Friday, October 28, 2016

Success September 19, 2016

 Dear Family
    Let me tell you about Mario. Mario is kinda like a lot of people we run into but not, at the same time. I will tell you how our interaction went and what was going through my mind at the same time. We go by a former investigator's house named Mario and when we walk up to the door, we notice that the front door is open but the vader door is shut. So we say "hey".  Then we see someone get up from the couch and walk to the door and he says "HAPPY FREAKY FRIDAY". We notice that both the people didn't have any shirts on but I couldn't tell if they were wearing anything else either. So in my head (oh sweet babies, don't be naked when you answer the door). Thankfully he wasn't naked. That is just what my mind put together with the greeting and what I saw, haha. But he was a very nice guy, a few tattoos on his chest and a very uneven mustache and shaved head. But he asked us, "so do you guys believe in Jesus?" "yes, He is our Savior" came the reply. Then he continued " the King of kings." " yes. " " the Lord of lords." "yup ."  " The Lord Omnipotent!" " yes that one" " the beginning and the end." at this point in my head I'm like ( yes we are talking about the same Jesus !) haha, but he was a really big talker, he would just talk your ear off. But like I said, he was a super nice dude so it wasn't bad. It's just your legs get tired of standing in one place for a really long time.
    This Sunday we had the lesson for High Priests. In my opinion that is the easiest class to teach because you just ask a question and they will just talk about. It's great. Our lesson was on something that we, as Elders, have a lot of experience in. Our lesson was on Saving Marriages:) you have got to love it. So we just talk about it for a little and then had the guys discuss it. It was off the talk by President Utchdorf, In Praise Of Those Who Save. It's a good one.
     The thing that I have been learning more and more about is the idea of success. I may have already told you but when President Patterson came into the mission, his first training was on Success. But not how the world views success, but how God views it. In the world, if you do not hit a certain quota or accomplish a certain task then you fail. Like with sales, if you do not sell a certain amount of something then you are fired and replaced by some one who can, even if it is not in your control. But God looks at success in a much different way. If you look in the scriptures, you will find many examples of this point. For example, when Alma was kicked out of Ammonihah because no one would listen, in the world view he was a failure. But God talked to Alma and said these words " blessed art thou Alma". God measures success by these two things, Effort and Desire. If you look in Jacob 5, you will find many words that illustrate this. You will find words like "prune " dig " and dugged" that describes effort, and you will find other things like their disappointment and phrases like "perhaps that we might" which shows desire. When you have that true desire, you will feel a little sorrow because people aren't making the choices they ought to. ( this is pertaining to missionary work) But there is something you wont feel, that is discouragement. You will feel that way because you truly care for the people but you will know that God is pleased with you. "blessed art thou". Why is it this way, because God honors agency. It's is a really cool subject you might to study it in your free time. But this is what I have been learning and trying to apply. Now the work is a lot better knowing that as long as I have that desire and effort, even if people say no, that is not the end. We will try and try again because we love them. That's what the people need to know, as we always do everything to share the Gospel, is that we love them. And they will feel that.
I love you guys
Love
Elder Richards

No comments:

Post a Comment