from the Prairie Ridge/Taft Canyon Wards in Fort Collins, Colorado, to
share how this past week has gone for me and my fellow missionary and
companion, Elder Anderson. Sadly, though, I'm afraid that I don't have
as much this week to talk about. I know that's not what you like to
hear, but this week has just been slow and rough. It's been tiring,
from meetings over an hour away, to lessons that just never happened
or fell through. It's been a hard, long, and tiring week.
However, in spite of the hardships that we've faced this past week,
there have been small moments of joy that have shown up every now and
again. This last Tuesday was our Zone Conference, where we were
introduced to the new #Hallelujah seasonal video for this Easter
Season. If you haven't watched the video yet, by the way, you can find
it on FollowHim.mormon.org. It's a great video, and a wonderful
message to share for the new Easter season we are currently in. And as
it says at the end of the message, we can 'Discover How' Christ plays
a huge role in our lives.
However, my joy didn't come from the video. Sure, it was a great video
to watch, and again, I strongly encourage all of you that can watch to
watch it, but it wasn't what brought me joy this past week. It was
when we were all sitting in the gym at the building we were having
Zone Conference in.
We were having lunch, and some of the Senior
Couples were going around passing out the mail. I ended up getting two
letters. One was from a dear friend of mine that I, unfortunately,
haven't been able to stay in touch with as often as my family.
The other letter was from the Teacher's Quorum from my home Ward in
South Jordan, Utah. In the letter, each of the Teachers and leaders of
the Teachers Quorum had written short messages and letters of
inspiration. What was interesting to me was the number of names I
recognized, and how surprising it was for me that so many of those
little kids that were little brothers to those in my group or were
friends of my sisters are nearly grown themselves, and thinking of
missions. It made me glad to see such strength and power in their
messages, and the conviction to their God that they were able to
express in their short and simple messages.
It brings to my mind the message told in the Book of Alma in the Book
of Mormon. When the Nephites and the Lamanites were at war once more,
the People of Ammon wanted to help to defend their lands, but the men
among them had made a promise with the Lord to never again lift a
sword to do battle. Their sons, however—most of whom were no older
than fourteen, perhaps, the age of a Teacher—had never made that
promise, and were more than willing to stand up for their country and
defend it from the evils that sought to destroy it.
I don't know about you, but even as someone that is considered an
adult by the world's standard, going to war is a pretty scary idea for
me. I'm no fighter—or rather, I'm no fighter others can count on to
win a fight. Yet fourteen-year-old boys were able to stand and defend
their nation. They were able to march boldly and valiantly into the
Valley of Death, face the terrors it held in, and continue their
valorous journey onward, without flinching. They were steadfast and
sure of themselves, to the point that not one of them were killed by
the armies of their enemies. How could they do so?
To me, the answer lies in Alma 56:47 and 48. A simple scripture, loved
and known by many in this Church. In speaking of their decision to
return to the battle and help their brothers who were still fighting
against the Lamanites, Helaman wrote, "they had been taught by their
mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they
rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt
our mothers knew it."
That is a powerful and moving message. What I feel goes unsaid,
though, is that through their sure knowledge that their mothers knew
they would be protected, they too believed and gained strength in the
knowledge that their God would protect them. I have a mother, one that
I love dearly. The testimony I have, which I treasure above all else
that I have (yes, including my DS and PSP), was first raised up in the
shadow of the immense testimony that I saw within my mother. I heard
her words, her conviction, her sure knowledge of the truth, and it led
me to know it with the same conviction.
I know that we are expected not to live off of others testimonies. At
the last day, we will not be judged off of how much we believed in
someone else's testimony, but how much we believed in God ourselves.
However, I am certain that had the Stripling Warriors not seen the
radiant testimonies in their mothers, theirs would never have been as
strong or steadfast, to the point that they could stare death in the
face and never fear.
So today, my message is one of gratefulness, for the divine calling of
mothers who rear up this next generation of Stripling Warriors in
righteousness. Let your testimony shine bright for all to see. You
never know who may be watching, or to what level your words and your
actions will shape those around you. Hold high your light, and it will
lead others to He who is The Light of the World. This I bear my
personal witness of, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
—Elder Z.S.Weber
Sent from My iPad
Couples were going around passing out the mail. I ended up getting two
letters. One was from a dear friend of mine that I, unfortunately,
haven't been able to stay in touch with as often as my family.
The other letter was from the Teacher's Quorum from my home Ward in
South Jordan, Utah. In the letter, each of the Teachers and leaders of
the Teachers Quorum had written short messages and letters of
inspiration. What was interesting to me was the number of names I
recognized, and how surprising it was for me that so many of those
little kids that were little brothers to those in my group or were
friends of my sisters are nearly grown themselves, and thinking of
missions. It made me glad to see such strength and power in their
messages, and the conviction to their God that they were able to
express in their short and simple messages.
It brings to my mind the message told in the Book of Alma in the Book
of Mormon. When the Nephites and the Lamanites were at war once more,
the People of Ammon wanted to help to defend their lands, but the men
among them had made a promise with the Lord to never again lift a
sword to do battle. Their sons, however—most of whom were no older
than fourteen, perhaps, the age of a Teacher—had never made that
promise, and were more than willing to stand up for their country and
defend it from the evils that sought to destroy it.
I don't know about you, but even as someone that is considered an
adult by the world's standard, going to war is a pretty scary idea for
me. I'm no fighter—or rather, I'm no fighter others can count on to
win a fight. Yet fourteen-year-old boys were able to stand and defend
their nation. They were able to march boldly and valiantly into the
Valley of Death, face the terrors it held in, and continue their
valorous journey onward, without flinching. They were steadfast and
sure of themselves, to the point that not one of them were killed by
the armies of their enemies. How could they do so?
To me, the answer lies in Alma 56:47 and 48. A simple scripture, loved
and known by many in this Church. In speaking of their decision to
return to the battle and help their brothers who were still fighting
against the Lamanites, Helaman wrote, "they had been taught by their
mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they
rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt
our mothers knew it."
That is a powerful and moving message. What I feel goes unsaid,
though, is that through their sure knowledge that their mothers knew
they would be protected, they too believed and gained strength in the
knowledge that their God would protect them. I have a mother, one that
I love dearly. The testimony I have, which I treasure above all else
that I have (yes, including my DS and PSP), was first raised up in the
shadow of the immense testimony that I saw within my mother. I heard
her words, her conviction, her sure knowledge of the truth, and it led
me to know it with the same conviction.
I know that we are expected not to live off of others testimonies. At
the last day, we will not be judged off of how much we believed in
someone else's testimony, but how much we believed in God ourselves.
However, I am certain that had the Stripling Warriors not seen the
radiant testimonies in their mothers, theirs would never have been as
strong or steadfast, to the point that they could stare death in the
face and never fear.
So today, my message is one of gratefulness, for the divine calling of
mothers who rear up this next generation of Stripling Warriors in
righteousness. Let your testimony shine bright for all to see. You
never know who may be watching, or to what level your words and your
actions will shape those around you. Hold high your light, and it will
lead others to He who is The Light of the World. This I bear my
personal witness of, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
—Elder Z.S.Weber
Sent from My iPad
Nikki. How special! I sure miss Elder Weber!
ReplyDeleteNikki. How special! I sure miss Elder Weber!
ReplyDelete