Oh, there is one thing by the way that
I thought was really cool that our mission president said. He said
that luck = preparation + opportunity. He said that the Lord takes
care of the opportunity; our part is kind of the preparation. That's
one thing I've found to be true. As we go about doing missionary
work, if we are just doing our best trying to help people and prepare
and get ready; by studying and being obedient and things like that;
then the Lord provides a lot of opportunities because we are prepared
to take care of his children.
There is a cool guy who is less active
who we were helping. We went to go knock on his door, but he wasn't
there. So, Elder Conlin left his scriptures on – there is this
little rock that jetted out on the side of his house next to the door
– and he set his scriptures kind of jokingly on the little rock
ledge. We were joking that he would leave them there as we were
writing a sticky note to put on his door saying that we had stopped
by. So we were joking that he would leave them, and like two seconds
later we left and he left them (haha). But, it ended up working
because when the guy came back, he grabbed the scriptures and note
and started reading through the scriptures a little bit and started
reading all the things Elder Conlin had marked. It brought back a lot
of memories of the church to him, and now he wants to learn more. We
will talk about the
Plan of Salvation when we go back. There is a member of the ward
who he is friends with, who is actually the Stake Patriarch too. He
really wants him to come to the lessons and support him, and the less
active member wants the Stake Patriarch to come to the lessons too.
That was kind of a little miracle that happened, kind of going along
with that luck = preparation + opportunity. We kind of make our own
luck as we work hard and do our best, things happen. If you just sit
there, nothing is going to happen.
We are helping about four or five
people with the
Word of Wisdom. Some people it's drinking, some people it's
smoking, some people it's all of the above. It's kind of neat to see
how much they want to change and do good and get that help in their
life. Yeah, we just have some really cool people we are working with
who seek the gospel for what it is and help it can help them. It's
just nice to be able to teach them and help explain these things that
will help them be more happy, and how their families can be together
forever.
We have been doing really good in
trying to find some new people to teach, some new investigators. The
Lord has helped us find a few people.
We ran into this other less active lady
who still has a really strong testimony. It is nice to talk with her
and bear our testimonies as well. She is just a little afraid, since
they have to leave soon, that they are going to get too attached to
ward and have to leave it. She is a little hesitant because her
husband isn't a member. It's kind of hard for her to go to church and
be an example. But, it was nice to talk with her.
One thing I have been praying for
lately is the desire for the salvation of souls; kind of like it
quoted from Preach My Gospel. You know, I'm out here because I care
about the work and I love my Heavenly Father; I want to help people.
But, it's kind of hard to personally connect with people, and like
seriously desire their salvation. I mean sure I care about them, but
it's hard to like genuinely really have that earnest desire for their
salvation, like people in the scriptures. So that's one thing I've
been praying for, and the Lord's been giving it to me. It's really
neat to see how as I pray hard and do my best, the Lord is slowly
changing my heart like I'm asking. I'm starting to really care about
people. It makes all the difference when we are teaching people
because I really want to help them. I think it helps for the Spirit
to tell me what I need to say that will best help them because I'm
always thinking about them and trying to see how I can help. It's
neat to do that because I feel like that is how the Savior would be.
He was going about helping people and doing his best.
It's really fun being on a mission, and I'm learning a lot (haha); definitely about life. I get excited when I think about how much life I have left and the good things I can do; all the things I can learn. It reminds me of the gospel and how there is eternal progression and if we keep doing our best and keep working hard, there are so many more doors that open up to us in the eternities. It's just (haha), neat to be seeing every day how the gospel applies in people's lives, and how Heavenly Father loves everyone. He trying to help everyone. It is so fun to tell people that, because it's true.
I love Elder Conlin. He's a good
missionary. He's always trying to do his best. He's a really good
listener. He's always trying to listen to the Spirit. He's been
teaching me a lot.
That has kind of been my thoughts for
the week. In the Book of Mormon, I read about the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's
and the people of Ammon, and now I'm starting to get into Captain
Moroni, and his title of liberty that he raised, and how he fought to
keep the liberties of his people. I just like how if you look in Alma
46:9, I think it says, “thus we see the great wickedness one
very wicked man can cause to take place among the children of men.”
He's talking about the bad guy, Amalickiah obviously who deserts from
the Nephites and goes to the enemies' side and ends up becoming the
king through deceit. He is a big instigator of this big 14 year long
war that happens. But on the opposite hand you have Moroni, so if you
kind of switch those words around it says, “thus we see the great
righteousness one very righteous man can cause to take
place among the children of men.” Moroni was that kind of a person.
Mormon even said that if all men would have been liken unto Moroni,
the very powers of hell would be shaken forever” (see Alma
48:17). I like that because it shows the example we have and that
we all have influence, and we get to choose whether we want that to
be a good influence or bad influence. It's interesting to note too
that during this long 14 year war where this isn't something that was
happening in a far away land, this was happening on your doorstep.
You know, your neighbors houses are getting ransacked and everything
because these battles are fought in the cities, and they are taking
over cities at a time, and so this is a very real, very vicious war
that is going on. But in the midst of all this, there is a verse that
I find interesting where is says basically that there was no happier
time among the Nephites than at that time when Moroni was leading the
armies. It is interesting to note how he was preparing them and
presenting that good influence, and how much of an effect that had.
You know, people think, “you know I'm just a small person, you know
I don't have that much influence.” But, we really do. We have a
great influence. Like I said, it can be an influence for good or an
influence for bad, and we can make a difference; a huge difference.
The Lord says in Alma
37:6-7 that by small and simple things are great things brought
to pass.
I know that's true, and I'm thankful
for the scriptures and the opportunity to serve the Lord out here on
a mission, and help others. I am so thankful for how it's preparing
me for my life when I get back. I say that in the name of Jesus
Christ, amen.
Love, Elder Record
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