Thinking about humility

 Hey Jake,

I'm at work this morning and you have come to mind several times as I've sat here and gone between projects and tasks. This will be quick as I don't want to take much time. In fact, I'm not even sure what I am going to say, other than what the title says. I've been thinking of you and how you demonstrate humility.

Your experience in the temple has to be one of the most direct messages of the Spirit I have heard of. Simply put, you were there looking for answers to your own needs and the Spirit told you the answer, to not look after your own concerns. I don't imagine there were angles singing, or rays of light, or organ music, or even gushing tears. There was just that still, small voice that you heard clearly and directly because you put yourself in a position to hear it. That's how the Spirit talked to you. There are always great stories of spiritual experiences that you hear in testimony meetings or other places. I never want to discount those. But often in public, we as people, want to feel gratified again and may embellish or overstate the experience. Or, in recalling a story the outcome is known and the overall emotion of the experience comes with that wave of emotion. But in my experience, the real time experience of feeling the Spirit is simple, direct, and personal. 

The reason humility came to mind Jacob is that you are serving in humility. You're not running around telling everyone of your spirituality, or your experiences, or your joy, or any of that. You are working. You are recognizing and addressing your shortcomings, and you are dragging your natural self out of it's tendencies and weaknesses to do a little better. The reason you guys hate the "AP" types or the "righteous" types is because those people outwardly project and exaggerate their "Spirituality". Because you are a humble servant, you know that that Spirit is not yours, you do not own or control it, you hope for it, pray for it, and demonstrate faith as you wait for it to help you teach God's children, and to help you be a better servant.

Jake, just keep doing your best, working a little harder, and opening your mouth even when you have no idea what to say. I believe the Lord does not want us to get in the way of His message, he just wants us to deliver it.

I love you kid, I admire you so much. Keep going, keep growing.

pops