Lost in Service of the Lord.
This week was looking up to be BUSY!! I had a bunch of exchanges
planned with the sisters in our zone, we had more lessons planned that
usual, and things were going our way. And then, people started
canceling. It happens. I mean, I'm not in control of everything that
is going on so of course it is going to happen. But what I did not
anticipate happening is for every single lesson to cancel!! Last
minute of course! We were kind of shocked!! We are working so hard,
and trying so hard to be more consecrated, and things just started
getting harder. I found myself becoming less patient with myself and
my companions, because of things that were beyond any of our control.
We started worrying if our faith was sufficient to see miracles. To be
effective tools in the hands in the Lord.
These worries and doubts though, they did nothing to help!! Because
faith and fear can never coexist. We must be 100% believing in our own
abilities and our God if we are to continue to see miracles.
So I was studying for an investigator the other day and stumbled
across this gem. A definition of what faith really is.
Alma 34:14-17
While serving as a member of the Seventy, Elder Robert E. Wells spoke
of the faith required to bring changes in our lives sufficient to
participate in the Atonement of Jesus Christ:
“‘Just how much faith do I need for the atonement of Christ to work
for me?’ In other words, how much faith do I need to receive
salvation? In the book of Alma … we find the answer. The prophet
Amulek taught this simple but grand principle: ‘The Son of God, …
bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto
repentance’ (Alma 34:14�15; emphasis added).
“Please note those three words: faith unto repentance. That is the
clue. Four times in three verses he uses that expression [see Alma
34:15�17]. …
“So the combination of faith in Christ plus faith unto repentance is
vitally important. That concept is one of the greatest insights we
have into the importance of simple, clear faith--faith sufficient to
repent. Apparently faith great enough to move mountains is not
required; faith enough to speak in tongues or to heal the sick is not
needed; all that we need is just enough faith to recognize that we
have sinned and to repent of our sins, to feel remorse for them, and
to desire to sin no more but to please Christ the Lord. Then the
greatest miracle of all, the Atonement, whereby Christ rescues us from
our deserved punishment, is in effect in our behalf” (“The Liahona
Triad,” in Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent L. Top, eds., Doctrines of the
Book of Mormon: The 1991 Sperry Symposium [1992], 6�7).
Chapter 30: Alma 32�35
http://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-manual/chapter-30-alma-32-35?lang=eng
I realized that I might not have faith to move mountains, but I don't
know if God needs me to move mountains right now. But I do have faith
that I can change through the power of the Atonement. That I can
choose to receive Christ's help and I can overcome weakness and trials
to become the tool that Christ needs me to become. So at this time,
even though the outward results are kind of disappointing, I know that
I'm still changing because of Christ. I want to become like Him, and I
figure the more I try to be like Him, the more I understand my own
eternal potential.
Sister Lopez and Sister Foutz are amazing. Changing my life and the
way I see the world every day. I love them. I didn't realize I could
love people who are SO DIFFERENT from me this much!! We are all so
different, and to be completely honest, each of us are a unique kind
of crazy. But we are loving learning to feed off of the crazy and
direct that passion into the ability to be a part of hastening the
Lord's work.
Yesterday, we had an incredible experience! We were on our home from
general conference and we met a mom and her two daughters. The mom: a
doctor. Daughters: planning on studying medicine. Women who were
intelligent, knew who they were, and what they wanted. We introduced
them to the Book of Mormon and they loved it!! They were humble enough
to realize that even though life is going really well for the 3 of
them, that they still wanted to improve! That they wanted to learn how
to receive help from God. It was a real blessing to be able to give
each of them a copy of the Book of Mormon and help them realize that
god wants to help. And He wants to speak to them through His Holy
Scriptures. It helped me appreciate the Book of Mormon and how it has
straight up changed my life!!!
I love you all and am grateful for you!
Love,
Sister Feist
ファイスト�妹
This week was looking up to be BUSY!! I had a bunch of exchanges
planned with the sisters in our zone, we had more lessons planned that
usual, and things were going our way. And then, people started
canceling. It happens. I mean, I'm not in control of everything that
is going on so of course it is going to happen. But what I did not
anticipate happening is for every single lesson to cancel!! Last
minute of course! We were kind of shocked!! We are working so hard,
and trying so hard to be more consecrated, and things just started
getting harder. I found myself becoming less patient with myself and
my companions, because of things that were beyond any of our control.
We started worrying if our faith was sufficient to see miracles. To be
effective tools in the hands in the Lord.
These worries and doubts though, they did nothing to help!! Because
faith and fear can never coexist. We must be 100% believing in our own
abilities and our God if we are to continue to see miracles.
So I was studying for an investigator the other day and stumbled
across this gem. A definition of what faith really is.
Alma 34:14-17
While serving as a member of the Seventy, Elder Robert E. Wells spoke
of the faith required to bring changes in our lives sufficient to
participate in the Atonement of Jesus Christ:
“‘Just how much faith do I need for the atonement of Christ to work
for me?’ In other words, how much faith do I need to receive
salvation? In the book of Alma … we find the answer. The prophet
Amulek taught this simple but grand principle: ‘The Son of God, …
bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto
repentance’ (Alma 34:14�15; emphasis added).
“Please note those three words: faith unto repentance. That is the
clue. Four times in three verses he uses that expression [see Alma
34:15�17]. …
“So the combination of faith in Christ plus faith unto repentance is
vitally important. That concept is one of the greatest insights we
have into the importance of simple, clear faith--faith sufficient to
repent. Apparently faith great enough to move mountains is not
required; faith enough to speak in tongues or to heal the sick is not
needed; all that we need is just enough faith to recognize that we
have sinned and to repent of our sins, to feel remorse for them, and
to desire to sin no more but to please Christ the Lord. Then the
greatest miracle of all, the Atonement, whereby Christ rescues us from
our deserved punishment, is in effect in our behalf” (“The Liahona
Triad,” in Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent L. Top, eds., Doctrines of the
Book of Mormon: The 1991 Sperry Symposium [1992], 6�7).
Chapter 30: Alma 32�35
http://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-manual/chapter-30-alma-32-35?lang=eng
I realized that I might not have faith to move mountains, but I don't
know if God needs me to move mountains right now. But I do have faith
that I can change through the power of the Atonement. That I can
choose to receive Christ's help and I can overcome weakness and trials
to become the tool that Christ needs me to become. So at this time,
even though the outward results are kind of disappointing, I know that
I'm still changing because of Christ. I want to become like Him, and I
figure the more I try to be like Him, the more I understand my own
eternal potential.
Sister Lopez and Sister Foutz are amazing. Changing my life and the
way I see the world every day. I love them. I didn't realize I could
love people who are SO DIFFERENT from me this much!! We are all so
different, and to be completely honest, each of us are a unique kind
of crazy. But we are loving learning to feed off of the crazy and
direct that passion into the ability to be a part of hastening the
Lord's work.
Yesterday, we had an incredible experience! We were on our home from
general conference and we met a mom and her two daughters. The mom: a
doctor. Daughters: planning on studying medicine. Women who were
intelligent, knew who they were, and what they wanted. We introduced
them to the Book of Mormon and they loved it!! They were humble enough
to realize that even though life is going really well for the 3 of
them, that they still wanted to improve! That they wanted to learn how
to receive help from God. It was a real blessing to be able to give
each of them a copy of the Book of Mormon and help them realize that
god wants to help. And He wants to speak to them through His Holy
Scriptures. It helped me appreciate the Book of Mormon and how it has
straight up changed my life!!!
I love you all and am grateful for you!
Love,
Sister Feist
ファイスト�妹