Elder Austin - January 9, 2008

January 9, 2008

Hi everyone!!!!

It has been another eventful week. Things are just going by so fast. I don’t know what to do with myself. I hope that means that I am working hard. But God has been so good to me as usual. I don’t deserve everything he gives me. I was thinking about it this morning. I reiterate to you how blessed we are to have what we have. I was reading in 2 Nephi 2 where it talks about how important it is to make these things known to the world. How we need to tell people that it is only through the Savior Jesus Christ that we can return to our Father in Heaven and how we must repent and live like him. We have the map that has all the answers and directions. We must share it. We are so blessed and if we don’t share it with others, God has no choice but to take it away because of our disobedience. It doesn’t matter if we keep the law of chastity, word of wisdom, etc. If we don’t share the Gospel with the inhabitants of the world, those works will be dead, and merit us nothing. It is in keeping all of God’s commandments that we qualify ourselves for the blessings of forgiveness and mercy. We don’t have to spend a lot of time to create and build a good relationship before we find out if the person is the elect of God!!!!!!!!! This is the most important thing to talk about. Don’t waste your time talking about the weather or other meaningless things that don’t get us anywhere. Talk with everyone about the gospel. Find out if they are the elect. Dad, I am going to write a letter and share my feelings on how to get the ward excited. But I am so happy that you and your friend have talked about the gospel. That makes me so happy. You really should be the example in the ward and that is a wonderful thing that you are being that. Let me know how it goes. We all need to be spiritually prepared to receive revelation for ways to share the gospel with certain individuals. We must pray specifically to qualify ourselves for specific answers that will allow us to bring a family or individual into the Church.

So Fransimean Simon got baptized this last week. It was a wonderful spiritual baptism. Her daughter isn’t ready yet so that was sad, but we are hoping to get her ready in the next two weeks by teaching her and praying with her so she feels the importance of what she needs to do. She knows she needs to do it, but she doesn’t want to do it yet. That is not a good mentality and it is going to get her into trouble. Do not be like me and procrastinate. It is one of the worst things you could ever get into a habit of doing.

Jocelyn also didn’t get baptized. We still don’t know why. She won’t tell us. She knows the Church is true, but I think she is not ready to give up certain things at this point in time. We are also praying for her and working extra hard with her.

All the recent converts are doing great. Craig got the priesthood on Sunday. It was awesome. He also bore is testimony and it was amazing. Everyone was crying. It was like he had been a member all his life. Just amazing.

Suze is getting baptized!!!!!!!!!!! It is a miracle. She doesn’t care what her husband is going to say and what he is going to do, but she knows it needs to happen now.

This week we have Gabriela McDonald getting baptized. She is a LA’s daughter. It is also a miracle.

We have been blessed with a lot of new investigators. It is just so awesome!!!

Sorry, but I have to go. I will go into a little more detail next week.

I love you so much!!!!

Elder Graham