9/3/13

 

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Another interesting week in the Great Selah area. We mostly tracted, and found a few potential investigators. Finding is really tough out here, but we're getting there. This may seem hard to believe, but I kinda like tracting. It makes you feel like you are searching out God's children and being a productive servant of the Lord. I don't know what we would do if our mission took it away, like so many other missions. We probably won't do too much because we don't have any investigators. That's alright, they'll come in time.

 

I was feeling a little down because of this, and I decided to search the scriptures for some great missionaries. The very first one that came to mind was Ammon. Not because he cut lots of arms of, but because of his faith. I was reading Alma 26 and came across a scripture that hit me really hard. It's Alma 26:22,27 and Ammon says:

 

"Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance."

 

"Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success."

 

This showed me that I need to faith that we WILL have success as we repent and strive to be more obedient, and pray constantly. We pray before everything now and its been cool to feel the Spirit that has come into my life. I've learned that success is not measured by the outward results, but by the inward commitment. I was also reflecting over the Atonement in the car as we were driving. As I sat pondering, two of my favorite songs came on: "Come thou Fount" and "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul" by Vocal Point played right in a row. It came to me that Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, has gone through the EXACT same things I have. When he taught, most people didn't listen and mocked Him. As shown above in Alma, He had perfect faith, had no need for repentance, and certainly prayed to His Father continually. Still, He had little outward success; however, His atoning sacrifice was the single, most important act ever accomplished in all of eternity. If it was not for Him, we would be left to our own devices and would certainly perish, both spiritually and temporally, but through His grace and mercy, salvation is possible to all those who come unto Him. I love the word in both of these songs:

 

"Never can I repay thee, Lord,

But I can love thee. Thy pure word,

Hath it not been my one delight,

My joy by day, my dream by night?

Then let my lips proclaim it still,

And all my life reflect thy will." ("Savior, Redemer of my Soul", v.2)

 

"O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee
Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above" ("Come thou Fount", v.3)

 

Christ is there reaching out to all of us. Take His mighty hand, for His "yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light" (Matt. 11:30). He will strengthen you, even through the hardest of times. He is and will be there to carry us along. I love my Master and I am out here to serve Him with all my might, mind, and strength. I love you all and my God bless you all!

 

Love,

Elder Spencer Coleman