...and a happy new year,
I think of this beautiful scripture as one of the themes from my first, and only, a full year in the mission. As I have reflected on this past week and this past year, I have noticed a pattern of sorts in my own personal conversion. Without fail, every time I find myself coming closer to God, I realize more and more just how weak I really am. To paraphrase one of my Institute teachers, "the closer we come to being like Christ, the more we realize how messed up we are." However, Christ truly finds beauty in imperfection, and it is in his character to glory in the weak. It is no coincidence that choosing to follow him transforms us into a more realistic, weaker version of ourselves- we evolve through weakness to be something worth working with. Some people view weakness as a step backward... but weakness is really the first step to strength. Every time I have come to the Lord with my weaknesses, he had made much more out of them than I ever could have. Sure, it took a heart full of humility, but in due time those weaknesses that I was most afraid to admit have in turn become my proudest strengths. God truly is a master artisan, who can make much more out our lives than we can, if we would only surrender who we are for what he knows we can be. And that my friends are the theme of this scroll and the theme of this year... it's time to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and to change the unchangeable in the SLIDELL SCROLLS: CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE.
There is another interesting thing about the scripture above. The Lord gives us weaknesses – not sin, but weaknesses – so that we may be humble. Think about that for a moment. If we were perfect in every respect, it would be hard to be humble. Even in specific things, humility comes harder to those who are very strong in one area or another. The woman or man who is remarkably beautiful or handsome can easily become proud of her or his appearance. A brilliant scholar may look down in condescension on those less intellectually blessed. Our weaknesses help us to be humble. And through those weaknesses, we can greater appreciate our strengths through a filter of humility and acknowledge the master artisan and his great workshop of mercy.
How is everyone doing? This week was one of great miracles, as always. TIME TO GET THIS SCROLL ROLLING:
The greatest sound I've ever heard is the sound of water running in the church-- that is, if you fill the font early enough and don't have to shuttle a grandiose amounts of gallons across the church to make sure the sacred space is warm enough for those participating to have a comfortable time with the ordinance.
WE HAD A TWO-FER HERE IN THE PROMISED LAND.
One of the most beloved daughters of God we have been working with has truly personified a quote we have grown to love this week,
"No matter how we find it, the gospel of Jesus Christ is worth sacrificing anything for."
If this woman ain't one of the Lords elect yall. She originally came to church with the intent of proving our doctrine false and confounding our foolish ways and found herself in a struggle with the spirit and the most undeniable feeling that this church was indeed true. Her fianceé of two years had already been a member of the church and was content with an interfaith relationship, but as soon as she felt the sweet peace the gospel brings, she knew they had to be married for her to make a covenant with her Heavenly Father. So it was said and so it was done...
On December 29th, 2018 they were married and she was baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- and in this, I found pure joy. Happiness may come from the world but joy comes from our father in Heaven.
Have you ever felt as though every fiber of your heart is purely integrated with strands and fibers of eternal happiness, and is pulsating with the vibrations of incomprehensible divinity- that your heart could just leap out of your chest with angelic flight as it soars through the skies of sanctity and into the happiest place on Earth?
That is the feeling of every missionary who proudly witnesses a premortal promise fulfilled in a baptismal font.
As a matter of fact, in the past week in Slidell we have been privileged to embrace four new members of the church- and I must testify that I know that this church IS INDEED the church of Jesus Christ on the earth today and the only true and living church that upholds the proper authority and priesthood power to baptize in the name of Christ and to bind on Earth what is bound in heaven. I have a testimony of the comfort and purification that accompanies baptism by this proper authority and cannot deny the confirming witness I have felt that the authority to perform these ordinances and fulfill these covenants is held only in true church, even, the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. And I don't only say this as a representative of the church or as a brain-washed missionary- but as a curious son of God who knows that God answers prayers and cannot argue with the Spirit, he has felt. If you're reading this and you feel incomplete, empty, or unclean I STRONGLY encourage and exhort you to make a new years resolution out of preparing yourself to enter into the sacred and holy waters of baptism. And for those of you who are already members, develop daily habits to keep your covenants. Make a goal to allot time every day to remember Christ and the promises you have made with him. Strive to make decisions that further cleanse and qualify you to have the spirit with you always. As his representative, I can promise a strengthened relationship with the savior, a more guided life, an irreplaceable peace, a firm conviction of truth, and so much more to those of you who follow through with this invitation. The church is true yall, I can't deny it, and that's why I can make these promises because as a promised person in the promised land, I felt the truth of these promises and promise the truth to you all if you follow them.
Well, other than the two-fer, this week was an exhilarating and exhausting combination of teaching and testifying and inviting and helping others to come unto Christ. For those of you who haven't resolved to change this coming year yet, I invite you to make Christ-centered resolutions to better follow and become more like Him! Whether it be daily scripture study or a consistent family prayer- in the end, if you have chosen Christ you will have chosen correctly, but if you have not, it will not matter what you have chosen. So CHOOSE CHRIST! And make him the center of your year and your life, and you will never regret your choice to choose him.
I can earnestly say that I have loved and treasured an entire year to serve the Lord and the people of Lousiana. I think in this one year I have changed more than in all the other years combined- and that is entirely because I gave my life to Christ instead of keeping it for myself. Every second, every year, every testimony, every door, every companion, every area, every principle, every prayer, every weakness, every strength, every person, every scripture, every revelation, every word, every ounce of sweat, every drop of blood, every doubt, every fear, and every tear has changed me from a victim to myself to a disciple of Christ. This year will forever go down in eternity as the year I decided to stop thinking or myself and to start thinking of others- to lose myself in the service of the Lord and find the person he needs me to be. 2018 has been a year of opportunity and conversion and I look forward to another 10 months in 2019 to continue to press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, to serve him and his children, and to become what he needs me to be. One year is a small price to pay to have a life given to me. And I'm excited to give another 10 months to see what else the Lord has in store for this Elder.
AND THAT was our scroll for this week! I hope you learned something- if anything, please be comfortable with being uncomfortable and with being weak. Weakness is not a sin. You do not need to repent for being imperfect- God already know s that, and it is impossible for you to forsake what he already expects you to be. If you think you're a broken vessel, the beautiful news of the Gospel is that if you come unto Him, everything that is broken becomes fixed. Make this NEW year the best one in your own personal ministry by choosing Christ and choosing to make resolutions to follow him! I am personally so blessed and excited to spend another year in the bayou... so look out for more scrolls... because like we always should with Christ, 2019 will be a year to remember. HAVE A GREAT WEEK YALL! ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU.
Be sober 2018, farewell
Elder Boyd
This Week's Facebook Post
A simple phrase for 365 days.
In the spirit of resolutions for the new year, I can think of no greater request, no greater goal, and no greater love than to hearken to the Saviors simple petition to follow him.
How will you better follow the Savior this year?
What habits will you create to catalyze conversion and Christlike behavior?
New years resolutions are truly just opportunities to repent and become new creatures in Christ through righteous patterns of living and spiritual yearnings. And when the two come together... eternity and time combine.
The best time to make goals to become like the Savior was twenty years ago... the second best time is NOW. So make this new year the best one yet as you prioritize the savior and accept his invitation to follow him.
This Week's Pics:
No comments:
Post a Comment