SLIDELL SCROLLS: CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: General Conference Edition

Salutations to all my shepherds out there,

Without a doubt, this is the restored church of Jesus Christ. Now, I could easily just enumerate the endless insights I acquired while listening to divinely appointed servants for ten hours this week- but you've probably got the same notes. You heard the same talks, you heard the quotes, and you probably don't need me to tell you in an organized list, something you already know and have heard. Instead, let's make this more... personal. Questions have been answered. Impressions have been entertained. And I have gained two and a half pounds. I present to you, my dearly beloved, SLIDELL SCROLLS: CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: General Conference edition.

Every. Question. Answered. You know how they say everything is bigger in Texas? Well, I haven't been to Texas, and I am sure they deliver everything in the most grandiose of proportions, but everything is truly better on a mission. It's almost like God rewires your taste buds, intellect, and perspective, to turn you into a charitable, courageous, and kind baptizing machine that doesn't fall asleep during the afternoon sessions of Conference. Or in more professional words, a conversion not from bad to good... but from good to better. Now, it's time to get deep... quirkiness aside, for all you reading, here is what the spirit taught me this weekend.

Everyone speaks a different language of the spirit, so I'm sure you all have your own insights. But allow me to start with this: I know, without a doubt, that God knows me- personally and perfectly. He is aware of my current situation, or my prayers, of my fears, doubts, weaknesses, imperfections. He knows EVERYTHING I am afraid to tell the world... and loves me still. He loves me in my vulnerabilities and in my victories. Through trial and triumph. God knows me and he loves me. (Now I want you all to go back and read that paragraph again... but instead of the, "me" meaning Elder Boyd..  the, "me" means you. ) There were questions that I didn't know I had, but through nuggets of wisdom, God knew what I needed to hear this weekend. As I watched Conference, and as I watch it in the future, I will make it an individual experience, and I challenge you all to do the same. Forget the snacks. Neutralize the noise. And focus... Somehow in some way, each speaker has something they need to say to you.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell has always been and will always be one of my favorite apostles... And little did I know that through his quotation this conference, I would find an answer to a lifelong question. 

You'll notice I have replaced one word... "God gave me Eosinophilic Esophagitis so that I might teach his children with authenticity." 

What a unique perspective that I have never before considered. Immediately following, I wrote down a commentary of my own- "our struggles are our greatest teachers- they allow us to teach from experience." The most powerful lesson is one given in the spirit of empathy. Could we TRULY testify of the power of repentance, if we had never calloused our knees for forgiveness ourselves? Could we powerfully promise that God helps his people in their afflictions... if we had never required his help to deliver us out of our own? Could we SINCERELY tell people that life DOES get better... if we never lived a life needing improvement? The point is, experience enables empathy and empowers empathetic teaching. Now here's the thing- we don't have perfect empathy and we don't have the perfect experience. No matter what has happened in our lives, we cannot completely tell someone, "I know what you're going through." No matter the magnitude of our experience we cannot perfectly empathize. But here's the thing... as missionaries and members alike... together we testify of someone who DOES have infinite experience and who has descended not TO, but below all things so that he might provide ultimate empathy. That's why we teach our people to rely on a Savior. They can only rely upon us for so long until eventually, they will require someone with much more experience. Similarly, we can't expect to rely wholly upon ourselves to provide the succor and attention we need. If we try to endure mortality alone, we will inevitably fail. Which leads into probably one of my biggest takeaways this weekend:

From the words of Elder Gong, "Perfection is in Christ not in ourselves." Our faith is in Christ, not in ourselves. Faith in ourselves will eventually and inevitably lead to fear... but faith in Christ will always lead to miracles. We simply cannot do it- and that is a HARD truth to learn, is it not? Yes, we are good enough, yes we are of infinite worth, but if we expect to do the Lord's work alone, we are setting ourselves up for failure. If you struggle with self-worth and expect perfection instead of improvement, just remember: you don't have to be perfect, because God is. Do you except yourself to be a God this very moment? No. Then don't expect yourself to be perfect at this very moment either. Perfection is in Christ, not ourselves. It's not in us that we can do all things... but in and through Him. That's a lesson that if I think we all learned and applied, God's children would never struggle with self-worth again. If you expect yourself to be perfect, you are denying the reality of a very important part of God's plan: mortality. Don't deny mortality, but face reality with Christ, and you'll be alright. There's so much more that I would like to say on this topic- but instead I just pray that the spirit bridges the gaps in your heart to allow you to feel and to know... that with Christ, you are enough. 

Well y'all, there was so much to learn from Conference but those two things I deemed most important to share. I echo the words of President Nelson in inviting you all to re-read the talks when they come out- they truly are the mind and will of God for us at this very moment, delivered by his divinely appointed servants.

Well, I guess I'll share one missionary miracle from this week and then wrap it all up:

One reason we include members in missionary work is to remind them that they are missionaries too. Members truly are the gateway to miracles. 

We found ourselves in a blessed position to teach these three Spanish girls in a member home. These members have consistently brought these girls to church and fellow-shipped them like family. (These were the girls aforementioned in the previous weekly... the miracles at the end of sacrament meeting.) As we began teaching the Restoration, we quickly realized the divinity in simplicity. In fact, the Gospel is actually created and intended to be taught simply enough for a child to understand. Christ commands us to be as little children, does he not? To me, that in part means, that we must simplify to apply the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We used everything from visuals and object lessons to 1st-grade teacher comparisons and eloquent dancing techniques to teach to their understanding-  but nothing seemed to quite connect. 

That was until the spirit gently whispered,

"Missionary members have the strongest testimonies..." 

I am so grateful for the spirit of God that prompted me to invite the two members to bear testimony that evening. The spirit was tangible. Both of these members had served missions in Central America when they were our age, and to see them in action reminded me of the whole reason we use members in the first place. Our purpose as missionaries is to not only become preach my gospel missionaries... but to facilitate the conversion of "Preach My Gospel" members. These two members connected with the children in a way we couldn't- as a mother and father would to their own kids, they ministered and loved these children and intimately spoke to their simple spirits. It was a beautiful lesson that I was so grateful to be a part of. So much in missionary work would escalate, if we would just learn how to be proper member missionaries. 

Well y'all, my heart is full. I hope you truly felt edified and instructed this weekend! I know very personally that President Russell M. Nelson is a prophet of the Lord. I know that his words are the words of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is ALSO the word of God. Remember this week- whatever experience you may endure, you are just carving a greater capacity for empathy within yourself. ALSO, don't expect perfection, just embrace Christ. We're all going to be okay, just believe, do, and love. HAVE A GREAT WEEK Y'ALL! ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU!

Farewell, little flock,

Elder Boyd

Pics/Videos For This Week:

Elder Boyd's Birthday: October 28th

A sweet, kind family celebrating Elder Boyd's Birthday

Blessings from the local Food Bank

SLIDELL SCROLLS: CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Howdy folks, 

*preferably read in the most... barnyard voice imaginable*

Barnyard Boyd and Cowboy Cox, at your service,

The legends of Barnyard Boyd echoed through the pasture. With a Black and Decker in hand, he was a crazed man with a fancy for fixin' up barns. Stallions gawked in awe at the technique of his signature, "push and drill" as he reinforced the walls of your friendly neighborhood barn. Does he demand commission? Of course not. The only compensation he requires is a sweat-stained brow and the influx of lactic acid in his muscles. Quite the rustic resume, yes indeed- look out barns across America, Barnyard Boyd is in business. Prepare to be built. Giddy-up ladies and gents, it's a wild, wild western this time around in the SLIDELL SCROLLS: CHAPTER  SIXTEEN. 

So yes, in short, we spent nine hours this weekend building a barn for some country folk. We tried to recruit members of the ward to lend a helping hand, but with such short notice, it was just left up to us two Elders. We finessed our way through families of fire ants, maneuvered around manure, and like the Grinch's softened heart, our shoulders grew three sizes larger that day. All in all, I am both more calloused and more appreciative for the future farmers of America.  As a great prophet in this dispensation has remarked, "one of the greatest secrets to missionary work... is work!" It was all worth it, in the end, to follow in the perfect example of the Savior, and to, "go about doing good." Also pro tip: yes, listening to country music DOES make farm-work much easier. 

When we weren't high-tailing our way around horses and houses, we were immersed in our, "father's business" being front-row witnesses to the many mighty miracles of the Gospel:

If God commands, he will prepare. And in the wise words of the prophet Joseph Smith, "when the Lord commands, do it!" 

It was one of those post-dinner appointments, "wow, I am so tired and stuffed, it would be so much easier to go in thirty minutes early and take a bath and ZONK for the night" kind of evenings. Which is ironic because the dinner appointment we had that night, forgot I had a dairy allergy, so I ended up eating two Tupperware's full of cauliflower. Our plan: Earlier in the day, we had planned our 8:00 appointment (it's so much more effective to teach that tract during those late hours... especially in the "low income" part of Slidell.), with the plan to preface the Word of Wisdom, by teaching the importance of commandments. The couple we planned to visit were some of our most progressing people- they had come to church for the past two weeks and committed to being baptized in the following month. However, because we cared about them so much, we were very sensitive to share commandments slowly, so as to not overwhelm them. HENCE the reason for our, "preparatory" plan- to teach the importance of commandments, and then teach the word of wisdom NEXT TIME! But, isn't it so funny, that you can do ALL YOU CAN DO to plan, but you're always planning a Plan B? We learned this lesson in a beautiful way that night. We showed up and got things rolling... the prayer, the importance of commandments.. but just when we were about to wrap up our spirit-filled lesson, God had other plans. God's plan: One of the members of the couple has struggled with both drinking and smoking for his entire life. For twenty years, he said, he has been drinking a case a day. Now I'm not all too familiar with beer-lingo, but I'm pretty sure that's a lot? Anyways, we knew without a doubt, this would be his stumbling block to baptism... which is why we were very careful to share the lesson at the right moment. Well, as I have learned time and time again, we never truly do know when the "right moment" is- but God certainly does. Right before the prayer, this man says, 'I went to the doctor's this week- and it wasn't the best of news... I need to stop drinking and smoking." EVEN BEFORE WE TAUGHT HIM THE WORD OF WISDOM. IT WAS ASTOUNDING. Well, you can bet Elder Cox and I zoomed like the Millennium Falcon in hyper-drive into the Word of Wisdom. Not only did they commit to living it, but a little incentive goes a long way... I promised to hand deliver a bucket of Jolly ranchers if they kept their addiction goals. Y'all, God has prepared and is literally preparing people to keep covenants and accept the Gospel. His plans and hands are so much better than anything we have or come up with- and the sooner we realize that the sooner we invite his miracles into our lives. 

Another lesson learned this week: how to view success.

As you can probably imagine, building barns takes a good chunk of time- time away from people we love so dearly and from guaranteed opportunities to invite them to church. I'll be honest, we weren't expecting a whole lot this sacrament meeting. We texted nearly everyone we were teaching, certainly everyone on date- but with T-30 minutes until the sacrament, our hope had nearly diminished... Now, let me tell you, true to expectation, none of our people showed up. Even the four guaranteed friends we had rides for, came in contact with some conflict that prevented their sacrament attendance. Honestly, it's so disheartening to have empty seat's at the Lord's supper... but had we taken a look around, we would have seen the success the Lord had prepared for us that day. A less active who hadn't come to church in the past three years was sat comfortably in the back pew with her children- all because we went over and gave her husband a blessing before rehab earlier in the month. Two new people who had been brought by one of the Spanish members in the ward came up to us after the block and asked us in the cutest English, 

"will you come to teach us at Reyna's house?"

We now have an appointment to teach a Spanish family this week, who have already been to church, love primary and want the blessings of the Gospel. God does not cease to be God and he CERTAINLY doesn't cease to be a God of miracles. 

Other than that folks, we had Zone Conference, where we instructed to focus on the doctrine- to ask why? Instead of how? and learned how to abolish antagonists with refined conversation skills. Basically, we learned what to do in case of bashing... a Bashing 101 some would say... so look out evangelists everywhere, the LBRM IS HERE with a new and improved squadron of high-functioning communicators. It was a very uplifting and edifying experience that just has me jazzed more than ever to share the Gospel with the WORLD- starting with the boundaries of Louisiana and Mississippi first. :)

Well, that's all folks. It's been a mighty miracle week, yet again, out here in the bodacious bayou. I would wish nothing less on you fine citizens back at home. ALSO: prepare a question for conference. The Lord's work is hastening and the sooner you enlist in the Lord's battalion to gather Israel, the sooner you will unfold the greater blessings of the Gospel in your own life. Remember to always look up, success can hide in the back pew sometimes, but as long as you're looking... you'll always find it. Hard work is always worth it and so is planning... but always be prepared when God reals Plan A. Other than that, keep slaying and praying y'all! HAVE A GREAT WEEK Y'ALL! ELDER BOYD LOVES YOU!

A mighty goodbye from your favorite consecrated cowboy,

Elder Boyd

This Week's Pics (plus 2 video bonuses):