Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane in Aramaic (EO chant):
"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as You, not I, would have it." Then, a little while later, he said, "If this cup cannot pass by, but I must drink it, Your will be done!"
Our converts in Africa remind me of what Dickens called migrating Latter-day Saints in his day: 'the pick and flower of England'.
Solomon Malidadi, for example, was baptised at age 21 and served as the director of an international charity until his call as a mission president.
“If all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” Alma 48:17, Book of Mormon
“Yes, indeed, I guess I did know the Prophet Joseph. That lovely hand! He used to put it out to me.
Never passed me without shaking hands with me wherever he was. Oh, he was the finest man I ever saw on earth.”
Jane James (b. May 11, 1821)
"Joseph Smith, the Prophet, " Young Woman's Journal 16, no. 12 (December 1905): 551-52.
Moroni said it best:
"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."
While I was a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I would get frustrated a lot. There was a lot of disappointment, long days, and rejection. Many times we'd find genuinely interested people to teach, only to have them fail to keep their commitments or outright reject our message.
I didn't realize until later in life that the big reason I would get frustrated was because the spiritual experiences and witness I would share with people were constantly being dismissed, downplayed, or ignored. I can remember many instances where we would plead with someone to read The Book of Mormon, pray, and attend Church with us. These invitations were usually ignored, or met with "I'm glad that the Church works for you, but it won't work for me". I'd also get "Well of course you believe that! You were raised in the Church." Or the old "Mormons aren't Christians and are part of a cult!"
It's a difficult thing to open up and share your significant spiritual experiences with others. It may seem counter-intuitive, but over the years I have found that my own Testimony of Jesus Christ, His Restored Gospel, The Book of Mormon, and modern Prophets grows stronger and more resilient the more I open up and share. Sure, there are detractors, critics, trolls, and bad-faith actors out there who will try to shout you down, tell you you're foolish, poke fun, or declare you a heretic. But ultimately their opinions won't matter. What matters is building Faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, and making and keeping sacred covenants.
I'm convinced that Christ cares more about our intent and effort than He is about the end result of our labors. And as we draw closer to Christ we are given the light and knowledge necessary to navigate life.
Moroni 7:33 says:
"And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me."
When You Feel Forgotten
Some of the strongest people are the ones quietly carrying battles no one else sees.
If that's you today, don't mistake God's silence for His absence.
Seeds grow in darkness before they ever break through the ground.
Maybe this season isn't God ignoring you.
Maybe He's preparing you.
Hold on.
He has never abandoned the work of His hands.
I want to announce to the world that one of my children- his wife is having a baby, and what the gender is. But they haven’t made the announcement public themselves yet. And then today, I was FaceTime in them both and I guessed the name and the middle name. OK, let’s be honest. It was the spirit who stuck it in my head, but it was so awesome.😂 I love God!
We thank thee, O God, for a prophet
To guide us in these latter days.
We thank thee for sending the gospel
To lighten our minds with its rays.
We thank thee for every blessing
Bestowed by thy bounteous hand.
We feel it a pleasure to serve thee
And love to obey thy command
Hymn 19
"Perhaps you don’t consider yourself all that useful; perhaps you don’t consider yourself a blessing in somebody’s life. Often, when we look at ourselves, we see only our limitations and deficiencies. We might think we have to be “more” of something for God to use us–more intelligent, more wealthy, more charismatic, more talented, more spiritual. Blessings will come not so much because of your abilities but because of your choices. And the God of the universe will work within and through you, magnifying your humble efforts for His purposes."
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf | A Yearning for Home