Week 43: Spiritual Thoughts

Eulises and Naomi were baptized on saturday!! The heater broke, so the water was cold, but it was good, and they are very happy.

This week was one of deep thinking, and it was great. I love deep thoughts. Our Branch President is amazing, if you ever happen to visit the Dalhart Branch, they're amazing people. One thing President Baumert told us something I thought was really profound. He was telling house his conversion story, and he said "You don't have to prove anything, but you sure got to be something." That's led Elder Pfeifer and I into a few discussions, and I really like how he put it. You need to "Choose your keystone." We need to choose what our keystone is, and check our motivation, the why,  behind everything we do. If you choose a bad keystone, it may hold you for a bit, but everything will eventually fall.

Are you doing missionary work? Or are you inviting others to come unto Christ?

Are you trying to be a missionary, or a disciple of Jesus Christ?

Are you reading the scriptures, or are you trying to grow closer to Jesus Christ

As we've talked, and my mission President talked about this, our motivation should be our love for the Savior. Why do you hey up at 6:30? Because I love Jesus Christ. Why do you go to church? Because I love Jesus Christ. Why do you study the scriptures? Because I love Jesus Christ. Sometimes that isn't our answer, but that's what we're working towards. He is the only Keystone that will support everything else forever. He needs to be our keystone.

Hesed

Also, I forgot to write what I learned about Hesed in my email last week. So for Hesed, President Nelson described it as a covenant type love, and those which make Covenants have access to a special kind of love and Mercy, and how God will never tire in his efforts to bring them home. That bothered me at first, because that made it sound like by making Covenants, God loves us more. So I thought, "God never tires in his pursuit of anyone, despite if they've made a covenant yet. How does making a covenant change the relationship if God already never tires in his efforts to bring you home." Then I found an interview between David Snell and Brad Wilcox about Grace and Covenants on Facebook. It really helped, and I thought about it while I tore apart and cleaned our now spotless fridge. God loves all of his children perfectly, equally, unconditionally, but he can only show his love as far as we let him. We need to be baptized and make that covenant with God because that gives God greater access to our hearts, because now we're bound in a marriage like covenant. Covenants don't increase God's love for us, but it does increase God's ability to show his love for us, because now we're opening the door to receieve it. Brad Wilcox defined an ordinance as "a symbolic representation of a spiritual reality." We are not saved by the ordinances, we are only saved by Jesus Christ. But by making Covenants, we draw nearer to him, gain access to his power, and open ourselves to recieve more of his love.

- Elder Wride

I taught Eulises how to tie a tie