It is solidly autumn now, even here in Texas. The leaves are starting to change and the cool weather has come in. But it is absolutely beautiful and the weather is perfect for more walking. I now have my final companion, Hermana Townsend! She is from Murray, Utah and we even found out that we were born in the same hospital. She comes from a large family of ten kids and she is the youngest. Her mother is from England and so she is introducing lots of little British candies and words into our companionship. She is so sweet and patient and we are seeing lots of miracles together. Sorry about the email last week, but I will try to make up for it today. Yesterday at church, our bishop called on me last minute to give a talk since our speakers weren't prepared. I had a few ideas in mind and when I went up the Spirit put them all together. It truly was a beautiful moment for me as I could feel the Spirit filling my mouth, while at the same time utilizing the knowledge I have gained through diligent studies. Then last night, the Velez family (whom we eat with every Sunday night) had asked me to cook for dinner since they know I love to cook. So I made our chicken enchiladas for 20 people. I've learned that they are not hispanic enchiladas at all, very american. But everyone loved it. So I had fun cooking again. I'll attach pictures.
We are seeing lots of miracles and I wanted to share one from last weekend. A young woman named Sandra has been coming to our English class and she is wonderful. Last week we invited everyone to conference and she was really excited to come. She came to ALL FOUR SESSIONS!!! And took notes, and asked questions non-stop between sessions. Needless to say, we are now teaching her and she is progressing towards a baptismal date the beginning of November. Some people are so ready for the gospel. Please pray for her so everything goes smoothly with her family. Another investigator whom we haven't seen for several weeks, called us and asked us to come. He seemed to realize the importance and made adjustments so he can continue to listen to us and prepare for baptism. Another miracle happened with a part-member family. We have visited them a couple times trying to get to know them since they are new in the ward. The wife is a member and the husband is not...yet. We thought from our first visit that he said he had heard all the lessons before. But we found out this week that he hasn't! So we explained our purpose and asked if he would like to learn about the gospel- and he agreed. He was so sincere and genuine, and even in the short lesson we taught, the Spirit was very strong. Please pray for Brother Rincon so he can receive the gospel and recognize the blessings the gospel brings.
One of the greatest blessings I have received from my mission is an understanding of how the gospel fits together. Before, I know I had a testimony of parts, separately and individually. I knew Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true. I knew the principles of faith and repentance were true. I could quote the plan of salvation backwards and forwards and I knew it was true with all my heart. But I didn't realize that I did not know how all of it relates together. I could not have told you how the having a prophet relates to the plan. Or how the five principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ play an active part in the plan of salvation. And I certainly didn't understand how all of it is tied and woven together by the Atonement of our Savior. I had heard before that the central message of the gospel is the Atonement and all other principles are merely appendages to it, but I couldn't have explained how. I have learned to related everything to Jesus Christ and at the same time have gained a more eternal perspective at the purpose and means of the plan of salvation. That being said, I still have so much to learn. The more I learn about the gospel (and everything else), the more I realize I need to learn. When I come home, I pray that you will keep that in mind.While I have grown and changes in so many ways, I am still human and have so much to learn.
But I know that I don't have to do it all myself. Not only does the Atonement cleanse us and free us from sin, but it enables us to reach higher than we can possibly by ourselves. There is a wonderful talk by Elder Bednar on this enabling power of the Atonement where he mentions several examples (including the story of Nephi I have as the subject). I loved this part (and all of it) that I wanted to share. "I suspect that many Church members are much more familiar with the nature of the redeeming and cleansing power of the Atonement than they are with the strengthening and enabling power. It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for us—that is fundamental and foundational to the doctrine of Christ. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to live in us—not only to direct us but also to empower us. Most of us know that when we do wrong things, we need help to overcome the effects of sin in our lives. The Savior has paid the price and made it possible for us to become clean through His redeeming power. Most of us clearly understand that the Atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that the Atonement is also for saints—for good men and women who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully. We may mistakenly believe we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves, through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline, and with our obviously limited capacities. The gospel of the Savior is not simply about avoiding bad in our lives; it also is essentially about doing and becoming good."
And then I loved the talk by Elder Scott in this recent conference, when he said "Many of us have allowed weakness to develop in our character. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we, like the Ammonites, can build spiritual fortifications between ourselves and any past mistakes that Satan attempts to exploit. The spiritual protections built around the Ammonite fathers blessed and strengthened themselves, their families, their country, and future generations. The same can be true with us. So how do we build these eternal fortifications? The first step must be sincere, thorough, and complete repentance. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, each of us can become clean and the burden of our rebellion will be lifted. Remember, repentance is not punishment. It is the hope-filled path to a more glorious future.
Father in Heaven has provided us tools that help to build the fortifications between our vulnerabilities and our faithfulness. Consider the following suggestions:
•Make covenants and receive ordinances for yourself. Then steadily and consistently work to provide ordinances in the temple for your own ancestors.
•Share the gospel with nonmember or less-active family members or friends. Sharing these truths can bring a renewed enthusiasm into your life.
•Serve faithfully in all Church callings, especially home teaching and visiting teaching assignments. Don’t be just a 15-minutes-a-month home or visiting teacher. Rather, reach out to each individual member of the family. Get to know them personally. Be a real friend. Through acts of kindness, show them how very much you care for each of them.
•Most important, serve the members of your own family. Make the spiritual development of your spouse and children a very high priority. Be attentive to the things you can do to help each one. Give freely of your time and attention.
In each of these suggestions, there is a common theme: fill your life with service to others. As you lose your life in the service of Father in Heaven’s children,Satan’s temptations lose power in your life."
I love you all and I pray that you are enjoying learning from the recent conference. Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Love,
Hermana Kristi Koerner
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