2025 FINALE: REAL LOVE 🎆🎇

Well folks, just like that the year's come to a close. And man what a year she was! 2025 was the only full year of my life where I was designated as a full-time missionary, and the experiences I've had the priviledge to participate in I will never forget.

Last year on new year's day, I wrote a letter to myself one year from now. At that time, I was just finishing up my training and getting ready to move onto my second companionship. I asked myself in the letter what things I would learn, what experiences I would have and what changes I would undergo from then until now. And as I reflect back on where I was a year ago, I can see the product of the work I put in to try and be better each day in 2025. To try and be more like the Savior. 

The best word I can use to describe my feelings on the experiences I've been through is "priviledged." I have been priviledged to live amongst these incredible people, to be their servant, to wear the Savior's name everyday, and to be a representative of the very embodiment of hope. The reality that Jesus Christ lives has been tested and proven time after time before my own eyes, day after day and week after week, and I have gained my own personal witness that the Savior does undoubtedly live. 

I've seen evidence that the Savior lives through those around me. The lives of people genuinely CHANGING through his perfect gospel. I have seen with my own eyes and felt with my own heart his spirit touch the hearts of friends we have taught, and the difference it has made for them. Families, friendships and marriages have been mended as they have humbled themselves before the Lord and taken upon them the name of Christ.

Anytime anyone has made an effort to love someone else, the Lord was behind them supporting. The two greatest commandments that we have been commanded to follow, is to 1. Love God will all that we are and with all that we have, and 2. To love our neighbor like unto our own selves. Our perfect God is a God of justice and mercy, but more than anything else he is a God of love. He is our loving Heavenly Father. Despite us being as imperfect as we are, we gave his beloved son Jesus Christ to show us how we can return to his presence. Anytime we make an effort to genuinely love someone else, we are moving in the direction of loving like the Savior loved.

As I have made the constant effort to love others more every day, I have felt the Lord supporting me every step of the way. The Lord's perfect love is described as charity, and charity is described as: 

...kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (Moroni 7:45)

Christ's love is perfect! When we strive to really love as he loved, both with loving God and with loving others, the Lord has emphasized it as the single most important Christlike attribute we can obtain.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. (Moroni 7: 46,47)