If They Didn't Work Why Would I Make Them?!
Date
January 18, 2016
Area
Belton Ward
Companion
Elder Justin Fairchild
If They Didn't Work Why Would I Make Them?!
This week was a fantizilyastic! We worked so hard and we saw much
success! I don't think I have been this tired in a long time,
something I am unsure how I feel about but I like it haha. After all,
we are to "waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the
hidden things of darkness" (D&C 123:13). We spent many hours tracting
with great memories that were made there.
We had a bunch of people at church yesterday! Leah was there along
with a bunch of returning active members and some recent converts. It
was a great day! Brother Garner got a calling and he is now serving as
the secretary for the YM presidency which is so awesome! He and his
wife are getting much much closer to being sealed for time and all
eternity in the temple!
Leah is progressing like crazy! She goes to seminary and just about
every week at church! She is also an exceptionally skilled string
player, I am not sure which instrument but I am honestly pretty sure
that it is the cello but don't quote me on that because it might be
false doctrine. She has a light in her eyes that I see in the best
recent converts!
We also met a woman named Tessie while we were tracting. Down here it
is mostly military and young doctors in their residency and this
woman's husband is a first year radiology resident. We have several of
those in our Ward. Well, we picked a family that is in their radiology
residency as well and the wife used to be a member of the same
religion and we figured they would be a perfect match. We went over to
tell them about the woman we found and they already know her! It is so
perfect and we are so excited to just see where it goes. More to be
expected next week!
We also have a ton of extra miles thus far this month because we have
been tracting so much. We decided. To spend ran entire day Dow. In
Salado which is about 15 miles south of Belton. We trained visiting
everyone we could down there and in the middle of our trying to visit
someone we found Tom. Tom is a Vietnam war vet and actually very pro
war. He seems like your classic career army officer who went in for
adventure. He served two tours in 'Nam and almost got killed many
times. Well, we contacted him and after about 30 minutes of talking
about war (something I don't get to do very often outside of the wars
in the Book of Mormon) I became his friend and he invited us inside to
show us something... Tom has a metal lathe and he likes to make
cannons, both howitzers, guns, and mortars as well as pill containers.
We went into his office and ther were in the neighborhood of 50+
homemade cannons! We asked him if they worked and he said "If they
didn't work why would I make them!?" We figured that was a pretty
valid point haha. Well, he gave us some pill containers and said that
we were welcome over anytime. He really liked us because we didn't
force any religion on him... Oh Tom, you don't understand... ;P
I heard that y'all went snowboarding and I am super jelly haha! It's
alright, I have had some pretty awesome dreams about snowboarding so
it is all good haha!
As of late I have been studying diligence and virtue. Both are
Christlike attributes. Most people, when they think of virtue, think
of being chaste and refraining from doing immoral actions. While this
is a big part of being a virtuous person, there is much more to it.
Being virtuous is "is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high
moral standards." What you choose to think and do when you are alone
and you believe no one is watching is a strong measure of your virtue.
It is much like integrity. "Virtuous people are clean and pure
spiritually. They focus on righteous, uplifting thoughts and put
unworthy thoughts that lead to inappropriate actions out of their
minds. They obey God’s commandments and follow the counsel of Church
leaders. They pray for the strength to resist temptation and do what
is right. They quickly repent of any sins or wrongdoings." PMG pg, 119
My favorite of these two is diligence. I have personally always
thought that I was fairly diligent or at least I have been since I
graduated high school. If you ask Mom and Dad they might say something
different ;) I know several scriptures that demonstrate diligence. I
the first one that comes to mind and a classic example is Nephi when
he is going back to Jerusalem to retrieve the plates of brass. They
tried 2 times with no success having all of their earthy possessions
taken from them by Laban. Nephi heeded to the voice of the Lord and
returned knowing that the Lord "giveth no commandments unto the
children of men save He shall prepare a way for them to do the thing
which He hath commanded them." Nephi persistently went after the
plates despite the possibility of death or suffering to obey God's
commands. We are likewise told and encouraged to be "diligent in all
things." One of my personal favorite scriptures (which has all ready
been quoted earlier) explains this is found in the Doctrine and
Covenants section 123 verses 13 and 17:
"we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the
hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly
manifest from heaven... ...Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us
cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand
still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for
his arm to be revealed."
Being diligent mean as simply that you do not give up. to quote a
favorite movie, "What do you do when you fall off the horse? (I'm not
a gymnast Mori) You get back on!" It takes "perseverance, hard work
and perseverance!" And it also takes faith in our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. It takes us knowing that if we try our very hardest and
desire to do good continually and keep striving to become the person
that He and our Heavenly Father want us and envision us to be. It
takes knowing that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father will never give up
on you, me or anyone else.
"The Savior will never consider us to be a lost cause." You are never
too far gone in the eyes of Heavenly Father, there is always a way
back to Him. Please open your eyes if you do not see the divine
potential of each one of us. Reach out and help lift someone, get on
your knees and repent, go out and "waste and wear out your lives" to
help those who are lost on this mortal journey. I give you my
testimony, as an ordained errant of the Lord Jesus Christ and a
companion to the Apostles, that Jesus Christ is the living Savior of
the world. There is no other name by which salvation can be possible.
I testify that we can come home to live with Him. I also know that you
can return to the plane of spiritual being that you once were and you
can also exceed that of where you are. I write this and leave this to
you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.
Love, your missionary son and brother, Elder Jefferies
success! I don't think I have been this tired in a long time,
something I am unsure how I feel about but I like it haha. After all,
we are to "waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the
hidden things of darkness" (D&C 123:13). We spent many hours tracting
with great memories that were made there.
We had a bunch of people at church yesterday! Leah was there along
with a bunch of returning active members and some recent converts. It
was a great day! Brother Garner got a calling and he is now serving as
the secretary for the YM presidency which is so awesome! He and his
wife are getting much much closer to being sealed for time and all
eternity in the temple!
Leah is progressing like crazy! She goes to seminary and just about
every week at church! She is also an exceptionally skilled string
player, I am not sure which instrument but I am honestly pretty sure
that it is the cello but don't quote me on that because it might be
false doctrine. She has a light in her eyes that I see in the best
recent converts!
We also met a woman named Tessie while we were tracting. Down here it
is mostly military and young doctors in their residency and this
woman's husband is a first year radiology resident. We have several of
those in our Ward. Well, we picked a family that is in their radiology
residency as well and the wife used to be a member of the same
religion and we figured they would be a perfect match. We went over to
tell them about the woman we found and they already know her! It is so
perfect and we are so excited to just see where it goes. More to be
expected next week!
We also have a ton of extra miles thus far this month because we have
been tracting so much. We decided. To spend ran entire day Dow. In
Salado which is about 15 miles south of Belton. We trained visiting
everyone we could down there and in the middle of our trying to visit
someone we found Tom. Tom is a Vietnam war vet and actually very pro
war. He seems like your classic career army officer who went in for
adventure. He served two tours in 'Nam and almost got killed many
times. Well, we contacted him and after about 30 minutes of talking
about war (something I don't get to do very often outside of the wars
in the Book of Mormon) I became his friend and he invited us inside to
show us something... Tom has a metal lathe and he likes to make
cannons, both howitzers, guns, and mortars as well as pill containers.
We went into his office and ther were in the neighborhood of 50+
homemade cannons! We asked him if they worked and he said "If they
didn't work why would I make them!?" We figured that was a pretty
valid point haha. Well, he gave us some pill containers and said that
we were welcome over anytime. He really liked us because we didn't
force any religion on him... Oh Tom, you don't understand... ;P
I heard that y'all went snowboarding and I am super jelly haha! It's
alright, I have had some pretty awesome dreams about snowboarding so
it is all good haha!
As of late I have been studying diligence and virtue. Both are
Christlike attributes. Most people, when they think of virtue, think
of being chaste and refraining from doing immoral actions. While this
is a big part of being a virtuous person, there is much more to it.
Being virtuous is "is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high
moral standards." What you choose to think and do when you are alone
and you believe no one is watching is a strong measure of your virtue.
It is much like integrity. "Virtuous people are clean and pure
spiritually. They focus on righteous, uplifting thoughts and put
unworthy thoughts that lead to inappropriate actions out of their
minds. They obey God’s commandments and follow the counsel of Church
leaders. They pray for the strength to resist temptation and do what
is right. They quickly repent of any sins or wrongdoings." PMG pg, 119
My favorite of these two is diligence. I have personally always
thought that I was fairly diligent or at least I have been since I
graduated high school. If you ask Mom and Dad they might say something
different ;) I know several scriptures that demonstrate diligence. I
the first one that comes to mind and a classic example is Nephi when
he is going back to Jerusalem to retrieve the plates of brass. They
tried 2 times with no success having all of their earthy possessions
taken from them by Laban. Nephi heeded to the voice of the Lord and
returned knowing that the Lord "giveth no commandments unto the
children of men save He shall prepare a way for them to do the thing
which He hath commanded them." Nephi persistently went after the
plates despite the possibility of death or suffering to obey God's
commands. We are likewise told and encouraged to be "diligent in all
things." One of my personal favorite scriptures (which has all ready
been quoted earlier) explains this is found in the Doctrine and
Covenants section 123 verses 13 and 17:
"we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the
hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly
manifest from heaven... ...Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us
cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand
still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for
his arm to be revealed."
Being diligent mean as simply that you do not give up. to quote a
favorite movie, "What do you do when you fall off the horse? (I'm not
a gymnast Mori) You get back on!" It takes "perseverance, hard work
and perseverance!" And it also takes faith in our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. It takes us knowing that if we try our very hardest and
desire to do good continually and keep striving to become the person
that He and our Heavenly Father want us and envision us to be. It
takes knowing that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father will never give up
on you, me or anyone else.
"The Savior will never consider us to be a lost cause." You are never
too far gone in the eyes of Heavenly Father, there is always a way
back to Him. Please open your eyes if you do not see the divine
potential of each one of us. Reach out and help lift someone, get on
your knees and repent, go out and "waste and wear out your lives" to
help those who are lost on this mortal journey. I give you my
testimony, as an ordained errant of the Lord Jesus Christ and a
companion to the Apostles, that Jesus Christ is the living Savior of
the world. There is no other name by which salvation can be possible.
I testify that we can come home to live with Him. I also know that you
can return to the plane of spiritual being that you once were and you
can also exceed that of where you are. I write this and leave this to
you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.
Love, your missionary son and brother, Elder Jefferies
0 comments
« Back
Local
Texas