SURVIVE or THRIVE

Hope everyone is doing well! 

Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting. A woman in the branch got up to bare her testimony and said something that stood out to me. She said, "The church is perfect, the people are not". She went on to bare a powerful testimony of coming back to church after being offended for what someone had said to here at church.

Now I have heard this saying before "The church is perfect the people are not" many times, but I got thinking about it!  Do you remember a couple weeks ago when I shared the conference talk entitled "Stay on the boat and hold on!"? I Hope you do! The ol' ship Zion is the church. It is an unsinkable ship with your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ at the helm! We are all welcome to be on the ship (a member of the church). I guess even if your not a member you're welcome to! 

I would like to point out a principle, there are many ways in which we can live life. As I am writing this, two ways come to  mind. We can...SURVIVE or THRIVE.

Surviving would be just sitting on the ship. Thriving would be experiencing J-O-Y!  Why do you suppose we are on the earth?

Lets read 2 Nephi 2:25, Shall We? 

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." 

Gods has given us commandments and he promised us JOY when we OBEY him (if he didn't give us joy when we obey him he would cease to be God). My thoughts after his lady bore her testimony were that of gratitude. That (even though it took her a while) she understands in some way the importance thriving! 

Thus far on my mission I've learned whole heartedly that this life is about JOY! And I testify to each one of you that I have experienced Joy from keeping God's commandments! The scriptures say you can too! 

I love you all and have a great week!

Love, Elder Craig