July 13, 2020

Here is Elder Trezise's letter:

Hello family!

This week was pretty normal. We had a good amount of lessons, and got soooooooooooo close to finding a new person to teach. We'll get him. His names Ricardo. He's a good kid. Loves the Bible. Other than that, not too much happening this week. 

 

I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to participate in the family's weekly studies this week, even if I didn't get to be a part of the discussion at the end. I hope you all enjoyed the talks. "Be 100% Responsible" is one of my favorites of all time! It's so good! And it really teaches us how much control we have over our lives. Other people's choices don't change the outcome of our lives, just the course. Same destination. What decisions we make despite others agency is where our true character lies. Being 100% responsible is what allows us to have full control of our lives. Because if we are responsible, then no matter what others do, we will still have the option to make the outcome what we want it to be. Of course that's a lot easier said then done though. 

 

I remember in one of our Mission Leadership Councils, President told us that the mission was struggling with its key indicators. It was one of my first MLC's, and I was really new to being a Zone Leader. The Ammon Zone, which I was the Zone Leader of wasn't struggling with key indicators at all. In fact we were leading the mission. But I made up my mind that I wouldn't be complacent just because we were thriving. During our next Zone Council I gave a training using that talk, and told them all the we were 100% responsible for helping the mission reach its goals. We spent 45 brainstorming how we could be doing better; and how we could help other zones do better. Out of the Elders and Sisters in the zone at the time, over the next 6 months six of them became members of the MLC. They held their zones and Sister districts to the same standards I held them to. The Ammon Zone continued to improve, and other zones starting improving. I got to participate in the first cross zone exchange to help find new people to teach. The whole mission began to assume responsibility, and I got to see first hand at the end of December when we broke our missions finding record. Then a month later when we broke the sacrament record. Then the baptismal date one. And we were lined up to break the baptismal one when the virus hit. But the point is, we saw the issue, and we worked together as a team, each individual assuming full responsibility to fix it. It was incredible to see. And all of it happened because we each had a passion to fix the problem. Did all this stem from that training? Of course not. Everything stems from within the individual. 

 

I was lucky enough to be speaking to some of the most dedicated men and women I've ever met. Ones who despite what I was saying, probably took more responsibility for the problem then I did. They were converted to the Gospel. And when we are converted we are willing to try our hardest. To push ourselves. Grandma and Grandpa sent me a package for Christmas with a bunch of cut out quotes on little papers. Those sit on the wall right in front of my desk so that every time I look up I see them. And one of my favorites, that's right at the bottom is by President Nelson. He said,

"True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to stand out, to speak up, and be different from the people of the world. They are undaunted, courageous, and devoted." 

 

Are you willing to stand out? To speak up? To be different? Are you willing to advocate what's right because it is right, and not because it is easy? Stand up and be who the Savior wants you to be. Who He expects you to be. 

 

I love you and know that each of us are capable of doing what God wants us to do. Of being who God wants us to be. And being that person not because God wants us to be him, but because WE want to be him. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

-Elder Trezise