So this will be something different for me. Giving a message in Engish instead of spanish. But I shall try my best.
So well I guess I should start off
with Hello Everyone. This is Elder Vogt. Some of you might remember me
from the few months I had there before heading out here to Nicaragua. I
remember quite a few of you.
So to start off I'd like to share
some words from Thomas S Monson. “Along your pathway of life you will
observe that you are not the only traveler. There are others who need
your help. There are feet to steady, hands to
grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.” So
that brings in the theme. Missionary work. I really like this quote
because if we stop to think there are so many other people in this
world. I know that sometimes from our day to day task
everything seems normal and alright. But everyone has their own
problems, their own personal struggles. Inside and outside the church.
Take a look at each of your own lives. We all have things that go wrong,
we have problems, whether they are caused by our
own actions or the actions of others, there are things that everyone of
us have to face.
The problem is that sometimes we have the instinctual
desire to turn inward and try to solve everything with our own lives
first. You know like get your own kitchen in
order before helping others. But I'm here to say that your figurative
kitchen can be helped by helping out other people as well. I've seen
many changes in the people here during my mission. Many changes have
been small, but a few have been big. I think the
biggest changes come when we forget ourselves and become more like Christ and reach out to the needy. Help others. I'm not saying that you
should neglect your own needs or that of your family to help complete
strangers, but there are small ways we can serve
each and every day to help out. Just think of something that you would
like done unto you, and try finding someone who would like the same and
try to help them out.
I know that as we do these small Christ like
services we will be more in tuned with the spirit
and more open to receiving the promptings to help. I find with the
promptings they come in the same way a parent would give chores to their
children. Imagine that you have 2 kids. 1 Obedient, and 1 disobedient.
You ask the obedient to wash the dishes and he
does it on the first time you ask. You feel good so you keep asking him
more and more, and giving him more responsibility. Since you know he
will be accountable. And with that you'll also be more willing to help him
out. Maybe an allowance, or if he wants to
do something you'd give him permission more easily. Now with the
disobedient child. If you ask him to vacuum and he complains and you
have to ask him 3 or 4 times before he does a half hearted job, the next
time you might be reluctant to ask him to do things
since he probably won't. So you ask less and less, but at the same time
he looses the blessings that you would have given him if he did act. Well
the same thing is with us and the Lord. The more we follow spiritual
promptings the more we will get them, and the
more we get them and act on them, the more we get blessed, not just us
but those we help as well.
Something else. So recently Elder cook of the 12 apostles came to our Mission and gave a nice talk. He said that the people here in Nicaragua are ready and willing to listen to the gospel, and that they believe in the Lord and how this message can help them out a whole lot if they can just gain a testimony. I can testify that those words weren't just specific to this mission over here, but it's also true for where all of you are at as well. I know that all of you have friends, family, neighbors, many people who are ready to listen to the gospel. Many times they just need an invitation. I realize that it might seem scary to invite someone to come to church with you. I've been there with you, I've had friends and it was always something of me thinking, "I don't know what he'll say, he probably won't want to do things with me anymore if I talk about that kind of stuff." But if you push aside the fear, the Lord will help direct you all. In the scriptures it says Doubt not fear not.
Something else. So recently Elder cook of the 12 apostles came to our Mission and gave a nice talk. He said that the people here in Nicaragua are ready and willing to listen to the gospel, and that they believe in the Lord and how this message can help them out a whole lot if they can just gain a testimony. I can testify that those words weren't just specific to this mission over here, but it's also true for where all of you are at as well. I know that all of you have friends, family, neighbors, many people who are ready to listen to the gospel. Many times they just need an invitation. I realize that it might seem scary to invite someone to come to church with you. I've been there with you, I've had friends and it was always something of me thinking, "I don't know what he'll say, he probably won't want to do things with me anymore if I talk about that kind of stuff." But if you push aside the fear, the Lord will help direct you all. In the scriptures it says Doubt not fear not.
A challenge I have for all of you is to make
a list of possible people who might be able to listen to the
missionaries or be invited to church, and have a special prayer to see
which of those names stick out. And follow the Counsel to doubt
not, fear not. The lord will tell you who is ready and
willing, and he can help build the courage in each and every one of you
to talk with them. It can be something simple, invite them to an
activity, or just the meeting. You never know how much of an impact just
a simple invitation can really make. And above
all if we follow these instructions by president Gordon B Hinkely when
he said “Never assume that you can make it alone. You need the help of
the Lord. Never hesitate to get on your knees in some private place and
speak with Him.” It can be an added strength
to give us the inspiration and courage to help out those we love.
So yeah I guess that's some of the
words I would like to share with you. I just want to close with my
testimony that I know that this is the true church. It's because I've
prayed and received my answer from the Lord that
this is where He wants me, and this is where we all can reach our full
potential, to one day reach the goal that we all have to live with our Heavenly Father and our families forever. I know that the Book of Mormon
can help all of us gain a stronger testimony,
and that once we have this, it will be easier to keep strong in the
faith. I know that we have a prophet now who is the head of the church
and he receives revelation for each and every one of us, and if we
follow his counsel, we will be able to prepare ourselves
for the challenges of today. I want to leave these things with you, in
the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
