Season One : Chapter 8 " The Fresh RM's ReadMe Guide"

The time in the service of the Lord was amazing! It was filled with powerful spiritual experiences and humbling lessons of the Lord. It was there I saw all of God’s children through his eyes and felt a love for them that is unmet. My heart was expanded beyond explanation for those who I did not even know. Within moments of talking or within sight I loved and cared for them as my own family and yearned for their understanding and acceptance of the gospel in their lives. Your days were filled with the spirit and you were lead by the Lord in nearly all things. It was then that we found purpose greater than we have ever found within our lives.

When I returned home from my mission I had set goals and had a vision of what life would hold. I felt ready to return home knowing I had served with all my effort and all my heart. I was ready to begin my life, complete college, date & find a career! The way I would describe life in returning home would be that of the bug that hit my windshield the other day, I hit life hard and fast. Uncomfortably fast.

I was surrounded by my peers but I was not guarded by a name tag. I had to again form who I was. I was again at the same level as those around me. I had to determine what values I learned in the mission applied in my life today. Then have the faith to live them.

Recently I have had several close friends who have returned home from their missions, I see that life is not easy and within the first few days and weeks they are realizing how different life is. Your family is still your family but your siblings are older, some are bigger, some more mature, some married or in new relationships and some with kids! How crazy, how weird and how different?

Life today may seem so different than when you left and that is true, it is different, the environment has changed but so have you. You are now at a new point in your life but soon enough and how soon that will be is kinda scary, but you will feel as if you never left and you will be caught up in the hustle and bustle of life once again. This certainly doesn't mean you ‘forget’ your mission or throw out all the changes you made but simply the life you are living now will feel normal and you won’t feel as out of place.

What can you take from your mission? How can this transition be easier? Remember the lessons you learned! Continue to study your scriptures, continue to pray earnestly and sincerely to the Lord. Continue to kneel, if you spoke a mission language study and pray in that language. Remember what you taught! Prayer is your connection with the Lord and the very first thing the Adversary would like to do, is eliminate that communication!

I would say for me it was easy in the mission to apply these principles as I was sharing the gospel with others! I was putting His work forward but in returning home I had to realize these truths once again, now it was for me. Certainly the Lord would help me in teaching His gospel. Certainly He would be there as I searched for His lost sons and daughters. But I guess after I returned home I learned to place faith that God also cared about me and my life. That he was concerned with me finding a job and as I had faith and amazingly enough honored my parents was able to find a job for school. I had to learn to put the Lord above other pursuits and decide if I would study or attend Family Home Evening? Did I have the faith the Lord could help me with my school work? And knowing Faith was a verb. Was I willing to take the time before Family night or before the Sabbath to study?  It is amazing how many decisions there are that come into play, many that we do not expect but somehow we already know what we should do before we make our choice. If I could but encourage you to be strong. The God you knew in your mission is the same God here in life and He loves and cares about you, He knows you and understands you. While you may not be looking for new investigators you are doing important works. And making important choices such as the pursuit for a spouse.

As  times of struggle come I give you this counsel, to turn to one of my favorite scriptures which reads, 

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:not as the world giveth give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" -John 14:26-7

Attend the temple frequently! How often is frequently?! As much as you can: daily, weekly, bi-monthly! Make the temple a strong point in your life. There are temptations and dangers which the Lord can protect you from when you stand in holy places. There have been places and situations I have been in where I know today I was only protected because of my sincere and diligent Temple attendance

In standing in holy places we must make sure our home or residence is a place where the spirit can dwell. It is our refuge from the storm. We must have a stronghold that cannot be broken by the adversary. Attend Institute and church! Continue to learn and to grow : )

Never forget those you taught, keep in touch, use Facebook or good old snail mail but remaining in contact with them will help them and inspire you to be the man or woman you that you should be.

As I look back to my return home I realize how big of a change it was. There have been so many lessons I have learned and so many changes I have made. I am certainly grateful to the Lord for the experiences I have had that have brought me to where I am today even within the last year following my mission. Now get out there and tackle life ;)

-Trent D. Nielson

“Keep the Faith & Never Give Up, Never Surrender!”