The One and Only Paragould

This past week was equally as "all over the place" as the last. More

of our sweet Marshallese friends have moved. One of our investigators

tried to bible bash us. Many of the people we teach are dealing with

trials and illness that we have no control over which has lead me to

evaluate my testimony and conversation. 

Am I 100% confident that theatonement is real and can heal us? 

Can I look someone in the eyes who is tired of living and being in pain 

and tell them that Jesus Christ has felt it all? 

Do I believe that "the Lord (will) strengthen them that they (can) bear up their burdens 

with ease, and.. submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord"  (Mosiah24:15)?

I can say that I do truly believe in Jesus Christ and the power of His atonement. 

If I didn't, I don't think I would be here.

Being a missionary has opened my eyes in so many ways. After serving

the Lord full-time, even for the short amount of time that I have, I

never want to go back to a life of "when I feel like it" discipleship.

I'm learning that that's just not how it works. We have to ask

ourselves if we truly are converted. Has the gospel of Jesus Christ

"wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more

disposition to do evil, but to do good continually" (Mosiah 5:2)? Can

we say that we "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all

thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Mathew 22:37)? In the talk by

Jeffrey R. Holland titled "The First Great Commandment", I like to say

that Elder Holland throws down. He recounts the story of Christ

visiting His disciples, who have returned to their former lives as

fishermen, after He is resurrected. Jesus asks Peter three times, "do

you love me?" to which Peter replies that he does. Elder Holland

describes in his own words Christ's response. "What I need, Peter, are

disciples-and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and

save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith.

I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our

Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do". Elder Holland goes on to

say, "We have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating

our love of the Lord. We can’t quit and we can’t go back. After an

encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again

to be as it was before. The Crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection

of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a Christian life, not the end of

it". I love that. We're either all in or we're not. Don't we owe it to

Jesus Christ to be all in? Our savior who has given everything, even

His own life, that we might live? 

As President Wakolo often quotes from the hymn 

How Firm a Foundation, "I'll never, no never, no never forsake."

The work is still sweet in Paragould and the blessings are

as plentiful as ever. We see miracles from the Lord's hand in our work

every day, every day, every day. The refiners fire is hot but, "there

is no growth in the comfort zone, and there is no comfort in the

growth zone".

Much love,

Sister Bailey Guthrie

913 S. 22nd St. #6

Paragould, AR 72450