To all my little brothers

To all my little brothers,

My littlest brother reading my Mission call.

I have great confidence in all of you. You are beloved sons of God and He is mindful of you, as am I. You have come to earth at a time of great opportunities and also of great challenges. I promise that as you keep the covenants you have made you will be blessed with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, your faith and testimony will grow stronger, and you will enjoy increasing happiness. Our Father in Heaven has placed great trust in you and has a great work for you to do.

I chose to serve a mission because Christ's Atonement cured my ailing soul. "Imagine you found a cure for cancer. How urgently would you spread the news of your discovery? Who would you tell? The gospel of Jesus Christ is the cure for so many of life's ills that [I ] want[ed] to share the good news of eternal life with the same urgency."*

While serving a mission for the Church I was put on the front lines of God's push to hasten His work. During the 2012 General Conference I was in the Missionary Training Center. The Prophet Thomas S. Monson announced to the world,

"I am pleased to announce that effective immediately all worthy and able young men who have graduated from high school...will have the option of being recommended for missionary service beginning at the age of 18, instead of age 19."

Thoughts ran through my mind as I was sitting in the auditorium chair. I would be training the new younger missionaries. I would be their role model. I was the 1st Infantry Division for God's army in the hastening of His work.

I went into the mission field with a positive pressure on my shoulders to be "all that I could be" as a servant enlisted in Gods army. All the hard work, every early morning study and soaking in all the words of Christ formed me like clay in the potters hands transforming my talents and abilities into a perfect shape which I could not mold on my own.

I shall never forget finally finding myself standing in the baptismal font raising my arm to the square, and saying, “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you. …” (D&C 20:73.)

Within two short years, my service in the royal army of God will have concluded as well with all others who served in the same years. Theirs and My replacements are found in the ranks of the Aaronic Priesthood of the Church. My little brothers, are you ready to respond? Are you willing to work? Are you prepared to serve? President John Taylor summed up the requirements. “The kind of men we want as bearers of this gospel message are men who have faith in God; men who have faith in their religion; men who honor their priesthood; … men full of the Holy Ghost and the power of God … men of honor, integrity, virtue and purity.” I know each of you possess these qualities whether you see them in yourself or not. They are there and I have seen them in you.

Above all the benefits and blessings of missionary service is the testimony which grows in you, perhaps not all at once, perhaps line upon line. That testimony I wish to bear to you now as a missionary. I know God lives. I know that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son, the leader of all humanity, and the measure of mankind. He is the General of a royal missionary army. He is the King, our Counselor, and our Friend. He is worthy of our most pure and profound adoration. Deserving of our very best efforts. As a missionary, I long to serve him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. (D&C 4:2.) In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.



Love your brother,

Elder Guzik

Watch the New York Rochester Mission Video (click link below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDFUlVhPhyc

Reference: * mormon.org

Hump Day! 1 year of Blessings.

I am currently serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was called to the Rochester, New York mission (the cradle of the restoration) and reported to the Missionary Training Center on September 26th, 2012. I have been serving the Lord for one year or in "missionary language" the year mark is called hump day. (Don't ask. I didn't make it up) I want to dedicate this blog to all those who are preparing to serve a mission or still deciding to serve.



Serving a mission wasn't always in my "life plan". It was as if I was sitting on the fence with my decision. Should I stay and go to school or should I serve a two year mission for my church? I always knew deep down in my heart that serving a mission is the "right thing to do" and "serving would be a blessing." How can I know for a surety what direction to take? What did God want me to do? With unanswered questions and weighing out the possibilities I counseled with God in prayer. It wasn't just one prayer. I prayed many times. I wanted to know. I needed to know. My answer never came in a direct way. You may receive your answer in a direct way, but Elder Bednar describes the most common way we receive revelation from God. Elder Bednar teaches, 

"The light comes gradually, much like the rising of the sun you can discern the increase of light on the horizon, but never all at once."

As I continued to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and worked toward putting my mission papers in I got my answer. A series of events just fell into place and I knew. My understanding of Gods will became illuminated with clarity. I experienced a sense of "knowing". I knew what I was supposed to do. I needed to dedicate two years of my life and serve the Lord. I finished the application process and submitted my mission papers. 

Watch me open my mission call below

There are walls of faith you'll need to hurdle as you search for an answer from God. The biggest step was making the decision to go. Now I knew I was going. With full purpose of heart I could prepare to serve the Lord.

I'm currently a year into serving. I have received blessings I never thought I would. Perhaps

I would have made a decision sooner if I understood more fully the blessings associated with missionary service. I can’t list every blessing, there are so many blessings that I cannot number them, but I will share those that I have recognized and value most.

                                                                          Abiding friendships

Memorable experiences

Developing love and understanding of people

Growth in testimony, faith, knowledge of the gospel

Constant companionship of the Holy Ghost

 Leadership training

                                                                          Forgiveness of sins

                                                                          Peace of conscience

                                                                        Joy

These blessing have not came easy. It has been hard, but it has been worth every drop of sweat. The best way to describe how serving a mission has felt is in the Prophet Joseph Smith's words. Joseph Smith said,

"I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force against religious bigotry, priest-craft, lawyer-craft, doctor-craft, lying editors, suborned judges and jurors, and the authority of perjured executives, backed by mobs, blasphemers, licentious and corrupt men and women—all hell knocking off a corner here and a corner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty."

 All the challenges, although hard at times, I have encountered while serving a mission in Rochester, New York have all been for my profit and learning. I'VE BEEN GIVEN SO MUCH!









President Spencer W. Kimball once said that “missionary work, like the tithing, will pour out blessings, as Malachi said, so many blessings that there will hardly be room enough to receive them







I know that missionary service requires sacrifice, but I also know that “sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven” (“Praise to the Man,” Hymns, no. 27). I know the Lord will guide you as you seek His will, as I did. As you faithfully serve a full time mission, the blessings of the Lord will be poured out upon you. I don't know what the Lord has in store for you , but if you decide to serve blessings of both temporal and spiritual nature will grant you and your family joy in this life and in the eternities.

Missionaries in the New York Rochester Mission who answered the call. (see link below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDFUlVhPhyc

Check out this web site if your thinking about serving (link below)
http://futuremissionary.com/

Your most important preparation will be spiritual!
 (learn more about what missionaries do CLICK HERE)