Wow what a crazy week. Where do I even begin? So we finally got our car back! YAY!! Now luckily we don't have to walk everywhere, even though that was nice because calorie burner, but also we are able to talk to more people this way! We love it! This week really was amazing! It was simple and not a ton happened but we are truly starting to see God's hand in this work! Last week all of our investigators were dropping us and the members were all canceling on us coming out. But this week we decided we needed to hard core repent and show Heavenly Father that we are serious about wanting the work to go better by planning more specifically. And holy specifically planning makes a huge difference! Planning to see specific people even though they are not home puts you in a place where God has something prepared for you! Ok, so here is the story:
We had planned to go see a couple of the potential investigators and so that's what we were doing. We went to see Nikki who I have never met but she was not home. So we went to see the next person on our list, John, who I have also never met. He was home, we could hear the kids running around yelling that someone was at the door, but no answer. OH! Let me back up first. We originally were going to go see John first but Sister Gardner had a feeling to go see Nikki first! When we were at Nikki's door a car rolled into the neighborhood and pulled to the next street. Well since this happens all the time, we did not think anything of it! So we continued! After John did not answer we walked down to go to the next person but we decided to talk to the guy who had pulled in! His car was still on and playing some really awesome music so we said hi and I commented about how much I loved his music! He was packing his fishing rods and so Sister Gardner asked if he was going on a fishing trip and he said that everywhere he goes is a fishing trip, lol. We then got talking about family and faith and he said that he believes in a higher power but doesn't believe that someone is just sitting on the clouds watching him.
He then shared his story about how his mother contracted E.coli and severely ill for about 2 years before she passed away! He said it was incredibly hard for him! Then about 2 weeks after her funeral he was eating Chinese with a friend and for some reason he did not want his fortune cookie that day, but his friend told him that he can't have Chinese food and not eat the fortune cookie! In order to shut his friend up he decided to eat the cookie. At this point in telling the story his eyes welled up with tears and he told us that he read the fortune and it said "3 months from this date is a very joyful day!" 3 months from that day was his mother’s birthday! He didn't know why this comforted him but he said he knew at that point someone was watching out for him! SO AMAZING! So we talked to him for a little bit longer and he told us that he there is always a Bible near at hand for him. He has one on his nightstand, in his car, in several rooms of his house, and as he was telling him this I had the feeling that we should leave him with a Book of Mormon. I didn't because whenever we have pulled out a Book of Mormon the person we are talking to shrieks and runs away (okay, not literally but pretty darn close to truth) so we left him with a Restoration pamphlet, said our goodbyes, and walked away. We got two houses down when I stopped. I had the strongest impression that we needed to give him a Book of Mormon, I turned to my companion and said, "We have to give him a Book of Mormon." She looked at me and nodded and said that she had been having the exact same feeling. We both looked at each other and we were hesitant to go back because it would be a bit awkward. But I felt something inside me firm my resolve and I spun on my heel, not even knowing if my companion was following, and went up to Ricky. I pulled out the Book of Mormon is my hand and I told him that it was a gift for him and testified of its truthfulness and divinity and promised him that if he would read it that he would come to more fully know Christ and be able to feel His love more strongly in his life. I was stammering and it was awkward but I could feel the power of the Holy Ghost as I gave a simple, I ineloquent testimony. And I could see in his eyes that he was feeling something as well. He accepted it with gratitude and set up a time to meet with us. We left, for reals this time and it was all I could do to keep from clicking my heels together as we walked back to our car. I can promise each and every one of you that you will NEVER regret following a prompting from the Holy Ghost, but remember that you will always regret ignoring one.
The Book of Mormon testifies and teaches about Christ literally on every single page! It is so incredible! I was reading 2 Nephi 19 where he is quoting Isaiah:
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
I have been reading the Book of Mormon with the Institute manual and it quoted Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, as I was reading his thoughts on this scripture I started tearing up, overwhelmed with love and gratitude for my Savior.
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“The fact that the government would eventually be upon his shoulders affirms what all the world will one day acknowledge--that he is Lord of lords and King of kings and will one day rule over the earth and his Church in person, with all the majesty and sacred vestments belonging to a holy sovereign and a high priest. All can take comfort from the fact that because the government--and the burdens thereof--will be upon his shoulders, they will be lifted in great measure from our own. This is yet another reference in Isaiah to the Atonement, the bearing away of our sins (or at very least in this reference, our temporal burdens) on the shoulders of Christ.
As ‘Wonderful Counselor,’ he will be our mediator, our intercessor, defending our cause in the courts of heaven. ‘The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people,’ Isaiah (and Nephi) reminded earlier [2 Nephi 13:13]. Note the wonderful compassion of our counselor and spokesman in this passage of latter-day scripture:
‘Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him--
‘Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
‘Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life’ [D&C 45:3–5].
Of course, as noted by Isaiah, Christ is not only a mediator but also a judge [see Mosiah 3:10; Moroni 10:34; Moses 6:57]. It is in that role of judge that we may find even greater meaning in Abinadi’s repeated expression that ‘God himself’ will come down to redeem his people [Mosiah 13:28; see also Mosiah 13:34; 15:1; Alma 42:15]. It is as if the judge in that great courtroom in heaven, unwilling to ask anyone but himself to bear the burdens of the guilty people standing in the dock, takes off his judicial robes and comes down to earth to bear their stripes personally. Christ as merciful judge is as beautiful and wonderful a concept as that of Christ as counselor, mediator, and advocate.
‘Mighty God’ conveys something of the power of God, his strength, omnipotence, and unconquerable influence. Isaiah sees him as always able to overcome the effects of sin and transgression in his people and to triumph forever over the would-be oppressors of the children of Israel.
‘Everlasting Father’ underscores the fundamental doctrine that Christ is a Father--Creator of worlds without number, the Father of restored physical life through the Resurrection, the Father of eternal life for his spiritually begotten sons and daughters, and the One acting for the Father (Elohim) through divine investiture of authority. All should seek to be born of him and become his sons and his daughters [see Mosiah 5:7].
Lastly, with the phrase ‘Prince of Peace,’ we rejoice that when the King shall come, there will be no more war in the human heart or among the nations of the world. This is a peaceful king, the king of Salem, the city that would later become Jeru-Salem. Christ will bring peace to those who accept him in mortality in whatever era they live, and he will bring peace to all those in his millennial and postmillennial realms of glory” (Christ and the New Covenant, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, 80–82).
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I know that Jesus is the Christ and that He and our Father in Heaven love us more deeply and perfectly than we can comprehend in this life. It is only through Christ that we gain peace in this life and joy in the life to come.
I love you all so very much, God keep you safe,
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| We went to dinner at a member's house and they made enough food to feed an entire third world country! And it was DIVINE too!!! |
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| We learned how to make origami dresses on PDAY so we "dressed" an Elder in one 😂 |
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| Yes. In Wal-Mart (affectionately referred to as "Wally World" by my family and I) we found a poop emoji bean bag. Yes. My life is now complete. |
