It Must Needs Be

This week was good! We had winter storm Olive come through town but it was mostly underwhelming. We got about 8 inches of snow, but we had to hole up for two days. It was pretty difficult to do missionary work, but technology is a blessing. Grateful for the gym in our apartment. We had some great lessons this week. We're teaching a student at Minnesota State here named Shawn. He calls himself an atheist, but he's really agnostic. We had a great lesson about faith, really diving deep into Alma 32. 

26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

Faith is an experiment; it is the principle that motivates us to act. We helped him see that he exercises faith all the time, that going to work is an act of faith. That choosing to attend a university is an act of faith, and that being willing to meet with us requires faith. He desires to believe whatever is true, and he will give place for a portion of our words. 

Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

We taught how reading the Book of Mormon is the best way to test if our message is a good seed. We testified that we had both experienced the Book of Mormon enlarging our souls and enlightening our minds and beginning to be delicious to us. We discussed how the Spirit often feels just like that. I feel it most in pure flowing intelligence that enlightens and enlarges. We discussed how the fruit doesn't come until the plant has sprouted and reached maturity. That conversion is often a long process. It's been that way for me. But I've been surprised at how the gospel has become delicious to me. It wasn't always that way, but on my mission I've been humbled by the gift of knowledge I've been given. I'm so grateful for ward members who serve tirelessly, who look to magnify their callings, and for youth who are willing to rise to new challenges and opportunities. I'm in awe of all the miracles the Church produces every day. Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel, and I believe that that means you choose to live your life in a way that would be no different than if you had a perfect knowledge of Him. I think that's attainable-- I've seen so many people with that unyielding faith. It's been a marvelous strength to me. These individuals' faith produces miracles constantly. I want to always have faith like that-- to be focused on living the Savior's way. I love Him and come to know Him better each day. I love you guys! 

-Elder Dahl

Rough Stone Rolling

Transfers this week brought me to Mankato, with another really nice apartment, nicer in my opinion because of the gym and underground parking. We ward share with another companionship of elders who live in much more humble circumstances, but I guess it's just like the parable of the talents ;). I'm just kidding, they're great elders. One of them is actually committed to play BYU football in 2024, so I've been giving him fitness tips on how to achieve peak performance while on the mission. My companion's name is Elder Noreen and he came out with me, so it's been a blast. He's a pretty talented pianist, so he's been teaching me a little. He's from Dayton, Idaho and used to milk cows for like 6 bucks an hour. Then they got machines to do it, so he was out of a job. Robots really are taking over the world. I finished the old teachings of the prophets manual for Joseph Smith this week. One of the best chapters is at the end, where it shares the testimonies of his contemporaries. Here are a few,

 

“Such was our confidence in [Joseph Smith] as a Prophet, that when he said, ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ we were confident it would be as he said; and the more we tried it, the more confidence we had, for we never found his word to fail in a single instance.”

- Alexander McRae

President Joseph Smith was in person tall and well built, strong and active; of a light complexion, light hair, blue eyes, very little beard, and of an expression peculiar to himself. … His countenance was ever mild, affable, beaming with intelligence and benevolence; mingled with a look of interest and an unconscious smile, or cheerfulness, and entirely free from all restraint or affectation of gravity; and there was something connected with the serene and steady penetrating glance of his eye, as if he would penetrate the deepest abyss of the human heart, gaze into eternity, penetrate the heavens, and comprehend all worlds. He possessed a noble boldness and independence of character; his manner was easy and familiar; his rebuke terrible as the lion; his benevolence unbounded as the ocean; his intelligence universal.”

- Parley P. Pratt

"The love the saints had for him was inexpressible. They would willingly have laid down their lives for him. If he was to talk, every task would be laid aside that they might listen to his words. He was not an ordinary man. Saints and sinners alike felt and recognized a power and influence which he carried with him. It was impossible to meet him and not be impressed by the strength of his personality and influence.”

- Mary Lambert

Pretty powerful stuff. I've studied Joseph probably more than anything else on my mission. I know he's a prophet. If you don't know yet, I would invite you to figure it out ;). it's a wonderful ride. I'm happy, healthy, and grateful to be a missionary. I miss all of you a lot though! Love you guys!

 
-Elder Dahl