Amos 3:7

“This week I came to the weirdest realization, that too many members don't actually have strong testimonies of a living prophet. The members like what the prophet tells us at General Conference but don't actually take that as direct council from Heavenly Father and apply it. It's turning into a pet peeve, here is an example: so the prophet President Thomas S. Monson changed the age missionaries can serve. Here I am serving at 21, so the age change doesn't really affect me but I hear people talk about it all the time. Lately people think it's okay to make fun of the age change to me and say how ridiculous that such young, immature children can serve, thinking that I am going to agree. Nope, if a prophet said it than I am more than cool with it. It's just sad to me that we have a living prophet for our age, to give us current counsel from Heavenly Father- he is the mouthpiece for Heavenly Father on earth, and yet some people still think that they know better than him. Sad times. Luckily, the majority of people realize what a great blessing this is, and act with faith on what we've been told. Now to a lighter topic. I say a lot of things wrong here is running list of things lately. All enthusiastically I said to a member "You know what they say: every member a member." Instead of every member a missionary. We were talking about the moisture I said "well it is Monson season, instead of monsoon season. I was telling the Ward missionaries that the Missionary Broadcast in June was going to be historic because President Hinckley was speaking. Yup, our dear past away President Hinckley. How bad. I also informed the ward missionaries that a member lived in Salt Lake instead of saying Las Vegas. I think I was thinking Provo is to Salt Lake as Henderson is to Las Vegas. Who knows though? I love serving a mission. It's the greatest! The funniest, weirdest things happen every day. I love you, and miss you all." 

Alma 5:26

"I have been out for 4 months! Where does time go! Four months is the longest that I have ever been away from home, and so I am a little worried that I'll get homesick now, but we'll see. I don't think I will because good news everyone I think I have finally reached that "the gospel is the only thing that matters, how can anyone have time for anything else" stage in being a missionary. I still relate to people, and understand but then at the same time I'm like "wait you don't go to church? What do you do with yourself?" I still understand that reading the scriptures can be hard for people but I will never understand when people can't pray. It's sooo easy to pray! You just get down on your knees, and talk! And you get hundreds of blessings, and good feelings in return. Everyone should just pray ("I just have a lot of feelings" I guess I'm not so far gone that I can't quote a teen movie.) I've always been known to have a passion for the gospel but now that is all I can really talk about it's a burning fire. We have been encouraging all the members to have a nonmember or less active at our dinner appointments. Our dinner appointment brought his cute nonmember friend to dinner, and we taught her the Restoration! She said that she wants to learn more. We asked her to read the Book of Mormon, and she said "Umm sure, I mean I've always wanted to read it so maybe this is a sign, so yeah, yes I will read it." Miracle, oh miracle! Usually people are all "umm..." Turns out people like things fast in this modern day, and don't want to read a full book to know the truthfulness of the gospel. Well God is good. I love being a missionary. Write me letters or emails because I love those too. Love you long time." 

2 Nephi 27:23

Blessed, glorious, celestial week! So to be honest it was a week most like the others. Visiting, visiting, visiting. Until the blessed Sabbath rolled around. My first week in the field we met with Ashley. We have been meeting with her ever since. She is a delight. She had kind of stopped progressing until bam she came to church two weeks in a row, we taught her a magical lesson about the Atonement, and she came up to us after sacrament meeting and asked us if we would pray for a baptismal date for her! Blessed day! She has had two baptismal dates before but really didn't seem to understand that without being baptized she couldn't have full access to the Atonement, and we didn't want to pressure her. We felt that if we just kept our faith up knowing the time would come it would. And it did! God really is a God of miracles. People always act like miracles are magic but truly miracles are just the natural reaction of faith. When there is faith there is a miracle. Sometimes that miracle doesn't come until after the trail of our faith, sometimes it comes fast, and I've even noticed that I had miracles in my life that I didn't recognize until years after the fact. Heavenly Father is the same today, yesterday, and forever. That means that when we keep the commandments we are blessed. It's always been this way, and it will always be this way. Isn't that the greatest? Oh I love the restored gospel. Oh I love being a missionary. Oh I love being obsessed with the gospel, and no one can judge me because I am a missionary. (Shout out to me before my mission.)
So I went to a mall for the first time since being set apart. That was weird. Everyone just stared at me trying to read my name tag. Talk about being self conscious. Then there is just worldly music being blasted every which way. Which I didn't so much mind, but then I remembered that I was a missionary, that I couldn't just do a little grape vine, and then it got a little awkward. I got a little overwhelmed in Forever 21. There are just music, bumping, clothes, and people everywhere. I found a skirt that covers my lovely lady knees, and was 50% off so that was nice. (Thank heavens that no one in Vegas wants to be as clothed as the missionaries so all the modest clothes are always on sale.) I am loving being on my mission. Of course I miss all my people but its great serving the Lord." 

D&C 28:16

 "Hiiii, everything is great as ever. I love being on a mission more and more everyday. I think part of that is because I understand my role, and who I am as a missionary better and better everyday. It was harder at first because I was confused with how to act, and what to say. Now, I just act how I think and say what words come out of my mouth and it's perfect. The greatest miracle that I am seeing on my mission lately is that when I just start talking the Holy Ghost always tells me what to say. Often times this last week people were telling me that they really appreciate what I said, or that it was what they needed to hear, or something along those lines. Its so great because I know that it is not me at all. There is nothing about Shealeigh Smith that could help these people, I know that it is all the Lord, and I LOVE that. Truly, the help that I could bring as Shealeigh is nothing compared to the eternal happiness that me being Sister Smith for 18 months can bring these people. I love the restored gospel. It lights up my life, and makes everything right."

Alma 34:37

"Does anyone realize how short a year and a half is? How short eighteen months is? I have only been out 3.5 months but it feels like I have only been out a week. It feels so short. One thing that I like to do so I realize how short a mission is is to look at expiration dates and compare it with how much longer I'll be out. I ate some cashews before my mission that would not expire until I was already home from my mission. My deodorant doesn't expire until I'll be home for 6 months. My yogurt doesn't expire for a month and I'll be out for almost 5 months by then. Does this make sense? Well it does to me. It really freaks me out. It helps me realize that my time on my mission is precious and it is up to me how I will use this time. A mission will always be a part of who I am. I can use my agency to decide how I will let it affect my life. I'm happy. My ward is doing great. We had 5 less-actives at church! I love less-actives. I am so excited for when I get home from my mission, and I can help out the church and do my visiting teaching! Less-actives just need a friend, and visiting teaching is how the church gives everyone a friend. Oh, the church is so true! It's insane how true it is. LOVE YOU!"