What a wonderful week! We had a really nice Thanksgiving. We ate lunch with a family in the ward here and then played a game called Mafia. We also might've taken a nap before the festivities. A missionary's dream. We headed over to another family who we're really close to for dessert and played a game called Trailer Park Wars. Very fitting for Kentucky!
We had a really neat lesson with a woman named Erica. We were looking for her husband, but he wasn't home. When we first started talking with her, she wasn't too jazzed about it. As we testified of the Book of Mormon, of God's plan for us and of Jesus Christ, her heart began to soften, and she allowed us to set up a return appointment. I LOVE contacts like that. I love being able to see someone's heart change through the Spirit even if the change is little. We're teaching her tonight, and we're excited! God is so good.
We had exchanges with the Crestwood Sisters, and I got to work with Sister Bolen again. Yep, she is still amazing! We had a really cool conversation at dinner with one of their member families about what we lose out on when we don't have the gospel. We lose out on knowing what God's plan is for His children, how to follow Christ and not just knowing Him and accepting Him as our Savior, but becoming like Him, and about the Atonement. It strengthened my testimony of the gospel.
I have been thinking and studying a lot about the difference between knowing and accepting Christ and becoming like Him. A lot of people that we come in contact with don't want to hear our message because they have already accepted Christ as their Savior. Through my studies, I found these quotes.
"...to be converted, you must not only open your heart to a knowledge of the gospel and the love of God, you must practice the gospel law. You cannot fully understand or appreciate it unless you personally apply it in your life. Jesus said that He came to serve, not to be served. So it must be with you. You must look outward and care about others. You can be compassionate; you can be friendly; you can share; you can help others in a hundred small ways. As you do, the gospel of Jesus Christ will become a part of you." -Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Elder Dallin H. Oaks said "Attaining what the Apostle Paul described as “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13) requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the plan of salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ challenge us to become something.
As President Thomas S. Monson taught us:
“Essential to the plan [of salvation] is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without His atoning sacrifice, all would be lost. It is not enough, however, merely to believe in Him and His mission. We need to work and learn, search and pray, repent and improve. We need to know God’s laws and live them. We need to receive His saving ordinances. Only by so doing will we obtain true, eternal happiness."
I know that as we not only learn about Christ but apply His teachings and live His gospel, we can become something more. We can have lasting happiness. We can serve others and share the light of Christ.
❤️ Hermana Boyson
No comments:
Post a Comment