Tick. . . .Tock . . . Tick . . Tock. Tick

There has been a lot on my mind lately. Especially today. Today is the mark for my final 6 weeks of my mission. My last full transfer experience is happening now. I go home December 16th, exactly 18 months to the day from when I entered the glorious Missionary Training Center, aka MTC. Time on the mission is very strange to say the least. Time goes by very fast; that is if you're being obedient and doing what you're supposed to be doing. I feel like I just started my mission and met my first companion. It's so strange. Time is a strange thing, specifically the Lord's timing.

His timing is ultimately the best timing. Throughout my life, and going through what I have, I never really appreciated the Lord's timing. I used to think 'why didn't my parents die when I was older?' 'How come the Lord wanted me to serve a mission past the age of 21 and after I graduated from College?' Those and other questions have been going through my mind lately since it is nearing the end. So I decided to turn to my trusty scriptures and the words of apostles for advice.

I looked first to the scriptures and guess where I was in the Book of Mormon? The war chapters in the book of Alma. "Really?" I thought, "how can this really help me at this time in my life? Its the war chapters, I'm not in a war." I pressed forward anyways, because the Lord has a reason for everything. As I read, I read about the Stripling warriors who are young men who fight against the wicked Lamanites in defense of their fathers who took an oath to never to take up arms against anyone.  These young men were referred to as men because they were 'valiant for courage and also for strength and acivity' they were 'true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted' with. They were men of truth and soberness, for they were taught [by their mothers] to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.' (Alma 53:20-21)

Stripling warriors, war, and timing. These young men are in many, many, many battles and not one of them is killed. Not one. They get wounds but not one of these 2,060 young men die. After every battle their leaders number them to see if they are all accounted for and they are. In Alma 57 verses 25-27 Helman pretty much says how astonished he is that they are all still alive. This is what he says about why they are still 'preserved:'

'And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power. Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm and they do put their trust in God continually.'

They had faith and they did not doubt they trusted the Lord. They had confidence or a trust in God and never questioned Him ever. This brings us all back to timing. Elder Oaks, of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, gave an amazing talk on this very subject. However, this talk was given at BYU, an LDS church school. He said this about timing:

"Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ prepares us for whatever life brings. This kind of faith prepares us to deal with life’s opportunities—to take advantage of those that are received and to persist through the disappointments of those that are lost. In the exercise of that faith, we should commit ourselves to the priorities and standards we will follow on matters we do not control and persist faithfully in those commitments, whatever happens to us because of the agency of others or the timing of the Lord. When we do this, we will have a constancy in our lives that will give us direction and peace. Whatever the circumstances beyond our control, our commitments and standards can be constant."

The stripling warriors exercised their faith; they used it and replenished it. They followed their Savior's example and did what they could in circumstances that were beyond their control. They were preserved and they were given what they needed to succeed. Our lives aren't like the stripling warriors lives, but we are in our own battles in life. We need to trust the Lord and His timing; that all will be well if we have faith and trust in Him. Do not doubt Him.

I don't know why the Lord thought that I could handle living without my parents at a young age or why I am on a mission now in this time of my life. I have no idea what the Lord has in store for my future. However, I do know that if we have faith and continue to trust Him we will be preserved and guided. We might have a lot of bumps and bruises along the way, but it will help us to grow and become more like our Savior.  Things will work out, keep on keeping on.