Sister Bailey Guthrie: Feelin' 21

Hello fam,

How is everyone? Today is a good day. Our investigator Andrew was baptized this morning! It was such a sweet, spiritual experience.

Yesterday in sacrament meeting, a brother in the ward gave a beautiful talk on forgiveness. He said, "If you had $86,400 and someone took $10 from you, would you throw away the rest of your money in an effort to get that $10 back? Most of us would probably just go on with our life and enjoy the money we still have. Well, there are 86,400 seconds in a day. If someone says something mean to you, cuts you off, etc. are you going to let those 10 seconds ruin the rest of your day?" Being offended is a CHOICE. So is forgiveness and mercy. This is something I'm working to improve every single day. The savior taught us to forgive, setting the perfect example Himself. "And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men" (1 Nephi 19:9). While hanging on the cross, after enduring more pain and suffering than I could ever imagine, Jesus Christ said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

I have seen miracles from my studies this week. I have always felt a bit of anxiety about teaching the plan of salvation. However, this week as I studied the plan of salvation very specifically for our investigator Brian, my mind was so enlightened. I had such clarity and understanding. We had an amazing plan of salvation lesson with Brian. The spirit loosed my tongue and allowed me to teach with true power. "Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men" (D&C 11:21).