Notes and Baptism

I have just recently read that talk. (Ed. Note: It is in this month's Ensign about Grace) The one on the Ensign is a shorter version of the original one online. I have actually have been teaching this to family at our dinner appointments. I think that it is funny that me and Ben have read this talk and then you had it given in your sacrament meeting.

This last Sunday was stake conference. We had 2 members of the 70, Elder Golden and Elder Ketch. They gave great talks. I think because of the talks I am going to change how I teach people.

So I will be brief and give part of my notes to you that I took.

Some people think that they need to be perfect and if they are not they are really disappointed in oneself. God does not want us to feel bad.

So Satan normally pushes us far away from righteousness. He makes us feel like we don't want to do anything good or things like that, but people overcome that so he ends up pushing the other way. He pushes us so far the we feel like we have to be perfect and if we are not we are failing. It is a tricky way that Satan gets us to feel bad about ourselves.

Gordon B Hinckley said "Just do the best you can." God does not expect us to be perfect here on Earth. we are supposed to make mistakes. That is why he sent a way out of all the mistakes that we would ever make.

They went a lot more into detail about this but this is just the brief version.

Next, Elder Golden talked about the Spirit of the Lord. I learned so much from this. I have completely been underestimating the power and purpose of the Holy Ghost. He first said that all people get some influence of the Holy Ghost. They can get a (teacher/testifier) this is what the Holy Ghost can do for non members.

Members get a (teacher/testifier) as well, but the difference between the two are astronomical. He then shared the example from Joseph Smith–History 74. Read this verse. What had Joseph Smith been doing all of the time before. He had done amazing things and understood so much, but after he had the Gift of the Holy Ghost so much more was open before him. When we are confirmed the Holy Ghost can do two more crucial things (sanctification/converter).

Now here is a good question fro you. Why do we go to the temple, pray, read, go to church, etc...  I have always answered this question like so. We are doing these things because they are a commandment, we will receive knowledge, we will feel better about ourselves and so on. Elder Golden said that these reasons are all correct, but the main reason is to have the Holy Ghost more in our lives. This is something that I need to study more on.

Also how often do you think you gave the Holy Ghost with you. 1/8 of the day, 1/4th of the day, 1/2 of the day. Elder Golden said they we have it the rest of our life after we receive it just at different strengths. A lot of the people believe that you have to be doing something spiritual to have the Holy Ghost with you, but when you are doing mundane tasks you don't have it with you. He told us that the only way for us to completely lose it is if you do something that can get you excommunicated. That surprised me, but made sense. We had been teaching this older man that had been excommunicated about 20 years ago. He said that he feels so lonely and he can tell he does not have the Holy Ghost. He loves it when we come over because he tells us he can feel the Holy Ghost so much more when we are there. He is literally craving the Holy Ghost. He is just not wanting to get it himself (not keeping the commitments we gave him ever) so we had to stop visiting so much. I thought that was really interesting.

Our life is a roller-coaster and some think that only at the high parts when you can really feel the Holy Ghost is the only time it is there. It is there almost all the time. We are just not always looking for it so we don't always notice it.

Sometimes we read a scripture with a nonmember and they read it and then they look at you like that have no idea what they read and they don't. I look at it and it is so simple to me and something I wonder if they are even trying. I was told that it is so much easier for me, a member of the church with the Holy Ghost, to understand the scriptures than that of someone without it.

We had a baptism this week. Yay! Brother Maltsberger finally got baptized. It was the coolest baptism I have ever been a part of. We had a brother of the ward who is about 80 and is not expected to live past this year because of the cancer he has) baptize him. Me and Elder Kolpakov helped baptism him because Bro Riggs could not even stand by himself. So I helped put Bro Maltsberger under the water and Elder Kolpakov held Bro Riggs so he would not fall in the water. It was really special. Bro Riggs has been his faithful home teacher for 10 years. He was so happy that he was able to perform the baptism. That was one of the best days in my mission.

We also have had 4 new bishops in our stake and a new stake president in the past 4 1/2 months that I have been here. That is a lot of new bishops that I have to meet.

I can't believe that Colton is 8 already. That is so cool.

Also Mom I know that money should not be the goal and he should work by faith and not his own works. He is just going to have to learn that when he is not able to make it one month and is going to have to make a decision God or Money.

I have seen a life size cardboard picture of a missionary that is out serving. They made it for a wedding of the missionaries sisters wedding so that she could stand in the line and not be left out. Now thy leave it in their living room. I think it is kinda creepy. Always just standing there smiling.