Meet new companion...just out of the MTC
Elder Fletcher
I'm doing fantastic! This past week has been great. I've lost quite a bit of sleep but it's all good! I had to go up to Richmond on Wednesday morning for a Trainers meeting in preparation for transfer meeting on Thursday when I'd meet my new companion and trainee. My new companion is Elder Fletcher straight out of the MTC and he is awesome! I'm really going to enjoy working with him.
The best day of the week was Sunday, however, for we had an investigator come to church (and we weren't expecting him to come at all! We hadn't seen him last week) and a less-active who brought his non-member wife. But it was great because fast and testimony meeting was AMAZING! It lasted an hour and a half but that's because everyone wanted to share their testimony. That was the best fast and testimony meeting I've ever been to. The rest of the day was great as well. We did some good ol traditional tracting and my companion did great on his first door approach. We found a couple good potentials and also set up a dinner appointment with one investigator. AH! So good I don't know how to put everything down.
In Gospel Essentials class, we started discussing commandments and how important they are. There were several different opinions thrown around and some made me worry. I wish everyone would realize that YOUR OPINION DOESN'T MATTER when it comes to the matter of God's commandments. His Will is the only thing that matters. Why? Let's talk about it.
Why does God give us commandments? A few typical answers: "Because they help us to be happy.", "Because It will help us." "Because He loves us." Ok...how does giving us commandments show that He cares? "For behold, this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39). Ok, He wants us to return to Him. Got it. How do commandments help us? "And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a new commandment, that you may understand my will concerning you; Or, in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation." (D&C 82:8-9) "For he who is not able to abide the law of the Celestial Kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory." (D&C 88:22). In order to enter the Celestial KINGDOM one must abide by its law. The law that God himself abides by; the commandments or "directions how you may act" so YOU can return with Him.
Consider the words of President George Albert Smith," When I was a child I recognized, or thought I did, that the commandments of the Lord were His laws and regulations for my guidance. I thought I recognized in the disobedience to those laws that punishment would follow, and as a child I presume I may have felt that the Lord had so arranged affairs and so ordained matters in this life that I must obey certain laws or swift retribution would follow. But as I grew older I have learned the lesson from another viewpoint, and now to me the laws of the Lord, so called, the counsels contained in the Holy Scriptures, the revelations of the Lord to us in this day and age of the world, are but the sweet music of the voice of our Father in heaven in His mercy to us. They are but the advice and counsel of a loving parent, who is more concerned in our welfare than earthly parents can be, and consequently that which at one time seemed to bear the harsh name of law to me is now the loving and tender advice of an all-wise Heavenly Father. And so I say it is not hard for me to believe that it is best for me to keep the commandments of God."
"Oh, God will understand if I don't do that perfectly!" What a weak and feeble excuse for one who is and will be unable to "abide a celestial glory."
"Today is the beginning of eternal happiness or eternal disappointment for you." - George Albert Smith
Love,
Elder Smith
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