tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74260549991260197182024-03-13T09:04:41.562-07:00There And Back AgainElder Scanlan's journey to the middle of the world.Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-55763113537947561422016-12-07T10:38:00.001-08:002016-12-07T10:38:11.008-08:00Don't Forget!<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 20pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s take a quick moment to remember that God is always more concerned about who we’re becoming than where we are. It’s comforting to know that he doesn’t measure the way the world does. He knows who we really are and what we really want. Although things like what we do for a job and how well we do in school are of course important to Him. But that’s not what </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">really </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">defines is. When we take away all of that, who are we, really? Have we become more like Christ?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s also comforting to know that we have an infinite number of second chances. Thanks to the Atonement, we can keep getting up again and trying again. It doesn’t matter if we get a bad grade on a test or don’t pass the interview we wanted to. It’s all part of the process. I’ve shared Moroni 10:32 but I recently rediscovered it and we all need to be reminded at some point of what we knew before.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’re in a long, long journey to be perfected. The great thing is that it doesn’t necessarily matter if we stumble and fall here. What matters is if we get back up and keep trying. I’ve found this to be personally very important lately with my school work. It’s given me a better perspective.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-d1b1cbc7-da93-489f-b863-c31a3ca80ebe"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And while we’re at it, let’s serve one another! The Church’s Light the World campaign has been great so far. I’ve eagerly checked on it every day to see what I can do to help. It’s a simple truth that when we care more about others we forget about ourselves. Some thoughts to help in this sometimes-stressful part of the year.</span></span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-54876275009038737432016-12-01T20:48:00.001-08:002016-12-01T20:48:37.667-08:00Miracles<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I attended one of the devotionals early on in this semester, where Matthew O. Richardson spoke. I loved what he had to say, especially a story he shared of his experiences at BYU. He shared how he was experiencing many of the hardships that are common to students and was feeling very down on himself. By a remarkable set of circumstances, he ran into then-President Holland, who after talking with President Richardson, assessed him and offered advice. President Richardson recounts that Elder Holland said:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You just believe that God will work His mighty miracles for everyone but you.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His assessment was right.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then he said with his typical fervor, “You gotta believe, Matt. You gotta believe.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t we all think like that, sometimes? I know I have. I was reminded a little bit of this as I read in Mormon 9:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We believe in God, don’t we? Do we really, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">truly </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">believe that he can make miracles happen? Maybe that’s why we read our scriptures and say our prayers and partake of teh sacrament - to remember what He can and will do for us if we only ask.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-d1b1cbc7-bddc-550b-8f2c-0c1549860530"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know that God is a God of miracles. I know that this is His gospel. I know that Christ has overcome death and that through him we can all find peace for our souls. It just takes some remembering, sometimes.</span></span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-4140020888256354822016-11-18T06:21:00.001-08:002016-11-18T06:21:30.593-08:003 Nephi 9<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my very favorite scriptures has always been this one from 3 Nephi chapter 9 (or really, the first part of it):</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here Christ was talking to the people in the Americas after His death. What He taught us about repentance here is very important.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What exactly does it mean to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit? It means that we will do everything we can to make things right. Oftentimes we make mistakes but are too proud to admit it. Sometimes we display the exact </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">opposite</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - our hearts are hardened instead of broken and our spirits are haughty instead of humbled. It’s all too easy to rationalize our sins away or not commit to taking the steps that need to be taken to make amends, especially when something might be serious enough to merit a confession to our bishop.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, that’s exactly what the people had felt before Christ’s coming. That’s exactly what had put them in this trouble in the first place. In fact,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 18 Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully rebel against God.</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-d1b1cbc7-77cf-c7cf-1485-0423338a4a8d"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So how do we have a broken heart and a contrite spirit? More than anything I think it means having humility. We need to be willing to submit everything we have to God so that He can make things right again. I know I’ve had to do this before. It isn’t easy. But we do it because we know what awaits us if we do - and the consequences if we don’t. If we want to get back to our Heavenly Father, there really isn’t anything that should stand in our way. Any embarrassment we might feel now is nothing compared to what we get in return.</span></span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-65431827339019791672016-11-09T06:50:00.001-08:002016-11-09T06:50:43.306-08:00It Will All Work Out!<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes we all get pretty scared. We can wonder if things are going to get better in the future or if we will be able to provide safety and security for our families. Sometimes the problems we face are problems we’ve created entirely on our own and we worry that we’ve gone too far, that we’ve finally stepped across the line and into a place where God can no longer help us.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s a pattern that is very common in the Book of Mormon that can give us hope and it has to do with liberation. In Alma 36, Alma the Younger describes to his son how he was able to overcome sin in his own life by calling upon Christ. I also like what Alma says at the beginning in verse 2:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All throughout the Book of Mormon the prophets exhort the people to remember the bondage of Lehi, Nephi, and also Moses. Can you remember a time when you were in bondage? Do you remember how the Lord helped you escape?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes we worry so much about the future that we forget that we’ve been worried about the future before. If we remember that we’re also likely to remember that God has delivered us before! In fact, if we put our trust in Him, we have a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">promise</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that he will. Take heart in that! Through Christ’s Atonement absolutely anything is possible. There is nothing that He cannot overcome.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That is why we are so indebted to Him. If we let the Atonement come into our lives, we will feel as Alma did:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-6ac68d01-4991-556e-78b5-a395c9c152fb"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!</span></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-1883271283000600172016-11-04T11:28:00.001-07:002016-11-04T11:28:27.380-07:003 Nephi 22<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This week I was doing a more in-depth study of 3 Nephi 22. I’ve always liked the chapter because of the beautiful symbolism and the message of hope it brings. We all have moments where we’re afraid because of mistakes we’ve made or things other people have done or just the state of the world in general. It can be hard to see how everything will end in “happily ever after.” That’s why I love the words of Isaiah the Christ quotes in this chapter:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The truth is we’ve almost all done something to make the Lord hide His face from us. However, the central truth of this chapter is that God loves us. He remembers the covenant that He’s made to always watch over us and protect us. If we remember our side of the covenant, He will make sure things turn out OK. I like what Elder Holland has to say about this:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">...the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life. Indeed it is only with that reassurance burning in our soul that we can have the confidence to keep trying to improve, keep seeking forgiveness for our sins, and keep extending that grace to our neighbor.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">President George Q. Cannon once taught: “No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character [to do so]. … He will [always] stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them.”</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-6ac68d01-3098-617e-ec57-00d9f852eb8e"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I absolutely know that is true! I know that God lives and that He loves us. I know that He will never abandon us. I also know that He is very patient with us and just wants us to keep moving forward. If we do so, one day, He will gather us with great mercies in His arms.</span></span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-86970614767639134972016-10-29T10:00:00.001-07:002016-10-29T10:00:16.992-07:00Antichrists<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve always loved learning about the antichrists in the Book of Mormon, and especially Korihor in Alma 30. I think it’s one of the most relevant parts to today’s world. There are many antichrists out there and it’s often so very hard to pick out their arguments and realize just how poisonous they are. They sound so appealing to the natural man! As I was reading through Alma 30 this week I discovered some additional insights on how to distinguish good from evil and know whether an antichrist should be believed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More than anything I came to realize that many antichrists appeal to our better side and ask us to believe in things like “love” and “tolerance” - I don’t think I need to give latter-day examples. Korihor does something similar. He says in verses 23 and 24:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">...I do not teach the foolish traditions of your fathers, and because I do not teach this people to bind themselves down under the foolish ordinances and performances which are laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and authority over them, to keep them in ignorance, that they may not lift up their heads, but be brought down according to thy words.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 24 Ye say that this people is a free people. Behold, I say they are in bondage.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">See what he does there? He sides with the people and popularity. It certainly sounds appealing. But the trick here is what is actually lacking, and it’s something that can help us spot antichrist arguments. In reality, Korihor lacks charity. He himself may even think he does it out of “love,” but that’s not how true love works. Charity is described in Moroni 7:45 as being patient and benevolent and kind. I don’t think Korihor had any of those attributes. Rather, he was motivated by pride.</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-6ac68d01-1161-ccb7-ae1b-6501c41cf9a1"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That, in the end, is all that motivates Satan, as well. He never does anything because he really loves people. He doesn’t have charity. Only God, who loves us perfectly, would gives us commandments and want us to be truly free. So let’s all have charity and help with that!</span></span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-14588720969978754552016-10-22T07:56:00.001-07:002016-10-22T07:56:16.643-07:00Repentance<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was flipping through my mission notes and was reminded of what I was learning only a few months ago in the field: repentance! We all make mistakes but I love the promise in Mosiah:</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-2b588aea-ece3-c193-e9a4-3cc7596d9168" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 30 Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And a related verse in D&C 58:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 42 Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 43 By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love these two parts of scripture and what they teach us about repentance. Specifically, I love how the Lord is always willing to forgive us and that when he does, he doesn’t remember our sins. The Atonement really is a wonderful thing. All the mistakes we’ve made can be completely and utterly forgotten. There’s nothing we have to fear as long as we stay on the right path and keep striving to do what’s right. Many times we feel like we’ve gone too far or that happiness is out of our reach, but it never is. And the Lord </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">wants </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">us to come unto Him and repent. It’s a painful process, yes, but in the end brings happiness. That is what can inspire us to, like the Nephites, fast and pray “in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who [know] not God.” (Alma 6:6)</span></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know that Christ lives and that through His infinite Atonement all things can be made right once again.</span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-34295081131402097952016-10-16T00:05:00.001-07:002016-10-16T00:05:17.892-07:00Waiting Again<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I keep coming back to this, don’t I? But that’s ok. Sometimes we have to learn things two or three times for it to sink in. That often happens with me and patience, I guess.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-2b588aea-cc4e-6e8f-83ac-79864e5c2447" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I was reading in Mosiah something stuck out to me. King Limhi and his people we desirous to be baptized in Mosiah 21, but weren’t able to because the Priesthood authority wasn’t present at the time. So, they decided to “[wait] upon the Spirit of the Lord.” I love how they put themselves in the Lord’s hands. It made me realize that, yes, there are important things that the Lord </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">wants </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">us to do...but He’s perfectly fine letting us wait just a little so we can grow before arriving.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While they waited, however, “all [their] study” was dedicated to their freedom.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, there </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">something that we need to do while we’re waiting. The waiting is necessary, but so are one or two things for the waiting to end.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of those things is of course righteousness. With Alma’s people in a similar situation a few chapters later, the Lord reminds them of the covenant He’d made with them and that as they kept their side He would free them from bondage.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second thing we need to do for the waiting to end is study how we’re going to get out, as Limhi’s people did. If we’re missing either one, nothing will happen. If we do both that doesn’t mean things will get better tomorrow or next week, but they </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">will </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">get better.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A final insight I gathered on patience while reading this part of Mosiah: if we do things right, we can actually </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">enjoy </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the wait. Alma and his people, in Mosiah 24, “did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So not everything’s bad when we’re waiting. We just need to do the right things and not only will the waiting end eventually, we’ll be able to find joy until it does.</span></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-54592973356140520042016-10-05T07:55:00.001-07:002016-10-05T07:55:34.708-07:00Requirements for Revelation<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I suppose this has to do a lot with last week’s entry. An essential part of making choices is seeking revelation. Although we need to learn to make choices on our own, the Lord </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">does </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">want us to include Him in the process. After all, we’re not supposed to do “any thing” until we first ask the Lord to help us with it (2 Nephi 32:9). That doesn’t mean that we will get an answer, but I was reminded of the importance of seeking revelation and the work that needs to come first as I read in Enos this morning. I was struck by verses 3 and 4 and how to apply them in a different way than I had before.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-2b588aea-9557-133d-746c-016c6904a229" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 20pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 20pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I suppose I’d always applied Enos’s desires specifically to the process of gaining a testimony, but who’s to say that our soul shouldn’t hunger to know other things, as well? Revelation requires work, and if a decision is important enough (or even if it isn’t!) we should be ready to cry all day and all night to receive an answer. We can cite D&C 9 in relation to this:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 20pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 7 Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enos had the right desires. I wonder if he did end up applying this process to receive other bits of revelation in his life. Reading this was a good reminder to me to maybe try a little harder when it comes to getting revelation, and the importance of approaching the Lord with my needs.</span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-21928569459918744602016-09-29T10:00:00.002-07:002016-09-29T10:00:52.758-07:00Choices<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not always easy to make choices. We all experience some anxiety trying to figure out what’s best for our life. There are very few clear-cut answers and a lot of gray space. I often feel a lot of anxiety when trying to make even the simplest of decisions. I suppose I’m very conscious of the fact that our time here on Earth is limited and that we have an eventual goal of reaching perfection in the next life. As Lehi says in 2 Nephi 2:</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-5de0f110-76e3-5fce-091b-9dc56109041b" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">See what I mean? The choices are eternal life or eternal death in the end. Plenty to get stressed out over.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So how </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">do </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">we choose what to do? What part does personal revelation play in all of this? How can we make sure we’re choosing the right? One piece of counsel comes from President Monson:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 20pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of you are familiar with Alice in Lewis Carroll’s classic novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. You will remember that she comes to a crossroads with two paths before her, each stretching onward but in opposite directions. As she contemplates which way to turn, she is confronted by the Cheshire Cat, of whom Alice asks, “Which path shall I follow?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 20pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The cat answers, “That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”</span><a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/choices?lang=eng#note1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 20pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unlike Alice, we know where we want to go, and it does matter which way we go, for the path we follow in this life leads to our destination in the next life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">...As we contemplate the decisions we make in our lives each day—whether to make this choice or that choice—if we choose Christ, we will have made the correct choice.</span></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the beauty of it all is that we’re here to learn by making mistakes and then doing better next time. So, even if we mess up, we can be assured that Christ’s Atonement can fix whatever we’ve done wrong. The important thing is to choose, and to try!</span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-22968406609490171882016-09-23T10:36:00.001-07:002016-09-23T10:36:34.465-07:00Mosiah 7:33<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I read my scriptures this week, I was reminded of a very important concept that King Limhi teaches his people in Mosiah 7:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 33 But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are times when all of us are entangled in this problem or that sin. Sometimes we don’t know how we’ll get out or make things right again. King Limhi’s advice shows us how - but it’s not always easy to follow.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I understand that I need to turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, but that’s a difficult process. It means giving up a lot. We can’t just have half purpose or even three quarters purpose, but </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">full</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> purpose. That requires us to do things that we probably wouldn’t rather do. Serve others, study the scriptures more diligently, go to the temple. We have to be ready to listen to the Spirit’s promptings and do what God would have us do, even (or </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">especially</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) when it’s not what we want to do.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But what’s the payoff? We so often forget about who we’re supposed to be or what’s awaiting us if we endure to the end. Once we put things in that perspective, everything else becomes pretty unimportant. I love how Paul phrases it in Romans 8:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Always remember that we’re to be joint-heirs with Christ! Then you’ll make the decisions you need to make and turn unto God with full purpose of heart.</span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-14248417646260997512016-09-15T14:12:00.001-07:002016-09-15T14:12:34.882-07:00Waiting<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s pretty darn hard to do that! It’s odd how we want to relax when things are hectic, then when things calm down we get bored and wish something would happen. It’s hard to balance those two ends of the spectrum. We’re keenly aware that we need to be “anxiously engaged in a good cause” and that our time in this life is limited. I suppose I feel like I should be experiencing a kind of spiritual high all the time as a confirmation that I'm doing it right. But the reality is that crazy, life-changing things don’t happen every day. Or do they?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Elder Maxwell once said, “Moments are the molecules that make up eternity!” So what we do in every moment </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">does</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> have an impact on who and what we will become. This is extremely important as we think about what the Book of Mormon teaches us about agency. In the end, there are only two choices - to follow Christ or not. That’s something we can choose in every moment. We choose by the way we speak and think, the way we treat people, the challenges we take on, and choosing to pick ourselves back up and try again when things don’t go our way. As Lehi says in 2 Nephi 2:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0091bc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s a decision we make in every moment. And I love this scripture in 2 Nephi 10 connection with the above:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 23 Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.</span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cheer up and stay faithful! Make those little decisions every day and you’ll make the eternity you want to live.</span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-21845924054672266842016-09-08T13:07:00.000-07:002016-09-08T13:07:59.218-07:00Remembering to Remember<span id="docs-internal-guid-f0fb1973-0b69-c788-ce22-6b551483e566"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This week in my Book of Mormon reading I got to Jarom. I was looking at verses 11 and 12 and thinking about a pattern that we often see in the Book of Mormon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 11 Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was. And after this manner did they teach them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 12 And it came to pass that by so doing they kept them from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We often struggle to remember, it seems, and it’s something I’m certainly worried about. It isn’t easy to remember God and Christ. In some ways I do miss the mission because it was so much easier to remember when that’s all I had to think about every day. I definitely don’t want to fall into the Nephites’ same mistakes here. We know what the consequences are like.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was thinking about how we can remember Christ today, since we don’t have the law of Moses, and I made a very simple connection that I’m sure you’ve probably already made. The Sacrament is how we remember Christ every week! Although it’s hardly anything novel, making that connection was very meaningful to me. It took the Sacrament from a conceptual level to something that I can actually apply. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I understand how we must prepare ourselves for the Sacrament every week. Now I understand how that helps us stay on the right path and, ultimately, get back to Heavenly Father’s presence.</span></span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-6280151682128524482016-08-31T11:28:00.001-07:002016-08-31T11:28:21.721-07:00A New Journey Begins<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As part of an assignment for my Book of Mormon class I’m taking at BYU, I thought I’d keep updating this blog a bit. It feels really good to get these thoughts down “on paper,” and it’s even more fun having people read them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not even a week after being home from the mission, I’ve already had to make hard decisions about what to do and what not to do, and I’ve had to apply the very advice I actually put here on the blog. It’s not easy to be in the world but not of the world, and I was reminded this week about what really matters.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the mission, everything fits neatly into its little box and there aren’t too many questions to be asked. Here, in the real world, decisions and sacrifices had to be made. Towards the end of my mission I made some goals about what I would and wouldn’t do after coming home, and without going into details, I’ve already had to make hard decisions.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I made those decisions by praying and reading the scriptures. I love to ask the Lord my question in prayer before studying and then studying until I find the answer. This week as part of the Book of Mormon class I read from 1 Nephi 1 to 1 Nephi 7 and I found a new personal meaning 1 Nephi 3:7.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Nephi says, the Lord </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">prepares</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a way for us to accomplish what He expects of us. What a lifesaver, honestly! I learned that again this week. There was a decision I had to make and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">knew </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had to make...but I didn’t want to make it. The only thing that helped me to make it was relying on that idea. And, without going into specifics, it worked out! I didn’t know how it would, but it did.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s kind of funny thinking that I’ve had to learn such a basic lesson again, but I suppose that’s part of the process. That’s how we build character - Richard G. Scott said you don’t build character in moments of decision, rather, that’s where you employ it.</span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So the next time you have to make a decision, remember once again Nephi’s council...and make the right one!</span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-55981013942691926702016-08-15T17:21:00.001-07:002016-09-23T10:39:32.281-07:00But If Not...<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px;">This is Jeremiah's last letter! He will be home on August 23. We get to have him home for two days before he leaves for school at BYU-Provo on August 26th. We will have an Open House for Jeremiah on Wednesday, August 24th from 6:30-8:00 at our church building at 2771 Rochester Road, Cranberry Twp. We know he would love to see you, so please feel free to stop by for refreshments and say hello to Jeremiah. Thank you for all your support for our missionary over the past two years!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px;">I had to think hard about what to share in this last e-mail. It was hard for me to really think about what I have learned. What </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">have </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px;">I learned? I've learned a lot, but what's the most important thing I've learned in these two years?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.72px;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">I remembered that in the MTC and during my first little bit in the field, I read the Book of Mormon focusing on a question: What does the Lord expect of me in the mission? I'd actually forgotten about the answer that I'd received, so long ago, at the very end of the book, in Moroni 10:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;"> 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">But honestly, that's a fantastic summary. Be perfected in Christ, and love Him and serve Him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">Being perfected in Christ has been a process throughout the mission and I've learned much more about what that means, and about what we're to inherit if we succeed - as Paul described it, "...heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:17)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">I love the way President Kimball describes what we are meant to inherit, and the way he puts it in the perspective of our daily lives and decisions:</span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">One man I know of was called to a position of service in the Church, but he felt that he couldn’t accept because his investments required more attention and more of his time than he could spare for the Lord’s work. He left the service of the Lord in search of Mammon, and he is a millionaire today.</span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">But I recently learned an interesting fact: If a man owns a million dollars worth of gold at today’s prices, he possesses approximately one 27-billionth of all the gold that is present in the earth’s thin crust alone. This is an amount so small in proportion as to be inconceivable to the mind of man. But there is more to this: The Lord who created and has power over all the earth created many other earths as well, even “worlds without number” (Moses 1:33); and when this man received the oath and covenant of the priesthood (D&C84:33–44), he received a promise from the Lord of “all that my Father hath” (D&C 84:38). To set aside all these great promises in favor of a chest of gold and a sense of carnal security is a mistake in judgement of colossal proportions. To think that a person has settled for so little is a saddening and pitiful prospect indeed; the souls of men are far more precious than this.</span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">One young man, when called on a mission, replied that he didn’t have much talent for that kind of thing. What he was good at was keeping his powerful new automobile in top condition. He enjoyed the sense of power and acceleration, and when he was driving, the continual motion gave him the illusion that he was really getting somewhere.</span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">All along, his father had been content with saying, “He likes to do things with his hands. That’s good enough for him.”</span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">Good enough for a son of God? This young man didn’t realize that the power of his automobile is infinitesimally small in comparison with the power of the sea, or of the sun; and there are many suns, all controlled by law and by priesthood, ultimately—a priesthood power that he could have been developing in the service of the Lord. He settled for a pitiful god, a composite of steel and rubber and shiny chrome.</span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">...I am reminded of an article I read some years ago about a group of men who had gone to the jungles to capture monkeys. They tried a number of different things to catch the monkeys, including nets. But finding that the nets could injure such small creatures, they finally came upon an ingenious solution. They built a large number of small boxes, and in the top of each, they bored a hole just large enough for a monkey to get his hand into. They then set these boxes out under the trees and in each one they put a nut that the monkeys were particularly fond of.</span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">When the men left, the monkeys began to come down from the trees and examine the boxes. Finding that there were nuts to be had, they reached into the boxes to get them. But when a monkey would try to withdraw his hand with the nut, he could not get his hand out of the box because his little fist, with the nut inside, was now too large.</span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">At about this time, the men would come out of the underbrush and converge on the monkeys. And here is the curious thing: When the monkeys saw the men coming, they would shriek and scramble about with the thought of escaping; but as easy as it would have been, they would not let go of the nut so that they could withdraw their hands from the boxes and thus escape. The men captured them easily.</span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">And so it often seems to be with people, having such a firm grasp on things of the world—that which is telestial—that no amount of urging and no degree of emergency can persuade them to let go in favor of that which is celestial. Satan gets them in his grip easily. If we insist on spending all our time and resources building up for ourselves a worldly kingdom, that is exactly what we will inherit.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">I've come to really feel and understand those ideas here in the mission. I think I've really come to understand what </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">really </i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">matters, what's really expected of me, and how much I really want to do what God wants me to do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">We have to give up everything, serve God with </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">everything</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;"> we have to be perfected in Christ. He won't take in half-measures. He wants </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">everything</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">. But the incredible thing is what we get in return. The gospel truly </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">is</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;"> the "pearl of great price," and we must be willing to sell all that we have to go buy it (Matthew 13:45-46).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">We have to have the attitude that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had. President Murphy had interviews with us last week, and although he of course didn't spend much time with me, I did have a moment to ask him a few questions and talk about some challenges in the sector. I was wondering about humility, and he shared with me these scriptures from Daniel 3. King Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden idol and commands everyone to worship it or be thrown into a fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego aren't about to be fooled by that "pitiful god." They knew what awaited them if they were faithful, that they could become "joint-heirs" with Christ. So this is the way they respond:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;"> 18 <b style="line-height: 22.72px;">But if not</b>, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">What have I learned in two years? I've learned that I have lots of dreams and desires. I've learned also that God demands that I give everything to him, even my very best dreams and desires. I've learned what I'll receive in return.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">When I get home I'm sure there are many things I want to do, lots of movies to watch and people to catch up with. I'll go back to doing a lot of the same things I did beforehand. But I will never be the same. From now on I will always try to remember who I am in every decision I take. <i style="line-height: 22.72px;">But if it's not</i> what the Lord wants, that's ok too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">I'm just grateful that the Lord is really patient with us as we try to perfect ourselves in Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">I know that Christ lives. I know that this is His true church and I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet today. And I know that families can be together forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">That's what matters most to me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">Sorry, I didn't take too many pics this week. But here I am eating my last encebollado.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">How I actually feel about this being my last encebollado.</span></td></tr>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-19748128157248504862016-08-09T06:50:00.000-07:002016-08-09T06:50:10.235-07:00Character and Faith<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px;">We learned some interesting things about the relationship between character and faith this week. Character, in essence, is how we choose to respond to adversity. Every problem that we have in life, big or small, is intended to help us develop that character. We have to act with faith as a response to the stuff that happens in our lives. The Lord explains it this way in D&C 58:</span><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;">
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.</i></div>
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The truth is that God doesn't want to do anything for us that we can do for ourselves. Basically, He just wants us to keep on working. The point is that we TRY to solve our problems before turning unto Him fo help. That's what character is. As Elder Holland has said, God's opportunity is man's extremity. It'll always be raining, at 9:29 at night...that's when the miracles happen.</div>
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And I've definitely seen that in missionary work! Last night we had all our appointments fall through and we found ourselves in a part of our sector where we'd already contacted everything...some of it twice over. So, reluctantly, I suggested we contact part of a street we'd already contacted before to have something to do before the last appointment we had scheduled in 30 min. As we contacted it turned out there was ONE house that we hadn't contacted before, so we knocked the door. This young guy came out...and was really receptive! Wow! We came in and got to know him a bit better and it turns out he'd not only met some members that I'd met in Ibarra, but his aunt is the same Laura Picausi who lives in Chaltura which means he has a cousin who's on a mission! I was like, "What a small world," but really...it's a miracle, there's no other way to explain it. And we totally gave him a baptismal date.</div>
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I've learned, more than anything this week, who we really depend on. I was reading 1 Nephi 17 and I love Nephi's attitude. When his brothers were skeptical and made fun of him for making a boat, Nephi reminded them that he was on the same side as the God who'd made the earth, the stars, and everything.</div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;"> 51 And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">Wherever you are, don't give up! God can help you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px; text-align: start;">We also went to the Cascadas de Peguche today, here's a pic</span></div>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-45649800694546274732016-08-01T20:03:00.002-07:002016-08-01T20:03:26.566-07:00Sacrifice Brings Blessings<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px;">A few stories about that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">First, the zone leaders have been having a rough week. They've been working way hard to keep the zone alive (speaking almost literally there, almost half the companionships in the zone have been in the hospital at least some point during this change for various health problems) and sacrificing tons of time to be in other missionaries' sectors and help them out. On top of that we've had meetings with President and they've even <i style="line-height: 21.3px;">more </i>meetings with the other leaders of the mission and the stake president...all in all there was almost an entire week where they weren't even in their sector, and if you know anything about missionary work just being absent one day seems to kill the sector. But they then told us about how, as a result of that act of faith, they feel the Lord blessed them. The Sunday after that terrible week a member showed up out of nowhere with his non-member girlfriend and asked them to teach her, and now she has a baptismal date!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">Another companionship that I admire is the companionship of sisters in my district. One of the poor sister missionaries had some horrible migraine problems and was hospitalized two hours south of her sector in Quito for almost two weeks. But despite that, she and her companion came back super strong to their sector and not only destroyed their goal of less-actives for this week but within a few days had investigators with baptismal dates! They've been giving me a good example - we don't have anyone with date in our sector as of yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">But...we will pretty soon! We've also been sacrificing, working hard despite seeing a lot of success, and this week we were finally blessed with several less-active and part-member families to work with. We've had this referral of a part-member family that we've been trying to find for a while. The husband is a non-member, and the wife had told us we should visit with the first councilor in the bishopric because apparently they get along really well. We've been trying for about two weeks to get the appointment to happen but either they weren't there or the first councilor couldn't get there or <i style="line-height: 21.3px;">something </i>happened...but last night the planets finally aligned and we got an appointment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">At first it was obvious it was very awkward for this investigator and he focused on talking with his friend, the first councilor. Eventually we could get the investigator to sit down and as we got to know the investigator, we realized he did have a very deep interest in his family. I felt like we could talk about the Family Proclamation, so we did. After he read the first paragraph I asked him if there was anything he had questions about and he said something like, "I've always wondered what God's plan is for families. Does he want us to be with our parents and siblings for forever?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">I cannot tell you how happy I was to hear him ask that question. We talked about temples and got another appointment out. I'm excited to teach him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">On those lines, I'd like to close with the latter half of one of my favorite sections of Doctrine and Covenants, 123. Read it carefully.</span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;">11 And also it is an imperative duty that we owe to all the rising generation, and to all the pure in heart—</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 12 For there are many yet on the earth among all sects,parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 13 Therefore, that 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—</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 14 These should then be attended to with great earnestness.</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 15 Let no man count them as small things; for there is much which lieth in futurity, pertaining to the saints,which depends upon these things.</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 16 You know, brethren, that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept work ways with the wind and the waves.</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we standstill, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.</i></div>
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This is the Lord's work! Nothing will stop it. Love you all lots!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 21.3px; text-align: start;">Caught my compa in a good pose.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 21.3px; text-align: start;">A cool pic overlooking Otavalo I got in the sister missionaries' sector when we went to help them out.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 21.3px; text-align: left;">We went to eat some encebollados and some guys came in playing music. They played The Sound of Silence on their Andean flutes, which I wasn't planning on hearing for another 3 weeks, so that made me happy for a moment.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3px;"> In the building on the right they're making food out of this guy.</span></div>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-54379100967876460162016-07-25T18:26:00.000-07:002016-07-25T18:29:25.975-07:00I Can't Think of Titles<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 15px;">Sometimes I don't even want to write this email, or write in my journal, or do much of anything. It's a weird limbo here at the end - I want to be doing everything and nothing at the same time. But don't worry, I'm working hard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">This week we had a focus on finding people with potential. We've found plenty of investigators, but not so many with potential. And this week was hard, like last week, in the sense that we still don't have any of those "golden" investigators to work with, but thanks to the Spirit we could find a bunch more people this week. It really makes you humble and grateful for what you <i style="line-height: 21.3px;">do </i>have when you don't have a ton of success otherwise!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">One cool experience was with a future investigator we've been hunting down for a while, now. There's this guy we'd contacted on the street like a month ago or more, and he was like, "Yeah, I've read all the triple combination and I know a bunch about Joseph Smith, we'll have to talk sometime!" And kind of kept going quickly, must have been busy. So we were like, "Ok..." I wasn't sure if we should really look for him again, because sometimes people are crazy, but every once in a while his name would come to mind. So one day I decided to actually plan to find him - he'd given us a kind of vague idea of where he lived (it's not easy to find people's houses here). That day while on divisions we managed to find his house - but he wasn't home. They said we could find him weekends. So the next weekend we passed by, and we didn't find him, but we found his wife, who told us we could find him at night. The next night we passed by and found his wife again, who told us it'd be more likely on Tuesday. Sometimes I don't like going on these wild goose chases, but this time I wanted to see it through. We came back Tuesday, at the time she told us to...and we found her again, but this future investigator wasn't there! She told us she'd expected him to be there, but he must have gotten backed up in his work, and didn't know if he'd come later...but she told us if we waited for the very last bus to pass by, in about half an hour, we might be able to catch him. Ok, so we decided to try that. We started walking down the street to contact people while waiting for the bus to come. And as we contacted a family...there came the bus! We ran all the way back up to the bus stop, but didn't get there in time, we couldn't see if he'd gotten off or not. So we took one last chance to knock on his door....and he had gotten home! And he let us in! And he's actually a pretty cool investigator. The only bad thing is that he's going on a trip and won't be home for another two weeks so we'll have to chase him down again. The point of all this is there were so many moments when we could've given up, but we didn't. The Spirit was egging us on this whole time, and although we didn't know what would happen, we decided to follow it, and miracles happened!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">Another miracle was with Mayra, the non-member wife of a member that had been less-active but had been "rescued" before we got to the sector. Although she's always been happy to have us teach and help them out, she hasn't fulfilled practically any of the commitments we've left in the months we've taught her, even though she always comes to church. And I messed up - she's not his wife, because she still doesn't want to get married. But this week we had some trainings with President where we learned about how to teach repentance, and soon after we disovered that she doesn't want to get married because she's afraid her husband will go back to some of the bad things he did before...but we talked about repentance and had a very spiritual lesson. And we invited to her to say the closing prayer, and she gave a really heartfelt prayer where we all felt the Spirit. It just made me so happy. I love these scriptures in Isaiah. In Chapter 1, the Lord strongly rebukes the apostasy among the Israelites, but then says:</span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;">16 ¶Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.</i></div>
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I'd like to end with some thoughts from Elder Holland on hope, from a talk he gave that I recently found.</div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. Moroni spoke of it in the Book of Mormon as “hope for a better world.” For emotional health and spiritual stamina, everyone needs to be able to look forward to some respite, to something pleasant and renewing and hopeful,whether that blessing be near at hand or still some distance ahead. It isenough just to know we can get there, that however measured or far away, there is the promise of “good things to come.”</span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offersus, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the “light that is endless, that can never be darkened.” It is the very Son of God Himself. In loving praise far beyond Romeo’s reach, we say,“What light through yonder window breaks?” It is the return of hope, and Jesus is the Sun. To any who may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His “more excellent ministry” with a future of “better promises.” He is your “high priest of good things to come.”</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: normal;">I know the Gospel is true and I know that Christ lives. The mission has taught me a lot about what really matters, and those are some of the things that matter most to me in my life.</span></span></div>
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Oh and something cool I learned from the gospel fundamentals manual - the word of wisdom specifically names the flesh of beasts and fowl as to be used sparingly...but doesn't mention fish. Fish is way better - and scientifically proven. Too bad it's so expensive. I think I've eaten more fish here in the mission than in my whole life.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 21.3px; text-align: left;"> I didn't take hardly any pictures this week. But here's a picture if what I ate for breakfast yesterday. I was pretty proud, mostly because on the left there I made colada morada, one of my favorite drinks ever here. It's super easy, too. Basically just corn starch and raspberries with cut up apples and a few other things.</span></td></tr>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-19868767947299612112016-07-18T20:29:00.005-07:002016-07-18T20:29:48.805-07:00Oh, Come On!<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">Last week one of our zone leaders finished his mission. I went on with divisions him several times throughout that last change of his, and while we worked I asked for advice on how to best finish my mission. He talked about how the last transfer is God's last change to polish us up, and He really takes advantage of that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">Well, it's true. This week practically every one of our investigators or less-actives decided to stop progressing - or just altogether disappear. It's been a week full of trials and I'm sure it will continue. We spent the last two days without teaching hardly any lessons, just walking up and down knocking on doors until I was so tired I was almost falling asleep on my feet. It's been good, though, because I've learned something about overcoming trials practically every day:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;"><b style="line-height: 21.3px;">Tuesday</b> - I was studying about how adversity is necessary in God's plan. I'd forgotten about that little fact. He wants us to progress, so it's entirely necessary for us to pass through hard times!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;"><b style="line-height: 21.3px;">Wednesday</b> - I must have still been thinking about adversity - and I added hope to that this time. It reminded me of one of my favorite passages in the scriptures, in Romans 8:</span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"><b style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.</b></i></div>
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<b style="line-height: 21.3px;">Thursday</b> - I was studying a bit of Elder Renlund's talk from last conference, and I really liked what it said:</div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;">The concept—“the greater the distance between the giver and the receiver,the more the receiver develops a sense of entitlement”—also has profound spiritual applications. Our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are the ultimate Givers. The more we distance ourselves from Them, the more entitled we feel. We begin to think that we deserve grace and are owed blessings. We are more prone to look around, identify inequities, and feel aggrieved—even offended—by the unfairness we perceive. While the unfairness can range from trivial to gut-wrenching, when we are distant from God, even small inequities loom large. We feel that God has an obligation to fix things—and fix them right now!</i></div>
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In other words, I needed to get closer to God and better recognize His hand in all things.</div>
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<b style="line-height: 21.3px;">Friday</b> - I've been reading in Mosiah and the other day, I was reminded of the way Alma and his people overcame their trials in chapter 24. They prayed and the Lord said:</div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3px;"> 13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.</i></div>
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Check out how the Lord promised to deliver them according to their faithfulness to their covenants. That helped me understand a bit better baptism and the covenants I made in the temple. I suppose it's worth noting as well that those who had made covenants still had trials like everyone else.</div>
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<b style="line-height: 21.3px;">Saturday</b> - Later on in Mosiah 25, I was reminded who it is that actually delivers us:</div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="16" style="background: 0px 0px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); border: 0px; color: #0091bc; cursor: pointer; font-family: Palatino, "Palatino Linotype", Pahoran, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 25.2px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><i style="line-height: 21.3px;">16 And he did exhort the people of Limhi and his brethren, all those that had been delivered out of bondage,that they should remember that it was the Lord that did deliver them.</i><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br style="line-height: 21.3px;" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;"><b style="line-height: 21.3px;">Sunday</b> - It was a rough, long day. All day I was remembering what Elder Holland had told us when he visited us a few months ago. "Don't waste one minute wondering why it's so hard," he said. He reiterated that missionary work isn't easy because <i style="line-height: 21.3px;">salvation</i> isn't easy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">I know YOUR salvation, dear reader, won't be easy either. But please don't give up. You can do it!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">You might get tired but I never get tired of sending pics of me eating stuff. Here I'm with a delicious piece of fish.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;"> The kids make kites out of sticks and plastic blags. Pretty impressive.</span></div>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-55599002567604013612016-07-11T19:32:00.006-07:002016-07-11T19:32:52.668-07:00Meet The Murphys<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;">Our new mission president and his family got to the mission something like a week and a half ago, and this Wednesday we got to know them! His name is President Murphy, and he of course seems like a great person. It must be so hard to be a mission president. I imagine it as one of the church's most demanding callings. Anyhow, President Murphy is from California and served his mission in California in the 80s. They have 6 kids, only one of which will actually stay with the parents here in Ecuador, while the others are either going to be at BYU or are married. Even though I may only have a transfer with him, I'm sure it'll be great!</span><br />
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This week we had a lot of miracles, but there was one that felt...misplaced. While in my sector in Ibarra I'd heard about this less-active that the missionaries had taught there before, David Conforme. Apparently he had tons of potential, but it turns out he lived a few streets over, in what was actually the other missionaries' sector (where I am now). Since I totally felt like that was cheating, while I was in Ibarra I decided not to visit him, especially considering that he lived in the very farthest-away part of the sector.</div>
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Then they gave me changes to this sector, and I remembered that he lived here. I never actually got around to visiting him though and forgot about him because we had lots of other people to visit. Until this Wednesday, when I met up with my companion who I'd been with in Ibarra (he's now in Otavalo and we both went to the meeting to meet President). He actually mentioned this same less active to me, saying that he'd gotten to know him after I'd left Ibarra and was going to visit him.</div>
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Then last Friday as we were praying, all throughout my prayers in the morning and during studies this less-active's name kept coming to my mind. David Conforme. We ended up going on divisions and I stayed in the sector with our zone leader. As we worked, I mentioned to him this guy's name and that I was maybe going to change our plans a bit to go try to find him because I'd been feeling this prompting. It turns out that my zone leader had been one of the missionaries that had taught this less-active in Ibarra, and still vaguely remembered where his house was! That's when I first decided that this wasn't coincidence.</div>
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So we set out to find his house. We ended up finding it, yes, but it turned out that he'd moved, and the people there gave us an idea of where his work was more towards the center of town - they told us he worked in a jeans place. We tried to find it - even calling the assistants to ask for permission to cross over all the way to the other zone - and after a few jeans stores we couldn't find it. I was wondering if we ever would, be suggested we say a prayer. After the prayer we both felt we should try a bit further down the street. We spotted another jean shop and...we found him! Since my companion already knew him we could talk to him no problem and of course he was happy to see us and wanted us to visit him.</div>
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But...it turns out that he moved just outside our sector. Now he actually does belong to the sector in Ibarra.</div>
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It was kind of frustrating, but I can't deny that we were led to find him. I even happened to have the phone number for the missionaries from Ibarra, so I gave it to him. I'm sure he'll be a miracle for them. It's just frustrating that he wasn't a miracle for us. I'm sure we'll have our own, though!</div>
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This week we also had a good experience with a part-member family we're teaching. They've been having marital difficulties and haven't had a ton of progress, but we visited them with some members and ended up watching this great church movie from the 80s called "Together Forever." It was great. Once again I was reminded about the importance that families have in God's plan. Well, they're kind of all-important, really. I'm so grateful for my own eternal family and I remembered that...all I really want is for other people to have that, too.</div>
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I know that families can be together forever! I can't transmit to you in words what I feel, but I know it's true.</div>
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I also had a good experience this week that reminded me of the worth of what I'm doing. It turns out that the Sanchez family, the family I'd found while working in Rumiñahui that later got baptized, found out I was going to be in Otavalo to meet President Murphy, and the mom, Blanca, and one of her sons, John, came to see me! I was super surprised but super grateful. Blanca gave me this nice sweater that I'm wearing right now. I'm just grateful that they remembered me, because of course I remember them! Missionary work does bless people's lives, and I'm grateful that I can be a part of that.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qy64s6KG7pQ/V4RWUef14HI/AAAAAAAABJw/4DUTJ1Asou8rrllE22K4h0lhpMm8x0bjgCLcB/s1600/pucara%2Bfish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qy64s6KG7pQ/V4RWUef14HI/AAAAAAAABJw/4DUTJ1Asou8rrllE22K4h0lhpMm8x0bjgCLcB/s400/pucara%2Bfish.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px; text-align: start;">Eating ice cream (that's the jacket/sweater Blanca gave me)</span></td></tr>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-60802537039166201772016-07-10T18:48:00.000-07:002016-07-10T18:48:43.107-07:00Finding Faith in Christ<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">Here is Jeremiah's letter from earlier this week. We were out of town for vacation this past week and I didn't get it posted earlier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">You might've heard a bit in the news, but Ecuador's been having a really tough time, economically. Things got even worse after the earthquake a few months ago. The government's struggling, and so is everyone. When we visit people, members, non members, everyone talks about how hard things are. I suppose that some sifting always needs to take place - it's been a trial for lots of people, members included. But it's great being a missionary because it means I can teach them how to get out of those rough spots...keeping the commandments! As representatives of Christ we can make people very specific promises if they keep the commandments, which is always great. It's just hard when people...don't keep the commandments! But I know if we keep the Sabbath day holy and pay our tithing, everything will work out. I'm sure I'll be on the other end of the stick someday, too...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; line-height: normal;">This time of year is also a bit rough for missionary work among the natives, because right now it's the "sun festival," or something like that. There are just big parties every week and everyone goes out "dancing" (they just kind of walk around in a big circle and call that dancing). It's tough on church attendance. Just...keep the Sabbath day holy, gosh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; line-height: normal;">Yesterday was of course fast Sunday. It's never been my favorite here in the mission, but I realized as I studied Saturday morning that more than anything my attitude prevented me from really enjoying fasting. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 16.05px;">I realized this as I read D&C 59:13-15</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"> :</span></span></div>
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<em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"> 13 And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.<br style="line-height: 21.3px;" /><br style="line-height: 21.3px;" /> 14 Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer.<br style="line-height: 21.3px;" /><br style="line-height: 21.3px;" /> 15 And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance—</span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><br style="line-height: 21.3px;" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 16.05px;">I hadn’t really paid attention to the words used here. It’s described as something joyful! I realized that I should try my best to let it be something joyful, not something that gets me down and makes me want to sleep in sacrament meeting. I like promises in the next few verses as well:</span></div>
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<em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;<br style="line-height: 21.3px;" /><br style="line-height: 21.3px;" /> 17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;</span></em></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 16.05px;">So this last fast Sunday I worked a bit more on my personal conversion. That Saturday, we tried to stop by a recently-rescued member and his non-member wife who were having some problems. We had planned to see the church movie "Finding Faith in Christ" with them, which has become one of my favorites out in the field. I think it's really heartfelt (even though it of course suffers from slightly-unreal acting inherent in any church movie) and I love the way it talks about finding faith when we have lots of doubts. I love the Spirit I feel as it portrays the Savior and what He did for us. It helped me renew my testimony of Him, which is one of the most precious things I have obtained in this life. Yesterday I was also reading in Mosiah 3 and I love what King Benjamin says about Christ:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="5" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3px;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </em></a><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk40000" style="line-height: 21.3px;">5 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk40001" style="line-height: 21.3px;">For </span><span id="ecxchunk40002" style="line-height: 21.3px;">behold, </span><span id="ecxchunk40003" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk40004" style="line-height: 21.3px;">time </span><span id="ecxchunk40005" style="line-height: 21.3px;">cometh, </span><span id="ecxchunk40006" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk40007" style="line-height: 21.3px;">is </span><span id="ecxchunk40008" style="line-height: 21.3px;">not </span><span id="ecxchunk40009" style="line-height: 21.3px;">far </span><span id="ecxchunk40010" style="line-height: 21.3px;">distant, </span><span id="ecxchunk40011" style="line-height: 21.3px;">that </span><span id="ecxchunk40012" style="line-height: 21.3px;">with </span><span id="ecxchunk40013" style="line-height: 21.3px;">power, </span><span id="ecxchunk40014" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk40015" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Lord</span><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </span><span id="ecxchunk40016" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Omnipotent</span><span id="ecxchunk40017" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> who </span><span id="ecxchunk40018" style="line-height: 21.3px;">reigneth</span><span id="ecxchunk40019" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk40020" style="line-height: 21.3px;">who </span><span id="ecxchunk40021" style="line-height: 21.3px;">was, </span><span id="ecxchunk40022" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk40023" style="line-height: 21.3px;">is </span><span id="ecxchunk40024" style="line-height: 21.3px;">from </span><span id="ecxchunk40025" style="line-height: 21.3px;">all </span><span id="ecxchunk40026" style="line-height: 21.3px;">eternity</span><span id="ecxchunk40027" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> to </span><span id="ecxchunk40028" style="line-height: 21.3px;">all </span><span id="ecxchunk40029" style="line-height: 21.3px;">eternity, </span><span id="ecxchunk40030" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk40031" style="line-height: 21.3px;">come </span><span id="ecxchunk40032" style="line-height: 21.3px;">down </span><span id="ecxchunk40033" style="line-height: 21.3px;">from </span><span id="ecxchunk40034" style="line-height: 21.3px;">heaven </span><span id="ecxchunk40035" style="line-height: 21.3px;">among </span><span id="ecxchunk40036" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk40037" style="line-height: 21.3px;">children </span><span id="ecxchunk40038" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk40039" style="line-height: 21.3px;">men, </span><span id="ecxchunk40040" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk40041" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk40042" style="line-height: 21.3px;">dwell </span><span id="ecxchunk40043" style="line-height: 21.3px;">in a </span></em><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk40045" style="line-height: 21.3px;">tabernacle</span><span id="ecxchunk40046" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> of </span><span id="ecxchunk40047" style="line-height: 21.3px;">clay, </span><span id="ecxchunk40048" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk40049" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk40050" style="line-height: 21.3px;">go </span><span id="ecxchunk40051" style="line-height: 21.3px;">forth </span><span id="ecxchunk40052" style="line-height: 21.3px;">amongst </span><span id="ecxchunk40053" style="line-height: 21.3px;">men, </span><span id="ecxchunk40054" style="line-height: 21.3px;">working </span><span id="ecxchunk40055" style="line-height: 21.3px;">mighty </span><span id="ecxchunk40056" style="line-height: 21.3px;">miracles</span><span id="ecxchunk40057" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk40058" style="line-height: 21.3px;">such </span><span id="ecxchunk40059" style="line-height: 21.3px;">as </span><span id="ecxchunk40060" style="line-height: 21.3px;">healing </span><span id="ecxchunk40061" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk40062" style="line-height: 21.3px;">sick, </span><span id="ecxchunk40063" style="line-height: 21.3px;">raising </span><span id="ecxchunk40064" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk40065" style="line-height: 21.3px;">dead, </span><span id="ecxchunk40066" style="line-height: 21.3px;">causing </span><span id="ecxchunk40067" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk40068" style="line-height: 21.3px;">lame </span><span id="ecxchunk40069" style="line-height: 21.3px;">to </span><span id="ecxchunk40070" style="line-height: 21.3px;">walk, </span><span id="ecxchunk40071" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk40072" style="line-height: 21.3px;">blind</span><span id="ecxchunk40073" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> to </span><span id="ecxchunk40074" style="line-height: 21.3px;">receive </span><span id="ecxchunk40075" style="line-height: 21.3px;">their </span><span id="ecxchunk40076" style="line-height: 21.3px;">sight, </span><span id="ecxchunk40077" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk40078" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk40079" style="line-height: 21.3px;">deaf </span><span id="ecxchunk40080" style="line-height: 21.3px;">to </span><span id="ecxchunk40081" style="line-height: 21.3px;">hear, </span><span id="ecxchunk40082" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk40083" style="line-height: 21.3px;">curing </span><span id="ecxchunk40084" style="line-height: 21.3px;">all </span><span id="ecxchunk40085" style="line-height: 21.3px;">manner </span><span id="ecxchunk40086" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk40087" style="line-height: 21.3px;">diseases.</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="6" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3px;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </em></a><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk50000" style="line-height: 21.3px;">6 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk50001" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk50002" style="line-height: 21.3px;">he </span><span id="ecxchunk50003" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk50004" style="line-height: 21.3px;">cast </span><span id="ecxchunk50005" style="line-height: 21.3px;">out </span><span id="ecxchunk50006" style="line-height: 21.3px;">devils</span><span id="ecxchunk50007" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk50008" style="line-height: 21.3px;">or </span><span id="ecxchunk50009" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk50010" style="line-height: 21.3px;">evil </span><span id="ecxchunk50011" style="line-height: 21.3px;">spirits</span><span id="ecxchunk50012" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> which </span><span id="ecxchunk50013" style="line-height: 21.3px;">dwell </span><span id="ecxchunk50014" style="line-height: 21.3px;">in </span><span id="ecxchunk50015" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk50016" style="line-height: 21.3px;">hearts </span><span id="ecxchunk50017" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk50018" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk50019" style="line-height: 21.3px;">children </span><span id="ecxchunk50020" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk50021" style="line-height: 21.3px;">men.</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="7" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3px;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </em></a><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk60000" style="line-height: 21.3px;">7 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk60001" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk60002" style="line-height: 21.3px;">lo, </span><span id="ecxchunk60003" style="line-height: 21.3px;">he </span><span id="ecxchunk60004" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk60005" style="line-height: 21.3px;">suffer</span><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </span><span id="ecxchunk60006" style="line-height: 21.3px;">temptations</span><span id="ecxchunk60007" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk60008" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk60009" style="line-height: 21.3px;">pain </span><span id="ecxchunk60010" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk60011" style="line-height: 21.3px;">body, </span><span id="ecxchunk60012" style="line-height: 21.3px;">hunger</span><span id="ecxchunk60013" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk60014" style="line-height: 21.3px;">thirst, </span><span id="ecxchunk60015" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk60016" style="line-height: 21.3px;">fatigue, </span><span id="ecxchunk60017" style="line-height: 21.3px;">even </span><span id="ecxchunk60018" style="line-height: 21.3px;">more </span><span id="ecxchunk60019" style="line-height: 21.3px;">than </span><span id="ecxchunk60020" style="line-height: 21.3px;">man </span><span id="ecxchunk60021" style="line-height: 21.3px;">can </span><span id="ecxchunk60022" style="line-height: 21.3px;">suffer</span><span id="ecxchunk60023" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk60024" style="line-height: 21.3px;">except </span><span id="ecxchunk60025" style="line-height: 21.3px;">it </span><span id="ecxchunk60026" style="line-height: 21.3px;">be </span><span id="ecxchunk60027" style="line-height: 21.3px;">unto </span><span id="ecxchunk60028" style="line-height: 21.3px;">death; </span><span id="ecxchunk60029" style="line-height: 21.3px;">for </span><span id="ecxchunk60030" style="line-height: 21.3px;">behold, </span><span id="ecxchunk60031" style="line-height: 21.3px;">blood</span><span id="ecxchunk60032" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> cometh </span><span id="ecxchunk60033" style="line-height: 21.3px;">from </span><span id="ecxchunk60034" style="line-height: 21.3px;">every </span><span id="ecxchunk60035" style="line-height: 21.3px;">pore, </span><span id="ecxchunk60036" style="line-height: 21.3px;">so </span><span id="ecxchunk60037" style="line-height: 21.3px;">great </span><span id="ecxchunk60038" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk60039" style="line-height: 21.3px;">be </span><span id="ecxchunk60040" style="line-height: 21.3px;">his </span><span id="ecxchunk60041" style="line-height: 21.3px;">anguish</span><span id="ecxchunk60042" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> for </span><span id="ecxchunk60043" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk60044" style="line-height: 21.3px;">wickedness </span><span id="ecxchunk60045" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk60046" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk60047" style="line-height: 21.3px;">abominations </span><span id="ecxchunk60048" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk60049" style="line-height: 21.3px;">his </span><span id="ecxchunk60050" style="line-height: 21.3px;">people.</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="8" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3px;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </em></a><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk70000" style="line-height: 21.3px;">8 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk70001" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk70002" style="line-height: 21.3px;">he </span><span id="ecxchunk70003" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk70004" style="line-height: 21.3px;">be </span><span id="ecxchunk70005" style="line-height: 21.3px;">called </span><span id="ecxchunk70006" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Jesus</span><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </span><span id="ecxchunk70007" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Christ</span><span id="ecxchunk70008" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk70009" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk70010" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Son </span><span id="ecxchunk70011" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk70012" style="line-height: 21.3px;">God</span><span id="ecxchunk70013" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk70014" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk70015" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Father</span><span id="ecxchunk70016" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> of </span><span id="ecxchunk70017" style="line-height: 21.3px;">heaven </span><span id="ecxchunk70018" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk70019" style="line-height: 21.3px;">earth, </span><span id="ecxchunk70020" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk70021" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Creator</span><span id="ecxchunk70022" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> of </span><span id="ecxchunk70023" style="line-height: 21.3px;">all </span><span id="ecxchunk70024" style="line-height: 21.3px;">things </span><span id="ecxchunk70025" style="line-height: 21.3px;">from </span><span id="ecxchunk70026" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk70027" style="line-height: 21.3px;">beginning; </span><span id="ecxchunk70028" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk70029" style="line-height: 21.3px;">his </span><span id="ecxchunk70030" style="line-height: 21.3px;">mother</span><span id="ecxchunk70031" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> shall </span><span id="ecxchunk70032" style="line-height: 21.3px;">be </span><span id="ecxchunk70033" style="line-height: 21.3px;">called </span><span id="ecxchunk70034" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Mary.</span></em></div>
<div id="ecxpara8" style="line-height: 21.3px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="9" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3px;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </em></a><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk80000" style="line-height: 21.3px;">9 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk80001" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk80002" style="line-height: 21.3px;">lo, </span><span id="ecxchunk80003" style="line-height: 21.3px;">he </span><span id="ecxchunk80004" style="line-height: 21.3px;">cometh </span><span id="ecxchunk80005" style="line-height: 21.3px;">unto </span><span id="ecxchunk80006" style="line-height: 21.3px;">his </span><span id="ecxchunk80007" style="line-height: 21.3px;">own, </span><span id="ecxchunk80008" style="line-height: 21.3px;">that </span><span id="ecxchunk80009" style="line-height: 21.3px;">salvation</span><span id="ecxchunk80010" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> might </span><span id="ecxchunk80011" style="line-height: 21.3px;">come </span><span id="ecxchunk80012" style="line-height: 21.3px;">unto </span><span id="ecxchunk80013" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk80014" style="line-height: 21.3px;">children </span><span id="ecxchunk80015" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk80016" style="line-height: 21.3px;">men </span><span id="ecxchunk80017" style="line-height: 21.3px;">even </span><span id="ecxchunk80018" style="line-height: 21.3px;">through </span><span id="ecxchunk80019" style="line-height: 21.3px;">faith</span><span id="ecxchunk80020" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> on </span><span id="ecxchunk80021" style="line-height: 21.3px;">his </span><span id="ecxchunk80022" style="line-height: 21.3px;">name; </span><span id="ecxchunk80023" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk80024" style="line-height: 21.3px;">even </span><span id="ecxchunk80025" style="line-height: 21.3px;">after </span><span id="ecxchunk80026" style="line-height: 21.3px;">all </span><span id="ecxchunk80027" style="line-height: 21.3px;">this </span><span id="ecxchunk80028" style="line-height: 21.3px;">they </span><span id="ecxchunk80029" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk80030" style="line-height: 21.3px;">consider </span><span id="ecxchunk80031" style="line-height: 21.3px;">him </span><span id="ecxchunk80032" style="line-height: 21.3px;">a </span><span id="ecxchunk80033" style="line-height: 21.3px;">man, </span><span id="ecxchunk80034" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk80035" style="line-height: 21.3px;">say </span><span id="ecxchunk80036" style="line-height: 21.3px;">that </span><span id="ecxchunk80037" style="line-height: 21.3px;">he </span><span id="ecxchunk80038" style="line-height: 21.3px;">hath </span><span id="ecxchunk80039" style="line-height: 21.3px;">a </span><span id="ecxchunk80040" style="line-height: 21.3px;">devil</span><span id="ecxchunk80041" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk80042" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk80043" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk80044" style="line-height: 21.3px;">scourge</span><span id="ecxchunk80045" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> him, </span><span id="ecxchunk80046" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk80047" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk80048" style="line-height: 21.3px;">crucify</span><span id="ecxchunk80049" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> him.</span></em></div>
<div id="ecxpara9" style="line-height: 21.3px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="10" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3px;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </em></a><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk90000" style="line-height: 21.3px;">10 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk90001" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk90002" style="line-height: 21.3px;">he </span><span id="ecxchunk90003" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk90004" style="line-height: 21.3px;">rise</span><span id="ecxchunk90005" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> the </span><span id="ecxchunk90006" style="line-height: 21.3px;">third</span><span id="ecxchunk90007" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> day </span><span id="ecxchunk90008" style="line-height: 21.3px;">from </span><span id="ecxchunk90009" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk90010" style="line-height: 21.3px;">dead; </span><span id="ecxchunk90011" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk90012" style="line-height: 21.3px;">behold, </span><span id="ecxchunk90013" style="line-height: 21.3px;">he </span><span id="ecxchunk90014" style="line-height: 21.3px;">standeth </span><span id="ecxchunk90015" style="line-height: 21.3px;">to </span><span id="ecxchunk90016" style="line-height: 21.3px;">judge</span><span id="ecxchunk90017" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> the </span><span id="ecxchunk90018" style="line-height: 21.3px;">world; </span><span id="ecxchunk90019" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk90020" style="line-height: 21.3px;">behold, </span><span id="ecxchunk90021" style="line-height: 21.3px;">all </span><span id="ecxchunk90022" style="line-height: 21.3px;">these </span><span id="ecxchunk90023" style="line-height: 21.3px;">things </span><span id="ecxchunk90024" style="line-height: 21.3px;">are </span><span id="ecxchunk90025" style="line-height: 21.3px;">done </span><span id="ecxchunk90026" style="line-height: 21.3px;">that </span><span id="ecxchunk90027" style="line-height: 21.3px;">a </span><span id="ecxchunk90028" style="line-height: 21.3px;">righteous </span><span id="ecxchunk90029" style="line-height: 21.3px;">judgment </span><span id="ecxchunk90030" style="line-height: 21.3px;">might </span><span id="ecxchunk90031" style="line-height: 21.3px;">come </span><span id="ecxchunk90032" style="line-height: 21.3px;">upon </span><span id="ecxchunk90033" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk90034" style="line-height: 21.3px;">children </span><span id="ecxchunk90035" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk90036" style="line-height: 21.3px;">men</span></em></div>
<div style="line-height: 21.3px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk160000" style="line-height: 21.3px;">17 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk160001" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk160002" style="line-height: 21.3px;">moreover, </span><span id="ecxchunk160003" style="line-height: 21.3px;">I </span><span id="ecxchunk160004" style="line-height: 21.3px;">say </span><span id="ecxchunk160005" style="line-height: 21.3px;">unto </span><span id="ecxchunk160006" style="line-height: 21.3px;">you, </span><span id="ecxchunk160007" style="line-height: 21.3px;">that </span><span id="ecxchunk160008" style="line-height: 21.3px;">there </span><span id="ecxchunk160009" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk160010" style="line-height: 21.3px;">be </span><span id="ecxchunk160011" style="line-height: 21.3px;">no</span><span id="ecxchunk160012" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> other </span><span id="ecxchunk160013" style="line-height: 21.3px;">name </span><span id="ecxchunk160014" style="line-height: 21.3px;">given </span><span id="ecxchunk160015" style="line-height: 21.3px;">nor </span><span id="ecxchunk160016" style="line-height: 21.3px;">any </span><span id="ecxchunk160017" style="line-height: 21.3px;">other </span><span id="ecxchunk160018" style="line-height: 21.3px;">way </span><span id="ecxchunk160019" style="line-height: 21.3px;">nor </span><span id="ecxchunk160020" style="line-height: 21.3px;">means </span><span id="ecxchunk160021" style="line-height: 21.3px;">whereby </span><span id="ecxchunk160022" style="line-height: 21.3px;">salvation</span><span id="ecxchunk160023" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> can </span><span id="ecxchunk160024" style="line-height: 21.3px;">come </span><span id="ecxchunk160025" style="line-height: 21.3px;">unto </span><span id="ecxchunk160026" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk160027" style="line-height: 21.3px;">children </span><span id="ecxchunk160028" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk160029" style="line-height: 21.3px;">men, </span><span id="ecxchunk160030" style="line-height: 21.3px;">only </span><span id="ecxchunk160031" style="line-height: 21.3px;">in </span><span id="ecxchunk160032" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk160033" style="line-height: 21.3px;">through </span><span id="ecxchunk160034" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk160035" style="line-height: 21.3px;">name </span><span id="ecxchunk160036" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk160037" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Christ, </span><span id="ecxchunk160038" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk160039" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Lord</span><span id="ecxchunk160040" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> Omnipotent.</span></em></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 21.3px;">
<span style="line-height: 21.3px;">When I read about Christ I feel the way King Benjamin's people did after he explained all this:</span></div>
<div id="ecxpara0" style="line-height: 21.3px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="1" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3px;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </em></a><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk0" style="line-height: 21.3px;">1 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk1" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk2" style="line-height: 21.3px;">now, </span><span id="ecxchunk3" style="line-height: 21.3px;">it </span><span id="ecxchunk4" style="line-height: 21.3px;">came </span><span id="ecxchunk5" style="line-height: 21.3px;">to </span><span id="ecxchunk6" style="line-height: 21.3px;">pass </span><span id="ecxchunk7" style="line-height: 21.3px;">that </span><span id="ecxchunk8" style="line-height: 21.3px;">when </span><span id="ecxchunk9" style="line-height: 21.3px;">king </span><span id="ecxchunk10" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Benjamin </span><span id="ecxchunk11" style="line-height: 21.3px;">had </span><span id="ecxchunk12" style="line-height: 21.3px;">made </span><span id="ecxchunk13" style="line-height: 21.3px;">an </span><span id="ecxchunk14" style="line-height: 21.3px;">end </span><span id="ecxchunk15" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk16" style="line-height: 21.3px;">speaking </span><span id="ecxchunk17" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk18" style="line-height: 21.3px;">words </span><span id="ecxchunk19" style="line-height: 21.3px;">which </span><span id="ecxchunk20" style="line-height: 21.3px;">had </span><span id="ecxchunk21" style="line-height: 21.3px;">been </span><span id="ecxchunk22" style="line-height: 21.3px;">delivered </span><span id="ecxchunk23" style="line-height: 21.3px;">unto </span><span id="ecxchunk24" style="line-height: 21.3px;">him </span><span id="ecxchunk25" style="line-height: 21.3px;">by </span><span id="ecxchunk26" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk27" style="line-height: 21.3px;">angel</span><span id="ecxchunk28" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> of </span><span id="ecxchunk29" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk30" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Lord, </span><span id="ecxchunk31" style="line-height: 21.3px;">that </span><span id="ecxchunk32" style="line-height: 21.3px;">he </span><span id="ecxchunk33" style="line-height: 21.3px;">cast </span><span id="ecxchunk34" style="line-height: 21.3px;">his </span><span id="ecxchunk35" style="line-height: 21.3px;">eyes </span><span id="ecxchunk36" style="line-height: 21.3px;">round </span><span id="ecxchunk37" style="line-height: 21.3px;">about </span><span id="ecxchunk38" style="line-height: 21.3px;">on </span><span id="ecxchunk39" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk40" style="line-height: 21.3px;">multitude, </span><span id="ecxchunk41" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk42" style="line-height: 21.3px;">behold </span><span id="ecxchunk43" style="line-height: 21.3px;">they </span><span id="ecxchunk44" style="line-height: 21.3px;">had </span><span id="ecxchunk45" style="line-height: 21.3px;">fallen</span><span id="ecxchunk46" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> to </span><span id="ecxchunk47" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk48" style="line-height: 21.3px;">earth, </span><span id="ecxchunk49" style="line-height: 21.3px;">for </span><span id="ecxchunk50" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk51" style="line-height: 21.3px;">fear</span><span id="ecxchunk52" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> of </span><span id="ecxchunk53" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk54" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Lord </span><span id="ecxchunk55" style="line-height: 21.3px;">had </span><span id="ecxchunk56" style="line-height: 21.3px;">come </span><span id="ecxchunk57" style="line-height: 21.3px;">upon </span><span id="ecxchunk58" style="line-height: 21.3px;">them.</span></em></div>
<div id="ecxpara1" style="line-height: 21.3px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3px;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </em></a><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk10000" style="line-height: 21.3px;">2 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk10001" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk10002" style="line-height: 21.3px;">they </span><span id="ecxchunk10003" style="line-height: 21.3px;">had </span><span id="ecxchunk10004" style="line-height: 21.3px;">viewed</span><span id="ecxchunk10005" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> themselves </span><span id="ecxchunk10006" style="line-height: 21.3px;">in </span><span id="ecxchunk10007" style="line-height: 21.3px;">their </span><span id="ecxchunk10008" style="line-height: 21.3px;">own </span><span id="ecxchunk10009" style="line-height: 21.3px;">carnal</span><span id="ecxchunk10010" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> state, </span><span id="ecxchunk10011" style="line-height: 21.3px;">even </span><span id="ecxchunk10012" style="line-height: 21.3px;">less</span><span id="ecxchunk10013" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> than </span><span id="ecxchunk10014" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk10015" style="line-height: 21.3px;">dust </span><span id="ecxchunk10016" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk10017" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk10018" style="line-height: 21.3px;">earth. </span><span id="ecxchunk10019" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk10020" style="line-height: 21.3px;">they </span><span id="ecxchunk10021" style="line-height: 21.3px;">all </span><span id="ecxchunk10022" style="line-height: 21.3px;">cried </span><span id="ecxchunk10023" style="line-height: 21.3px;">aloud </span><span id="ecxchunk10024" style="line-height: 21.3px;">with </span><span id="ecxchunk10025" style="line-height: 21.3px;">one </span><span id="ecxchunk10026" style="line-height: 21.3px;">voice, </span><span id="ecxchunk10027" style="line-height: 21.3px;">saying: </span><span id="ecxchunk10028" style="line-height: 21.3px;">O </span><span id="ecxchunk10029" style="line-height: 21.3px;">have </span><span id="ecxchunk10030" style="line-height: 21.3px;">mercy, </span><span id="ecxchunk10031" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and</span><span id="ecxchunk10032" style="line-height: 21.3px;">apply </span><span id="ecxchunk10033" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk10034" style="line-height: 21.3px;">atoning</span><span id="ecxchunk10035" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> blood </span><span id="ecxchunk10036" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk10037" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Christ </span><span id="ecxchunk10038" style="line-height: 21.3px;">that </span><span id="ecxchunk10039" style="line-height: 21.3px;">we </span><span id="ecxchunk10040" style="line-height: 21.3px;">may </span><span id="ecxchunk10041" style="line-height: 21.3px;">receive </span><span id="ecxchunk10042" style="line-height: 21.3px;">forgiveness </span><span id="ecxchunk10043" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk10044" style="line-height: 21.3px;">our </span><span id="ecxchunk10045" style="line-height: 21.3px;">sins, </span><span id="ecxchunk10046" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk10047" style="line-height: 21.3px;">our </span><span id="ecxchunk10048" style="line-height: 21.3px;">hearts </span><span id="ecxchunk10049" style="line-height: 21.3px;">may </span><span id="ecxchunk10050" style="line-height: 21.3px;">be </span><span id="ecxchunk10051" style="line-height: 21.3px;">purified</span><span id="ecxchunk10052" style="line-height: 21.3px;">; </span><span id="ecxchunk10053" style="line-height: 21.3px;">for </span><span id="ecxchunk10054" style="line-height: 21.3px;">we </span><span id="ecxchunk10055" style="line-height: 21.3px;">believe </span><span id="ecxchunk10056" style="line-height: 21.3px;">in </span><span id="ecxchunk10057" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Jesus </span><span id="ecxchunk10058" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Christ, </span><span id="ecxchunk10059" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk10060" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Son </span><span id="ecxchunk10061" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk10062" style="line-height: 21.3px;">God, </span><span id="ecxchunk10063" style="line-height: 21.3px;">who </span><span id="ecxchunk10064" style="line-height: 21.3px;">created</span><span id="ecxchunk10065" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> heaven </span><span id="ecxchunk10066" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk10067" style="line-height: 21.3px;">earth, </span><span id="ecxchunk10068" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk10069" style="line-height: 21.3px;">all </span><span id="ecxchunk10070" style="line-height: 21.3px;">things; </span><span id="ecxchunk10071" style="line-height: 21.3px;">who </span><span id="ecxchunk10072" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk10073" style="line-height: 21.3px;">come </span><span id="ecxchunk10074" style="line-height: 21.3px;">down </span><span id="ecxchunk10075" style="line-height: 21.3px;">among </span><span id="ecxchunk10076" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk10077" style="line-height: 21.3px;">children </span><span id="ecxchunk10078" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk10079" style="line-height: 21.3px;">men.</span></em></div>
<div id="ecxpara2" style="line-height: 21.3px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="3" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3px;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </em></a><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk20000" style="line-height: 21.3px;">3 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk20001" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk20002" style="line-height: 21.3px;">it </span><span id="ecxchunk20003" style="line-height: 21.3px;">came </span><span id="ecxchunk20004" style="line-height: 21.3px;">to </span><span id="ecxchunk20005" style="line-height: 21.3px;">pass </span><span id="ecxchunk20006" style="line-height: 21.3px;">that </span><span id="ecxchunk20007" style="line-height: 21.3px;">after </span><span id="ecxchunk20008" style="line-height: 21.3px;">they </span><span id="ecxchunk20009" style="line-height: 21.3px;">had </span><span id="ecxchunk20010" style="line-height: 21.3px;">spoken </span><span id="ecxchunk20011" style="line-height: 21.3px;">these </span><span id="ecxchunk20012" style="line-height: 21.3px;">words </span><span id="ecxchunk20013" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk20014" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Spirit </span><span id="ecxchunk20015" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk20016" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk20017" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Lord </span><span id="ecxchunk20018" style="line-height: 21.3px;">came </span><span id="ecxchunk20019" style="line-height: 21.3px;">upon </span><span id="ecxchunk20020" style="line-height: 21.3px;">them, </span><span id="ecxchunk20021" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk20022" style="line-height: 21.3px;">they </span><span id="ecxchunk20023" style="line-height: 21.3px;">were </span><span id="ecxchunk20024" style="line-height: 21.3px;">filled </span><span id="ecxchunk20025" style="line-height: 21.3px;">with </span><span id="ecxchunk20026" style="line-height: 21.3px;">joy, </span><span id="ecxchunk20027" style="line-height: 21.3px;">having </span><span id="ecxchunk20028" style="line-height: 21.3px;">received </span><span id="ecxchunk20029" style="line-height: 21.3px;">a </span><span id="ecxchunk20030" style="line-height: 21.3px;">remission</span><span id="ecxchunk20031" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> of </span><span id="ecxchunk20032" style="line-height: 21.3px;">their </span><span id="ecxchunk20033" style="line-height: 21.3px;">sins, </span><span id="ecxchunk20034" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk20035" style="line-height: 21.3px;">having </span><span id="ecxchunk20036" style="line-height: 21.3px;">peace </span><span id="ecxchunk20037" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk20038" style="line-height: 21.3px;">conscience</span><span id="ecxchunk20039" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk20040" style="line-height: 21.3px;">because </span><span id="ecxchunk20041" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk20042" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk20043" style="line-height: 21.3px;">exceeding </span><span id="ecxchunk20044" style="line-height: 21.3px;">faith</span><span id="ecxchunk20045" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> which </span><span id="ecxchunk20046" style="line-height: 21.3px;">they </span><span id="ecxchunk20047" style="line-height: 21.3px;">had </span><span id="ecxchunk20048" style="line-height: 21.3px;">in </span><span id="ecxchunk20049" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Jesus </span><span id="ecxchunk20050" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Christ </span><span id="ecxchunk20051" style="line-height: 21.3px;">who </span><span id="ecxchunk20052" style="line-height: 21.3px;">should </span><span id="ecxchunk20053" style="line-height: 21.3px;">come, </span><span id="ecxchunk20054" style="line-height: 21.3px;">according </span><span id="ecxchunk20055" style="line-height: 21.3px;">to </span><span id="ecxchunk20056" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk20057" style="line-height: 21.3px;">words</span><span id="ecxchunk20058" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> which </span><span id="ecxchunk20059" style="line-height: 21.3px;">king </span><span id="ecxchunk20060" style="line-height: 21.3px;">Benjamin </span><span id="ecxchunk20061" style="line-height: 21.3px;">had </span><span id="ecxchunk20062" style="line-height: 21.3px;">spoken </span><span id="ecxchunk20063" style="line-height: 21.3px;">unto </span><span id="ecxchunk20064" style="line-height: 21.3px;">them.</span></em></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 16.05px;">More than anything I'm grateful for a knowledge of my Savior. If nothing else, I can share my testimony and I hope you can achieve your own.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 16.05px;">I know that He lives and that He really is our Savior.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 16.05px;"></span><br style="line-height: 21.3px;" /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 16.05px;">As a side note I also found this great scripture this week in D&C 78:19.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 16.05px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="19" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3px;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"> </em></a><em style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;"><span id="ecxchunk180000" style="line-height: 21.3px;">19 </span></span><span id="ecxchunk180001" style="line-height: 21.3px;">And </span><span id="ecxchunk180002" style="line-height: 21.3px;">he </span><span id="ecxchunk180003" style="line-height: 21.3px;">who </span><span id="ecxchunk180004" style="line-height: 21.3px;">receiveth </span><span id="ecxchunk180005" style="line-height: 21.3px;">all </span><span id="ecxchunk180006" style="line-height: 21.3px;">things </span><span id="ecxchunk180007" style="line-height: 21.3px;">with </span><span id="ecxchunk180008" style="line-height: 21.3px;">thankfulness</span><span id="ecxchunk180009" style="line-height: 21.3px;"> shall </span><span id="ecxchunk180010" style="line-height: 21.3px;">be </span><span id="ecxchunk180011" style="line-height: 21.3px;">made </span><span id="ecxchunk180012" style="line-height: 21.3px;">glorious; </span><span id="ecxchunk180013" style="line-height: 21.3px;">and </span><span id="ecxchunk180014" style="line-height: 21.3px;">the </span><span id="ecxchunk180015" style="line-height: 21.3px;">things </span><span id="ecxchunk180016" style="line-height: 21.3px;">of </span><span id="ecxchunk180017" style="line-height: 21.3px;">this </span><span id="ecxchunk180018" style="line-height: 21.3px;">earth </span><span id="ecxchunk180019" style="line-height: 21.3px;">shall </span><span id="ecxchunk180020" style="line-height: 21.3px;">be </span><span id="ecxchunk180021" style="line-height: 21.3px;">added </span><span id="ecxchunk180022" style="line-height: 21.3px;">unto </span><span id="ecxchunk180023" style="line-height: 21.3px;">him, </span><span id="ecxchunk180024" style="line-height: 21.3px;">even </span><span id="ecxchunk180025" style="line-height: 21.3px;">an </span><span id="ecxchunk180026" style="line-height: 21.3px;">hundred </span><span id="ecxchunk180027" style="line-height: 21.3px;">fold</span><span id="ecxchunk180028" style="line-height: 21.3px;">, </span><span id="ecxchunk180029" style="line-height: 21.3px;">yea, </span><span id="ecxchunk180030" style="line-height: 21.3px;">more.</span></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 16.05px;"><span style="line-height: 21.3px;">Always remember to be grateful! And you'll get more. :) Love you all lots!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSejHzcRSaw/V4L5nQeI_pI/AAAAAAAABJY/pi3-y6-ZyKMkkoa8trnLahbD9ZPtM3j4wCLcB/s1600/pucara%2Bchickens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSejHzcRSaw/V4L5nQeI_pI/AAAAAAAABJY/pi3-y6-ZyKMkkoa8trnLahbD9ZPtM3j4wCLcB/s400/pucara%2Bchickens.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small; line-height: 21.3px; text-align: start;">There are always chickens running around here.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VwuOtiIHsiw/V4L5nTG1I4I/AAAAAAAABJU/Opm5hORigKI3u-BDFC-M_xm2EuohR_EcQCLcB/s1600/pucara%2Bservice%2Bgarden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VwuOtiIHsiw/V4L5nTG1I4I/AAAAAAAABJU/Opm5hORigKI3u-BDFC-M_xm2EuohR_EcQCLcB/s400/pucara%2Bservice%2Bgarden.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small; line-height: 21.3px; text-align: start;">Doing some service.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b7K8JpNBvi0/V4L5nVjZdTI/AAAAAAAABJQ/B6Y0rBKB9rAOo98Mluf4PEZITzErVKugACLcB/s1600/pucara%2Bshrimp2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b7K8JpNBvi0/V4L5nVjZdTI/AAAAAAAABJQ/B6Y0rBKB9rAOo98Mluf4PEZITzErVKugACLcB/s400/pucara%2Bshrimp2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small; line-height: 21.3px; text-align: left;">We ate shrimp today. Delicious.</span></td></tr>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-7058399410816009922016-07-03T19:52:00.005-07:002016-07-03T19:52:39.997-07:00Tomorrow<span style="background-color: white; color: #5133ab; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;">This is Jeremiah's letter from last week. I was at Girls Camp all week and was unable to send it. Thanks for all your support and prayers for Elder Scanlan!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.72px;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">This week was pretty great and pretty hard. Just like practically every other week.</span><div style="line-height: 22.72px;">
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">We started out desperately searching for new people to teach. We hadn't found hardly any new people in the last few weeks, so we were trying our best to see what we could do to find new people. We started out trying to really pray harder for it, in the first place. We took as a model Alma in Alma 31:</span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"> 34 O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may havesuccess in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"> 35 Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord,power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren,again unto thee.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">And we had some miracles! First of all, our primary president had "forwarded" a referral to us that she had received from somebody else - who, we weren't sure, but hey , it was a referral. After a few tries we managed to find them and teach them, and they turned out to be super receptive! We were ending the lesson when I suddenly remembered the circumstances and asked, "Hey, did you guys talk with a member of our church or something to have us come?" And they were like, "Well, there was this one lady talked about the missionaries, but I don't remember her name...she's from Chaltura, she sells honey..." And I knew INSTANTLY who it was. Laura Picuasi! She's this member I met who attends the branch I worked in while I was in Ibarra, and she was the same member who gave us the referral of the Pillajos, who we'd baptized in Ibarra! Wow! I was so happy. We need more members like that! I think Sister Picuasi's door-to-door honey business is really a scheme to share the Gospel sometimes. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">Another fun experience we had: We were teaching some investigators and watching the 20 minute version of the Restoration movie...but it kept freezing up! I was kind of frustrated, and it decided to freeze up RIGHT before the first vision...so I said a prayer, but tried to be sincere, rather than just emitting an SOS like we sometimes do. I said, "If it's thy will, I know we can watch this movie." And it worked! I'm just glad it was the Lord's will and that he reminded me he can answer my prayers. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">We also had...Pamela's baptism!! It went great. When she shared her feelings after the baptism she was very grateful, and we could feel the Spirit. I'm very grateful for the the chance to teach her. Now comes the potentially harder part...the retention! We've only won half the battle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">Apart from that, yesterday was pretty depressing, because apart from Pamela, who came for her confirmation, NOBODY came to church! I was really frustrated during a large part of the afternoon, and just really discouraged. Eventually I got over it, but it was pretty tough! Discouragement is tough! But here's something I love from Elder Holland's recent conference talk:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">Only the adversary, the enemy of us all, would try toconvince us that the ideals [of the gospel] are depressing and unrealistic, that people don’t really improve, that no one really progresses. And why does Lucifer give that speech? Because he knows</i></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"> he</span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;"> can’t improve,</i></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"> he</span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;"> can’t progress, that worlds without end </i></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">he </span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">will never have a bright tomorrow. He is a miserable man bound by eternal limitations, and he wants you to be miserable too. Well, don’t fall for that. With the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can improve, and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for</i></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"> trying</span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">, even if we don’t always succeed.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">...If we give our heart to God, if welove the Lord Jesus Christ, if we do the best we can to live the gospel, then tomorrow—and every other day—is ultimately going to be<b style="line-height: 22.72px;">magnificent</b>,...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">I love that! I hope you can realize it, too. Love you all tons!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X4QjvoQ0GQo/V3nO8yLAxCI/AAAAAAAABIo/KNpceuID9p8jG2SNCh1oIbTXMwhIRCA2ACLcB/s1600/pucara%2Bbaptism%2BPamela.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X4QjvoQ0GQo/V3nO8yLAxCI/AAAAAAAABIo/KNpceuID9p8jG2SNCh1oIbTXMwhIRCA2ACLcB/s400/pucara%2Bbaptism%2BPamela.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Baptism!!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JrCVxdzzA9A/V3nO87Bo1oI/AAAAAAAABIs/w1bt84k4bXIr6-igJ2iJvg25j3KZ0bHTQCLcB/s1600/pucara%2Bintestines.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JrCVxdzzA9A/V3nO87Bo1oI/AAAAAAAABIs/w1bt84k4bXIr6-igJ2iJvg25j3KZ0bHTQCLcB/s400/pucara%2Bintestines.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">I finally got to try "caldo de 31," a soup made from cow intestines. I'd heard horrible things about this, but it wasn't really that bad...of course it was a lot better after squeezing like half a lime into it...</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">We did service for the patriarch, who attends our ward.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">We were just working a bit in his field. I think they're peas.</span></div>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-44241856747408902872016-06-20T20:14:00.005-07:002016-06-20T20:14:54.340-07:00The Last* Supper<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px;">President invited everyone going home in my group to a special little lunch in the mission home this Tuesday. It was most definitely a going-away thing for him and his wife (They end their mission next week!), but right off the bat, he said "We're happy to have you here, but there's just one rule: No getting trunky." It was a fun little moment with them. Sister Richardson had made lasagna, probably the first time I've had it in over a year. I almost didn't even touch the rice they'd given us, but I had about 4-5 helpings of lasagna. That was pretty great. Apart from that we saw a few videos from the mission and had a mock final testimony meeting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">It was a good meeting, and of course went on for a good while (especially when the sister missionaries all shared super long testimonies). The testimony that impacted me most was from Elder Green, an elder from my group who I haven't seen hardly at all in all the time we've been in the mission. He stood in front of us and said something along these lines, very simply: "You guys know I'm not one for words. I'm a nerd from the country of the US." Then he began to tear up. "I know Christ is our savior, and all I want to do is share that with others. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." We could all feel the Spirit. It really ended up motivating me - I still have time to find, teach, and baptize people! It just reminded me that the main motivation I have for being here is to help others understand and get to know the Atonement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">So it was then pretty frustrating to have a rather meh week, especially because it was kind of our own doing. I feel like there were many more people to contact and talk to in the streets and more ways to exercise our faith. More than anything I don't like knowing that we've ever wasted the Lord's time. On top of that, I need to be a good example for the missionaries in my district and my trainee. But we did have some good moments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">Pamela Flores has a date for this Saturday! We were scared for a moment because her brother and sister-in-law had scheduled to baptize their kids in the Catholic church for that same day, and Pamela wanted for them to be able to come to her baptism, which was going to be pretty impossible if they were both the same day. So she wanted to change her date, but we managed to share scriptures and follow the spirit so that she'd accept for the 25th. She had her baptismal interview and everything, and she's very prepared! It's pretty incredible - her mom tells us that she never wanted to accept missionaries before, but when we came, she just all of a sudden felt like she needed to listen to us. We were her chosen companionship, I guess! What a blessing. I'm just happy their family is happy. Now to work on her other nonmember siblings... :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">Apart from that yesterday was stake conference for the Imbabura stake. The temple president from Guayaquil was there, and he gave a great talk about the importance of going to the temple. He talked about how the path to the celestial kingdom always goes through the temple, and the temple recommend is basically our passport to get there. It really made me want to go to the temple, even though we can't in this mission. An elder from my group was sitting behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, I think we need to talk to President after this. Our recommends are about to expire." And I was like "Oh shoot, you're right."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">Turns out that was probably the last time I'll see President and his wife. So as we were leaving we said some more official goodbyes, that it isn't for long, because he said, "Elder Scanlan, we'll see you in Utah!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">But I've still got plenty of time. My dream (and prayer) is to find a family to teach and baptize, still. It can be done! I'm sure I'll have lots of miracles to share with you guys next week. See ya!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">Right now is Inty Raymi, the sun festival, and what people do is go around to the different houses with a group and they dance in a circle. The tradition is to give the dancers food. This particular group dances outside our neighbor's house like every other day.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;"> Today we checked out this museum in Atuntaqui that was once a textile factory. It was pretty cool.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dlPwvKNKWGA/V2iwi11MRCI/AAAAAAAABH0/ipB-SjGFjuA1izvB1cFlGmoFojp1ybTpQCLcB/s1600/pucara%2Boutside%2Btextile%2Bfactory.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dlPwvKNKWGA/V2iwi11MRCI/AAAAAAAABH0/ipB-SjGFjuA1izvB1cFlGmoFojp1ybTpQCLcB/s400/pucara%2Boutside%2Btextile%2Bfactory.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px;">Outside the factory. The story is that when things got really bad in the factory in 60s, the workers lynched the factory owner and dragged him all the way down to the main plaza in Atuntaqui, where they burned him. Cool.</span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-90981697395109283532016-06-14T04:48:00.003-07:002016-06-14T04:48:40.497-07:00And They Didn't Even Give Us Guinea Pig!<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px;">Lemme tell you, the waikis really know how to party here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">The natives have some pretty crazy traditions, and marriage has got to be one of the most stressful things ever. First of all, just for the <i style="line-height: 21.3px;">proposal </i>the tradition is to load up trucks full of soda, potatoes, fruit, rice, and pretty much any kind of food and caravan down to the house of the bride to present the offering. That's just the <i style="line-height: 21.3px;">proposal</i>. And for the actual marriage every third cousin twice removed gets invited - which basically means the entire community comes down to party. If they're not members of the church, there are normally copious amounts of alcohol as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">One of the members of our ward is getting married, and it just so happens that it was his family's turn to give us lunch the same day they were preparing for his proposal. We got to their house and their whole family was peeling potatoes - so of course we started helping. I think we were peeling potatoes for like an hour before we finally took a break for lunch (and there were still several sacks of potatoes to be peeled). Of course, they'd only had time to make a chicken soup, so that's all we got to eat, because we of course had to go out to work since we'd already gotten behind on some appointments. I mean, it was tasty, but lunch is almost never just soup. We could see that they were skinning guinea pig to cook, which I'm assuming was going to be the next plate. But yeah, we kind of didn't have time for that. At least we could do some service.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">I'm pretty grateful for my companion - newbies are the best because lots of times they have way more faith than us old geezers in the mission. We went to visit Pamela, an investigator who'd had a baptismal date a few weeks ago but hadn't gotten to her date because she didn't feel ready. We weren't really sure what to do with her - as we started the lesson I prayed to know what to do and felt we should just open the Book of Mormon and start reading. So yeah, we did...but then she opened to like Alma 46 or something, one of those war chapters that just doesn't talk about anything at all. We read the whole thing and not a drop of inspiration had come. I was starting to get depressed about it but somehow the topic turned to baptism, I don't remember how. And then my companion just...invited her to a baptismal date!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">And she said yes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">So yeah, she's pretty much locked in to be baptized for the 25th. It was a really spiritual day, honestly. I'm so glad my companion could exercise his faith and show me up like that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">This week we've also been studying testimony in the 12 weeks program, and studying that I've realized that testimonies truly don't need to be flowery or have really crazy experience. I've always liked a story by Brigham Young where he talks about how he listened to the missionaries for a while but never got converted by listening to the "powerful" testimonies others shared. But when he heard a man without much confidence nor eloquence bear his simple testimony, he felt the Spirit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that this is God's true church. I know that Christ is our savior, and I know that He lives. Those are the things that matter most to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: normal;">Til next week!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">We have to cross this canyon to get to Imantag, one of the far-away parts of the sector.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;"> Eating doughnuts in Ibarra today.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">We went to see this lake, called Yahuarcocha, but it was kind of lame.</span></td></tr>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426054999126019718.post-24026043839926083972016-06-06T19:20:00.000-07:002016-06-06T19:20:05.212-07:00Power Hour!<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">As district leader every week I have to think about what I'll be training on in the district meeting that week and also a plan that we can implement as a district to help us with the challenges we have as a district. We've been having a really rough time finding new investigators, so I decided to focus on that, and with the help of our zone leaders, came up with the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;"><b style="line-height: 22.72px;">Power Hour</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">. Basically the idea is that we just dedicate an hour every day specifically to finding new investigators, whether by contacting, looking for future investigators, etc...It went pretty well, and at the very least in OUR sector, we had some great experiences.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.72px;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">One day we went out to the part of our sector that's farthest away from us, in a town called Imantag. We were looking for a person we'd contacted a while back and were asking around to see if anyone knew her. Finally there was a lady who pointed us in the right direction, so we headed out to find the house. Turns out that the lady was her mother in law, and lived right next door, so she ended up walking us the whole way down to this person's house. We found the person we were looking for, but had to arrange for another appointment. Since it was Power Hour, I was thinking, "shoot, we need to find SOMEONE to teach..." And the lady who'd taken us there was still around, so I had the courage to talk to her...and guess what, we could manage to get a lesson! A new investigator!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">Last night, we were also looking for a person my companion had contacted a few days ago. Turns out they weren't home, and it was late, so we started back towards the house. We hadn't gone a block when suddenly I saw a certain door with the lights on and had to stop. "Hang on," I said, "this door calls my attention." "Me too," my companion said. So we knocked on the door and a younger guy answered - we talked a bit and got out an appointment for another day. I think it was interesting just because my companion and I both felt that spiritual impression. It's been a while since I've felt something like that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">Unfortunately, our people with a date couldn't come to church. Juan got stuck in Quito with work, and it looks like Anderson's parents might've changed their minds from what they'd said - they'd told us it didn't really matter to them if he joined a non-Catholic church, but people have told us they've changed their minds. That was pretty frustrating, but at the same time, I know we're trying. Some things we really can't control. But we have the goal to have 3 baptisms this month and I know we can do it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">This week was a fun week for food, too. There's a sister missionary who gave us recipes for brownies and banana bread that don't need an oven (because very few houses in the mission have an oven), which has been awesome. I think of the 7 days last week I ate banana bread on 5 of them. While on divisions with my zone leader our lunch appointment fell through, so what did we make in the house to eat? ...Banana bread.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">There's also this thing here called Pony Malta. I'm not sure if there's an equivalent in the States. It's a drink they make from oats (I think). It's never been my favorite, but my zone leader showed me that you can whisk eggs and then throw Pony Malta in there, and it turns out really creamy and delicious. So that's my new favorite thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">This week in the 12 weeks program (the training for new missionaries) we were studying the Book of Mormon, and there was a part from a talk by Elder Holland that I loved. Of course it's better listening to him say it, but you can imagine his delivery:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history—perhaps like no other book in any religious history. And still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born and parroted and have died—from Ethan Smith to Solomon Spaulding to deranged paranoid to cunning genius. None of these frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator. In this I stand with my own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, “No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it,unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.”10</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 22.72px;">I testify that one cannot come to full faith in this latter-day work—and thereby find the fullest measure of peace and comfort in these, our times—until he or she embraces the divinity of the Book of Mormon and the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it testifies. If anyone is foolish enough or misled enough to reject 531 pages of a heretofore unknown text teeming with literary and Semitic complexity without honestly attempting to account for the origin of those pages—especially without accounting for their powerful witness of Jesus Christ and the profound spiritual impact that witness has had on what is now tens of millions of readers—if that is the case, then such a person, elect or otherwise, has been deceived; and if he or she leaves this Church, it must be done by crawling over or under or around the Book of Mormon to make that exit. In that sense the book is what Christ Himself was said to be: “a stone of stumbling, … a rock of offence,”11 a barrier in the path of one who wishes not to believe in this work. Witnesses, even witnesses who were for a time hostile to Joseph, testified to their death that they had seen an angel and had handled the plates. “They have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man,” they declared. “Wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true.”12</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">Bam.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif; line-height: normal;">Anyhow those are my thoughts for this week. Love you all lots!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Cotacachi.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Doin' service.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Today I tried out rice with shrimp and concha (not sure what that translates to...some kind of shellfish). Darn good.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">I got this sweater custom made.</span></td></tr>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11746650017946334165noreply@blogger.com0