Dia dhuit

Dia dhuit Elder Williams,

 

I greet you with an Irish blessing since yesterday was St. Patrick's day. It means God be with you.

 

 

In my reading I have come upon some interesting thoughts regarding resurrection, restoration, and repentance. The church is a living symbol of these three inextricably intertwined concepts. Christ set the pattern and we see it even in his church. For example: the church has gone through many progressions/digressions and changes in the history of the world. During the great apostasy, it was in essence dead. But through the miracle of resurrection and restoration, the church was brought back to life. It is a living embodiment of truth and Christ is the head.

 

 

The atonement has been in my thoughts also. It is a vehicle of repentance, but also of change. I recognize the desperate need I have to change my nature and to have a new heart planted within my soul. I have a yearning to overcome the natural man but it is one tough fight and I often come away bloody and bruised by experiences. I have so many weaknesses and sometimes it's easy to despair, but I have to hold onto the hope that, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He is the great physician and healer of wounded souls.

 

 

I'm grateful for the Easter season. We are going to celebrate Passover. I will think of you when we shout "Hurrah for Israel".

 

 

I hope you are doing well and the work is progressing. Many people here at home send you their best wishes and love.

 

 

With admiration and love,

Mom

 

 

 

Dear Mom,

Thanks for the blessing. That is what we are doing now as ordained ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ. I attended a meeting with some people from the Missionary Department, and I learned more about my calling and the authority I bear. Because I am ordained and set apart, I am a representative of Him. So, that's what we are doing. We are blessing people. We are doing missionary work His way. We are seeing so many more blessings as a result. People soften so quickly.

Everything in the Church is related like that. I love it so much. The Lord uses these beautiful patterns over and over, and it ties everything together. It's a testament of the divinity of the Church.

This article helped me a lot this week. I feel like we view a lot of things in a similar manner

http://www.lds.org/ensign/1998/04/come-unto-me?lang=eng&query=come+unto+me+(name%3a%22Jeffrey+R.+Holland%22)

One thing that the Spirit confirmed to me this week is the true meaning of repentance. It means to turn to the Lord. It is relying on grace. http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/04/the-atonement-and-the-journey-of-mortality?lang=eng

God has helped me so much on my mission. I can testify that I know He WANTS to bless us. He WANTS to give us good things.

The work is challenging, but rewarding. One of the best parts of our week here in Fortuna was that one of our new investigators, Sister Savage, came to church. We picked her up as a new investigator on Friday. She felt the Spirit at church, and she said that she is coming next week.

One hard thing that we have gone through is that some of the people we were preparing for baptism are not progressing. It is hard to see people use their agency to drift from the Lord. If we don't progress, we regress.

Love,

Elder Williams