Dear Everyone,
This week has been an interesting week; thankfully my companion felt a lot better this week and we were able to get out and do some work. We biked about 40 miles this week, taught 3 new investigators and had them come to church. I also had some wonderful dinners, improved my Spanish and had some other great experiences including a competition to see if my companion and I could write down all 150 original Pokemon from memory, which I did XD.
This week I have been studying virtue and have started a scripture mastery program wherein I memorize a new scripture each day. I started on the 21th and so far I have D&C 64:33, D&C 121:40-44, D&C 121:45-46 and Ephesians 4: 11-14. In my study of virtue I was reading in Mosiah chapter where Abinadi is admonishing the wicked priests of Noah and he admonishes the wicked priests of King Noah for not having the commandments of God written upon their hearts. This to me seems more than just an admonishment against their wicked teachings, but also an admonishment of their core character and desires as well. Through this I found that to have virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly, you must have a purified heart. This ties back to what I wrote a few weeks ago about having a mighty change of heart, a heart changed by the reception of the Holy Ghost and by using the Atonement in our lives. As our hearts are purified and as we are receptive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost we will be instructed and the shine of the world will lose its luster, for we will know what things are of lasting value. When we allow our hearts to be purified through the Atonement of Christ and have a mind and heart open to the promptings and reception of the Holy Ghost, virtue will then garnish our thoughts unceasingly and our confidence wax strong in the presence of God and our hands will be clean of the blood and sins of this world.
I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, I know that be reading, studying and pondering upon the teachings therein we can gain a closer relationship with our Father in Heaven and with His Son Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called by God to restore the true Church of Jesus Christ, the same church that was organized when Christ was on the Earth, a church with prophets and apostles at its foundation and with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God and that we have a Prophet on the Earth today, even Thomas S. Monson. These things I know by the power of the Holy Ghost, He has witnessed the truthfulness of these things unto my spirit. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; He is our Savior, our Lord and redeemer; He Lives... I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. He knows us and loves us as individuals and as a whole. These things I know and I invite you to know too. Ask God and He will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost, but ask in faith, nothing wavering... I know that as you come to a knowledge of and live by these truths, you will find a greater measure of peace and happiness in your lives. I know this because it has had that effect in my life and in the lives of many who I have met. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
With Love,
Elder Roberts
P.S. Have a wonderful week!
This week has been an interesting week; thankfully my companion felt a lot better this week and we were able to get out and do some work. We biked about 40 miles this week, taught 3 new investigators and had them come to church. I also had some wonderful dinners, improved my Spanish and had some other great experiences including a competition to see if my companion and I could write down all 150 original Pokemon from memory, which I did XD.
This week I have been studying virtue and have started a scripture mastery program wherein I memorize a new scripture each day. I started on the 21th and so far I have D&C 64:33, D&C 121:40-44, D&C 121:45-46 and Ephesians 4: 11-14. In my study of virtue I was reading in Mosiah chapter where Abinadi is admonishing the wicked priests of Noah and he admonishes the wicked priests of King Noah for not having the commandments of God written upon their hearts. This to me seems more than just an admonishment against their wicked teachings, but also an admonishment of their core character and desires as well. Through this I found that to have virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly, you must have a purified heart. This ties back to what I wrote a few weeks ago about having a mighty change of heart, a heart changed by the reception of the Holy Ghost and by using the Atonement in our lives. As our hearts are purified and as we are receptive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost we will be instructed and the shine of the world will lose its luster, for we will know what things are of lasting value. When we allow our hearts to be purified through the Atonement of Christ and have a mind and heart open to the promptings and reception of the Holy Ghost, virtue will then garnish our thoughts unceasingly and our confidence wax strong in the presence of God and our hands will be clean of the blood and sins of this world.
I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, I know that be reading, studying and pondering upon the teachings therein we can gain a closer relationship with our Father in Heaven and with His Son Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called by God to restore the true Church of Jesus Christ, the same church that was organized when Christ was on the Earth, a church with prophets and apostles at its foundation and with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God and that we have a Prophet on the Earth today, even Thomas S. Monson. These things I know by the power of the Holy Ghost, He has witnessed the truthfulness of these things unto my spirit. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; He is our Savior, our Lord and redeemer; He Lives... I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. He knows us and loves us as individuals and as a whole. These things I know and I invite you to know too. Ask God and He will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost, but ask in faith, nothing wavering... I know that as you come to a knowledge of and live by these truths, you will find a greater measure of peace and happiness in your lives. I know this because it has had that effect in my life and in the lives of many who I have met. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
With Love,
Elder Roberts
P.S. Have a wonderful week!
