This week was an interesting one. Pres. is exhorting us to seek out "the learned, the wise and the noble" (D&C 58:10). It's hard, as most of them work in Accra and don't come home until late. BUT! We're praying and asking for guidance and opportunities, and we've had some success. One of them was David. We were referred to him by one of his friends, a contact who's never sat with us. We met him, he gave us a seat, and we taught the Restoration and gave him a date; he accepted! This was on Thursday. Saturday, we went over the Book of Mormon, and invited him to Church. He agreed.
Sunday, we were at Church. None of our investigators were there. So, we started to call some of them. As Elder Beaufeaux started to type in David's number, we got a call - from David! He told us he was at the Roman School (place opposite the Church) and was waiting for us! So, we picked him. Turns out one of the members knows him from SS (Secondary School - equivalent to High School). He really seemed to enjoy Church, and I think he felt the Spirit. We're meeting him later this week (he's very busy during the week - he's a building engineer - and thus it's hard to teach him) and praying that he found what he's looking for.
That brings me to my spiritual thought for the week. Christ taught "seek, and ye shall find" (Matt. 7:7). As missionaries, we often use this as an example of what one needs to do to gain a testimony. If they 'seek' the Church, come and see for themselves, they will 'find' that it is the True Church of Jesus Christ. Another version of seek is to study; often, we use knock for that one, but they both point towards the necessity to read and study the message for yourself to know of its truth. However, as I sat pondering over that verse, I thought of a different meaning. It comes from another well-known verse that I quote oft: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). When we look at these two verses in conjunction, it provides a wonderfully simple yet profound promise: Seek rest, and you will find it. Where? Jesus Christ.
This Christmas season we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. One of the greatest gifts that Christ gives us is rest. For some, Christmas is a happy time, a wonderful time to celebrate their blessings and thank God for all that He's given them. For others, however, it's not the case. Some are far from their families; they feel their homesickness in greater degrees. Others are suffering from the loss of a loved one. They feel their absence much heavier on their heart. Others suffer pain from sickness, sorrow from mistakes made, and other such afflictions. It can come as a heavy blow to many.
This is why it's so wonderful to be a missionary at this time. I get to "declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation" (D&C 31:3). And "this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us—
That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;
That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him;
Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands" (D&C 76:40-43).
This Christmas season is a wonderful time to come unto Christ, to receive of that rest that He promises. What greater gift could you receive? Certainly none. Where can you find this gift of rest? Moroni says, "Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven" (Moro. 7:3, emphasis added). Christ created a Church so that we could come and learn what was necessary to have this rest. That is why Christ came, for as Paul taught:
"Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:25-27). And again, this glorious Church was given "some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph 4:11-13).
This Christmas season, I invite all of you to come unto Christ, to seek His rest. Is your heart pained? Is your burden great? Is your guilt heavy? Is your load too terrible to bear? Come and receive rest. I testify that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's True Church, given us that we might be guided into His rest. I promise each and every one of you that if you will come and see for yourself, come and feel the Spirit that is found there, you will feel that love. You will feel your burdens lifted, your pains forgotten, your heart lightened.
I know that the Book of Mormon is True. I know that this Gospel is True. I love you all, and wish you all a Merry Christmas. Spend this season drawing closer to God and Christ. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:1-2). I promise you that, in so doing, you will find rest, for as Christ says, "I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:29-30).
I love you all! Take care, and God bless!
--Elder Collings
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