January 18, 2016
This sounds like a Karma talk. Let's see, well the one thing I've
learned is that Sacrament is pretty much us being baptized again but
drier. We take the sacrament to remember the Savior and to reflect on
what we did the past week. It's part of the repentance process. We sin,
we recognize our sin, we feel sorrow for it, then we try to make up for
it (restitution), then we forsake it and try and change for the better.
Then we take the sacrament to to recommit to follow the commandments and
as we do this we qualify for the Spirit to be with us always, and
"retain a remission of your sins". And through the Atonement of Jesus
Christ the guilt, shame and frustration of our mistakes is lifted. When
we teach investigators we are "calling them to repentance". So before
they are baptized they have to show that they have repented (or in the
process of) and desire to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of their
lives. And when they are baptized that is when the negative effects of
sin are washed away, That's why people are so happy when they are
baptized. And we retain this remission of our sins by worthily partaking
of the sacrament each week and repenting daily.
The
experience we had with David is the perfect example of the what/why/how
of this process, and of the reality and infinite power of it as well.
David had a problem with smoking,. But because he felt the Spirit in the
lessons we taught him, and saw the change that happened in his Sister
April, he had a desire to change (repent). So he committed to quit
smoking. He officially started last Monday. We taught him that whole
week and he did really well. On Thursday he had his baptismal interview and passed and we thought everything was great. On Friday
we went over and filled out some paper work and talked to him a little
bit about being a home teacher. Apparently this and an argument that he
had with someone, put him over the edge and he gave in and smoked. So
April calls and tells us he messed up and we need to come see him. So we
went over and talked with him and he told us about the struggle he was
having wit quitting and that just smelling it made him want a cigarette.
So because of the stress of the day he caved, right before the day of
his baptism. But he said he took 3 puffs of it and it made him feel
gross or sick or something (I can't remember what he said) and he threw
it out. We talked about repentance and established that if he truly had
the desire then we could still baptize him tomorrow. We then had him say
a prayer and had him ask if he should still get baptized. We talked a
little more after that and then he looked me in the eye and said "I'm
ready. Let's do this." When he said that I felt the Spirit so strong. I
knew God wanted him to be baptized that Saturday.
The baptism was probably the best one I've been to. We all felt the
Spirit very strong and Brother Nguyen (pronounced Wen) gave a talk on
the Gift of the Holy Ghost and called his wife out for snoring, it was
hilarious and super spiritual, The next day we sat next to him in
priesthood opening exercises, and he just blurts out "The urge is
gone!"
I feel the Spirit just thinking about that experience. I know the Atonement is real and we can experience it every Sunday as we partake of the Sacrament. In 5 months
I've gone from not really even knowing if God was real to experiencing
super natural miracles. It's exhausting. I've never been more tired in
my life.
I'll put some more pictures up
Love you guys!
Elder Sherwood
