May 1, 2017

I type this email from the car as Elder Tippetts and I are driving around all day again. :/ 

The shopping trip with sister roylance was fun, she confessed that she didn't really think I needed a style makeover, she just enjoys shopping for other people (especially missionaries for some reason lol) it was fun. 

We have had some cool miracles with members, and helping them to be better missionaries. Not everyone is open to it, but most of them are, which is cool. We have had a few of them schedule appointments for us this week. They are actually working to help us find people to teach, which is really neat. The ward is getting excited about missionary work.

This week we also taught another girl in the Ute creek Ward! She is 11 or 12 but she wants to be baptized too! We set her with a date for may 20th as well. Exciting stuff! I am really learning about how my purpose is to help prepare people for baptism. My success isn't measured by the number of baptisms, but my purpose is all about baptism. And it's not for the numbers! Repentance can't be complete without a covenant to follow Jesus Christ, which is baptism. The mercy available through the Atonement of Jesus Christ can only be given when we repent, so the blessings available through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (peace, happiness, forgiveness, salvation, exaltation) are not available unless someone is baptized. Amazing. 

I'll also share real quick one of my insights about grace. We really are saved by grace. And sometimes in the church we think that the phrase "after all we can do" means "because of all we can do" but it totally doesn't. 

The story of Nephi building the boat totally helped me understand, and I would encourage you to read it again after I share this insight, because I don't have time to paste all the key verses here. 

But think of this. 

Who built the boat? Nephi did. But there is no way he could've built it without the direction of the Lord. This is how the church was established, through revelation to the children of God. The church can be compared to "the old ship Zion". It is the vehicle by which we can reach the promised land. 

But. By whose power did the ship reach the promised land? Not Nephi. Certainly not Laman or Lemuel. Not even Lehi! The power that brought them to the promised land was entirely the power of God. He directed them and put the wind in their sails. But does that mean that Nephi didn't have to do anything to reach the promised land (or Salvation)? No. 

Nephi steered the boat. He had to make sure his choices directed him to the promised land. It wasn't his power that got them there, but he did direct them. If he didn't follow the liahona, he lost the power of God helping them get to the promised land. So he has to repent and get back on track so that grace can apply in his life. 

It is the same way with grace. The grace of Jesus Christ is our power. We must make sure we are keeping the commandments of God to access it. We aren't perfect, but as we keep repenting and trying to stay on track, we will be able to make it the promised land. 

That's it for today! I love that insight. 

Love you so much mom. I loved your insight that you  shared as well, and thanks for the POS diagrams, I loved the Calvin and Hobbes ones hahaha

Love you so much! 

Elder Bush