Greetings from the MTC!
Only
two more weeks left until I head out to the field! I am so excited and
yet pretty nervous. I can speak Spanish pretty well with my gringo
companeros here in Provo, Utah but I am sure when I get down there I am
going to be literally clueless for at least a few months. Talk about
complete immersion! Most of the Elders in my district that are going to
Mexico are flying to Las Vegas on Friday to get their Visa's from the
embassy there. Us Elders that are going to Honduras however apparently
don't need Visas to get into the country. I guess San Pedro Sula always
needs some new bodies considering how fast they seem to lose them :)
Not much else is new here. I have started using my personal
study time to make flashcards of the most powerful scriptures that I can
use to answer investigator's questions or alleviate concerns or
motivate them to repent and change their lives to live the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. With the incredible flexibility in the style of teaching
we use, it really is necessary that we become scriptorians. Not to Bible
bash, but because our entire message is focused on Jesus Christ, and
utilizing the words and teachings of both our Savior himself and through
his prophets has real power. The Spirit won't teach us new things we
need to say in the moment that we need them, it will bring to the
forefront of our memory the things we have learned and studied and
pondered personally that our brothers and sisters need to hear. I think
that if I can better remember the locations of some really great
scriptures, I will also be able to internalize the doctrine of those
scriptures and use that as well to convey the message of Joy and Peace
that we have to give to the world.
So here's a quick spiritual thought before the washer finishes behind
me and I have to get off the computer (I am typing in the Laundry Room
right now. Gotta love the smell of dryer sheets and warm white shirts). This Sunday
we watched an MTC devotional from Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the 12
Apostles called "Character of Christ." To sum up his hour long talk in
like 5 sentences, he talked about how the while the natural man (Mosiah 3:19)
is like the cookie monster, always turning inward and wanting more cookies
for himself and wanting them RIGHT NOW, the character of Christ is
constantly turning outward. Character means moral qualities strongly
developed, strikingly displayed, and constantly exercised. The examples
of this Character of Christ, his turning outward when the natural man would
selfishly turn inward, are displayed constantly throughout the scriptures.
Just one small example: after suffering for all of mankind in the Garden
of Gethsemane, Christ didn't spend time thinking about his incredible
sacrifice, he healed a guard's superficial ear wound. After suffering
for all the infirmities, weaknesses, sins, and faults of all of mankind,
even bleeding from every pore, Christ took the time and effort to HEAL A
MEASLY EAR. That is just one of the many examples in the scriptures of
Christ's character, and so I would challenge you all back at home to
read the scriptures looking for ways in which that perfect character is
manifest, for as we increase in our understanding of the contrast
between the natural man and the character of Christ, we will obtain
those spiritual gifts we need so that we become truly converted and
never fall away. That is a promise from Elder Bednar, an Apostle of God.
Next time you are tempted to think of yourself, or finding yourself
whining in your mind about the things that you want, like the cookie monster, get over yourself and be Christlike. Find someone to serve, and
you will find a joy far greater than any worldy cookie. Except maybe
those Costco chocolate chip ones....
No definitely even better than that.
Speaking of Costco, I don't think they have those in Honduras. *Slow tear trickling down my cheek*
I
love all of you back at home and I will keep you in my prayers. Say a
few for me as well, because Heaven knows I need all the help I can get!
Love,
Elder Moffitt
Reunited with fellow Trojan, Elder Dan Linderman, at the MTC
Fight On!
The army of missionaries walking back from the devotional at the BYU Marriott Center.
Pretty cool.
The "temple walk" from the MTC to the Provo Temple
The Provo Temple
The Provo Temple
No comments:
Post a Comment