Monday, September 25, 2017

Catholic Rabbits (Week 65)

“Miracles & events:
-I started painting a painting. We'll see how that goes
-We went to do service for a former investigator & we ended up having an awesome gospel conversation & they just started pulling out pamphlets and a book of Mormon from the shelf
-We have been taking this large rock around to some of our members and teaching a lesson and then giving them 48 hours to be a little "boulder" (get the pun?) We had given one family the rock and when we came to follow up and see how they did their 9 year old son said that while he was at the beach he found out that one of his friends had never heard of the Articles of Faith or even the Book of Mormon. He just couldn't believe it, so he sat and talked to him all about the things he knows to be true. (by the mouth of babes my friends) This young boy just talked to his friend about the gospel and didn't die... the concept of becoming like a child comes in both receiving and sharing the gospel.
-we were inspired to text a former investigator. She texted us and said she has been thinking a lot about the Book of Mormon and about the missionaries. Then she texted a member and set up her own lesson with us.
-We had a lesson with a man, and he had read (carefully) all of the pamphlets and the intro/witnessing at the beginning of the Book of Mormon. He was saying how cool the testimony of Joseph Smith is and just describing how important the gospel would be if it were true. He taught himself the Restoration. Literally so golden!!

Some insights:

We often make the mistake of believing that the gospel's many commandments and "rules" leave us bound captive from happiness or freedom to do what we might want to do. However, to understand the gospel is to understand the very essence of freedom. To be free means to be "made or done voluntarily."
We recently met a man who was asking us how we can follow all the small rules and not feel oppressed. He said that he would be so unhappy without his coffee in the morning. He would feel oppressed. Coffee is known to be a harmful substance to intake, especially in high dosage. When we avoid withdrawal symptoms by continuing to do something harmful, we are becoming addicted to that substance. Addiction is involuntarily; and therefore, the opposite of freedom.

The first and greatest commandment is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." We also know that we show our love to God by keeping his commandments and through service to his other children. In the 3rd chapter of 1st Nephi, Lehi is commanded by the Lord to send his sons to get the brass plates from Laban. Rewind a little bit, and God has just barely told Nephi: "inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper." After he is told by his father to meet with a wicked & hostile king who is greedy & not likely to give them anything besides death threats, Nephi says "I Nephi said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know 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 commanded them." Because God had already promised Nephi many blessings, he had the motivation and the desire to follow commandments, no matter how hard. Laman and Lemuel were not so motivated, to the point where they were dragged, essentially kicking and screaming to talk to Laban about the plates. As I was reading, something that came to mind was confidence. Confidence in the things that matter, and the elements thereof. Nephi had confidence in his own ability and will power to call upon God to deliver him out of the power of his enemy. This type of confidence comes when we believe we're worthy of receiving God's help. We are always receiving help from God, but we are only able to have confidence in Him to accomplish anything when we have a strong testimony.

So, why do we need confidence in the things that matter? Elder Holland said "You will need information. But, in matters of great consequence it is not likely to come unless you want it urgently, faithfully, humbly. Moroni calls it seeking 'with real intent.' If you can seek that way and stay in that mode, not much that the adversary can counter with will dissuade you from a righteous path. You can hang on, whatever the assault and affliction because you have paid the price of conviction. There may come after the fact some competing doubts and confusion, but it will pale when you measure it against the real thing. Remember the real thing. Remember how urgently you have needed help in earlier times and you got it. The Red Sea will open to the honest seeker of revelation. The adversary has power to hedge up the way, to marshal Pharoah's forces and dog our escape right to the water's edge, but he can't produce the real thing. He can't conquer if we will it otherwise. Exerting all our powers, the light will again come, the darkness will again retreat, the safety will be sure."

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." It's all worth it. Every single time following a commandment seems like chore, seems silly, seems unimportant, we are defining who we will become through our agency and choices. Our exalted destiny rests on every day choices; isn't it wonderful that we have a Savior who "went forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind." so that we might receive the promise and reward through our diligence and faith.

The Lord said, "men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness. For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward." "and then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God."

Another thing: today we went to a meeting with a couple other sister training leaders and the zone leaders. They gave everyone assignments except for us. So President Schofield asked us to stay behind. We had an extra 45 minute meeting about how we are going to have to go to both zone conferences and do 30 minute SOLO trainings. So I will be training on Prayer for 30 minutes 4 times. BY myself. Each time, it will be in front of 2 whole zones. I'm scared but it'll be fine. Sister Anderson will be in a separate room training on studying for investigators. Pray for me on Thursday and Friday that I won't have a legitimate heart attack.

I love and miss all of you! Have a wonderful week.
Sister Jenne”

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