Greetings fine family
and acquaintances,
The
Lord has truly manifested His hand in the lives of these precious Children of
God and has humbled me.
This week was very
stressed and as usual, crazy.
We accepted a
challenge from President Caffaro in December to read the Book of Mormon before
General Conference. I was going alright, but then everything went crazy and I
stopped dedicating as much time to finishing it. One of my favorite scriptures
from the Book of Mormon is in Alma 53:20
And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength andactivity; but behold, this was not all—they were menwho were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.
So . . . I
didn't get very much sleep this week. I even spent much of the night on my head
doing headstands to muster energy to read more .. .. Thanks dad for teaching me
that. I think it was like 2 minutes on your head is the equivalent of 10
minutes of sleep.
I finished. What a marvelous
work by the Hand of God.
Thomas S. Monson, the
Moses of today as literal Prophet of God, shared with us the importance of
knowing that the Book of Mormon is true and studying it. Do you KNOW if it is
true? if not, read it and ASK God if it is. He will tell you just as He has
told me and more than 15 million people more in the World today.
Karina Barillas
decided to be baptized this week. She wanted to do it before, but her catholic
dad came and chastised her and scared her half to death. One of my companions,
Elder Beltran, is 26 years old having 2 and a half years of having been
baptized. He was catholic before. He shared his own testimony with her and she
decided to take the step that God wanted her to with a smile. She needed to her
the words of Elder Beltran as many need to hear your words.
I have told God MANY
times in these last weeks, "I ask and plead that thou might help
............... to be able to feel the truth of the message in their heart and
decide to be baptized." then I felt that I should promise, "I promise
that I will believe that (s)he can and will be able to feel it, even unto the
last hour". Afterwards, I thought about why I had been impressed to say
that. It takes courage to believe. Believe isn't in the mind nor in words, but
rather, it is in your very being. It motivates and affects all that you do. It
wasn't enough to say "I believe" but rather I had to promise to be
strong through whichever trial or difficulty (opportunities to doubt). Those
moments came and I held loyal. The Lord worked miracles. That is my new plead.
I have done nothing more than be willing to believe. I see the miracles and the
blessing, but it is not me that makes them. The Lord is so GREAT!!!!!!!
We all have a light within.
We all have daily opportunities to hide and dim that light or to allow it to
grow brighter. I loved that theme in General Conference.
Let's remember a scripture
mastery scripture from Seminary (early morning Bible study before school)
Matthew 5:14-16
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on anhill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle,
and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all
that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.
Would you have such a beautiful burning light, and then hide it?
Of course not, nor can you! Why then do we try so hard to hide it? When you
feel that nudge to say that comment or to invite that friend, why not just let
your light so shine. It is easier. But rather we make the effort to hide that
feeling and even though it annoys and bothers us, we work diligently to neglect
it. It is like smiling. Smiling uses less muscles than frowning, but many times
we are the very ones that choose to do so. The world tells you you need to be
sad so don't smile, but we must decide to do so. Likewise, decide to let your
light so shine. Decide to obey that first prompting and Elder Rasband (one of
the twelve apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ) so invited us to do. Be valiant.
Living by the first promptings is easier. I promise you that. Test me now in
this (put it to the test).
This week in Church is testimony meeting where anyone who believes
in Jesus Christ can share it. I invite and challenge each one of you to attend
Church this week, member or not, and share your testimony. As you read this,
you will feel the prompting and desire to do so -- in other words, by the time
you are reading this, it is no longer my invitation, but rather it is already
from the Lord. So? In the words of Mary, "whatsoever thing he tell
you. Do it".
Do you KNOW God? Do you actually KNOW your Father in Heaven? I
don't.... not all the way at least. I invite you to get to know him with me.
Let's read and study about the Life of His Son, thus knowing Him more.
Also. This historic weekend, Literal Prophets and apostles from
God shared with us in a gathering called General Conference. (Only twice a
year). I earnestly invite EACH one of you to go to lds.org and
watch, read, and listen to their words. You will feel that GOD DOES LIVE and
know what He wants YOU to do.
I Love you all but it
doesn't compare to the infinite love that Our Heavenly Father has for all of
YOU!!!!!
-Elder Olson
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