Alma 26:27-- Now when our hearts were depressed, and we
were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst
thy brethren, the Lamanites,and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I
will give unto you success.
This last week has been AMAZING. Miracles really do
happen!
On Friday we had dinner and a lesson with two of our
investigators, a Mother and Son*. We all had dinner at our Bishop's house,
shortly after dinner we had a lesson on, The Gospel of Christ. This lesson was
very spiritual! We talked about the principals of this church. I used The
Gospel of Christ like a clock. The hands go around in a seemingly endless
circle, but time moves forward. We endlessly go around the circle of the same
gospel, but that's what makes our lives move forward. At the end of the lesson,
we re-committed the Mother to be baptized on March 22! She seems very excited
and promised to be at church this next Sunday. Her son is new to religion, and
asked if it was alright that he got back to us when we meet next (which will be
tonight!) We hope he will follow the example of his mom and decide to be
baptized the same day as her. It is going to be a little rough for him because
he is a wrestler. And he coaches the Jr. High and Elementary kids and has
wrestling camps on Sundays.
The next miracle is with G*, he is seriously one of
the ELECT! He was a referral from the N.C. State Institute. One day G walked in
and asked someone there what he had to do to be baptized. So we had a lesson
with him on Saturday. I don't think our lesson could go any better! The first
thing he asked when we got there was "So how do I do this? Do I just come
to your church, announce I want to be Mormon, and get baptized then and
there?" G is super excited to be baptized! He wanted to be baptized
yesterday at church but we told him we have to go over a few lessons with him
first so he knows what he is getting into, and he said, “Oh I'm pretty sure I
know what I am doing, and know that it is the right thing to do!” G also
accepted our invitation to be baptized on March 22! He wants his family to be
baptized as well! I hope his family will follow his example!
I know for a fact that as it says in Alma 26:27 If
we go through our trials and troubles with faith and don't give up, we can
perform miracles and bring to pass the immortality of man!
This past week has been so helpful for me, because
being in the same area for 6 months and not having very much success is
depressing. But I continued with faith and tried my hardest. And now this area
is starting a spiritual fire! I cannot wait to see what this week brings! I am
so excited! Love ya!
Love,
Elder Beach
*Names removed for privacy
And now some Facebook Posts from Elder Beach:
Need I say more?
"Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than YOU" -Dr. Suess
"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
How awesome is that! They understood that Christ could deliver them out of the King’s hands but if not, if their God chose not to save their lives, if their God allowed them to die at the King’s hands, their faith would be unshaken because that outcome (whether they lived or died) did not change the fact that God was God and that they would continue to worship Him regardless.
How often is our faith shaken when we don’t see an outcome in our lives? Where we prayed so hard for something that we desperately wanted or needed? I know that I’ve done this countless of times and still find myself in these situations. However, our faith needs to be placed in the idea that regardless of what happens, regardless of how God chooses to bless our lives or not, we understand that Christ is still our Savior. We understand that He loves us and that ultimately, He has a plan for all of us.
How awesome is that! They understood that Christ could deliver them out of the King’s hands but if not, if their God chose not to save their lives, if their God allowed them to die at the King’s hands, their faith would be unshaken because that outcome (whether they lived or died) did not change the fact that God was God and that they would continue to worship Him regardless.
How often is our faith shaken when we don’t see an outcome in our lives? Where we prayed so hard for something that we desperately wanted or needed? I know that I’ve done this countless of times and still find myself in these situations. However, our faith needs to be placed in the idea that regardless of what happens, regardless of how God chooses to bless our lives or not, we understand that Christ is still our Savior. We understand that He loves us and that ultimately, He has a plan for all of us.
BE THE FIRST.
