SLIDELL SCROLLS: TWENTY-SIX

Happy Holidays home boys and girls,

One way in which I have been converted on my mission is made manifest in the amount of attention I paid at Stake Conference this weekend. I'll be honest, I wasn't one of the snoozers in the back pew, but I certainly had my distractions. In case you were wondering there are indeed 12 hanging lights in the above portion of the chapel in my home ward. Anyways, I wasn't the most attentive squirrel in the colony, but I have certainly seen great change in myself from this weekend as I truly feasted upon the great meal that the Lord's appointed servants cooked up this weekend. I hope you TOO found yourself more converted as you have acknowledged your weakness and gloried in the opportunity to be strengthened through Christ. This week could be summarized in one word... OPTIMISM! Optimism through the spirit, and optimism about the work... so saddle on your happy pants friends and family, 'cause we gonna get joyous in this weeks edition of the SLIDELL SCROLLS: TWENTY-SIX.

In the paraphrased words of Elder Bednar, it wasn't so much of what was said... but what was felt that helped me most. I strongly exhort you all to write down the impressions you have when listening to your leaders. Whether it be conference or even a Relief Society luncheon, you will benefit most from what you feel, not what is said. Follow even the little promptings, every whisper of the spirit is worth listening to. But don't just listen... ACT! Faith without works is dead, but impression without initiative is just as muerto. AS you obey, the impressions from the spirit will come more frequently, becoming closer and closer to a constant companionship. As a matter of fact, if you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost today, you may take it as evidence that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is working in your life. SO, take this opportunity, in the season of giving, to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost! I think it no coincidence that the world feels most edified and motivated to serve one another consequently in the same period of time that we celebrate the birth of the Savior... Perhaps the reason people feel so willing to give, is because they feel the Spirit? Perhaps the reason this is everyone's favorite time of the year... is because that favorite feeling is the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. As missionaries, all we do is invite people we help every day to feel like Christmas. To make every day, a day accompanied by his sacred companionship. Imagine if you could feel, how you feel around Christmas, all year around? Ask the missionaries, they can help you. 

The promptings and impressions I felt this Stake Conference was individually catered to satisfy my spiritual appetites. A few needed nuggets the spirit prompted me to feel  during this weekend's 184th semi-annual Stake Conference: 

• God knows we are weak and simple. So, why should we expect ourselves to be any more than what God already expects us to be?
• Most people we teach as missionaries aren't only kept from the truth because they don't know they don't have it. 
• Our homes should be a reflection of the temples that we are. A place of reverence- the temple may be the house of the Lord but are homes should be houses for the Lord. 
• When we are impatient with imperfection we are denying the purpose of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

It truly was an edifying instruction that will help me as I continue to help the men and women who will help themselves come unto Christ.

The rest of this week was just, as my other son Elder Cox would call it, an absolute grind. The rains have poured down, but the "sons"( of God) came up! We may have been rejected but not once were we ever dejected! There's actually a super awesome insight in Preach My Gospel that totally applied to this week, 

“Discouragement will weaken your faith. If you lower your expectations, your effectiveness will decrease, your desire will weaken, and you will have greater difficulty following the Spirit...When you have done your very best, you may still experience disappointments, but you will not be disappointed in yourself. You can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when you feel the Spirit working through you.”

Although we may not have baptized every day, we didn't let a moment go by where our enthusiasm wasn't a hundred percent. We street balled with the best handles of Miss Franklin's third-grade class. After dunking on my boy Jabari, we earned, "respect" and are now teaching their families the Gospel. I'm sure if Ammon could, he would ball up with King Lamoni instead of cleaning his stables and then teach him the Gospel. We went puddle jumping with a humble Honduran family after the great storm of '18 and shared the Light the World message shortly after. We knocked on a door and a woman said, "you better give me that book"  (referring to the Book of Mormon in Elder Jones hand) and covenanted with us that she'd have it read by the morning. There were SO many tender mercies throughout the course of our affliction that we couldn't help but rejoice. 

God is so good y'all. 

Well, that'll be about it for me this week. We were so blessed and I can't say even the smallest part of how happy and motivated this work makes me. It is the utmost blessing to share the Gospel with my brothers and sisters. I love you all! I have a testimony that his church is truer than true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and through our Savior Jesus Christ, we can all fulfill our purpose in mortality and return to live with our Heavenly Father again in a state of eternal happiness! Don't forget to think about how you feel... to follow every prompting... to be content with being weak, and to NEVER BE DISCOURAGED! You are enough... and those words will change you if you let them. LOVE Y'ALL! HAVE A GREAT WEEK! 

From a spiritually nourished saint,

Elder Boyd

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Merry Christmas Everyone! 

"The same God that placed the star in a precise orbit millennia before it appeared over Bethlehem has given equal attention to the placement of each of us in precise human orbits, so that our light may not only lead others but warm them as well."

In this holiday season, I am most grateful for loves pure light; Jesus Christ. All truly can be calm and bright through the light and life that is our Savior. And although we may not be the light OF the world we can be lights IN the world. In this holiday season, we not only remember and commemorate our Savior but embrace the opportunity to serve and become like him. 

Radiant beams will glow from your holy face and glories will truly stream from heaven afar as you strive to consecrate Christmas this season and become more like the Savior. To become a light even as he IS the light. 

Though the night may be silent, it need not be dark. Perhaps, the spirit speaks loudest in silence and as we embrace our every day promptings we truly can light the world, one light at a time. 

I invite each of you to expect miracles. To share miracles. To be miracles. To expect light. To share the light. To BE the light.

Even as he is loves pure light we truly can illuminate every silent night as we consecrate Christmas through Christ. 

#LightTheWorld
#LBRMSingingSunday