I learned so much in General Conference; I truly do believe
that President Nelson is the prophet called for our day. We are truly being
called to live like Jesus Christ and the way he lived, despite the increasingly
wicked world in which we live; I was so inspired by his talk and by the new
program of ministering. We are being called to love as Jesus loved, respond and
live by the Spirit the way He did. What an incredible time that we live in. I
feel like many of the talks felt personalized to my concerns and challenges.
But at the same time, this week has been faced with quite a
few challenges. This week we tried to meet new people and have teaching
appointments immediately. We tried to show them immediately that we are
different -- that our message is the message of the Restoration and of eternal
importance. We extended baptismal dates the same day. And we found people. But
at the same time things went wrong.
Sister Sheila, for example, -- we are 100% confident that
she is prepared by God. She lost her 11 year old son to a medical malpractice
and she embraced the plan of salvation immediately. She already felt that this
was the church she is looking for, is already embracing the other doctrines we
are sharing about latter-day prophets, and even dreamed about the missionaries
teaching her the Restoration-- she saw her son playing with animals and saw the
Savior tending his flocks like the front cover of the Restoration pamphlet. She
felt like her son was telling her to listen to our message so that they could
be an eternal family. Her husband wants to listen too. They were planning to go
to church but then her mother-in-law told her she was needed in Santo Tomas for
a long time to look after her. She had to pack and leave Sunday morning. She
isn't sure yet how long it will be until they will be able to come back.
Sister Marylou is the mother of two returned missionaries
who referred us to her. She has been working in Greece as a caretaker for a
long time, so she wasn't there when her children were converted to the gospel. As
we taught her, we saw that she has such a deep love for the Savior and a very
excellent understanding of the doctrines in the Bible. When we shared 1 Nephi
13 with her she understood that there had indeed been plain and precious truths
that had been lost from the Bible until there was no church that had the
authority or fullness of the gospel on the earth. We promised her that if she
read The Book of Mormon and pondered it and asked God if it was true that she
would know that for herself and she accepted a baptismal date if she knew it by
that time. But then.... it seems like she is going to go back to Greece to
work....
But I'm clinging to these words by Elder Nelson:
In like manner, what will your seeking open for you? What
wisdom do you lack? What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand?
Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can
regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly
Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.
Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your
fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen!
Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow
through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process
day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the
principle of revelation.”
I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability
to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt
[seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon
knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which
bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.”
Oh, there is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants
you to know. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “To those who have eyes to see
and ears to hear, it is clear that the Father and the Son are giving away the
secrets of the universe!”
Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of
increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words
of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and
family history work.
To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the
heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient,
expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently
honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding
you seek.
Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That
is what personal revelation will do for you.
Sister Porter
No comments:
Post a Comment