Golden Envelopes - September 2014

September 17, 2014

Preach My Gospel, pg. 4

Missionaries are to go “in the power of the ordination wherewith [they have] been ordained, proclaiming glad tidings of great joy, even the everlasting gospel” (D&C 79:1).  You have the authority to preach the gospel.  If you hold the priesthood, you have the authority to administer the ordinances thereof.  As you prayerfully and worthily exercise that authority, you will receive spiritual power, which is evidence of the reality of your call.  Do not be afraid or shy about fulfilling this commission.  Just as the sons of Mosiah, you are to teach with the power and authority of God (see Alma 17:2-3).

When you were set apart by priesthood authority, you received the right and privilege to represent the Lord.  You received a ministerial certificate that verifies that authority to the world.  President Spencer W. Kimball said:  “The setting apart may be taken literally; it is a setting apart from sin, apart from the carnal; apart from everything which is crude, low vicious, cheap, or vulgar, set apart from the world to a higher plane of thought and activity.  The blessing is conditional upon faithful performance” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 478).

Along with your authority comes a responsibility to live worthy of your calling.  As the Lord’s representative, you are to be “an example of the believers” (1 Timothy 4:12).   Strive to live according to God’s commandments and keep the covenants you made in the temple; know the scriptures; be courteous, on time, and dependable; follow missionary standards of conduct, dress, and grooming; love the people with whom you serve and work.  Honor Christ’s name by your actions.

In addition to authority, you are also to exercise power in your work.  The authority that you have received can lead to power.  Indeed, spiritual power is one evidence that your authority is real.  Spiritual power is a gift that makes it possible for you to do your work more effectively.

FAITH

I gave my first talk in the Puglia Stake Conference.  It was very, very short and very, very simple.  I wrote it while we were still studying at the MTC and had my tutor help me translate it into Italian.  He then spent days helping me learn to pronounce the words properly.  Every night Michael would listen to me read it over and over.  I was getting pretty tired of it, so I'm certain everyone else was, too.  A few weeks ago, I was informed I would have to give a talk in conference and knew it was a good thing I already had this talk prepared because I didn't have time to prepare one then.  A week before conference, we were informed a visiting authority would be at conference and I wouldn't have to speak.  (Yeah!)  Just in case, I took a copy of the talk and read it to the elder's riding with us.  It was kind of like role playing, something we really stress in this mission.  At the Saturday night meeting, Elder Leimer asked if I would speak the next day.  I was so glad I had followed the prompting to take the talk with me.  I'm not very good at speaking Italian.  Most of what I need to do is in English, but I do know a few words and I'm understanding more all the time.  Luckily, I have learned how to pronounce words and can read--even if I don't understand.  I feel like the new missionaries.  I was pretty scared to give the talk in Italian, but now that I've done it once, I know I can do it again. Faith

Fede

Brothers and Sisters
Fratelli e’ sorelle,

I am happy to be with you today.
Sono felice di essere con voi oggi.

Excuse me, I don’t speak Italian good, but I try.
Scusatemi, Non parlo bene italiano, ma ci provo.

Today I would like to speak to you about faith.
Oggi, vorrei parlarvi della fede.

What is faith?
Che cos’e’ la fede?

The book of Hebrews 11:1 tells us:
Nel libro di Ebrei capitolo undici versetto uno ci dice:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Or la fede e’ certezza di cose che si sperano, dimostrazione di cose che non si vedono.

Why is it so hard to exercise faith?
Perche’ e’ cosi’ difficile esercitare la fede?

Alma 32:21 tells us:
Alma capitolo trentadue versetto ventuno ci dice:

And now as I said concerning faith–faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.
Ed ora, come ho detto riguardo alla fede, la fede non e’ l’avere una conoscenza perfetta delle cose; percio’, se avete fede, sperate in cose che non si vedono, ma che sono vere.

The scriptures teach us that faith without works is dead.
Le scritture ci insegnano che la fede senza opere e’ morta.

In James 2:17 we read:
Nel Giacomo capitolo due versetto diciasette leggiamo:

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Cosi’ e’ della fede; se non ha opere, e’ per se stessa morta.

In James 2:26 it says:
Nel Giacomo capitolo due versetto ventisei ci dice:

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Infatti, come il corpo senza lo spirito e’ morto, cosi anche la fede senza le opere e’ morta.

I would like to tell a story.
Voglio raccontare una storia.

A minister went to a new city to preach.
Un ministro ando’ ad una nuova citta’ a  predicare.

He was discouraged because nobody came to church to hear his sermons.
Era scoraggiato, perche’ nessuno e’ venuto in chiesa per ascoltare le sue prediche.
                                            
One day he put a poster outide the church that said:
Un giorno ha messo un manifesto fuori la chiesa che c’era scritto:

The Church is dead.
La chiesa e’ morta.

The funeral will be next Sunday at 11:00 am.
Il funerale sara’ Domenica prossima alle undici di mattina.

The viewing will be at 10:00.
La visita a’ la salma sara’ alle dieci.

The next Sunday,a long line of people was waiting to see this dead church.
La Domenica sequente, c’era una lunga fila di gente che  aspettava di vedere questa “chiesa morta”.

Inside the church was a black coffin with the lid open.
Dentro la chiesa c’era una bara nera con il coperchio aperto.

Inside the coffin was a mirror.
Dentro la bara si trovava uno specchio.

When the people looked inside the coffin, they saw themselves and realized they were the ones who were dead, not the church.
Quando la gente guardavano dentro la bara, hanno visto se stessi e si sono rese comto che erano loro morta, non la chiesa. 

(Pause)

I hope that we are not like those people that saw themselves and realized they were the ones who were dead, not the church.
Spero che noi non siamo come quelle persone che hanno visto se stessi e si sono rese comto che erano loro morta non la chiesa.

We need to be active participants in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Abbiamo bisogno di essere partecipanti attivi nel vangelo di Gesu’ Cristo.

If I put a Book of Mormon on the podium and believe that faith will move it, nothing will happen.
Se io mettessi un libro di Mormon sul podio credendo che la fede lo spostarebbe, non accadrebbe nulla.
                                        
But if I have faith that the book will move, and then I lift the book with my hand and move it, I will have performed the work necessary to exercise my faith.
Invece se io ho fede di muovere il libro, lo alzero’ con la mano e spostarlo.  Cosi’ avro’ esercitato la mia fede.

My faith is rewarded.
Cosi’ la mia fede viena ricompensata.

I pray that each of us will have the courage to exercise our faith and that Heavenly Father will bless us for our work.
Prego che ognuno di noi avra’ il coraggio di esercitare la nostra fede e che il nostro padre celeste benedica ognuno di noi per le nostre opere.

I say this 
Io dico questo

In the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.
Nel nome di Gesu’ Cristo.  Amen.

Puglia Stake Conference

September 27 2013

The Puglia Stake Conference was held in Bari.  Elder Axel H. Leimer was the visiting authority.  All the missionaries from the Bari and Taranto Zones were there.  It worked out very well because the zone conference for that area was in Bari on Tuesday and many of the interviews with missionaries were on Sunday after conference and Monday.

One of our elders was asked to be the interpreter for Elder Leimer in the leadership meetings.  It was a great opportunity for him.

Another one of our new missionaries assisted President Waddoups in giving a blessing to one of our Senior Couple Elders.  It was his first time assisting with a blessing.  That was a great experience for the missionary and greatly blessed the life of the elder receiving the blessing.

Rome East Zone Conference

September 26, 2013

L'Aquila is high in the mountains and is such a beautiful town.  I really like to go to L'Aquila, but then I haven't found any of the zones that I don't enjoy going to.  Actually, I still have to occasionally pinch myself to be certain I am really in Italy.

For the first time, we had one of our elders who was sick and made the trip to L'Aquila only to spend the day sick at the elder's apartment.  Our missionaries are constantly faced with challenges.  It's what makes them grow.  (I worry about them and they just deal with it and move on.  Wish I could do that.)

Again the topic of zone conference was obedience.  The assistants, the zone leaders, the sister training leader, President Waddoups and I all did a section on different types of obedience and the blessings that come from being obedient.  The missionaries who take the counsel to heart are seeing miracles that they attribute to their obedience.  If only all missionaries understood the importance of being obedient.  Most of them are.  There's only a few who struggle.  We pray for them and constantly seek to find ways to help them.

First Testimony

First Testimony

First Testimony

We give them two minutes at a time to practice telling about the restoration.

Take One

Take Two

Take Three

Take Four

This little kitten lives next to the church but often frequents the balcony of the church.