These last couple of weeks have held many blessings for which I am thrilled to share you. It seems that as my mission comes to a close that I am continuing to learn more and more, for which I am very grateful.
This last week, we had two meetings, one being a meeting for all of the new leaders in the mission, and the next being "Career Workshop", in which all of the departing missionaries met in Cauayan and were instructed about how to interview, find jobs compatible with our interests, etc. Considering that I am close to departing myself, I was privileged to attend that meeting. The Career Workshop was wonderful, and was the first time in many months that I was able to sit down in a meeting, relax, and just enjoy the Spirit. At the beginning of the meeting, before anybody had even spoken, I was listening to the prelude music and made a wonderful realization that feel appropriate to share. The hymn being played when I made this realization is Hymn #26 "Joseph Smith's First Prayer". For whatever reason, as I listened to the tune of that familiar hymn, the Spirit bore witness to me once again of truthfulness of Joseph's experience in the grove of trees he mentioned nearly 200 years ago. As I simultaneously thought about who I was before my mission, and how I have changed along the way, I came to recognize a blessing that I will forever be grateful for. Before I served my mission, I had strong faith that Joseph Smith indeed did become a prophet, but as I have continually taught about it, testified about it, studied about it, etc. I came to realize sitting down prior to the meeting I mentioned that my faith has become a knowledge.
Now I don't mean to say that I have obtained knowledge in the sense that I saw Joseph's experience, rather I have come to obtain the type of knowledge Alma mentions in the Book of Mormon wherein he compares the word of God to a seed: "Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves--It must needs be that this is a good seed, or the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge. But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good...And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good. And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand" (Alma 32: 28-34) I am happy to say that through the "experiment" that Alma mentioned, and the many manifestations of the hand of God in result of the Restoration of the gospel, my knowledge has become perfect in that thing. Perhaps that will be the best souvenir I will take home with me next month.
I don't have enough time to write the other experience I had in mind, but I just want to relay again how grateful I am that I decided to serve a mission. Although I still have a little less than a month left I am a little heartbroken that I only have that much time remaining. Although my mission has indeed been the hardest thing I have ever done, I know it is the most worth-while thing I have ever done. Truly it seems, the more you sacrifice to the Lord in any manner, the more you will receive in return.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Elder Pulley
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