Nephi's Bow 4/30/12

Dear Family and Friends, It´s been a rough week that is really trying my patience and such. This is a well needed preparation day. This week in district meeting we talked about the things that keep us from working with the members, and how to resolve them. That was a bad idea hahaha. The complaints just came flying and I didn´t have a good feeling about the tone of the meeting. I thought for a second and the counsel of my old elder´s quorom president came to mind. In the Book of mormon we read about nephi in the desert with his family. Nephi breaks his nice steel bow, and they can´t hunt for food. The dad, and prophet, lehi complains. The older brothers complain. It falls on Nephi, the youngest, to take some initiative and he makes a bow and arrow by hand. But then comes the most important part. Not only does he take the initiative, but then out of respect for his father he goes to the prophet and asks where he should go to find food. He doesn´t say, hey you need to man up and fulfill your responsibilities! He comes with an attitude of problem solving, and a desire to work together. We applied this example to ourselves and how we can approach the members better. I have also come to the conclusion, and bore my testimony to my district accordingly, that we are not called on the mission to fulfill our desires, goals, and dreams of the mission. A missionary or anyone else in the church who wishes to serve cannot do so by himself. No man is an island to himself. It doesn´t matter if i am one hundred percent obedient and fulfill my every responsibility if others around me are falling. We must look outward and lend a helping hand. We must sustain one another in word and in deed. The Lord called his people Zion because they were of one heart, and one mind. We are not missionaries to fulfil our desires and pride, but to serve and meet the needs of other people. This is the ultimate design of the holy priesthood, the authority to act in the name of the Savior Jesus Christ. We must forget ourselves, and serve as he serves. I say serves because I know without a doubt that the Savior was resurrected and is guiding His church personally. Let us not forget this great fact, that He lives! Let us also remember that amidst all the revelations, doctrines, scriptures, arguments, accusations, or whatever it may be, that there is one simple and beautiful promise given to us in this Church. That we may know the truth of all things, through the power of the Holy Ghost, if we will but pray and ask the truth of our Heavenly Father. This is no other declaration so simple or bold. I know this Church is true, and I know that God knows it too. That is how I can promise, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, that He will reveal this to the heart of the sincere seeker of truth. Elder Nichols