Week 80 The Restoration
February 18, 2020
Well...my time is short.
Really exciting stuff though!
This was such a fantastic week here in Broken Hill and the
Mildura Zone! We had a goal of 30 new friends as a zone which was absolutely a
Faith filled goal, and by the blessings of God we achieved that! That is an
average of 5 new per companionship, while the mission average is about 1.5 new
people per companionship. Elder Jenkins has expressed to me multiple times how
awesome and fulfilling it is to actually feel like he is part of the raging
river in the AAM. I feel it as well. It is the best feeling to put our
shoulders to the wheel and SEE the fruits of our labors.
One specific miracle that came from our faith is our friend Pete, we have mentioned him before. He was our "last door Sunday miracle" in week one. If we had been a few minutes later out of the flat, we would have missed him. He has not attended church yet due to his job as a road train driver, but both Elder Jenkins and I felt strongly that we needed to put him on date for Baptism. We planned, role played, studied, and found a video that would help him understand it (Wilford Woodruff's story, "The Great Apostasy). The lesson went EXACTLY how we planned! In his own words he said: "I can't help but feel that the Lord is telling me not to let it slip away this time. I don't know how to describe it, but the Lord is telling me that I need to make this (what we share with him) a part of my life." He is really trying to work something out with his job to be able to attend church. This week is his birthday and he will have Sunday off. He is going to try to bring his whole family, who will be in town, to church on Sunday!
One specific miracle that came from our faith is our friend Pete, we have mentioned him before. He was our "last door Sunday miracle" in week one. If we had been a few minutes later out of the flat, we would have missed him. He has not attended church yet due to his job as a road train driver, but both Elder Jenkins and I felt strongly that we needed to put him on date for Baptism. We planned, role played, studied, and found a video that would help him understand it (Wilford Woodruff's story, "The Great Apostasy). The lesson went EXACTLY how we planned! In his own words he said: "I can't help but feel that the Lord is telling me not to let it slip away this time. I don't know how to describe it, but the Lord is telling me that I need to make this (what we share with him) a part of my life." He is really trying to work something out with his job to be able to attend church. This week is his birthday and he will have Sunday off. He is going to try to bring his whole family, who will be in town, to church on Sunday!
The Restoration
Here is a talk that I wrote for zone conference, I don't
think I have shared it with you all before.
I believe that we all have a sound understanding of what the
restoration is. So today, I am going to speak on what it means to us today. Two
major thoughts come to mind when I think of what the restoration means to me
personally. These two major thoughts are related to the two questions that
Joseph walked into that grove of trees with the intention of coming out with
answers. His first question was, "which church should I join." The
second, "what is my standing before God...can I be forgiven?"
My first thought:
1. God loves you enough to speak to you today, and give you guidance.
Second:
2. No matter how far a loved one may stray from the path, Jesus will always welcome back the sincerely repentant soul.
First: the fact that God spoke to a young farm boy with a sincere desire to know, is a testimony to me that if you sincerely want to find truth, God will answer you. Since Adam, he has spoken to all of His Children through Prophets, the only time when He does not speak to us is when we show Him that we do not want to listen. If we were to believe we wouldn't receive an answer to a humble prayer...quite frankly I believe that would be an arrogant attitude on our part and offensive to the Lord, because it is denying His very nature.
I can almost imagine the Lord saying something along these lines: "Search the scriptures. Find ONE instance when I did not answer the sincere prayer of a child of mine. Find ONE instance when I left a humble seeker of truth in the dark. There is none! How could you think for one second that I will not answer your own prayers?"
What is it then about our day that makes us think that we are any different? God spoke face to face with Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel (1 Sam. 3:10), Isaiah, Peter, James, John, Stephen, Saul/Paul, Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, the Brother of Jared, Moroni, Joseph Smith and countless others. Many others have had intimate experiences with Him through the Holy Ghost such as Sam, Enos, Alma, Alma, Abinadi, Amulek, and virtually every other righteous man, woman, and child in the scriptures. Why on Earth would God stop speaking to His righteous children whether it be face to face or in the Spirit? He IS the same yesterday, today, and forever (Mormon 9:9). "Believe in God, believe that He IS" (Mosiah 4:9). King Benjamin does not say that God was, or that God will be, but that God IS.
2 Nephi. 7:1-2
"1 Yea, for thus saith the Lord: Have I put thee away, or have I cast thee off forever? For thus saith the Lord: Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement? To whom have I put thee away, or to which of my creditors have I sold you? Yea, to whom have I sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
2 Wherefore, when I came, there was no man; when I called, yea, there was none to answer..."
How blessed are we to know that in this final dispensation, there was a boy who was willing to answer the call of the Lord?
The only time when we are not entitled to revelation and an experience with the Lord is when we are in the depths of transgression, and choose to cast aside the things of the Lord. It says many times all throughout the Book of Mormon that the only thing that could hinder the Nephites' prosperity, and plunge them into spiritual darkness is their own transgressions.
Second: Joseph sought forgiveness for his sins. As we all do. The fact that Joseph was forgiven gives me hope that no matter who it is, how far they may be from the path, or which direction they are going, they can find forgiveness if they will choose to seek it.
This dispensation began with a boy who felt lost, confused, and drowning in the midst of a war of words. Our own story begins with an individual (ourselves) who needs help in his/her own unique circumstance, and if we will call upon God, He will answer our prayer and speak peace, forgiveness, and joy to our souls.
My first thought:
1. God loves you enough to speak to you today, and give you guidance.
Second:
2. No matter how far a loved one may stray from the path, Jesus will always welcome back the sincerely repentant soul.
First: the fact that God spoke to a young farm boy with a sincere desire to know, is a testimony to me that if you sincerely want to find truth, God will answer you. Since Adam, he has spoken to all of His Children through Prophets, the only time when He does not speak to us is when we show Him that we do not want to listen. If we were to believe we wouldn't receive an answer to a humble prayer...quite frankly I believe that would be an arrogant attitude on our part and offensive to the Lord, because it is denying His very nature.
I can almost imagine the Lord saying something along these lines: "Search the scriptures. Find ONE instance when I did not answer the sincere prayer of a child of mine. Find ONE instance when I left a humble seeker of truth in the dark. There is none! How could you think for one second that I will not answer your own prayers?"
What is it then about our day that makes us think that we are any different? God spoke face to face with Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel (1 Sam. 3:10), Isaiah, Peter, James, John, Stephen, Saul/Paul, Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, the Brother of Jared, Moroni, Joseph Smith and countless others. Many others have had intimate experiences with Him through the Holy Ghost such as Sam, Enos, Alma, Alma, Abinadi, Amulek, and virtually every other righteous man, woman, and child in the scriptures. Why on Earth would God stop speaking to His righteous children whether it be face to face or in the Spirit? He IS the same yesterday, today, and forever (Mormon 9:9). "Believe in God, believe that He IS" (Mosiah 4:9). King Benjamin does not say that God was, or that God will be, but that God IS.
2 Nephi. 7:1-2
"1 Yea, for thus saith the Lord: Have I put thee away, or have I cast thee off forever? For thus saith the Lord: Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement? To whom have I put thee away, or to which of my creditors have I sold you? Yea, to whom have I sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
2 Wherefore, when I came, there was no man; when I called, yea, there was none to answer..."
How blessed are we to know that in this final dispensation, there was a boy who was willing to answer the call of the Lord?
The only time when we are not entitled to revelation and an experience with the Lord is when we are in the depths of transgression, and choose to cast aside the things of the Lord. It says many times all throughout the Book of Mormon that the only thing that could hinder the Nephites' prosperity, and plunge them into spiritual darkness is their own transgressions.
Second: Joseph sought forgiveness for his sins. As we all do. The fact that Joseph was forgiven gives me hope that no matter who it is, how far they may be from the path, or which direction they are going, they can find forgiveness if they will choose to seek it.
This dispensation began with a boy who felt lost, confused, and drowning in the midst of a war of words. Our own story begins with an individual (ourselves) who needs help in his/her own unique circumstance, and if we will call upon God, He will answer our prayer and speak peace, forgiveness, and joy to our souls.
This is all true! I love the Lord, His restored gospel, and
the life I am now living in His service. This church and gospel just makes
sense. It just does. Because it is true.
Firm in the Faith,
- Elder Cozzens
Comments
Post a Comment