From Ether 12 we learn that miracles are wrought by faith. "It was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers... it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.... it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites... it was faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death." Well, we could also add in there that it is by faith that miracles are happening in the Washington Vancouver Mission.
This week has been full of miracles. We have put three people on date for baptism, something that is going to bless their lives for the rest of eternity. One of which is a girl that we haven't met with in almost three months. We were going to go find some less active members of our church when I had the strong feeling that we needed to turn around. I told Sister Cone and she immediately did a U-turn (what a good companion) (Sister Owens is also super awesome). As we were driving I saw Pani's apartment building and the spirit told me that we needed to go see her. We showed up at her door unexpectedly and her mother let us in. We were able to read out of the Book of Mormon, teach her the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and put her on date for February 28!
Another one of our investigators got to meet the presiding bishop over the whole church, Bishop Stevenson. He asked her when she was being baptized and she said, "We do not have a date set." She then confessed to him that she had been reading and praying and every time she opens up her scriptures it says something about baptism. Bishop Stevenson concluded, "Well it looks like you have your answer!" I stood in awe as a General Authority of the church told our investigator what we had been struggling to say. Both her and her son were very excited about it and she is going to pray about when to be baptized. Earlier that morning we had been contemplating not bringing her at all. As Sister Cone said," I feel like Lourdes doesn't need to come to the adult session if she is coming tomorrow", the Spirit let us know we were wrong. Because we recognized this prompting Lourdes was able to have this wonderful experience. I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost and the opportunities it leads us to.
These are the kind of blessings we get when we follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost. I am still working on it. Sometimes I think "Oh, it is just me thinking that randomly." But I have learned to just go with it. As David A. Bednar said, "Stop worrying about it!" If it is a good thought then you need not try and figure out if it really is from the Holy Ghost or not. We need to just do it and stop worrying and do it. I am not perfect by any means and I am improving all the time. But it has been a great lesson to learn. So I would challenge all of you to act on your promptings! Try it out and see what happens. If you never try you might never know the amazing outcomes that can happen.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Thursday, January 29, 2015
The Lord Will Prepare a Way
Lately I have been thinking, why do we doubt? Why do we say that it is too hard or not plausible? When I get a goal or a challenge from my Mission President, I know it is coming from the Lord. We learn from Nephi that "the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1Nephi 3:7) The key word in there is "prepare." When the Lord commands us to do something (like He told our mission to get 100 baptisms in a month), He literally has a pathway laid out for us so that we can accomplish this goal. We just need to ask Him for the guidance to follow this path and find the people He has prepared. God is all knowing, He knows His sons and daughters perfectly. He knows where they are and what they need. So if He says there is a way we can reach 100 baptisms in a month, I trust Him!
We had a Zone Conference earlier this week where we talked about setting goals and having faith in the Lord that He will help us achieve them. My companions and I set up a high goal, one that would be impossible without aid from God, but we felt in our minds and in our hearts that it was attainable. That night we put two investigators on date for baptism. We trusted in the Lord (Proverbs 3: 5-6). We trusted that with His help, we would be able to all things (1 Nephi 17: 50). I have seen His power work miracles in the "hearts of the children of men" (1 Nephi 11: 22).
I am strengthening my faith as I try to help strengthen others. I am trying to be like Jesus Christ and do "the will of Him that sent me" (John 6:38). Because I know that God will prepare a way for us to do His will. This can be applied to any principle, not just missionary work. He will provide a way that we be able to find our ancestors and take their names to the temple. He will provide a way for us to go on a mission even though it seems hard and unattainable. He will prepare a way for us to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost by the priesthood authority of God. He will prepare a way for us to obey and follow the Holy Ghost's guidance. He will provide a way for us to complete any commandment He gives us. This is my testimony. I would invite you to evaluate what commandments and guidance from God you have been doubting, and pray to find the way God has prepared for you.
We had a Zone Conference earlier this week where we talked about setting goals and having faith in the Lord that He will help us achieve them. My companions and I set up a high goal, one that would be impossible without aid from God, but we felt in our minds and in our hearts that it was attainable. That night we put two investigators on date for baptism. We trusted in the Lord (Proverbs 3: 5-6). We trusted that with His help, we would be able to all things (1 Nephi 17: 50). I have seen His power work miracles in the "hearts of the children of men" (1 Nephi 11: 22).
I am strengthening my faith as I try to help strengthen others. I am trying to be like Jesus Christ and do "the will of Him that sent me" (John 6:38). Because I know that God will prepare a way for us to do His will. This can be applied to any principle, not just missionary work. He will provide a way that we be able to find our ancestors and take their names to the temple. He will provide a way for us to go on a mission even though it seems hard and unattainable. He will prepare a way for us to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost by the priesthood authority of God. He will prepare a way for us to obey and follow the Holy Ghost's guidance. He will provide a way for us to complete any commandment He gives us. This is my testimony. I would invite you to evaluate what commandments and guidance from God you have been doubting, and pray to find the way God has prepared for you.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
The Why
As a missionary I get asked many questions. Ranging from why incest is wrong (that one was interesting) to why we need to ask God for verification of truth (Like, "Do you pray to truth?"). So many concepts I know and have grown up with are completely foreign to people I interact with day to day. But, some of the most common, and most important are "What are you expecting from me? Why do you deep coming over? What is you prerogative here?" So, it brings up the question: Why am I going door to door asking people if they have heard of The Book of Mormon and if they believe in God? Why am I giving up a year and a half of my life to go teach people about my beliefs?
Well, my purpose 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." But that doesn't initially mean much to anyone that I am teaching. Why should they listen to me. It boils down to this. God loves His children so much that He has given them so many tools to get back to Him. Since the beginning of time he has provided prophets on the earth to teach the people and guide them down the right path. These prophets include Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Moses and many more. They all led the people to do the right thing and they all led with the priesthood power (or Authority) of God. When the people followed them, they were happy and prosperous. But, everyone has agency, so they falter. They rejected the prophets and many of them were killed. Christ Himself, the son of God, came to the Earth and ministered and set up His church as a leader and a prophet. The very mouthpiece of God. He restored the power of God to the Earth and called apostles. But as we all know, even He was rejected and killed. His apostles were rejected and killed. The people were wicked. There was no one left with the power to speak in the name of God. To guide the people and hold the priesthood. Almost all was lost. The pure gospel of Jesus Christ was corrupted with the unauthorized changes of men. The people dwelt in spiritual darkness for centuries, all the way up to the 1800s when the priesthood power was once again restored to the earth by God to the prophet Joseph Smith.
This changes everything. If Joseph Smith truly was a prophet, then the pure gospel of Jesus Christ and His power have been restored. We once again have a prophet on the earth who receives revelation from our Heavenly Father to lead His children. My job as a missionary is to go and proclaim this truth to the world. God loves His children so much that He sends His missionaries to every door to personally tell each person that He has called another prophet. As a young man I met yesterday said to me "Go! Spread the good news!" It is good news. The greatest news. We have a Heavenly Father that loves us and wants us to be happy! He has called a prophet today, because He loves us just as much as He loved the children of Israel and every other people He provided with a prophet. We, as His children, just have to listen and follow the prophet.
I would invite each of you to really ponder in your hearts, to search and to pray, to know if Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God. I promise you that as you read the Book of Mormon, pray sincerely and humble yourselves, you will gain a witness of this truth. I know this because I have gained this witness. I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. I know that Christ lives. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today that leads and guides us and holds the priesthood power of God and I would urge each of you to find this out for yourself.
I love all of you, God loves each of you. You must find out for yourselves if He has called a prophet today. We may know this for ourselves if we read the Book of Mormon and pray.
"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that 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."
Moroni 10: 3-5 (Book of Mormon, pg 529)
This is a promise.
Well, my purpose 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." But that doesn't initially mean much to anyone that I am teaching. Why should they listen to me. It boils down to this. God loves His children so much that He has given them so many tools to get back to Him. Since the beginning of time he has provided prophets on the earth to teach the people and guide them down the right path. These prophets include Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Moses and many more. They all led the people to do the right thing and they all led with the priesthood power (or Authority) of God. When the people followed them, they were happy and prosperous. But, everyone has agency, so they falter. They rejected the prophets and many of them were killed. Christ Himself, the son of God, came to the Earth and ministered and set up His church as a leader and a prophet. The very mouthpiece of God. He restored the power of God to the Earth and called apostles. But as we all know, even He was rejected and killed. His apostles were rejected and killed. The people were wicked. There was no one left with the power to speak in the name of God. To guide the people and hold the priesthood. Almost all was lost. The pure gospel of Jesus Christ was corrupted with the unauthorized changes of men. The people dwelt in spiritual darkness for centuries, all the way up to the 1800s when the priesthood power was once again restored to the earth by God to the prophet Joseph Smith.
This changes everything. If Joseph Smith truly was a prophet, then the pure gospel of Jesus Christ and His power have been restored. We once again have a prophet on the earth who receives revelation from our Heavenly Father to lead His children. My job as a missionary is to go and proclaim this truth to the world. God loves His children so much that He sends His missionaries to every door to personally tell each person that He has called another prophet. As a young man I met yesterday said to me "Go! Spread the good news!" It is good news. The greatest news. We have a Heavenly Father that loves us and wants us to be happy! He has called a prophet today, because He loves us just as much as He loved the children of Israel and every other people He provided with a prophet. We, as His children, just have to listen and follow the prophet.
I would invite each of you to really ponder in your hearts, to search and to pray, to know if Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God. I promise you that as you read the Book of Mormon, pray sincerely and humble yourselves, you will gain a witness of this truth. I know this because I have gained this witness. I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. I know that Christ lives. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today that leads and guides us and holds the priesthood power of God and I would urge each of you to find this out for yourself.
I love all of you, God loves each of you. You must find out for yourselves if He has called a prophet today. We may know this for ourselves if we read the Book of Mormon and pray.
"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that 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."
Moroni 10: 3-5 (Book of Mormon, pg 529)
This is a promise.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Daily Bread
We teach our investigators that the three essential things to do in their life to receive peace and strengthen their relationship with God is: read the scriptures, pray, and go to church. If it is so life-altering important to them now, it is of equal importance to us. Each day we should be strengthening our relationship with our Heavenly Father. He is literally our Father, and He wants to hear from us. Not just to bless the food or to have a good night's rest, but to report, repent, and to pour out our heart to Him. We need to ask Him for guidance. He should be a guiding force in our everyday lives.
How do we get to know Him better? By studying His word. Something one of our less active members said to me that I loved was that "we wouldn't have the scriptures if they weren't necessary." He is right. Would so much pain and suffering gone into writing, finding, and publishing the scriptures if they were just meant to sit on the shelf gathering dust? No. They are essential for our spiritual well-being. I would dare to say that if we are not reading our scriptures regularly, we are in a state of personal apostasy. We need God. Through Him all things are possible.
Church. Sometimes it can seem just a little too routine. A little too long. But I would point you to a scripture in the Book of Mormon. "the preaching of the word has a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just--yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them." (Alma 31:5) If we let it, going to church can be one of the most powerful things of our life.
Now, I might be up on a soap box right now, but it is because I know this to be true. I have seen how doing these three things can change lives. About a week after I got here, I met Patricia. She got baptized several years ago and has been less active for quite sometime. When we started out she was praying every once and a while, reading her scriptures sometimes, and not going to church at all. Now, a month into it, she is praying multiple times a day, reading her scriptures multiple times in the week, and coming to church! On Monday night when we saw her again I marveled at her transformation. She is so much happier. I hadn't even noticed how downtrodden and depressed she had looked before, and I bet she hadn't either. It was by doing these three simple things that she got brightness in her eyes and a more genuine smile on her face. She is excited! The bishop is even helping her get a job! She has been exceedingly blessed just in the last few weeks. This is the kind of change that happens when we partake of our daily bread. We may think we are doing just fine, we may feel that we are happy, but until we do these things we have no idea of the full potential of our happiness.
I promise that if we do these things we will be happier. Our lives will improve. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father will grow stronger. I love the Lord and I am so grateful for my knowledge of His church restored here in the latter days. My prayer is that all of you evaluate your spiritual well-being. Are you partaking of your daily bread?
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
As you can see, I have started a blog.
As you can see, I have now started a blog. Ha. Jokes on you, you will all be hearing from me a lot more than you thought you would. You cannot escape me.
I have learned something over the past couple weeks. The Lord takes care of His missionaries. I mean, I expected that He would keep us safe and guide us to people who need our help, but what I didn't
realize is that it is much more intimate than that. God watches over us and helps us with everything. Even down to the little things like when my companion's shoe finally gave out and got a hole in the bottom. Through a series of circumstances, He provided her with new, very nice and expensive rain boots for free, all in the same day. Or when we got a flat tire and we were able to role right into the gas station with grace and no complications. As we were getting the spare and the jack out of the trunk my companion prayed, "please Lord, teach me how to change a tire." Less than a minute later a delightful gentleman walked up to us and offered to teach us how to change a tire. Heavenly Father answered our humble and kind of desperate prayer. Or when we were driving and got right into a bus's blind spot. It started merging into our lane and we just about got smashed between it and a large truck. But, in a seemingly impossible move, we barely made it through. It was crazy. I swear our car was squished somehow. Like the Knight Bus on Harry Potter, that is exactly what it felt like. Both my companion and I looked at each other with awe. We both knew immediately that God and His angels were keeping us safe. God looks after His missionaries.
Now these are just a few things that He has helped us with over the past month. And some might say that they are just coincidences. But we have a saying in our mission: God doesn't do random. Or, as Taylor
and I like to quote from Sherlock, when Mycroft asks "and what do we say about coincidences, Sherlock? And the detective answers "the universe is rarely so lazy." Now this quote has popped into my head
many times over the last couple weeks. But I can kind of tweak it to missionary life. "God is rarely so lazy", but God is not lazy at all. In fact, He is the exact opposite. He is constantly looking after us and blessing our lives. Heavenly Father has His hand in every part of our lives. He has given us everything, including His Son. He is all powerful, all knowing, and He is our Father. We are His children. We have the potential to become like Him and He sees that in us. He cares so deeply for us that what is important to us, is important to Him. This is my testimony. I have experienced too much, felt too much joy and overwhelming peace and assurance that I could never deny it. There is a God, and He is our Heavenly Father. May we each try to draw closer to Him by learning of His Son Jesus Christ, and praying to Him. How long has it been since you spoke to your Father in Heaven?
I have learned something over the past couple weeks. The Lord takes care of His missionaries. I mean, I expected that He would keep us safe and guide us to people who need our help, but what I didn't
realize is that it is much more intimate than that. God watches over us and helps us with everything. Even down to the little things like when my companion's shoe finally gave out and got a hole in the bottom. Through a series of circumstances, He provided her with new, very nice and expensive rain boots for free, all in the same day. Or when we got a flat tire and we were able to role right into the gas station with grace and no complications. As we were getting the spare and the jack out of the trunk my companion prayed, "please Lord, teach me how to change a tire." Less than a minute later a delightful gentleman walked up to us and offered to teach us how to change a tire. Heavenly Father answered our humble and kind of desperate prayer. Or when we were driving and got right into a bus's blind spot. It started merging into our lane and we just about got smashed between it and a large truck. But, in a seemingly impossible move, we barely made it through. It was crazy. I swear our car was squished somehow. Like the Knight Bus on Harry Potter, that is exactly what it felt like. Both my companion and I looked at each other with awe. We both knew immediately that God and His angels were keeping us safe. God looks after His missionaries.
Now these are just a few things that He has helped us with over the past month. And some might say that they are just coincidences. But we have a saying in our mission: God doesn't do random. Or, as Taylor
and I like to quote from Sherlock, when Mycroft asks "and what do we say about coincidences, Sherlock? And the detective answers "the universe is rarely so lazy." Now this quote has popped into my head
many times over the last couple weeks. But I can kind of tweak it to missionary life. "God is rarely so lazy", but God is not lazy at all. In fact, He is the exact opposite. He is constantly looking after us and blessing our lives. Heavenly Father has His hand in every part of our lives. He has given us everything, including His Son. He is all powerful, all knowing, and He is our Father. We are His children. We have the potential to become like Him and He sees that in us. He cares so deeply for us that what is important to us, is important to Him. This is my testimony. I have experienced too much, felt too much joy and overwhelming peace and assurance that I could never deny it. There is a God, and He is our Heavenly Father. May we each try to draw closer to Him by learning of His Son Jesus Christ, and praying to Him. How long has it been since you spoke to your Father in Heaven?
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