Can y'all remember the Articles of Faith? I know I didn't before the mish and even now as I write, but I want to start with sharing the 3rd and 11th Articles which say:
3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws
and ordinances of the Gospel.
11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience,
and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
(Thank you lds.org)
I share with you these two articles cause in recent study and past events from this previous week I've come to believe and know that these statements are true and I've come to see their significance in Marietta, GA.
Last week we worked hard!!. Since the past transfers I haven't really worked as hard as I am now, and yes, "shame on me!!", but we nearly reached a goal of 70 contacts, hitting 63. I haven't seen that since I was with Elder Hoyt at the beginning of the mission. That goal, as well as a few other goals, teaching experiences and feelings of the spirit that took place are part of a spark that has helped motivate me.
I'll be honest and say that I've met some pretty stubbon and rude people of other denominations of Christianity, but for some odd reason I seem to forget that people are only people and that no one is perfect.
There are bad Mormons. There are bad Christians. There are people in general who are just mean, but there is good in everyone. No matter what you call your belief, there is good in you.
In fact there were three distinct experiences that made me question and made me think about what I, Adam Black, believe.
The first experience, with a husband of one of our investigators. He's a guy who you can say has been through a lot and has travelled a broken road, who doesn't think God performs miracles today. Who questioned why go to church, and why have an organized religion?
The second, while riding bikes back home we met an Indian Hindu woman, who was open to us and stated what she believed as a Hindu. Who said you can believe in any god, Jesus, Buddha, a Spirit, hindu God(s), she even said that you can believe that your bike is a god, but whatever you worship you shouldn't judge others because of what they worship. You only need love and help others. That giving and loving is the purpose of life, and you can worship whatever you want.
And the last significant experience took place when we knocked a door of a lady who was a baptist / nondenominational /used-to-be-a-Presbyterian {one of those fancy breeds}. We sat on her porch and talked and she was interested in the Mormon religion. She had heard, as most do, that we are a cult. But wanted to know more so she didn't have the wrong misconception. So we explained to her a lot about Joseph Smith, prophets, the priesthood, the Book of Mormon, maybe too much, but she still wondered and even at the end couldn't grasp a living prophet and believed that the Bible was all that we really need. That god and his church are in us.
During studies, I had really really deep thoughts.
As members of the LDS Church we can say and think that we have the right answer that maybe even we are the chosen people. Well, honor and respect are attributes of Christ. They are appendages of love. I recently read from the words of early Church apostle Orson F. Whitney, “God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of his great and marvelous work. The Latter-day Saints cannot do it all. It is too vast, too arduous, for any one people.”
Now these events again made me really think and ponder and pray of what I believe, and in the end I say that my testimony has been considerably strengthened, and that is because of revelation through the Holy Ghost.
We all have the Light of Christ. We all know what is good and what isn't, and we all have good in us, we came and chose to live on this Earth. As Avery might say, "We're all in this together!".
"In the eyes of our Heavenly Father we are all little children. We are all fidgety, we make mistakes, we get off task, and we can do and say the darndest things. But all he really wants us to do is to color a picture for him, to pick up a crayon and do our best. Even if we go outside the lines, draw upside down or on the back, he will still take what we make and hang it up on his fridge." {shared with me from missionaries to missionaries}
I believe in Jesus Christ, I am a Christian. And I believe in the Book of Mormon, I am a Mormon. I've seen that through dedicated and sincere work, effort, and desire the miracles come forth. May the Lord bless y'all, and may he give you constant reassuance that this Church is true.
Have a good week family and friends.
Love you mucho,
-Elder Blacky
3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws
and ordinances of the Gospel.
11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience,
and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
(Thank you lds.org)
I share with you these two articles cause in recent study and past events from this previous week I've come to believe and know that these statements are true and I've come to see their significance in Marietta, GA.
Last week we worked hard!!. Since the past transfers I haven't really worked as hard as I am now, and yes, "shame on me!!", but we nearly reached a goal of 70 contacts, hitting 63. I haven't seen that since I was with Elder Hoyt at the beginning of the mission. That goal, as well as a few other goals, teaching experiences and feelings of the spirit that took place are part of a spark that has helped motivate me.
I'll be honest and say that I've met some pretty stubbon and rude people of other denominations of Christianity, but for some odd reason I seem to forget that people are only people and that no one is perfect.
There are bad Mormons. There are bad Christians. There are people in general who are just mean, but there is good in everyone. No matter what you call your belief, there is good in you.
In fact there were three distinct experiences that made me question and made me think about what I, Adam Black, believe.
The first experience, with a husband of one of our investigators. He's a guy who you can say has been through a lot and has travelled a broken road, who doesn't think God performs miracles today. Who questioned why go to church, and why have an organized religion?
The second, while riding bikes back home we met an Indian Hindu woman, who was open to us and stated what she believed as a Hindu. Who said you can believe in any god, Jesus, Buddha, a Spirit, hindu God(s), she even said that you can believe that your bike is a god, but whatever you worship you shouldn't judge others because of what they worship. You only need love and help others. That giving and loving is the purpose of life, and you can worship whatever you want.
And the last significant experience took place when we knocked a door of a lady who was a baptist / nondenominational /used-to-be-a-Presbyterian {one of those fancy breeds}. We sat on her porch and talked and she was interested in the Mormon religion. She had heard, as most do, that we are a cult. But wanted to know more so she didn't have the wrong misconception. So we explained to her a lot about Joseph Smith, prophets, the priesthood, the Book of Mormon, maybe too much, but she still wondered and even at the end couldn't grasp a living prophet and believed that the Bible was all that we really need. That god and his church are in us.
During studies, I had really really deep thoughts.
As members of the LDS Church we can say and think that we have the right answer that maybe even we are the chosen people. Well, honor and respect are attributes of Christ. They are appendages of love. I recently read from the words of early Church apostle Orson F. Whitney, “God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of his great and marvelous work. The Latter-day Saints cannot do it all. It is too vast, too arduous, for any one people.”
Now these events again made me really think and ponder and pray of what I believe, and in the end I say that my testimony has been considerably strengthened, and that is because of revelation through the Holy Ghost.
We all have the Light of Christ. We all know what is good and what isn't, and we all have good in us, we came and chose to live on this Earth. As Avery might say, "We're all in this together!".
"In the eyes of our Heavenly Father we are all little children. We are all fidgety, we make mistakes, we get off task, and we can do and say the darndest things. But all he really wants us to do is to color a picture for him, to pick up a crayon and do our best. Even if we go outside the lines, draw upside down or on the back, he will still take what we make and hang it up on his fridge." {shared with me from missionaries to missionaries}
I believe in Jesus Christ, I am a Christian. And I believe in the Book of Mormon, I am a Mormon. I've seen that through dedicated and sincere work, effort, and desire the miracles come forth. May the Lord bless y'all, and may he give you constant reassuance that this Church is true.
Have a good week family and friends.
Love you mucho,
-Elder Blacky