We had an awesome opportunity to view the Mission Broadcast they had this past Wednesday. we got to hear some some members of the Quorum of the 12 and some of the others members of the missionary council. It was a great broadcast. The focus of it was Teach Repentance, Baptize Converts. It helps us see that our true purpose isn't just baptizing people and racking up a bunch of numbers but rather teaching people about repentance and the atonement of Jesus Christ. That's the good news. The gospel is centered around the atonement and Christ. With out him the plan wouldn't be possible. At church this past Sunday we talked a little more about that and the three pillars of the gospel. Those three pillars are; The Creation; The Fall; The Atonement. All of them being things that needed to happen for us to be able to progress in this life and in the eternities. We have an important charge to bring this news and this knowledge that we can progress and return to live with our Heavenly Father. We can help people see that they can be forgiven of all their sins and that they can start a new life a new slate. And in this process we can also work on our own progression. We can improve and learn as we help others. Elder Bednar talked on the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion and what we need to do. He talked on how we need to bring the gospel unto the hearts of those we teach and the spirit is the one that will help bring it into their hearts. We can't do it all and we defiantly need the help of the Spirit. There are so many blessings that come from having the companionship of the Holy Ghost in this work. If we didn't have the Holy Ghost people wouldn't be truly converted. They would just be converted by our words and our knowledge. The Holy Ghost will help them receive the light of Christ and help them grow their seed of faith.
After the Mission Broadcast we got to have our District Council and be joined by President Lewis. We had some good discussion on how we can best work with our members. It seems like it is something they are trying to focus on a little more as it was also something that was covered during the broadcast. When we involve the members people feel more comfortable coming to church and having more discussions with us. Most people don't want to go to church if they don't know any one. People tend to stay away from things that make them uncomfortable. When we have members inviting friends to church they will be more likely to go because their are familiar faces there. Then after our District Council we had interviews with President and then President and sister Lewis stopped by our apartment to take a look. That means we got some pictures of us put up on the mission blog by Sister Lewis. Good thing we took some time to clean up the apartment and make sure it looked nice.
When it comes to self reliance there is probably a lot of different ways to view it. I think the best reason to be self reliant is so that we can help other people. If we are not self reliant we are needing to lean on others for help and usually puts us in a tight spot. But we have the ability to work. We were given bodies and minds. We have been given many gifts and talents that we need to use in this life. Part of self reliance is developing those talents. If we don't develop them we lose them. But when we do what we can to build them and strengthen what we have we can use that to bless the lives of others. As a missionary it is very important. I don't know if I would exactly call it self reliance as we have to lean on the lord for guidance and help. But as missionary we have to do all we can to gain knowledge so we can then share it with others. If I didn't read in the Book of Mormon and sturdy my scriptures how would I be able to help others answer their questions. We also have to put in the work for it. I think back to the Stake conference where President Jones spoke on work. I can't recall to much of what he said but it is such an important thing. Work brings a sense of accomplishment which we can't get from freebies. We also tend to take better care of the things we have worked for. Thinking about it we can apply that to the gospel as well. If we were just granted all the knowledge and didn't have to study to gain it we would give it no worth. But when we take time and really study and ponder the scriptures they become a great treasure and a great tool to us in this life. The Book of Mormon has become so much more than a book to me. It is a fountain of knowledge and a trove of treasures. If I never studied and never worked to understand and learn it the scriptures would mean nothing to me. I don't have too much experience with work and self reliance as I haven't had many experiences to pull on. I hope the little insight I have shared will help.
We have a fun week planned ahead with Zone Conference and some exchanges. The Spanish is going along a bit better since mostly all I speak during the day is Spanish. Awesome being able to have Elder Sanchez as my companion. He is a great elder and has a great desire to serve and also to learn the English language. All is well here in the Great Northwest and I hope all is well at home.
With Love,
Elder Boren
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