June 15, 2015

 

Elder Petersen and I

 I love Elder Petersen! He and I have served around each other and even served in some of the same areas so we have had a lot to talk about. Elder Petersen is a great missionary and I would love for him to be my last companion.mi have already learned a lot from him. He is great at asking questions and showing love for the people we are working with. He had to give a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday and I missed it because I had tot go and meet with the stake presidency and talk about the missionary work in the stake. But I heard he did a great job! He is from cedar city Utah. And he is two transfers behind me. He came out with elder Brown. 

After the transfer the zone and to close two areas and that means we had close two apartments and take everything out and pack it up. We spent most of Thursday doing that with the office elders. The best part about the week was being able to sit in ward council. I love this ward! it is amazing and how each of the leaders work together bouncing ideas off of each other is amazing and they are really helping us out as missionaries. The ward council even decided that they would pick a day and fast for one certain person who were are working with. The are great and are really on top of things. The best ward council I have been in on my mission.

Thoughts this week 

What makes me a missionary? If we are trying to be complete in this answer we must recognize that there are three things to consider. First you must be called, second you must be qualified and third you must be authorized. In reflecting upon these steps it occurs to me that we are each individually in charge of being called and qualified and then God authorize us to act. If we honestly do our part then we will have power in the authority we have been given. Having authority is empty if we do not do our part to obtain power in that authority. We are expected to serve with both the power and authority of God. So how can we obtain both power and authority in our calling?

Have I been called? That is an easy one to answer. We know that, “if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work.” Being called is a reflection of the desires of our heart. We sometimes mistakenly think that this call was the letter we got in the mail from Salt Lake City but we must understand that the call to serve came from our desire to serve God. The letter just tells us where God would have you serve and who your mission President will be. I like to think of this as a place where you will have the opportunity to grow and who you will be able to learn the most from. President Brent H. Neilson said you have not been called to president Ames to learn from him. But the desire to learn from and about comes first.  Remember that the calling first came because of a desire to serve God. 

Once you have been called the next step is to be qualified. How do we become qualified? This too is a process and a choice. The answer to this question is also found in that great missionary scripture, Section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Verse five of Section 4 reads, “And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.”  As we are filled with faith, hope and charity we will find ourselves as consecrated, we will teach and find by the spirit and we will love as the Savior loves. We will also develop an eye that is single to the glory of God. Let’s examine what it means to have an eye single to God’s glory and how to make that happen.  How do you know if your eye is single to God’s glory? Repent and sanctify yourselves so your minds can become single to God’s desire. Your thoughts and desirers will effect the way you look. "And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.” (D&C 88:67).

Now how about being authorized and what does that mean? I think it is fair to say that we have each been authorized. The process of being authorized to serve as a companion to the apostles came through pure revelation by prophets and apostles. I have a mission call and a ministerial card with the prophet’s signature stating that you have been authorized.  And I have been found worthy and were thus recommended.  I have had the privilege of the stake president to lay his hands upon my head and been set apart to Labor with the master of the vineyard.  This is significant.

I love the thought of this because all we do a disciples of Jesus Christ is to have a desire and then work to magnify where we are at! I know that through this desire he are given power and authority to cry repentance to the world! No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing! I love the Lord and I know he lives!

Elder Winterbottom & Petersen

Serving in Arlington

The Lord's Vineyard

This is the Arlington east and west crew