Elder EJones: Sons and Daughters of Christ

I am doing really well!!

This week has been a good one. We have been able to find lots of good new people to teach. The Lord has blessed us this week to find more people and help them have desires to come unto Christ. We also had a great Sunday. 5 of our investigators came to church. It has been the most we've had in this area, so it has been a week full of blessings.

Well, this week I was able to experience a mini general conference I guess you could say. This week in my personal study I was able to read about King Benjamin and his talk to his people. (I guess you could say devotional because it was probably as long as the ones we used to watch on Sunday nights jaja). But I really learned a lot from what I read. One thing I never really made the connection is how he talks about covenants. Covenants are key in our journey to eternal life. That is one thing people don't understand lots of the time. When we are baptized we need to do it in the way that Jesus taught us. Some of those ways are only found with the knowledge from the Book of Mormon, that is why it is key to our conversion and religion.

1. By immersion

2. For the remission of sins

3. By someone who has the authority (priesthood) of God

4. Preceding the receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by those who have the authority (priesthood) of God.

5. Making a conscious covenant with our Father in Heaven.

King Benjamin taught in Mosiah 5:5-9

And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.

And now, these are the words which king Benjamin desired of them; and therefore he said unto them: Ye have spoken the words that I desired; and the covenant which ye have made is a righteous covenant.

And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.

And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.

He explains what the covenant means to us. To be obedient to God's commandments in all things that he shall command us. That means being willing to do His will not ours when He commands us. To willingly take upon ourselves the name of Christ. One of the ways I like to think of this is how do we truly stand up for Christ? (Do we say personal lunch prayers in groups when we go out to eat, or do we say them vocally?).  And to be obedient to the end of our lives. If we can't be obedient to the small things, we can't to the little things. If we cant obey a celestial law here, what makes us think we could there. It made me think a lot and realize how much more I need to do and give to be able to become who God needs me to be.

We had cambios, but my comp and I are staying. We work well together. Sometimes he makes me upset when he goes slow, or doesn't want to contact, but it'll be a better cambio I will make sure of that. For now all is good but here is the question. What will come first to Bolivia:

a. The CoronaVirus

b. Paro 2020 (jaja)

Elder Jones

Elder EJones: 3 Types of Power

Well, it has been quite a week. To carnival with the assistants, to a multi-zone conference to well another week in the mission. I have learned many things, and one of those like you is repentance. I have come to realize the need I have to repent, for the things that I do, and don't do. I feel like many times I feel like it's necessary, but don't feel like it is something that big in my life because I am not making HUGE mistakes. But that in itself is a huge mistake. Nothing impure can enter into God's kingdom. So each day gives me a need to repent and to become better. I read in Enos this week and he explains it best:

And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.

Sometimes we have to wrestle before God BEFORE receiving the remission of our sins. Maybe if I don't feel like I am wrestling before God, I'm not repenting good enough. From not following a whisper of the Spirit, to judging others. I need to repent every day. And with that, as I do, I can feel the importance of the sacrament more each week as I not only think of being better but apply each day and each hour. 

This week I had a thought come to me about the power of God made manifest into our lives. I thought of the 3 types of power that the Lord can give to us. 

1. Faith in Jesus Christ

Faith in Jesus Christ in one thing that many people have. It is a firm belief in Christ that leads us to actions to follow Him. Lots of times we believe that faith is to just believe in God. It's much more than that. It is to do HIs will. To accept His will as hard as that can be. its a power that can be made manifest by those who are not members of the church. If we believe in Christ, we can work miracles through the power of our faith. But if we don't know how to believe in Christ, or act on that belief we cant see the power of God through miracles.

2. The Gift of the Holy Ghost

This is a gift only given to people who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ. And it made me think. We are only given the gift of the Holy Ghost after we have become members of His church. We know as directed that a confirmation follows those steps in order. Confirms the person a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Uses the wording “Receive the Holy Ghost.” The power of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in itself is a gift. The gift to have the companionship of the Lord to always be with us as we keep our covenants with Him. It also allows us to develop the gifts of the Spirit. And how can we develop these gifts if we don't have the constant presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives given by the proper authority. We are truly given power to bless others and receive personal blessings and power as we live worthy to our covenants. 

3. The Priesthood

The priesthood is the ultimate power that God can give to HIs children. A power that is made manifest not just to worthy men who hold it, but to all worthy males and females who are true to their covenants. This is the very power of God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ. Through power and authority it can be used from giving blessings of comfort and healing, to dedicating graves, to guiding a whole nation across the sea. It is an eternal power.

Each power is special in its own way. And I have come to notice that as we see the manifestation of more power given to us, less and less are worthy of them. The power of the Holy Ghost and the Priesthood are given only to worthy members of the Lord's church. it's amazing to me the blessing I have to be a member and to know of the true power that the Lord gives to us. It's not just faith in Christ, nor the power of the Holy Ghost. Its faith in Christ, the gift of the Holy Ghost and holding his eternal power of the priesthood. 

It has been a rough week with people coming to church. (we had church at 3:00pm yesterday because there was a stake conference before in our building) It's been the hardest for us in this area. But we have been able to see the progress in our investigators as they are reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. Pray for Gloria, Yyari, Eva, and Olga so that they will understand the purpose and need of the Book of Mormon and the authority of God on the earth today.