Week 102 - The End

The End

So to everyone who is not my family. You can email me at brycejohns@comcast.net

This has been an amazing week to end on. We have had miracle after miracle. Our dry spell has officially ended. We received a referral from a Pentecostal non-member for a guy who wants to be baptized. He was super cool. We also had a good lesson with Serena, and another new family that wants to get baptized. Yesterday we put Heather Emmich's brother on date for baptism and he is super excited about it as well. Things are moving so well. I am really proud of my companion Elder Foster. He's going to be taking over the area today. I remember when I was in his shoes two years ago when my trainer left. I feel that I lived up to his example of working hard to the end. (I didn't even start packing till Saturday night).

So, this is my last email as a missionary. I wanted to share a list of the things that I have learned as a missionary.

Ten Things I have learned from my mission.

1. Choose Charity

Charity is the most important attribute. As Paul says in the thirteenth chapter of Corinthians verses 1 through 3:

 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

We can have all the other positive attributes in the world, but it doesn't matter, it doesn't help us to progress and grow to become the people we have the potential to become. The goal in life is to become as Christlike as possible we cannot do that if we merely go through the motions, we must have a mighty change of heart and have Christlike actions with a Christlike attitude, then we can have all the blessings and attributes that Paul enumerates in the rest of the chapter.

So: Love everybody! Even if you don't like them, love them and you will be able to see them as Christ does.

2. Unify Yourselves

As a missionary, the companionship is the basic unit, and the work in an area succeeds or fails on the unity of the companionship. If you are not on the same page nothing gets done. As Jesus said, " A house divided against itself cannot stand." So you must decide to love them no matter what because contention will drive the spirit away. Without the Spirit you can do nothing. So Serve each other, discuss ideas, make plans, be humble enough to compromise, and take companionship inventory seriously.  Be unified.

3. The power of positivity

Alma 41:15 "That which ye do send out doth return again unto you and is restored..."

You get to decide what your reactions will be to every situation you come across. If you choose to react negatively you feel bad, which is no fun, if you instead chose to act positively and move forward you can learn the lessons you need and have fun while you are at it. You are only robbing yourself of your own happiness. So choose to enjoy what you are doing so you can excel and put your full effort into it.

Also, nobody likes negative people.

4. Be Obedient

As a missionary, we are here to learn to obey. Obedience is the first law of the gospel. If you want blessings, obey the commandments. Mission rules are commandments.

It's that simple.

5. If it's good, do it.

The Spirit will guide you if you let Him. Usually, for me it's just a thought, a quiet prompting to go and do something good. Then when I go and do it, we see a miracle happen. I usually don't recognize the thought as the spirit till afterwords.

The Spirit answers the questions we have as missionaries, where to go, what to do, what to teach, what to say. As we live worthy, we will have his presence. We may not always recognize it, so if you have a prompting to do something good, do it, it's probably the Spirit.

6. Study the scriptures (and Preach My Gospel)

D&C 11:

 21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word,and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shallhave my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto theconvincing

You need to know the scriptures before you can use them. God doesn't work by ex nihilo creation. The Spirit brings things to your remembrance, so you need to have something in there before you can talk about it.

Also, the book of Mormon, is the most powerful tool. Either it's true or it's not and the only way people can know for themselves is by reading it and praying about it. 

7. Teach, edify, Commit

The Scriptures tell us that we must teach nothing but repentance. In all interactions as missionaries we must teach true doctrine, edify with the spirit, and invite people to commit to do something (Repentance). As we do those three things we will be effective teachers of the gospel. Also, make sure to center your teaching on the Savior.

8.Question with boldness

Ask questions. Then find the answers. It's that's simple. In teaching, in studying, in the gospel, in everything. God wants us to ask questions so that we can receive answers for ourselves. 

9. Plan properly

Something our mission president is big on is the concept of Vision, Goal, Plan. Have a general vision/purpose goals to create that vision and specific plans to achieve your goals and make your vision a reality. "Life without goals is like golf without holes (it's called a driving range)."

10. Do you understand the import of your message?

“We as a people have one supreme thing to do, and that is to call upon the world to repent of sin, to come to God. And it is our duty above all others to go forth and proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the restoration again to the earth of the plan of life and salvation. … We have in very deed the pearl of great price. We have that which is of more value than all the wealth and the scientific information which the world possesses. We have the plan of life and salvation. … The best way in the world to show our love for our neighbor is to go forth and proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, of which he has given us an absolute knowledge concerning its divinity” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1927, 175–76).
(Youtube/listen to the talk "The Profile of a Prophet" by Hugh B Brown.

Bonus!

Remember the miracles
Keep it simple

This has been the best two years of my life, and I would not trade this time for anything else. I thank God for the miracles I have seen, the people I have touched, and the changes I have made. I love to see the Joy in people's lives when they live the gospel. May God continue to use me to help people in our lives.

Love, Elder Johns.

See you in 24 hours.