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 CJones: Rio Bravo Pride

"I am pretty sure that church sleep is among the healthiest of all sleeps."

-President Dieter F Uchtdorf

Rio Bravo is honestly the pride and joy of the mission, this area, even though it's hard, it is one of the coolest area to serve in the mission.

My new area is called Condesa. It is a lot smaller than my last area and there are a lot less people to teach. I am serving in a branch with about 70 members, if that. My new companion is from Chiapas, Mexico. His name is Elder Hernandez. He is a really cool guy and we love to work together to get our work done. He has been out for 7 months.

My Spanish is progressing a lot. I live in a house with 3 other Mexicans so I just have to speak Spanish, I understand 95% and can express myself about 75%. I love this area, and as I said and I really miss my other area. My friends over there are baptizing and working hard with my old investigators. There are four elders in my area, Elder Mendoza from the DF, and Elder Gomez from Puebla. I live in a really nice house. It's a duplex. We are in walking distance from the border of the United States and Mexico. It's really cool and I love it.

This week, I have been studying covenants and there are some great ones in the Book of Mormon that teach us of the blessings of covenants when we keep them. Let's look at one covenant found in Alma 24:

I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in goodness sent these our brethren, the Nephites, unto us to preach unto us, and to convince us of the traditions of our wicked fathers.

And behold, I thank my great God that he has given us a portion of his Spirit to soften our hearts, that we have opened a correspondence with these brethren, the Nephites.

And behold, I also thank my God, that by opening this correspondence we have been convinced of our sins, and of the many murders which we have committed.

And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.

And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain—

Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren.
Behold, I say unto you, Nay, let us retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins.

And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations.

Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.

And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved.

And now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth.

And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.

And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.

This was just a small covenant that the Lamanites made to show God that they wanted to change. What they didn't know is all the blessings that were being prepared for them because of the covenant they were making.

And it came to pass that their brethren, the Lamanites, made preparations for war, and came up to the land of Nephi for the purpose of destroying the king, and to place another in his stead, and also of destroying the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi out of the land.

Now when the people saw that they were coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword.

And thus without meeting any resistance, they did slay a thousand and five of them; and we know that they are blessed, for they have gone to dwell with their God.

Now when the Lamanites saw that their brethren would not flee from the sword, neither would they turn aside to the right hand or to the left, but that they would lie down and perish, and praised God even in the very act of perishing under the sword—

Now when the Lamanites saw this they did forbear from slaying them; and there were many whose hearts had swollen in them for those of their brethren who had fallen under the sword, for they repented of the things which they had done.

And it came to pass that they threw down their weapons of war, and they would not take them again, for they were stung for the murders which they had committed; and they came down even as their brethren, relying upon the mercies of those whose arms were lifted to slay them.

And it came to pass that the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved.

And there was not a wicked man slain among them; but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people.

Not only were they shown that blessing directly after, they were shown many, many blessings afterward. In Alma 53 we read:

And now behold, I have somewhat to say concerning the people of Ammon, who, in the beginning, were Lamanites; but by Ammon and his brethren, or rather by the power and word of God, they had been converted unto the Lord; and they had been brought down into the land of Zarahemla, and had ever since been protected by the Nephites.

And because of their oath they had been kept from taking up arms against their brethren; for they had taken an oath that they never would shed blood more; and according to their oath they would have perished; yea, they would have suffered themselves to have fallen into the hands of their brethren, had it not been for the pity and the exceeding love which Ammon and his brethren had had for them.

And for this cause they were brought down into the land of Zarahemla; and they ever had been protected by the Nephites.

But it came to pass that when they saw the danger, and the many afflictions and tribulations which the Nephites bore for them, they were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in the defence of their country.

But behold, as they were about to take their weapons of war, they were overpowered by the persuasions of Helaman and his brethren, for they were about to break the oath which they had made.

And Helaman feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls; therefore all those who had entered into this covenant were compelled to behold their brethren wade through their afflictions, in their dangerous circumstances at this time.

The Lamanite parents were examples to their children. And in turn, the children made a covenant, too.

But behold, it came to pass they had many sons, who had not entered into a covenant that they would not take their weapons of war to defend themselves against their enemies; therefore they did assemble themselves together at this time, as many as were able to take up arms, and they called themselves Nephites.

And they entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to protect the land unto the laying down of their lives; yea, even they covenanted that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage.

Now behold, there were two thousand of those young men, who entered into this covenant and took their weapons of war to defend their country.

And now behold, as they never had hitherto been a disadvantage to the Nephites, they became now at this period of time also a great support; for they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be their leader.

And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.

Now after many years of battle and war, carnage and bloodshed, this is the result of keeping that covenant:

And those sons of the people of Ammon, of whom I have so highly spoken, are with me in the city of Manti; and the Lord has supported them, yea, and kept them from falling by the sword, insomuch that even one soul has not been slain.

But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come.

I testify that the keeping of covenants truly brings us blessings. We will find no other joy than when we follow diligently in keeping to our covenants as children of God. We can only become great like those 2,000 stripling sons if we keep our covenants.

--
Elder Corom Jones

"God’s greatest reward goes to those who serve without expectation of reward."
-President Dieter F Uchtdorf