Large plates
Just another ordinary week here in Orlando, and an update on my best friend Andres!
Honestly there's not much to say about this week haha. It really was a good week though! There's just not a whole lot to report that you all haven't already heard.
One fun thing we did this week was our lesson with Andres! He's seriously such a funny kid. He's kind of a punk too but we sure do love him. He's a combination of pessimistic, easily distracted, so smart, and so full of potential. I don't really know how to describe it. We've taught him two lessons now and he wants to be baptized super bad! He just doesn't know a whole lot yet. Like at all. All he knows is what we've taught him in those two lessons (and of course he only knows what he remembers, for that matter). But he's seriously so awesome. He's the only person I've ever given lessons to in English and they also happen to be the most chaotic lessons I've ever taught haha. One minute we're talking about Jesus and the next minute we're talking about Spiderman. Or we'll be talking about church and he'll tell us all about one of his school teachers. He's so funny haha. And he really is learning a lot. It's been cool to see him progress, even just in the last couple of weeks.
Small Plates
What would be a more powerful witness: an angel or a testimony received through the Holy Ghost?
This week I read a book called Spirit by David Butler (thanks mom!) and it was SO GOOD. David is a seminary/institute teacher so his way of writing is very animated but very insightful.
I've really been trying to strengthen my ability to hear and be guided by the spirit. It's kind of the essence of missionary work so it's a good strength to have. That's why I decided to read this book first, out of all of the other books I have (thanks again, mom!). There are a ton of parts in the book that I loved, but here's one of my favorites:
"I am writing this chapter on a fast Sunday. Today in our ward we had person after person stand up and bear testimony of the gospel. Except for the kid who breathed into the microphone for ten seconds before his dad came running up to get him off the stand, or the crazy lady who thought it was just open mic night, almost everyone else started several phrases with, 'I know…' 'I know God lives.' 'I know Jesus is my Savior.' 'I know the Church is God's Church.' After every testimony line they gave, I wanted to ask a follow-up question from the back of the room, 'But how do you know??' What if I asked you that about what you believe? If you said 'I know God loves, ' and I said, 'How do you know?', what would you say? What is your evidence of that?
"I love the answer that one of my favorite prophets from the Book of Mormon gave to that question. The prophet is Alma--I just love that guy. Do you remember his story? This is the Alma who was famous for living a thug life even though his dad was the prophet. He was a naughty kid and it took an angel coming and spiritually karate chopping him off his punk train to get him to wake up. But literally the angel knocked him out. TKO. For three days he was in a dream-like coma and felt the pains of a damned soul until his heart was turned and set on the rescue of Jesus. He did the most miraculous spiritual 180 and became a more powerful witness for Christ than he had been an agent of bad. Wild story. But such a good one!
"During one of his visits to a branch of the Church, Alma stood up--maybe in testimony meeting--and gave a memorable and heart-thumping testimony of Jesus and the miracle of conversion. Toward the end of it, he asked, 'Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true.' And then maybe someone in the back asked how he knew, because he went straight to it and said, 'And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?' Are you ready for the answer?
" 'Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit' "
"Say what? The Holy Spirit? That sounds like it would be the right answer if you came and visited my ward. But Alma? That's how he knows? After all he experienced? What about the angel that drop-kicked you on the road? Don't you think that was more memorable?... Of all he could have said, Alma told them that the experience most meaningful to him was a visit to his heart from the Holy Spirit testifying of truth."
I apologize for such a long quotation, but he tells it better than I ever could. But wow. Doesn't that just put things into perspective? Angels are awesome, don't get me wrong. I've never seen one but I certainly wouldn't be upset if I did one day. But, angels come and go. The spirit stays with us. We are promised the gift of the third member of the Godhead if we take the name of Jesus Christ upon us. There is no better evidence of truth than God The Third Himself.
Angels come and go. Earthly evidence can be manipulated or forged. The testimonies of the people around us might disappear one day. But the Holy Ghost will never stop testifying of truth. He is one of the only sure sources of truth left in this world. And we have the promise that He will be with us as long as we remain faithful to our baptismal covenants. He will guide us in every aspect and every phase of our lives.
"If ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do."
All things.
Let the power of that promise sink in, and then go and do what the Holy Ghost guides you to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment