Monday we did laundry and studies. Went shopping. Took an amazingish
nap. Emailed. Had a zone bbq! And played sports at the park - kickball
and flag football. We changed then went to dinner at one of the
bishops houses where we had breakfast for dinner - pancakes and ice
cream. Went to a YSA FHE which we have been invited to and may be
going to more frequently.
Tuesday we finished cleaning our apartment for apartment inspections.
We went to Shinn park (where Sister Hughes was convinced we were
weeding with Anne Hathaway). Ate lunch. Went finding. Tried to visit a
potential. Did language study. Did more finding. Ate dinner then went
to help the young women in one of the wards.
Wednesday we went to district meeting. Tried to visit a potential, but
the address kind of tried to take us to Sacramento. . . Which is just
a little out of the mission, you know. Went to Viola Blythe. Did
Language Study. Went finding. Ate dinner. Went to bible study while
sister Hughes went to the ASL class - we went on splits.
Thursday we helped a member pack. Finished cleaning the old apartment.
Ate lunch. Did language study. Tried to visit people. Ate dinner. Went
to a correlation with the bishop.
Friday we helped the same member with packing again. Ate lunch. Went
to TriCity orientation. Did language study. Went finding. Ate dinner.
Went to youth sports.
Saturday we did zone sports. Went to an emergency preparedness thing.
Did studies. Ate lunch. Did weekly planning. Did language study. Went
to dinner. Tried to visit people. Had correlation.
Sunday we went to church. We taught sunbeams and beehives. Did
studies. Went to dinner. Saw Dani. Talked to a bishop. Dropped by a
homecoming. Tried to see people. Did language study.
And this is our new STEPP talk thing which started in this month of
February. STEPP is: Scripture Reference, Testimony, personal
Experience, Preach My Gospel Reference, and specific Promise.
"Our mission president, President Mella, has asked each of the
missionaries in the San Jose California mission to prepare a talk each
month on a given subject to help us learn more about the gospel and so
we might be prepared to give talks in any of the meetings we may go
to. The topic for February is Repentance. To me Repentance means to
sincerely change and turn to God. In Preach My Gospel it says that
"Through continuing repentance, we may obtain forgiveness and be
cleansed of our sins by the power of the Holy Ghost". So as long as we
are using the repentance process to continually change for the better
and draw closer to God we will be forgiven.
I am going to share an experience I've had with repentance. To some of
you my experience may seem like nothing - but to me it is everything.
When I younger I would, like most children, play with scissors all the
time. The main problem with that was that I would use the scissors to
cut my hair, and my mom would find me afterwards with hair all over
the floor or counter and my eyes full of tears. I would realize after
cutting my hair that I didn't actually want to cut it, and it meant my
mom fixing my mistake by cutting it even more to make it look more
normal. A few years ago I had a problem similar to this - I wanted my
hair short, and nothing my mom said to persuade me otherwise was
heard. My sisters hair was short, so I wanted my hair short. It seemed
like a great idea - until after my hair was cut. My hair had been to
the middle of my back and then was cut chin length. I immediately
swept my hands over my hair and, bursting into tears, asked my mom to
glue it back on. Of course, that couldn't be done, so I had to wait
for what felt like forever but was really only a matter of some months
to a year for my hair to grow back. These experiences have helped me
learn that I don't want my hair cut short because I will not like it
no matter how much I may seem to want it at the time, or how much of a
good idea it seems to be, or how cute short hair looks on some of my
friends or family. It's the same with making mistakes in life - at the
time we may really want to do it, or it seems like a good idea, or all
our friends are doing it, but what ends up happening may be fun for a
little time, however we always end with shame and sorrow.
2 Corinthians 7 9-10 says: "Now I rejoice, not that ye were made
sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry
after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented
of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
The Book of Mormon Prophet Alma made mistakes he sorrowed over. He
tells his story to his son, Helaman, and this is what he says in Alma
36 verses 12-13, 17-20, and 24:
"But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to
the greatest degree and racked with all my sins. Yea, I did remember
all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains
of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had
not kept his holy commandments.
And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I
was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered
also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the
coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the
world.
Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my
heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall
of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of
death. And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains
no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And
oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was
filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without
ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring
them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they
might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost."
Once Alma had repented he was forgiven and no longer felt the sorrow
from his mistakes. And the joy he felt after his repentance was so
great that he brought others to feel the same joy.
In D&C 58:42-43 it says:
"Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I,
the Lord, remember them no more.
By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins--behold, he will
confess them and forsake them."
And in Proverbs 28:13 "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:
but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy"
Once our sins have been confessed and forsaken never to do again, we
are forgiven and will remember them no more. Just like we use white
out or erasers to get rid of mistakes in writing or drawing, the
atonement and repentance have the same effect on our mistakes in life
- they are erased and washed away in whiteness.
Our Prophet, Thomas S Monson, said this in one of his 2015 general
conference talks "If any of you has stumbled in his journey, I assure
you that there is a way back. The process is called repentance.
Although the path is difficult, your eternal salvation depends on it.
What could be more worthy of your efforts? I plead with you to
determine right here and now to take the steps necessary to fully
repent." Alma 41:6 says "And so it is on the other hand. If he hath
repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his
days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness."
And in Dale G Renlunds talk "Latter-Day Saints Keep on Trying" it
says: "In His mercy, God promises forgiveness when we repent and turn
from wickedness--so much so that our sins will not even be mentioned
to us. For us, because of the Atonement of Christ and our repentance,
we can look at our past deeds and say, “’Twas I; but ’tis not I.” No
matter how wicked, we can say, “That’s who I was. But that past wicked
self is no longer who I am.""
I leave you with this promise in 1 Nephi 22:28 "But, behold, all
nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy
One of Israel if it so be that they will repent."
As long as we are repentant and righteous we will one day live with
our Father in Heaven, in the celestial kingdom. This is contingent on
our personal righteousness, and no unclean thing may enter into the
kingdom of God - which makes the atonement and repentance things of
great importance.
I would like to bear my testimony that this is true, that we have the
opportunity to repent and live with our Heavenly Father again because
of the gift of the atonement of Christ. Repentance is a vital step in
our salvation. I know the atonement works - it has helped me and can
and will help you, but only if you choose to use it. I know that Jesus
Christ our Savior and Redeemer lives and he loves us. I know that
Thomas S Monson is a Prophet today, and that the words he speaks are
from God for us. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen."
Have a good week! Love and miss you all!
Sister Kelly
Zone bbq
I did my companion's hair during language study time.
