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