Pay Your 10% Testimony Tithe to God.

Get Lost (In Montana) Doing God's Work

I took this picture last Sunday while traveling out into the Helena valley for an appointment.  While driving, the colors were so rich and vibrant that I couldn't help but stop and pull over to get a snapshot of it.  It was wonderful for Heavenly Father to close the day on such a beautiful scene. 

I was able to share my testimony (the things that I believe and know to be true) at Church earlier that day about how exciting and rewarding it is to get lost in God's work. 
If you've driven around Montana, you are likely find this bumper sticker that says, "Get Lost".  Now, I've only lived in Montana for a short while but I've gotten the hint that it might be saying to me, in a rather blunt way, "Pack your bags pal and go back to California - get lost!".  Or it could just simply mean that they want everyone to get lost in Montana's history, culture, and life.  Take your pick, but whenever I tell people I'm from California, they say one of two things:

1. Oh, your from California?  I'm sorry.
2. You know, I've never been to California. Never have, never will.

If they don't say those two, then they are either

1. Not from Montana
2. Or lived in California for a time and are too ashamed to admit it.



Despite that though, Montana still has a little while longer with this California Mormon missionary.  I suppose that just gives me more time to get lost?  Possibly.  And believe me when I say that Montana has given me the express opportunity to do so on many different occasions.  Phrases like: "What country road are we on?",  "Wait, its not on my GPS?", and "The nearest gas station is how far away?!" arn't all that uncommon. 

I love God's work though and I love being apart of it out here in Montana. His work is to bring everyone a peaceful, rewarding, and happy life that only increases when life ends, not diminish.  God's work is done in very simple ways, ways that you and I can easily participate in.  Talk with people and get to know their lives.  Sure they may hold a grudge against your home state but those things never matter when you see them as a fellow brother or sister.  Share your testimony with those that you care about.  In addition to that, find those who you don't yet know and start caring for them by letting them know what has brought happiness into your life.

Recently I had the opportunity to ask a woman, who is preparing to be baptized into the Church, what she understood about the law of tithing (giving 10% of your income to the Church).  Her response was so simple and sincere.  She related to me briefly her story of coming over here to America from St. Petersburg, Russia and lost everything in the process.  She started here in the U.S. on a completely new slate and had to restart her life.  Once living here, she got in touch with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and desired missionaries to teach her and her son.  When taught about tithing, she told them how it would be very difficult and didn't know if she could do it.  That very next Sunday, she showed up to Church and paid her tithing.  With the faith that this humble woman had, she told me that she knew her tithe would help those more in need then her.

How obedient was this mother to follow God's commands and place her trust in Him that He will provide for her family!  Her action to follow God is a testimony to me that God always provides a way.  See how simple it is to share your testimony?  Imagine if, out of all the people we see and talk to in the day, we shared our testimony with at least 10% of them?  Think about all the good it would do for people.  It could:

1. Bring happiness into their day
2. Inform them on why you do certain things and abstain from other things
3. Help them increase their faith in Christ
4. And many, many, more things!

But don't just imagine or think what it could do for someone . . .  Go out and share your testimony!

President Thomas S. Monson, our current prophet, says this:

"The Savior taught His disciples, 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it' (Luke 9:24).

I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives."

So go ahead, get lost in Montana, or California, or where ever you are at in God's work by sharing your testimony with others.

As you share your testimony with that 10%, you will come to know and feel an increased level of happiness and peace come into your daily lifes. The blessings of wisdom and understanding will flood in because "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God".  When you gain a testimony of sharing your testimony, you won't be able to just share it with 10%, you'll want to share it with everybody.