Message 9 August 2011

Message—9 August 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

Sorry we are a day late adding the weekly post to our blog, we ran out of hours in the day yesterday, so we are adding our message a day late.  Last week, we were invited to have dinner with a member couple in the ward; Matt & Mandy Nelson.  They live right on the shore of Lake Ontario, less than 25 feet from their back door is a short peer that sticks out over the lake.  Matt has a number of relatives who are or have been leaders in the church at the general leadership level.  When he was called on his mission at the age of 19, he was called to Germany.  One of the areas he served in was where President Uchtdorf lived at the time.  The Area President in Germany was a relative, and another General Authority visited the mission several times.  So Matt said I guess the Lord sent me where I had to behave and work hard; so it kept me on the path with the iron rod, which has been a great blessing to me.  Mandy is a convert from Texas and was disowned by her family when she joined the church.  In the last few years her family has come to visit them, but she has to remove from sight anything that refers to the Church; and they have to be careful not to say anything about the church to Mandy’s family.  By doing these two things they have a pleasant visit with Mandy’s family.  It is so difficult for someone to join the church and be deserted by their family; but many people do it because they know they are doing what is right; and they are greatly blessed for their faithfulness.  In many cases the family members eventually soften their hearts and accept the person back into their arms.

Last Monday in our Mission Office meeting, it was my turn to give the spiritual thought.  I used the following three scriptures as the basis of my thought: D & C 138:56; Acts 17:26-27; and John 14:26.  Perhaps at first glance through these scriptures the connection they have may not be easy to see.  As I read the first one the Spirit reminded me of the one in Acts; and the day before at the baptism for Zach the verse in John was used and the Spirit reminded me of it.  The verses preceding verse 56 in Section 138 of the D & C refer to Joseph Smith, his father, Hyrum, and others; but in verse 56 a phrase is added that states “Even before they (Joseph and the others) were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits…”  We do not know who the “many others” are; but we do know that everyone who has come to earth for mortal experience, was taught enough “lessons” to be able to use their agency to choose to come to earth.  Having been taught these lessons, we knew at that time what the plan was, and knew it was true and right.  The end of verse 56 states that those taught came in the “due time of the Lord”; which is also what Acts 17:26 states; “the time and bounds of their habitation” were appointed before we came to earth.  Acts 17:27 has the phrase “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him…”.  In John 14:26 it states “…the Holy Ghost…shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance…”.  All things means just that, nothing is excluded if are prepared and worthy to receive it.  All thins include the lessons we learned in the pre-mortal world.  Even though we have forgotten everything we learned in the lessons, we can be taught and helped to remember the truths we need to know to become prepared and worthy to return to live with Heavenly Father.  We can learn these truths from our lessons by feeling them through the power of the Holy Ghost.  Thus we learn line upon line, and precept on precept, and here a little and there a little until we fully come unto Christ by repentance and obedience.  This is the general idea of the thought that was shared.  In relation to our mission, this tells me the people in this mission are here by divine design, and the missionaries are also here by divine design to invite and help people have the opportunity to remember the lessons they learned in the pre-mortal life and feel the truth of the lessons by the Holy Ghost so they can choose with agency to repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end of mortality in obedience to the gospel and eternal covenants.

Last week, we had an experience with two Elders who were invaded by bedbugs.  We helped the Elders and instructed them in doing all that is necessary to get rid of them.  The apartment owner had the apartment sprayed to kill the bedbugs.  The Elders had to spend two nights in the Mission Presidents home before they could move back in.  We hope all the bedbugs died and will not be a problem again.  It was a lot of work to wash all the bedding and their clothes and their dishes etc.

We are well and happy and blessed and grateful for the privilege to serve as missionaries here in the Rochester Mission.  We testify the church is true, Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration, President Monson is our prophet today with all the keys given to Joseph Smith .  The Book of Mormon is true and will help us come unto Christ, who is the central message of all that is in the Book of Mormon.

We love all of you and pray for you daily.  We are happy we got to see and talk to most of those who were at our family reunion on Saturday, by means of using Skype.  We hope to hear from those who were not at the reunion.  We hope you all have a great week and are kept safe and well.

Love,

Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandma, Richard & Maxine