Today was unbelievably hectic,
and an utter fiasco in most parts. I'll explain more next week, if I remember;
haha. In the meantime, here's Pres.'s letter, and remember that I love all of
you! Read the Book of Mormon daily! Pray over it! Follow Christ, and have joy.
It's that simple.
"Dear Elders and Sisters,
...Your letters are very important to me and I carefully read them each week. Please be advised that while I do read each letter every week, there may be some weeks when I am not able to finish reading all of the letters until later in the week. If there is something you want me to know immediately, please check the box that reads, "Mark as Urgent" in the bottom left-hand corner of your letter. I will always read and respond to these letters first. You are also welcome to call me on my cell phone if there is an emergency or other serious matter to discuss.
In addition to providing me with a report of your activities for the week, I hope you would also share experiences, scriptures, and doctrinal insights that would be helpful for me to pass along to the other missionaries. Stories that build faith in the Savior, the Book of Mormon, etc. are especially helpful. I have often had the thought cross my mind that we are much stronger as a group than any one of us is as an individual. This may be at least a part of what the Apostle Paul was describing to the saints in Ephesus when he wrote: "for we are members one of another" (Ephesians 4:25). If we all come to see ourselves as being one and act in unity we will continue to experience the great blessings that have been coming to us in the recent past.
There are times I laugh out loud as I read your letters and other times when tears of sorrow stream down my face. Thank you for sharing your lives with me. One thing that might help you as you write your letters is to consider sharing with me your thoughts about the FACTS: F= FAMILY, A=AREA, C=COMPANION, T=TESTIMONY, AND S=SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. In your letter you can describe how things are with your Family, your Area, your Companion, your Testimony, and any Spiritual experiences you have been blessed to have. What follows is an example from my experiences this past week.
I had an experience this week that was a blessing to me. I met with a wonderful man whose wife and children are members of the Church. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church and is one of the leading "elders" in his local congregation. He came to my office hoping that I could help him understand why he needs to be baptized when he has already been baptized once before. Re-baptism is especially confusing to some because many churches accept the baptism of other churches. Interestingly, the Presbyterian Church even accepted Latter-day Saint baptisms until just a few years ago.
During our conversation about why he needed to be baptized again and a discussion about the scriptures familiar to many of you, the distinct impression came to my mind about another scripture that I should share with him. After our discussion of such scriptures as Acts 19:2-5 and D&C 22, etc., I turned to Joseph Smith History 1:20 and told him that there was another verse that I believed the Lord would have me share with him. We then read the following words of the Prophet Joseph Smith concerning the words of the Lord to him in the Sacred Grove and the events that followed when he returned home:
He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, "Never mind, all is well--I am well enough off." I then said to my mother, "I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true." It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy? (Joseph Smith History 1:20, italics added)
I then explained to him that while I believed that the Presbyterian Church had been a great blessing to him and to his family, that it was now time to move on and to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I also promised him that I would be happy to come to his village and baptize him when the time was right. His response was that he was "very happy" and that the words that I had read to him had sunk deep into his heart. He promised that he would call me when he has come to a decision. We have two great missionaries working with him and I have great faith that he will be baptized in the near future. He is one of the Lord's elect.
Elders and Sisters, there are men and women, boys and girls, all over Ghana who are seeking the truth. We need to live our lives in such a way that the Lord can trust us to lead them to us and us to them. We are on the verge of something great in this mission if each of us can live just a little better and work a little harder and smarter. Be bold--- but not overbearing. Ask everyone you meet if they would like to learn more about the Savior's Church. Write down names and numbers and pass them along if need be. "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" (D&C 123:12).
I pray for you and love you,
President Judd" (New Instructions For Weekly Letters, July 2, 2012).
The first part is edited, as you don't need to know the website stuff for us missionaries. Take the rest of it to heart. I'm sure there's some way to apply his counsel about our weekly letters to your own life. Maybe look at the priorities and then try to do the same for you.
Love you all! Take care, and God bless!
--Elder Collings
"Dear Elders and Sisters,
...Your letters are very important to me and I carefully read them each week. Please be advised that while I do read each letter every week, there may be some weeks when I am not able to finish reading all of the letters until later in the week. If there is something you want me to know immediately, please check the box that reads, "Mark as Urgent" in the bottom left-hand corner of your letter. I will always read and respond to these letters first. You are also welcome to call me on my cell phone if there is an emergency or other serious matter to discuss.
In addition to providing me with a report of your activities for the week, I hope you would also share experiences, scriptures, and doctrinal insights that would be helpful for me to pass along to the other missionaries. Stories that build faith in the Savior, the Book of Mormon, etc. are especially helpful. I have often had the thought cross my mind that we are much stronger as a group than any one of us is as an individual. This may be at least a part of what the Apostle Paul was describing to the saints in Ephesus when he wrote: "for we are members one of another" (Ephesians 4:25). If we all come to see ourselves as being one and act in unity we will continue to experience the great blessings that have been coming to us in the recent past.
There are times I laugh out loud as I read your letters and other times when tears of sorrow stream down my face. Thank you for sharing your lives with me. One thing that might help you as you write your letters is to consider sharing with me your thoughts about the FACTS: F= FAMILY, A=AREA, C=COMPANION, T=TESTIMONY, AND S=SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. In your letter you can describe how things are with your Family, your Area, your Companion, your Testimony, and any Spiritual experiences you have been blessed to have. What follows is an example from my experiences this past week.
I had an experience this week that was a blessing to me. I met with a wonderful man whose wife and children are members of the Church. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church and is one of the leading "elders" in his local congregation. He came to my office hoping that I could help him understand why he needs to be baptized when he has already been baptized once before. Re-baptism is especially confusing to some because many churches accept the baptism of other churches. Interestingly, the Presbyterian Church even accepted Latter-day Saint baptisms until just a few years ago.
During our conversation about why he needed to be baptized again and a discussion about the scriptures familiar to many of you, the distinct impression came to my mind about another scripture that I should share with him. After our discussion of such scriptures as Acts 19:2-5 and D&C 22, etc., I turned to Joseph Smith History 1:20 and told him that there was another verse that I believed the Lord would have me share with him. We then read the following words of the Prophet Joseph Smith concerning the words of the Lord to him in the Sacred Grove and the events that followed when he returned home:
He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, "Never mind, all is well--I am well enough off." I then said to my mother, "I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true." It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy? (Joseph Smith History 1:20, italics added)
I then explained to him that while I believed that the Presbyterian Church had been a great blessing to him and to his family, that it was now time to move on and to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I also promised him that I would be happy to come to his village and baptize him when the time was right. His response was that he was "very happy" and that the words that I had read to him had sunk deep into his heart. He promised that he would call me when he has come to a decision. We have two great missionaries working with him and I have great faith that he will be baptized in the near future. He is one of the Lord's elect.
Elders and Sisters, there are men and women, boys and girls, all over Ghana who are seeking the truth. We need to live our lives in such a way that the Lord can trust us to lead them to us and us to them. We are on the verge of something great in this mission if each of us can live just a little better and work a little harder and smarter. Be bold--- but not overbearing. Ask everyone you meet if they would like to learn more about the Savior's Church. Write down names and numbers and pass them along if need be. "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" (D&C 123:12).
I pray for you and love you,
President Judd" (New Instructions For Weekly Letters, July 2, 2012).
The first part is edited, as you don't need to know the website stuff for us missionaries. Take the rest of it to heart. I'm sure there's some way to apply his counsel about our weekly letters to your own life. Maybe look at the priorities and then try to do the same for you.
Love you all! Take care, and God bless!
--Elder Collings
No comments:
Post a Comment