Christmas Message for North Ogden 1st Ward Sacrament Meeting

Good morning family and friends! I am so excited about this Christmas season. A time when we can celebrate Christ and all that He has done for us. Our mission has been extended the invitation, by our mission President, to study the life of Christ before Christmas comes. As I've been reading there's been a couple of things that have struck me. One of my favorite stories I've read so far is in Matthew Chapter 14. Before any miracle is performed, Jesus sets such an amazing example to me. At the beginning of the chapter, we find out that John the Baptist has been put to death. When Jesus Christ finds out about this it sounds like He's pretty devastated. He departs from the crowd and tries to go to a place where he can be alone, only the crowd follows him. And instead of Him turning them away and telling them He wants to be alone to talk to His father, He welcomes them and feeds them. This is where he performs the miracle of feeding the 5 thousand with the fish and loaves of bread. His actions have forever changed me.

I've been in a biking area for about 4 and 1/2 months now. And let's just say, I didn't think i was that fit before the mission, and I definitely know now that I am not fit at all! Haha! Every day we get on these bikes to ride them up a long hill to get to the rest of our area and boy do my legs burn! About a month ago while i was being my crazy stupid self, I fell and hit my head and received a concussion. (Sister Hansen plus dancing while ice skating doesn't equal anything good haha!). Ever since then I've had a pretty good headache combined with some sweet nausea. Now lets just say, we have a lot of bike time and during this time I often think to myself. Lots of times I complain and get angry about having to ride a bike when I don't feel good.

Last week we went to a lesson. We've had a bit of a problem with one of the leaders in the ward, but this lesson was at his house. There were 2 times while being at his house that I felt a little bit attacked, and frustrated with the situation.

But then, as we sat there teaching the plan of salvation, we started talking about the Atonement that Jesus Christ performed on our behalf. And immediately i was filled with the spirit. Lots of things hit me at once.

The first thing was that, Jesus Christ in Matthew 14, had every reason to send the people away. He could have told them to leave because he wanted to be alone and mourn the death of His friend. But He didn't. He kept working. He made sure everyone was taken care of. He pressed forward. He stuck to God's plan. And he did this exact same thing on a greater level in the Garden of Gethsemane when he suffered for all of our sins, and sorrows, and pains. He asked His father if He could not do it! If there was another way! But when there wasn't, He followed through on what He was sent here to do.

If Jesus Christ can do all of that, and continue on still, Then I can continue riding my bike. I can continue working and trying my best even through some of the pain. I can continue testifying even when I'm not in the most pleasing situation.

The second thing that hit me is that Jesus Christ loves us so much. I cannot figure out how to put into words how much he loves us. But, in the garden He felt every single thing, every person on the earth, at anytime on the earth has ever felt, but He felt it all at once. And He did this because He loved us. There is no other driving force that would allow Him to continue that. Not because He knew He had to be obedient. Not because He didn't have a choice. But because He loves us. And He knows exactly what I am going through. He knows exactly what a single mother is going through. He knows exactly how someone being evicted from their house a month before Christmas feels. He knows how the missionary who lost both his parents while on his mission and returned to serve anyway feels. He knows how the woman struggling to ask for a priesthood blessing because she doesn't have a priesthood holder in her home feels. He knows how the addict who is struggling to make life better feels.

Because He knows all of these things, He knows exactly what we need to feel better. And that is the Reason He came to this earth. That is the Reason we celebrate Christmas. Is because of Him And the good news that we have that we are not alone. And that we can find joy, no matter the situation we're in.

As I sat in this lesson and testified of all of this, I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face. I know that this gospel is true. I know Christ has me in this situation right now for a reason. I know that biking and feeling sick and being frustrated with people is nothing compared to what others are feeling, but I know that Jesus Christ doesn't care that it's a small thing. He knows it's hard for me and because of that He will help me get through it. In fact He will help me enjoy it. And He can do the same for anyone, for YOU, if you just open your heart to him.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

HAPPY in happy valley!

Date: 12-18-2017
Companion: Sister James
Area: Portland Stake, Sunnyside Ward

Hello everyone! Sorry there was no email last week! We had our Christmas zone conference!

But this week has been crazy with miracles and with the spirit!

My boots have become completely shredded. And don't get me wrong, I'm not about the whole "look perfect and cute" thing, I could honestly not care less about what I look like at the moment but my boots are my favorite thing in the entire world and the entire bottom of the shoe was coming off. I WAS SO ANGRY. So I tried to use super glue and let me tell you. Super glue does not work. It works for a little bit, until you are riding your bike and your companions dress gets caught in the bike so you have to slam on the brake and then the whole bottom of your show rips off but you're about 7 miles from the apartment and have an appointment in 10 minutes. Lol. That was fun.

But then, a dear friend gave me some shoe glue.

And let me tell you about this glorious shoe glue. I literally spread that stuff like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and BAM. The shoe has been intact for 2 weeks now. It has withheld many miles of walking and biking. It has withheld much tribulation in the wilderness.

Why am I freaking out about this? Because it was definitely a tender mercy.

But also because shoe glue is like the gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings us many blessings. There are lots of other things in our life that we think could help us. And things that could temporarily make us happy, but the only thing that can bring us true and lasting happiness in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because it is what he has asked. And when we do what he asks then he is able to bless us.

ALSO please pray for Bonnie and Noe (pronounced like no way). Their family (3 other kids) are preparing for baptism and they could use your prayers.

I love you all! Thank you for the Christmas gifts and notes!❤

☀️FIND JOY☀️
- Sister Emma Hansen

1. Life of sister Hansen
2. I held a frog the other day. It's good luck.
3. HAPPY 11 MONTHS
4. Lake village homies reunited(': 

#keepportlandweird

Date: 12-04-2017
Companion: Sister James
Area: Portland Stake, Sunnyside Ward

I FREAKING LOVE IT HERE.
Sorry for my language.

Sorry that I didn't write an email last week! Everything was real crazy, and I didn't have time to write anything!

I got transferred to the Sunnyside ward in Portland. And it's literally so much fun! The first day we were here we pulled around the corner and this guy was in a pikachu costume with no pants on. #KeepPortlandWeird. my new companion is Sister James and we've already had too much fun for one transfer and it hasn't even been a week yet.

I'm still in a biking area and I cannot for the life of me, understand why my last area was a car share, and this area is a full biking. This area is HUGE. and has so many hills. If y'all thought I complained a lot about biking in my last area get ready for THE STORM. Speaking of the storm, it's like -27474 degrees here and we're getting into winter so it's SOGGY. #pray4sunnyside

THE LIGHT THE WORLD SEASON IS UPON US AND I CANNOT EXPLAIN TO ANYONE HOW EXCITED I AM!
If you don't know what I'm talking about please go to Mormon.org and watch the #LIGHTtheWORLD video. It's about spreading Jesus Christ's light to all of his children by serving everyone! There's a different service every day leading up to Christmas. During these services, I've seen lots of tender mercies from the Lord and I'm super grateful for it. The first day, we decided to give out Christmas ornaments to everyone we saw. At first when we decided to do this I felt super stupid about it. But I decided to try it anyway. The first person we tried to give them to told us no and walked away. Lol. But the more people we talked to the more we have away. We gave them out as we were walking to someone's apartment. Turns out the person who we were looking for wasn't there but Angela was. She actually had friends who were LDS and she was down to meet with us and learn more. I think God answers our prayers in ways that we don't always understand. That if we show Him we're trying, He will bring us success because we are trying to do Him will. The other thing we did was give out free hot chocolate and I think I lot of people were skeptical at first, but as we talked with more and more people you could see the light appear in their eyes and it was so much fun to be able to help God.

Also the enabling power of the atonement is real and we only had to ride bikes twice since I've been here, and I know God is watching out for me because I'm a weakling and can't do anything. But it's okay because God helps those who need help.

Also, there's this little girl who is the daughter of a less active member we teach and she calls us the misserionies and I think that's the nicest name I've ever been called on my mission and it's so much fun here.

Brothers and Sisters GOD IS SO REAL. He answers prayers! Even if He waits a while to do it. He might wait because He wants you to remember His mercy, but He does answer prayers! I'm so grateful for Him and His kindness and His love for all of us! Please spread that love this Christmas season. Remember every one is someone's child. Even Gods child.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCHHHHHHH!!!!


☀️FIND JOY☀️

- Sister Hansen

P.S. New Address:
8800 SE Causey Loop. #K203
Happy Valley, OR 97086-8527


1&2: the end of lake village homies😢
3. I ❤ the samaniegos
4. Brb just had to change a bike tire
5. COOL FRIENDS WERE REUNITED FOR 2.5 SECONDS
6 and 7. SISTER JAMES IS THE BOMB

Another Ones Bites the Dust

Date: 11-20-2017
Companion: Hermana Judkins
Area: Vancouver East Stake, Fairway Village Ward

HELLO EVERYONE!

Lots happened this week! We biked a lot and my entire body hurts! But! As we were coming into an apartment complex I recognized a worker there who was a member from my first ward I asked him who we should go to. He gave us a sarcastic answer and laughed. We knocked a door, looking for someone who didn't answer. The member comes walking around the corner again and tells us about someone there who used to take the lessons. They weren't in our areabook so we decided to stop by and SIG-LINDA IS DOWN!!!! She totally wants to learn more! Please pray for her!

All I can say is that I have the strongest testimony in our Savior Jesus Christ. We had an opportunity finally sit and have a lesson with someone and teach them about the plan of salvation. I know that Jesus Christ loves us all. I know that He wants to help us as much as possible. Just let Him in!

I hope y'all have a great thanksgiving.

P.s. don't ride your bike with a flat tire. It's not fun. It makes it a lot harder. And your legs feel like jelly.

P.s.s. Hermana is a pal and I love her but she goes home on Monday this has got to stop I swear.

P.p.s. I don't have anything else to say except

☀️FIND JOY☀️

I didn't realize how many of y'all would get married so quick. Holy hot dang!

Date: 11-13-2017
Companion: Hermana Judkins
Area: Vancouver East Stake, Fairway Village Ward

This week in the life of Sister Hansen

WE WENT ON EXCHANGES AND I GOT TO GO BACK TO WALNUT GROVE. #HolyLand

Facebook: amazing tool, but holy cow everyone's profile pictures. Y'all and your weddings. Someone tell me when Jenna, Joely, Kaylee, Mitchell, or Jaden gets married. Someone else tell Jeremy I say congrats. Lol.

This week i had a couple of really good studies.

1. Jacob 5. I know I know. Some people look at this like the best chapter in the world and some look at it like it's the worst. But holy hot dang it definitely shows us how much Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father love us, and what we can do in order to receive JOY!!!! Long story short, the mast of the vineyard (Jesus Christ) says 8 times something along the lines of "it grieveth me that I should lose these trees" (us/the children of God, being the trees). 8 times!!!! Throughout the chapter. They truly love us so much and they want all of us to return to them. Then the master goes to work in the vineyard with his servants. He is working so hard to make sure that His trees don't produce bad fruit! He wants all of our success! And our happiness! And he's working right along side us to make sure that we have that success and happiness! And he invites his servants to work with him, in which he promises them that if they work diligently that they will have joy in all the fruit that is produced. I know that when we work hard we can truly enjoy the fruits of our labor, and God will give us many fruits.

2. John 3:16-17. Being on a mission and hearing lots of people's thoughts on who Jesus Christ is actually makes me kind of sad because there is such a misconception about who He is and what His purpose on the earth is. But Jesus Christ did not come to the earth to just preach to people. To condemn them. To tell them to shape up and fix themselves. Jesus Christ came to this earth to take on the sins of the world. To take on everything we have felt. To make sure that we knew God loved us, and that there will always be a way that we can return to God if we just choose to follow Jesus Christ. He made it so we could over come spiritual and physical death. He preached to us while He was here. But he did so much more than just read/produce scripture. HE GAVE US JOY!!!!!

3. The last thing I learned hit me pretty hard, and i definitely needed it. I read a talk and i have absolutely no idea who wrote it or where it came from but it talks about faith. The thing that stuck out to me was getting ride of doubt and having faith in what the Lord might be putting us through at the moment. Laman and Lemuel would begin to complain and murmur because of all the trials that they went through, yet Nephi went through all the same things without complaining. It was because Nephi had so much faith in the Lord that His willingness to do the things the Lord commanded didn't depend on miracles, or rewards for his previous works. He sat down and went to work no matter what was happening. ALL BECAUSE HE HAD TRUMENDOUS FAITH IN OUR LORD AND REDEEMER JESUS CHRIST!!! It made me think "do I have faith in Jesus Christ? Or the miracles? Am I only willing to do something if I see miracles for doing it?" That's not why we're here on the earth right now. We're not here to see miracles and refuse to do anything until we see them. We're here on this earth to prove to Jesus Christ that we have enough faith in Him that we'll follow Him and His commandments whether we see miracles or not.

This is definitely something that I've struggled with. Sometimes I feel as though when I don't see the miracles that whatever it is that I'm doing, isn't actually worth doing. But as I read this talk I felt the spirit and I know that it's true. That if we follow Jesus Christs regardless of the miracles, or lack thereof, that Jesus Christ will be so happy because of what we are doing, and it will truly be the right thing to do, and whether we see them in this life, or the next, I know we will see them.

I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves each and every one of us. I know that He has asked us to do one simple thing and that is to follow Him. I know that as we do, no matter what happens, that He will make everything worth it in the end. Thank you all so much for everything that you do! I appreciate your testimonies and your prayers!❤

☀️FIND JOY☀️

- Sister Emma Hansen

1 & 2. The only difference between 7 months ago and now is the amount of weight we've both gained.(':
3. ✌😚 when in doubt peace and pout
4. Thanks Aunt Myrna and Uncle Glen!
5. Gus, I got some pineapples. Don't worry.

All of the Sister Hansens

Date: 11-06-17
Companion: Hermana Judkins
Area: Vancouver East Stake, Fairway Village Ward

Hello hello everyone! All is well here in the Fairway Village ward!

Something I studied this week that I really liked was Mosiah 23 in the Book of Mormon. So good! Please read. Alma and his people are in the wilderness, and they see the lamanite people coming, and they start to get scared, because they don't want conflict and war to happen. Alma tells them all to trust in the Lord, that if they remembered Him, then He would deliver them. Verse 28 says

"Therefore they hushed their fears, and began to cry unto the Lord that he would soften the hearts of the Lamanites, that they would spare them, and their wives and their children."

Then alma and his people deliver themselves up to the Lamanites, and they're taken into bondage, but in the next chapter, God helps strengthen them and makes it so that their burdens are light.

From this we can learn that we must always turn to and trust in the Lord. And even when we do that, hard trials will still come our way, it's hard to accept, but life just won't be perfect. But if we continue to trust in the Lord then he will make our trials lighter and he will deliver us out of them!

Remember to trust in God. Always. Don't give up if you feel like you can't hear him. I promise you he is there!

☀️FIND JOY☀️

- Sister Emma Hansen


1. Two other sister Hansens (': 

2 & 3.  Hermana Judkins & Sister Hansen
4. Pray for all of them. They've all been my companion.

Hermana

Date: 10-23-2017
Companion: Hermana Judkins
Area: Vancouver East Stake, Fairway Village Ward

Heyooooooo!!!!

We had transfers this week! I'm with Hermana Judkins! She was called Spanish speaking. So we actually taught a lesson in Spanish the other day. It was super cool! I could still feel the spirit even though I just sat there smiling and had no idea what was going on. Haha

Something I studied this week that I thought was super cool. When the Savior is able to feed the 5 thousand with 5 loaves and 2 fish. But what I thought was cool was what the disciples did in order for this miracle to happen. I was reading the institute manual while studying this.

1. Jesus Christ gives a commandment that the disciples cannot accomplish. He tells them to feed the 5 thousand! They can't do it. They don't have the means to! 
2. Jesus Christ asks the disciples what is everything that they can do for the situation. 
3. Then He asked them to bring all that they could.
4. They gave Him everything that they had.
5. The Savior took all that they had and performed a miracle with it. 

I LOVE THIS, this is a literally a map of what we can do in order to see miracles in our lives. Sometimes it's really hard because we have to give God everything, and work hard for it, but that's when the miracles come. When we come to Him in sincere desire, give him everything, and then turn it over to him!

☀️FIND JOY☀️

- Sister Emma Hansen

Yes

Date: 10-16-2017
Companion: Sister Townsend
Area: Vancouver East Stake, Fairway Village Ward

Oh hey.

• Did it finally pour this week? 
• Did I get up at 4:50am to go to a waterfall this morning? 
• Did I study 2 Nephi 31-32 This week? 
• Did I find out that God loves each and every one of us? 
• Did I get bit 6 times by a little boy dressed up as captain America? 
• Did I have waffles with sister Schott? 
• Did I almost throw up while biking this week? 
• Am I biking when I'm probably not supposed to because of a concussion? 
• Am I going to the temple tomorrow? 
• Am I praying Meng will want to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? 
• Does my brother need to rethink his haircut? 
• Did I just have to say goodbye to one of my best friends from the mission? 
• Does God bless each and every single one of us, even if sometimes we can't see those blessings? 
• Do trials come our way? 
• Do we need to stick it out when these trials come and keep believing in God? 

Will you remember to ☀️FIND JOY☀️?

Concussion?

Date: 10-09-2017
Companion: Sister Townsend
Area: Vancouver East Stake, Fairway Village Ward

Hello everyone! I'm still just on a spiritual high from conference last week! Especially after being able to study the talks when they finally came out on lds.org SO GOOD.

Let me share one of my favorite quotes from Elder Hallstrom's talk

"A critical question to ponder is “Where do we place our faith?” Is our faith focused on simply wanting to be relieved of pain and suffering, or is it firmly centered on God the Father and His holy plan and in Jesus the Christ and His Atonement? Faith in the Father and the Son allows us to understand and accept Their will as we prepare for eternity."

Sometimes God's will is different than ours. Sometimes His will is harder than ours. Sometimes we don't understand His will for us. Sometimes we won't know why something has happened to us, or someone we love. But what we can know is that God does have a will for us, and that His plan for us is better than any plan we could even fathom. Your ultimate happy place, is nothing compared to what God has in store for you. And sometimes that's hard to imagine because we might not see it in this life. Because this earth life is the life of learning and growing. But when we endure our trials, and have the faith to know that our trials are part of God's plan for us, we can endure it well and eventually receive our ultimate joy in the celestial kingdom with Him forever!

Some fun things that happened this week:

• Monday: I got a concussion. So no driving or biking for meeeeee 
• Tuesday: we had a lesson with an former pastor and we were able to teach him about the Book of Mormon and how it's another testament. He said he would read it. His name is Roger. Please pray for him! 
• Wednesday: we had dinner with the Potts family and heard some legit quotes "if you live in the past then you have issues, and then you need tissues" (I cry from laughing so hard every time we're there). 
• Thursday: we worked at a compost farm. Later that night we had a BOMB lesson with Meng and she's praying about what church to be baptized into. Please please please pray for her, that as she reads the Book of Mormon she will know this is Christ's restored church on the earth. 
• Friday: we made 48 cupcakes for an elder whose birthday was the next day 
• Saturday: we had a sisters breakfast and took some fun pictures while there 
• Sunday: we dropped some cookies off with Sister Schott and I just love her so much. I'm grateful for her and all she does for us. 

Remember to ☀️FIND JOY☀️

-Sister Emma Hansen

1. Monday
2. Lake Village Homies aka. The district
3. Cupcakes
4. Sisters Breakfast
5. Sister Schott is one of my favorite people, I love her too much

Oh no, October 1st and the scary stuff happens.

Date: 10-02-2017
Companion: Sister Townsend
Area: Vancouver East Stake, Fairway Village Ward

Holy. Cow. That's all I can say right now.

I FLIPPIN LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE.

Honestly, I really needed this conference in my life. Please please please, I'm begging you, if you didn't watch it, go back and watch it now.

Elder Hallstrom gave a great talk that put a lot in perspective for me. What I got out of it was to endure. We hear that all the time, but he said it in a different way that I'd never heard before. Lots of times when I go through a trial, all I can think is "how can I fix this? How can I go back to being comfortable?" But elder Hallstrom talked about having the faith to not be comfortable physically all the time, because maybe our spirits need more healing. It was just so good. It changed so much for me. I've been going through all of my trials, knowing I could learn something from them, but expecting to be comfortable after them. But he challenged us to have the faith to go through life doing God's will. And sometimes that means being uncomfortable physically.

Have the faith to be physically uncomfortable because you know it will help you spiritually.

SO GOOD.

Elder Holland's talk was also amazing. A song that I find myself singing a lot is "I'm trying to be like Jesus" but I'm also over critical and too hard on myself. Elder Holland talks about how if were trying to be like Jesus we would not make ourselves feel this week. Because Jesus Christ would never make someone feel this way. So why should we do it to ourselves. SO EMPOWRING I LOVE IT.

We scared the heck out of sister Adams and Burton last night because the stls let us in through their window so the other sisters has no idea we were in the apartment and holy cow.
"Oh no. October 1st and the scary stuff happens" - sister Adams when she thought her apartment was haunted.

This week has been a wild one. Basically sister Townsend has been a little under the weather and by that I mean she's on her deathbed. So we've been trying to take it easy while still doing work. But now I'm starting to get sick. I can't hear out of my left ear and my throat is on fire, my head has also exploded. Updates to come next week.

We were able to find a new investigator named Bailey. She wasn't raised with religion in her life. But she said we could come back and I'm excited to teach her. Please pray for her that she will be there and will be willing to listen to the message of the restored gospel. That Jesus Christ lives. That we have prophets on the earth today. That God loves us, and still speaks with us. That He is a God of miracles.

Remember to

☀️FIND JOY☀️

-Sister Emma Hansen

1. There's another sister Hansen in the mission. She's legit.
2. Sister miles went to my high school. Anyone know Morgan?
3. Had dinner with sister Schott. I love her too much
4. <3

"Hashtag" PoundItForJesus

Date: 09-25-2017
Companion: Sister Townsend
Area: Vancouver East Stake, Fairway Village Ward

Hello hello everyone! Honestly not much to report on this week!

EXCEPT THE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE. HOLY. DANG. COW. So good. If you didn't get a chance to watch it, please go to www.lds.org - womensconference and go watch it. So good.

In zone conference this week: "Pound it for Jesus"

I've been thinking a lot this week about growing and changing. An elder have his departing testimony and said that our testimonies are like muscles. And when a muscles grows, it has to be broken down first. And that's what has to happen to us.

This is Sometimes really hard to accept and I think when we actually recognize it, it only gets harder. So I don't have anything profound. But just keep going. Don't lose sight of God. Always turn to Him. Even when it seems like he's not there. He always is. And it might be hard to see him, but that doesn't mean you turn away from him. If you're drowning and seeking so desperately for air, it doesn't mean you just turn and breathe in water just because you can't get the air. You fight for it. And you fight for it until you get it again and you can breathe.

I'm so excited for general conference this weekend. If you don't know what general conference is, then reply to someone one this list, and they'll let you know.

I know we have prophets and apostles on the earth today who help guide us to our father in Heaven and tell us where God wants us to be. When listening to conference write down a question. And don't write down exactly what the person speaking says. Write down what God tells you in your heart.

I love you all so much! Remember to

☀️FIND JOY☀️
- Sister Emma Hansen

1. Sister Hansen & Sydney Staker (Emma's trainer)
2. & 3. Sister Hansen & Sister Townsend

Rock Bottom

Date: 09-18-2017
Companion: Sister Townsend
Area: Vancouver East Stake, Fairway Village Ward

I'm just diving right into this week, no greeting or nothing, someone hold me back. (This emails probably gonna be long, but it's not like any of y'all read it anyway so what do you care)

Four temple trips this week turned into two temple trips. And even though it's still a blessing that we got to go to the Temple two times this week, sister Townsend and I bit it hard when the other two appointments canceled. Its incredible how much Satan will work on people to make sure they don't gain a testimony.

Tuesday we went with and investigator named Meng. She was incredible. The missionaries there mentioned baptism with her and she said she knew everything we'd taught her was true and it all just felt right to her and that she wanted to be baptized, but she wants to wait for her husband. So if y'all could pray for Meng (Mo) and Josh, we'd really appreciate that.

So this week has been a pretty rough week. I take it back. This past 2 MONTHS have been crazy. The week before last, it looked like things were turning around. Until this week hit and then BAM. Someone might as well have ran us over, backed over us, did some donuts in the parking lot on us, and then just as we were getting up, they told their friends to come back and do the same thing. 4 times. (If you can't tell, I'm pretty dramatic. Maybe one day I can change that..)

During personal study this week, I somehow had the time to study 8 thousand different things. I guess Gods hand is in all things?(': I studied the talk "Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence" by Elder Jörg Klebinga from the October 2014 General Conference. If you don't know or don't remember what this talk is please go read it. Actually no. Even if you know what this talk is. Please go read it. I'll wait........ okay. Guys. This talk. Is. Incredible.

Elder Klebinga talks about the tactics Satan will employ in order to make your faith in God diminish. When we refuse to over look the miracles we've seen, when we refuse to question if God is there because we have that testimony, Satan tries something else. He tells us God is not pleased with us. He tells us that God is mad at us. And when we have these thoughts, no matter how much faith we have that Jesus Christ can do all things, the doubt will be there. Because of this our faith begins to diminish. We become unmotivated, and Satan wins. Elder Klebinga goes into many different ways we can overcome these lies Satan tells us. He talks about spiritual and physical well being, obedience, repenting, forgiving, and accepting trials and setbacks. SO GOOD. PLEASE READ.

I also read Matthew chapter 9. In this chapter Jesus Christ is performing many miracles, and the Pharisees are there criticizing every single thing He does. At one point, Jesus Christ sits down with a group of sinners. The Pharisees get mad and ask Him why He does this. In verse 12 He says "they that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick."

Last thing I studied that I will talk about is 2 Nephi 9. In this chapter Jacob is preaching to the nephites. He tells them of the atonement and what it means for all of us. He tells them to come to Christ. To not waste their efforts or energy on things that don't matter. Verse 51 says "Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy..." later in verse 52 he says "let your hearts rejoice."

SO WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN. Well it's different for everyone. Everyone is at a different point in their lives and needs to hear something different from God. For me, this talk told me that Satan is a tricky, slipper snake. And that I can't let him get to me the way he has been lately. That God is never angry with His children. Its not in His nature. Sure there are things we could be doing that would please Him. But He will never hate us. Matthew 9 told me that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ don't abandon their children/brothers and sisters. But that I have the tools already to know how to heal myself and lift myself up. That Christ is ministering to those who haven't received a witness already. And that's okay. 2 Nephi 9 told me that I need to not focus on things that don't matter. I can't afford to waste my energy on the things that don't matter right now. I'm not going to be able to get every thing done that I think should be done. So i need to focus on the most important things. And that when i work hard I need to rejoice in my efforts. I need to be continually pushing myself to do better, but that doesn't mean getting down on myself about the things I wasn't able to get done, but rejoicing over the good that I was able to do.

Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom before you realize who your rock is. Jesus Christ is my rock. My Savior. My Redeemer. My Healer. I know through Him, I can be healed and brought to my full potential. But that it'll take work on my part. I know that trials will come my way, but like I've said in the past, it's because of these trials that I will reach that potential. Don't ever let a trial go by without learning something from it. Don't go through the hardship and the pain for nothing. Grow from it. I know Heavenly Father doesn't put us through these things for fun, that's also not in His nature. God loves us and only wants to help us. Remember that He knows what's best for us, and not heeding to his work immediately, will only make it harder for us in the long run. God tells us the things he needs us to hear, when he needs us to hear them. So act on them immediately.

I love this Gospel. I know it has been restored through the prophet, Joseph Smith. I know that God is listening and hears us. I know that we will return to Him one day when we take the necessary steps and make promises with him. He loves me. He loves you. Don't forget it. Don't let Satan win.

☀️FIND JOY☀️

- Sister Emma Hansen

1&2. The zone leaders needed our car for a day so we told them to give us their bikes for the day. #NoRagrets

3&4. Temple  (':

5. ITS FINALLY RAINING AGAIN I LOVE IT

6. @Sydney Staker: there was another frog in our house(':