New York

We survived New York. 

But I have good news and bad news. 

I still love it. 

That's good because I was worried I wouldn't.

Bad because I'm still convinced I need to end up there. Soon. 

I want to share my experiences with you all. Mostly because I haven't written in my journal about them yet, and this is almost as good. Right? 

We started upstate, doing all of the church history stuff. This was honestly the part I was least excited for. 

Don't worry, I was wrong. 

It was beautiful there. And the Spirit there is something else. I learned that the early saints were So. Humble. 

Patient. 

Willing to follow God. 

I need to be more like that. 

It was so amazing to be in the Sacred Grove. To feel the spirit there was second, for me, only to the temple. 

I have always had a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. It has definitely been a weak spot in my testimony, though. Because how can someone so young do so many great things? And it's easy to immortalize a person like that. 

But being in his home, in the grove of trees behind his house, helped me to realize that he truly was just a humble servant. 

Willing to ask God what He had in store for him. 

And then, even more courageously, to act on it. And I don't doubt for one second that at some point, young Joseph didn't think "why me?" And "really? This is too hard. Too much. So many people are stronger and smarter and more prepared for this" 

You know, the kind of thoughts I can't seem to shake lately. Tell me I'm not alone. 

But reality is that we are each of those things. We are strong enough and good enough and prepared enough. Because if God can qualify a 14 year old boy to restore His truth and His gospel, surely He can qualify each of us. 

Xo, 

Car