1 June 2010

So this week I got to speak in sacrament meeting. It was fun and I learned a lot. I spoke about conversion – Alma, Paul, Joseph Smith – it was good. It was funny though because a sister fell asleep during my talk and started snoring, which made it hard for some people to focus. But I think it’s ironic payback from all the times I’ve fallen asleep in church. It’s hard to stay awake some times and I know how this sister feels. Lucky for me, I haven’t fallen asleep in church for some time.

The other really cool experience that I wanted to share happened last night. We visited a less active member. She doesn’t go because she isn’t married. I shared 3 Nephi 18:32, I think. It talks about inactive people coming back and being healed. Jesus said this right after he instituted the sacrament. We invited her back. Then I read her, in 1 Nephi 21 I think, “I will never forget thee, O house of Israel. I have graven thee on the palms of my hands.” This scripture has always been a very powerful one to me. But yesterday it had never been more powerful. We can put our name in the scripture where it says “O house of Israel” to personalize it. The Spirit bore witness to me last night that the Lord will NEVER forget us. He CAN’T.

And what made the experience even more powerful was something Elder Bednar taught us when he visited us last November. He taught us that when an apostle quotes from the Doctrine and Covenants, he is reading it under the same authority from which it was given. Joseph Smith received the revelation as an apostle in the Melchizedek Priesthood, and an apostle reads it under the same spirit of revelation. That thought came to my mind. As a missionary, if you read the literal words of Jesus Christ, as a personal representative of Jesus Christ, you are reading it under the same authority that he used in saying it originally, and that is why I felt the Spirit so strongly as I shared those two scriptures.

But thanks for the email Dad. Your advice helped. We had some awesome miracles this week.

We also got transfer calls. I’m staying with Elder Gomez in Rocha.

Steven, Happy Birthday, Biscuit Head! I would send you a card, but you don’t deserve one until you’re an Eagle Scout. Have fun on the SAT – don’t know why you’d do that again, I thought you were already going to school for free.

Michelle, stay beautiful, and I guess that’s good advice for my sisters-in-law.

Love you lots,
Elder Whitaker