The "Bands"

Dear Family and Friends,

First and foremost the biggest changes as of late is the transition of our Mission President, as you know President and Sister Miller have completed their service and will be greatly missed. The Lord knows what he is doing though, and President and Sister Guffey have surely been prepared and qualified for the stewardship bestowed upon them now. In use the first day of interacting with them we have felt a great deal of love and appreciation for them. I look forward to serving with them and continuing serve in this great mission!

I learned a very important Lesson from our stake president this last week. He was teaching about the experience Nephi had in the Book of Mormon when his brothers bound him with strong cords and decided to leave him for the wild beasts a return to Jerusalem. He prayed to the Lord that he could be given the strength to burst the bands. In this there is insight alone, that he was able to recognize his own need to put forth great effort to obtain the desired result. In this he still realized that he would likely fall short he sought the help of his Father in Heaven early, before he had even engaged in the action he was about to perform. The response was immediate and possibly a little unexpected as "the bands were loosed." At that moment we realize his pure intent was not just to get away form his brothers or the harm that they constantly try to inflict upon him but rather to stand forth in the truth of what is God's will. He stood forth and spoke to them admonishing them to keep the commandments of God. later as they are on the ship traveling to the Promised land he again is bound and fastened to the mast of the ship amidst a terrible raging storm. He must have thought to himself "how long must I endure this, I have been in a similar circumstance before and the outcome was as I anticipated." On this occasion we know that he was retained by these cords which rubbed his wrists raw and caused swelling in great measure. Yet still he was patient in his tribulation not once murmuring against the will of God, in whom he trusted perfectly. So I our lives we have storms that come and go, but in all things our relationship with our Savior is what will carry us through. Our first response may be to react with natural questions of, How is this possible, why, what is the reason for this, who would do this, what will I become of this, why is this so hard, can I really make it through this? To these questions the only solace that is lasting and eternal stems from one pure doctrine which is central to the reason for everything that has ever been or ever will be, the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He, the creator of worlds, condescended below all of creation, suffered in an unfathomable way for each and every one of us and then rose above every challenge, temptation and trial, sin and even death. What greater hope for peace can one have? What greater motivation can anyone find to love, pure and unrestrained, a person who would do such a thing simply because he loves you. he just asks us to hold on, to recognize that without tasting the bitter, the pain and the suffering that we would not be able to even understand, let alone appreciate the good. We can try to bandage wounds, and that may hold for a time, but the only way to be healed is to let Christ take you into his arms, and fill you with his love. That is something that is worth waiting for, whether it be on a boat tied to the mast awaiting the storm caused by those whom we are trying to love and help, or in our world so full of people yet having a feeling of hopelessness and loneliness or indifference because no matter what, in a world of comparing and contrasting there will always be someone somewhere who is better, or smarter, or cooler, or prettier, or richer, or (insert comparative category here) in some way. To these feelings and thoughts the Savior offers but one simple phrase with perfect authority and power;

"Peace, be still."

In our teaching we have been greatly blessed with finding a new investigator named Dustin. Also two others we have been working with are preparing to be baptized on July 16th. more updates to come. I love you all so very much, and hope you have. A fantastic week!

Elder McGarry