It looks like another week has gone! I was reminded of a video recently that's pretty neat. The link for it is here: VIDEO It's been a pretty interesting week around here, with some crazy weather and all sorts of other good stuff going on! I got to play tennis for p-day last Monday for a little while, so that was nice, and I also got to have some sweet studies this week. So, a few highlights from this week with some hopefully sweet quotes throughout!
First, on Tuesday we got to have a pretty sweet evening! We had a good class focused on questions and their importance. A sweet quote that we talked a little bit about was: "Some seem to believe that faith and questions are antithetical. Such could not be further from the truth. The Restoration itself was unfolded by the proper and necessary melding of both. The Prophet Joseph Smith had both faith and questions. Indeed, the passage of scripture that led Joseph to the Sacred Grove experience includes both a question and the promise of an answer based on the asker’s faith." It's interesting to think about what makes a question worth asking, or how questions impact that things that we learn or the way that we see things. It ended up being a pretty good discussion with the people that came, and I'd highly encourage those of you who can to watch conference with a question in mind (written down preferably), and see if the Lord doesn't give you an answer to it! We read some sweet scriptures as well, like Mark 1:27, 1 Kings 10:1, and a good chunk from Joseph Smith History (1:8,9,10,13,14,17,19,23,25). On Wednesday we did some service, which was a blast! We got to help a family move some dirt from a huge pile into their garden beds so that the storms that were supposedly coming that evening wouldn't wash it away. It was a pretty fun time, and a very good workout. We did end up getting most of the dirt moved that needed to be, and then the storms did come! During dinner we were at a member's home and we got a call from the assistants saying something about a tornado being possible, and later got an official tornado warning from the weather services people, so that was exciting! Luckily, Edmond didn't get much of anything except some windy rain, but it was still an exciting time. We heard that Moore got hit by a tornado - only an F1 from what we heard, but it was still another tornado ;)
Then came Thursday, which was pretty exciting! We got to do some tracting throughout the day, and had a good dinner that evening and a lesson with a 7 year old who's family recently returned to activity and would like us to go through the lessons before her baptism next month. So, it doesn't count towards any key indicators, but it's still a pretty worthy use of time if you ask me! Friday flew by, with a good district meeting, a fantastic dinner, and some random stuff thrown inbetween. A sweet quote from Elder Cook was particularly noteworthy today. He said: "My intent is not to discourage participation in sports or the use of the Internet or other worthwhile activities young people enjoy. They are the kind of activities that require moderation, balance, and wisdom. When used wisely, they enrich our lives.However, I encourage everyone, young and old, to review goals and objectives and strive to exercise greater discipline. Our daily conduct and choices should be consistent with our goals. We need to rise above rationalizations and distractions. It is especially important to make choices consistent with our covenants to serve Jesus Christ in righteousness. We must not take our eyes off or drop that ball for any reason."
Finally we came to Saturday, when the church released a sweet Easter Video! Check it out here: VIDEO! If you want to look it up and not use my link, go tohelives.mormon.org where you can watch the super short video and then skip this stuff in parenthesis: (You should really check it out, it's only 2 minutes 27 seconds! You'll probably spend longer reading the rest of this paragraph then if you watched the video and skipped the rest of this paragraph, and you'd probably get more from the video!) Seriously though. watch the video. it's super good! It's all about the sacrifice that Christ made, but also the vital fact that he lives today and what that means for each of us! It's super great... I don't think I can say that enough! I've watched it probably 10 or 15 times already - with many more to come, and it's still good every time!
So, on Saturday we watched the video with as many people as we could find home and willing to watch it with us, so that was a blast. Plus, I got to apply this quote from President Uchtdorf throughout the day: "In these simple words, “Lord, is it I?” lies the beginning of wisdom and the pathway to personal conversion and lasting change." As we were going throughout the day I had plenty of opportunity to reflect and ask myself that question and strive to find the things that I need to work on over the next few months, so that was nice. Sunday came and went with a fervor, as we watched the video with more people, and the other wards in Edmond had a huge boundary change meeting with their stake (oddly enough we're in a different stake than most of the city of Edmond), so that was cool to hear about. It was an example to me of the principle of continuing revelation and how important that is when we want to follow our leaders. President Eyring said: "When Lehi heard Nephi speak those words [I will go and do], the scripture says that “he was exceedingly glad.” He was glad because he knew that Nephi had been blessed with confirming revelation that his father’s dream was a true communication from God. Nephi did not say, “I will go and do what my father told me to do.” Rather he said, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.” As we strive to follow our leaders it is important, or vital, that we receive revelation from God confirming that it truly is his will that you do what the leader has counseled, but if you go on to read President Eyring's talk he also mentions how it's important to give it a shot if the Lord doesn't give a clear direction to you. Anyway, it was an interesting day since we also received our transfer calls last night that I'm going to be staying here in Edmond 3rd with Elder Fuller for my last transfer :) It was a pretty sweet week!
I hope you guys have a great week! Watch He Lives! It's a fantastic video, and I'll put the link here again: HE LIVES! Love y'all!
'Til Next Time,
Elder Jordan Nielson
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