Stony Hearts and ZOCO pics

Here's a short thought for you.

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." This is a powerful scripture that really resonates with me. We live in a world that is full of temptation and distraction, and that can be difficult to overcome; yet, perhaps the more notable hurdle is not simply avoiding such sins, but having no desire to follow them. The Book of Mormon recounts a story where the people had such a change of heart, that they had no more disposition to do evil. I think often we feel that we simply need to commit the act of sinning, but more importantly is the change that can happen in us, through the Atonement of Christ, which allows us to "shake at the appearance of sin." That's no simple task though! I have found that some of the simplest ways we can allow the Savior to change our heart come through fervent prayer and diligent scripture study. As we turn our lives to the Lord, He can "take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and [He] will give you an heart of flesh."

Message from President Love

To our beloved fellow missionaries,

 Almost three years ago Sister Love and I arrived here in the MIM with hearts full of faith and excitement. We already felt a connection to and love for you, our missionaries. Our utmost desire was to have a culture where faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with a deep and abiding love for Him was always at the forefront of our desires and the object of our vision. We had a desire for our missionaries to be fully converted and to claim the blessings of fierce obedience and diligence. We knew that to obtain our vision of that culture would require the Lord’s constant help. We have seen His hand daily for which we are grateful. With His constant care and with the willing hearts of some of the choicest spirits of this dispensation we feel we have, as Lehi of old obtained our land of promise. We, like Lehi have seen some adversity with those who lacked vision but the Standard of Truth was erected in the Missouri Independence Mission of which each of you has some ownership. We commend you, we thank you for the privilege of rubbing shoulders with you, some of the most elect of God. May we continue to claim the happiness and prosperity predicated on obedience to God’s commandments.

This week Megan and Emma were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!  This brings our May total to 5! Make sure every contact we make includes some kind of invitation to act with a testimony and follow-up.

We are in the sprint portion of this great race…..running shoes are on! 

Let’s go! 

President and Sister Love

What a wonderfully, crazy week it has been. Our week started off with a call asking if we had four beds... we said no. Twenty minutes later we had two more beds sitting in our apartment, and news that we would be hosting two new elders due to reassignments. So we started pulling out all our furniture and rearranging so we could make another bedroom.

After about four hours of rearranging and then a wonderful night's rest, we spent the following day driving up about an hour to pick up our new missionary pals. We didn't end up getting any missionaries from other missions, just a couple MIM missionaries being shifted around. So it's been interesting getting used to, but it's been good to have a couple more people to talk to!

A highlight from my studies this week comes from Alma 11, as Amulek preaches in Ammonihah. One powerful statement he makes comes a He teaches the role of Jesus Christ. He explains that Christ "cannot save them IN their sins." It is true that Christ can save us FROM our sins, but unless we follow Him, repent, and forsake our sins, He cannot remit those wrongdoings. That's where our agency comes is! It is our choice whether we accept that gift of forgiveness or not because He will not force us to abandon our sins. With that in mind, it's our simple responsibility to strive to overcome our mistakes, right our wrongs, and become a better person and disciple each day!

Far West Temple

I got a little carried away playing Spikeball, so this probably won't be incredibly long.

Another week has passed. This week we received news that we can now go on exchanges, so I had the wonderful opportunity to be on exchanges with one of the assistants, Elder Peterson, this week. We didn't necessarily do anything very different than our regular schedule, but it was great to just be with another human for a day.

We also found out this week that Zone Conference will be held at the Far West temple site, which is sweeeeet! We're praying for good weather so we don't have to sit through the rain for 6 hours. I'm sure that will be a very memorable experience!

One of my favorite verses that I read this week in my personal study of the Book of Mormon is Alma 9:26, which says, "And not many days hence the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers." I love the description of Christ in these verses, especially that He is QUICK to hear our prayers. I know that prayer is an incredible way to maintain a connection with heaven and receive strength daily. 

O Remember, Remember

Howdy!

I'm not quite sure how to describe exactly what life has been like around here. This week went by incredibly quickly, and I can't remember a thing we did. Everything seems to be blending into one big glop... but that doesn't mean we're not enjoying it!

 I have easily become much more grateful for the simple blessings provided to us each and every day. Things such as face to face conversations, beautiful, sunny weather, and even my respect for mothers who cook and clean... for a WHOLE family. Since we've actually started living in our apartment, rather than just sleeping here, we have found those two tasks specifically more difficult than anticipated. Meal planning, dishwashing, and simply keeping things tidy is no easy task, but I am also grateful for a mother who taught me how to do those things! We're learning a lot around here.

Yesterday we found out that the mission is about to receive over 100 reassigned missionaries. That will take our regular carrying capacity of about 180 missionaries to a healthy 280 by the time everyone shows up. Crazy, huh!? With that in mind, there will be loads of people transferred, areas opened, and companionships split. There is a lot happening, and boy is it exciting to be right in the middle of it. The Lord really knows what He's talking about when He says He'll hasten His work in His time.

As of late, I've been reflecting a lot on one of the Book of Mormon's simple themes: remember. Consistently, the Lord reveals His arm in an effort to remind His people that He is there, yet they always seem to revert to their own wills and desires. But, those who have been righteous, or decide to repent, have the windows of heaven opened up to them. 

We are living in a time where the Lord is extending His mighty arm. A worldwide pandemic has swept through nations, causing us to change our way of life. We don't have to look too closely to recognize Who is behind this all,  as well as His intent behind it. He wants us to remember. As I mentioned before, I and many others have recognized some of the simplest blessings that come from the Lord. Also, for those who have been righteous, this is a simple time where preparation and heed to the Lord's command have led to many a miracle. For others who are recognizing the Lord's role at this time, and turning unto Him, are finding the peace that comes through Christ. And lastly (there may be a few other options, but bear with me), for those who continue to deny the existence and hand of the Lord, surely will suffer some form of difficulty at this time.

The moral?

For me, I have been reviewing each night the ways that I see God's goodness in my life. It was direction provided by Elder Renlund in Conference that I heeded, and have seen great blessing from it. I look forward to the future miracles that are approaching as well. Here is a snippet from that talk he gave. 

"By acknowledging that every good thing comes from Jesus Christ, we will communicate our faith more effectively to others. We will have courage when confronted with seemingly impossible tasks and circumstances. We will strengthen our resolve to keep the covenants we have made to follow the Savior. We will be filled with the love of God, want to help those in need without being judgmental, love our children and raise them in righteousness, retain a remission of our sins, and always rejoice. These are the remarkable fruits of remembering God’s goodness and mercy."

I hope each of you strives to remember the Lord in your life each day!