Singing for the Prophet!

       Hello everyone! How was everyone's week? It has been a fun week. I have a ton to put in.              
     I had a Sister come up to me today and say are you Elder Aiken?  I was confused but said," yes." She said "you are like a celebrity! Everyone tells me you are hilarious and they call you Leonardo Black."  They think I look like Leonardo DiCaprio but act like Jack Black.  Do not really have a response to that one!  Don't know if that is good or bad.   





     It has been the best week here in the MTC! There was a lot of singing this week for sure! I had the amazing opportunity to sing with my district in sacrament meeting and it was so powerful!  Then I have a solo in sacrament next week and my companion just auditioned to have a
solo in front of all of the missionaries for a MTC devotional. But the most amazing part for me is that I got selected out of almost 1500 missionaries to be one of the 40 missionaries to be in the choir who get to sing for the Prophet and all of the Apostles on four different days for the Mission President conference!!  I am so excited and so blessed to be a part of such an amazing experience to get to see all of the Apostles and the Prophet in person and sing for them.  That includes singing for them in their own personal sacrament meeting! I am so nervous but so excited.


     But this week has been powerful in so many more important reasons than that. Investigators have the opportunity if they are BYU students or living in the area to come be taught by MTC missionaries.  My zone is
the pilot group that is able to teach those investigators in English while also teaching others in their mission language. So I taught in 2 languages this week and it was hard, but teaching in English and getting across all that I have learned clearly was such an amazing feeling. I have learned that when we ask God a question of something we need, we cannot say "but Thy will be done" if we are not willing to accept either answer from God.  He is the gardener here.  He knows what he wants us to be. We have to let ourselves be broken down so he can mold us to what we need to be, for me as a missionary, and for everyone in life. We need to pray to Him with real intent,which means being ready to act on an answer we receive. Part of turning to God is committing to doing what He asks of us. When you are obedient you will be empowered on high. Elder Holland has taught us that obedience is the first law of everything. Doing these things takes a large act of faith. I have had to have a ton of faith in my Savior Jesus Christ to be able to get by every day.    
     This is not my work. I am just the vessel that is used to spread His word. I have held on to the idea that faith in Christ is like a candlelight.  We are only given enough light to take a few steps at a time and proceed in faith. Even though we might feel lost in darkness, God has promised to
illuminate the way before us. Little by little He will give us as much as we can handle, but spiritual light rarely comes to those who sit in darkness waiting for someone to flip the switch. It takes an act of faith to open our eyes to the light of Christ. Though some do stay in the darkness. 
     We talked about what guilt was this past week. I have
learned over my teenage years that guilt is so powerful and such a blessing. In my opinion it is a feeling from the Holy Ghost that leads to a course correction if we are not on the right path. It helps recognize our wrong actions. When people get over guilt and no longer feel that guilt, they have not flipped the switch and found the light, they have just adjusted to the dark. They have found a way to live in a life of darkness and see what they want to see. The light they see is not the light of Christ. That is why I think sometimes that when the Light of Christ is presented before them they turn away because the Light is too bright. They are not ready for that Light and they do not want to see it. It comes off as a glare to them and they turn away. 
     My challenge to you for this week is this: Always be searching for the Light of Christ and if you feel guilty do not try too push it down. Use it!! It will help correct our course to Christ. Be exactly obedient. There are only two types of Commandments. ALWAYS commandments and NEVER commandments. We must give our all. Always. 
     I love you so much. Do these things and I promise you will be blessed.  Aishiteimasu!!!! 
Love, Elder Trevor Aiken