This week was pretty sparse lesson wise. We kinda dropped everyone and just focused on finding. It was fun for about 2 days and then we realized its really hard to find people. Per President Richardson's advice, we shifted our focus to working with members. This ward has some really cool people, I'm pretty grateful to serve here and be blessed by their examples. Had the opportunity to give a blessing yesterday, and it was pretty cool to see my ability to recognize spiritual impressions improve. I've been feeling so much peace lately-- it's pretty tangible. It's interesting because I don't feel like I've been super struggling or in need. Hopefully I'm not getting prepped for some big trial. There are things I wish were better, but I'm happy with my current spot. We've been focusing on teaching in unity, and it's been powerful to see the difference. "If ye are not one ye are not mine" (D&C 38:27.)
Elder S. Gifford Nielson is visiting our mission this next week, so I'm super excited to hear from him. He played in the NFL apparently-- I'll see if I can subtly drop my college chess experience to impress him. We had stake conference this week and got to hear from President Richardson. He spoke about the law of common consent. He wrote the gospel topics essay on it. It's hard for me to understand exactly how I've been so blessed to learn from him. One of the members of our ward took his class at BYU and said he is the best teacher she's ever had. "He knows everything about the gospel." Crazy stuff. Our stake president spoke about how the majority of the Savior's ministry as we have it recorded is interactions with the downtrodden and marginalized. The woman at the well was the first to learn he was the Savior even though she had five husbands and was not married to the man she was currently living with. Matthew was the scum of Jewish society as a publican. Our stake president talked about how our stake should be a refuge-- a community for those who have no place. I hope that as our church continues to increase in prosperity and size, we don't deviate too far from the Savior's intent. It's hard to watch the 5 foolish virgins becoming easier to recognize. Living the gospel is not hard. It's so so important that we are all in, otherwise we will never be armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. God is the source of that glory-- only by increasing our proximity and likeness to Him do we obtain it. Maybe I'm a little bit jaded because it seems so easy as a missionary when you have nothing else to do, but I would encourage you to make your spiritual efforts a priority and not an afterthought-- to be careful and not casual. Whatever your burden or trial, it will become easier as you choose to increase your bond with the Savior because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He's real. I love you guys!
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