Video of Cory at the Salt Lake Airport, heading to the Mission Training Center

 This is the day before Cory went to the Mission Training Center.  We had a special time that day.

 Right before Cory got set apart.  This is a picture of what the new Fort Collins Temple will look like.

I thought I got a picture of Cory and Ellaina together but don't seem to have it so this will do.

 Telling our dog Gid goodbye.  Gid's ears are the softest part of him.

 At the Denver Airport.

 He is Smiling!  He wants everyone to be HAPPY.

 Having lunch at JDawgs with his Aunt Anna who took him to the MTC and cousin Charlie.

Being dropped off at the Mission Training Center by my Aunt Anna and cousin Charlie who is 3 yrs old.

Cory's Talk in Church Before Leaving! :)

Leaving On Mission Talk

            I am Cory Vernon and I am called to serve in the Brazil, Santa Maria Mission in southern Brazil’s cowboy “gaucho” country, so I am giving a talk.

In a recent talk President Uchtdorf related his family’s escape from East Germany to West Germany along with stories such as The Wizard of Oz and the Hobbit to illustrate how “we love… stories because we see ourselves in [them]” and are all part of a wonderful story that ideally ends with returning to our Heavenly Father.

            Now here is a fun story of my own, my first Klondike campout I went on with the scout troop. I was 12 years old and excited to go up and play in feet and feet of snow; and I, like any good boy scout worth his pocketknife, was going to be prepared… I got each and every single piece of my snow gear together in preparation for the upcoming winter fun.

            But was I truly prepared?

            I figured that I had everything from my mess kit to my boots. After the drive up to the camping area, I joyfully left the car and began to enjoy the chill air and cool snow as we set up camp. Soon I decided to put on the extra snow gear I thought I had prepped before coming on the campout.

            My winter coat was still at home, carefully placed in a special place so I wouldn’t forget it—I forgot it. Most of my winter gear still found its way up with me; however, incidentally, just because I had some snow gear didn’t mean I was prepared.

The pair of gloves I had chosen to bring for myself failed to wriggle on to my rapidly freezing fingers. The gloves were simply too small to fit on my hands; the last time I had worn the gloves had been about a year earlier! At the time it was frightening because my fingers seemed to swell like hard balloons to twice their normal size as blood flowed through my hands trying to warm them up.

            Suffice it to say, despite my ill-preparedness everything still turned out alright. Yes I faced the embarrassment of going to the lodge to warm up and feel my hands go from painful to clammy to normal, and I had leaders who understood that one of the scouts would probably not bring snow gear on the campout who provided me with the extra coat I needed.

            The rest of the Klondike campout was enjoyable and relatively warm from the pancakes we stirred to the metal beast of a sleigh we hauled around all the way to the frozen Tampico orange juice we ate.

            So now, how does my little experience relate to my going on a mission, the Book of Mormon, and the joys of the Temple?

            The people I teach on my mission will all be at various stages of their own personal stories:

Some will be prepared and feel the spirit as I teach, akin to having all the needed snow gear on my Klondike campout all ready to find the joy of Christ’s gospel.

Others will be at the point that they feel pain and will turn to their Savior regardless of any embarrassment they may have to deal with (although my heading to the lodge hardly compares in difficulty to the change of lifestyle the gospel often requires).

Others will be like I was when I thought I was prepared and will be unwilling or not notice how the gospel and Jesus Christ can help them be happy. They may not even realize how much they need Christ’s love and Atonement

And still others will be perhaps like the cold winter snow, cruel and hurtful as I strive to serve them, but also they are Children of God who like the snow can be soft; they can be welcoming and bring joy in the right setting at the right time.

            The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, akin to the bible, and is the keystone of my faith. It has been said “Take away the Book of Mormon…and where is our religion? We have none.”

            As stated in the introduction to the Book of Mormon, it is the “most correct of any book on earth.” The Book of Mormon tells the true story of God’s people in the America’s and witnesses of Jesus Christ, “contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” and the Book of Mormon stands as the foundation for a testimony in Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon witnesses of Christ’s Atonement!

            In Doctrine and Covenants section 17 verse 6 Christ says that “as your Lord and your God liveth it is true.” The Book of Mormon is true! J

            In the book itself the prophets often retell the purpose of the Book of Mormon. 1^st Nephi chapter 6 verse 4 tells that the Book of Mormon’s “intent is [to] persuade men to come unto… God.”  In Omni chapter 1 verse 26 the challenge is made for all to “come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him.” And the Book of Mormon is written “as if [we] were present” to bring us to Christ in Mormon chapter 8 verse 35.

            The Bible and Book of Mormon work together like in 2 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 1 as “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” The Book of Mormon and the Bible both testify of Christ.

            In addition to working with the Bible to bring all unto Christ the Book of Mormon also answers what President Ezra Taft Benson says are “the great questions of the soul.”

            The Book of Mormon affirms that there is a God, explains life before and after death, helps us understand the purpose of life, and helps us feel that we are children of our Heavenly Father in addition to answering countless other questions such as: How can a family be happy and united? How can one find peace and joy? And many other personal questions.

            Another cool thing about the Book of Mormon is that its truth confirms the rest of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “…All objections… basically hinge on whether Joseph Smith and his successors were and are prophets of God receiving divine revelation… The only problem [an] objector has to resolve is whether the Book of Mormon is true. For if the Book of Mormon is true then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was his prophet, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true, and it is being led by a prophet receiving revelation.”

            Wonderfully, the Book of Mormon also offers for all to learn and exercise faith themselves; Moroni chapter 10 versus 3-5 make the promise that if someone reads the Book of Mormon, prays, and ponders over it,  that they will get an answer of its truth. Moroni writes; “that [if] ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

            The Book of Mormon teaches the Gospel and brings people unto Christ. Faith in the Book of Mormon will lead to baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and eventually to the temple.

            The true focus of sharing the gospel is to “invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”

The temple works in harmony with the purpose of missionarywork. The Book of Mormon draws people unto Christ and so does the Temple. When I teach people on my mission, I hope that they will choose to not only get baptized but to also choose to strive to go to the temple.

In the temple ordinances are performed for the living as well as vicariously for the dead. A phrase that President Gordan B. Hinkley said that I feel describes missionarywork as well as templework is “that which goes on in the House of the Lord… comes nearer to the spirit of sacrifice of the Lord than any activity of which I know. Why? Because it is done by those who give freely of time and substance, without any expectation of thanks or reward, to do for others that which they cannot do for themselves.”

Prior to my leaving on my mission, I have had the uniquely amazing opportunity to work as an ordinance worker in the Denver Colorado Temple, “I know that the temple is the House of God and that the temple is the place to be. I know that to be worthy of and to hold a temple recommend to enter the temple offers the opportunity to help others as well as learn for oneself more about the Gospel. The temple is a place of joy and a place to glimpse how happiness can continue into eternity. And I know that the Book of Mormon and faith in it eventually leads to faith in Christ and the work that is done in the temple.”

Additionally, family history and genealogical work are like missionarywork and are templework. On my mission I will hopefully provide an environment for the people I teach to be taught by the spirit so that they too can come to love the Book of Mormon and the Temple.  A scripture that is quoted in all of the standard Mormon scriptures is partially fulfilled in the temple; Malachi chapter 4 verses 5 and 6 tell of the spirit of Elijah and how “he will turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers. The Temple is about our savior Jesus Christ and eternal families!

Recently my family and I were invited to attend the Fort Collins Temple Groundbreaking. There was joy at that gathering. While there, it presented a unique time to think about how missionarywork and templework are connected. Heavenly Father loves his children and provides numerous ways for his eternal family to return unto him if they so choose. Again, the temple is about families being together forever, there is something exquisite about having family members in a place that will be used to help other families find lasting joy. I know that my service as a missionary will help other families have the opportunity to be together forever.

On my mission I doubt that I will trudge through feet of snow like I did on my first Klondike. Instead I foresee myself walking and walking and sharing what I know of Jesus Christ and his Atonement, the Book of Mormon, and the joy and peace of the temple with others so that they can have a chance to come unto the Savior. I hope many will choose to accept the invitation to be baptized and much much more. I cannot force or convince anyone to do anything, but I know that by serving others, they will be open to the Spirit and if they so choose, continue on to baptism, the temple, enduring hardships, and being with their families forever!

Bear Testimony J

In the Single’s Ward: I bore my testimony about how I know the Book of Mormon is true, how the temple is awesome, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that the Church is true. I also said how I want to share the joy the gospel brings to people.

In the Home Ward: I bore my testimony like in the Single’s Ward but I also quoted hymn #301 I am a Child of God; “I am a child of God, and he has sent me here, has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear, lead me, guide me, walk beside me, teach me all that I must do, to live with him someday.” And talked about how in institute we discussed that “teach me all that I must do” originally had “know” instead of “do” and how a progression from knowing and doing could be to “be” or becoming. I also quoted 1^st Nephi 3:7 (And it came to pass that I Nephi said unto my father, I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way that they may accomplish the things that he commandeth them) because Nephi went and did because he knew what was right and he became a good example of following God.

Other stuff I thought about saying in my testimony but did not say in my talk: Doctrine and Covenants section 88 verse 73 where the Lord talks about hastening the work in his own time. Jacob chapter 5 where the Lord of the vineyard and his servants get more servants to work in the vineyard. Doctrine and Covenants section 84 verse 88 because I know that there will be angels round about me to bear me up on my mission through times of trial and difficulty. Ezekiel 37: 15-17 because it talks about the Book of Mormon and Bible working together as the stick of Judah and the stick of Ephraim. Moses 1:39 because God’s work and his glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. President Thomas S. Monson’s talk on “Seeing Others as They May Become.” And more! J

            In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

(Materials I used in preparing this talk include the most recent General Conference Ensign, The Book of Mormon, The Old Testament, The New Testament, the Pear of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants, Preach My Gospel (especially section 5) seminary scripture mastery cards, and Gospel Doctrine lessons 30 and 40 which are about the temple, and more that I am forgetting at the moment) J

Santa Maria Brazil!

I have been called to serve a two year mission for my church in Santa Maria Brazil starting September 18th 2013!

My Mom took a picture of me by the American Flag

I will be going to the Provo MTC

My visa has not been processed yet so I will be starting my mission at the Provo Utah Missionary Training Center! :)