Just Some Thoughts....

Just Some Thoughts ~ from Jen

I'm always curious as to what goes on the minds of the people we contact everyday. Some act as if we're going to physically hurt them, others feel that it is their duty to condemn us to hell, and then there are those who are super sweet and nice. I always appreciate the latter. lol

I am well aware that what we do seems quite strange. It's almost as if we are in a bubble, outside of the world, yet we must interact with those inside of it. As we've talked to hundreds of people, and have taught a few lessons to individuals, particular topics kept popping up in my mind this week about belief, action, and remembering. 

In a talk given by M. Russell Ballard (I think), he said that "remember"is probably the most important word in the English dictionary. To remember God (and all that He has done for you in your life) is a strengthening of your faith and thus, forgetting God is the weakening of your faith. 

Countless numbers of people ask us what makes the Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-Day Saints different from any other Christian church, when we bring up the Book of Mormon, they immediately shut the door or walk away right after saying something like, "so you say.." after we explain it is another testament of Jesus Christ. 

One time, after talking about Joseph Smith being killed, the wife of one of our former investigators said, "Just because he was killed for the church doesn't mean that the church is true, it just means that he believed in it enough that it was true." 

After she told me that, I have often thought about the purpose of believing and the power of believing. For most things that pertain to life and our existence the requirement is belief. Or rather a mere hope towards the direction of faith. Most of the time, all we can do is believe. 

We believe that we must do certain things to get particular results. We believe that if we get good grades or go to college we should be able to get a good job. We believe that if we are good people then we will have good returned unto us. We believe that if we love then we will be loved. 

We ask people to read the Book of Mormon and believe that when you pray to know it is the true word of God then you will get the answer that it is. But that answer only comes when you have a sincere desire to know it's true and that desire comes only with actually opening the book and reading it. It requires time and effort; the pondering of what you read. 

Some people think that we are here to "collect" them into our church. But we believe that it is not our church but Christ's church. And the only thing we aim to do is allow people to know that there is a way to an eternal peace that doesn't come from this world. We only want to share the happiness we gain from this gospel. And of course there are many who do join the church but then leave it because they expected that all of their earthly problems would be gone because they made a right choice. 

I can testify that that is not what happens at all.  In fact, it seems at times that your life becomes more difficult as you try to make more righteous choices.  But that doesn't mean you should just stop and give up, that just means that it's worth enduring because the more work you put into something, the more you get out of it. Right choices doesn't mean an easy way, it means the right choice. Through difficult times you can still contain happiness within yourself, knowing or rather believing that sometimes, difficult circumstances are for your benefit and betterment.

If we remember God and His infinite goodness and mercy towards us then we can believe that when we act or make the best choices we can; when we experiment on His word in the scriptures then we will receive His help when we ask or even cry out for it. Now of course, you may or may not agree with me, but that depends on what you believe. 

Thanks again (to everyone) for the birthday wishes! It was such a great day and a great week, I got quite a number of presents from the amazingly loving members of the Lelystad Branch. I love you all! 

Just some thoughts ~ from Linda.

I love the gentle way Jen shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those around her.  There really is no other way to share the truth.  I wish I could have gone on a mission but I was not raised in this Gospel and I did not know how to believe in God because of the abuse I endured as a child.  

That said, I have come to understand that believing is so much more than just a thought and it brings into our lives real proof that God lives and Jesus is the Christ and that He Saves, not just in the world to come,

 but here -  now--

 as I live in my daily, normal life.

  He saves me everyday from my natural self, it is natural for me to yell at my children first before I take time to find out why they are fighting.  He saves me from taking that action when I pray to Him each morning on my knees, asking for His precious help to see my children as He does.  

He saves me from the storm outside, allowing my electricity to stay on when all around me people are experiencing the same storm but have not prayed for protection and help to stay warm.  I often find myself praying for them too, but if you want to see God's hand in your life then ask Him for that.  

Belief is action. and without action there is no creation.

However, you can believe in the wrong thing and it will never be.  I can believe all I want to that my pencil will fly if I drop it but that will never change the fact that the law of gravity exists and must be fulfilled.

Joseph Smith is someone so near and dear to my heart.  I am so grateful for this Gospel that he died for and because of this Gospel I have been able to give my precious children such a different life than the one I had.  

I praise God now for the life I did live because when I speak to people and see their suffering, I know the pain they experience and I am able to know what to say to comfort them.  This gift comes from my experiences before I became a member.

  

Simply put, this Gospel that Joseph Smith died for, and the very one that has sent my precious daughter into foreign lands, to learn a difficult language, bicycling in the freezing cold to share it with all the precious children of our Heavenly Father's, is the reason I wake every morning knowing that everyday matters and I can write my own story with His help to overcome my weaknesses and that today- Yes, today is the day I allow and believe in Christ's ability to save me.

It is not just about the eternities, but it is about right here right now, knowing you and I matter to HIm and that He sent this Gospel to us to give us the tools we need to not just get through this life but to make our every moment one in which His presence and love is felt.  And through it we are created to be who He knows and wants us to be because His view is so much more than ours.  And with his help we are made more capable to live a meaningful life full of what really matters, not just for now, but in the eternities.

I know this to be true, along with the countless others who have accepted this precious Gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives.  You don't just believe it, you feel it within every fiber of your being.  And that causes you to love it.  It allows words like repentance , forgiveness, meekness, humility, and so many others that are in the scriptures, to have real meaning, value, and depth in our lives.  Fine houses,big bank accounts, in style clothes and shoes, and new cars, can't hold a candle to what it feels like to have your heart changed through the study and believing in this Gospel.

Of this I am sure and humbly share these precious things of my soul with you.

I know that there is nothing that God has given my daughter and I that He can't give you as well and if you are seeking to know this kind of strength in your life and you would like your own free copy of the Book of Mormon, you can click on the link below:
http://www.mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon

Thank you for reading and may you experience true answers to your prayers!

Much love and sunshine!

Linda

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