HOLD FAST

There are many troubling things in the news lately, some of which involve our church.  We are all on our own personal journey of understanding and suffer from chronic imperfectness, but as Elder Holland said "Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with.  That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it.  So should we."

"In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited...when those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, HOLD FAST to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes....I am not asking you to pretend to have faith you do not have.  I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have."

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said this: "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters--my dear friends--please, first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.  We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the Divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."

There was a time in the Savior's life when many abandoned Him.  Jesus asked His 12 disciples: "Will ye also go away?"

"There are times when we have to answer the same question.  Will we also go away?  Or will we, like Peter, HOLD FAST to the words of eternal life?  If you seek truth, meaning, and a way to transform faith into action; if you are looking for a place of belonging:  Come, join with us!  If you have left the faith you once embraced:  Come back again.  Join with us!  If you are tempted to give up:  stay yet a little longer.  There is room for you here.......for here you will find what is precious beyond price."

OUR WEEK

On Thursday we flew to Barbados for Zone Conference.  Elders Witten and Smith

Picking up our luggage.  Elders Dearing, Loewen, Smith, Ramdhanie, Wilson, Witten

Sisters Feltis and Cragun picked us up at the airport

Friday, we joined with the Barbados Zone for Conference.......

...........to be taught by President and Sister Mehr.

Elder Loewen doing a "spiritual exchange" with President

Sister Grigg's turn

Then Sister Kime

and Elder Ramdhanie

and (another) Elder Smith!

The Assistants to the President, Elders Anderson and Hatch taught us much!

We were taught to be a Christlike missionary, not just do missionary things.  Our eternal success is not a sum of good and bad decisions, it's who we become along the journey.  Learning to be like Christ is a lifelong pursuit.

We focused on the attributes of Faith, Diligence and Obedience...not because they are the most important Christlike attributes , but because they are important to our success.

As missionaries, when we drive, walk or bike into neighborhoods, we carry a spirit with us.  We want to teach with the power and authority of our calling.  What do we teach that the Atonement can do?  It can give people the opportunity to change, to be free from sin and have joy.  The Atonement gives us all the power to do difficult things.  It's an enabling power.

All of the blessings we receive come because of our obedience.  Spiritual power comes through obedience.  As we are increasingly obedient we are empowered until we attain infinite power.  Infinite power=infinite freedom.  Knowledge is power.

Virtue is obedience and consecration.  In order to be successful we must be exactly obedient!

Refinement in our lives comes through Godly sorrow.  What is Godly sorrow?  It is remorse that we feel that leads to change.  It doesn't just hurt those around us, it hurts the Lord.  We won't know how bad we really are until we strive to be really good.  God will cleanse us.  He wants us to be totally and absolutely clean and obedient.  God loves us so much that He will try our faith and help us feel Godly sorrow.  We need this.

Because of all that Joseph Smith and the Savior went through, our lives are infinitely better.  Why are we going to bring souls unto Christ?  Because we love Him.

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL ZONE CONFERENCE!

Then it was group picture time

We had to get a photo of all the "SMITH" missionaries.  Elder Anderson, in front, is a wannabe "Smith"!!!!!

We met with our past missionary friends, Sisters Kime and Cragun

 Did a little bit of doctoring and hanging around, waiting for interviews with the President

 Sisters Smith x 2 + Sister Grigg

 Sisters Aiteria and Kime

On Saturday, we headed back to the airport.....

 and waited....

 and waited....

 and waited.....

 to board the airplane.

 And we're off!  Goodbye Barbados.  We will see you again in September.

Elder Smith diligently teaches the restored gospel to a passenger on the plane.  She disembarks with a Book of Mormon in her hand.

We arrived in Grenada just in time for the baptism of Jaime Mark.  He was taught by Elders Dearing and Ramdhanie.  Baptised by our new District Leader, Elder Smith

 Jaime is the nephew of Sister Morris

 Later Saturday afternoon, we picked up President Eclar, a counselor to President Mehr, from the airport and had a wonderful visit with him.  Roger and Ryan joined us for dinner with President.

Remember to HOLD FAST

WHAT AN INSPIRING WEEK!!!

(Who's that white guy??!!)