Dear Family and Friends,
Yesterday was an interesting day. Apparently, when you hit nine months remaining on your mission in the NMAM you're considered mission pregnant. It seems a little backwards to me, but My companion is convinced.. I guess it does really hit home thinking about the duration of the reminder of my mission being the same as that of the conception, development and creation of a newborn child. But I'm not going to talk about that anymore! I've got better things to do right now (not to say at all that that is a not good thing.) :)
This week we have talked a lot about the hastening of the work in our visits with people. Our investigators are doing well. Most prominently this week I was reminded of how few people fully understand or even know about the identity of one's self as a divine son or daughter of God. We taught someone that was thoroughly convinced that they would not be able to return to heaven because to the things that they had done. We were lead to teach the Plan of Salvation and emphasize the one simple point that each of us is a child of God, and as such he loves us eternally and infinitely. There is evidence of this in everything we see/touch/taste/feel/hear. All things are and were created for the benefit and use of man, and for the gladdening of the heart and the pleasing of the eye. It's the thick mists of temptation, sin and distraction from our true purpose that keep people from this pure truth.
As I said, the Emphasis lately has been on the hastening of the work. How missionaries in the area, even with our efforts full time cannot begin to touch the efforts of members. The thing is if members would talk to just three people a week about the gospel and invite them to learn about it, new investigators would double. The baptism rates would be much better also because there is a friend and a person that is going to be a constant reminder rather than just a here and gone missionary. No matter how profound an influence a missionary may have it is still only for a time and then comes the temptations and the trials and the seed can easily be choked out just as it has sprung up. That's why members are so crucial in the effort of missionary work. This work cannot go forth as it has to unless each who has covenanted to stand as a representative of Christ through baptism, is truly going to do so in all times and in all things and in all places. The light of Christ in each person can recognize other light, but the path between may be too dark to walk alone. People around us All need to borrow a little bit of our light in their direction which is only given when we Invite them and Help them see. It is our imperative duty so to do. So many are kept from the truth simply because they know not where to find it. We then are only kept from sharing it because either we ourselves are too distracted, or we are too scared, because of our own selfish worries and concerns.
My advice to anyone that thinks that their life is in a little of a rut is to re-discover what the Gospel really means to you, and then pray for an opportunity to share that with someone who is worse of than yourself. Then when (Not IF) that opportunity presents itself, (here is the IF) if you have been doing the things you need to, reading, praying and attending church, Then spirit will put the words in your mouth and you will Not be able to stop it. That is what the Love of Christ does. That is what it means to hasten the work of Salvation and to lengthen our stride to do what is right to me. The Gospel works. I works beautifully! I know it :)
I love you all, and I hope that you have a great week finding those who are around you that are truly searching for the Gospel.
Elder McGarry
I'll have to send pictures next time. Sorry, I forgot my card reader :/
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