Vendettas or Holding Grudges...

Who is it hurting?  Who is it supposed to hurt?

Think about it...

Now think some more...

Do you have an answer?

It's not fun to admit, but you are the only one getting hurt and it's you hurting yourself!

Not only that, but you are most likely hurting others that you care most about by taking offense to anything that even looks like you are not being supported.  What?  What are you saying?

That's right--you are  hurting people that weren't involved in your charade/dispute and even more-so everyone involved at all in the episode, whether you like it or not!

Are you saying I'm hurting them?

Yes!

Are you saying I'm hurting him?

Are you saying I'm hurting her?

NO!

Just stop.  Stop it!

JPS

Missionary Work

The way that I see it, you either do missionary work because of one of two reasons (or most likely both):

1) you have had or are having an experience like Alma the Younger or Paul and you can't bare the thought of any of your brothers or sisters being pained like you have experienced and can't stand the thought of them being tormented like you have been; or,

2) you are excited to spread the word because of your love of God and of your fellow-men and want to preach the gospel to all the world.

That or you don't do missionary work and, like Elder Anderson said in April of 2013, you just hope that the guilty feeling that bothers you for not sharing your testimony will simply go away and bother someone else!

No condemnation is coming from me--Jesus Christ is everyone's final Judge--sure, it's true that He didn't judge while on the Earth.  You can remember Him or His words, though, when He spoke to the woman taken in adultery, whom He freely and frankly forgave: "Go and sin no more."

You see, Jesus Christ has the power and authority to forgive, not only at the final judgement, but also here on the Earth.  That is a giant and gigantic blessing to me and to everyone here on the Earth!  Repent and He will forgive.

Open your mouth.  I find and see that most people do missionary work (or they excuse themselves from doing any more missionary work) by sharing their example.  That's great and good and even necessary, but in the end, it will be insufficient.  A good example should run all-throughout your life, but then, when the Spirit prompts (and it will prompt if you have taken the sacrament and are worthy of it still, and why shouldn't you be?  Remember, no condemnation here...); share your testimony.  Say something!  Open your mouth!

If you feel the weight of the sins that you've repented-of and are now clean, open your mouth!  Help someone else that may be in a similar situation that you've experienced.  If you love God and your fellow-man, open your mouth!  God's spirit, THE spirit, the HOLY SPIRIT will help you and will fill your now-open-mouth with the words that you need to say.

Don't trust me?  Try it.  Do it.  You'll not only never know unless you see if the promise bears fruit(s) just like you'll never be able to say whether this post was right or a lie unless you do it...  Otherwise, it could always be asked, "Well, did you try it out?"  If your answer is, "No," then just stop it!  Stop it and open your mouth!

JPS