This week just flew by! I can't believe that it's already Monday again, but alas it looks like society will tell me that it is. So, here I am emailing you guys once again. This week has been super good though, so that's probably why it seemed to fly by!
On Monday, after emailing y'all, we got to go and play starcraft risk with a super awesome couple here in the ward, and it was a blast. I lost, but that wasn't too much of a surprise since it seems that I typically lose in such games. But, it was still a blast, and then we got to have a great evening out and about seeing people! Tuesday absolutely flew by, with some baking being done for class, giving a blessing to an older brother in the ward, seeing a couple people before having dinner, and then having a great scripture study class! We focused on being obedient as a method to increase our spiritual confidence before God, and had a few good discussions. The paragraphs from Elder Klebingat's talk that we read this week were: "3. Embrace voluntary, wholehearted obedience as part of your life. Acknowledge that you cannot love God without also loving His commandments. The Savior’s standard is clear and simple: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Selective obedience brings selective blessings, and choosing something bad over something worse is still choosing wrong. You can’t watch a bad movie and expect to feel virtuous because you did not watch a very bad one. Faithful observance of some commandments doesn’t justify neglecting others. Abraham Lincoln rightly said, “When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad” (in William H. Herndon and Jesse William Weik, Herndon’s Lincoln: The True Story of a Great Life, 3 vols. [1889], 3:439).
Also, do the right things for the right reasons. The Lord, who “requireth the heart and a willing mind” (D&C 64:34) and who “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (D&C 33:1), knows why you go to church—whether you are present in body only or truly worshipping. You can’t sing on Sunday, “O Babylon, O Babylon, [I] bid thee farewell” and then seek or tolerate its company again moments later (“Ye Elders of Israel,” Hymns, no. 319). Remember that casualness in spiritual matters never was happiness. Make the Church and the restored gospel your whole life, not just a part of your outward or social life. Choosing this day whom you will serve is lip service only—until you actually live accordingly (see Joshua 24:15). Spiritual confidence increases when you are truly striving, for the right reasons, to live a consecrated life in spite of your imperfections!"
Also, do the right things for the right reasons. The Lord, who “requireth the heart and a willing mind” (D&C 64:34) and who “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (D&C 33:1), knows why you go to church—whether you are present in body only or truly worshipping. You can’t sing on Sunday, “O Babylon, O Babylon, [I] bid thee farewell” and then seek or tolerate its company again moments later (“Ye Elders of Israel,” Hymns, no. 319). Remember that casualness in spiritual matters never was happiness. Make the Church and the restored gospel your whole life, not just a part of your outward or social life. Choosing this day whom you will serve is lip service only—until you actually live accordingly (see Joshua 24:15). Spiritual confidence increases when you are truly striving, for the right reasons, to live a consecrated life in spite of your imperfections!"
They're pretty bold statements, but something that has definitely been taught to me over and over again through trials, lessons, and others has been the importance of obedience in our daily lives. A large part of our lesson was focused on being able to discern between right and wrong, and making sure that we don't choose incorrectly. But, I know that following the commandments of God is one of the surest ways to receive and find Joy in this life and peace as we go throughout each day.
On Wednesday we got to help out at the hope center, and we also had an awesome dinner! After dinner we got to go out with a super cool member, and we were able to visit with a few people. With them, we focused on the Title Page and Introduction of the Book of Mormon, two of the more overlooked resources in the book. A good chunk of the title page of the book emphasizes it's purpose which says:"Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ." A huge part of what we do each day in being obedient to the commandments and striving to follow Christ is so that when Judgement day comes we're able to be found spotless through the Atoning blood of Christ, which cleanses us through repentance and continually keeps us clean as we strive to obey and become better.
Thursday turned out to be a very interesting day, since it started off with interviews with President after studies - and then we tried to get weekly planning done since we turned into the taxi service in the afternoon for the other missionaries - the other car in Edmond was in the shop, so we had to ferry the other missionaries to and from the church building for their interviews. On the way to the church for the last one, the elders (who are on bikes) got a phone call to go down to the Children's hospital - downtown - to give a baby a blessing... So that they didn't have to bike down there, after their interviews we took them the 10 or so miles down to the hospital, and found it pretty easily. But, the parents weren't there, so we weren't able to give the blessing. Then, on the way back we got a little lost/sidetracked and eventually made it back to Edmond safely. That night we got to visit with a couple people and it was still a very productive evening even tough we spent most of the day driving around...
Then came Friday, where we had district meeting and then I got to go on exchanges in Guthrie! We started off the afternoon with service for a recent convert family chopping down trees again, and it was a blast! We felled another one, and are slowly working on cutting them into manageable pieces, its a good time for all, especially since it's a pretty solid workout. We had a nice visit with a family that's moving out this week, but it was fun to get to know them before they headed out! Then we had dinner with a senior couple that lives way out in the middle of nowhere, so that was a blast! We had a tasty dinner, and then for the lesson Elder Rasmusson did a sweet object lesson with a Rubik's cube. It was pretty neat! Eventually Saturday came around and we had lunch with Sandy and Michelle as our way to exchange back, and then headed to prepare for Taylor's baptism!
For the baptism, I was asked to make a treat... so I made cobber and then the Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookie thing, so that was a blast. Then the baptismal service was super awesome, with a couple awesome talks, and a great musical number. The ordinance itself was super spiritual, but that was increased by how awesome the service around it was. Taylor's family that came was super nice, and they seemed like great people! Brother Mckinley took pictures... but we haven't gotten them yet, so you'll hopefully be seeing those next week :) For dinner the Eckmans took us to a sweet hamburger joint and I got to have a Bison/Buffalo Burger... it was pretty tasty! On Sunday we had a super awesome church service, with Taylor's confirmation, a baby blessing, and the sacrament filling sacrament meeting with an outpouring of the spirit, which was felt by all who were there. Plus, we had some awesome talks and lessons throughout church, the one in Priesthood being from President Uchtdorf's talk, "Lord, is it I?" which had a super awesome quote in it that I wanted to share: "We must approach our Eternal Father with broken hearts and teachable minds. We must be willing to learn and to change. And, oh, how much we gain by committing to live the life our Heavenly Father intends for us. Those who do not wish to learn and change probably will not and most likely will begin to wonder whether the Church has anything to offer them. But those who want to improve and progress, those who learn of the Savior and desire to be like Him, those who humble themselves as a little child and seek to bring their thoughts and actions into harmony with our Father in Heaven—they will experience the miracle of the Savior’s Atonement. They will surely feel God’s resplendent Spirit. They will taste the indescribable joy that is the fruit of a meek and humble heart. They will be blessed with the desire and discipline to become true disciples of Jesus Christ." Sorry it's a bit long, but it's super awesome, and has some intense blessings promised so I wanted to share :) Anyway, Sunday night we had a blast at dinner, and then got to go out with a member and gave a blessing and then took the sacrament to a brother who was in the hospital, so we got to participate in many priesthood ordinances on Sunday and the verse in D&C 84 which says: "Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest." rang very true today as I felt the spirit very powerfully during each ordinance. So, it was a pretty sweet week! I hope y'all have a great week! Love y'all!
'Til Next Time,
Elder Jordan Nielson
