I'm glad to be able to write you all this week, as I am every week. I'm especially excited to share a few thoughts I've had throughout this week, but first about some stuff that's happened. We've had a pretty normal week here, pushing hard to get this work moving faster, but learning that it really all depends on God, and all will be done in His time. Nonetheless, that doesn't mean that the work has time to slow- when the work gets hard, work harder is kind of the slogan I'm living by right now. I'm learning a lot about the power of turning potential negative energy into energy to go out and talk to people. Oh, I did have one interesting experience yesterday- we met this really nice lady yesterday who was actually from Hawaii, and as such was more fluent in English than Tagalog, so I had an interesting experience teaching her in English- man it was hard, haha. And I was pretty much the only one talking, as my companion hasn't had much experience speaking English, but I found it interesting that I found myself translating from Tagalog into English for some reason, even though when I'm talking to my family I've got no problem with English. So that was a fun experience, and we look forward to going back and teaching her again- hopefully we have an experience like the one in "The Best Two Years", haha.
On another note, I have had some great opportunities to better understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ this past week, and how inseparably connected it is with the eternal and Christlike attribute of charity, pure love. Over the past few days, I found myself studying the invaluable sermon of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon, in the first few chapters of Mosiah. He focuses so much on our desperate need to become changed through the Atonement of Christ, and what more I love how all that he says is what we need to do to be changed. His sermon is so focused on love, specifically through serving our fellow beings. I was thinking about it, and it really makes so much sense- if we think about it, what is our ultimate potential, our ultimate destination as children of Heavenly Father, children of God? Simply, to one day become exactly as He is. That is the wondrous truth about this amazing plan- I testify that we, as His children, all have this incredible opportunity to become as our Father. So how does love come into this? Well, who shows love better than our Heavenly Father- just look at John 3:16, one of the most well known verses in all of Christianity- God loved us so much that He gave His only Son. In addition, He has given us literally everything that we have- our very lives- and the hope of salvation one day. If we are to follow His example, what great need have we to love our fellows and love Him- with all that we have to give. What more important work is there in this world, than to serve those other than ourselves. I love how all of this is summed up so perfectly in Ether 12:33-34- we need to learn, line upon line, how to gain this pure love. I know that God loves us as His children, and that His work and glory is to draw us all to Him through His Son. So let's all try to do a good deed, to give a smile, to in some way fill the world with the light that Christ gave. I love you all so much, you inspire me to work harder every day, and I hope you all see the joy that comes from this great plan and Gospel. Have a wonderful week, see ya later!
Love,
Elder Griffitts
