September 12, 2016
This week has been a week of miracles and trials and I have had to really put my trust in the Lord and turn to Him for help. I remember one day in which we did our best to talk with everyone and resulted in no one wanting to learn. I asked myself if it was perhaps something that I was doing wrong in inviting, or perhaps that I didn't have enough faith in those around me. I thought about it for the next few days and after our church meetings, I was talking with an Elder and brought up the concern that I had been facing. He looked at me and said, "Elder Shirley, put your faith in Christ." I realized that for most of the time, I was worried a bout everything that I was doing and not focusing enough toward the Savior. Later that night, I offered the prayer to end our nightly planning session and as I was asking Heavenly Father for guidance on what to do these thoughts came to me, "Elder Shirley, this is not your work, this is my work. I will hasten my work in its time. Be patient." I paused for a few seconds and then concluded our companionship prayer. I realized how important it is to always remember that this is not our work. Anything that we do does not come from our own abilities, it comes from the Lord. As we acknowledge Him in all that we do, He will build us up, He will strengthen to perform this sacred work. I love missionary work. I know that my Redeemer lives!
This week has been a week of miracles and trials and I have had to really put my trust in the Lord and turn to Him for help. I remember one day in which we did our best to talk with everyone and resulted in no one wanting to learn. I asked myself if it was perhaps something that I was doing wrong in inviting, or perhaps that I didn't have enough faith in those around me. I thought about it for the next few days and after our church meetings, I was talking with an Elder and brought up the concern that I had been facing. He looked at me and said, "Elder Shirley, put your faith in Christ." I realized that for most of the time, I was worried a bout everything that I was doing and not focusing enough toward the Savior. Later that night, I offered the prayer to end our nightly planning session and as I was asking Heavenly Father for guidance on what to do these thoughts came to me, "Elder Shirley, this is not your work, this is my work. I will hasten my work in its time. Be patient." I paused for a few seconds and then concluded our companionship prayer. I realized how important it is to always remember that this is not our work. Anything that we do does not come from our own abilities, it comes from the Lord. As we acknowledge Him in all that we do, He will build us up, He will strengthen to perform this sacred work. I love missionary work. I know that my Redeemer lives!
A scripture that I wanted to add is found in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 which reads,
36. "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."
I have a testimony that as we look unto Christ in every thought, we need not fear nor doubt for in Him and through Him we can do all things. The question then becomes, do I trust the Lord? Am I willing to remember the Lord?
After our church meeting, we had a meeting scheduled with one of our investigators and our plan was to teach her the 10 commandments. We continued to teach her and as we talking about the sixth commandment which is to not kill, she stopped for a moment and looked down. We thought it would be a simple commandment to breeze over but for her it was not. A couple years back, she had lived in an apartment complex with her 3 year old daughter and as her daughter was playing, she had fallen out of the window to their house and passed away. With tears in her eyes, she talked to us how she had blamed herself for not being more careful and has been holding onto that guilt for these past few years. We discussed with her the plan that our Heavenly Father has for each of us and how all those who die under the age of accountability will be saved in the Celestial Kingdom of God and that we will be given the opportunity to raise them in the next life.
“A question may be asked--‘Will mothers have their children in eternity?’ Yes! Yes! Mothers, you shall have your children; for they shall have eternal life, for their debt is paid.”
“Children … must rise just as they died; we can there hail our lovely infants with the same glory--the same loveliness in the celestial glory.”
President Joseph F. Smith, the sixth President of the Church, reported: “Joseph Smith taught the doctrine that the infant child that was laid away in death would come up in the resurrection as a child; and, pointing to the mother of a lifeless child, he said to her: ‘You will have the joy, the pleasure and satisfaction of nurturing this child, after its resurrection, until it reaches the full stature of its spirit.’ …
“In 1854, I met with my aunt [Agnes Smith], the wife of my uncle, Don Carlos Smith, who was the mother of that little girl [Sophronia] that Joseph Smith, the Prophet, was speaking about, when he told the mother that she should have the joy, the pleasure, and the satisfaction of rearing that child, after the resurrection, until it reached the full stature of its spirit; and that it would be a far greater joy than she could possibly have in mortality, because she would be free from the sorrow and fear and disabilities of mortal life, and she would know more than she could know in this life. I met that widow, the mother of that child, and she told me this circumstance and bore testimony to me that this was what the Prophet Joseph Smith said when he was speaking at the funeral of her little daughter.”
Mary Isabella Horne and Leonora Cannon Taylor each lost a young child in death. Sister Horne recalled that the Prophet Joseph Smith gave the two sisters these words of comfort: “He told us that we should receive those children in the morning of the resurrection just as we laid them down, in purity and innocence, and we should nourish and care for them as their mothers. He said that children would be raised in the resurrection just as they were laid down, and that they would obtain all the intelligence necessary to occupy thrones, principalities and powers.”
I have a testimony that every mother and father will be able to raise their children in Eternity! As we shared with her these things, Spirit confirmed to me, my companion and her that she needed to be baptized. She perked up and told us with enthusiasm that she wants to go to the temple and she wants to be baptized. We are excited to see that take place and we will be with her every step of the way!
We are continuing to work with the members as best as we possibly can and are excited to keep going! We really want to teach with members and invite their friends to learn the Gospel as well. Something that we are going to work on is teaching the members the 8 fundamentals of missionary work and help them become missionaries. We are hoping to do some role plays with them and then take them out on splits to practice the principles that they have learned. The main focus is to help them to gain a testimony before serving their mission. We want them to be calling the missionaries to set up a time rather than the Elders or Sisters making all of the appointments with them. We are excited to see the ward grow!
I love the missionary work, I know that it is true. I am grateful for a living prophet who lives and guides us today. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's church upon the Earth. I love the Gospel and I am grateful for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I share my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love,
Elder Shirley
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