This Looks Like A Nice Place

My dad drives truck for a living.  When I was younger I went on a trip with him.  He happened to be going to Los Angeles, California.  I am sure that I annoyed him as I every 2 hours or so had to stop and go to the bathroom.  I'm sure he was more ready to be there than I was by the time we got to our destination.  As we drove into Los Angeles this is what I saw (the above picture).  I loved it.  I am from a small town and so this was something that I had never really seen before.  I couldn't help but love the sky-scrapers and beauty of all the buildings.  I said to my dad, "This is so cool!  Can we live here?  I really want to!"  My dad just chuckled.  He knew what the city was really like and what I was soon going to be seeing.  In not very long the scenery changed from beauty to something else.  This is what I was now seeing (well as close as I could find!) :

I didn't like what I was seeing now.  I immediately changed my mind from what I thought before.  I now, no longer wanted to live in Los Angeles.  I turned to my dad and told him never mind.  He laughed some more, a little harder this time.  I'm sure he figured that I would say that once we really got into the city.  

Satan does this to us sometimes, but by the time we get into the city it's hard to get out.  Just as there's tons of traffic in L.A. and it doesn't just take 2 seconds to turn around and get out of there.  Satan is deceptive and makes things look nice until we get into them.  Just as he makes us accept behavior that is far outside of what Heavenly Father wants for us.  We don't need to be deceived as we listen to the prophets and follow the counsel of our church leaders.  Let us all live where we truly want to and not where Satan has deceptively conned us into living.  

If ye are prepared... YE SHALL NOT FEAR!!!!

My companion came from a part of the world that it doesn't get particularly cold.  When she got here, thankfully we were old friends (literally, we were roommates in college) and I was able to be completely honest with her.  When she was unpacking I said, "Where's your coat?" 
She's responded, "It's right here!" And then she held up like a spring/fall jacket from American Eagle.  I looked at her and just started to laugh. 
I said, "Sister Green, that is not a coat.  You will freeze this winter.  You need to get a COAT and not a jacket."  She proceeded to tell me that this coat was very warm and it had worked for winters in St. George.  I explained that winters here were VERY different than any other winter she had ever experienced.  Thankfully she took the wise advise of one who has experienced a Montana winter, and let's just face it someone that is super smart :), and wrote home to her parents to please find and send a real coat.  So, also as she unpacked we discussed the need for boots and she wisely sent home for those as well.  While we were waiting for her to receive her winter attire we both worried that it may turn off cold and she would freeze.  Thankfully her parents came to the rescue and she received her needed winter gear.
This morning as my companion and I were leaving, Sister Green turned to me and said, "Ya know what!  I'm kind of excited for winter now that I'm prepared."  This statement hit me hard.  How true this is!  When we are prepared we don't fear!  The gospel gives us the tools to prepare to return to live with Heavenly Father (comparable to the winter coat and boots) and then we decide whether to use these tools and actually prepare to meet him again.  Will you be wearing your coat this winter?!