Impressed, to Say the Least [2/9/15]

Wow, this pday was awesome... and it just got started! Haha the only thing that was awesome in reality, was Matt´s talkon Sunday. He said two things that made me think. Here they are:

1. I don´t know how I was blessed for not watching the rated R movie, but I know the Lord blessed me.

2. I´m grateful for the standards the Lord has given us. Although they may seem restricting and I don't understand some of them, I know that we have them for a reason.

Seriously, those two lines are dynamite! It made me think a lot about one of my leaders in the beginning of my mission who invited me to change.

I'm not going to lie, when I arrived as a new missionary I was ARROGANT! Straight up, no no´s about it. I told my trainer and those around me that I was going to make history. I showed the caption one day of the picture of Dan Jones (first chapter of Preach My Gospel) in a companionship study. It reads something like, ´´Dan Jones - One of the greatest missionaries in the Latter-Days.´´ I told my trainer to think about that line and then look at me. Confused, without a reply I pointed my thumbs at me... "Elder - I´m going to be THE BEST missionary in these latter-days!"

A couple of months later, a tad bit more humble,  I was studying chapter 10 without rest. All day, everyday, I wanted to be the greatest teacher in the Last-days. Chapter 10 talks all about ´´teaching techniques.´´ I wanted investigators to sit down in the fields of my area and just hear my sermons...  I desired the conversions like Alma after Abinidi had put his life on the line with the king-

"And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts."

I imagined these fields being like a football crowd and everyone screaming (it being a white out of course (in baptismal clothing)) "BAPTIZE ME!!"

Haha thanks to the inspiration of this work, my leader humbled my prideful desires and made me think about how The Savior taught people. He made me think about what made Him so effective. He later arrived at his point being the way Christ was. Chapter 6 - attributes of Christ.

In all, I think what made Matt´s talk so great, at least in my opinion, was the humility with what he approached his talk. ´´I don´t know how He blessed me, but I know He did´´ or ´´Athough they seem restricting and I don´t understand some of them, I know that we have them for a reason.´´ I noticed in the last General Conference, Elder Holland talked similarly. He expressed how he doesn't know what it´s like to pass through depression, but he knows who does know how it feels.

Congrats on the talk Matt. You made me proud.

The work is going on. I´m grateful for a Loving Savior who makes up for so many of my weaknesses. For example, Reginaldo (one of our investigators who has been going to church for over two months now) still thought he wasn't ready for church. In attempt to force a baptism (which I recognize was very wrong of me), we told him that he was going to watch the meetings with the baptismal clothing. I think it freaked him out, and he turned out not going to church yesterday... We passed by after church and he said that his dad needed some help with something out of town, but the Spirit chastised me for the attempt... Oh the sacredness of our agency. What a frustrating lesson it sometimes can be as a missionary. However, I couldn't be anymore grateful for it.

As the mission seems to be running before my eyes, I can see the way the Lord is changing my heart. I really believe that I arrived on the mission with a Lamanite heart. Everything was about me, even the glory. I wanted to be the best - and I wanted everyone to know it.

"And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first." -Abraham 3:27

The changes the Lord has done with me, even the hard lessons, makes me think a lot about why Jesus and Lucifer were both called. And of course, why Jesus became the Christ, the chosen one.

How grateful I am for a patient and loving Heavenly Father, who respects and treasures our free agency. I know we are all called to this work (D&C 4:2), but we need to turn ourselves qualified for it (D&C 4:5-6).

LIVIN´ THE DREAM!!

Elder Welch