Tuesday, July 26, 2011 4:25 AM
Message body
Hello my dear Family,
I love you all and want you to know a miracle that happened this week...
Brother PAN WAS BAPTIZED!!!!
I am so happy for him and I know that it was the best choice he could have made at this time in his life. I have seen a great change in him as we have taught him. His smile has gotten bigger and brighter. His excitement about our visits has grown each time. He has read the scriptures, prayed, and attended church when about four months ago he had probably never picked up a bible, let alone the Book of Mormon. He has also never worn a shirt and tie before. But he looked great and I know that he felt something different. I am sure that as he is able to listen to the word of the Lord he will be guided in his life decisions. Now he knows what answers to look for. I love him and I know that he has been a great blessing to my progress as a missionary as well.
Before that day I had never had to prepare a baptism, neither had our Ward Mission Leader. Everything was left up to me. It was difficult to know what to do. I am so happy that I remembered we were given a worksheet to know what needed to be on the baptismal program. We invited everyone we could and I know that Brother Pan will be taken great care of with the Home Teachers he has been assigned.
Brother Jin was also able to come. Do you remember him? He was the first person I was able to baptize back in Cupertino :) I hadn't seen or talked to him in about a year. He is still a great young man and I hope that this baptism reminded him of his own. Also, an investigator who I had taught in Cupertino came just because she heard that I would be there. It made my heart fill with gratitude that I could be that important to her. She still hasn't been baptized, but she comes to church and activities. I think a part of it is her daughter. She wasn't baptized before because she wanted to know what her daughter thought of the church. Now I think she wants to help her daughter feel comfortable in not believing as well. I hope that she also felt something at the baptism. It was a wonderful day.
Brother Jin was also able to come. Do you remember him? He was the first person I was able to baptize back in Cupertino :) I hadn't seen or talked to him in about a year. He is still a great young man and I hope that this baptism reminded him of his own. Also, an investigator who I had taught in Cupertino came just because she heard that I would be there. It made my heart fill with gratitude that I could be that important to her. She still hasn't been baptized, but she comes to church and activities. I think a part of it is her daughter. She wasn't baptized before because she wanted to know what her daughter thought of the church. Now I think she wants to help her daughter feel comfortable in not believing as well. I hope that she also felt something at the baptism. It was a wonderful day.
Just before the baptism President Watkins, the new mission president, walked in. I was happy and nervous to see him. The baptism went well with a few mistakes but I am sure those will be forgotten as time goes on. The thing that I will remember most is the Spirit that I felt in the meeting and that is most important. I love President Watkins! He is a wonderful man who understands how to work with people. I am sure that is why he is such a remarkable buisnessman. I am sure he is doing well, along with his wife and family. The blessings the Lord has for him are being poured out as he is able to continue in faith.
This Sunday I learned more of faith and how our Heavenly Father works with us. We were talking of President Uchtdorf's talk from this past general conference "The Road to Demascus". As we talked my mind connected this talk with that of Elder Bednar when he talked of receiving revelation. One of the brothers in our Priesthood Meeting said that you can either be in an upward spiral or a downward spiral, whether you are obeying all of the commandments or not if you continue to have faith and use your faith you will be in an upwards spiral. You will constantly be progressing. Too often when we do something wrong we stop doing what is good because we feel we don't deserve it. Never stop praying, never stop reading your scriptures, and never stop going to church. These are essential for our progression in the gospel. I have seen in my life as I do things wrong it is because I have stopped praying or stopped studying the scriptures. This leads to less and less control of our lives..I know this to be true from personal experience. But, if we do something wrong and continue to do that which is right after our mistake we show the Lord that we desire more than anything to stop and never do it again. This brings me to the talk from Elder Bednar. Too many people desire to have all of the bad things taken away, everything to be made perfect including themselves. Relating this to revelation, they desire for the light in the room to be turned on. This takes away all personal growth. But, if we make mistakes and continue to do that which is right we learn and grow to understand the importance of keeping God's commandments. In relation to revelation this is the Sun slowly rising in the morning. If we stop reading, praying, and attending church we stop that sun from rising and allow it to set.
In the scriptures prophets such as Enos, Nephi, and the Brother of Jared are cleansed of sin, but a term that is used in each case is "because of your faith." It was because of their constant faith in allowing that sun to rise that they slowly were able to get rid of the darkness in their lives and fill it with light. They became more and more like their Heavenly Father and that is why they were able to hear the voice of the Lord, or, in some cases, see God. Their constan faith brought the sanctification of the Holy Ghost because of their accepting the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that as we are able to continue in faith, reading the scriptures, praying, and attending church, we will be blessed to "deny [ourselves] of all ungodliness" (Moroni 10:32) and eventually be "brought back into [our Heavenly Father's] presence" (Ether 3:13). I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. I have seen it work in the lives of many others and I know that there is nothing that can keep us from growth in the gospel except our own choices. Choose to have faith and you will be blessed. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sincerely,
Elder Christensen
