Mon, 16 Jul 2012 11:35:33 -0500
Well things here are going great! We're working really well with our ward. We had a meeting with the Relief Society President a few days ago, to enlist her help and she totally ran with it. She came up to us yesterday and gave us a referral, and started looking over our progress report and analyzing how our ward could help. It was awesome. She gets things done. After she left I told Sister VanCamp that she's our perfect ally- if we were in a war, the other team would be waving their white flag right about now! Ha-ha.
Here's a miracle for the week:
We had a lesson set up with a woman named Victoria. She wasn't there when we arrived but her son was. He had just got back from a study abroad in Argentina. He invited us in and we started talking. We had brought a Spanish team-up with us because they're originally from Mexico. The four of us sat down and started talking. We taught him the restoration and the spirit was so strong. We spent some time talking about the atonement and he said he had been taught his whole life about Jesus Christ and he understood the historical aspect of it but it still just didn't make sense to him. We testified that the atonement was so that we could become like our Savior, and it was something that we use from day to day. Through the atonement we repent of our sins, find forgiveness, and then use its enabling power to change our natures into a Christ-like person. We testified that it would only truly make sense to him as he started to use it. He looked at us with understanding gleaming in his eyes. He said nothing for a moment and then sincerely and emphatically said, "Thank you." He told us he has had countless conversations with people about the atonement of Jesus Christ and never understood it, until this moment. It was amazing!
Then we went on to explain the restoration of the gospel. We taught him about gospel dispensations and the pattern the Lord uses. We taught him that the Lord calls prophets to teach the people the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the bible, the Lord would call prophets who would teach God's children, but eventually the people would reject the prophet and fall into a state of apostasy, or spiritual darkness. This time period of being taught by a prophet is known as a dispensation. Dispensations usually end with the rejection of the prophet and a state of apostasy. In time the Lord always reaches out in love again and calls another prophet, thus beginning a new dispensation. We taught him that Adam was the first prophet. His teachings were eventually rejected. In time, God called another Prophet to begin a new dispensation, this prophet was Noah. We taught him that the Lord would give his Priesthood, simply the power and authority for man to act in the name of God, to His prophets. We taught him that because of this Priesthood power, these men would literally act in God's name for the salvation of his children. We explained that when Jesus Christ was on the Earth he established a church, and gave this priesthood power to his 12 apostles. After Christ's death, however, God's children once again started to fall into this state of apostasy. They rejected the 12 apostles and eventually killed them. Because of this rejection God withdrew his priesthood power from the Earth and His church and the fullness of His gospel was not found on the Earth. This is known as the great apostasy. God, however, reached out in love and eventually called another prophet to restore Christ's church to the Earth. This is the same pattern God has always followed. God called Joseph Smith as a prophet, and gave him the Priesthood power thus beginning a new dispensation. Christ's church was re-established and it is on the Earth again today, in its fullness just as in days of old. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and his church is lead through a prophet just as it always has been.
The spirit there was powerful, and Michael completely understood. After we taught the lesson he said. "That makes perfect sense. It's a pattern. Does that mean there will be another apostasy?" Sister VanCamp and I had the hugest smiles spread across our face because when he asked that we knew he understood our message. We explained that in the Bible and the Book of Mormon Christ foretold of this last dispensation and promised that we would not fall into apostasy again.
Michael said he wanted to learn more. He said it all makes sense and I've had questions answered today that I've had for a long time. :)
Seriously, so cool.
I know our message is true, and we lie not. Jesus Christ’s church has been restored to the Earth and the fullness of the gospel is here again. It is our duty and responsibility to gain our own witness of this truth, and then be valiant to that witness. If we are truly the disciples of Jesus Christ, we will be true to this knowledge in all things, and we will stand as a witness of Him at all times.
His sheep hear his voice and know Him. They love Him. They obey Him. Our duty is to find them.
Of this I know and bear testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I love you all
Sister Lewis
Here's a miracle for the week:
We had a lesson set up with a woman named Victoria. She wasn't there when we arrived but her son was. He had just got back from a study abroad in Argentina. He invited us in and we started talking. We had brought a Spanish team-up with us because they're originally from Mexico. The four of us sat down and started talking. We taught him the restoration and the spirit was so strong. We spent some time talking about the atonement and he said he had been taught his whole life about Jesus Christ and he understood the historical aspect of it but it still just didn't make sense to him. We testified that the atonement was so that we could become like our Savior, and it was something that we use from day to day. Through the atonement we repent of our sins, find forgiveness, and then use its enabling power to change our natures into a Christ-like person. We testified that it would only truly make sense to him as he started to use it. He looked at us with understanding gleaming in his eyes. He said nothing for a moment and then sincerely and emphatically said, "Thank you." He told us he has had countless conversations with people about the atonement of Jesus Christ and never understood it, until this moment. It was amazing!
Then we went on to explain the restoration of the gospel. We taught him about gospel dispensations and the pattern the Lord uses. We taught him that the Lord calls prophets to teach the people the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the bible, the Lord would call prophets who would teach God's children, but eventually the people would reject the prophet and fall into a state of apostasy, or spiritual darkness. This time period of being taught by a prophet is known as a dispensation. Dispensations usually end with the rejection of the prophet and a state of apostasy. In time the Lord always reaches out in love again and calls another prophet, thus beginning a new dispensation. We taught him that Adam was the first prophet. His teachings were eventually rejected. In time, God called another Prophet to begin a new dispensation, this prophet was Noah. We taught him that the Lord would give his Priesthood, simply the power and authority for man to act in the name of God, to His prophets. We taught him that because of this Priesthood power, these men would literally act in God's name for the salvation of his children. We explained that when Jesus Christ was on the Earth he established a church, and gave this priesthood power to his 12 apostles. After Christ's death, however, God's children once again started to fall into this state of apostasy. They rejected the 12 apostles and eventually killed them. Because of this rejection God withdrew his priesthood power from the Earth and His church and the fullness of His gospel was not found on the Earth. This is known as the great apostasy. God, however, reached out in love and eventually called another prophet to restore Christ's church to the Earth. This is the same pattern God has always followed. God called Joseph Smith as a prophet, and gave him the Priesthood power thus beginning a new dispensation. Christ's church was re-established and it is on the Earth again today, in its fullness just as in days of old. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and his church is lead through a prophet just as it always has been.
The spirit there was powerful, and Michael completely understood. After we taught the lesson he said. "That makes perfect sense. It's a pattern. Does that mean there will be another apostasy?" Sister VanCamp and I had the hugest smiles spread across our face because when he asked that we knew he understood our message. We explained that in the Bible and the Book of Mormon Christ foretold of this last dispensation and promised that we would not fall into apostasy again.
Michael said he wanted to learn more. He said it all makes sense and I've had questions answered today that I've had for a long time. :)
Seriously, so cool.
I know our message is true, and we lie not. Jesus Christ’s church has been restored to the Earth and the fullness of the gospel is here again. It is our duty and responsibility to gain our own witness of this truth, and then be valiant to that witness. If we are truly the disciples of Jesus Christ, we will be true to this knowledge in all things, and we will stand as a witness of Him at all times.
His sheep hear his voice and know Him. They love Him. They obey Him. Our duty is to find them.
Of this I know and bear testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I love you all
Sister Lewis
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