Moroni 7:41 11/12/12

Good morning everyone!
It is a beautiful crisp Monday morning here in Houston and the holiday spirit is already in the air. Starting the day after Halloween, Christmas stuff was out and music playing. And Texas goes all out for decorating. Houses are already decked out with beautiful and crazy lights. I'll have to send some pictures. I'm really excited to experience a mix of various traditions during the holidays. We are continuing to teach Maria and her cute family. They came to church yesterday for the first time which was really exciting and we're seeing them tonight. Please pray for them : ) A neat story about our investigator Norman- we planned that we were going to teach the plan of salvation with him earlier last week. Then in studies we split up who we were studying for. Hna Latu studied for Norman and in comp study told me that we should teach the Tree of Life. I'll admit I was a bit annoyed because it didn't seem to have any purpose, but I went with it any way. Then at the appointment, we introduce what we were going to teach and Norman and Jessica get really excited. That morning they had been reading about it and were confused. It wasn't a hugely spiritual moment, but just a quiet reminder to both of us (me and Hna Latu) that Heavenly Father is in charge. Also this past week we were invited to speak to the young women at another ward's mutual about missionary work. That was a really beautiful experience sharing with 30 YW why I chose to come on a mission, sharing spiritual experiences from the mission, and answering questions. Over half of them really wanted to go on missions. If you Terre Haute YW want to do something similar invite missionaries to mutual or even get lots of questions together and I'll work on answering them with the other sisters.
This week I was studying the attribute of "hope" and I learned a lot. "The word hope is sometimes misunderstood. In our everyday language, the word often has a hint of uncertainty. For example, we may say that we hope for a change in the weather or a visit from a friend. In the language of the gospel, however, the word hope is sure, unwavering, and active. Prophets speak of having a “firm hope” (Alma 34:41) and a “lively hope” (1 Peter 1:3). The prophet Moroni taught, “Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God” (Ether 12:4). When we have hope, we trust God's promises. We have a quiet assurance that if we do “the works of righteousness,” we “shall receive [our] reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23). Mormon taught that such hope comes only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ: “What is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise” (Moroni 7:41) True to the Faith". I found this really great talk - "Brightness of Hope" by Elder Neal A Maxwell. Just one thing I really loved was "Only the acceptance of the revelations of God can bring both direction and correction and, in turn, bring a “brightness of hope” . Real hope does not automatically “spring eternal” unless it is connected with eternal things!...Just as doubt, despair, and desensitization go together, so do faith, hope, and charity. The latter, however, must be carefully and constantly nurtured, whereas despair, like dandelions, needs so little encouragement to sprout and spread. Despair comes so naturally to the natural man!... While weak hope leaves us at the mercy of our moods and events, “brightness of hope” produces illuminated individuals. Their luminosity is seen, and things are also seen by it! Such hope permits us to “press forward” even when dark clouds oppress. Sometimes in the deepest darkness there is no external light—only an inner light to guide and to reassure." I'll admit that quote is a bit cut and pasted, but the entire talk is incredible. ( Dad- it is Elder Maxwell in all his eloquent glory : )
I love you all and you're in my prayers.
Love,
Hermana Kristi Koerner