Called to Serve

 

Hello!

 

Hope all is going well! Wasn't conference wonderful?! I loved it. I don't know if I have a favorite talk, I want to go back through and read them carefully. What I gained most from conference was the outpouring of the spirit that came as men called of God testified of the Savior, and the divinity of this work. I want to share with you something I wrote in my journal as I listened to conference yesterday:

 

"I am grateful to the uttermost farthing. I am humbled that God would be mindful of me in my imperfections, that he would extend so much- even His son, for a soul so rebellious and proud as mine. My heart expands with love for Him as I yearn with all of my heart to serve Him in perfect love, which is perfect obedience. I feel as if all the nerves and fibers of my being crave Him and yearn for his spirit, that I might, as Lehi describes, be wrapped everlastingly in the arms of my beloved God. I know this is His desire for me, and how humbling it is to know such pure, selfless and kind feelings exude from His divine being. He is my God. It is through the sacrifice of the Son of God, who is in the express image of the Father, I may come unto them, being, one day, pure and holy without spot."

 

I know that through the gospel of Jesus Christ which is faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, we may be purified so that we can live with our God again, this is the desire of my soul for all men, that they might come unto Him and be perfected in Christ.

 

We had some miracles occur this week- as we do every week :)

 

We had the impression to call every less-active and part-member family on our ward list and invite them to listen to conference this week. So we started going through the ward list and there were many people who did not know about conference this weekend and expressed an interest in watching it. There was very special feeling that came as we called all of these people. It's a wonderful privilege to be able to call people and tell them that this weekend the prophet of God is speaking, and if they turn on their TV they can hear it :)

 

We're also teaching a young man named John. He has very pure desires- he wants to serve God and to go to foreign countries and run a non-profit organization. He says he can understand those people because of his circumstances. We've had a lot of inspiration on how to help him lately. We're going to try and get many people in the ward to give him rides to church every sunday, so they can meet him and be a part of his conversion. We're also going to try and have families invite him over for family home-evening every monday. If the ward can adopt him like a son, he'll find the strength to progress in the gospel. We feel that John really needs to feel and see that the Savior is in this gospel, he needs to feel his relationship with God strengthening as he takes the discussions and reads the scriptures, we've been praying for that a lot.

 

Here was a small miracle that occured yesterday: John's mom is a member- but she was baptized so long ago she doesn't even know she's a member. She considers herself methodist. Missionaries saw her on the ward list and tried to visit her months ago, they made contact but never could make a return appointment work. Then a few weeks later she randomly disapeared off the ward list. Sister Atkin and I went back when I first got into the area on an impression from the spirit. We caught her right as she was getting back from the store. We talked with her for a bit, but we haven't been able to catch her home since. That, however, is how we first met John. On Sunday we felt impressed to call the Knights and ask them to have us and John over for FHE. As we talked about it Brother Knight realized that John's mom is a woman he's been trying to home teach for a long time! He's never been able to catch her around, and then when she disappeared off the ward list he figured she moved or something and so he stopped trying.

 

Because of all the times he's been by their house, however, he's met John before when he was trying to tract down his mom! The Lords hand is in this work, and it's incredible to see how he prepares people, and brings about the connections that need to be made.

 

"And now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." (Alma 37:6)

 

I have a testimony that this is true. When we follow small and simple promptings great things are brought about.

 

This church is also a witness to that statement. It began with 6 members, but because it is the Saviors church it has rolled forth throughout the corners of the world, and is now a church with 14 million members. The Book of Mormon is translated into over 100 languages. Joseph Smith prophesied that it would fill the world, how could he have known that? What would have possibly made him so sure, that the little church with it's six members would fill the world? The answer is simple. The Lord told him. This is Jesus Christ's church, and he revealed to Joseph Smith the destiny of His church. Joseph Smith trusted him. I too trust the Savior and I know that all his promises are fulfilled. Just as we are seeing the fulfillment of the promise that His church would fill the world, we too can trust in the promises he makes to us personally. For His word will not fail. If we do what he asks, he is bound to His word. The mercy of our God is great! I love Him, and I am grateful for Him.

I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

 

I love you all so much!

Sister Lewis