May 27, 2013

UuuuHhhhh.. well lets start by thanking everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday, I really loved getting the emails!!! A family of recent converts in my area threw a little party for me. My comp and I bought a cake (photos next week) and took it to their house. When we got their, they had balloons and a piñata hung up all ready for me. We sat around for a bit, talked, ate some awesome food and cake, and broke the piñata. I got 3 gifts from those that came to visit. I got 2 pairs of socks from a family that we are teaching. She must have known I was looking for a couple new pairs. I got a bar of purple Romantic soap from a recent convert and a thing a cologne from the family that hosted the little party. They must think I need to smell better or something... who knows. I had an awesome birthday around some pretty amazing people. I'm really glad for this area of Tipitapa and for the awesome people that are here. We have helped so many people here get to know the gospel of Jesus Christ and become closer to Him through His Atonement. Alot of members here still don't have a really big knowledge of the gospel or of some of the complex doctrine (well neither do I) but they stay strong on the small basic truths that they know they can rely on to help them strengthen their testimony. This is what really matters. That we can rely on the Lord to help us through the storm of life. Helaman 5:12 states ''And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.'' This is exactly what we need to do.  We need to build that strong foundation in the Lord so that when there are problems, trials, tragedies, etc in our lives, we have the power and the strength to hang on with the help of the Lord. And another verse which I really like is shortly after this one. In Helaman 5:14, it says ''And they did remember his words; and therefore they went forth, keeping the commandments of God, to teach the word of God among all the people of Nephi, beginning at the city Bountiful;'' After the sons of Helaman heard the words that he spoke to them about needing to have a strong foundation, they left, being obedient, and taught the people of Nephi. Are we doing that? Are we sharing the knowledge that is keeping us held down in the storm with those that dont have a strong enough anchor to hold on? What can we do to help others strengthen their hold on the Lord? How do we do it? The real question is, Why arent we doing it? All of Chapter 5 of Helaman talks about the miracles and hardships that happened to Nephi and Lehi. It talks about the faith they had to stand up for what they knew what right and put thrit trust in the Lord that everything would be alright. I pray that we can all do that in our own lives. You dont have to be on a mission like me to preach the gospel. This church is a Missionary church. We want everyone to come unto Crist so why not invite people to do so? I love the Lord with all my heart and I know that He lives. This is the true church restored on the earth today through His prophet Joseph Smith and that we have the authority of God to act in the name of the Lord. I know these things are true and strive to share them with others daily!!

“For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming of the Lord. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not. . . . God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly.. . . Make no mistake about it—you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized. . . Each day we personally make many decisions that show where our support will go. The final outcome is certain—the forces of righteousness will finally win. What remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future, will stand in this fight—and how tall we will stand. Will we be true to our last-days, foreordained mission?”
---Ezra Taft Benson

¡¡¡Les Amo Mucho!!!

Elder Daugherty