Don't ever give up! December 31

Well just think you got to sit in the Lord's house for 2 hours- in the most holy and sacred place in the world! Is not that fantastic? I feel it is fantastic! I would have loved that. I miss the temple oh so much! It's so hard to understand how great temples are until you are in a country where there is not a temple close at all. You have to fly there and the average member cannot afford to even think about going. I am thinking of a member in the ghumps area who I love very much. She may never have a chance to go to the temple in Hong Kong because she collects garbage for a living. She is one of the most humble people I have ever met. She has so much faith in God, it's not even funny. She is an awesome example to me.Even when her husband kicked her out of the house for helping the elders, she did not care. She continued to help us, even at the risk of her family's life and what not, she put her trust in God and things happened that made it possible for her to continue going to church. It's fantastic! Do what is right and let the consequences follow. It is a great phrase to live by. God always makes thing happen to help us grow.

Elder Richard G. Scott said:

"Your decisions are like switch points on a railroad system. They determine where you will end up in life. When you consistently make the right choices, you are the happiest, receive the greatest personal growth, and have the most productive life. When you make the wrong choices, you may find yourself at an entirely different destination than you want. While there is the process of repentance to come back, it is often painful and sometimes leaves permanent physical scars that cannot be cured as well as your spirit can.

At one time I worked on the immediate staff of a very hardworking, demanding, misunderstood man who became the father of the nuclear navy that provided great protection for the United States at a critical time in world conditions. His name is Hyman Rickover. I have great respect for him. After 11 years in that service, I received a call from the First Presidency to preside over a mission. I knew I would have to tell Admiral Rickover immediately. As I explained the call and that it would mean I would have to quit my job, he became rather excited. He said some unrepeatable things, broke the paper tray on his desk, and in the comments that followed, clearly established two points: “Scott, what you are doing in this defense program is so vital that it will take a year to replace you, so you can’t go. Second, if you do go, you are a traitor to your country.”

I said, “I can train my replacement in the two remaining months, and there won’t be any risk to the country.”

There was more conversation, and he finally said, “I never will talk to you again. I don’t want to see you again. You are finished, not only here, but don’t ever plan to work in the nuclear field again.”

I responded, “Admiral, you can bar me from the office, but unless you prevent me, I am going to turn this assignment over to another individual.”

He asked, “What’s the name of the man who wants you?”

I told him, “President David O. McKay.”

He added, “If that’s the way Mormons act, I don’t want any of them working for me.”

I knew he would try to call President McKay (1873–1970), who was ill, and that conversation would benefit no one. I also knew that in the Idaho Falls area there were many members of the Church whose families depended upon their working in our program. I didn’t want to cause them harm. I also knew that I had been called by the Lord. I didn’t know what to do. Then, the words of the song we sang tonight began to run through my mind: “Do what is right; let the consequence follow” (Hymns, number 237). While I had never contacted a General Authority in my life, I had been interviewed by Elder Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, so I had a feeling to call him. I explained that the admiral would try to call President McKay and would make some negative comments, but everything was all right and I would be able to accept my call. While doing that, my heart kept saying, “Is this going to turn out all right or will somebody be innocently hurt who depends on our program for livelihood?” The song would come back: “Do what is right; let the consequence follow.” True to his word, the admiral ceased to speak to me. When critical decisions had to be made, he would send a messenger or I would communicate through a third party. We accomplished the changeover.

On my last day in the office I asked for an appointment with him, and his secretary gasped. I went with a copy of the Book of Mormon in my hand. He looked at me and said, “Sit down, Scott. What do you have? I have tried every way I can to force you to change. What is it you have?”

There followed a very interesting, quiet conversation. There was more listening this time. He said he would read the Book of Mormon. Then something I never thought would occur happened. He added, “When you come back from the mission, I want you to call me. There will be a job for you.”

You will have challenges and hard decisions to make throughout your life. Be determined now to always do what is right and let the consequence follow. The consequence will always be for your best good. You will learn that it is easiest over the long run to stand for what is right and do the difficult thing to begin with. Once you take that position, following through is not too hard. An individual who cuts corners and justifies some departure from true standards, for whatever reason, finds that seeds are planted that produce problems later. Those problems are far more difficult to overcome than taking a correct stand initially.

Do what is right even though it seems you will be alone in so doing, that you are going to lose friends, that you will be criticized. What you will find is that by doing what is right, after a period of testing, the finest friends will be discovered and you can mutually support each other in your resolve to be obedient to all of the commandments of the Lord. I have never been sorry on any occasion that I stood for what was right even against severe criticism. You will learn that truth. You will also discover that when you have taken a determined stand for right, when you have established personal standards and made covenants to keep them, when temptations come and you act according to your standards, you will be reinforced and given strength beyond your own capacity, if that is needed. Difficulty comes when you enter the battle of temptation without a fixed plan. That is what Satan desires, for then you are ripe for defeat."

This is the Lord's work. The devil is as real as you and I. He wants us to fail in all our aspires. He hates us and knows he is wrong and he will loose in the end. But he is going to try and take down as many of the elect people he can, for he knows that if he wins he destroys a family. DON'T EVER GIVE UP, NO MATTER WHAT COMES OUR WAY!

This past week I spent some time with the assistants to the president and I was paired up with a Australian elder who is going home very soon. One thing he said to me stuck with me. He said," I don't want to finish a mission, I want  to finish being a missionary. Because just finishing a mission means you did not grow and you are going back home not changed at all."

I also remember him saying during his last testimony that everyone gives at their last zone conference. He said this is not the end. The mission does not end when  you go home . You are a forever missionary and its' going to be great!

Oh man, my time in this great country has sailed by so fast. I have 3 months and 16 days left. That's such a short time. I have 2 transfers left that is nothing. I have gotten way good at bowling. So let's go when I come home! Favorite Thai treat would be the bread that tastes like a scone. It is covered in corn flakes.... so good. Another favorite Thai food is papaya salad that has 10 peppers in it and the thing called crying tiger yum or sunfries pork SOO GOOD!