The true act of repentance.
Date
August 10, 2015
Area
Arlington 1st Ward
Companion
Elder Trent Reynolds
The true act of repentance.
This week has been a pretty slow week. We spent some time organizing our areabook into subareas that will help us be more effective when an appointment drops us which seems to happen a lot. Now, especially with all those referrals, we always have someone to go swing by if someone cancels on us.
The referrals that came to us are proving very helpful! even if we find that that person isn't there we typically end up with a new investigator which is helpful when you are trying to increase your teaching pool! We had an experience where we were actually contacting a former investigator. We knocked on the door and the person wasn't there. So we did what missionaries should and we contacted the person that opened the door. Taught him about The Book of Mormon, gave him a copy, asked him to read 3 Nephi 11 and set a return appointment. It can be so easy if we would just open our eyes and realize that there is a reason that awe were sent tot hat place to try to contact someone who isn't there. It really reminds me of D&C 61:3
"But verily I say unto you, that it is not needful for this whole company of mine elders to be moving swiftly upon the waters, whilst the inhabitants on either side are perishing in unbelief."
The Lord told Joseph Smith and those with him that they are going there anyway, and I have prepared people to receive my gospel! Talk to them! I also imagine that they would have been reminded by Joseph Smith that if they opened their mouths they would be filled.
I have felt the desire lately to make myself feel the same that I did in the MTC. I know I don't feel the spirit the same way and I have realized that it is because I have not been praying as often as I did in the MTC; I have stopped relying on the Lord so much. I need to start doing that again.
I have found that most weeks tend to carry themes as far as what we teach and study but it barely ever coincides with what we learn at church. However, this week was one such week. We have been teaching a lot about temples and a long with that eternal families and marriage. When we didn't have anyone to study for I read the Ensign the articles in which were all about marriage and eternal families. To add to it, I am killing a missionary that is really excited to get married and he verbalizes it all the time. There were TWO weddings on Saturday, and every lesson at church was on the role of parents in the home... Oi oi oi. I don't think I have ever wanted to be married so bad before in my life haha! Elder Reynolds also makes me feel like I only have 4 months left in stead of I have been out 4 months. Which is really weird thinking that at the end of next transfer I will have A) been gone six months and B) I will only have 18 months left which sounds like a lot but when you realize how fast these past few months have felt. In like 3 years I could be married..... Whoa.. That is so weird!
Anywho, we haven't been able to get in contact with Olevia which means that she missed her date which was last Saturday. We can't figure out what happened! It could have been almost anything. GAH! She was so prepared!!!!!
We have been contacting a lot of the referrals that the mission gave to us and we have been pretty successful as far as those go. We found 4 new investigators which is nice! because odds are that the more investigators you find the more people will come closer to Christ.
Every month there is something called MLC. It is a leadrship conference for all the zone leaders in the mission. They go to receive instruction from President Ames. The next day the zone leaders hold a DLC with the district leaders to relay the important informaton to give to the districts they are in charge of. The companion of the district leader goes and participates in the meeting (DLC). This past DLC there was a spiritual discussion on repentance and how we teach it. It really opened my eyes as Old Testament how I am not teacing it as effectivly as I could or should. It also opened my eyes that if we really truely want to repent, we first need to understand what sin is. Sin is what prevents us from living with God again as "neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God." (Alma 7:21) SO now that we understand hat the actuality of sin is we can now realize the importance of the principle of repentance. Now of course, we cannot fully understand it without first grasping a small understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ either. The atonement is literally the greatest act of mercy and love that has ever been performed in the history of the world. Hands down no questions asked. As President Uchtdorf said in this last General Confernece when speaking of Easter Sunday, "It is the day that changed everything. On that day, my life changed. Your life changed. The destiny of all God’s children changed." repentance come from true understanding of what sin is, the atonement and loving Christ so much that we are willing to forsake the natural man and do what He has asked of us.
I Know that as we truly try to understand the principle of repentance and everything that comes along with it we will be able to have a clean conscience in the presence of God and he will say to us "well done my good and faithful servant."
I y'all so much like really i think about y'all often!! Keep the Faith and Hurrah for Israel!!
Love your missionary brother and son, Elder Jefferies
ps, I am off to see the AT&T Stadium!!! :)
The referrals that came to us are proving very helpful! even if we find that that person isn't there we typically end up with a new investigator which is helpful when you are trying to increase your teaching pool! We had an experience where we were actually contacting a former investigator. We knocked on the door and the person wasn't there. So we did what missionaries should and we contacted the person that opened the door. Taught him about The Book of Mormon, gave him a copy, asked him to read 3 Nephi 11 and set a return appointment. It can be so easy if we would just open our eyes and realize that there is a reason that awe were sent tot hat place to try to contact someone who isn't there. It really reminds me of D&C 61:3
"But verily I say unto you, that it is not needful for this whole company of mine elders to be moving swiftly upon the waters, whilst the inhabitants on either side are perishing in unbelief."
The Lord told Joseph Smith and those with him that they are going there anyway, and I have prepared people to receive my gospel! Talk to them! I also imagine that they would have been reminded by Joseph Smith that if they opened their mouths they would be filled.
I have felt the desire lately to make myself feel the same that I did in the MTC. I know I don't feel the spirit the same way and I have realized that it is because I have not been praying as often as I did in the MTC; I have stopped relying on the Lord so much. I need to start doing that again.
I have found that most weeks tend to carry themes as far as what we teach and study but it barely ever coincides with what we learn at church. However, this week was one such week. We have been teaching a lot about temples and a long with that eternal families and marriage. When we didn't have anyone to study for I read the Ensign the articles in which were all about marriage and eternal families. To add to it, I am killing a missionary that is really excited to get married and he verbalizes it all the time. There were TWO weddings on Saturday, and every lesson at church was on the role of parents in the home... Oi oi oi. I don't think I have ever wanted to be married so bad before in my life haha! Elder Reynolds also makes me feel like I only have 4 months left in stead of I have been out 4 months. Which is really weird thinking that at the end of next transfer I will have A) been gone six months and B) I will only have 18 months left which sounds like a lot but when you realize how fast these past few months have felt. In like 3 years I could be married..... Whoa.. That is so weird!
Anywho, we haven't been able to get in contact with Olevia which means that she missed her date which was last Saturday. We can't figure out what happened! It could have been almost anything. GAH! She was so prepared!!!!!
We have been contacting a lot of the referrals that the mission gave to us and we have been pretty successful as far as those go. We found 4 new investigators which is nice! because odds are that the more investigators you find the more people will come closer to Christ.
Every month there is something called MLC. It is a leadrship conference for all the zone leaders in the mission. They go to receive instruction from President Ames. The next day the zone leaders hold a DLC with the district leaders to relay the important informaton to give to the districts they are in charge of. The companion of the district leader goes and participates in the meeting (DLC). This past DLC there was a spiritual discussion on repentance and how we teach it. It really opened my eyes as Old Testament how I am not teacing it as effectivly as I could or should. It also opened my eyes that if we really truely want to repent, we first need to understand what sin is. Sin is what prevents us from living with God again as "neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God." (Alma 7:21) SO now that we understand hat the actuality of sin is we can now realize the importance of the principle of repentance. Now of course, we cannot fully understand it without first grasping a small understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ either. The atonement is literally the greatest act of mercy and love that has ever been performed in the history of the world. Hands down no questions asked. As President Uchtdorf said in this last General Confernece when speaking of Easter Sunday, "It is the day that changed everything. On that day, my life changed. Your life changed. The destiny of all God’s children changed." repentance come from true understanding of what sin is, the atonement and loving Christ so much that we are willing to forsake the natural man and do what He has asked of us.
I Know that as we truly try to understand the principle of repentance and everything that comes along with it we will be able to have a clean conscience in the presence of God and he will say to us "well done my good and faithful servant."
I y'all so much like really i think about y'all often!! Keep the Faith and Hurrah for Israel!!
Love your missionary brother and son, Elder Jefferies
ps, I am off to see the AT&T Stadium!!! :)
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