Answers through the Scriptures

Dear Family and Friends,

Since I last wrote, a lot has happened.  I had a glorious Thanksgiving in Gilbert, Arizona where my sister and brother-in-law live.  I have always spent Thanksgiving in Michigan, Utah, or Spain.  So it was really weird to have such a warm Thanksgiving.  We ate outside.  It was weird, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Before I left, I had the opportunity to be interviewed about my mission.  It was an incredible experience and I am so grateful I was able to participate.  The goal of the interview was to provide help for those preparing to go on their missions.  The videos were uploaded to a YouTube channel, Prepare to Serve, and there are videos of lots of missionaries talking about the mission they served in.  I was able to feel the Spirit testify that what I was saying was true and I received a confirmation that God was pleased with my service as a missionary.  He was pleased with my imperfect hard work and the fact that I tried hard every day to overcome my fears and weaknesses.  As I spoke about my mission and how hard it was, I realized that I never was a perfect missionary.  But I was His missionary and I can say that I did what He needed me to do!  I realized that we can always do more (if we couldn't we would be perfect and what would be our purpose here on Earth?) but that God is pleased with our honest, diligent, and best effort.

I also had a cool experience this morning, reading my scriptures.  I was reading in 1 Nephi chapter 4.  This chapter has always been special to me, because it played a part in preparing me for my mission, although I wouldn't know that until later.  My freshman year at BYU, I found out that as an English major I would be required to take foreign language classes.  My natural thought was to take Spanish classes because I had taken 3 years in high school.  But this thought TERRIFIED me.  I did not enjoy my teachers in high school, and was scared of having another bad experience.  I was reading my scriptures one night, after having found out that I would need to take foreign language classes.  I was not looking for an answer to my fears about taking Spanish classes, but I got one.  It was this night that I was reading 1 Nephi 4.  Verse 6 stuck out to me which says, "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." and the end of verse 10 says "And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him." Now for those of you who haven't guessed, this is the chapter where Nephi slays Laban. As I read verse 10 I had the thought, "you are shrinking away that you might not take Spanish Classes."  In that moment I KNEW what I had to do, and so I began to take Spanish classes.  And I truly believe the Spirit led me to do so, even though I did not know why.  Well, when I was called to the Spain Madrid Mission, I no longer wondered.  I knew God was preparing me to learn the language of the people I would spend a year and a half with.  And I was so grateful.  The time I spent at BYU taking Spanish classes put me in the intermediate group in the MTC.  But that has nothing to do with this morning.  This morning, when I read the chapter, I was reminded of this experience yet it was verse 13 when it says, "it is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief."  Now, while taking my Spanish classes at BYU, I did not perish, but my GPA did a little.  And I just thought about had I not taken those classes, it would have taken me longer to learn Spanish on the mission and I might not have been prepared to talk to people who were willing to listen.  I don't believe the whole nation of Spain would have perished, but it was a cool analogy.

I know God speaks to us through the scriptures.  And if He can answer a question so trivial as to what language classes a little freshman girl should take by having her read the story of when Nephi kills Laban, I know He can answer all questions.  It may not come in the way we expect, for I never expected that chapter to hold answers that I needed, but there they were.  I know the scriptures hold answers and advice and comfort.  It may not be word for word in a specific verse or chapter, but it is there and you can find it.  I love this Gospel and I love God's influence in my life.  I know He loves me and guides me in all things when I seek for His help.

Con amor,
S. Olsen