el arrepentimiento, el bautismo, la recepcion del don del Espíritu Santo

April 15,2010
I love being a missionary.

I remember sitting in Preach my Gospel class, staring out the window at the leaves spreading down the hill and wondering HOW I was supposed to teach my investigators. I could feel the burning of my own testimony and sometimes I knew how to share it, but teach the Doctrines of Salvation?

I love my teachers at the MTC, Hno. Frandsen and Hna. Keller. They knew just how to help us discover the words of our testimonies. Little by little, they patiently taught us how to simplify the doctrine, by teaching us the simple truths of God's Plan of Happiness. They taught us Spanish patiently, a few principles at a time, until suddenly now, (we still wonder that it is possible!) we are ready at a moments notice to teach and testify, for any length of time, in Spanish or English, on just about any precept of the Lord's restored Truth.

I am learning that the How of teaching is 'here and little and there a little.' To teach of God's children, I share just some small part of the glorious Fullness of the Gospel, and together we 'are both edified and rejoice together.' Yesterday I taught a one minute lesson on Keeping the Sabbath day and Baptism, a short lesson on the Book of Mormon and Baptism, a lesson on Diesmo and Baptism, and shared brief messages about The Gift of Tongues, Diligence and the Gifts of the Spirit, and Obedience and the Holy Ghost.

"Line upon line, precept on precept... Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause! Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren: and on to victory!" For we are the investigators of God; we are the students of the most High and here a little and there a little the Lord is teaching us the Fullness and the Mysteries of His Evangelio.

"Let your heats rejoice and be exceedingly glad!" (see D&C 128:20-24)

mediante la fe en Jesucristo y su expiación

Elder Kendricks, emeritus member of the 70, warned the missionaries on Tuesday not to get caught in the 'thick of thin things.'

At the MTC, I'm always in the thick of something. The thin things would be complaining about the chicken and worrying about cold showers. But in the work of God it's hard to think of the thin things for long. This week I'm in the thick of subunctivo, which I understand well enough in English, but which takes a great deal of thought to apply in a Spanish sentence. Suddenly, it takes me twice as long to say anything as I pause: '... para que... ... ...' to consider the possible verbs to conjugate and the possible forms to choose from. So now I'm in the thick of los arboles de verbos, grammar notes and studying.

I'm in the thick of teaching tambien. In the past couple weeks, we've just begun teaching in Español. And let me tell you, that's something thick to be in! On Tuesday we'll teach our TRC “investigators” about the Plan of Salvation y la Palabra de Sabiduria. I'm working on marking my Spanish scriptures with all my favorite references, and I'm thick to my neck in flashcards, more verb trees and of course more subunctivo: “Adán cayó para que los hombres existiesen; y existen los hombres para que tengan gozo.”

And I feel like I'm in the thick of the miracles of the Lord. This week I studied the miracles of Joshua, and Nephi and the Savior, and I tried to follow, their examples to bring about miracles in my life: the gifts of the Spirit: of tongues, of discernment, of Charity, the miracle of humility and an extra portion del Espiritu Santo in my work.

"Wherefore my beloved Brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven?... Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the Children of Men."

I love the thick of missionary work! I love the thick of God's love for us; I love the thick of the Restoration, of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because I know as we come unto Jesus Christ, He will teach us all the thick things of most importance in this life, and Through Him, we will “bring about much righteousness.”

P.S. Sammy have you seen the flowers at the temple? I think of you every time I see that beautiful display of spring!