Octopus for Dinner!

Dear All,

This week was a special week. We did well comparatively with numbers, but there was a theme to the week which I have figured out today, being topped off with a bible video of Christ on the homepage of lds.org speaking on faith. I have been reading this week in Mormon and Ether, both of which are sacred records containing great things. I love how in the last chapter, hinting that that which lies within is of great worth since they are the last words of the book  - therefore, I really wanted to see what it was that would conclude it. I love the twenty-seventh verse: "O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him." I love that it speaks of us not despising and wondering, but needing to just ask the Father in Christ's name, and then does our understanding come about. Ask and ye shall receive. I love that it speaks of coming to the Lord with all your heart, for in our heart is who we are. Do we truly serve Him with our all? Do we fear and tremble before Him, truly honoring Him with our choices? I love this last chapter. Also I enjoyed studying the book of Ether, and the story of the Brother of Jared. His story is a great lesson of faith, even faith of a mustard seed which can move mountains. The veil could not hold him, for so great was his faith. Chapter four is great for it speaks also of faith, even faith unto our eyes being opened and our minds enlightened. "Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief." It is amazing what faith truly is and what it truly brings. How great it is that God does grant such unto us.

Jesus is the Christ, and the evermore that we come unto Him and learn of Him, evermore do the blessed heavens open and pour out revelations unto us, and evermore does our faith grow, until the day the veil cannot hold us from beholding Christ's glorified face. May we in the deepest reverence and humility strive to develop that faith of which the Father doth wish to give unto us. And I speak of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.  

 

An excerpt from his letter to mom:

 

This week was a good week. On Tuesday we had a zone conference where the assistants to the mission president and the mission president and his wife speak to us as a zone. President Back spoke on the light of Christ and how everyone has it. We choose whether or not to let it grow and help us or to have it "seared with a hot iron" as people in the scriptures do, making it not work and us not being able to discern good and bad. It was really good. Sister Back spoke on the need to plan effectively along with the assistants to the president. It was great.
 

We were able to see both Tim and Hariri this week, and Tim has a baptismal date for the 7th of December, and he loves the church and comes to church every week. He's great. Hariri we are trying to help him see the need for the church and to have that desire to become a part of it. He's christian but doesn't belong to any church. We also have a new investigator named Vanessa, who was found by other missionaries but in our area so we will teach her. Elder Carter, a missionary in another area, and I went and taught the Restoration lesson, and she loved it and has a baptismal date for the 20th of December. It was an awesome lesson because you could feel the spirit and by the end she was really happy. We were also able to visit Harley, an investigator who had dropped us over a text, but we visited back and studied with the bible with him. He had seen some anti-mormon stuff so that really has hurt his desire to join the church, for before I came, he had had the desire to be baptised. Truly the devil does try to hinder the work.
 

Church was great though I still need to get to know the members, and there are a lot of them, and a lot of them that aren't in the area that Elder Hixson and I cover, for there are three companionships in the ward. We are the only Elders and the only one that lacks a car. It is getting in the 100 F too. Yesterday was over 100 F. We are surviving though, and yes I put on sun screen.
 

That was my week and it was a good one. Hopefully these people will continue on their way toward Christ and will see the happiness that comes from it.

Overlooking Campbelltown