Monday, December 19, 2016

Elder CJones: We just Tryna Bring . . . A Little More Joy to the World

Hard work pays off as we work hard and are obedient. That's one lesson I learned this week as I applied it more to my life.



 This week started out a little rough but got a lot better as we worked hard and tried our very best to teach the Gospel to these great people out here. Last week, our numbers weren't very high. We didn't have many lessons and needed higher numbers. The Zone Leaders came and visited with us at the beginning of the week and tried to understand why? Why were our numbers low? There were a lot of reasons and we figured out what was going on and we were sent to work, and that's when the blessings started to flow.

Within 2 hours that morning we had confirmed appointments to return to 5 homes. We worked hard that day and tried our best to gain momentum as the day went on. We kept working hard and got a few more appointments for the week!! There are so many blessings that come from being obedient and working hard!! That night, my companion and I headed home after a long day. We must have walked 15-20 miles and were so hungry, so cold, and so tired.

As we walked home, we passed a hamburger cart and my companion stopped and asked how much a meal was, she answered $50. He told her that we would return the next day and buy a meal on our way home from our work and we walked away. As we walked, about a block after we left the cart, we heard someone shouting, we turned around the there was a man running towards us. We stopped and turned around and as he approached us, he asked us to return to the cart. We had no idea what was going on. We obeyed and returned to the hamburger cart. The woman at the cart asked us if we would like to share a hamburger, on the house. We were so shocked and surprised, we accepted the offer and sat down and began to talk with her. She prepared us a mean burger, complete with avocado, pineapple, and all the works. And that's all that we were expecting, and then came the sodas, and the fries, and the chili pepper, and then she asked us if we wanted another burger. She filled us up that night and I know that it was from the obedience to our leaders that we were blessed with the food.



That night, the lady's son came and sat with us at the cart, her son is 7 and is learning English in school. He has homework every night in English and he turned to me and asked me to help him with his math and social studies, it was really hard but we were able to finish his homework and we made some new friends that day.



As I have looked back at what happened, I have studied the importance of obedience in the scriptures. During my first 3 weeks that I was in the MTC, I read the Book of Mormon, the entire thing in 3 weeks and it was one of the most amazing experience I have ever had to be able to read it again and I learned a lot this time I went through. One of the stories that is always shared in the scriptures in that of the stripling warriors, they were a really really strong force to the Nephites as they fought for their country. But the only reason they are put, by Mormon, into the book is because of their success. If they wouldn't have been successful, they would have never been effective. The really cool part, the core of their success is shared with us in one verse.

"Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them."

The home is the best place to learn obedience, I wasn't always the best at that but now I know the importance of obedience in everything.

Nephi was one of the prophets in the Book of Mormon that everyone reveres. He was a hard worker and wrote a lot about guidance for our day. He could have said a lot for his last words, but here is what he decided to say, "the Lord commanded me, and I must obey." Obedience is what the last thing Nephi says. It's his testimony of the greatness of obedience. I know that this work will bless all of us as we obey the commandments of the Lord and work hard to become more like Jesus Christ.

During this last week before Christmas, let us remember the true meaning and why we really celebrate Christmas, I have a badge that says I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and that I represent Him, but we all don't need that badge to be like Him. Remember that service is so crucial at this time in the year.

-- Elder Corom Jones


We live in a time of the world
where we care less bout family and more 'bout our phones
Why are we fighting
'bout what to believe in our people they out on their own
We seeking attention in all the wrong places
our whole life became a cliche
Why are worried bout all a dem tings
when our children are slippin away
When standing for something
the voyage occurs

United as family we loyal and firm
We all here as equals
we Royal at birth
We just tryna bring… a little more joy to the world

This goes out to my people
feel like they nothing they stuck and ready to die
I promise there's someone who always gon love you
your Father who up in the sky
The reason we here to love one another
so put it all out on the line
Not saying be perfect
or even be certain but baby it worth it to try.
When standing for something
the voyage occurs

United as family
we Loyal and firm
We out here as equals
we Royal at birth
We just tryna bring… a little more joy to the world"
-Jamesthemormon (Joy To The World)

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