Ports and Harbors

Man this last week was great! We started teaching another family and we invited the husband to be baptized. Still waiting to find the date for it, but we're excited for whenever it happens! As for everyone else they've been coming and going. Being outside again is really nice even when it bounces up to like 90 degrees 😅🌡. We've been having a ton of barbecues with members because we can only visit outside right now, lots of good grill! So if you cant tell, I'm super happy.

So forgiveness, great stuff, but why are we asked to forgive everyone? 

I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:9–10).

So I practiced this lesson by starting to forgive those I felt had wronged or hurt me. As i did that, this was my answer. "What are you harbouring in your port?"

 Ports are the docks or part just off shore where ships can safely dock or anchor safely to deliver their cargo. While ships are in port it is known as harbouring. We all have spiritual ports that have ships harbored. There can only be so many ships in port at a time. So what ships do we harbor in our lives? Do we harbor kindeness? Ill will? Love? Bitterness? 

In understanding this it became so obvious to my why we're asked to forgive! Because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is just out of port, waiting to deliver some amazing cargo. But is there room in our port for it to come in. With forgiveness we allow and malice, ill will, and negative feelings to leave port in order to make room for a better ship to come in. So of course we're required to forgive! If we dont theres no room!  

Man I love it when the spirit teaches me something new! This stuff is great! I love yall and talk to you next week!

-Elder King

Faith'er

Man this last week has dumped a ton of water on our heads, but it's clearing out. We've started being able to go out and visit people, but lots of restrictions (I don't like that part). We've also begun to teach more people this last week! I love teaching people about the Gospel. There's one family that remembers our names with a pun, Elder Shaw-King, and they've been saying it every time we call and visit with them. 

So this last week Elder Shaw and I were studying the difference between Faith and Belief. It's pretty simple, it's ''Action.'' I then started to self-evaluate on my actions, do they show belief or faith? Are my actions that of a believer, or a faith'er. It's like the difference between sayers and doers. As my boy James always says

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

   23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

   24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

   25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 

        - James 1:22-25

I know that as we put our belief into practice we show our faith and I have seen the blessing that come from that. Try it out, I've enjoyed it this last week. Anywho love y'all have a great week!

-Elder King

The Holy Ghost

It's been a really great week! Me and Elder Shar have really been trying to sanctify ourselves so that we can have the Holy Ghost more in our lives and it's been working super well! we had some awesome lessons and some new people to teach which feels like it's been forever since I could last say that.

also new favorite scripture Alma 4:15

 15 And now it came to pass that Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and seeing all their inequality, began to be very sorrowful; nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him.

the spirit always works! 

I love you guy keep having fun even if we're still inside all day.

Temples are slowly opening, but how can we continue to establish houses of the lord in our own homes?

8 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God

- D&C 109:8

-Elder King 

Casualties

Well... its transfers and things have been wild! We just got 42 missionaries to our mission. So today is rather crazy. Sad day too. A lot of my older companions are heading home. So pictures will have to work for today.

Faith, Hope, Charity, Love

Yesterday and today have been very powerful to me. Yesterday morning we had a power out and a rainy day, it was just super depressing and I was caught up in it. I felt that I had about reached my limit. And then in our daily devotional over zoom we had Kyle McKay a general authority who had come to our mission a couple months ago. The next hour I had such a ray of Hope. Not only a great devotional but news that we may be able to visit members in the next week or so. At the end of all of it I realized how much if my hope was lost. So the rest of the day just started improving. The sun came out. The power came back on. It just became the best day ever. 

Then today as I finished up the book of mormon I felt impressed by the words of Moroni in Moroni chapter 7. He speaks of 4 things faith, hope, charity, and love. What I got out of it is if you have one the rest will follow, but vice versa, if you loose one it can be the same. First me I had lost a lot of hope and I felt some good despair. But as I worked on the rest and with jesus, I feel so much better. 

So if any of y'all are feeling down like me from being inside all day, remember you cant change the events around you, but you can change yourself. So repent. You'll feel better about it. 

Love ya!

- Elder King