This week I've been pretty sick. Seriously. It's been ugly... but, nevertheless, the work goes on. Just because a mother is sick, doesn't mean she stops caring, eh?
So, M and M: We went by their place a few times this week (once they fed us dinner, they're amazing) and we taught them. Or we tried. Whenever we bring up the Book of Mormon, M seems to try simply to look for the imperfections in the book. So, we discussed the importance of faith and looking for the good things instead of searching for the imperfections. Elder C was pretty angry with me after that particular lesson, because I answered a lot of their questions, and didn't really give him the chance..... I'm an idiot. So, I am still learning about teaching in unity and trying to address their concerns. But, we had a nice comp study about it and we will get on top of it. I'm still really hopeful for them because they recognize a change, and once we focus them on how they feel instead of what they think, they will be able to see the miracles.
The Ms.... Baptism this Saturday.... maybe.... hopefully.... She's waiting because she wants her brother to do the baptism. They just need an interview.... So stinking close.... but everyone is on board.
Other than that things have been pretty slow this week, but I've been learning a lot.
I don't really know what else to say.
This morning I was reading in Mosiah 4:
19 For behold, are we not all abeggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?
20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a aremission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his bSpirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with cjoy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.
Oh! I've got it.... 2 Nephi 6: 17 But thus saith the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; afor the bMighty God shall cdeliver his covenant people. For thus saith the Lord: I will contend with them that contendeth with thee—
There are some days when we feel captive; when we are harrowed up by our sins and we become beggars to the Lord, God for our own salvation. Unfortuanately, these days are not few and also unfortuantely, our begging is not always due to our own sins. This week in Canada there was a young woman who killed herself because of bullies at school. She had to switch schools many times in order to get away, until it turned into too much, so, she ended her life.
When I was a jr. in high school, I was up late doing homework (hard to believe, but it's true) when I felt I needed to call a dear friend of mine. I called and she answered in tears. She had taken a knife to her stomach and was bleeding badly. She was in the pit of dispair. I can't remember exactly what it is that she said or even what I said, but somewhere in the course of that conversation I (rather, someone through me, I'm sure) convinced her to drive herself to the ER where she received medical treatment (obviously I won't say a name, and obviously this is a story I don't share lightly). After she graduated, she kinda disappeared off the face of the earth, until about a year and a half later when I bumped into her whilst on a lunch break at work. She was engaged to a good man and had made a complete turn around, she was an institue graduate and was only a year away from getting her bachelors in some form of medical study that I can't remember.
She had changed.
It was beautiful to see.
Regarding repentance, Preach My Gospel states the following:
As we repent, our view of ourselves and the world changes. As we change, we recognize that we are children of God and that we need not continue making the same mistakes over and over... Thus, as we repent daily, we will find that our lives will change and improve. Our hearts and our behavior will become more Christlike. We will come to feel great joy in repenting daily.
So, Elder Hill, what does all of this have to do with Mosiah, 2 Nephi, and your friend? Well, calm down, and I'll tell you.
There are certainly days when we seem to feel theneed to beg for our lives. We are brought to our knees before our Divine Creator and we hope simply that we will be able to be delivered from the pain and/or sin which binds us. This is something that every person experiences, regardless of race, creed, color, religion, age, sex, family situation, etc. We are all beggars, and He is the ultimate benefactor. He will not see us drop silently into the night. He will "pour out his Spirit upon [us], and [will] cause that [our] hearts will be filled with joy, and [will] cause that [our] mouths [will] be stopped that [we] [will] not find utterance, soo exceedingly great [will be] [our] joy." He promises that the "prey of the terrible shall be delivered..." The Lord will not suffer us to be comfortless if we will simple turn to Him. I suppose begging for our lives makes it sound very humbling, and very serious. God did intend it to be that way.
Let us, therefore, humble ourselves. Let us get on our kness and beg to the one who will lift us higher than we have ever been. He loves us. He will not see us alone. He will not see us comfortless. We are never alone.
I love you all very very much.
Shout out to Elder Call who leaves the MTC soon!
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