit that when President Hinckley passed away I wasn't fond of President Monson, only because I grew up and loved President Hinckley so much that I felt no one could replace him. And no one can! But there needs to be a prophet, and President Monson has turned out to be one of my favorites.

A scripture in the Bible I often use to explain to non-members why we need a modern day prophet is Amos 3:7. It is so powerful because it is out of the book they already have a belief upon! It states...

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing,

 but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

This scripture is amazing, because it is so true! The Lord knows our needs and he counsels the prophet on how to lead our church in our modern day. The scriptures are very important, but the prophet's words are even more important to me. They are made for US in these MODERN days! They are to lead and guide us through these last days, to help us stay on the straight and narrow path. People too often take general conference and other broadcasts too casually. Pay attention people!! The Lord is trying to speak to you! You can't accuse the Lord of not answering your prayers if you are unwilling to listen. Open your ears, your mind, and most importantly your heart.

P.s. My mission papers have been assigned and are on their way!! I should get them on Thursday! YEEEE!!!! :)

Not the "typical" Sister Missionary

As of today, my mission papers have been sent in!!! Now it's time to sit and wait...

I am a huge fan of Sister Diederich's mission blog! She is so beautiful, inside and out! Her love for others shows through her blog posts and her dedication to this work. She said something in her last post that really stuck out to me...

"I remember how hesitant I was to serve a mission.

I'm no gospel whiz, or poster child for LDS living magazine. 

I'm not a "typical" sister missionary.

But then again. No one asked me to be"

DING DING DING!! I think she read my mind. There is so many things I need to learn and work on before I leave, but I know that as I study, pray and prepare it will make all the difference. 

In my interview with our stake president, he said that he believes sisters are so incredibly spiritually ready to teach others about the Gospel. He also said I am a very influential person and will be a powerful missionary (no pressure right?). He advised me to be myself, not try to be the "typical sister missionary" as Sister Diederich said. I'm going to wear my cute skirts, curl my hair and wear my bows. I'm not the one softening people's hearts or converting the children of the Lord, that's all Him! The Lord asks us to be tools in his hand, and that's exactly what I intend to do! I want to go out everyday and have others feel the Spirit touch their hearts, just as it continually touches mine. I know this Gospel is true. I know that as I stay valiant and faithful the Lord will work through me to touch the hearts of others, and by his power, I will be able to teach with the Spirit and change lives.