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