Dear Elders and Sisters,
Congratulations to all of you who have
brought so many people into the waters of baptism this week! Over 30
people were baptized this weekend. In addition, many were brought into
full church activity and many are progressing towards their temple
covenants. You are doing a wonderful job of reaching the mission vision.
The mission vision is Exaltation in the Kingdom of God for our
investigators and recent converts. Thank you for your faithful efforts.
The harvest is great!
We are blessed to live at a time when there
are so many temples. We are blessed to live in a time when we can
listen to the inspired counsel of the prophet, apostles and other
leaders. Last weekend was a great feast of spiritual things. I wanted to
share just a few of the many teachings that touched my heart:
Elder
Neil L. Andersen: "Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that
comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it. The
future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice. How we live our
lives increases or diminishes our faith. Prayer, obedience, honest,
purity of thought and deed, and unselfishness increase faith."
Elder
Randall K. Bennett: "With childlike humility and willingness to focus
on our Father in Heaven and our Savior, we take steps toward Them, never
giving up hope, even if we fall. Our loving Heavenly Father rejoices in
each and every faithful step, and if we fall, He rejoices in each
effort to get back up and try again. We fail only if we fail to take
another faithful step forward. We will not, we cannot, fail if we are
faithfully yoked to the Savior--He who has never failed and will never
fail us!"
President Henry B. Eyring: "...When you do your part,
the Lord adds His power to your efforts. I testify that He has called
you and me into His service knowing our capacities and the help we will
need. He will bless our efforts beyond our fondest expectations as we
give our all in His service."
President Thomas S. Monson: "My
message to you tonight is straightforward. It is this: Keep the
commandments. Please be strong, and be alert to anything that would rob
you of the blessings of eternity. The choices you make here and now are
forever important. We read in 1 Corinthians: "There are many kinds of
voices in the world." We are surrounded by persuasive voices, beguiling
voices, belittling voices, sophisticated voices, and confusing voices. I
admonish you to turn the volume down and to be influenced by that
still, small voice which will guide you to safety. I plead with you to
avoid anything that will deprive you of your happiness here in mortality
and eternal life in the world to come. Isaiah 32:17 "The work of
righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness
and assurance for ever." Such peace, such assurance can come only
through righteousness."
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: "My dear
brothers and sisters, if we look at ourselves only through our mortal
eyes, we may not see ourselves as good enough. But our Heavenly Father
sees us as who we truly are and who we can become. He sees us as His
sons and daughters, as beings of eternal light with everlasting
potential and with a divine destiny...But the Savior's grace can do much
more for us. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints, we aspire to something unimaginably greater. It is exaltation in
the celestial kingdom. It is life eternal in the presence of our Father
in Heaven. It is the greatest gift of God. Exaltation is our goal;
discipleship is our journey."
Dear Elders and Sisters, please
feast on the words of our leaders over the next few weeks and months.
Enjoy the blessings of the Spirit that will come to you as you do so.
EXALTATION IS OUR GOAL; DISCIPLESHIP IS OUR JOURNEY!
Mahal ko po kayo,
President Creg Ostler