All that God has can be ours!

Letter #14

November 25, 2013

Area: Broadway 3
Companion: Thomas

Okay, so, I, like mom, have felt like this week flew by! Tuesday we had exchanges with my district leader, so I led our area for the first time and I was with another guy who was with me in the Mexico MTC, so I really had to know where to go and what to do... We ended up planning and doing really everything way better than I usually do, which felt good.  We had to stay on top of things if we wanted to be able to do things right. It was good to be super productive with Elder Petersen. I know that planning thoroughly does help to reap the blessings that the Lord has waiting to His obedient ones.  I do feel that our companionship study suffers some..I guess there is always each day to do better than the day before.

Other than that, the week really hasn't been too interesting. We were contacting a lot, but the main difference this week was that we had Zone Conference. Our zone, area in the mission, gets all together, and we had kinda classes with the Mission President, his wife, and the Assistants. In the first meeting, where we started the conference, we talked about how other churches believe in the trinity and how confusing it is for the congregations.  Also, how blessed we really are to be able to truly know our God-- who He is and who we are in relation to Him :).  And that the Godhead is made up of three distinct beings: God, our Heavenly Father; Jesus Christ, our Savior & Redeemer, and is the Son of God; and the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.   For the class with the Mission President, we had to study a talk called "The Fourth Missionary". In that talk, there are four kinds of missionaries you can be. And really it talks about the four kinds of people you can be, so I want you all to read it when you have time, it really is a good talk. Through this week I have been thinking about that talk [the fourth missionary] a lot, and I have been more aware of the kind of person I am being and where my thoughts and heart are. I have also been reading in the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi, around chapter 26ish where it is an Isaiah chapter, and I realized how 'blinded' Satan has made people in this world....these words clearly foretells plainly what Joseph did and went through. To be exact, Isaiah 29 talks about the Book of Mormon coming forth, speech coming from the dust (in other words being brought out of darkness into light...being revealed) and how it will be brought forth by an unlearned person..Joseph, who had little formal education, yet was called by God to bring forth the translation of ancient text..http://mormon.org/beliefs/joseph-smith  As I learned those things, I really started reflecting on myself and what I might be missing that is in plain sight, at least plain sight for me, meaning my thoughts and feelings. I have tried to think of how I can be the "fourth missionary", the one who is changed significantly from his mission and truly consecrates himself. In the talk there is an interesting observation mentioned, there are the people who give up time, money, and food, or really whatever else they have, but really it is Sacrifice because what we are giving up are really already God's. We know we will be blessed immensely if we sacrifice things, but consecration isn't just sacrifice! It is giving up the only things that God doesn't have--our mind and our heart!  When we give those up, it makes all the difference!! We give up ourselves to God and He gives us everything--don't you think that's worth it? Giving up everything that we have, both of the things we truly own (our mind and heart), and then receiving everything He has in return!  Moses 1:39  God says, "For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."  All that God has can be mine... I think that is the best deal ever made, and I am trying my best to do exactly that.

I love you guys so much, and congratulations to you, Kimmie, on the pregnancy,

Elder Stanley Scott Dye