THE GONZALES GAZETTE: CHAPTER THIRTEEN

You know what they say, a lot can happen in three days.

*Alluding to the fact that I last inscribed the head things upon these plates three reigns of judges ago... assuming that a judges' life span is 24 hours.*

Three days later... 

I've learned a lot in the past three days-- I mean, it is the Lord's university we are enrolled in after all. The only way you learn nothing from a professor is to do nothing-- nothingness cleaves unto nothingness. Well, as we have been anxiously engaged in the best cause this week, we have truly been about to cleave unto the King of something, even Jesus Christ. To paraphrase the lessons I have learned, it could be summed up in a simple phrase; "by the grace of God, I am what I am." I am answered. I am worthy. I am free. I am enough. I am loved. I am a child of God. Having prayed for charity, I am filled with his grace. Having feasted upon his words, I reflect and rejoice. I feel...joy. I feel as Alma did, "[singing] the song of redeeming love, having experienced a mighty change of heart and, [feeling so NOW!]." It is as if, I was Prometheus, of whom it was said, he was shackled, bound, chained... left only to be separated from himself by the villain of his soul-- but now I am free. Free from the bonds of a self-inflicted chain-- yes, you heard that right. May the lesson be learned, that as children of God we are the ones who bind ourselves. Satan only has the power that you give to him. And oftentimes, it is through that bondage, that we distance ourselves from who we really are. We allow Satan, and the winged servants who uphold his work, to stick their beaks into our spirits, with the separating tear of divine identity. The moment we realize that those chains are tethered by our personal agency is the same time we break. free. Sometimes we are chained by decisions, sometimes disobedience, sometimes people in our lives, and sometimes... our doubts and our fears are the very links in the chain that immobilize us from conquering Satan and his pathetic chicken army. When we choose to act in faith and to act righteously, we, "shake off the awful chains by which [we] are bound" and start to soar. We are capable of flying if we let ourselves go. To put off the natural man (Mosiah 3:19)  is to choose to fly. And to conquer Satan also means to conquer ourselves... Those pieces of adequacy and worth that Satan tries to so subtly separate from us, deserve to stay. I too, feel free. I feel deserving of the flight. And I am determined to take my chains, to bind my eagles, and to fly. Welcome to fly school, my friends. Together, we will learn how to soar in...THE GONZALES GAZETTE: CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 

I feel as to quote Elder McConkie in summarizing my purpose here in the last 23 months...

By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my master and He has chosen me to represent Him–to stand in His place, to say and do what He Himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me....My Commission is to do what He wants done, to say what He wants said, to be a living modern witness in word and in deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous latter-day work. 

And THAT is the greatest thing that I am. Oh, the mercy of our loving Father in heaven, that he would let a soul so rebellious and proud as mine, represent his pride and joy. I love representing Jesus Christ. In the latter days, as the world ripens in iniquity, it helps to remember who we represent. We represent someone who overcomes. We represent a man well acquainted with sorrows and grief, but who chose the joy before him to endure the obstacles placed within him. What laid before him and behind him, paled in comparison to what was inside of Him-- to what is inside each of us. The very embryo of heaven is within your very soul. As a missionary, one of my greatest joys is to help others to remember who they are. Notice that word, remember...

It is already within us to be who we are. And naturally, when a trial comes around, we complain and murmur at the external disappointment of our present circumstance... but do we realize, that it is those very trials that carve our character? Helen Keller once said: 

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

Christ understood this, and that is why he endured. As representatives of Him, we also represent his endurance. We too can and should endure for the joy placed before us, as we carve our characters through trials of representation. It is only fair to assume that in order to be like Him, we must also experience a small part of what he experienced... it is only in and through that suffering that we become finished according to the flesh. 

How about those Book of Mormon videos, eh? 

Reminds me of a good friend. His name is Nephi. 

Nephi and I have had a lot in common this week. Literally speaking (no I have not been equipped with force lightning to zap my murmuring brothers, and no I am not charged with, "decapitation by obedience", nor am I "Boyd Almighty" preparing my Jerusalem cruiser to sail the promised seas)...I have likened through principle, the experiences of my good friend. 

In making decisions, the issue isn't in receiving the right answer-- God can do that. I have faith that this man knows how to answer prayers. If a man asketh for a rock, he would give a mountain. If he asked for a snake, he'd provide a dragon. I don't doubt that. Rather, it is a matter of asking the right question. Recently, I've had to build a few boats. I know the end goal-- the promised land is looking mighty desirable. I know the "where", I know the, "what.." but the how has been a different kind of action. It seems to me that whenever God needs a boat in the scriptures, it always ends up being a lesson learned in agency vs. revelation. A fine balance indeed. What, "right questions" did Nephi ask? Well, instead of asking how to build the boat, he offered a much more feasible proposition (paraphrasing here), "where can I find the ore to build the tools to build the boat? What is my ore? What are my tools? How can I build my boat?" Brothers and Sisters, I am sure this is a worldwide existential quintessential dilemma. These are questions I have long awaited answers for-- and while I was so focused on the answer, I completely neglected the question. I can testify that when Nephi started asking the right questions, he started receiving the right answers. Likewise, as I have started to "pray like it all depends upon him, and work like it all depends upon me" I too have received my right answers. Nephi eventually built his boat. He found his ore, he built his tools, and despite opposition-- he built his boat (with a little help from the force.) We too can sail our promised seas when we start asking the right questions and acting upon the right answers. And those right answers, are miracles in the lives of the inhabitants of men... 

SPEAKING OF MIRACLES, CATCH THIS SPIRIT:

Before we start, I just want to say, I can testify of the personal difference I have felt in my life between when I start my day reading the Book of Mormon and when I don't. To study is to put upon ourselves the whole armor of God. We are defenseless against principalities, powers, and the ruler of darkness and spiritual wickedness when we trust in the armor of man. Anyways...

We were headed to Clinton Mississippi, also known as the promised land to many, to set up some beds for four Sister missionaries in their apartment. Before we headed up to Jackson, we stopped at the mission office and lo and behold... the Lord had delivered a juicy manifestation of the spirit- right in our very hands. We saw some of our [sweaty] brothers in Christ working on the chapel at the mission office. Elder Jones and I made eye contact and said to each other, "temple." We stepped out and met the elect. Our brothers in Christ. Two miracles happened in this situation: the inner miracle; conversion. The outer miracle; they were temple landscapers. Out of the depths of humility, we found the pearls of greatest price. We talked about the temple, inviting their families, and how beautiful the outside looked. Suddenly one of them remarked, "we made the outside beautiful, but the Lord made the inside beautiful." A touching sentiment indeed. They were the ones who curated the outer parts, but they couldn't even imagine how the inside compared. I'm sure our Heavenly Father feels the same about the inside of us. Sure, the outside looks beautiful, but wait until you see the inside. "For God looketh not on the outward appearance, but on the heart." We went inside and got them some waters and when we came back out, they asked if we could pray for them! LET ME REPEAT, THEY ASKED. THEY ASKED IF WE COULD PRAY. My standards for agency must've been pretty low, because I was hyped out my mind. We joined hands and called on the powers of heaven for special blessings on our beloved brothers. After leaving, I couldn't help but think about the respecting of persons. Our friends, too, were beautiful on the inside, despite their sweaty exterior. And OFF we went to Clinton... 

Did you know miracles also hide within the silver lining of a Wendy's biggie bag?

As we took no thought beforehand what we should eat or drink (D&C 84:81), a member paid for our Wendy's. NO, I am not saying free food is a miracle... okay, maybe I am... but the person who paid happened to be a returning member in the Clinton ward, and I got to personally invite her to the temple! Yet, another, outward miracle... 

And finally, ON THE SAME TRIP MIND YOU, reconvening with a former member I was able to feel the Lord's love, and even more graciously, feel answered... it was a celestial experience, to say the least. 

SO YES, the outward versus the inward miracle. In Come Follow Me this week I read this commentary about Paul, " Paul had a “thorn in his flesh.”

.

The exact nature of this weakness of his is unclear.

Some people have speculated..

Temptation

Eye problems 

Speech impediment

Migraines

We don’t know what his thorn was. But we do know this: he asked three times for this source of pain to be taken away.

And God said no all three times.

Could he have spread the good word further without it?

The answer is, it doesn’t matter.

Because he was never supposed to spread the word effectively on his own. And having that thorn allowed him to remember that Christ made up the difference...that Christ made all the difference.

Paul said he could “take pleasure in infirmities” because his reliance upon the Lord allowed “the power of Christ” to rest upon him (2 Corinthians 12:8, 10).

God was more concerned with refining Paul than healing Paul. More concerned about the inner miracle than the outer miracle.

Elder Hales talked about a similar experience he had during an extended period of very poor health and pain, he said,

On a few occasions, I told the Lord that I had surely learned the lessons to be taught and that it wouldn’t be necessary for me to endure any more suffering. Such entreaties seemed to be of no avail, for it was made clear to me that this purifying process of testing was to be endured in the Lord’s time and in the Lord’s own way.
It is one thing to teach, ‘Thy will be done’ (Matt. 26:42). It is another to live it.
I also learned that I would not be left alone to meet these trials and tribulations but that guardian angels would attend me...

Finally, even the Savior himself was asked to drink the bitter cup.

If you have plead for your own thorn of the flesh to pass and it has not, know you are in the best of company. And ask yourself this question given by Elder Bednar:.

Do you have the faith to not be healed?
Will you drink a bitter cup and not shrink?
For not shrinking is more important than surviving.”.Do not shrink. And know, without a doubt, that strengthening aid came for Paul. It came for Elder Hales. It came for Christ. And it will come for you!

And that is my story! I invite you all to search for miracles; both outwards and inwards. Seek the Savior, and with Him, you will find everything else. God is answering you and you are beautiful on the inside and the out. As I reach the red Zone of my mission, the stakes are high, the penalties are non-negotiable. Nevertheless, I know in whom I've trusted. He is the boat master here. He knows where to find the ore, he knows how to build the tools, and he knows how to help us get to the promised land. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS and you too will be answered. I will persist until I succeed, and I. Will. Build. My. Boat. HAVE A GREAT WEEK Y'ALL. ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU!! 

Your favorite boat builder,

Biggie Bag Boyd. 

This Week's Pics:

GONZALES GAZETTE: CHAPTER TWELVE

If my mission was a relay, it's time for the last 100 meters.

This reminds me of a scripture:

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:1-2

I, too, am encompassed about with too many witnesses to deny the reality of the Savior's sacrifice. It would be as if I discredited my feet for my ability to walk-- or if I had denied the need to respire in running the mile. He is and has been in every detail of this great race-- as I have inhaled his blessings and exhaled in service, I have confidently taken the baton from his nail-scarred hands, "and run with patience the race that [was] set before [me]." Learning to run is an experiential process-- and so is learning to be a missionary. Through spiritual conditioning and and a celestial camel-bak filled with hydration from the living waters, "He has supported me and is preserving [me] from day to day, by lending [me] breath, that [I] may live and move and do according to [my} own will, and even supporting [me] from one moment to another." And the beauty of this relay is that although He is the finisher of my faith... he wasn't waiting at the finish line. He was with me, every step of the way. He has been my support, my strength, my song, and my salvation. To Him, I give all the glory and praise forever! When I fell down, he picked me back up. When I was weak, he made me strong. In my weakness, His strength and grace were made perfect. He didn't make up the difference... He made ALL the difference-- and together, yoked eternally, we are enjoying our way to the end.  My beloved friends, I come to you in the words of Paul:

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we're perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;. -2 Corinthians 4:5-9

And with that, I invite you to join me in another gazette, even the GONZALES GAZETTE: CHAPTER TWELVE. 

Lessons learned from this week: (meaning, this week was a revelatory feast of godly goodies; so much so it warrants a bullet point list to enumerate its' magnificence)

• Personal revelation is the essence of reverent confidence. It is a learned and earned relationship, that strengthens our assurance in God's ability to use and to trust us. 
• It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the natural eye. For, "God looketh not on the outward appearance... but on the heart." 
• We shouldn't try and save ourselves, answer our own questions, make our own decisions, or even preach the Gospel of Christ... with Jesus as the adviser. He is called the Savior for a reason-- of course we will fail at a celestial level. Our covenant relationship with Jesus Christ means that we can access a perfecting power in our relationships. We are literally yoked with him-- and need not, "trust in the arm of flesh" to confront or overcome any obstacle placed before us. We can, and should, do it together. This covenant relationship is so sacred, it could be considered a marriage; he is the Bridegroom after all. We become one with Christ and work together for our salvation and exaltation Then, our liabilities and our assets flow into each-other; we do all we can do and He does what we yet cannot do. Together, we are perfect. He, is our finishing touch. The yoke of the law, is perfection, but the yoke of Christ is easy and light. 
• How about this nugget from Elder Spencer on our exchange this week: "life is lived looking forwards, but understood looking backwards." 
• When we live worthy of the Spirit, we can make our own decisions, trusting that what we want, is what God wants, and he won't expect us to ask of anything that is contrary to His will. 
• The difference between praying and talking with God. The most important thing we can do in the communication process, is to understand who we are and where we stand in our relationship with God and to learn how to sincerely talk to Him. Wouldn't you like to so live that when God spoke, you'd be able to hear it, or to be able to be worthy to have a visitation from an angelic visitor, or perhaps to be ready to go into the presence of the Lord? Then, learn how to talk to God.

Now I could've coupled each of these individual, "nuggets" with the typical metaphor, analogy, deep commentary combo; but someone very wise told me... the most profound way to teach is with compassion. SO, instead of likening doctrine to dogs or propitiating the general population through principle-like puppies-- how about I just say, I love you guys. I love *y'all.* I really do. I pray, morning and night, that the true essence of charity can be expressed through me as a worthy vessel. In the words of Nephi, "For I ^bpray continually for [you] by day, and mine ^ceyes water my pillow by night, because of [you]; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.My earnest supplication is ALSO in the words of Paul (who I seem to be referencing quite a lot lately), "having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you." The pure love of Christ is abundantly instilled within my heart for the saints and sinners alike. I love you all. And I share these elements of wisdom, not to boast of myself, but to boast of an all-knowing Heavenly Father. This truly is enough to make a grown man cry... yes, even this grown man. Stay down there, tear. 

Well, as far as the work in Gonzales, my beloved companionship with Elder Jones, and the fruits of this ward, I have only one word; seminal. That is to say, strongly influencing later developments. I love my mission. Yea, with an everlasting love, have I served the Lord and my dear friends of Louisiana and Mississippi. I have, this week, witnessed miracle after miracle, witness after witness, and tender mercy after tender mercy. I am surrounded by the influence of the Lord, what a humble feeling this is. We were able to attend court with the people we were teaching, the convergence of the twain-- secular and spiritual-- in a comeback effort to retrieve that which was once lost. A battle for the eternal, a conquest for the celestial, to mourn with those who mourn, and to stand in comfort of those who needed comfort. One of the great rewards of conversion, is the revelation of divine will. Our friends fought, we sustained, and in the end, as He always does, God won. They have truly changed, and in reviewing the 12 steps to Addiction Recovery program with them, we have found the unsheathing of testimony. Like a bronze plated sword with a golden handle, decorated in the finest gems and jewels... the true beauty of a testimony isn't found in a sheath, but is revealed in the very use of it. You can't measure the sharpness of a sword without experiencing the blade. Similarly, the power of a testimony is revealed through authentic, hands-on, unsheathed experience. That, we experienced as they bore testimony of the power of Gospel principles in their lives. In other news, our Bishop invited us to live the Gospel intentionally on a daily basis, and to do so by praying for charity and entertaining a personal interview with the Lord. This ward is CELESTIAL. Gonzales is the land of milk and honey, and through exchanges and interactions with members, I have kindled the fire of my faith. I can truly say that the fruits of this church and enough to know that is the Lord's kingdom on Earth. Period. So the moral of the story is, if you wanna get slapped by the Spirit, or splashed by a celestial super soaker, or power wash the "satan's moss" off of your spirits, or even consecrate the cajun fibers of your seasoned being... live the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We have been working alongside some amazing people in harvesting some of the most delicious of fruit. And MOST EXCITING... we are preparing for the open house of the Louisiana Baton Rouge Temple! There were temples anciently, there are temples now. As we are inviting our friends to, "come and see" we feel the grandiose spirit and holiness of the Lord. If any of y'all are in the Baton Rouge area from October 26th-November 3rd... hit me up and we'll flood the temple with the South. ;) 

Well y'all, that should be it for this week. We have learned how to walk on water and burn in the fire. We have treasured the deepest of waters and the most incarcerating of temples. Sure, we feel inadequate daily-- but that is only when we forget whose work this really is! I love representing Jesus Christ. I know that He is the Savior, I know he loves us, and I know that he lives for us. I invite you all to yolk up with Christ, to run the race that is set before you... with him. To finish with the finisher, to give authority to the author...  take a chance on revelation! Call upon the powers of heaven by talking with God and experimenting upon his word! I testify in the words of an Almighty answer-er, that he does listen, he does inspire, and he WILL keep his covenants to sustain you. Faith in God is not just knowing that he can, but believing that He will. He is a covenant-keeper, will you be the same? Do you just make covenants, or do you keep them? Accept his daily breath and his daily bread and you will remain on that precious path that leads to eternal life. I know this is His church-- His kingdom on the Earth today. And I know these things, because of the love I have for the Lord, and for all of you. May we always choose to be compassionate, I pray. HAVE A GREAT WEEK Y'ALL! ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU!! 

Compassionately yours, 

Elder Boyd 

This Week's Pics:

 Papa Boyd sent him some protein from Amazon. I guess Amazon felt Elder Boyd should recieve his package in a Taylor Swift box?! 😂😂😂😂

Not sure what's going on in these pics?!

GONZALES GAZETTE: CHAPTER ELEVEN

A life impacted by grace eventually begins to look like Christ's life.

From zero to hero, from a sinner to a winner, and from yikes to Christ... (that last one might need a little work.) The Gospel of Jesus Christ makes bad men good and good men better-- I testify that this is true! As an eyewitness to the miracles of the Lord, I have been able to experience exquisite joy as I have spectated the conversion of the elect. Take a family, torn apart by the world, consumed by addiction and worldly influence, without purpose, without happiness, without joy... 

And give that family the words of Christ. 

...yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul. -Jacob 2:8

And that very same family, is now an eternal family, brought together in Christ, enveloped in his proven love and constant companionship, full of purpose, with everlasting happiness and joy...

The full power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is contained within the Book of Mormon, period. And as I have been able to experience the fruits of this power, I cannot deny that these are, indeed the words of Christ. The very words that have made sinners winners and zeroes into heroes. What a moving edition and miraculous week we have had... and I can't wait to tell y'all about it. The Book of Mormon is true and so is the GONZALES GAZETTE: CHAPTER ELEVEN. 

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

With all of my heart, I know that Jesus is the Christ and that he LIVES! 

One of the greatest fruits of serving my mission is my own personal conversion to the Savior and His Gospel. And one of my greatest joys as a missionary is being able to witness that same conversion being wrought in others. 

Here are some lines this week from our converted bayou buddies:

"This Book has given me a better feeling than any drug has ever."

"THIS didn't convert me (motioning to an Alcoholic Anonymous manual) THIS did (gesturing to the Book of Mormon)."

"I don't just want my family back... I want my family for eternity." 

"Man's words cannot get you into heaven."

"Drugs make us feel it up here (motions to the mind) but this Book (referring to the Book of Mormon) helps us to feel it HERE (motions to the heart)." 

We must feel it deep within the innermost parts of our heart that the Book of Mormon is unequivocally the word of God. The Book of Mormon combined with the Spirit can be a personal Urim and Thummim in our lives to help us to interpret answers, revelation, and the influences of the Spirit. Combined with the Spirit, it is the most powerful resource in conversion AND in becoming converted. The fruits are there, but will you eat? Or let them ripen in iniquity as the gnats of the adversary come and make their dwelling place on the perishable fruit of the Spirit. Fruit can perish quickly-- and so will your testimony if you don't choose this day to be a better person through the [healing] power of the Book of Mormon. In the words of a modern-day prophet...

The truths of the Book of Mormon have the power to heal, comfort, restore, succor, strengthen, console, and cheer our souls.  -President Russell M. Nelson

Y'all, if you couldn't tell, my life has been impacted by the power of the Book of Mormon. I am more converted to its power than ever, and I am determined to share this fruit with all of my fellow hungry souls. You know, that reminds me of a valuable lesson I learned this week...

As many of you know, we have been hustling and bustling our way through Zone Conferences around the mission. What a pleasure and honor it is to represent not only the Savior Jesus Christ but His representative, President Varner. To minister and to lift where we stand, to instruct and be edified, to reach out and strengthen the feeblest of knees, to receive and respect revelation, and to refine ourselves through the iron-men and women of the mission. We are so blessed to serve in this capacity! As I have aforementioned, Satan and his servants have attempted their ambush, but to no avail, their plans were thwarted by the omnipotence of the General himself. BUT, as I have begun the last leg of this celestial relay race, a gentle observation has crossed and humbled my mind...

My mission is a lot like the Savior's. 

In every way possible, Satan knows our weaknesses and our fears and our insecurities and our inadequacies. I'm going to be vulnerable and say, I've felt his strength this week. I have experienced his power and dominion; I know, that he too is in the midst of us all-- and as they say down here-- that He never sleeps. I have a testimony of Satan, it is true. And he tried this week, oh, he tried... As we surmounted our spiritual Mt. Sinai's we felt literally on top of the world. But just as Moses, as we descended, we found ourselves vulnerable to the contentious atmosphere. "You're not good enough..." "That wasn't a good comment..." "You don't actually know how to sing..." In whatever way he could, he did. Notice how he deals in infinitives, denying the influence and effect of the Atonement? If we are obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nothing can go permanently wrong-- but we also know that Satan desires to have us, that he might [sift us as wheat.] In moments like these, it is helpful to remember that the Savior is praying for us. To the apostle Simon, also known as Peter, the Savior offered this simple phrase of relief, "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." He is also praying for US, and it truly is a matter of faith that helps us to conquer Satan. As my mind caught hold of this truth, the same thought permeated my mind once again...

My mission is a lot like the Savior's.

Towards the end of my time here as a representative of Him, my joy has substantially escalated. However, there is an opposition in all things, and the opposition at the end of my mission has been like none I have ever experienced before. At first, I thought I was doing something wrong... I thought I wasn't doing enough... I thought that I hadn't fulfilled my part as a full-time representative in the past few months... but, notice the infinitives? An acknowledgment of this principle helped me to realize... it was never easy for Him, so why should it be easy for me. 

Brad Wilcox once said, "a life impacted by grace, eventually begins to look like Christ's life." And let me just say, I am a life impacted by grace. I am wholeheartedly a product of converted brothers and sisters strengthening their brethren. I am submissive to the eternal truth that on my own I am a nobody-- yet to God, I am a somebody. He makes somebodies out of nobodies and he has made me and everybody into something worth being. You know who else's life was impacted by grace?

The Savior's.

And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; -Doctrine & Covenants 93:13

The very same somebody who at the end of His mission, experienced His greatest opposition. It's no coincidence that Gethsemane was a later-life experience. He too was perceived to be something of naught at times, he was ridiculed for his preaching and testifying, he did not please man in any way shape or form, and he was rejected by those around him and acquainted with grief. Yet, he still suffered it... and in suffering, he pleased God and became everything he was meant to be. From nothing to everything, we too as we endure through trials, can become what God needs us to be by doing what he needs us to do... regardless of others' perception of our missions. 

In the words of the prophet Joseph Smith, perhaps I too am meant to, "swim in deep waters." Better deep than shallow, huh? Being thrown into the deep end is a compliment; it represents trust, confidence, and faith. I rejoice that I have been counted worthy to suffer shame for his name-- it is an honor to serve a similar mission as that of the greatest somebody that has ever lived. I am in no way shape or form comparing my efforts to his transcendent glory... but am very grateful to walk something of the path he walked. 

And I am not the only one...

In closing, I thought of an experience I had this week at our Zone Conferences. Elder Jones and I (my beloved companion) experimenting upon the word with all the missionaries as we answered questions of the soul. In the Monroe Zone this week, there was already such a great spirit in the room... and then a sister raised her hand and asked the question, "how do we help others overcome depression?" 

The spirit was still, present, and heavy. 

Elders and Sisters raced through the scriptures to offer up an answer, and as they shared their thoughts, not a dry eye was in the room. I had the opportunity to stand before these missionaries and to look in their eyes as they scavenged for an answer to a deep question that I know.. I know, they too had. In the most reverent form of the expression... I felt like the Savior. As I looked into each of their eyes, I felt the pure love of Christ envelop my soul. I looked out upon them, and with them, saw their stories, their struggles, and their trials... I saw in their eyes, a special portion of hope and strength. These were sin-resistant souls who had been through a war with Satan. I saw the pain in their eyes... and in a small way... I could feel it. I could feel what they had been through. They knew darkness, and I could see that in their eyes and feel it in my heart. But more importantly, I could see that... they knew light. They knew Christ, who had swallowed their trials and given them the very hope I saw consecutively behind the pain. The embodiment of Moroni's petition:

And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. -Moroni 7:41

And President Packer's quote:

Once we accept the truth of the doctrine that we are the children of God, that realization changes us. Thereafter we cannot willingly injure another of transgress against him. That simple, profound doctrine has a very practical value. It brings a feeling of self-worth, of dignity, of self-respect. Then self-pity and depression fade away. When then can yield to self-discipline and to the discipline of a loving Father and accept even the very hard lessons of life. The gospel is good medicine.  

Without pain, how could we know joy? This is an old argument in the field of thinking about suffering and its stupidity and lack of sophistication could be plumbed for centuries but suffice it to say that the existence of broccoli does not, in any way, affect the taste of chocolate. So if you're struggling, know that so are these missionaries-- the only difference is that they know where to turn to receive help, hope, and answers. 

For those who are curious, here are a few scriptures the missionaries came up with:

Alma 34:41

Mosiah 2:41

Alma 7:11-13

Ether 12:27-28

Moroni 7:47

2 Nephi 2:2 

Mosiah 23:21, 22

Alma 26:27   

 

So yes! Zone Conferences were a success, we rejoice in the conversion of our brethren, and life as a representative of the Savior's mission couldn't be better! I am grateful for grace and the ministering angels who have surrounded me with the pure love and support of Christ. I testify of His name... that he loves us to the end! We are everything to Him... I love being a missionary! I see miracles every day and rejoice in Christlike struggles. I hope everyone has an opportunity this week to experience the power of the Book of Mormon and to find hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If your mission is hard, take heart! You're standing shoulder to shoulder with the greatest life this world has ever known. I love my Savior! And I LOVE ALL OF YOU! HAVE A GREAT WEEK Y'ALL! ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU.

Impacted by grace,

Elder Boyd 

This Week's Pics:

 I hope the thumbs up means all is well and fixed with the washer (it was making horrible sounds)!!

Service in NOLA: