A Decade Never to be Forgotten

Jethro D. Jones: All right.

Welcome to a decade,
never to be Forgotten.

Um, today we have Savannah Dean who's
joining us, and for those of you who

are new and just hearing this for
the first time, I'm Jethro Jones.

Let me just set up what this looks like.

Um, this is, uh, based on Elder
Stevenson's October, 2024 talk where

he talked about the next 10 years gonna
be a decade, never to be forgotten.

And so what we're gonna do with Savannah
is every year for the next decade, we're

going to share in the moment what's making
this a decade never to be forgotten.

And, uh, I'm really grateful to
Savannah for participating in this.

So Savannah, thanks so
much for being here.

I appreciate it.

Savannah Dean: Yeah, thanks for having me.

I'm super excited to do this.

Jethro D. Jones: Well, uh,
gosh, where do we start?

You just got back from a mission, and
so I think I'd like to start there.

What are the things you want to
remember for in 10 years about

your experience on a mission?

Savannah Dean: I think that,
um, really the mission is

just such a great experience.

Like I learned so much in those 18
months more than I learned probably

my whole life in those 18 months,
just about myself, about the lord,

about the scriptures, about the
gospel, just about so many things.

So, I don't know.

I think it's really sad when missionaries
like dedicate their whole lives for

a couple years to go on a mission
and after they kind of fall out

of, out of the, those good habits.

So one of my goals is really to just,
just remember what I've learned and, and

keep those good habits, keep doing those
phone simple things to really springboard

me into my future to really help me out.

Jethro D. Jones: Good.

So what are those small and simple
things that you wanna keep doing?

I.

Savannah Dean: I think, for example, like
reading the scriptures, because before the

mission, I, I liked the Book of Mormon.

I I thought it was true, but
I just did not understand it.

So I would read the book Mormon every
day before my mission, just like a

verse before I went to bed, just to
like check, check it off the list.

But, um, I was really nervous in,
in the MTC 'cause I was like, oh my

goodness, I'm going to have to read
the scriptures for one hour every day.

There is no way I can study
for an hour every day.

And I remember telling this to my parents
and I just remember in MTCI just prayed

for the desire to read the scriptures
because I really did not enjoy doing it.

And it was the most amazing experience
because, um, in the MTCI just

decided, okay, I'm gonna buy a brand
new book of Mormon and some colored

pencils and just start it over.

And I said a prayer that morning.

I could be able to
understand the scriptures.

And I started reading and that hour
flew by so fast and I literally could

not stop reading the Book of Mormon.

It was amazing.

I could not put the book down,
which is crazy because I had never

read it like that before and it
just came together like a story.

And really that experience in the
MTC helped me just love the Book

of Mormon so much and just, just
appreciate it and learn so much.

And I was able to get almost
daily revelation from, from that

throughout my entire mission.

So I really wanna keep up those good
reading habits, not just to check

it off the list, but to really get
something out of it every single day.

Jethro D. Jones: Okay, so
reading the scriptures is one.

What are some other
things that you wanna do?

Savannah Dean: Um, I think also,
um, these are all the, the primary

answers, but they're really so
important, I think praying too.

I think part of praying that's really
important is praying with faith.

Um, one of my, we had like a zone
conference and my mission president taught

us this one time at a zone conference.

So when we pray with faith,
we're not just asking for things.

So like, as a missionary,
sometimes you ask for like, oh,

help us to find the chosen people.

Help us that we can, like put,
put someone on baptism date.

Help us that we can
talk to 20 people today.

But my mission president taught
us to, before we leave the

house, say prayers of faith.

So instead of saying, please, please help
us that we can find 20 people today, we

would say like, heavenly father, thank
you so much for the 20 people that we

are gonna find today and we're grateful
for, for the family that you're gonna

put in our path and help us, that we
can be brave enough to talk to them.

So we would just kind of change the
format of our prayers and that really

helped me notice more than miracles and
kind of rely more on, on God with it.

So I don't know if it's really
made , if this is really making

sense, but, but instead of

Jethro D. Jones: is.

Savannah Dean: yeah, instead of just
praying, kinda like wishful thinking.

It's like applying that faith by like,
okay, thank you for the family that

you're gonna put in our path today.

And like, we are promising you that if
we see a family, like we are gonna do

our best to go out and talk to them,
and then we're gonna see a miracle.

And sometimes you don't see the miracle
right away, but, but I've had some

pretty cool experiences where, where
we have found those 20 people or we

have talked to that family and even
though maybe they didn't get baptized,

like we, we saw a ton of miracles.

And I think it was a way for, for us to,
or for me to learn how to follow the,

the promptings of the spirit better.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

I want to talk about that a
little bit more because we.

We're taught how to pray, but then
we so easily do rote prayers or Thank

you for this, please bless this.

And we don't put a lot of thought into it.

So tell us about some of the experiences
that made that, uh, praying with Faith

come alive and what did that look like?

Savannah Dean: Mm-hmm . Okay.

Um,

yes.

I'm just like thinking for a

Jethro D. Jones: That's okay.

You're allowed to think.

Take your time.

Savannah Dean: Okay.

Yeah.

So I remember, um, in one of my
areas, I just got into a new area

and kind of a long backstory.

So I'll just do it really short.

Basically, I. Um, I had a really hard
area early on in my mission and then

I got transferred out and then a few
months later I got the notice that I

would be re returning to this area,
my old area that I did not like.

And this is not common at all.

Missionaries rarely go back to the
same ward that they already served in.

So I got the news and I was so devastated.

I was like, oh my goodness,
that area is so hard.

It's so hot.

No one there is interested.

Just like, I do not wanna go there.

Um, but I, I ended up going there and I
wanted to have a really good attitude.

And I remember the very first day that
I was back in the second area, um,

um, we were just walking down the
street and I was trying to have a

good attitude and talk to people.

And I talked to someone on the
street and they're like, . I remember

you from like eight months ago.

I'm still not coming to church.

And I ran into like, seriously, like
eight people my first day back in

the area that were like, I already
know you, like you've invited me.

So I was just so sad.

I was just like, how am I gonna
be here for a really long time?

I, I cannot do this.

Um, so I was, yeah, I was pretty
sad and feeling pretty discouraged,

but that night I just decided that
I could not let that get me down.

And I talked to my companion and
we decided that we were going to

incorporate those prayers of faith.

And it was amazing.

We would say these prayers of faith like
heavenly father help us, that we can

talk to 15 people today, or that we can,
we can do these things or thank you for

the 15 people we're gonna talk to today.

Um, and we just saw such specific
miracles come out of that and.

Um, I mean, there's a, there's a
million stories from this transfer

of people that, that we found.

But, um, one example is we were
just walking, um, we're walking

down the street and we had
prayed to find a family this day.

So we're walking down the street, down
the street that I've walked past a

thousand times and I've knocked probably
almost all the doors on that street.

And I, I just see this house and I told
my ki, I just told my container, I'm

like, I think we should knock this house.

And like I asked her, have
you knocked this door?

And she's like, no.

And I'm like, I'm pretty sure I
knocked this door eight months ago,

but we're just gonna go anyways.

So we knocked on this door that I had
already knocked before and out came a

mother and her three daughters and they
had just moved there a week before.

And we just shared a really short
message just out on the doorstep.

We got their phone number.

We asked to come back, um, a couple
days later and invited them to church.

And it was such a miracle because
this family came to church and I've

never met people so receptive and so
prepared and ready to hear the gospel.

And I do believe that we found this
family because of the praise of faith

that, that we had said, because we
specifically asked God for their family.

And, and when the moment arose,
we, we decided to follow the

prompting even though I had
already knocked that door before.

So that really was, was an answer, a
direct answer to, to my prayer of faith.

Jethro D. Jones: Well, and what's
so fascinating is on the mission

specifically, you have these experiences
and so much of it is about bringing people

to Christ and helping them be baptized.

And yet you probably had this experience
that the most, most of the miraculous

things you saw were not people actually
getting baptized, but were answers

to your own prayers and experiences
that were unique to you that, uh, you,

you said it already, there's a long
backstory, so I'll just say it short,

like there are so many things that
are interwoven into these decisions

and the situations where you're like.

How can this not be a miracle?

There's no way for this to be anything
but a miracle because of how all these

other things happened and came to be.

Was that your experience also, or was that
unique to just my missionary experience.

Savannah Dean: Yeah, for sure.

It's just crazy to.

To see that many miracles
every, every single day.

Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm

Savannah Dean: On, on the daily.

And yeah, it, it's very interesting
'cause like you said, I learned so

much on my mission, but in the moment
I wasn't really thinking about like,

oh my goodness, I'm learning so much.

I'm having so many cool experiences.

I was more just thinking about,
oh, the people that we were

teaching and, and focusing on them.

And then I feel like more, since
I've been back home, I've been

able to see like growth, the
growth that I've had spiritually.

And it's been, it's been
very cool to, to see that.

'cause it, it happened so gradually
and it's not really your focus to build

your own testimony on your mission.

I mean, it is, but, but your
focus is more on other people.

But I think that turning outwards
really, really helps you grow a

ton on the inside and see those
miracles that God has prepared.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, because
he really has prepared them.

And the other aspect of that, and that's
why we're doing this, is that it's easy

to look back over time and say, oh,
yeah, now I can see all those things.

I can connect all those dots.

And, uh, in the moment,
sometimes it's difficult.

And so as we talk over the next 10
years, you're gonna go through some major

trials that are gonna be really difficult
and you're gonna feel like there's

just no way that I can overcome this.

And yet as you do persevere and
continue to overcome them, you are

going to see, um, the blessings,
the miracles, all those things.

And it's difficult to remember
to capture all of that when

you're in the thick of a trial.

And so that's why we're gonna do this.

Even if you, life is difficult, even
if you are going through some major

tragedy, uh, we're still gonna do this.

I may have to try to twist your
arm a little bit 'cause you're

not gonna want to talk about it.

But those, those things are valuable.

And, uh, for the episode that Stacey
and I did, um, a a couple episodes

ago, um, we're going through a trial
right now and it's really difficult

and yet we see all the blessings and
all the amazing things that happen.

So I want to go back to the things
that you want to remember to do.

You said reading the
scriptures, praying with faith.

What else do you want to make sure that
you're doing the little things that you

need to do every day, uh, to go forward?

Savannah Dean: Okay.

Um, I think also, I mean, this is more
broad, but I think just being productive

because as a missionary, you literally
have every single minute of your day

planned out from the time you wake up
to the time you go to sleep at night.

And I, I, I love it so much
and even sometimes now I just

like ride out my entire day of.

Like how I want it.

And I think, um, maybe a harder part
about coming home is just not, not feeling

super productive, like sleeping in one
day and like, oh my goodness, how did

I waste, how did I waste three hours?

How did I sleep in until this time?

But I mean, obviously it's very important
to be patient with yourself, but I do want

to want to stay, stay productive and try
and do the most important things first.

'cause as a missionary, we, we always
taught people that, like, people would

be like, oh, I don't have time to, to
read scriptures, or I don't have time

to go to church or do any of that.

But really there, there is time.

We just have to prioritize it.

So, so I really wanna keep, um,
prioritizing, keep my priorities straight.

And I know it's gonna be really, really
hard, especially in the future when

I get, when I get busier, um, and
later down the road and everything.

Even like when I have kids, I know
that's gonna be really, really hard, but.

I think that is very important to keep
your priorities clear and straight.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

So how are you doing that now
back in school, in college?

How are you making that part of it work?

Savannah Dean: Okay.

Um, I'm trying, let's see.

I think the first thing is just kinda
like staying on top of my, all my

classes on all my credits and try
not to procrastinate work, but it's

been a little bit of an adjustment
coming back to school after, after

not like writing essays or, or doing
anything like that for a couple years.

But yeah, for sure, just like
staying on top of my classes and

something that I'm trying to get
better at is going to sleep on time.

Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm

Savannah Dean: I think that's like the
biggest thing, which I, I have not, I

don't know, I stayed up very late last
night, but I'm trying to, I'm trying to

get better about that, but I think just
trying to like, um, have goals like I.

Have goals in each category, like
socially, like have those goals

physically, spiritually, and
intellectually, and trying to balance

those, those four things and to get sleep.

So I guess there's, there's five
things, but, um, but yeah, I feel

like something I've done is just like
getting now my schedule's all mapped

out and I'm, I, I just barely got a job,
so I'm working like 10 hours a week.

So I think that helps me, even
though I barely work, it helps

me kind of stay in the schedule.

And then I always try and get my, my
homework and stuff done like by six

or 7:00 PM so I can have the night
free to, to have that social time.

And then like, I try and wake up earlier
so I can read the scriptures, but

sometimes it doesn't happen till later.

And then, yeah, just trying
to, to balance it that way.

And it's been a little bit of a struggle
to try and get into a good routine, but.

. But it's, it's been good.

It's been good.

So that's kind of what I'm
trying to do to stay, to stay up

Jethro D. Jones: yeah.

Savannah Dean: my feet.

Jethro D. Jones: Um, so you,
alright, so what's your job?

What did you, what are you doing?

Savannah Dean: Oh, I,
it is not the best job.

It is very basic, but I just
clean, it's called Heritage Hall,

just the dorms down at, at BYU.

So it's, it's super chill.

I just kind of sweep and mop and dust and
clean the bathroom and everything, but,

Jethro D. Jones: Excellent.

I,

Savannah Dean: it's, it's all right.

Jethro D. Jones: all, almost everybody's
done that kind of a job at some point.

And do you have to get
up super early to do it?

Savannah Dean: no, it's, it's actually
nice 'cause I, I just go right after class

Jethro D. Jones: Oh, nice.

Savannah Dean: so, so it's all campus, so

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

Savannah Dean: it makes
it super convenient.

Jethro D. Jones: good.

I did the, uh, early
morning, four 30 start time.

That was, that was brutal.

Savannah Dean: Oh man,
that does sound brutal.

Jethro D. Jones: I, I don't mind
cleaning and that you actually feel,

when you're talking about being
productive, like making something look

beautiful is really nice, but, uh, boy,
getting up at five or 4:30 AM to do it.

That is, that was tough.

And I struggled with that a lot.

Savannah Dean: That sounds so hard.

Jethro D. Jones: Which is funny
because now I get up at four 30 or five

most days without an alarm, which I
would've never thought was possible.

And yet that's, that's what I do now.

And it's just interesting how our
life changes and different things

become priorities and become easier
and other things become harder.

And it just, uh, that, that happens.

So I, I've got four things, uh,
that you want to keep doing,

reading the scriptures, pray
with faith, be productive.

And then you didn't say this explicitly,
but you put it in there, have goals.

And so that's the fourth one.

Uh, anything else that you think like,
I gotta keep doing these things every,

every day for the next 10 years?

Savannah Dean: Oh man.

Um,

oh, I feel like there's so many things.

Um, something that I do like that
I did on my mission was I wrote an

journal every single day on my mission.

Like, I don't, I maybe skipped one
day, but I wrote every single day

and it was, it helped me so much
just wind down and, and everything.

And it's been really fun to, to read back
a little bit some of my journal entries

when I was going through hard times.

So now I just kinda laugh at it
because I just know the outcome,

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

Savannah Dean: you know, um, but.

But yeah, I, I loved keeping a journal,
so I've been kind of bad at it.

I have it written every day, but
I'm trying to figure out more of

like an easier format that I can do.

So it doesn't, it's not as time consuming.

I'm just like, oh, everything
that I did that day.

But I do, I do wanna keep a journal.

I think that that would be amazing to,
to keep a journal like my entire life.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

So I also kept a journal,
uh, my whole entire mission.

And then I went like 20 years
without writing in my journal.

And I looked down at my journal and
I was like, oh my gosh, I don't have

recorded any of my kids' births.

I don't have these big life changes
that I've made over the last 20 years.

I don't have all this
stuff that I wish I had.

It is just, it's like, you know,
you, you skip a couple days and

then all of a sudden it's 15 years
and you're like, what is going on?

Savannah Dean: Oh man.

Yeah,

Jethro D. Jones: so, uh, so that's,
that's, that's a important thing to do.

Um, and I definitely wanna
encourage you to do that.

And one of the things that we're
doing with this project is at a decade

never to be forgotten.com, there's
a community tab, and then you can

click on that, and that's a 10 year
journal where it's one single prompt,

uh, every day for the next 10 years.

And you just repeat it
every year on that day.

And, um, and that is like one
to two sentences to just remind

you about what you're doing.

Did I invite you to that already?

I can't remember.

Savannah Dean: I'm not sure.

Was it an email?

Jethro D. Jones: No, I
would've texted it to you.

Savannah Dean: Okay.

I don't think I've seen that.

That sounds amazing though.

Jethro D. Jones: yeah, so, um, so I'm
working on making that a physical journal,

which I think will be even better.

Uh, but right now it's
just digital and online.

So I'll send you a link to that and
then anybody who wants to go can go to

that website a decade in average to be
forgotten.com and then click on community.

And you can do that too.

Savannah Dean: Oh, maybe I
did see something like that,

but I wasn't sure what it was.

Jethro D. Jones: Well now, you know,
'cause I just explained it to you, and

look at you like jumping in, not knowing
everything about what I'm talking about.

And you're like, I'll do this anyway.

That's, that's awesome.

Um, all right, so after journaling
every single day, anything else that

you want to make sure you do regularly?

Savannah Dean: okay.

I think I also have a goal to keep
in contact with all my companions and

with the people that I taught and.

It's been kind of hard.

I mean, it's super fun.

Sometimes it's a little time consuming and
all the coast Ricans blow up my dms and my

Messenger and everything, and my WhatsApp.

But I really, I really do wanna like
kinda stay, stay on top of it because I

know it's super hard when you're join the
church and, and when the missionaries that

taught you left, but I really do wanna
try and help them and then also stay in

touch with my, my companions that I had.

So,

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

Savannah Dean: so yeah, I'm trying to
do, like, at first I was gonna do d

like, um, weekly contact, but that's,
that's too hard to do with everyone.

So I think maybe like monthly
contact with, with them is good.

Jethro D. Jones: Um, can I give you
a little, uh, suggestion on that?

Savannah Dean: Yes, please.

Jethro D. Jones: Yep.

Uh, so what I do is I go into my messages
and I scroll all the way to the bottom

and I message the person that I haven't
messaged in the longest amount of time.

And then if you just go do that, then,
and you do that on a regular basis,

so let's say every, every day you're
just gonna scroll to the bottom and

text one person or message one person.

That's a really easy way
to stay on top of it.

And then if you, if you message them and
they, you don't talk to them again for

a long time, then you can just go back
in the next time they're at the bottom

and you'll send 'em a message again.

And honestly, Savannah, that
could be like two to three years.

And the amazing thing is, is that
when you build these connections

with people, you don't, um, I. You
don't forget the impact that you

had on them or that they had on you.

And so, even if it's been five years
since you talked to someone, they'll

be like, excited to hear from you and
you'll be excited to hear from them.

And it's, it's a good way to just make
sure that you're doing something every

day, but not overwhelming yourself.

Uh, because it is tough to stay
in touch with 75, a hundred,

200 people every single week.

So if you just take a, a slightly
different approach and say, I just wanna

do the littlest thing that I can to, to
make the biggest impact, then that's,

that's one way that I found is beneficial.

And then I find these people that I
haven't messaged for a while and it's

like, oh, I really love you and I miss
you, and I'm glad that we could reconnect.

And if you are connected with them
spiritually, I. Then it doesn't matter

how much time has passed you still, you
still love them and they still love you.

And that's a really powerful thing.

Savannah Dean: I love that, that
that's a great, I love that idea.

That's a great idea.

I will probably incorporate that.

Jethro D. Jones: Excellent.

it, it really makes it easy, uh, to, to
stay on top and feel like you're doing

something, um, and not feel overwhelmed.

And now when this comes out, you'll have
something to share with all of them also.

So that'll be good too.

Alright, anything else that you want
to, to kind of like say, this is what I

need to be doing for the next 10 years?

'cause I'm gonna follow up
with you on these things.

I

Savannah Dean: Oh good.

I hope you do follow up

Jethro D. Jones: we're gonna check
in and see how are, how's it going?

Reading scriptures.

Anything else you want
to add to this list?

Savannah Dean: Oh, probably.

Jethro D. Jones: probably.

Savannah Dean: dang,
there's a million things.

Um, um,

Jethro D. Jones: And there doesn't have
to be like, this can be good enough

'cause I got a lot more questions to ask.

Savannah Dean: Okay.

Yeah, I mean, there's a thousand things.

There's a million goals that I have, but
maybe this is a good, this is a good base.

Jethro D. Jones: yeah,
it's a good place to start.

And then if you're like thinking
about it, you can always add to

this list that you and I have this
shared note you can add to it.

Um, and then also, um, there are
some things that you're gonna

be like, ah, you know what?

Turns out praying with faith
is actually not that important.

I'm just kidding.

Of course it's important.

, you're not gonna stop that, but your
opinion and your spiritual impression

about what your prayers look like will
change over the course of your life.

And so you may need to adjust
that and, and that's totally fine.

That's part of the fun of this
is, is seeing how you progress

and grow over the next 10 years.

Um.

So let's, let's talk about you
deciding to go on a mission because,

um, I'm sure that that had some,
uh, some challenges that you saw.

I'm sure there were some, uh,
obstacles in the way and there were

some desires in the way of that,
and yet you chose to do it anyway.

What happened there and where did
you, uh, where did you come from?

And, and like what led to that point?

Savannah Dean: Okay.

So I've always thought it would be
really cool to go on a mission and

everything, and I watched like a
lot of my cousins go and come back.

Some friends go and come and go.

And then, um, also my, my older brother.

And I think part of what really
motivated me to go was, was watching my

brother come home from his mission and
really seeing, seeing such a change.

Because before his mission, he was
kind of, he was kind of a jerk.

And then he came back
and he was so nice and.

And everything.

And I don't know, I just saw,
saw his change and I thought

that is the coolest thing ever.

Like I, I wanna have that change or have
all these experiences, but I wasn't like

super sure, but I just remember, I mean,
I didn't have like some huge crazy moment

where, where I knew I was gonna go.

But I just remember one day,
I, it was either my junior or

my senior year of high school.

I'm not sure, maybe it was my senior year.

Um, I went to mission prep, just
some like mission prep activity.

And all I remember is, um,
Ray Vander low from the state.

He was, he was like speaking
or sharing something.

I couldn't even tell you anything he
said, and he, it's, it's very interesting

'cause he's a converse, so he didn't
actually serve a mission, but even know

if he was talking specifically about
missionary work, but I just like, I.

I had the strongest impression,
like, you need to go on a mission.

And I don't remember much else,
but I just remember I went home

that day to my mom and I just
said, I'm gonna serve a mission.

And she was like, okay, that's
great, . So there, I don't know,

it's kind of an interesting story.

There's nothing huge or crazy that
happened, but I just wanted to go.

So then, yeah, my plan was to just
finish out high school and then do

two semesters of, of college and
then, and then go on a mission.

And it worked out that way.

And it, it worked out great and it was
amazing and hard and, and all the things,

but I, I'm so glad that, that I went
and that I chose to go on a mission.

Jethro D. Jones: Great.

So let's talk about some
of those hard things.

You mentioned that you wrote in
your journal some of the difficult

parts about being on a mission and
some of the trials you went through.

And it's kind of cute 'cause you know
the outcome now, but what were some of

the trials that you experienced, um,
either before your mission or on your

mission that, uh, really impacted you
and changed how you looked at things

and changed how you understood different
aspects of the gospel or yourself or

your relationship with the savior?

What were some of those trials and
and what did you learn from 'em?

Savannah Dean: I think the first thing,
now this might sound sound a little bit

dumb, but I just love to have a good time.

I'm just always down to have a
good time and I would always see

my friends like missionary pictures
and they were all so happy.

And I knew a mission was hard, but
I was kind of, I was very prideful

obviously, so I was like, oh, like
if everyone can do it like so can I.

No biggie.

But I just remember I got
out, the MTC was so fun.

It was a blast.

We just like played spikeball and
like hung out and it was super fun.

So I remember in the MTCI was like, wow.

I remember telling my mom like, wow,
everyone's on the mission was hard,

but this is the best thing ever.

Like, this is so easy.

And then let me just say the Disney,
wait, the MTC is like Disneyland

compared to the mission field.

I got out to the mission field
and I was just shocked on

what missionary work was like.

I don't know what I thought it was like,
but I got out and I was like, this sucks.

And I wrote, I think I wrote in my journal
like, I cannot believe I signed up to

do this for 18 years or for 18 months.

I cannot do this for 18 months.

And it was just not fun.

Like we, we would, my companion,
she didn't speak any English, I

didn't speak any Spanish and I,
it was just, it was just terrible.

Like we, we would just do, do our
studies and then we would go out

every single day from like 12:00
PM 10 to like 9:00 PM or nine 30.

I was just exhausted.

I didn't really understand
what was going on.

And that was a really, my first
area was, was a pretty hard area.

We didn't have very much success in
it, so I was just kind of like, what?

What is this?

How do people, there's no way
people like being a missionary.

There is no way.

So, yeah, that, I think
that was really hard.

Just like not liking the mission at first.

Just absolutely not liking

Jethro D. Jones: And, and what
was it that you didn't like?

Because before, like we knew the
outcome and now you, you're saying

all these positive things about it.

Like being confused, not
knowing the language.

What else made it so difficult?

Savannah Dean: Yeah, I dunno.

And it's interesting because I feel like
not, it's not even the language, 'cause

I never really felt super discouraged.

It was more just like not, not having.

Fun.

And that sounds very silly, but I just
remember, like, we were just knocking

doors all day and I'm like, I don't
know, I do not wanna knock doors.

Like I, or I don't, I don't, I'm hungry.

Like I want dinner and my computer's
like, we don't eat dinner till 9:00 PM

Like, I was just like, what is this, this,
there's no way people, the way of this.

And I don't know, it was just a shock.

I, I just did not, I
just did not enjoy it.

It was not fun.

And I think, um, like at that age I was
19 and at the age of 19, like usually

you're, you're in college and everything
that you're doing is for yourself.

It's kind of a selfish point in life.

'cause you're like going
to college for yourself.

You're working to make money for yourself.

You like study for yourself.

Everything you do is for yourself.

So I had just done my first year
of college, so I guess I was

pretty focused on, on myself.

And then I got to a mission and I realized
that what I wanted did not matter.

It did not matter what I wanted to do.

It was all about what the Lord
wanted and what other people wanted.

So I think it was just a very humbling
experience to just go from that stage

of like doing everything for myself to
just like being so tired, but pushing

through because I knew I, I had to.

So I think that was, that was
really hard in the beginning.

Jethro D. Jones: So that lesson of,
of doing things not for yourself, I

think everybody goes through that and
experiences that in their own unique way.

And so at what point did you figure
out that that was actually worthwhile

and that you could start enjoying it?

Savannah Dean: Well, I don't know if
there was a specific point, but I just

remember I saw some other missionaries
and they just looked so happy.

I went to my first zone conference
and I saw all these like sister

missionaries and well, and others
too, that were speaking the language.

They just looked so happy to be
there, and I remember thinking.

How, how are you so happy?

And one of the, one of the sisters just
told me like, just keep pushing through.

Like every day just gets
a little bit better.

And I just love that piece of
advice and it's true every single

day just got a little bit better.

But I had to pray so hard
for, for desire to be there.

But you just, I don't know, you
just had to take it, take the bull

by the horns and just take it day
by day and just learn to love it.

I think learning to love the
mission is something that a lot

of people don't really talk about.

A lot of people just look like they
love their mission so much, and I do

love it so much, but, but it's hard.

It's, at least for me, it was very,
very hard to love the mission.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, so,
so how did you finally figure

out how to love the mission?

Savannah Dean: Um, I think,

let's see.

I, there were different little moments,
but one of the bigger moments was, and

this was embarrassing 'cause it was
so far into my mission where I really

could say I started loving my mission.

It probably took me a good like
seven or eight months to, to be

able to say like, I love my mission.

So I started my mission in May and then
in December, but I feel like by December

I could say like, I enjoyed being a
missionary, which obviously I had a lot of

good, fun experiences like in that time.

But that's, that's how long it took me
to say like, I love being a missionary.

And I think it was my, my first Christmas
in the mission, and I remember I just

set the bar so low for Christmas.

I was like, all right, this is gonna suck.

I know it's gonna, I'm gonna be far
away from my family and I'm not really

gonna do anything, but it's fine.

That's how the mission is.

And then we went to like his own
conference with my, with my mission

president and he said, guys.

Don't feel sorry about yourselves.

Don't feel, oh, poor me, I
have to be away from my family.

All this stuff.

He's like, this is like, you only
have one or or two Christmases

in your entire life to just focus
on others and to focus on Christ.

So I don't wanna hear anything about
you guys feeling sorry for selves.

Just go out and make the best of it.

So I realized in that moment, I'm like,
wow, I've been feeling sorry for myself.

So I was like, I'm just
gonna forget myself.

There's a quote by Hinkley, by
President Hinkley, that's just like

his dad told him, like, Gordon,
forget yourself and go to work.

And I feel like that's kind of like
my little motto and the mission,

just forget yourself and go to work.

And that really help me.

And o of course, like on Christmas,
like our, our dinner plans got

canceled like, like an hour
before and we're walking around.

No one wanted to talk to us.

We tried to go to like, um, a
retirement home to seeing Carols,

but they wouldn't let us in.

So we were just knocking streets,
walking around the park like.

Everything got canceled that day, so
it really was like, did not even feel

like Christmas, but I look back at
it so happily and I loved it so much.

Like looking back, I love it.

I love it so much, but

Jethro D. Jones: Hmm

Savannah Dean: that was just really
cool to just be like, it doesn't matter.

Like it's just, just Christmas.

We're just focusing on Christ.

I don't need to feel sorry for myself.

So I think that was a big like
turning point in in my mission.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, I that.

It's so funny because, so what you said
before about your life being focused on

yourself and then you go on a mission and
you realize you're focusing on others.

It, it applies to so much.

How do you see that now that you're back
in college and doing things for yourself?

How are you gonna apply that
lesson today, this week, this year?

Like, how, how are you gonna
try to remember that and

incorporate that into your life?

Savannah Dean: Well, I think, I
think it has been a little bit hard

to now go from just thinking to
everyone else, to thinking to myself,

because I mean, you do have to.

Have to focus on yourself.

And even coming home, like when I,
when I got home from my mission,

I had like no clothes or anything.

I don't know, I, I just like, had nothing.

So I, I kind of needed to,
like, I didn't have a phone.

I had to buy a new phone.

I had to buy new clothes.

I just had to get a lot of stuff.

And I just felt so guilty because
my parents were like, spending so

much money on me, and I'm like,
I don't, like, I don't want this.

Like, I don't, I don't want any of this.

No one's bought me stuff for
the past year and a half.

Like, I don't want anything.

So I think that's just an example of how
I was like, I, I feel so uncomfortable

with people giving me all of this.

Like, I, I feel guilty
thinking about myself.

I don't want it.

But, um, now, now that I've been
home for a little bit and I'm like,

okay, I'm fine now, but I don't know.

Now I'm thinking more about
myself, but I don't know.

It's still something that, that I'm
trying to balance and everything.

But I think it's kind of what I was
saying earlier about priorities.

Just trying to prioritize
the important things.

And I've made a lot of mistakes,
like being home, trying, like not

having my priorities super straight.

But I would say that's the biggest thing
is just like, yeah, just really like try

to go to the temple every week, um, and
trying to really read their scriptures

every day and, and serve others because
honestly, like it's, it's impossible.

It's pretty close to impossible
to have that same like

momentum as you did as
a missionary, like now.

But, but I wouldn't say that like
the mission, I don't want my mission

to be the highlight of my life.

I don't want that to be
like the peak of my life.

I want it to like help me,
like springboard me forward

into a ton of things.

So I think I just need to keep
doing those small and simple things.

I feel like I'm not really
answering the question, I just keep

going off on different tangents,

Jethro D. Jones: That's okay.

Yeah, that's all right.

So, so that point about the mission
not being the best, the peak of your

life, um, there's this saying that
it's the best two years of your life.

And my dad a long time ago would
say it's not the best two years.

Um, the last two years have
been my best two years.

And he, he made that saying all the time.

And that's like if your life is
not continuing to get better.

And that doesn't mean like
all the worldly stuff.

I mean, if you're not spiritually
growing closer to Christ.

Every year, every day, then that's
the part that needs to be fixed.

We're all gonna have trials, we're all
gonna have, make mistakes and all that.

But if you are not growing closer
to Christ, then that's, that's the

ultimate goal here, is to continue to
grow closer to Christ every single day

and take advantage of the atonement.

And so my dad would always say,
the last two years have been

the best two years of my life.

And that is the mentality that
I've tried to take as well.

And it's, it's been the case, except in
those years where I've been in a deep,

dark trial and then it doesn't feel
like it's the best until I'm out of it.

And then I'm like, oh,
this is really awesome.

This was a great year, even though
it was exceptionally difficult.

and just before we met you, 2019 was a
really tough year, and 2020 was a really

great year for a lot of different reasons.

Even though it was hard for, uh,
a lot of people, for us and for me

personally, it was a really great year.

And so even when things are
difficult for other people, they

can be really great for you.

And, and so you said something in there
that I want to go back to, which is, uh,

you said you've made a lot of mistakes
in prioritizing your time and things.

What are some of the mistakes
that you've made and why have they

been mistakes in your mind now?

Savannah Dean: Okay.

Um, I. Um, that like reading, I think
reading scriptures, like doing personal

study has been a lot harder than I thought
it would be, because personal study

that was like the best hour of my day.

Like during, during my mission,
I loved it so much and I always

thought, I can't wait till I get home
so I can study more than an hour.

And then you get home and
it's just not the reality.

So I think just, I just need
to have realistic expectations.

But I, um, president Cobb, when
he released me, he told me,

just be patient with yourself.

'cause you're gonna mess up a lot.

You just have to be patient with yourself.

And it's been really hard
because sometimes I, I, I like

stay up too late one night.

So then the next morning I can't
wake up early enough to, to

be able to read my scriptures.

So I still, I still do it, but
it's not as good as it could be.

So I'm trying to give myself
more grace on it, but also.

Keep a, a strict schedule.

So I'd say that, that that's been a
little bit hard trying to find a rhythm

to be able to read the scriptures and
everything now that I'm in school.

But, um, this past week, something that
I've been doing that's helped me a lot

is like if I have a lot of homework,
'cause I know I'll get my homework

done always, but like scripture study,
sometimes we'll just get pushed to

nighttime because it's not as much
my priority even though it should be.

So sometimes while I'm studying I'm
just gonna, like, I'll do an assignment

and I'll say, okay, before I do
my next assignment, I have to read

the scriptures for like 10 minutes.

And that's helped me a lot too
because like scriptures is even

more important than my classes.

So I just need to make
it more of a priority.

So that's, that's helped me, um, that's
helped me this past week that's been

working pretty well is like pausing
my studies to, to read for like 10

minutes 'cause I know I'll get my
homework done, you know, so that's been.

Pretty good.

And I think maybe another thing
that's been hard is just like, um,

I mean, I've slept in a couple times
and I, I hate sleeping in so much.

Like I think I, I hate sleeping in
and I feel so lazy when I do it.

But I have slept in a couple times,
like on, on Sunday I set an alarm at

like 8:00 AM which is not even that
early, and I slept past it, and I woke

up at 11:00 AM and I felt terrible.

So like, stuff like that
just makes me so mad.

. So I'm trying to, to be patient.

But yeah, I feel like that's been hard to,

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

So let me ask you this.

Uh, your first year at BYU,
if you slept until 11, would

you have been mad at yourself?

Savannah Dean: I mean, I still, I probably
would've been like, okay, that was a

waste of time, but I wouldn't have been
as, I would've been like, oh, whatever.

Who cares?

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

So what's different?

Savannah Dean: I feel like now I
just know how productive I can be

if I don't sleep in and it bothers
me to not, to not be productive.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

So when you get this greater knowledge
and understanding, then when you

don't live up to that expectation,
then you're like, I know I can

do better and I should do better.

Um, and yet I'm falling short
of where I think I should be.

And lemme tell you, uh, that happens to
me to this day, even still after years of

knowing that simple fact, uh, being able
to apply it and have it actually work out.

Uh, I still struggle with that.

So, um, what, what would you say has
been the greatest lesson that you've

learned in the past 12 months or so?

Savannah Dean: Oh, that's a good question.

Um, I. I have learned a lot about,
about the atonement of Jesus

Christ and about repentance.

And before I thought I would
think about repentance more

of something transactional.

Like, okay, I, I stole this from
the store and I'm gonna repent and

I'm gonna return it and I'm gonna
make it better and God forgives me.

But I realized that repentance isn't just
for, for big mistakes or mistakes that you

make, but it's for all the little things.

And in the MTCI was talking with,
with some people, and everyone was

talking about how they decided to
come on a mission and they all had

these really cool stories on how they
like, made some huge crazy mistake.

Like they sinned, like, like
made a ton of sins and then they

like had this huge coming back.

Just kinda like the
prodigal son type thing.

Just, you know, like.

And then they just had these
huge testimonies, the atonement.

And I was just thinking like, I wish
that I, I even said this, or I think I

thought it just like, I wish that I commit
some grave, huge sin so I could have

such a good testimony of the atonement.

I totally thought that, I thought
that you needed to make huge mistakes

to, to have like a big testimony.

But what I realized on my mission is
that the atonement is not about that.

I mean, it totally is about that at all.

And their stories are amazing.

But the goal, like you don't need to send
more to, to have more of a testimony.

Um, the atoma of Jesus Christ
is just changing a little bit

every single day to be better.

Just, it's just literally just aligning
yourself with God in all things.

So there are things that we do every
single day that we need to repent for,

and I learned about daily repentance.

I never really understood that before, but
I think daily repentance is so important.

Just like, um, just kind of
giving a report to, to God.

Um, I love how, I mean, I guess I
shouldn't talk about this too deeply,

but just how in, in the, in the temple
it talks about like how, how like Jesus

like would do the will of the father and
how he would kind of report to, to God.

And I just kind of love that idea of how
we do what we're commanded, what we're

supposed to, and then we report to God and
then God kind of like gives us feedback

and helps us get a little bit better.

And how every single day we just
work to be a little bit better.

And how really when we repent,
that is how we find joy.

And joy is not just happiness.

Joy is, is obedience.

Joy is doing the will
of the father willingly

Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm

Savannah Dean: joy is going
through all the hard parts.

So you can have all the good parts.

You can't have a complete joy if
you haven't suffered a little bit.

And just, I mean, it's kind of a big
concept, but learning how, how Christ

found joy when he, when he was on the
cross, because he was doing the will of

the father and he was trying to do better.

And how we can find joy when we repent
and when we do the will of the father.

So it's kind of like, there's a lot
of kind of moving parts to this.

It's kind of a really broad thing, but
really just repentance and, and finding

joy in Christ through the atonement.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

Well, and, and that's beautiful because,
uh, you don't have to be an evil person

to take advantage of the atonement.

In fact, the atonement is for everyone
good and evil, no matter what we've done.

And, um.

You don't have to make bad
choices in order to feel the

blessings of the atonement.

There's this quote by CS Lewis
that, um, that I really love.

I'm gonna read it to you because
it's, it's one of my favorites.

And he says, no man knows how bad he is
till he has tried very hard to be good.

A silly idea is current that good people
do not know what temptation means.

This is an obvious lie.

Only those who try to resist
temptation know how strong it is.

After all, you find out the strength
of the German army by fighting

against it, not by giving in.

You find out the strength
of a wind by trying to walk

against it, not by lying down.

A man who gives into temptation
after five minutes simply does not

know what it have, what it would
have been like an hour later.

That is why bad people in one sense,
know very little about badness.

They have lived a sheltered
life by always giving in.

We never find out the strength
of evil impulse inside us

until we try to fight it.

And Christ, because he was the
only man who never yielded to

temptation is also the only man who
knows to the full what temptation

means, the only complete realist.

And what I love about that quote is
that it says the more you resist,

the more you know about temptation
and how difficult it is to overcome.

But if you give in and you do those
things that you're tempted to do,

you don't really know how strong the
temptation can be because you've always

given in and Christ because he never
did give in despite all the temptations

that he could possibly go through
and experiencing all the pain that

he did in the Garden of Gethsemane.

He's the only one who really understands
what it could be like and how difficult

it is to overcome these things.

And I just love that quote from
him because it's so . So powerful

about what, what the purpose
of the atonement really is.

Savannah Dean: I, I love that.

And I love, I've never heard that
before, but I love that so much and,

and how you brought that up about,
about Christ and how he truly knows.

He is the only one that knows really
how, how strong that temptation is.

'cause he's the only
one that's withstood it.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

It, it's, it's very powerful.

Alright.

Um, so let's move to the
present and the future.

Alright.

So what is your major right now?

Savannah Dean: I still
have not declared a major,

Jethro D. Jones: Oh, good.

Excellent.

Savannah Dean: so yeah.

We're still working, working on that.

Jethro D. Jones: Okay.

Are, are you leaning towards anything?

Are you anything up for debate right now?

Savannah Dean: I mean, before the mission,
I really wanted to, to be a nurse.

I wanted to do pre-nursing, but
I've, I'm, it doesn't really call

my attention as much anymore.

So, um, I've thought my plan B is kind of
just doing like early childhood education.

Um, and my, my mission president also, he,
he does a lot of stuff with real estate,

so he kind of was telling me, oh, you
should look into finance or real estate,

like something more in the business realm.

So there's kind of a lot
of ideas floating around.

So I, I'm still not a hundred
percent sure, but this is kinda

like my last semester that I,
where I can take like just general

classes and, and be all right.

But by, by next semester, I,
I will have more of an idea.

And if I don't know what to
do, I'll just do education.

Jethro D. Jones: Okay.

That's good.

Um, so one of the ways that, that
you and I have interacted is through

how you have, uh, been friends
with my oldest daughter Katya.

And so if, if that is any indication,
the kindness and love that you've

shown her, shown her, uh, working with
kids, I think that you would be great

at, um, because you, you really have
blessed her life and how you've, uh,

how you've treated her and, uh, made
her feel special and unique and loved.

And so that is definitely a
spiritual gift, I believe you have.

And so, you know, maybe that
is a encouragement, uh, a small

encouragement in that direction.

Savannah Dean: Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I love Ka so much.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

Savannah Dean: But yeah, I, I have
thought a lot about doing something

with, in that, in that realm.

'cause I do really enjoy,
um, that type of stuff.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

And it takes a, a special
person to be able to work with

people with special needs.

And so, um, so that, that could
be something where you have

natural gifts in that arena.

And, um, and I think that
is important to think about.

It's exciting that you haven't declared
because next year when we talk about

this, you will have probably had
to have made a decision about this

Savannah Dean: I hope I've made
a decision by then We, I hope so.

That'll be fun to see what I decide,

Jethro D. Jones: it will be.

Um, and uh, it, it's funny because
most people change their major numerous

times and then once they actually
get a career, most people change

their careers numerous times also.

And so to think that there's like only
one thing you could possibly do is

kind of, kind of silly to be honest.

Savannah Dean: right?

Yeah.

Jethro D. Jones: you can do
a lot of different things.

Alright.

Um.

So over the course of your life so far,
you've had, uh, some trials, um, and

you've had some great things happen.

What is something that you feel God
is preparing you for in the future?

Savannah Dean: Oh, that's a good question.

I, I think, I don't know, I just know
there's, there's a lot of hope for ahead,

but there's, I think it's gonna be a,
a bumpy road, so I think I just need

to buckle up and be ready for anything.

But I'm, I'm really
excited for the future.

Like, I look towards the future
with, with a lot of excitement and

hope and everything, but I'm sure
there will be trials with like,

family and, and stuff like that.

I'm sure there's gotta
be some trials with that.

Um.

Jethro D. Jones: Oh, yes, I promise
there will be like, guaranteed

you're gonna have trials.

It's not gonna be all sunshine, sunshine
and roses the, the rest of your life.

There are certainly going to be trials.

And so that is one of the exciting
things about life is that you have

trials and then you learn so much through
those trials, but nobody wants to go

through them because they're difficult.

And, and yet you can still look
with optimism and excitement

towards the future like I do.

And uh, and you can still have great
success even when things are difficult.

Savannah Dean: Yeah.

Yeah, that is.

That is true.

Yeah.

I'm sure there will be trials
with family, or if I get married

soon, that'll probably be hard.

Well, I don't know

Jethro D. Jones: It will be, don't worry,

Savannah Dean: but.

Jethro D. Jones: Alright, so, uh,
so now you have this wisdom of being

back from a mission and you're, you're
gonna look back to your freshman self

and say, a freshman of high school.

So what is that, six years ago or so,

Savannah Dean: yeah.

Yeah.

Jethro D. Jones: what advice would
you give to yourself then, or would

you give to your sister who's a
freshman, about how she should live

her life, what she should focus on?

What are, now that you have some wisdom,
what are some things you'd say, this is

what you should focus on in your life.

Savannah Dean: I've, Hmm,
that's a good question.

I think I would just say like,
just keep plugging along.

Have a good time.

Enjoy, enjoy a lot.

Um, but

yeah, I think just making, prioritizing
the most, the most important things,

putting the most important things first.

Really, like, I mean, it's amazing that
I got this testimony of the Book of

Mormon when, when I was on my mission.

But just imagine if I had that
strong testimony that much like a

couple years before that would've
been amazing and helped me so much.

So I think just, um, to be patient
with yourself and yeah, be patient

with yourself, prioritize the
important things and, and have a

good time to enjoy, enjoy the time.

Jethro D. Jones: Again,
so looking forward now.

. 10 years.

Well, we won't go 10 years yet.

Let's go in one year.

What things do you hope are true
in your life one year from now?

Savannah Dean: Okay.

I hope that in one year I am,
I, I hope that my testimony is

stronger in one year than it is now.

I hope that I'm more spiritually in a
better spot than I am now in one year

I hope that, um,

hope that, um, my relationships
with my family are just like a

little bit better in one year too.

I just hope everything is
just a little bit better.

I wanna just improve everything.

Um, but I hope I am making, like going
to the temple priority and then I'm

making, just keeping my priorities
straight, that I'm, I hope that I

have a calling in a year and that
I'm faithfully serving in a calling.

Um, hope that I have a
major declared in one year.

Yeah.

There, yeah.

I think those are good like spiritual
things to, to have done in a year.

Jethro D. Jones: Okay.

Um, so you, you, when we listed the
things that you need to be doing,

uh, the little things, you didn't
mention the temple, but you've

mentioned it a couple times since then.

What do you want to say about the
temple and what does that mean in

your life, and why does that matter?

Savannah Dean: I just, I
love the temple so much.

I, it is amazing.

And after my mission, I, I was
able to be an ordinance worker

just for a month in the Spokane
Temple, but I loved it so much.

I just loved being there and doing
all the, the ordinances and everything

and, and just being with the temple
workers, they're also amazing.

So that, that was like the
highlight of my week every week

after I got home from my mission.

Um, and I just think there's so much
in the temple, and even after this last

con, or maybe it was two conferences ago,
but all the talk about temples and how

President Nelson said, there's nothing
more important that you can do than,

than worship regularly in the temple.

So I just think, um, the temple is so
amazing and I need to make it a priority.

So right now my goal is to go once a
week and I know that maybe that won't be.

Realistic always, but I wanna go like
regularly, whether that's weekly or

monthly, but I think at least monthly
is, is a pretty reasonable goal.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, that's good.

And so maybe you are going to the
temple every week in a year, but

you're open to, maybe that's not the
priority at that point in your life.

And, and there's, there's truth to that.

There are some times where, you
know, I, I would only go once a

year because of where we lived
and I tried to go when I traveled.

And other times, like right now where
we live 20 minutes away from the temple,

it's silly to not prioritize that and
make that a regular occurrence each week.

In my mind, that doesn't mean
that's the same for everybody else.

Um, but that's you prioritizing
and setting goals for yourself

and saying this is what matters.

Um, that's, that's important.

So I'm, I'm glad we, we mentioned that.

Alright.

Now, 10 years from now.

Uh, what, what do you want to
be your life and your goals?

What do you wanna be focusing
on 10 years from now?

Savannah Dean: Okay,
so in 10 years I'll be

Jethro D. Jones: what do you
want to happen 10 years from now?

Savannah Dean: I hope by, in
the next 10 years I'm married.

I really hope that it's kind of a fear
of mine like that I won't get married.

That would be scary.

But I do, I do hope that I'm married
and I mean, by 31, I feel like I

could have a couple kids by then,
so that's so crazy to think about.

But, but yeah, I hope I'm married,
have some kids, um, have a husband

and I hope that I like just have.

Stuff more figured out, I guess.

I hope that I'm smart
financially in the next 10 years.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

Savannah Dean: Um,

yeah, I, I hope I just keep progressing
and doing better and yeah, just I feel

like kind of my same, I still have my same
goals, but they're just like enlarged,

you know, just keeping doing that,

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah.

Savannah Dean: those same things
and, and improving my life.

Jethro D. Jones: yeah.

And here's, here's where the
trials can come in, because

what if you're not married?

What if you don't have a husband?

What if you do have a
husband but he passes away?

What if you have kids
but you lose a child?

Uh, in the first episode we did
of this, uh, we talked to Courtney

Thornton who did lose a child.

And like those things are
really difficult and hard to go

through, but they're also real.

And so I certainly don't want
to like, scare you and make you

think that these things are,
these bad things are gonna happen.

But we know that there are
going to be trials and we

have to be prepared for them.

Mentally, but also spiritually, right?

We have to spiritually be prepared
for the hopes and dreams we have to

not come true and understand that
God has a bigger plan in store for us

that we may not be able to understand.

And I'm gonna tell you, Savannah,
that is so hard to do in the moment.

And it is heartbreaking when the dreams
and goals we have don't come to fruition.

Because we don't, we don't set
goals thinking that, um, that

we're not going to achieve them.

And we don't set goals thinking
that it wouldn't be great for

those things to happen, right?

Like, you're not gonna set a goal
that you don't believe is the best

for you and everyone involved.

And yet we don't make those goals.

We don't achieve those goals all the time.

And so then we feel like, uh,
we're not meeting the expectations.

We're not living up to our potential.

All those things, and that's a very
real life thing to be experiencing.

And yet we can still have hope through
the atonement that it's going to be

okay and that God has a bigger plan.

And so as you have faced trials
in your life and are going to face

trials, what keeps you strong and
faithful even when those trials exist?

Savannah Dean: I think just knowing that
that God has has a plan and if I make

those goals spiritually, like if I consult
the Lord and how I'm making those goals.

I know that he can help them happen.

I don't know.

I feel like these types of goals
are, they're obviously not a

hundred percent in my control.

It sounds kinda like being a missionary.

Like you make goals of the
people, you're gonna find the

people you're gonna baptize, the
people you're gonna put on date.

Like all these things that really,
like, they're not a hundred

percent outta your control.

'cause if you don't do anything,
you're not gonna meet your goals.

But if you do everything, you
still might not meet them.

And I think that's like a very hard
concept because like in all my life

before my mission, everything, all
the goals I had were like on me.

Like if I was doing a sport and if I like
wanted to, to get better at a certain

skill and if I worked on it, I would get
better and I'd do better in the game.

But that's not always the case with,
with missionary work, you can't just

like be better and always do better.

So I think that it's just kind
of that same type of . Faith with

these goals, with your future goals.

So like if I, if my plan is
to like get married, like I

need to like talk to people.

I need to go on dates, I need to
prepare, I need to do all these things.

But even if I do all these
things is not guaranteed.

So I think just having the faith that,
having the faith that it'll be all right

and just doing the will of the Lord,
I think that that is really important.

And it's easier said than done.

'cause sometimes it's so frustrating
on a mission, you just do everything.

You can talk to a thousand people, like
work super, super hard, but you just

don't see the fruits of your labors.

But you just know that if you
have faith, like, and you're doing

everything you can, it'll be all right.

It'll all work out.

But I think it's, it's so hard to do.

It's so hard to do.

But I think that applies with
these same goals that I have to

have a family and everything.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, absolutely.

Uh, these are, that is such a beautiful
sentiment and it is, it is so powerful

and I hope that you can play that on a
repeat for the rest of your life because,

uh, that is exactly what I believe the
atonement is for, that you're gonna

have heartache and disappointment and
challenges, but you can still have hope.

You can still feel like
you can make this happen.

You can accomplish what the Lord has set
out for you even if you don't understand,

and you're gonna still set goals and
work hard and hope for things, and then

what's going to happen is going to happen,
and you can rest assured knowing that.

The Lord is in control and he's got it.

Um, so is there anything else that
you want to make sure you remember for

the future or anything that we should
talk about before we close out here?

Savannah Dean: Um, I don't,
just your last comment.

It just made me think of a scripture
in, in doctrine and covenants

that says, I the Lord inbound.

When you do what I say, but when you
do not what I say, you have no promise.

And I, I just love that so much
because if we, if we really, if we

keep the commandments, like we, we
will be blessed, but not always in,

in the ways that we want, obviously.

But I think it's just having faith that
like, if these big grand goals that I

have like don't, don't happen if they
don't come to pass, like I know that

if I'm like doing what I'm supposed
to be doing, I ha I, I should have the

faith that that God's plan is greater
and that like later, like, maybe I

won't get married here on the earth,
but like I'll later in the afterlife

I'll, or just, just things like that.

Like when little things don't go as
planned, like, like who is the Lord

to not, to not fulfill his promises.

Like it's, it's written and he said
it that he is bound when we do it.

When we do it, he says, so really like.

Us meeting our goals really is us
doing it, but we might not do it in

the, we might, might not do what we
want in the time span that we want to.

So I think that's just
important to, to think.

I, I love that scripture.

Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, I love that too.

And, and you are promised
great things for sure.

And as you said earlier on.

Even on your mission, things
didn't go exactly how you planned,

but you still saw miracles.

And, and that's how it's going to be also.

So we're gonna pick this up again
a year from now, and we're gonna

have a similar conversation.

And, um, I'm really looking forward to it.

And I, I thank you for doing this
and I, I'm sure that your posterity

is going to thank you as well,
hearing your thought process.

You're gonna listen to this next
year and you're gonna be like,

oh my goodness, I was so young
and so naive, and so whatever.

And

Savannah Dean: probably.

Jethro D. Jones: that's the case and
that you're not like, oh man, I was,

I was way farther ahead than I am
now and I've really faltered back,

which may happen too, and that's okay.

Uh, but we're gonna, we're gonna
talk again in a year and I really

appreciate, uh, you being here, Savannah.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

Savannah Dean: Yeah.

Thank you so much.

Jethro D. Jones: Okay.