This last week was a week full of learning from investigators as well as from the prophet and his apostles. This week Elder Raleigh and I went to a families home to visit and share a message. It was a great opportunity to do so because the family has two sons, who in the next few years will serve missions. Earlier Elder Raleigh and I were going to share something but when I got into the home I had a different impression. The family we were going to teach needed something else. We read from Luke 15, it has 3 parables given by Christ. It talks about if you have 100 sheep and one goes missing will you not leave the 99 and go and find the one? I compared that to missionary work and how they can do that with family and friends. Why wouldnt you go out and try and find the one? Doesnt that one mean anything to you? What could helping one do in the future? Then when you have found the one we shall rejoice and welcome them back! I love the 3 parables that this chapter talks about. It makes you think, what if I help that one person, what will happen? Sometimes that one may not come and other times that one person will come. We must do all that we can. The scriptures say that if we spend all our time helping one or many our joy will be the same. I challenge you to seek out that one. Is that one yourself? your neighbor? or a family member? Help that one little lost sheep who has fallen off the path come back! It is our job to do so!
An experience I had this last week goes along with what I just wrote and what I said a few weeks about planting seeds. How you never know what happens to those little seeds. The zone leaders came on a switch off this last week and I was to switch off with them. One of the zone leaders served with Elder Christenson who was my companion in Chaing Mai. Elder Chris and I were going down to transfers a while ago and we met some people from England on the train. Do you remember this story. Anyways before we said goodbye one of the people we were talking to said she always found the missionaries to be rude and didnt want to talk to them. She thought we were nice because she said that when she goes back she will give the missionaries another chance. Well I didnt think anything of that. Elder Christ kept in touch with this girl from England by email. She felt that she could trust the missionaries because of us. She found the missionaries one day and allowed them to teach her. Can you guess what happens next? She was then baptized a member of the Christ of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! When the zone leader told me this story I was so happy! Joy filled my heart! All I could do was to thank Heavenly Father for putting us in the right place at the right time. Do you see what a train ride can do for someone else? A little seed was planted and it was harvested in the Lords time! Then he mother started taking the missionary lessons. I dont know where her mother is at with learning but can you see what an impact you can have on others. Even if it trying to go get that lost one or talking to strangers on a train. You never know what will happen. I challenge you all to live your life in a way that others will see that you are different. Just like President Thomas S Monson said," You need to stand out, you will be different." I cannot explain the happiness I felt after hearing this!!
One of our investigators was interviewed for baptism this past week and she passed. As we talked to our investigator she explained that she understands the Atonement of Jesus Christ! She went on the tell us that she knows that what she did in the past, all the bad things she ever did can be made right through the Atonement of Christ. The dirtiest of dirty can be made clean. She even said that she would wait to be baptized another week because she felt as if Heavenly Father was telling her to wait. She said I am ready but I will wait for the Lords timing. I will get baptized when He wants me to. I felt so happy for this lady. I love this lady and what she taught me. I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ will help us become clean from sin. Help us start over. Even if we make the same mistake over and over. If you think there is no way out, I will tell you that you are wrong. Why? There is a way out. It is through our Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ! The Atonement is for everyone! This lady said something else that was profound to me. She said," The things I have done are in the past. I will forget them and not worry about them. I will look forward with faith." She is starting to understand the Atonement. Can you see the Atonement in your everyday life? If not what needs to change?
I finally got to watch conference this past weekend. I tell you this, time and time again I felt the spirit working on me. The spirit confirmed to me that this is the true church. I felt time and time again, from talk to talk that this is all true. It has to be! I loved conference so much and what everyone had to say. For me I write questions down that I want answers to. During conference all of my questions were answered. I know what I have to do now as far as myself. I need to take a step back, look at myself and where I am at, and then move on from there. It is not to late to improve. Go from where you are at right now and improve. At times on my mission I have felt that I am not qualified for the position I am at but then I was comforted by our 3 new apostles. They said,"The Lord called you for the work He will do THROUGH you." "The Lord will qualify those He calls." Dont think that you are not ready or qualified. The apostles have all felt that but He will guide them. The Lord will do so much work through you! He will plant so many seeds through you! He knows what you can and cannot do. He will prepare a way for all of His work to get accomplished. I know that my time as a missionary is something I will treasure forever! This time is preparing me for something more important in the future. One last thing I heard and I love was that we need to not only Endure to the End but Enjoy to the End. Make what you do fun, rewarding for others and be happy!
Love
Elder Hinckley
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