12 July—Manvel

Hello everyone!

This week has been a little slow, last week we had 6 investigators at church and this week we had 0, and I believe it was because of the world cup. There was like no one even at the branch on Sunday...

Anyway, we got transfer calls last night, and if you have been praying for me, I ask you to pray a little harder now because I can use all the help I can get. I got a call from President Saylin last night, and he told me that he wants me to do two new things this next transfer. First thing was he said he will be dividing our district up and splitting it up into two districts and that he wants me to be the district leader in the new Manvel district. He said it is a big responsibility. The second thing that he told me was that he had been praying earnestly to find out who the new missionaries trainers should be, and he strongly feels that I need to train and give the new missionary a good experience and teach him the principles of following the standards of excellence and being 100 percent obedient. So, I have a lot on my plate this next transfer with training and being a district leader.

This week has been a good week, actually a tough week. I think Satan was in my head a bunch with Spanish because I kept on getting these negative thoughts about my Spanish and I was very unconfident about my Spanish this week. My companion said I still spoke it well, and he didn't know why I was worried about it all. However, on Sunday we were driving in the car and it was one of those open random and read the scriptures things and I opened to Ether 12 and just starting reading. I read verses 24 through 29 and it talks about Moroni's weakness in his writing and how he felt that the people would mock the words he wrote, and God tells him that fools will mock but the humble in heart would listen to what he had to say, and that as long as he has faith in Jesus Christ; he will be able to overcome any challenge, and as he humbled himself his weakness will become a strength. It made me feel a lot better because sometimes its tough to speak or people "mock you," but I know that as I continue to put my faith in Christ he will help me. I know my Spanish is fine; I can communicate with the people. I just need to step it up to the next level, especially because I will be training a missionary and I need to give him a good experience.

The past week, I have been studying about the spirit. I don't remember if I talked about this last Monday. But, it is a very important topic, and I feel like I should talk about it. I had always known the the Holy Ghost was a comforter and testifier of truth, and a constant companion if we are living worthy, but I don't think I realized the importance of really having the spirit as your constant companion. It is very important, he will teach us all things that we need to know and guide us in all aspects of our lives. I guess the new question is, how can we receive the Holy Ghost, or what can we do to always have the spirit to be with us?

I guess first we can look to the sacrament. In the prayer, it talks about our covenants; that we are making when we take the sacrament. First, it is to take upon the name of thy son Jesus Christ. What do you think that means? 2nd, to always remember him. How can we always remember the Savior? And third, to keep his commandment. a.k.a. obedience. Are we obedient to the unenforceable? Are we obedient to the things that only you and God will know about. For example are our thoughts clean, do we tell the truth, or do we judge others? Our quest to have the spirit, I feel, is always moving we are never at a stand still we are either growing closer to the spirit or we are drifting away from the spirit.

With that idea in mind, what are some things that we can do to keep the spirit with us? To keep our change of heart? And how can we give ourselves a spiritual check up?

Well, I think the first things are the simple things. Like reading your scriptures, praying every morning and night and going to church. But ask yourself these question. When I study am I reading or am I spiritually feasting? When I pray, is it me me me or am I giving thanks for the things I have and praying for others? When I go to church, am I going because I have to or am I going to renew my baptismal covenants though the sacrament? And am I fulfilling my calling and learning new things as I listen to the spirit?

One thing I like to do to give my self a spiritual checkup is to read Alma 5. Alma asks us a lot of good questions and when you read those questions, answer them in you head and change things if you need to. We can also go and think about the temple recommend questions and see how we are doing with those.

The more and more I am out here on my mission, the more and more I realize that this life isn't a game, but that this life really is the time that we have to prepare to meet God and to do the things that we need to do to make sure when we are at the judgment bar we won't have regrets. It is important, I think, to realize that just because we have been baptized or just because we went to the temple that it doesn't mean that we are going to be saved. We need to constantly give ourselves these check ups and constantly repent. Continual repentance doesn't just mean repent of the things we are doing wrong, but it also could mean doing the things that we are doing better. Trying our best to stretch ourselves. It is also important while we are doing all these things to make sure we have our family time. Spend time with the family and make your family your best friends.

Anyway I will keep working hard as long as you all keep praying hard :) and I love you and I will talk to you in another week.

Love,

Elder Johnson