Monday, September 8, 2014

Experiencing the missionary life

In my first week here I have had several really cool experiences where I get to share my beliefs with other people. Whether it is just a quick couple clarification questions or deeper, testimony strengthening talks, I've experienced both daily since people found out I am one of those "Mormons".

Less than an hour after I met my roommates, I got my first offer for a glass of wine. I have to say, although I expected people here to drink, it is far more often than I ever thought. But I have been so blessed to be surrounded by people respectful of my beliefs. In reply to the first offer I simply answered "no thanks, I don't drink" and the response was simple "oh, okay!" I was definitely expecting more questions or peer pressure but the first several times I said "I don't drink" people were very chill and respecting. The second night we were out to dinner and "the mormon culture" in Utah was brought up and that's when two of my roommates finally asked if I was a mormon. They asked a few follow up questions then but nothing too serious. It was later the next day when they started asking why some mormons dress so weird (haha this is when I explained garments) and it was later the day after that when someone asked me during dinner why mormons "can't drink". It is so interesting to be in the center of these questions because when one person asks, everybody else stops what they are doing to listen very intently to my answer. I have to say, that kind of close attention is intimidating because I have never experienced explaining why members of the church live the way we do to a group of people so unfamiliar with it. 

It was when somebody asked me to explain "why mormons can't drink" when I felt like I got to experience the life of a full-time missionary. Explaining the Word of Wisdom to people who have never heard the term before is quite difficult, which I never thought it really would be. It's mostly difficult because I don't want to offend them or sound self-righteous or anything of the sort. 

The conversation started in regards to my 20th birthday which was on Saturday. Everyone was saying "The 20th year was so lame, just wait until you turn 21!" And then starting talking about what kind of crazy shenanigans they did on their 21st (Oh yeah, I am the youngest people here btw). All I could really say was "well, turning 21 won't be much different for me considering I don't drink." Because this was one of the first times the topic came up when we weren't busy doing something (we were just eating dinner) the questions started coming, actually hoping for answers. It was really difficult at first (for reasons I mentioned above) to explain and I ended up giving a really dumb explanation that didn't give much information. I totally confused them by saying basically the Word of Wisdom keeps us away from harmful substances and things that are bad for our bodies. One kid was like, "We went and got gelato today... gelato is pretty bad for your body! Why can you eat junk food?" That comment really got me thinking about why the prophet has warned us to stay away from certain substances and even activities!

After the conversation had passed I kept thinking about a better way to answer the question. This is what  came up with: Having free agency is a huge keystone in our purpose of life on earth. Therefore, we want to stay away from things that are addictive. Because when you are addicted to something, that begins to control you, essentially stealing your precious free agency. This is why we stay away from alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, ect!

This answer came to me about an hour after the initial conversation. I really wanted another chance to explain it but I didn't know when I would get one. Not to mention I was having one of those "I have to tell someone or my heart will probably beat right out of my chest" moments. So, as we were waiting for our train I decided to just man up and bring it up. Because if they wanted to know the first time, why would they mind if you brought it up a second time? I simply said, "I have a better explanation for that whole Word of Wisdom concept I was trying to explain earlier if you still want to hear it." Naturally, they said they would love to get a better understanding of it. As scary as it was to bring it up, it ended up being soooo worth it. We ended up talking for like 30 minutes about my beliefs, lifestyle, testimony, how I gained my own testimony, goals, the blessing of the church, missions, ect! It was super cool. And as they asked more questions I was able to reply quickly with gospel doctrine and principles. I could truly feel the spirit guiding me through the conversation. As we kept talking, people kept saying things like " I really commend you  for following what your church has asked without any complaints" and "I really respect you for your beliefs" and "That is really cool how you have so much faith in your religion". I got a taste of what missionaries experience daily and it was so cool to be a part of sharing the truth! I'm not on a mission but I still have the opportunity here to spread what I believe and teach people about the church! 

I know this church is true and I am so grateful to have it in my life. I gained more gratitude for missionaries through this experience. People are dying to know what we believe and we just have to listen to the spirit about what to say and more importantly WHEN to say it. 




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