Dear Everyone,
This past week was another week of miracles that was rounded off by a visit by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, even Elder David A. Bednar. We had a marvelous time with him and were able to spend 3 hours in open discussion about and one of those hours asking him questions. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I hope to remember all that I have learned and apply it now and in the rest of my life. One of the key pieces of advice that he gave us was that if you don't think it can happen to you, it will and if you think it might you can prepare against it. This covers a wide range of difficulties such as returned missionaries becoming less active to breaking the law of chastity during your engagement. If you are not careful or become too prideful you can fall into these. For older people and families it could be falling out of the habit of daily personal prayer, scripture study and family prayer and scripture study. When you allow this to happen, when you allow the small and simple things to go undone, you open the door to the natural man (woman) and they step in. That does not mean you worry yourself to death over each and every thing that could happen to you or each item on the "checklist", but it does mean that you are looking out and not putting yourselves in situations where temptations are. The key is preparation and the humility it takes to make that preparation.
Another piece I absolutely loved was the pattern of helping others to use their agency, or freewill, to become spiritually self reliant. In our church personal prayer and scripture study are emphasized and there are no paid clergy. This is because God expects all of us to be anxiously engaged in learning of Him and gain our own personal revelation. As missionaries we are not out to hand out fish or spiritual knowledge, but to help others to learn how to fish. We are out to teach others to become spiritually self reliant, or able to find the answers themselves, in other words to "ask God" and not rely on the wisom of man. We are to remember that men, even when God places them in positions to influence His children and attend in the affairs of His church are not the teachers, the teacher is the Comforter, or the Holy Spirit. We are only conduits for that influence and we best cultivate that influence as we are agents, as we exercise our free will in being actively engaged in learning of Him and doing His will.
I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that Thomas S. Monson is His Prophet on the earth today. I know that families truly can be together forever through the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father and that He knows and loves us. I have a tesimony of prayer and the power in the Atonement to both cleanse and strenghten us. These things I testify of in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
With Love,
Elder Roberts
