"Average is the enemy of Excellence!"

     Hello everyone!! I hope everyone is doing amazing! I had an awesome week! I had the cool experience of singing for Elder Bednar, Elder Oaks, and Elder Nelson today! The spirit has never been stronger for me! 

     But it was hard for me to not be able to spend Fathers Day with my dad for the first time ever. It was hard for me to reflect on this past Father's Day and think of my dad and not be able to see him. A lot of people ask me what my favorite quality of my dad is and my favorite thing I miss. It is and always will be his work ethic. My dad loves to work and is so dedicated. My favorite part about that work ethic is that my dad always gave me a choice of what I wanted to do but he
never let me quit once I made that decision. Every sport I have ever played, when I made the choice to play he would never let me quit. He taught me how to build that work ethic and to never quit. He always showed me that "Average is the enemy of Excellence". My dad always saw something better in me and always saw the great things I could accomplish through hard work. 
     So I would like to share this: There was once a champion swimmer who was asked after a meet about his victory. The reporter asked him, "How did you do it? There were many other swimmers who were equally or more talented than you. How did you do it." He responded by saying, "Work. I woke up every day and did the work needed to become a champion."
     One of the greatest differences between a missionary and  great missionary is work. The greatest part of missionary work is work. I wished for weeks to have a little more free time to be able to relax in the MTC because I was so tired. Then I realized the power in working all day as a missionary. If there is no time to be idle then there is no time to be homesick, there is no time worry, there is no
time to take your heart and your mind from your mission. Every second you do is a time that could be used to receive revelation or spent focusing on your investigators. I am here to try to bring souls unto Christ and help them find the path to Christ. 
     The best use of life is spent on the things that outlast it. If that doesn't define a mission well spent then I do not know what does. God had me preparing for this mission long before I came down to this earth. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time coming even before this life so I must give it my all. But there would be no better feeling to come
home off my mission and hug my dad and tell him that I held nothing back and I gave my all.  There would be no better report. Can you likewise think of any better report that there could be to return home to our Father in Heaven after our life mission and to go up to Him and tell Him that you held nothing back and that you gave it your all and you tried your best. I cannot. He would receive us with open arms with! He would say, "thank you my strong and faithful servant. Welcome home!"  But in order to do this we have to endure to the end. In order to do this we have to Stay by the Tree as Elder Kevin W. Pearson would say. The road is straight and the path is narrow back to our Heavenly Father. We always hear that, but there is only one reason that we always hear that it is a straight and narrow path. The path is Christ. The path is not TO Christ. It IS Christ. He does not wait for us at the end of the road. He walks with us every step of the way and carries us if we cannot stand. 
     In Lehi's vision, the Tree of Life is Christ and the fruit is his infinite Atonement. So "stay by the tree!" The path is straight and narrow, strict and exact. God's commandments are strict but not restrictive. It will be hard. Tribulation is an inevitable and indispensable part of our eternal progression. But please please please when adversity comes, do not let something that you don't know unravel what you do know. So many people go looking for things they do not know and let it ruin what they do know.  Those who mock the Savior are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.    
     Lastly this is to any returned missionaries. Returned missionaries cannot come home and return to the
people they were before their mission and waste their time away without falling into a deep spiritual sleep. True disciples continue to awaken unto God each day in meaningful personal prayer, earnest scripture study, personal obedience, and selfless service. Once we enter into covenants with God there is no going back. My dad has always taught me that. Just as my dad might say to me, "Giving in, giving up, and giving out are not options." Average Is truly the enemy
of excellence brothers and sisters. An average commitment will prevent you from enduring from the end. Just as in Elder Pearson's talk, my challenge this week to you is "Awaken unto God, cling to truth, keep your sacred temple covenants, and stay by the tree!" 
     I love all of you. Sorry it is so long! I just felt that this was all inspired. I promise that these things are inspired from what I have learned from the MTC. Please heed these things and you will be blessed. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 
Aishiteimasu! 
Elder Aiken.


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