Dear Family and Friends,
One
thing that I think I have really, really taken for granted many times
over is being so near to a Temple of God. Yesterday we had our
missionary Monday
where all the missionaries in our mission meet in groups and go through
the Temple. That was a great experience. Something that the
Temple always reminds me of is that we are only preparing for what is
yet to come and that there is still so much more even after the Temple.
Yet we all start out at the same place, first birth obviously but then
at age 8 we become accountable by natural capability of having the
knowledge of good and evil and the understanding that we must choose on
or the other. Through faith and repentance we are acceptable in the
Lord's eyes to be washed clean whenever we make a mistake through a
solemn promise to God to keep his commandments, remember his son, and
take the name of Christ upon ourselves, to do the things he has done.
Then it is his promise to us to have his spirit with us to teach us the
truth of all things. It is always a wonderful day when someone gets
baptized, yet God has planned for us so much more than that! The service
of others opens our eyes to see just how wonderful and merciful the
Lord has been, and is to each of us. The question I would then ponder is
why do we feel like we are not good enough? Or on the other hand, why
do we place so much value in the small petty things of money, clothes,
beauty, land, careers or whatever it is, and try to measure up to the
world's standard of what "success" is or "can be"? From dust we came and
to dust we will return, and then at the appointed time be brought to
stand before God without any of our earthly substance. At that day we
will have only the virtue of our minds, the knowledge we have attained
to and either a garb of righteousness because of our faithfulness, or as
the scriptures put it, having nothing by way of the knowledge and
understanding of God's kingdom, remember "our nakedness" before him.
Will our thoughts be a garb of virtue, or a fleeting jumble of worthless
worries pertaining to our own self-gratifying and self-indulgent
"Natural Man (or Woman)?"
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is so simple. The truth can be known as purely as we understand the distinction of noon-day
to the dark night. So simple that a child can understand it. The
greatest blessing we have is the atonement of Jesus Christ. In essence
That makes me think of the quote in a Rocky movie along the lines of "It
don't matter how many times you get knocked down, the trick is that you
stand back up." The Atonement is what allows us to stand back up no
matter what our weakness or sins may be. That is only through our Lord's
wonderful Grace and Mercy.
The Alamo reservation is treating me well. We have a family baptism scheduled for Nov. 7th
and we will be talking about setting another date with two families
this week. I really appreciate all the prayers from each of you, I know
that they are all answered and that the Lord is mindful of each and
every one of us! In pondering my scripture this week (3 Nephi 3:16),
the plainness of the Lachoneus articles is evident. Why did his people
listen? Because they knew exactly what he was saying and exactly what
the consequences of each choice were. I invite any reader of this
message to think about what is the next step for you in God's plan, not
all of the steps just one, and work on it. I know that the Lord will
help you and guide you if you ask. Sometimes we forget that prayer is a
two-way communication to the God of all creation. That is another
blessing that All of us take for granted in at least some degree. I hope
that we can all look at the picture of life and have the courage to
step forward boldly, and steadfastly into the challenges that stand
between us and where God wants us to be. I know that each of you are
good enough, and strong enough because I have seen it in you. Thanks for
your letters and support as well! I greatly appreciate it.
Ponderizing: Proverbs 15:4
Ayoo' Aniinishni
at the Temple we saw two other elders who served in Alamo as I first got on my mission :)
Another rainy autumn day on the Res :)
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