I remember a childhood song, and the
rain rain rain came down down down and piglet started sailing! haha we have had
a lot of rain!!! Its sort of hard to dry your clothes out when it rains every
afternoon and through the night and especially on the day you need to wash your
clothes and you wake up and its raining, its quite the rain. Tapachula is known
in the mission as the place with the most rain! and well i sort of feel like
I’m living in Indiana once again because when it rains it pours and with the
down pour rain you have the lightning and thunder coming from all directions
and Elder Reyes has never been in a thunderstorm so loud and bright in his
life! Its sort of a crazy experience haha. but its a great experience! one he will
never forget I'm sure. let the rain fall down because it sure is a blessing
from god!! What a great blessing it is to have these natural things, rain,
lightning, wind and lots of great things!! what a blessing it is to live in the
rain forest haah oh wait I'm not living in a rain forest. i just hope that i
can put on a dry shirt tomorrow. haha
Anyways this week I have been really
inspired by the things i am reading in the Book of Mormon. Wow what a great
blessing i am reading!!! I'm talking about a king we all should be familiar with
his name is King Benjamin and wow he has some words that just sink down into
your soul and testify to your heart that these things are true. but it was more
the preparation that the people had. let me explain "And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they
pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, consisting
of his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their
daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate
one from another. And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every
man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they
might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak
unto them;" all of the people came up to hear their king, but they did
more than that they sat together as a family with their "tent" doors
open and their "hearts" open as well isn't it fascinating how the
small things are important to get the whole picture? here they are 3 chapters
later this is what King Benjamin says and well i would like to share this with
you today. . he says "And under this
head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free.
There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that
ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the
covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. And it
shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand
of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be
called by the name of Christ”. what powerful words. I would like to explain
this through a scripture us as missionaries recite every week. Doctrine and
Covenants 4.
"Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among
the children of men." What is this marvelous
work? Isaiah says, “Therefore,
behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a
marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hi”. its a marvelous
work and a wonder? Fascinating, this work is the work of salvation, as king
Benjamin says "And under this head
ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There
is no other name given whereby salvation cometh, therefore, take upon you the
name of Christ" we as members of Christ church have "taken upon
us the name of Christ” but as it says in Alma 5:38-39 “Behold, I say unto you, that the good Shepherd doth call you; yea, and
in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will
not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are
called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd. And now if ye are
not the asheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto
you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can
deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child
of the devil”. So we have a call made out that the good Shepard who is
Christ has called us and if we listen we will be saved if we don’t well you
just read it we will be named under a different name and that name isn't a good
one. so we have a work to do. the work of salvation is to help these people who
don’t know the way to come unto Christ, and as he has said, “I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the
shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the
sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The
hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep,
and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and
I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10 11-15) We are his hands
and well we need to make sure the sheep who are lost come back intro the fold
so we are protected as Jesus said. We know by what name we are called but do
our friends? Lets continue
D&C 4:2 “Therefore, O ye that embark in the service
of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength,
that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. it says we need to
serve him with all we have interesting right all we have isn't well if i want
to or if i feel it, its all! every single bit of every power and force we have
in our bodyies and spirits. its hard but we can do it. Therefore, if ye
have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
I like one word here if we have
"desires" to serve we are called. Behold, there are many
called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? " (Doc.& Cov.
121:34) We are chosen because he knows we are ready! he knows that you are
ready for the assignment to work in the greatest work that has been know unto
men. so are you chosen or are just being called and called and you don't want
to answer the call. we have lots of things going on in life but we can do this
work while we are doing these things! and well we can let them know how great
this work is by the way we are. everyone needs this message and you are the way
they will know it. so do you have the desire to serve god?
:4 “For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that
thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he
perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul; 35 Say not ye, There
are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your
eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. the people
are ready for your message your invitation your love. so well where are you?
are you in or are you out? there isnt a maybe there is only yes or n0. and well
it better be a yes haha. so pick up your new sickle and lets harvest so that it
maybe a blessing for others. And faith, hope, charity and love, with an
eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. with an eye single in
the glory of god”.
The light of the body is the eye: if
therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. if you
are in the work your eye is on his glory and you can share the light within
your "eye" so that others may see your works and glorify god as well.
39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)
We are here to bring this eternal
life to everyone if we are in the work we help them know by what name they are
called.
:6 “Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience,brotherly
kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence”. Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you. Amen”.
Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and
he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”.
(Matt. 7:7-8)
Anyone who "prays" received.
if we need help in this work we can ask and well you will receive and we can search
the scriptures and it will be explained what we need. This life is for
man to prepare to meet god we are the way they can prepare and they can find
eternal life through us. “But this much I can tell you, that if ye do
not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and
observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have
heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye
must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not." (king Benjamin
Mosiah 4:30) remember who's team we are on. The Lord will help us in all the
things we need we are on his team and well need more members of this team its
only through our desires to work and through our eyes being single to his glory
that we can do it. so if you need help, do as Elder Nelson has said, Ask the
missionaries they can help you." that's what we do best. but we cant
complete our job with out you. I have been super inspired spiritually trough
the words of King Benjamin what a wonderful work we are in! i love this work!! And
what a blessing it is!!! enjoy the week and remember sharing the Gospel is easy
it just starts with a conversations with a FRIEND. love you all!!
Elder Jaymes Monson
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