Doubt Not, Fear Not

"Mom's in Practice" Sister Lange

Sister Lange got a new do

Spot the guy and I'm not sure what this animal is?

It's been a great week. I can't remember half of it but that's okay.

So much happens in a week it feels like a blur by Monday. On Wednesday

we road tripped to a small town called Arkadelphia to pay a visit to a

couple of our sisters. It was a nice experience and Sister Lange and I

learned a lot. The whole way home we talked about how much more

prepared we are for life because of all that we've been able to go

through as missionaries. I'm thankful for the trials I've been through

and also the trials I've seen others go through that have taught me so

much. That's really vague. Missionaries say vague things because the

whole mission experience is difficult to describe haha. This week

we've kept in close contact with the family that I wrote about last

week who showed up to church. I'm so impressed with them. They have

been asking us questions that we've been able to answer by using

technology (perks of the twenty-first century) such as "what is the

process of baptism?" and "what other commandments should we know about

so that we can make sure we're doing everything right?". They are so

ready to accept the restored gospel and are already involving

themselves in the ward. It's the coolest thing to see. Heavenly Father

works so perfectly with each of His children. They came to church

again this Sunday and we are having an official lesson with them on

Tuesday. We plan to invite them to be baptized. Prayers that they will

accept the invitation would be appreciated! Yesterday I studied

obedience. It's a principle I've studied all through out my mission

and I still don't seem to fully understand it because I struggle to

surrender my will sometimes. Obedience is the first law in Heaven.

Jesus Christ has said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John

14:15). I think sometimes we talk the talk more than we walk the walk

on that one. It's easy to say we love Christ but it's really freaking

hard to do everything He asks us to. However, the benefits (blessings)

are always worth it: happiness, confidence, peace, safety, health,

strength, stability, etc. "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in

heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings

are predicated. And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by

obedience to that law upon which it is predicated" (D&C 130:20-21).

I'm always thankful that Jesus Christ was willing to take my sins,

weaknesses, and shortcomings upon His shoulders. If He hadn't I'd be

hopeless. He promises, "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say;

but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise" (D&C 82:10).

Obedience is one thing I'm constantly working to improve, and I think

that that's just part of enduring to the end. You keep trying. You

don't give up. You repent and then you be better. That's really what

this life is all about. We fall and then we get back up (or rather,

Jesus Christ reaches out and pulls us up off the ground). He's always

there. He has said, "Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let

earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock,

they cannot prevail.. Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear

not" (D&C 6:34,36).

I invite us all to try to be a little more obedient this week.