COMPANION: Elder Esplin
Dear Family & Friends,
Monday: Today
was a pretty good p-day, got everything pday like soon so we had more
time to just relax. That was about it, not too exciting.
Tuesday:
Went to the food bank which was fun as usual. Visited with Josh and
taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ which went really well, we also
went over and visited with Craig and he is doing alright... still having
some problems here and there. Visited with Lee and Amber as well, he
had a really tough week and has been struggling. Tried to help him as
much as we could.
Wednesday:
Had district meeting today and gave part of the training on the
importance of following up on invitations we give to investigators. Had a
lesson with the Gallegos family, we taught a 17 year old who really
doesn't have an interest in coming to church or anything. Felt that the
message we left her went really well and she felt the spirit. Hopefully
she has a stronger desire to come to church and do what is right. Had
another lesson with Lee and Amber tonight. We decided to just read from
the Book of Mormon which was a good choice I felt. We read with the
whole family and even the little ones helped, it was super cute:) Before
we left we gave everyone in their family a blessing except the two
youngest because they were asleep.
Thursday:
Two of the young men in the ward came out with us today, its their fall
break so we they had school off. Their names are Bryan and Anthony, we
picked them up at about 7:45 and dropped them off at 9:00. It was pretty
fun to have them out with us. They came to food bank with us after
studies. Had lunch with them and played some guitar and messed around
singing like Elvis. They got a video of me singing hallelujah with an
Elvis voice... they said they posted on facebook... wonder how that will
go. Haha had a great lesson with Richard, read some scriptures and had
some good conversation. He tried to do the shot of faith with Bryan and
Anthony which kinda failed haha Anthony just picked it up and shot it
back. Of course it was just pop in the shot class but he didn't know
that haha. Later that night we tried to do some finding and ended the
day with a lesson with Josh on obedience, prayer, and scripture study.
Friday:
Happy weekly planning day! Pretty much all we did today and still
didnt get it all complete. Had a lesson after dinner with a couple of
less actives who ended up being YSA age so we passed them off to the YSA
missionaries. After that lesson we stopped by to visit Dawn and to see
how Kimmi is doing. She recently was put into a hospital for depression.
A friend of her recently died which then brought back memories of
another friend that died a year ago that she was very close to. Dawn is a
very good mom and it amazes me how she does it... she has 8 kids and
most of them are adopted children who's mothers drank while pregnant,
some more than others. Her children have very good morals and although
have minor disorders here and there, are doing very well in life.
Saturday:
Pretty good day, this morning we helped clean up some weeds in someones
backyard. After that we went home to do our normal morning stuff.
Originally we had a lesson planned with someone but unfortunately wasnt
there. We had a member with us too... decided we would go and visit as
many people as we could who was close by that we could invite to the
Stake BBQ that we were having. Got a few peoples attention that made it.
The BBQ was great! Had a lot of food and people. Dawn and Cody showed
up and had a great time. Cody spent alot of time with some of the boys
from the stake playing frisbee which isn't normally something he would
do. While at the BBQ, a woman came up to us and said that I had come to
her house a while ago and gave her a blessing... and because of the
blessing, it gave her a stronger desire to look into the church. She was
baptized last Saturday! That was soo cool of her to come up to me and
tell me that:) I dont recall giving the blessing... but I do recognize
her which is the interesting thing.
Sunday:
Really good Sunday, today Elder Esplin and I felt we should fast for
Kimmi so we did that. Had ward council which went well, church was good
too. Dawn had to work but someone picked up Cody so he could come. Had a
really great time and felt the spirit he said. After church we went
home and did studies and everything before going out to visit some less
actives. After dinner Elder Cox and I did a role play that was fun.
Elder Cox and his companion have been teaching someone who has been
looking into anti which is annoying. They have been helping her recently
try to recognize that anti is mostly lies, facts that have been twisted
to make them sound like we are bad, or misinterpretation of things. The
role play was him acting like her in a lesson... went well and was fun.
The rest of the night we finished planning and thats about it.
On
Sunday, Elder Esplin and I joined the young men for their lesson. The
lesson was on Christlike attributes and was really good for the young
men to hear it. The lesson sorta went off onto the subject of applying
the things that are being taught and why its important to do it now. One
of my biggest mistakes was procrastinating the application of the
gospel. While growing up I knew I should apply the things taught in
church... although I wanted to do things my way and I felt I "couldnt"
overcome the natural man to do what God wanted me to do rather than what
I wanted to do. Something I recognized is that I don't necessarily like
being told that I "can't" do something and when someone tells me I cant
do something... generally I want to show them up and do it if I believe
I can. With that being said... why is okay for me to tell myself I
"can't" do something... I came up with every excuse to procrastinate the
day I put what I knew into action. How I wish I didn't do that.
Please... Learn from my mistake and the mistake of many other people in
procrastinating the day you apply the things we know are the right thing
to do. I promise that there is no greater feeling to have a constant
companionship of the Holy Ghost because by doing what God has invited me
to do, it builds my faith and makes me more worthy of that constant
companionship. I love this gospel, I love this church, I know that it is
the true church of Jesus Christ, and I know that through this perfect
gospel and by applying it, we can have eternal happiness in this life
and the life to come.
Alma 34:31-36
31
Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any
longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and
therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately
shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.
32
For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea,
behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
33
And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses,
therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your
repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us
to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in
this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no
labor performed.
34 Ye cannot say, when ye are
brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to
my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess
your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit
will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.
35
For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even
until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the
devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath
withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all
power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.
36
And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy
temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he
has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no
more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of
the Lamb.
I love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Smith
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