For my last 6 emails home I've decided that I would focus my email
more of in the aspects of what I have learned on my mission.
Over the course of my mission I have come to truly realize the power
of the Book of Mormon. I am forever grateful for a family that strived
to read the Book of Mormon together as a family every night. I will
also forever be grateful for a teacher at a youth camp that challenged
us to read the Book of Mormon every day by ourselves. Up until that
time I had never as yet attempted to read the Book of Mormon on my
own. I started out just reading a verse a day, and after that I never
stopped. For most of high school as I tried to read the Book of
Mormon, there were very few times where I actually felt like it had
meaning. However, as I continued to read and I prepared myself serve a
mission I started to recognize my life changing for the better.
In college as I tried setting aside more time to read the Book of
Mormon I noticed it started to do more good things to my life, but it
still wasn't enough. As I began my mission, reading and study the
scriptures for an hour felt like a marathon, but slowly an hour
started to feel so short and I learned so much. I started to notice
how each scripture could pertain directly to my life and that God can
speak to me from the scriptures.
On the days where we don't have time to study for a normal amount of
time, I truly can feel the negative difference it makes in not reading
them. I don't feel prepared for the day. I can literally feel the
difference in lessons and I feel at a loss. The scriptures hold power.
It is through the scriptures that I have the power to come closer to
my savior as well as to withstand the temptations of the devil. It is
though the Book of Mormon, and the diligent study that you cast out
all doubts and fears and confusions. The gospel itself is simple, the
book of mormon gives you the foundation of understanding so that as
God teaches you line upon line, you are then able to build up from
your foundation. The devil is the only one who wants you to tear that
foundation down.
I've come to know so strongly that the devil is very real, hat he is
there and that he's smart. After all, he's already lost everything
possibly, what has he got to lose? He might as well tempt us because
we have everything to lose. As we make plans, he also makes plans. But
it is through the power of the Book of Mormon and the spirit that I
can stay string amidst all of those whirlwinds that satan sends.
I've come to love the basics of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith in
Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of
the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. The pure and simple truths. We
need those simple foundation truths because everything in the church
ties back to those things.
We each have times when we doubt, when we fear that we're doing the
wrong thing. But it's from relying on those basic principles, and
truly studying our scriptures, praying and worshipping at church, that
we continue to have the reassurance and the confirmation that what we
are doing is right. It doesn't matter what we don't understand, what
matter is that we don't let the things we don't know, cloud what we do
know.
This life is a time of testing and trial. I've been tested in so many
ways. Most of them haven't been a huge, most have been small every day
decisions. But as a prophet or apostle once said, "decisions determine
destiny". Hold on to what you do know, pray about what you don't know,
and keep moving forward.
Have a wonderful week! Love you all!
President and Sister Riggs going home!
Zack's last lesson before baptism
Zack's baptism
No comments:
Post a Comment