Life Is About Change

My nephew Marcus reported on his mission to Long Beach California yesterday. My mom, Julie, and I were impressed with how much he had grown in the past two years. He stood tall, spoke clearly, and delivered an impressive address about change and his experiences sharing the gospel.

My sister-in-law Janet had asked him a question before his mission and it went deep: "What do you want out of life?" He took that question, analyzed his life, and pulled three more specific, goal-oriented questions out of it.

Where am I headed?

Where do I want to go?

What do I need to do to get there?

While these prompted him to serve a mission, I think we can ask the same questions at whatever stage of life we are in, and they can help us to focus in on what is important and lead us to happier, more productive lives.

He also said that many of us live gospel principles in order to receive the blessings. (Guilty.) He called us out, saying this is "greedy." We should be doing the right thing for the right reasons.

It was wonderful to spend some time with Justin's wife, children, and grandchildren. They have grown into truly sweet, thoughtful, and successful adults, and I have a sense of just how proud he is of them. I am going to find or invent, if needed, reasons to see them more often.

From left: Adam, Janet, Ashley, Ryan (he's 6-6), Lyrissa, Marcus, and Verna. The little guys, Parker (pulling a face) and Zane, belong to Adam and Lyrissa.