SLIDELL SCROLLS: CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Merry Christmas Mother of all Living everyone,

As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

I add my testimony that Jesus is the Christ. That he is the reason for the season. That by him and through him and of him the worlds are and were created and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters of God. May we all try a little harder to think a little more of the savior in this special time. May your worlds be lit and your halls decked with boughs of holly. ITS CHRISTMAS IN SLIDELL YALL AND WE FINNA ROLL OUT A FESTIVE SCROLL in, SLIDELL SCROLLS: CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT. 

Have you ever wondered what the "mas" at the end of Christmas stands for? 

For those of you who speak español, perhaps mas could mean more! Maybe God in his infinite wisdom created a perfect name for a favorite holiday by pointing out the thoughts of the world... right under their noses might I add... to think MORE of Christ during the holiday season! I know that personally, I maintain my Christmas spirit throughout the year when I focus on Christ. I am more willing to be giving and charitable, as one would in the twelve days before Christmas, throughout the year! 

Or perhaps, there is more to the mas than meets the eye- mas could be an acronym. My Atoning Savior. When you think of Christmas... you could think of CHRIST, (your) atoning savior! Truly, this is a time to deeply ponder not necessarily only what you can do for others but what Christ had done for you. 

Christmas is really a call to repentance as I reflect on how I can be more like the Savior and follow in his example in helping others to feel a fullness of joy. We can actually learn a lot about the Gospel of Jesus Christ from this day of joy and gladness: 

PRESENTING- A CHRISTMAS COMPARISON- THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST(MAS). 

Christmas teaches us to have faith. To have faith is to believe in something that is not seen which is true. Do we not believe in the unknown when the silver bells start ringing? The polar express teaches us the power of faith. Belief is enough to make the bell ring. Belief is also enough to become like the King of Kings. To not only believe IN the goodness of others but to believe them too! Christmas teaches that although we may not have a surety of our faith, we can be comfortable with belief. Belief is enough to see the miracles... 

"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a PARTICLE of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."

Christmas teaches us to repent. To repent is to change. Do we not make every attempt to become more LIKE the Savior as we subsequently strive to remember him and his birth? I certainly do. Christmas encourages us to be better, to develop Christlike attributes, and to change our thoughts, actions, and behavior to think of others over ourselves. 

"Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such, I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved." 

And together they bring about a change in us! And through that change, we become more converted to Christ(mas) throughout the year. 

"And behold, ye do know of yourselves, for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them." 

Christmas teaches us to be kind, to love unconditionally, to be an example, to be humble, to get creative with service, to share the gospel, to prioritize Christ, and to remember his sacrifice. This is why this is my favorite holiday. My three favorite things... family, Jesus, and cinnamon scented pine cones. When they come together the spirit cannot be denied. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good year of remembering the Savior and becoming more like him! 

This week was really an internalizing of the true meaning of Christmas. 

OH AND WE HAD A WHITE CHRISTMAS! 

Over the past seven months, I have found family in a place far from home. As you become more acquainted with Gods children your testimony of the premortal existence will increase- guaranteed! Well, this particular family has been dear to my heart, and this past weekend I had the opportunity of performing the ordinance of baptism for one of their sons. This sacred experience is one I will never forget! Y'all, baptism through the proper authority is both irreplaceable and essential. Earlier this week, we had a couple who we've been teaching tell us that three baptisms were enough! They understood that, yes we may have a claim on some special, "responsibility " as they called it, but that three baptisms MUST have gotten the job done along the way. Well, as we sat there in the silence of the spirit, I personally saw how much I had grown in the past 14 months of my mission...

Instead of sulking and mourning the loss of another elect, on account of my inexperience and in articulation in the gospel, I proceeded to bear solemn and sincere testimony of how III had come to know this church was true. I shared scripture after scripture (evidence that this bible study is paying off) about how relevant and integral authority was in Christ's church and how ABSOLUTELY essential it would be in our day! The spirit was tangible, and after all, was said and done... he looked at us and said, "makes sense, let's do this." 

This is Christ's church! And in this season of remembrance, I invite you all to pray to know for yourselves which church is true! I bear genuine witness that I have come to know for myself that the proper authority is on the Earth today and through the covenants and ordinances made at baptism, we can truly live with our families together forever. 

Other than that, I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas! Thank you so much, to everyone, for helping me to realize more of who I really am. If I have learned anything this week, it is that Christ was made for Christmas and that I truly have changed since serving the Lord for the last little bit... and I owe most of that change to all of you! So thank you! You are all Christmas miracles to me and I sincerely pray that you all receive the Lords richest blessings in this great time of joy! I love you all! MERRY CHRISTMAS FAMILY. ELDER VIYD LOVES YOU!! 

From a Christmas convert,

Elder Boyd

This Week's Facebook Post:

Merry Christmas everyone,

Too often we think of Angel's as heavenly beings with wings that visit only on special spiritual occasions.

But have you ever considered yourself... an angel?

We are all heavenly beings who don't need wings to be angels.

Sometimes the best prayers are answered through others. Sometimes a powerful prompting can provide just the peace to some person in need. Perhaps it is in US, as children of God, to be angels to those who need it most.

Are we not all messengers? Do we not all bring good tidings of great joy through the sweet peace brought by the Restoration of the Gospel?

Everytime you pray to have an experience to help someone in need, you can be a ministering angel. We can comfort those that stand in need of comfort and mourn with those who mourn. Heaven is heaven to the heavenly and earth can be a heaven on earth when we all choose to be Angel's.

Then we can join the concourses of our friends in heaven in singing holy praises to him who is most angelic- may we all sing on high this Christmas season as we contemplate the ways that we can be Angel's in the lives of others.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

#LBRMSingingSunday
-#lighttheworld

This Week's Pictures:

SLIDELL SCROLLS: CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Happy Holidays homo sapiens,

For those of you who feel broken or inadequate this Christmas, for those who feel like that on gingerbread cookie with the deformed gumdrop button, for the Christmas tree that just can't quite  between the ceiling and the floor, for the dim Christmas light in the pack of 200, for the reindeer who gets laughed at and called all the names, for that one who with unbelief couldn't hear the bell, for the ornament that didn't quite make the Christmas tree cut, and for the little engine that just... couldn't... THIS IS FOR YOU. As one of the most imperfect lives that has ever lived and certainly that one gingerbread man you probably wouldn't eat.. I welcome you to a festive edition of the SLIDELL SCROLLS: CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN.

In this holiday season, we remember and commemorate the most perfect life that ever has or ever will live. Yet, for some reason, we seem to forget that just because he was perfect, doesn't mean we need to be the same. And being perfect didn't mean he had it easy? Need I remind you that the Savior of the World was born in a lowly manger, of humble circumstances, persecuted and reviled of men, convicted on spurious charges, and marked for blasphemy for being himself and being different? Yet, he was perfect. Perhaps perfection isn't a matter of DOING more but is being more. Christ was different. So MAYBE we need to let ourselves be broken to be a little more perfect? Isn't that the Character of Christ? To work with weak things? As we focus on lighting the world, we need not think that in order for us to shine brightest we need to be perfect. As a matter of fact, we need not shine to be seen at all... but rather, we shine so that through us OTHERS can see him. One of the most broken lives was also the most perfect... Perhaps we should GLORY in our brokenness, especially as we remember the fractured son of God, for in that we find true light. A familiar poem comes to mind as we ponder our need for imperfection this holiday season,

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering 

There is a crack in everything

That’s how the light gets in.  

RING THE BELLS THAT STILL CAN RING. Focus on who you are not who you aren't. Glory in the perfect creation that Christ has made you and rejoice in the imperfections that allow you to be one step closer to becoming like Him. As we spend each day increasing our own light we simultaneously decrease the darkness in others. That's one thing I learned this week... as representatives of Jesus Christ, when we aren't with God's children, Satan is with them. That is if they are left without the companionship of the Holy Ghost... What GREAT need there is to share this gospel and share ourselves with those who need it/us most! We are, in essence, "chasers of darkness" as extensions of the light of the world. And something we keep sharing with others, intimidated by the task of lighting the whole WORLD. is that just with planting seeds... one light goes a long way. As we individually light one life at a time, eventually we will find that little by little a little becomes a lot. And that little light you once lit... has, in turn, illuminated several others... and in turn, you'll find that the whole world is a light. We are here to influence the world not be influenced by the world. To be in the world not of the world also means to light the world, not let the world light you. NOW is the time to start becoming the person you want to be and NOW is the time to start lighting the lives you need to light. 

I am SO beyond privileged to share the light of Christ with those who need it most! Always remember the wise words of Elder Holland, "it is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement shines." And I would add some Boyd doctrine *casually throws tie over shoulder*, it is not possible for you to be so broken as to not let the light get in. 

Do you remember in the scriptures when Adam sacrifices animals to the Lord without a preconceived notion as to the doctrine behind his actions? We learned a valuable lesson this week that was learned first in the scriptures (Moses 5:5-7)...

 5 And he gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedientunto the commandments of the Lord.

6 And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.

7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.

Yeah, this was basically me and every other missionary in the world for the past... century or so in regards to missionary work. There is a pattern here that was made evident to me through the spirit of revelation as we enjoyed another conference this week. T'is the season for a Christmas Zone Conference- where President Varner dressed up as Santa... name a better mission President... I'll wait.. ANYWAYS, in short, we were given the higher law this week. Up to this point in my mission, like Adam, we followed the law of obedience and did work in the way that we supposed the Lord had commanded. This was a preparatory work for the higher law we were endowed with this Thursday. I truly believe that because we were willing to obey without a knowledge of what would have been most effective, we were prepared for this evolution! NOW, we focus more on the planning and more on the people and I LOVE IT! The spirit was so strong when they announced it and I can't wait for the ways in which the work will be elevated with this new and holier way of doing the work of the Lord. Watch out Satan... we just got an upgrade. :) 

After a strenuous stressful week with stubborn Southerners, Elder Jones and I took a glance back at our week and realized that we had spent a total of one hour working with our people this week. Between an unholy amount of service hours, exchanges, and a crazy cool conference for the Zone, we hadn't neglected our people, but in doing what God wanted to do, our plan to meet with our army of the elect was not in his will. HOWEVER, after a long Saturday of moving and grooving, we found ourselves with an hour to contact- #blessings. Now, the PREVIOUS missionaries of the LBRM would've spent this precious time shredding our knuckles on doors, but NO not this dynamic two! Through the inspiration of the spirit, we decided to go the distance to visit someone on the outskirts of our area... and after the fact, I have a testimony that God guides his hardworking missionaries because this was exactly what we were supposed to do. 

When we arrived and walked inside the whole family was cuddled on a king-sized mattress in the middle of the floor- all engaged in a riveting episode of Sponge-bob Square-pants (surprisingly popular in the South?). HOWEVER, in the corner of my eye, I caught the gem of the evening... an opened copy of the Book of Mormon! Turns out, they had just finished reading the Book of Jarom (specific) as a family and decided to wind down from their spiritual chow-down with some harmless cartoons. We ended up having the most incredible discussion! Testifying of the strength the Book of Mormon provides to families and promising great blessings for receiving and living worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. They had sensational questions about the Fall of Adam and Eve and gospel learning in the home that could all be answered through the Book of Mormon. The husband even said, "you guys have a special glow around you. I want my kids to have that glow." They have now come to church and will be preparing to be baptized, contingent on the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. WE NEEDED THIS. After a crazy week, God knew what Spirit we needed to feel... he knew what lesson we needed to have... I have a testimony that God knows us and our needs and desires and is SO willing to fulfill them if we have faith in Him! Teaching this family was the exact pick-me-up we needed to have faith in ourselves and the converting power of the Gospel. This church is so true y'all... if you doubt it, I have a good book you can read to help you out with your answer. ;) 

Well yall, that was this week in a nutshell! It was pretty busy... pretty crazy... but also pretty miraculous! We are so fortunate to be serving the Lord and couldn't feel more blessed. As for all of you, I'd invite you to BE broken and to let the light in! To be lights in the world and to ponder on holier and higher ways that you can live YOUR life better! Have a great week before Christmas yall! ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU!! 

From the lit-est homo sapien on this side of the bayou,

Elder Boyd

This Week's FB Post

Joy.

Joy is in our personal potential to become like Heavenly Father. It is through Jesus Christ that we can perfect this potential. Through Jesus Christ we find joy.

President Nelson has put it this way, "the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives." How true? We fulfill our purposes in mortality when we focus on joy. It matters not what happens to us... but what happens inside of us.

I testify that as we center Christmas in Christ, as we focus on him and his sacrifice, no circumstance will matter because we will have found enduring joy in the Savior. We will find the most joy- as he is the joy of the world! And joy be to the world, for through Christ and his infinite atoning sacrifice we can achieve our ultimate potential of finding true joy and becoming like our Heavenly Father.

#LightTheWorld
#LBRMSingingSunday

This Week's Pictures:

Zone Conference

This is one of several families that every missionary mom hopes will be there for her son when he's on his mission.  The Cunningham's have loved Elder Boyd as if he were their own.  

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