The highlight of my week was hearing from
my mission president, President Peter S. Cooke at a conference held for the
missionaries currently serving in the Washington DC area. Just think of it, the
missionaries proselyting in the capital of your nation! There is so much
influence that goes out from this area, how can we impact the people for good?
There is an amazing young man just baptized into the young singles unit in DC,
that is actually really good friends with Drake.. The Drake. He helps him write
lyrics and things like that! Crazy right?? He said that Drake is Jewish, and
that is what influenced the YOLO idea. He said that Drake believes existence
ends with death, so you need to make the most of the time you have! Well this
friend of Drakes wants to teach him about the real plan of salvation now. I'm always thinking about how I can better influence people for good.
My
resolutions are always that I need to learn more, so that I can do more, and
teach more. But the main message of President Cooke was that there is an unseen
force that really makes the difference in people's lives. Kinda like Star
Wars... We literally watched the clip of Hans telling Luke "may the force
be with you," in the chapel.. The converting power of the spirit turns out
to be the only force that can really make a lasting difference. I might be able
to teach something really well, or use advanced Chinese, but that isn't going
to help people come closer to Christ! What will actually comfort and empower faith
comes from the spirit of The Lord. My mission, in essence, is to find the best
method to help someone discover it for themselves.
We have been teaching a student in Arizona that my friend from home referred to me online. He had been taught by English speaking missionaries for 3 months, and said that he just could not accept baptism; because he was raised being taught that there absolutely is no God. Nothing we said or taught him could provide convincing evidence that God does exist, and actually cares about him. One day this past week, he had a big test to take. On his way to take the test, he felt so nervous! To the point where he wanted to turn around and go home. I've felt that before. But in that moment of fear, he said a prayer to Heavenly Father. During that prayer, he felt an overwhelming peace, and then an abiding confidence overcame him, and He knew it came from the spirit of God. Now he wants to be baptized! All it takes is a touch of the sweet spirit.
In all your efforts to help others, try and touch them not only with your love, but also with the spirit of God. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that Christ lives. That the Book of Mormon is true, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet even in our day. This knowledge came to me in a way that I can't teach, but it can be learned, and it can be felt.
We have been teaching a student in Arizona that my friend from home referred to me online. He had been taught by English speaking missionaries for 3 months, and said that he just could not accept baptism; because he was raised being taught that there absolutely is no God. Nothing we said or taught him could provide convincing evidence that God does exist, and actually cares about him. One day this past week, he had a big test to take. On his way to take the test, he felt so nervous! To the point where he wanted to turn around and go home. I've felt that before. But in that moment of fear, he said a prayer to Heavenly Father. During that prayer, he felt an overwhelming peace, and then an abiding confidence overcame him, and He knew it came from the spirit of God. Now he wants to be baptized! All it takes is a touch of the sweet spirit.
In all your efforts to help others, try and touch them not only with your love, but also with the spirit of God. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that Christ lives. That the Book of Mormon is true, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet even in our day. This knowledge came to me in a way that I can't teach, but it can be learned, and it can be felt.
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