Weekly Post - 12/26/2011

Well this last week we didn't have very good numbers. I mean it was Christmas week- so nobody wanted to talk to us when we were out tracting and contacting. Too much getting shopping and stuff done. But in the end we had a great week.

 

Elder Tripp and I got to talk to our families, and we watched 'The Polar Express' and yes it was approved! It was so sweet. It skipped alot though, so it was a little frustrating. But it was good to watch a movie. But I have to say the best part was definately spending time with my family. Every time I have a phone call with them on the mission I just leave smiley and happy. It's the best time. The second hardest part about it is when you forget to ask certain questions, but the worst is definately hanging up. I hate that. I could just sit there for days talking to them, but it's ok. I'll see them again! I'll get to talk to them in May too.

 

This last week I turned 21! YAY!

Thank you to everyone who wished me happy birthday! If you wished it on Facebook I didn't see it!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Love ya!

 

Elder Prows

Weekly Post - 12/19/2011

Well Christmas is coming up. And this Wednesday I will be 21. Ha! I'll be 21! No ideas. Just facts. I'm a genius! I do good. Be-Awesome! HA! Thundercats! HOOOO!

 

I am very excited to talk to my family.

 

We are doing lots of finding right now. We've baptized all our investigators now, so there isn't really anything we can do otherwise, but service. And there isn't even any snow to shovel. It's awesome! HA! That's all I really have to say about what happened this last week because it's all that happened really. Well I guess transfers happened, but I am obviously still in Fairfield, because I am training Elder Tripp still. So that's good. I'll have been here for 7 1/2 months after this coming transfer. So that's a really long time to be in an area, the standard is 6 weeks to 6 months. So I'm going beyond that. So that pretty much sets it that there's a 98% chance I'll be transferred next transfer. Unless President does do what he said is potential and I stay here for 9 months. That's FOREVER. Almost half of my mission haha. What's weird too is I've been on my mission for like 15 months now. Where does the time go? Someone make is stop? I mean it's cool. Time has to go by. But I'd appreciate it to work with me here.

 

I got in the mail a letter from my dad that was interesting because it went along with a thought I've been sharing with members this last month for Christmas. I'll share my thought.

 

This season is a special season. We are currently participating in the "Most wonderful time of the year". Christmas! The time when we celebrate the birth of humanities most influential and important person ever! The Savior of all mankind, Jesus Christ!

 

In our Companion study a few weeks ago Elder Tripp and I read something out of the Book of Mormon that struck us. God's love for all mankind.

 

In the Book of Mormon we are familiar with 1 Nephi chapter 8 where the prophet Lehi has the famous Tree of Life vision! Nephi was struck by this vision. He hoped to know for himself what it meant, and so we see in 1 Nephi 11 an awesome example like Joseph Smith. Nephi chooses to pray about Lehi's vision, to know for himself what the vision means. In turn the Spirit of the Lord teaches Nephi the interpretation of the vison. I'd like to share with you the account out of the Book of Mormon where Nephi learns the meaning of the tree:

 

12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.

 13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.


 14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?


 15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.


 16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?


 17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.


 18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.


 19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!


 20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.


 21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?


 22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

Is it coincidence that in order for Nephi to understand what the Tree of Life symbolizes the Spirit of the Lord shows the Nativity scene in vision? I don't think so.

I testify that because "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..." we are able to live again. Nephi needed to see the Nativity scene, because that was the very moment in which the Savior was FINALLY here! He came! God had sent His Son! He was there in the mortal flesh!

The Book of Mormon is giving us an account of what Christmas is really about, our Savior, and through Him can we feel the love of God! That's awesome!

I know that if we read the Book of Mormon and we focus on its message we can grow closer to our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ! For that is whom it testifies of!

Anyways, Merry Christmas!

Elder Prows

Weekly Post - 12/14/2011

Well this is hard because the weeks go by so fast now I can hardly remember what happened.

 

We've been working with a Less-Active named Shaun. He's awesome, and been coming really actively. It's interesting because we've been working with his family alot, and they're progressed alot, but he never came. But he broke up recently with his longtime girlfriend, and didn't really know what to do. So the next time I saw him I just asked him straight up "So are you gonna start coming to church now?" and he just kind of stopped and said "I dunno?" He was at church that sunday and we've been meeting with him because he feels we can help him get his life straight. He is doing very very well.

 

Basically this whole week we've been doing finding activities, and recently we decided we would do a project about sticking to basics.

We're helping members, investigators and others get into the habit of reading the Book of Mormon and praying. We have firm testimonies that it is by the basics that we are able to have our solid foundations in Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. If the members and Less-actives and investigators make these things a consistent part of their lives they will build stronger faith in the Savior, and our Father in Heaven, and they will learn to exercise more faith by reading what is essentially the Blueprint to Eternal Life! It's awesome!

I have strived myself to read the Book of Mormon daily, and to pray morning, night and throughout the day. I know that by that habit I have grown closer to my Father in Heaven and my Savior. I can testify that they live because of it! I know they exist! They are real tangible beings who love us so much, and they want what is best for us. They will comfort us, if we will just let them.

Personal, and family Scripture Study and Prayer is the key to accessing spiritual strength!

 

It is my invitation to you all to make that an active part of your lives, and to STICK WITH IT!

 

So here's the big part, I've invited you to do this-

 

WILL YOU DO IT?!

 

I testify if you do you will know God's love for you and for all mankind. You will have strength in struggles, and trials! I have seen that! Christ lives, and because He died for us He knows us! He knows all your struggles and mine- and because of it he can succor us in our needs.

 

But now I must leave. Kind of a lame cut off but deal with it!

 

Elder Prows

Weekly Post - 12/5/2011

Well this week. I don't really know what to talk about.

I thoroughly enjoyed this last week the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It was so nice to get to hear from our Modern Day prophet, and his councilors. They truly are fully-awesome. My favorite talk was President Uchdorfs on how you only ruin Christmas if YOU ruin it. It's about what Christmas is about to you. If we have a true understanding of the real nature of Christmas, then Christmas will never go bad. Because Jesus Christ will never go bad. A brilliant concept, that is so eternal. That's the thing about the Gospel that I love, is that it's unchanging.

One of the Brothers in the Fairfield Branch said something that stuck out to me in Gospel Doctrine- in 1 John it talks about how no commandment given is necessarily "new", it's always been given from the very beginning. But somewhere, some place in our lives that principle really sticks out to us, and hits us. It sounds 'new' to us. All the principles in Conference are repeated continually, but the key factor is that somewhere somehow what is being said in that moment will stick out to someone in need of that Gospel. The principles stick out "unto men... unto their understanding." God teaches us according to our needs, and so we WILL learn; if we listen.

I love when Elder Jeffery R. Holland in the April 2011 conference said in his talk "If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance." That is how the Lord teaches, and that is how we must listen- by the Spirit. He is all-knowing, and we can be all-learning.

This morning I had a great study on the principle of "Pure Intent". Throughout the Book of Mormon we hear several mentions of "real intent". What does it mean to have PURE intent.

I read up Helaman 3:35

Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.

this helped me to feel close to what Pure Intent really is. But I still did not feel it was quite there. But through other impressions and the guidance of the Spirit I was led to Jeremiah 9:3,8

 3 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord

 8 Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.

To have Pure Intent to have the true desire, to be like Jesus Christ, and to teach WHOLE TRUTH. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about our opinions, or what we want out of it. It's about truth! It's about what Jesus Christ said! He IS the Great Teacher, He sets forth the Doctrine. I know that that is true, I have felt the spirit testify of it, and I testify of it.

May we teach pure and whole truths throughout this Christmas Season, with pure intent, for what this Season is really and truely about- Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, the Lamb of God, the Holy One.

Merry Christmas!

Elder Prows

2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!"