Braven Your Stride

Video by: Washington DC South Mission | Music by: Sara Bareilles "Brave" 2013

It is a great thing to be a missionary. It is a great thing to serve our Savior. It is a great thing to teach people about the hopeful truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Knowing this as we do, what holds us back from bravening up and letting the words fall out?

The Book of Mormon is filled with examples of incredible missionaries - Ammon and his brothers, Abinadi, and Alma, are a few examples of those set apart with power and authority. They were filled with the Spirit to cry repentance. In all cases, they were not afraid of WHO they were speaking with. Whether they were teaching powerful kings over the wicked people in the land or testifying with boldness to those brought down to the depths of humility, they bravely fulfilled their promise to talk with everyone.

The Savior is grateful for His servants who obediently labor with Him. In the book of Helaman, Nephi receives these incredible words of acceptance from the Lord in the mission field, “Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. Thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.”

Nephi worked hard as a missionary, but most of all, HE FEARED NOT. How can we be like Nephi? With the hastening of the work, we as members and missionaries have taken the counsel of President Spencer W. Kimball and "lengthened our stride." As we move forward as God's army, are we confident in every stride to help others along the way? Are we opening our mouths and testifying? It is a brave thing to serve a mission. When we invite someone to hear the restored gospel we are being brave. Should we not now braven our stride and show our Father in Heaven that we don't take what we have for granted?

Sister Riggs (our dynamite mission mom) pumped us up this last round of zone conferences to be braver than we have been before. She encouraged us to break the norm. She taught us to love who we are and jump out of our comfort zones with confidence that the Lord will be right there to help. Just like the scripture above says, we can seek the Lord’s will above our own and be carried by His grace. Think to yourself, "When am I brave? What can I do today to show that I am willing to braven my stride?"

Continue to petition our Heavenly Father for bravery! Say what He would have you say, and be who He wants you to be. Keep testifying of the restored gospel. We will see miracles flourish before us.