13:)

Good day everyone! Hope everyone has had a splendid week! I finished my blessed 13th month as a missionary! 

Nothing super exciting happened this week.

But here are a couple highlights:

-Every time we took someone to the airport there was some kind of complication. It was pretty unreal. I know the Adelaide airport like the back of my hand…

-Lots of logistics completed this week. 

-We were able to go street contacting in the city and I was so city homesick haha. I miss the city so much. We were able to talk with some Chinese people who had moved to Adelaide 2 weeks ago. Then we had a bible basher and his girlfriend confront us. It was a funny conversation. 

All I have to say…I feel like Ammon when he boasts in his God. “I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things.”

I want to boast in Jesus Christ's doctrine. It trumps all other doctrine. I can calmly and confidently stand before any bible scriptorian or basher and know that the doctrine of Christ's restored gospel conquerors all. Christ's doctrine is worry free. 

Spiritual thought:

What is the greatest goal in the world? 

“We do believe in setting goals. We live by goals. … [One] important goal is to bring the gospel to all people. … Our goal is to achieve eternal life. That is the greatest goal in the world” (Spencer W. Kimball)

Think about what you are doing to accomplish and work toward the greatest goal in the world. 

Elder Bednar gives an incredible talk titled “Converted unto the Lord” and he discusses the difference between testimony and conversion. 

To put it simply, a testimony is a knowledge that the gospel is true. Conversion is consistently acting on and being true to the gospel knowledge we have gained. 

To be honest, a lot of missionaries, converts, and lifelong members of the church have a testimony, but are not converted. They have gained a knowledge of the truth of the gospel, but are not consistently acting on the knowledge they have gained. 

I invite you to read some inspired questions President Russell M. Nelson made in the following statement: “Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? Will you allow His words, His commandments, and His covenants to influence what you do each day? Will you allow His voice to take priority over any other? Are you willing to let whatever He needs you to do take precedence over every other ambition? Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in His?” How can your answers to these questions lead you to follow the Savior’s example of always doing the Father’s will?

Make some goals to deepen your conversion and then plan how to accomplish those goals. Review the goals daily. 

Read the following statement by Elder Neil L. Andersen: “Never give up—however deep the wounds of your soul, whatever their source, wherever or whenever they happen, and however short or long they persist, you are not meant to perish spiritually. You are meant to survive spiritually and blossom in your faith and trust in God. “God did not create our spirits to be independent of Him. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through the incalculable gift of His Atonement, not only saves us from death and offers us, through repentance, forgiveness for our sins, but He also stands ready to save us from the sorrows and pains of our wounded souls.” 

There is a power available to all who receive Jesus Christ. The Savior has an infinite capacity to heal because of His infinite atonement. 

Embrace the Joy of Jesus. 

Joy can stand for Jesus Over Yourself. 

Choose to put Jesus over yourself! Then you will find true joy. 

“The Atonement of Jesus Christ also makes it possible for us to “have access to godly power—power sufficient to deal with the burdens, obstacles, and temptations of our day.” The love, mercy, and forgiveness we receive from Jesus Christ can bring about lasting change in our lives and give us the strength to move forward doing God’s will (see Mosiah 5:2; Helaman 15:7–8).”

I have pondered a lot about how we can draw the Savior's power into our life. It has been very enlightening and life changing. 

I love this quote from President Nelson: 

“When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do. When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you.

And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”:   

The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding. … 

The knowledge and power of God are expanding; 

The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst. The gospel of Jesus Christ is filled with His power, which is available to every earnestly seeking daughter or son of God. It is my testimony that when we draw His power into our lives, both He and we will rejoice.”

I invite you to take one action this week based on what you believe in Jesus Christ and what you feel the Holy Ghost prompts you to do. Work on becoming converted to Him one step, one decision, one goal, one thought, one word at a time. I promise that as you do so, you will find the rest and happiness you seek in your life. 

President Nelson said “entering into a covenant relationship with God binds us to Him in a way that makes everything about life easier. Please do not misunderstand me: I did not say that making covenants makes life easy but yoking yourself with the Savior means you have access to His strength and redeeming power.”

Have a great week! 

Cheers,

-Elder Jones (Zhang zhanglao)