We made the Elders jump into the font to catch it for us haha.
Brian, our golden investigator, came to the baptism so we got to talk to him afterwards. He is still rocking at keeping his commitments! Oh my gosh! The Book of Mormon works miracles in people's lives! He has been reading it and realized his priesthood responsibilities (we haven't even taught him about the priesthood yet) he is recognizing his role as a husband and a father and wants to fulfill that. He is marking his scriptures and told us that we can have daily contact with him and he is still planning on Oct. 7 for his baptism! Oh my goodness people! Miracles are happening everyday!
We had interviews with President and Sister Tateoka this week. They were great! I love our mission President. He is so inspired and truly loves us and desires to help us in our missionary work. President Tateoka shared this scripture in our interview:
Doctrine and Covenants 64:33-34
33 Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
34 Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.
President Thomas S. Monson says:
"Occasionally discouragement may darken our pathway; frustration may be a constant companion. In our ears there may sound the sophistry of Satan as he whispers, 'You cannot save the world; your small efforts are meaningless. You haven’t time to be concerned for others.' Trusting in the Lord, let us turn our heads from such falsehoods and make certain our feet are firmly planted in the path of service and our hearts and souls dedicated to follow the example of the Lord. In moments when the light of resolution dims and when the heart grows faint, we can take comfort from His promise: 'Be not weary in well-doing. … Out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
'Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.'" (The Path to Peace, April 1994)
He also quotes Richard L. Evans when he said, “To find peace--the peace within, the peace that passeth understanding--men must live in honesty, honoring each other, honoring obligations, working willingly, loving and cherishing loved ones, serving and considering others, with patience, with virtue, with faith and forbearance, with the assurance that life is for learning, for serving, for repenting, and improving. And God be thanked for the blessed principle of repenting and improving, which is a way that is open to us all.”
I believe that we can only find that peace when we are living a Christlike life. We can not know God or Christ if we do not so their works, therefore, we cannot know the peace and happiness that they enjoy until we live like them.
I also came across Elder Ballard's talk, To Whom Shall We Go? And wanted to share what he said. It's a little long, but I couldn't decide what to take out so just enjoy it ;)
"If any one of you is faltering in your faith, I ask you the same question that Peter asked: 'To whom shall [you] go?' If you choose to become inactive or to leave the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where will you go? What will you do? The decision to 'walk no more' with Church members and the Lord’s chosen leaders will have a long-term impact that cannot always be seen right now. There may be some doctrine, some policy, some bit of history that puts you at odds with your faith, and you may feel that the only way to resolve that inner turmoil right now is to 'walk no more' with the Saints. If you live as long as I have, you will come to know that things have a way of resolving themselves. An inspired insight or revelation may shed new light on an issue. Remember, the Restoration is not an event, but it continues to unfold.
"Never abandon the great truths revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Never stop reading, pondering, and applying the doctrine of Christ contained in the Book of Mormon.
"Never fail to give equal time to the Lord through honest attempts to understand what the Lord has revealed. As my dear friend and former colleague Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, 'We should not assume … that just because something is unexplainable by us it is unexplainable.'
"So before you make that spiritually perilous choice to leave, I encourage you to stop and think carefully before giving up whatever it was that brought you to your testimony of the restored Church of Jesus Christ in the first place. Stop and think about what you have felt here and why you felt it. Think about the times when the Holy Ghost has borne witness to you of eternal truth.
"...Brothers and sisters, I promise you in the name of the Lord that He will never abandon His Church and that He will never abandon any one of us. Remember Peter’s response to the Savior’s question and words:
'To whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
'And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.'
I testify that there is 'no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ.'
I also testify that Jesus Christ has called apostles and prophets in our day and restored His Church with teachings and commandments as 'a refuge from the storm, and from wrath' that will surely come unless the people of the world repent and return to Him.
"I further testify that the Lord 'inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; … and all are alike unto God.'
"Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer, and His restored gospel will lead us safely back to the presence of our Heavenly Parents if we remain on the gospel path and follow in His footsteps. To which I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." (To Whom Shall We Go? October 2016)
