Soren in Idaho: 3.10.14

HOWZIT!

This week has been pretty awesome! I have had a lot of cool personal experiences with studies and the Spirit.

Things have been awesome. Elder Edwards and I have been working hard and trying to work with the members to find new investigators to teach. And we have! It's been so amazing to witness this monumental event in history. "Hastening The Work Of Salvation". It's now. And we are all apart of it. What a blessing it is to be here on earth at this time. The Lord has definitely prepared us all before we were born to receive these responsibilities in this life time, to "take the Gospel to all the world".

District Leadership has been a lot less stressful now that I got the hang of things. I found the key to being a good leader is to LOVE the ones you SERVE. Once I figured it out things started flowing. I have a lot of fun talking to the companionships and helping them with their areas and things they want to work on. They also help me and my companion with different ideas and ways that they have had success in their area. Its so awesome to work together to serve the Lord more effectively.

Yesterday I had to give a talk in one of our wards. It was on Faith, what a basic and plain topic right? Faith being as we read in Alma. "And now as I said concerning faith—Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true" but there is a lot more to faith than just believing. It's working towards a worthy goal, with the reassurance that out Heavenly Father will support us. Just merely believing that something will happen without putting forth the effort is only a fourth of faith. After we Believe that anything is possible through the Lord we must Plan. Plan on what I can DO in order to achieve this worthy goal. Then DO. After you have DONE all you can the Lord steps in and blessings come from the Heavens. For we all know that "faith without works, is dead." My understanding of this simple principal of faith has grown so much and I know how it works.

I feel as if that's the key to gospel principals, once you understand how they work, you then understand the promises that come after you exercise the principal with faith that it will work. And as one uses this "IF" and "THEN" concept with gospel principals you can unlock the powers of Heaven and you receive a personal witness and testimony of that principal. You will know its true. You will gain a greater understanding of the gospel. Your testimony will grow. And we can grow closer to our Heavenly Father.

One member told me that Missionaries learn more in their 2 years of service, than an active member without serving a mission, could learn in 40 years. I strongly encourage all who are eligible, worthy, and available to take this opportunity our Loving Heavenly Father has given us to serve Him. To show our love for Him. A good friend told me "that a mission doesn't need you... Heavenly Father dosent need you to serve a mission... you need Him... You need the mission." It is so true. Who am I that the Lord needs me, He is all and He is everything. If he wanted to convert everyone He could but he has given us this opportunity to learn and grow, as full time and member missionaries.

I know that if you take this opportunity to fulfill your calling as a member missionary you will have a happiness in your life that you can't get anywhere else. Not even a temporal week at Disney Land. Make your Home, your town, your city, a Disney Land as you share the gospel to all.

Ive been missing the ocean more than ever this week!!!

until we meeeeeet againnnnn

Aloha 'oe

Elder Soren