This week is transfer week. Jesse doesn't know if he is staying or going. Hold off sending anything in the mail for a couple of weeks until we know what the Lord has in store for him. Jesse had to talk in Sacrament meeting a few weeks back. He sent us his talk (which I am posting). It is good to see him have to stretch and get out of his comfort zone and speak. As always, his letter this week is short, sweet, and to the point :)
Been doing some hard work. The splits didn't go so well this week. The
first day we had three appointments cancel. The second day went well and
the third day was ward temple night. We will be doing the same thing
this week. We dropped B****. We did have Elder E**** from the seventy come
and speak to us. He gave a missionary training on Friday, did an adult session for stake conference on Saturday. He gave a talk in stake conference on Sunday. He was good. Other than that nothing special happened here. Have a great week.
Talk given on Sunday, December 22, 2013
Hello, brothers and sisters. My name is Elder Jorgensen. The topic that I was assigned to talk to you about today is Elder David A. Bednar's talk "Becoming a Preach my Gospel Missionary." Ths talk was given to missionaries in the MTC in Provo on June 24, 2011. Now Just because it was given to missionaries doesn't mean that you can just tune yourselves out and not listen because it still can apply to you today.
The first point "Understand that you serve and represent Jesus Christ". So what is a representative? it is kind of self explanitory. It is someone who represents some else. Now as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we all promised to be representatives of Jesus Christ. Don't believe me, well let me read a scripture that should be familiar to you. It is found in the Book of Moroni 4:3. It reads, "O God the eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy son Jexus Christ to bless and sactify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it; that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy son and witness unto thee O Goad the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son and always remember him and keep his commandments which He hath given them that they may always have thy spirit to be with them, Amen."
In there it says that we are willing to take uypon the name of thy son Jesus Christ. Taking a name upon you sounds like representing Jesus Christ. So now athat all of you are representitives of Jesus. You are one step closer to becoming Preach My Gospel Missionaries.
The second point is to be worthy. When someone chooses someone else to represent them, they want to choose someone that won't make them look bad. Jesus Christ was perfect and now he trusts you to be His representative. So how do we be worthy of being his representative? We can be worthy and clean through repentance. Elder Bednar says something in his talk that I really like. It says, "Repentance is a principal of hope and healing- not of discouragement and despair. Repentance indeed is humbling-but not frightening. Repentance is a priceless gift made possible though the atonement of Him who we love, serve and follow". We shouldn't be afraid to repent. How are we supposed to be representatives of the cleanes person who has ever been on the earth if we are spotted with the world's dirt. In D&C 121:37 it reads. That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the childeren of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. " It says here that the authority that we possess as a representative is gone if we sin. Isiah tells us how we can be clean again. In Isaiah 1:18 it says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Now this is only possible through repentance. So don't be scared to repent. Be happy that you have this opportunity to be clan once again.
The third point is to treasure up the words of Christ. As Nephi liks to say in 2 Nephi 32:3, Angels speak gy the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Werefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Feast on the words of Christ." The words conained in thse scriptures tell you and help you how to return to live with Christ once again. The word contained in these scriptures are the most valuable things on earth. They are worth more than all the gold, silver and diamonds on their eargh combined. These words should not be for snatching purposes only. Now there are people that read the scriptures and do it every night, but don't get anything out of it. This is called platoeing. I am a runner and plateoing is very common inn the world of running. There are people that just can't get any faster. Every race they are hitting the same time and the are frustrated because of it. These people are have trained trained hard but they fall into doing the same thing over and over again. They go through the motions. My coach had a remendy for such platoeing. He said that you won't get any better until yuou increase one of three things, time, tempo, or intensity. Time for how hard you do the workout. Tempo for how many times you do a workout and intensity for how hard you do the workout. Just like running you can escape the studying platoes by increasing one or more of these. For time, you can study the scriptures longer each day. For tempo baybe you can study twice or more each day. Intensity, study hard with no distractions and have a purpose you are shooting for. Now that we treasure up the word we know what we ate taling about and how to better represent Jesus.
The fourth point is to understand taht hte Holy Ghost is the ultimate and true teacher. There is a simple fact that we need to understand which is hard for even us missionaries. The fact is that we can't convince anyone of the truth of the Church. We can't convince anyone that Joseph Smith was a proghet and that the Book of Mormon is true. Our job is to bring the spirit so that the Holy Ghost can teach them that it is all true, All the credit we have as missionaries goes to the Holy Ghost. this concept is very hard for people to understand, but the sooner you learn this fact the easier it will be in the long run. That is why being worthy is before this point. How can we possible bring the sprit to the hearts of all thoses we meet if we are dirty. As alma states in Alma 7:21 and "he doth not dwell in unclean temples." That is why brothers and sisters we need to repent and be clean. This point leads to the last point, which is teaching is much more than talking and telling. Even though we can't convince anyone of the truth of all things we can answer their questions. that is what missionaries do when they teach is they answer questions. When we are teaching we need to be listening as well. Elder Ballard said "missionaries who talk without observing, listening, and discerning, teach neither lessons nor people rather they talk to themselves in front of people." This thene is true for me as a missionary and you shoring your testimony as a friend. it is like telling a friend who has a question about who we believe God is and you sharing your testimony about Joseph Smith. We need to listen and know what they need. Which is why we need the spirit and why we need to study. If we don't have the spirit then we don't have that perfect teacher and if we didn't study then how will the spirit bring to your rememberance like it says in John 14:26, "but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my mane, he shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
Now all of you can be great Preach my Gospel Missionaries. You just need to remember that you represent Jesus Christ, and because you represent him you need to be worthy and clean. You need to study the scriptures so that the Holy Ghost can bring the things you studied into your remembrance, so you can teach and share your testimony and answer questions that your friends might have. I know, brothers and sisters, that you can become great preach my gospel missionaries and be great representatives of the Lord. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
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