Last week we were at church and this guy shows up we had never seen before. It ended up that he lived in our sector, so we followed him home to know where he lived and to get a cita with him. Ends up that he´s from Spain and his girlfriend (that lives in Guayaquil) is a member and told him to go to the church. The first time that we went to visit him, we invited him to be baptized, and he accepted with no problem (of GOLD!). The next cita we were talking about Joseph Smith and how he shouldn´t just believe what we were teaching, but he should pray and ask God if it is true. He started telling us this story that the night before he showed up to the church, he was thinking about the church and why his girlfriend was a part of it. He prayed and asked God that night if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true Church on the earth, and of course, God answered his prayer. That´s why he wants to get baptized. Not because he loves the fact that he can get married to his girlfriend forever, but because he prayed and asked God.
God answers prays. But like we always teach people, sometimes it takes time. We can´t expect to just get everything we want and when we want it. We´ve got to sanctify ourselves. Be and live the higher life and really have the faith that it´ll come true. Sometimes we feel like we are up against a wall. There isn´t any kind of escape, that the weakness or the temptation that we have will never let up, that we´ll never be able to over come the things that we are praying for help to over come.
However, it is possible. Like Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy said in the last general conference:
¨A pattern in the scriptures and in life shows that many times the darkest, most dangerous tests immediately precede remarkable events and tremendous growth. “After much tribulation come the blessings.” The children of Israel were trapped against the Red Sea before it was parted. Nephi faced danger, anger from his brothers, and multiple failures before he was able to procure the brass plates. Joseph Smith was overcome by an evil power so strong that it seemed he was doomed to utter destruction. When he was almost ready to sink into despair, he exerted himself to call upon God, and at that very moment he was visited by the Father and the Son. Often investigators face opposition and tribulation as they near baptism. Mothers know that the challenges of labor precede the miracle of birth. Time after time we see marvelous blessings on the heels of great trials.¨
Our problem is, however, that we don´t want to wait for God to work the miracle. We start to think that for some reason if we work harder or study more or walk more miles we can do it.
But we can´t. And we never will be able to do it.
Breathe. Take the time to love some body. Pray with all your heart for the rightous things in your life to come to pass. Ask for help to overcome temptation, to think clean thoughts and to feel the Spirit to testify that what you are doing is true.
We can never loose our faith or give up on trying, but neither can we forget to pray, give thanks, and ask for the help that we truly need.
Love. Love. Love.
Hermana Cooper
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