Companion: Sister Nicholette Scott
It's official, I've passed 18 months... I can hardly believe I've been on my mission this long.
Words cannot express the joy I feel right now. We had the opportunity to go to {A}'s baptism last Saturday. The Johnson's took us and we brought {M} along to see it too. It was wonderful to see Valley Hi again. {A} has come so far, and has overcome so much to get to the point where she is at now. The moment we walked in, it was a joyful reunion. I could not wipe the smile off my face the entire service.
What is the gate that leads to the path of eternal life? Repentance and baptism. {A} is a beautiful example of one who has "[pressed] forward, that [she] might obtain the path which led unto the tree..." (1 Nephi 8:21)
After the baptism we talked about it with {M}, who also will be getting baptized soon. She told us that all her life there have been gaps that no one has been able to fill. But now as she is learning about the gospel, she recognizes that those gaps are being filled.
Our purpose is to "teach repentance, and baptize converts." This is who we are and this is why we are here. I am so grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ who paved the way for us to live in His presence again. It is only through Christ that we can be saved. It is because of him that we can become clean from our sins and enjoy his peace in this life, and the life to come. But we first must enter the gate. Repentance and baptism by one holding the priesthood authority of God. Moroni is a wonderful example of teaching repentance and baptizing converts. He said,
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."
Moroni 10:32
Because of Him
I love teaching the message of the restoration. It is true, and it fills even the most desolate heart with hope. As covenant Israel, we are the message. I felt an even deeper conviction of this when we stood outside an apartment and taught a man who we had met in passing. The power of the message sprang forth from our mouths and our hearts, and the Holy Ghost carried it into his own heart. As we stood there out in the open, listening to him and preaching repentance, we could see the light begin to grow in his eyes. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Once again, the spirit bore witness to me of the truthfulness of these things. We then boldly declared that we are servants of God, called by a prophet to preach our unique message to the world. He understood what we were saying, and asked a few questions here and there, signifying the hunger he has for knowledge. We will continue to teach him, as he has agreed to meet with us.
I never could have guessed that I would be capable of feeling such profound love for these people. It is a feeling I've never felt before. One that has changed my life, and has impacted me for eternity. I will forever be a servant of the Lord, Jesus Christ. My life is his.
Sincerely,
Sister Record
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