This
week was like a roller coaster. It's been interesting working through
the process of building a new Ward Mission Plan in one of our areas.
It's neat to see how involved it can be and how many different aspects
tie into it. With all the different moving parts in the church it is a
wonder everything works out so smoothly. I am fascinated by the
intricacy and detail that is given through revelation on certain aspects
as a group councils together to seek the Lord's hand. I am definitely
humbled to recognize again and again throughout my life how much is
truly just in the Lord's hands and somehow he pulls from our meager
efforts and makes things work out! I love being part of that.
I
have recently started studying in greater depth in the Doctrine and
Covenants. Something that stood out to me was in Section 21:5 how it
talks about when the Prophet speaks it should be regarded as if those
words were proceeding forth directly from the mouth of God. That is the
purpose of a Prophet, after all. The ensuing verse gives a powerful
description of what promises we receive by doing so. Namely that "the
gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will
dispers the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to
shake for your good, and his name's glory." President Guffey has
emphasized a great deal on the importance of obedience. This was the
protection that came to the 2000 Stripling Warriors in that they were
protected by divine power because they observed every command to obey
with Exactness. This implies that they did not just ignorantly happen to
do the right thing by trying to be the best they could be, or by
seeking out to to good. Rather they sought to Observe the commands that
were given and to execute the. For us that interperets into seeking the
revealed word of God so that we might know his will for us through his
prophets. As good as we may be by living lives of purity and service and
other well intended characteristics, we will not be receivers of the
afore mentioned divine promise unless we give our diligence to seek and
observe the commands of our leaders to execute them with exactness. This
doesn't mean that we will be perfect. It doesn't even mean that we will
be able to do all that we have been asked to do often times, but that
it should be our intent to do so. We must also recongize that by
observing and executing with exactness we are not to expect that we will
be impervious to incur any afflictions or trials. We also learn that
even though not one of the Stripling Warriors was slain, there also was
not a single one who had not received "many wounds" some even emaciated
from loss of blood du to these injuries. Yet I conjunction with the very
initial promise in our day, the powers of darkness were dispersed from
before them, and surely the heavens did shake fore their good, and
continue to bring glory to the majesty and power of deliverance through
faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I
pray that we can all observe, meaning to seek and find the council and
guidance from prophets, and obey with exactness and by so doing we may
truly sustain and "move the cause of Zion in mighty power for good..."
I love you all!
Elder McGarry
La Michoicana a really good mexican place
Double rainbow at our place
