Dear Everyone,
This was quite an interesting week. I still have not gotten a hold of the Christmas Spirit yet, but I am sure it will hit me at some point. I spent a good portion of my first three studies this week memorizing "The Living Christ" and have been using free time to read from Jesus the Christ.They have both been helpful in focusing my thoughts on the true reason for the season. The Elders and I went to shop for a couple of things for cleaning and we felt a noticeable difference in the spirit that usually surrounds our service and the chaotic spirit that rests upon the world. It was a little to deep to be thinking about during shopping, but still, it is a telling sign of the times.
I spent most of my time this week in the Temple and at the Healing Place Thrift Store. We had a mountain of donations and yesterday I was finally able to get through most of them in the back. We had about 10 or more of the giant black bags of clothes come in and I spent most of yesterday sorting through them. Thankfully we received a good number of toys and were able to sell those the same day. :) With the missionaries I was able to visit one of the families we have been working with and the older daughter expressed that as she read the Book of Mormon she felt that it was true. We invited her to continue to read and pray for we know that no man or woman can come to spiritual knowledge without prayer.
This week my study was focused generally on focusing more on others and Christ and submitting to the will of the Father in all things. I love the phrase in the book of Alma as it describes the sons of the Children of Ammon. It says "they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free." It struck me that the liberty was not only their ability to be free within the government that had been established, but the freedom from sin and eternal sorrow that the Gospel of Jesus Christ offered them. By being faithful to their covenants and to their God they were standing fast in the Gospel or in other words, the liberty God had granted unto them in accordance to their obedience. I also loved Moroni's declaration that even though they did not have many army men, "they had no desire to murmur" and he trusted that "God [would] deliver [them], notwithstanding the weakness of [their] armies, yea, and deliver [them] out of the hands of of [their] enemies." I know that as we are obedient to the laws and ordinances of Christ's Gospel we are following "the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come."
Jesus is the Christ. He is the very immortal Son of God, sent to save us all. He gave His life for each and every one of us, if we would repent and follow Him. Because of His death and resurrection, all mankind will receive their bodies once more and stand to be judged of Him. We will be judged according to our works and the desires of our hearts. His way is the only sure path. I testify that His priesthood and His church have been restored upon the earth. I testify that He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith and through him the dispensation of the fullness of times was brought forth. God is our loving Heavenly Father. He loves each and every one of His Children. Christ is His Son, the redeemer of the world. May we each follow the footsteps of our Savior in this the Christmas season is my earnest prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Merry Christmas,
Elder Roberts
This was quite an interesting week. I still have not gotten a hold of the Christmas Spirit yet, but I am sure it will hit me at some point. I spent a good portion of my first three studies this week memorizing "The Living Christ" and have been using free time to read from Jesus the Christ.They have both been helpful in focusing my thoughts on the true reason for the season. The Elders and I went to shop for a couple of things for cleaning and we felt a noticeable difference in the spirit that usually surrounds our service and the chaotic spirit that rests upon the world. It was a little to deep to be thinking about during shopping, but still, it is a telling sign of the times.
I spent most of my time this week in the Temple and at the Healing Place Thrift Store. We had a mountain of donations and yesterday I was finally able to get through most of them in the back. We had about 10 or more of the giant black bags of clothes come in and I spent most of yesterday sorting through them. Thankfully we received a good number of toys and were able to sell those the same day. :) With the missionaries I was able to visit one of the families we have been working with and the older daughter expressed that as she read the Book of Mormon she felt that it was true. We invited her to continue to read and pray for we know that no man or woman can come to spiritual knowledge without prayer.
This week my study was focused generally on focusing more on others and Christ and submitting to the will of the Father in all things. I love the phrase in the book of Alma as it describes the sons of the Children of Ammon. It says "they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free." It struck me that the liberty was not only their ability to be free within the government that had been established, but the freedom from sin and eternal sorrow that the Gospel of Jesus Christ offered them. By being faithful to their covenants and to their God they were standing fast in the Gospel or in other words, the liberty God had granted unto them in accordance to their obedience. I also loved Moroni's declaration that even though they did not have many army men, "they had no desire to murmur" and he trusted that "God [would] deliver [them], notwithstanding the weakness of [their] armies, yea, and deliver [them] out of the hands of of [their] enemies." I know that as we are obedient to the laws and ordinances of Christ's Gospel we are following "the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come."
Jesus is the Christ. He is the very immortal Son of God, sent to save us all. He gave His life for each and every one of us, if we would repent and follow Him. Because of His death and resurrection, all mankind will receive their bodies once more and stand to be judged of Him. We will be judged according to our works and the desires of our hearts. His way is the only sure path. I testify that His priesthood and His church have been restored upon the earth. I testify that He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith and through him the dispensation of the fullness of times was brought forth. God is our loving Heavenly Father. He loves each and every one of His Children. Christ is His Son, the redeemer of the world. May we each follow the footsteps of our Savior in this the Christmas season is my earnest prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Merry Christmas,
Elder Roberts
