Letter from Nathan

I received a birthday letter from Nathan.  He's grown a lot through his mission experience and is enjoying Georgia.  He is currently working in the mission home.  We get an email from him each week, but I enjoyed this letter from him.  The last part made me laugh.  You might enjoy it as well.


Dad,

Hey dad sorry this letter is late.  I just wanted to say Happy Birthday.  Sorry I can't get you anything.  This letter is probably the only thing you would get anyway even if I was home. Haha. But anways I hope you had a good birthday.  I wish I could be there to celebrate with you.  I miss all of the food that you make.  The tri-tip, ribs, risotto, ice-cream, pasta, carne asada and that pumpkin bread pudding you made a couple of times.

I guess you will be in Seattle by the time this gets to Utah.  Hope you had fun.

Thanks for being the best dad ever! I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for you.  Thanks for everything.  (Except the freakin, stupid, retarded, dumb, gay, idiot cows)

Love,

Elder J

Chastity

One of my favorite parts of our home is our wood-burning stove.  As a child, I didn’t appreciate the fact that we heated our home primarily with a wood stove instead of our gas furnace.  It meant a lot of extra work for me.  But now, every fall, we carry on a longstanding Jensen tradition of traipsing up to the mountains for firewood.  I really enjoy it and hope that my boys will continue when they have sons of their own.   To me there is nothing that feels better on a cold winter day than coming in from the weather to get warmed by the heat from our wood-stove.

When my kids were younger I used our wood-stove as an analogy for human intimacy.  Obviously, we don’t just build a fire in the middle of the room because of the great damage it would do to our house. 

Because we are all red-blooded mortals, the Lord’s law of chastity is something we all encounter as we mature from childhood and into adulthood.  It is one of the areas we are tempted and often struggle with.

When we are young, sometimes the commandments might seem restrictive. But like the wood-stove, when we keep these things within the bounds the lord has set then sexual intimacy becomes a great blessing.  In like manner, any other use becomes destructive and leaves lives filled with pain, regrets and sorrow. 

Alma taught his son that these things are “most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost” (Alma 39:5).  Satan has done an incredible job in our society of taking this most serious offense and making it seem acceptable, normal and no big deal.  He has taken something incredibly sacred and profaned it.  We are all constantly bombarded by his lies throughout our society.  Many have been deceived.  Sadly this is not limited solely to those outside the church.  Many within also lose sight of how serious a matter this law is with the Lord.

Proverbs 6:32 states “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”  Our bodies and spirits are more closely linked than we probably realize.  Those who transgress these physical laws suffer spiritual consequences.  One of the reasons that adulterers seek signs and disbelieve is a result of the spiritual damage their actions have wrought in their lives.  We tend to lose sight of the gravity of this matter.  Perhaps one of the reasons this offense was punishable by death under the law of Moses was to impress upon their minds continually the seriousness of this law (Leviticus 20:10).  If we still had this penalty today, we would have a lot less immorality in our society.  (And probably a lot fewer politicians, lawyers and judges, as well.)

On the positive side, the Lord has two great blessing in store for us through the proper use of our sexuality.  First is the blessing of children and of becoming parents.  And second, sex is intended to create a bond between a husband and wife.  The two are to become one.  This bond is more than physical, it is also an emotional and spiritual bond.  It is sacred.  When we see these things, we begin to understand why you can’t mess around with this and walk away unscathed—contrary to what the world teaches.

I taught a lesson today to our BYU students on this topic.  Some have struggles in this area.  The pain in their lives is far greater than any momentary satisfaction or pleasure they derived from their transgressions.

On the positive side, I used Jess and Devin as an example.  While they were engaged and in the months prior to their wedding, they sat down together and made a few rules that they decided to follow.  I don’t remember exactly what they were but it was something like they would only kiss on Saturday night and then only 2 kisses.  They had fun with it and teased each other a bit but stuck to it.  They entered the temple clean and worthy of the blessings the Lord had for them there.

Sometimes people want to see how close they can get to the line.  The Savior admonished us to stay so far away from the line that we don’t even allow improper thoughts into our lives.  (3 Nephi 12: 27-30)  This is where the battle should be fought--keeping our thoughts pure. 

How many marriages and lives would be spared heartache and misery if this commandment were observed?  How many lives have been destroyed by the ocean of pornography and filth that surrounds us?  Mom and dad have a great saying that says in effect:  ‘All the water in the world cannot sink a ship unless it gets inside.’  Likewise, although we live in an immoral, filthy world we are okay unless we let it inside.

The law of chastity is one of the things we specifically covenant to live in the temple.  This law is given by a Father who knows and understands the weaknesses inherent in mortality, who knows the pain and suffering and consequences of violating this law, and who gives us this commandment to bless us and to insure our happiness.  Solomon with all his “wisdom” failed to observe this law.  On the other side of the failures of his life, he finally did gain true ‘wisdom’.  May we be wise without the painful experience.

I really like how one author put it.  I close with his words:

Of all the powers given to mankind by God, the one most like God Himself is the power to create offspring. The sexual union of the man and woman resulting in children is a power so great it is called God's reward. (See Psalms 127: 3.) God's covenant with Abraham was based upon a numerous posterity. (Gen. 22: 17.)

Sex involves not only "knowing" (i.e., intercourse) between a man and woman (Gen. 4: 1), but also the woman "conceiving" a child (Id.). Sex also includes the woman bringing forth the child, and the father then naming the child (Matt. 1: 25.) It includes teaching the child the ways of God (Deu. 6: 6-7). It extends to a parent's duty to provide care, food, clothing and shelter for the child as well. (1 Tim. 5: 8.)

When the child is raised, the child then is obligated to honor and care for the parent. (Deu. 5: 16.) The cycle binds together generations in care, nurture and honor, altogether a godlike process. (Enos 1: 1.)

In a word, sex is life. It is the entirety of life. It produces and provides for generation after generation in a godly connection between man, woman and God.

If sex is separated from the entire scope of the Divine order, and redefined to be nothing more than orgasm, then it ceases to be life and becomes chaos and death. For example, if the ability of a homosexual union to produce physical gratification for the participants is regarded as the same thing, it not only fails to comply with the Divinely ordained order, it results in death. Homosexual unions produce no offspring and the participants go down to the grave childless. Their sexual powers have failed to result in creation, order, or fulfilling the pattern for life to continue.

If sex is separated from the entire scope, then children are born unwanted and are not raised with the care, love and sacrifice of the parents. They are not taught in the ways of God. They become less than what they were intended to be because they have inherited less than God intended for them to inherit.

Our society has largely confined its understanding of sex to nothing more than physical gratification. It is an orgasm and nothing more. Once we loose that single component from the Divine order, we have changed godlike creation into disorder and chaos. Ultimately it is the difference between life and death.

Pride, part 4

Nephi quoting Isaiah states: “For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” (1 Ne. 20:10).

What does it mean to be chosen?

Chosen for what?

Chosen by whom?

Why does the choosing occur in the furnace of affliction?

Why are many called but not chosen?  (D&C 121:34-35)

It is easy to point to the failures of past dispensations and feel that we would have done better if we had lived then.  Many in the Savior’s time felt the same way.  He condemned them for this. (Matt. 23:29-34)  But are we doing any better?

“But behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many who have been ordained among you, whom I have called but few of them are chosen.  They who are not chosen have sinned a very grievous sin, in that they are walking in darkness at noon-day.” D&C 95:5-6

Is affliction a necessary part of the process?  Is this partly why the natural man is an enemy to God (Mosiah 3:19)? Because we resist the very trials and difficulties needed to refine us?  Do we plead for relief from the very circumstances that God has carefully orchestrated for our benefit?  Can we be stripped of pride without our trials? Does God afflict us unnecessarily?  

Purpose of the temple

Are the temple ordinances ends in themselves? Or are they means to an end? Are they both?

Moses sought diligently to bring the ancient Israelites into the Lord’s presence so they could be redeemed, but collectively they would not enter. (D&C 84:23-24)  The tabernacle and the ordinances thereof were designed to prepare them. Sadly, only a few received what was intended.

One of the reasons the ancient Israelites failed to receive what the Lord wanted to give is found in Exodus 20:18-21.  If you read these verses, the Israelites in essence said: Moses, YOU go talk to the Lord for us and then tell us what he says.  They had a choice and, unfortunately, chose not to receive what the Lord offered them.

Many years later, after Moses was long gone, Lehi, another Israelite, had the same choice yet with a very different outcome.  He undoubtedly had received ordinances through the temple at Jerusalem.  In the opening chapter of the Book of Mormon, we find Lehi pleading on behalf of his people and then being brought into the Lord’s presence (1 Ne. 1:8).  Lehi received what the ancient Israelites, under Moses, would not.  We rightly regard Lehi as a prophet, but sometimes forget that the Lord had an ‘official’ prophet in Jerusalem at the time, namely Jeremiah.  Lehi heeded Jeremiah’s warning, but proceeded to connect with heaven for himself and his family.

Nephi has the same choice and, like his father, eventually is brought into the Lord’s presence.  As the Lord is no respecter of persons, Laman and Lemuel had the same privilege and opportunity, but like the ancient Israelites they would not receive that which was offered.

We face the same choice.  We also have an opportunity to seek the face of the Lord and to receive our redemption.

D&C 93:1 – “Verily, thus saith the Lord:  It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am.”

“The purpose of the endowment in the house of the Lord is to prepare and sanctify his saints so they will be able to see his face, here and now, as well as to bear the glory of his presence in the eternal worlds.”  - Bruce R. McConkie

Will we be any more successful than the ancient Israelites at knowing the Lord?  As a people, probably not. Individually, however, it is up to each of us to receive what is offered.  We need to repent.  Repent of all the things that are keeping us from Christ and from receiving what he promises.  Everything is conditioned upon our faithfulness.

Joseph Smith taught:  After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son [or daughter], thou shalt be exalted.

When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man [or woman] is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man [or woman] will find his [or her] calling and his election made sure, then it will be his [or her] privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints....

Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; (TPJS 150-151)

If we give heed to the light of Christ we are eventually prepared and led to receive the Holy Ghost.  By following the Holy Ghost we will be prepared to receive the Son.  He will in turn prepare us to be re-introduced to the Father.

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is mom's birthday.  Of all the blessings in my life, she is one of the greatest.  I have her and dad to thank for teaching me the gospel, teaching me to work, and establishing a foundation for my life.  Their love and sacrifice for me and for my brothers and sisters mirrors the Saviors.

Thanks Mom for everything.  I hope you have a special, wonderful day.

I love you

Pride, part 3

President Benson also identified enmity towards our fellowmen as a part of pride.  Jacob admonishes us to “think of your brethren like unto yourselves.” (Jacob 2:17).  Alma laments, “yea will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another?” (Alma 5:54)

The gospel unites.  Pride divides, sorts and ranks.

Nephi and Jacob both identify riches and learning as two sources of pride (2 Ne. 28:15, 2 Ne. 9:42).  People, puffed up by riches and learning, are those whom the Lord despises (2 Ne. 9:42).  We tend to esteem them.  We laude the hard work, discipline, and persistence required to obtain riches or learning.  Some view those blessed with riches as favored by heaven.  We hear preached the gospel of success.

I love being on the campus of BYU.  I love the sense of learning and excitement and of young inquisitive minds seeking to expand and understand the world.  There is a good spirit there and much that is very good.  

But there is also found in the halls and ivory towers of academia at times a suffocating, insufferable pride.  BYU is not exempt.  Those who have worked hard to gain some esoteric knowledge sometimes think themselves better than others who do not possess their particular understanding.

We see the same in business, in sports and in all other areas of life where competition divides and grades us.  When we have sacrificed years of hard work to gain mastery of a particular skill or thing, it is so very easy for that to become a source of pride for us.  Anything, which distinguishes us from others, can be a source of pride. 

The Nephites didn’t have different styles and models of cars.  And one grass hut or stone house was probably much like any other.  They often distinguished themselves by their clothing.  Wearing costly apparel set one apart from others who couldn’t afford it.  Though we like to think ourselves more advanced, we can see the same thing in any of our high schools today.  Kids can’t fit in without the right label on their pocket.

Our entire society is built upon pride.  It is all around us every day.  Where would we be without competition?  It is hard for us to imagine such a place.  It seems so foreign.  Isn’t competition good? Doesn’t it push us to improve? Don’t market forces balance out and foster innovation?  Isn’t capitalism good?  It is, after all, the best economic system the world has ever known, isn’t it?  Survival of the fittest seems to be the law of nature (our telestial world).

In the D&C, the Lord rebuked William Phelps and admonished him to repent, ‘because he seeketh to excel’. (D&C 58:41).  Well what’s wrong with that? Shouldn’t we excel?  Look at communism or socialism, where no one has an incentive to excel.

The big problem in all of this is that too often it interferes with keeping the second commandment, that of loving our neighbor.  We can’t feel smugly superior to someone else and go about humbly serving them at the same time.  We can’t be seeking recognition and praise from the world for ourselves and at the same time bring honor and glory to God.  Our motives and intentions matter.

Our entire society is founded upon pride.  It is manifest in every part of our modern culture.  It will one day fall.

It is not the culture of heaven.  We get glimpses of what the society of heaven is like in the temple.  There we find joy, peace, order, unity, and equality. Service replaces competition.  Humility replaces pride.  We find rich symbolism, ritual, instruction and edification. 

When the Lord finds a people sufficiently pure that he can dwell with them there you find Zion—the society of heaven.  It is the antithesis of our world.  No wonder President Benson identified pride as the great stumbling block to Zion.

I have had far too much pride in my life.  It is something I am seeking to set aside and to be stripped of.  Often that requires challenges and difficulties as a gift from the Lord.  In fact, we are told that we are given weakness precisely to help us learn humility (Ether 12:27).  It is one of our purposes in coming here.  It is hard to do on our own.  But it is a defect that the Lord can correct in us if we will let him.

If we awaken and begin to see things as they really are, we can let go of our insecurities and begin to accept ourselves and our lives and our limitations and find a measure of peace and contentment.  Our value lies not in our accomplishments.  Our true value lies in the divinity that resides in each of us. 

Pride, part 2

But aren’t we okay if we are basically good, religious people?

Mosiah chapter 3 is one of the most doctrinally rich chapters of the Book of Mormon.  It contains a message delivered by an angel from God.  The angel is not ‘blinded’ by pride—nor does the angel suffer from our limited viewpoint, as we discussed in the previous post.  The message is not the angel’s but God’s. The angel is simply the messenger.

The message is delivered to ‘basically good, religious people’.  It begins with a command to ‘Awake’.  King Benjamin awoke from physical slumber.  He is then told again to ‘Awake’ (vs. 3).  This is not redundant.  He and his audience need to awaken (spiritually).

After explaining how little children are innocent before God, the angel declares that ‘the natural man is an enemy to God’ (Mosiah 3:19).

As we progress from the innocence of childhood into adulthood we inevitably become, by nature, alienated from God.  Like Adam, we fall.  How and why does this occur?  What contributes to our alienation and enmity?  How does pride fit in this process?

If by nature, we are going to become ‘at enmity’ with God, then how can we be sure that we are not in this natural state as we go about practicing our religion?  What is there about religion that appeals to the ‘natural’ man?

Can religion contribute to: Arrogance? Pride? Judgement? Hatred? Anger?  Abuse of others? Is the ‘natural’ man who is deeply religious any better off than the ‘natural’ man who is irreligious or an atheist? Can a man or woman remain “an enemy to God” and still be devoted to a religion?  Were not the prophets of the past, and even the very Son of God, killed by those who were religious?  Is this limited to “false” faiths?  Or is it found in every denomination and faith, including our own?

Nephi warns that in our day “because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine” that our churches have become corrupt and lifted up and puffed up in pride (2 Ne. 28:12).  Further because of pride and wickedness, “all have gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ” (2 Ne. 28:14).  Phew, I was starting to get worried there.  Good thing we are among the few.

It is easy to read the dire warnings in chapter 28 and apply them to other churches.  (And they do rightly apply).  It is easy to feel that we are exempt from these problems and challenges.  Until we get down to verse 21 of that chapter and Nephi starts talking about Zion.  Well that’s us.  Darn, maybe we are not excluded.  Come to think of it, why would Nephi see our time and record these warnings for a bunch of people (other churches) who will never read the Book of Mormon?  Maybe, Nephi is trying to warn us who will actually have and read the book. Hmmm.  Do any of these problems creep in amongst us?  Maybe we should review this chapter again.

How do we avoid these dilemmas?  Both as a church and individually?  How do we avoid pride as we go about our lives?  What does the angel recommend to King Benjamin?

Yield to ‘the enticings of the Holy Spirit” (Mos. 3:19).  Follow the Savior’s example.  Put our Father’s will ahead of our own.  Start to do what He would have us do.  “Become a saint through the atonement of Christ?”  This suggests change.  How do we change ‘through the atonement’?  How is this related to the enticings of the Holy Spirit?  How are the atonement and the Spirit involved in our sanctification (becoming holy)? (3 Ne. 27:20)  If the Holy Spirit and the atonement are vital to this process, then where is there room for our pride?  Our self-sufficiency?  Our great works?

Aaron testified to King Lamoni’s father that “since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself.” (Alma 22:14)  By ourselves we will never be sufficient.  To receive God we must be meek and lowly in heart. (Moroni 7:44)

As the angel concludes his message, the Lord warns that these words will stand as a bright testimony against us at the judgment day (Mosiah 3:24).  Through the angel’s message, Mosiah’s people did ‘awaken’.  The result of this awakening is that they ‘viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth’ (Mosiah 4:2).  Where was pride then?

Pride, part 1

Alma 5:28 begins with a question, “Behold, are ye stripped of pride?”  This query should give each of us pause.  Maybe cause a bit of squirming or discomfort.  It’s easier to skim over it and get to other verses that are more comfortable.

But Alma doesn’t let us off the hook that easily.  He continues, “I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God.”  Since this life is the time for us to prepare to meet God (Alma 34:32), pride should be something that concerns us.  Alma’s question is relevant.

What is pride? 

How are we stripped of it?  

Why is it such a problem that we aren’t prepared to return to God with it?

Pride is multi-faceted.  One of the problems with pride is that it causes us to be blinded to truth—things as they really are.  Goliath, the turkey, is a good example of being blinded by pride.  Once blinded to truth we are easily led astray into forbidden paths and to destruction.  “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)  One of the consistent messages and warnings of the Book of Mormon is against pride.  Pride destroys not only individuals but groups as well. It led to the downfall of the Nephites.  It is leading to the downfall of our nation.

How do we avoid this catastrophe in our own lives?  Nephi provides a key, “And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken [listen and obey] unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness to lead them away to destruction.” (1 Ne. 15:24)

One of the keys to being stripped of pride is to receive the word of God.  Where do we receive that?  The scriptures, obviously.  Where else?  In the temple. 

The way we view and judge things is so skewed from our limited vantage point in mortality.  One of the purposes of the temple is to help us gain perspective.

Consider the counsel of the Savior to his servant who was over the branch of the church in Laodicea.  Here is church leader who by all external appearances is ‘successful’.  He is wealthy, content with his life, and called to serve in a leadership position.  Members of his congregation might have looked at him and thought, ‘now there’s a guy that has it all together’. 

But listen to how the Savior views this man. ‘Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked’.  He is counseled to acquire treasure in heaven, to be clothed, and to anoint his eyes that he might see. (Rev. 3:14-19)

Consider further this reminder from John: ‘But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” (1 John 2:27)

Nephi reminds us that angels speak the words of Christ (2 Ne. 32:3) and that the Holy Ghost will show us all things that we should do (2 Ne. 32:5).  In addition to the scriptures and the temple, we need to connect with heaven and receive God’s word directly in our lives.  If we have questions or don’t understand all of this Nephi tells us to ask and knock that we might be brought into the light and not perish in the dark (2 Ne. 32:4).  We have no excuse for ignorance or blindness in our lives.

President Benson, in his great discourse on pride, identified enmity as the core of pride.  Enmity towards God and towards our fellow men.  He stated that pride is essentially competitive by nature.  Emnity means to be in a state of opposition or hostility.  This is the opposite of the first and second great commandments which are to love God and our fellowman.

We live in a world filled with pride.  It surrounds us and is part of the cultural smog we breathe in every day.  It is insidious and creeps in everywhere.  It is so ‘natural’ to our society that sometimes we are scarcely aware of it except in extreme cases or examples.

Alma concludes his verse on pride with a sobering warning.  If we are not stripped of pride, ‘Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand and such an one hath not eternal life.’ (Alma 5:28)  Why is this so?

While there are many facets of pride (and we will discuss some of these in the days to come) the key feature is MY will as opposed to THY will.  Pride causes us to seek our own desires over what the Lord wants for us. 

The Savior is our example.  He is, as Joseph Smith taught in the Lectures on Faith, the prototype of the saved man.   What did he do?  Listen to how he defines his identity.  “I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning” (3 Ne. 11:11) And again, “I am Jesus Christ; I came by the will of the Father, and I do his will” (D&C 19:24) “And this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me” (3 Ne. 27:13)
Here is humility.

Pride leads into many forbidden paths where all is lost (1 Ne. 8:28).  There is only one path that leads back to God.  He wants to lead us along this one true path.  But we cannot follow it unless we, like the Savior, seek His will.

We can't return to God with pride.  Unless we lay it aside we won't follow the path that will bring us back to him.

Pride is represented by the great and spacious building.  Eventually it will fall. (1 Ne. 11:36).  One way or another all will eventually be stripped of pride.

Letter from Nate

We received a letter from Nathan today (1/24/13) that I wanted to share (unedited) along with an email we received from him this week:


Dear Family,

How are y'all doing?  Sorry my emails aren't very long.  By the time I read the email from President Harding and respond to it, I only have so much time.  It's just go, go, go all the time.  President Harding is young for a mission president and so he has a lot of energy and he tries to get us all fired up when we have zone conference and such.  Elder Schenck says it feels like an Amway meeting.  If y'all know what Amway is.

I love it down here.  The weather is nice (for now).  The people are nice.  There is more than one black person in a city, and the food is great.  Every Friday, Brother Warren takes us to the Green Durby which is a buffet.  They have Waffle House's down here which are really good.  I have a Yoohoo and a peanut butter blueberry jam sandwich almost every day.  I am really lucky to have been called to Georgia.  I just don't feel like I deserve any of it.  I am so blessed with the life I have been given and I haven't been grateful for any of it.  I take a lot of things for granted.  Thank you.  For everything y'all have done for me.  I can't believe I have been out for almost 2 months.  But then again I still have 22 months to go.  I miss you guys and I look forward to seeing everyone again.

Well anyways, I told y'all about Emmitt Davis and how we are teaching him to read.  I remembered that video with Danny saying "The fat cat ate the rat" or something, and so we are teaching him simple words like that.  He was actually baptized by the missionaries from the Macon Georgia Mission.  Elder Schenck told me that the Macon mission was too baptism happy so they shut it down.  People were getting baptized and they would never get confirmed and stuff like that.

Well I love y'all.  Love, Elder Jensen



Here's the email:

Hello everyone. It was great to hear from you guys this week. Thank you so much for the letters and the packages you guys send. I got the haircutting thing and the camera. Thank you guys. It means a lot. I feel kinda spoiled to be asking for all that but thank you guys. Its great to hear that everyone is doing good and everyone is improving and doing better.

 

 Hey Danny, its great that you are finishing up your eagle and you want to get your patriarichal blessing. I can't believe you get up at 5:30 every morning and workout and you still play basketball every day. You are going to be a better person and a better missionary than I will ever be. You have a lot of dedication and discipline to be doing what you do. You should be my big brother haha.

 

Hey Jenny, thats great that you are going to the AA meetings and opening up more and more. I'm sorry to hear that Taylor gaylor was stealing from you. Just know that I love you a lot and Christ loves you even more. In order to overcome any addiction you need to turn to Christ. He went below all of us and knows how to help each of us. You are loved more than you know and I can't wait to see how far you can go by the time I get home.

 

Mom and Dad. Thanks for all the sacrifice you guys have made to get me here. I am truly grateful to you guys and everything you have taught me. I wouldn't trade you guys for the world. I just hope that I will live up to everything that is expected of me. I don't want to let you guys down. Thank you for everything.

 

Jess and Devin. Thats cool that you guys are going to go to Seattle soon. It is also cool that you got to meet Brandon Sanderson and shake his hand Jess. I am lucky to have you guys to look to for an example.

 

Agghhhhh I am sooo slow so I can't say much more but this week was ok. Our most promising investigators right now are Adam and Erin. Forget about Vinny, he is a flop. But Adam and Erin are a 26/27 year old couple with 2 kids. They are really humble and they seem really golden. I like going over to teach them. Oh yeah. We are also teaching a 43 year old black guy named Emmitt Davis, how to read. We taught him his ABC's this week. It was kinda fun but kinda frustrating. He doesn't even talk right so it is hard to teach him to read. Black people, instead of using a t they use a c. Like screet light, scruggling, hes crying (trying). Its funny.

 

Well I love you guys! Thanks for everything.

New Year's Resolutions

This is the time of year when we make New Year's resolutions.  When I was younger I used to set lots of goals and organize them into different areas of my life.  I had financial goals, physical goals, career and educational goals, family goals and spiritual goals.  I would start the year off with a bang but usually fizzled on most or all of them by the end of January—February or March on a really good year.

Last year, I set just one resolution:  to repent.  I worked hard on it all year.  I’ve learned a lot this past year.  The scriptures admonish us to lay aside every sin, which easily besets us.   I struggle with many things.  We all have things that just seem to knock us on our butts so easily despite our determination to do better.

We are all familiar with the scripture where the Lord says his work and his glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39).  I used to view this scripture and the atonement as meaning Christ has done his part and is now waiting for me to do mine.  He is probably looking down and thinking Jensen when are you going to get your act together?  I was so wrong.

In D&C 19, Christ describes his sufferings—what we usually consider the atonement and then states that he ‘finished his preparations’.  That’s interesting.  Slowly the lights began to go on.  His work isn’t done.  What is his work now?  You are.  His work today is to bring about your eternal life.  His sufferings and what he went through are his preparations.  He wants to work with you.

I testify that he stands at the door of your life and is knocking. (Rev. 3:20)  Will you open up?  Maybe you are too busy to hear?  Maybe, like me, you’re not hearing the knock feeling like you have to do it yourself.  Or perhaps, you’ve opened the door.

He will work with us wherever we are at.  There is nothing he can’t help us overcome or heal us from.  There is nothing too small to trouble him with.  There is nothing too deep or malignant for him to understand.  He has experienced it all.  If there are such things in your life, you may have a hard time hearing the spirit’s knock.  You may need help from the Bishop.  Go see him.  You will find love and understanding.  The Lord can give him the inspiration you need to help you.    Satan wants us to hide our sins.  In the garden, he pointed out Adam and Eve’s guilt and then encouraged them to hide.  Don’t.  Get it off your chest.  Isaiah testifies (Isaiah 53:11) that the Lord knows how to help us.  He can take you from where you currently are to where he wants you to be.  He can bring us to justification and to sanctification.  Will you open the door?

Again, this year I have one new years resolution.  It is to repent.   That really is the good news.   All of this takes time.  I still struggle, but I can look back and see progress in the last year.  That brings me joy and hope.  I want to open my door a little wider this year.