Hey folks! How goes things?
I look at the work I have done this past week, and I could infer that I was struggling. But, honestly, I feel great! We are helping everyone we know here to come to know Christ a little bit more. How could I not be happy because of that?
Recently a read a lovely article which touched me. It is about a man who lived what he taught. He was well-known, but nonetheless was simply a good neighbor, a good friend, and an excellent missionary. His name is George Albert Smith (1870-1951). He was known for his constant acts of compassion for others and his fervent effort to preach the Gospel to everyone. He had a personal creed of 11 principles which guided his conduct every day of his life after the day he wrote them (age 34).
And upon learning about him, I thought to myself, Do I live what I teach? Do I preach the Gospel with my acts of service towards others? My brothers and sisters, religion is not just doctrine, beliefs, ceremonies, meetings, and leaders. The pure essence of religion is living that which you believe and which you teach. Apostle James, in the early days of the Church which Christ Himself established, said something along these lines.
To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).
It is my goal to be friendly with anyone whom I decide to speak with. I am inspired by the example of Brother George Albert Smith to not have feelings of enmity toward any living being, but rather seek to be friends with everyone. We are all children of God, therefore we are all literally brothers and sisters. And this is a family of which we have been a part since before the foundation of this world, and of which we will always be a part for the rest of eternity. Let us enjoy the company of another, those who we already know, and strive to enlarge our friend circles a little more as time goes by. Let us strive to be loving to another, and love them in the way that Christ loves us. I know that Christ loves me, because I can receive forgiveness and comfort and encouragement in place of guilt, stress and defeatedness, when I humbly ask Him for help. And I am striving to help those around me to feel the same way.
Moreover, if we can have joy in the happiness of our friends and those around us, why not we be the cause of that? We can be happy because of our own welfare, but why not we be happy for the welfare of those around us and strive to be the cause of it? How great would be our joy in our effort to make others happy by serving them and lending them a constant hand. For this is the love of Jesus Christ, who said, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35). Again, I know that Jesus Christ loves me, and that He lives. He is my constant helper, and because of His love I know I can help others too. His is a type of love the transforms, a miraculous and wonderful and divine type of love which we call charity. I know that if we pray to our Heavenly Father fervently, that we might receive this wonderful gift, the pure love of Christ, we will receive it. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Elder Braden K. Dredge
Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission
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| Nutritious meal - fruit, vegetables, homemade tortilla and ... hot dogs (hidden)! :) |
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