So today I'm going to focus on this insane devotional we had on Tuesdaybecause it literally was the most amazing thing I've ever heard.
It was by Elder Cooke one of the Seventy.
His wife Mary Cooke told us that a mission is tithing for our life so far. Just like we pay 10% of what we make to the Lord, 10% of 20 years of life is 2 years! I'm so grateful for that outlook on my mission!
Elder Cooke started telling us the importance of the Lord's revelation he gives us. After we are baptized members of the Church we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost as a constant companion that helps to guide our lives through good feelings and thoughts. Elder Cooke keeps with him a tiny little notebook he calls his book of revelation. Every feeling and thought he gets from the Holy Ghost he writes down. We are promised that as we follow these promptings that we are blessed and the Lord then trusts us enough to give us more and more of these revelations!
Elder Cooke had 10 steps for us:
1. Love Them
Matt. 22: 36-40
The day you'll be happy is the day you care more about the people around you then you care about yourself. As missionaries we need to look at everyone we teach as someone's brother, father, mother, sister, and remember how we would feel if someone we loved in our family was brought back into the church when we teach others.
2. The Book of Mormon Converts
If you want to be truly converted, read the Book of Mormon everyday. If you can't find the time, wake up 10 minutes earlier than you do normally and just read for ten minutes a day. I testify that everything in that book is true and will drastically change your days for the better.
3. Don't just recite Joseph Smith's story-- It Really Happened!
When you are teaching investigators about Joseph Smith ask them to repeat the story back to you. If they don't know that story teach it again. If you don't know for sure that he was a prophet of God, find out! Pray to God to know. If you pray with a sincere desire to know if anything is true, God will tell you through the Holy Ghost so you can have a testimony for yourself!
4. Obedience is Key
How can you expect to leave commitments to your investigator if you can't get up on time? If you want to prosper in your life, keep the commandments. They aren't there to hinder us, they are there to bring us complete and total happiness! Ingrain the mission rules into your heart! Study them every day :) (James 2:17) Learn to love to work!
5. Faith and Diligence
Diligence wins every time over intelligence. If we are diligent and as we exercise our faith we will be able to do amazing things as missionaries! To exercise faith YOU MUST ACT! We were spirits of exceptional faith and action in the pre-mortal life (the life before we came to Earth). God asked us to do, and we did. When you are called as a missionary, you are a missionary. Never take that for granted! You have the authority to bless and leave blessings with people. God will put people in your path that need you. So talk to everyone!
6. The Holy Ghost Has the Power to Help You
D&C 8: 2-3
Our mission is full of red seas (prophet Moses divided the red sea). Will I divide them or will I let them divide me?
7. Don't Exclude Your Family On Your Mission
D&C 132: 20
So we were invited to include everyone on what we're studying and so since I finished the Book of Mormon a couple of days ago I started to read the New Testament in the Bible starting in Matthew so I can read for myself all of the teachings of Jesus Christ. If anyone would like to, I would love for you to read there with me! This way all of us can grow together! Tell me what is your favorite part of Christ's sermon on the mount?
8. Who You Really Are
We, as missionaries, are healers of a sick world. Just like Jesus healed the people during his ministry in the bible we have the opportunity to heal just like he did!
9. Worth of Souls
Alma 23:5-6
When we are teaching about the gospel we have to stay with our investigators. Sometimes its really hard to change but with Christ's help all of us can change and become clean from our gilt and sins through repentance. This is so important! There are souls everywhere that need you. We are called to our specific missions through revelation because someone in that mission needs your specific personality and life experiences to help them realize how much God and Christ care about each and every one of us.
10. Enjoy the Journey
No one can determine your happiness but you. Happy ALWAYS, Contend NEVER.
I am so grateful to be a missionary! I hope that something I learned at that devotional can help each and every one of you this week! I love you all!
<3 Sister Fordiani
These are the missionaries that left this week to Japan!
Me with my package from my family!
I took all the quotes on everything and pasted them into my journal :) Thank you!
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