It’s been a tough week.
I have done a lot of studying and pondering this week after hearing of Dakota’s tragedy accident. I have become more comfortable with the
events of last weekend. The following
are some of the things I have learned and received strength from this week:
I have been reading from the book “The Gateway We Call Death”
by Russell M Nelson. He explains that no
matter when people die in this life, whether young or old, people still have
the same emotions. There is never a time
in life when it is easy to let go of those we love.
Since I have been on my mission my testimony has grown a lot
and I have begun to understand more of the “why.” The “why” is answered by Robert Millett in
his talk “God and Human Tragedy.” It’s because we live in the fallen world with
death and tragedy and we must accept that. Death is more of a part of this
world than life. We live to die basically, and we die (physically) to live for
eternity. Live to die and die to
live!
The better question for us to ask is “What are we going to
do about it?” “What are we to learn from
this at this time right now?” In the
book “The Other Side of Heaven” is
talks about how sometimes the Lord allows people to die. Because He gives us agency and He can’t give
us agency but then keep us safe, as well, if we break the laws of nature or the
limits of life. There is no promise we
will live through it. So sometimes God
allows people to die. And He takes special
spirits back home to Him early as if to spare them from hard trials that they
may have faced later on in life.
Another great talk by Richard G Scott in the April 2012
Conference. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/how-to-obtain-revelation-and-inspiration-for-your-personal-life?lang=eng
Excerpt from that talk--Another example of revelation is
this guidance given to President Joseph F. Smith: “I believe we move and
have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings.
We are not separate from them. … We are closely related to our kindred, to our
ancestors … who have preceded us into the spirit world. We cannot forget them;
we do not cease to love them; we always hold them in our hearts, in memory, and
thus we are associated and united to them by ties that we cannot break. … If
this is the case with us in our finite condition, surrounded by our mortal
weaknesses, … how much more certain it is … to believe that those who have been
faithful, who have gone beyond … can see us better than we can see them; that
they know us better than we know them. … We live in their presence, they see
us, they are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than ever. For
now they see the dangers that beset us; … their love for us and their desire
for our well being must be greater than that which we feel for ourselves.” Relationships
can be strengthened through the veil with people we know and love. That is done
by our determined effort to continually do what is right. We can strengthen our
relationship with the departed individual we love by recognizing that the
separation is temporary and that covenants made in the temple are eternal. When
consistently obeyed, such covenants assure the eternal realization of the
promises inherent in them.
And a couple of scriptures I found this week.
Alma 7:12
“And he will
take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he
will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy,
according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”
From a book I
read this last week it talked about how succor means: to give comfort and
support in times of hardship and distress.
And it is conditional upon us turning to Him. We must turn to Him to
receive the comforting.
Mosiah
24:14-15
“And I will
also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you
cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will
I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a
surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma
and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and
with patience to all the will of the Lord.”
The Lord didn’t
deliver them out of their bondage, but He strengthened them in their
bondage. He isn’t going to deliver us
from our pains, but He will lighted them and strengthen us as we turn to Him
and accept the things as they are and pray for help in the trials we are going
through. The Lord asks us to come unto Him, because He knows the way. He is the
way, the truth and the light. And this
life has two paths- we either believe in Him or we don’t! And it’s a whole lot easier to believe in Him
and to receive help in our trials.
As for
missionary work this week. We have
worked and worked. But not had a lot of
success in following through with some of our investigators. Had a couple cancel out on appointments and
such. We are continuing to try and work with
them as best we can. Didn’t have a lot
of success with the Bible classes this week either- again only the missionaries
showed up for the class. We were able to
do some service one afternoon at the local charity shop and for a family in the
area. Love doing service.
The farms in
the area are doing really good. The potatoes are up now and you can see them
from the road. They have a unique
irrigation system. It’s a 200 gpm end
gun on a platform with wheels. They run the 3 inch mainline and hook it to a 2
inch hose on a reel to get to the platform.
Some of the grain is starting to head out, I think the winter
variety. The beets are getting huge, you
can see a solid green line from the road.
It’s super crazy the time difference in crops from here to home. You are talking about just having beets
planted and they are already starting to cultivate some here.
The weather’s
been really nice. We were able to go golfing today with one of the guys in the
ward. It was fun!
We did have Stake
Conference this weekend and it was very good.
There were a couple of talks on keeping eternal perspective. Like glasses when we have the glasses, or
eternal perspective, things are more clear and you understand more. But when you
don’t have the glasses, or the eternal perspective, you don’t understand anything. You can’t make sense of things and you become
confused and mad. I really loved that
analogy.
I know that
God lives, that Jesus is the Christ.
That we will be able to see our loved ones again. That we will be able
to receive much peace and joy as we accept things and lean on our Savior to
receive comfort and strength in our afflictions. He will not deliver us out of our
afflictions, but strengthen us in them.
I know that there is a life after death, where all that had been made
wrong, will be made right in the next life.
That relationships are continued on the other side of the veil and we
are able to strengthen them even while we are separated for a short amount of
time.
Love, Elder
Stevenson
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