Elder EJones: Revelation

This week I was able to study more about revelation. I love that the Lord gives us the opportunity to receive revelation, the revelation that we need in our personal lives. He also gives us prophets to be able to guide us in the big picture to follow our Savior Jesus Christ.

3 Nephi 9:19-20

19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

21 Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.

I have loved to see how in the Book of Mormon. Believers of Jesus Christ lived the law of Moses even though they didn't understand it all the way. But they trusted the Lord in all that they did. As we offer our repentance through a broken heart and a contrite spirit, we too can be cleansed by the power of Jesus Christ.

I am learning to trust the Lord more and more in my life. He has ALL the answers, and I don't. I may think that at times I do. Or that I want or need something, but in reality I don't know. But if I can trust in Him, I will be able to know.

I have a testimony of Jesus Christ. A testimony that He lives and is my Savior.

Pray for Aaron, Robert and Familia Cardona!!

Elder ZJones: Personal Revelation Will Bring Blessings

This week I was studying about personal revelation.

For us to have a better relationship with our Father in Heaven and to truly receive His eternal blessings, we should work to receive personal revelation. We should look for his help to help us have the guide in our families, jobs, and as we serve Him. I was reading a talk by President Nelson this week called, Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives. He said:

Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.

To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.

I know that this blessing is true. If we follow this counsel we can receive every blessing that the Lord has for us, and even witness miracles!

Thus week we are preparing Brian and Sol to be baptized. Pray for them that they will prepare by reading and praying daily to feel of His spirit! Love you all! Have a great week!

Elder ZJones: Personal Revelation

This week has been a crazy one: I cut my head open, I went to Walmart, we had a baptism, 3 other baptisms fell through, and an hermana in our district went home because she hurt her arm in the beginning of the transfer and, because it is still healing and needed to go to the clinic so much,  she went home, (but she only had 2 weeks left in the mission).

This week we baptized Rocio! She was married on Friday and was baptized on Sunday. But Javier, her husband, is still having a difficult time accepting the word of wisdom, but we will be helping him. It was funny because when Rocio was baptized and went under the water, her two year old daughter started crying. When Rocio was confirmed and received the holy Ghost afterwards, her daughter started clapping! haha

We found a part member family this week. We are working with their three children. The hardest part is getting them to come to church. Pray that they will come.

Other than that, everything is great! It is starting to get hotter because summer is just around the corner, which is better than the rain and cold!

This week I studied President Nelson's April 2018 General Conference talk. He taught us the way that we can receive Personal Revelation.

1. Find a quiet place where we can always go, where we can feel the spirit.
2. Humble ourselves before God. Know that he can help us with everything and anything.
3.Pray with our heart and our mind. Pray with faith for His help.
4. Listen. We should wait after the pray and listen. Sometimes we can receive answer immediately if we just wait and are patient.
5. Write down our thoughts and feelings to show the Lord that we are grateful for those answers.

I know that everyone of us can receive answers and receive this help from our Father in Heaven. Revelation can bless our lives personally, our families, and the lives of others!

Have a great week!

Elder Jones

About my wound: So we were walking and I was thinking and was kinda looking at the ground. The garbage cans are metal and some are connected to telephone poles. People come in the garbage trucks and remove the trash. Anyways, I wasn't looking and ran right into one! haha I cut myself, as you can tell, but didn't need to go to the clinic. It is healing well, just a mark now! haha

Elder HJones: Conference with Elder D. Todd Christofferson!

So this week we had the awesome opportunity to have a conference with Elder Christofferson! It was an awesome experience. One thing that he taught that I really liked, one of the last things that he said while he was bearing his testimony, he said that Jesus Christ is at the head of this Church, and that He guides it "actively and personally." I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints isn't just directed by thoughts and impressions that are received by prophets and apostles (though they can be), but that Jesus Christ personally guides our prophets and apostles and directs them in everything they do.

We also had two baptisms this week for Valentina and Vanessa. It was super awesome. And this next week we are planning on baptizing Pia. In the beginning, she didn't want anything to do with the gospel. But she attended Church and the baptism of her sister and now wants to learn more!!

I know that this is the true Church. I know that this Church is guided by Jesus Christ and that He calls prophets and apostles that hold His power to teach and guide us and help us to follow Him.

Con amor, Elder Jones

Elder HJones: RAIN!

This week it rained! It never rains here in Paipote, so it was awesome. It was the first time that I saw rain in a long time and the first time that it has rained here in Copiapo in over a year! It only rained for like two minutes in the morning when we were studying. The people here are scared of the rain. In 2015, it rained a lot and they had a huge flood and many people died and homes were destroyed.

This past week I learned a lot about work. We need to work for our answers, for revelation. We will never receive an answer if we are not willing to work for it. Just like the boy Joseph Smith. He received his answer after reading, pondering, and praying. And if we follow his example and are willing to do the necessary steps to receive revelation, God will rain answers and blessings upon us.

Love you all! This gospel is happiness!

Con Amor, Elder Jones

Cooking s'mores on the 4th of July