Open When... You are struggling with a companion.

Put all frustrations, hurt feelings, and grumblings into the perspective of your eternal hope. Light will flow into your soul.

If someone hurts you so much that your feelings seem to choke you, forgive and you will be free again.

My Dear Hermana HW,

Companions are so hard! Having someone constantly around for six weeks or more requires a lot of patience. My first companion and I did not get along. She betrayed my trust by telling one of the elders a story I had told to our “investigator” and had asked her to not tell others. By the end of the CCM all we did was tolerate being around each other. Both of us would have been a lot better off if we had had a little more patience.

“Life is full of difficulties, some minor and others of a more serious nature. There seems to be an unending supply of challenges for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such challenges, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required.” (Thomas S. Monson, PMG 120)

Be patient and understanding with your companion. Have a companionship inventory. If that doesn’t work out, then you are going to have to exercise a lot of humility. One thing that I did with my companion that restored our relationship better than anything else happened after our nightly prayer. While we were still on our knees, I looked at my companion and asked her, “What can I do to be a better companion for you?” It took her by surprise and some of the things she said absolutely stung. But with the help of the Spirit, I exercised humility and listened to everything she had to say. And then I worked on them. As she saw me trying to make myself better, she began to ask me how she could improve. It worked really well for us, and it may work well with one of your companions.

I hope you can feel the love of your Heavenly Father, your family, your friends, and especially me, your sister. You are an amazing, wonderful, beautiful, intelligent person. I pray that your companions will all see that. I pray that your companions will be good friends of yours. None can be your best friend, because that is my job… But you can love them, and they can love you.

Smile and know that everyone you meet is your brother or sister!

I love you!

Heather

When you cannot love someone, look into that person's eyes long enough to find the hidden rudiments of the child of God in them.

The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken

by hatching the egg, not by smashing it. 

“So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment.”

-Thomas S. Monson

“We are not perfect. The people around us are not perfect. People do things that annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life it will always be that way. Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things. That is the Lord’s way. Remember, heaven is filled with those who have this in common: They are forgiven. And they forgive.”

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Where love is, there is no disputation. Where love is, there is no contention. Where love is, there God will be also. Each of us has the responsibility to keep His commandments.”

-Thomas S. Monson

Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. 

-Jeffrey R. Holland