Wow... I
never thought I would be sending one last email!
So, this
week was normal like all the others! We spent a lot of time looking for new
investigators. WE didn’t have a lot of highlights, but I wanted to do something
different for my last email!
So two
years is a lot of time... and there are a lot of things someone can learn in
that time. I want to just highlight some of the things I have learned.
First,
Nothing will get done if you don’t do it. You can’t hope for someone to do
something without them knowing what to do. This means you have to converse
plenty with the people you work with, settle differences, and speak clearly.
Beating around the bush gets you nowhere!
Second, our
problems may be big, but our God is much bigger! Just about all of our problems
we can find an answer studying scriptures, praying or fasting. If we think that
something isn’t important enough to take to God, think again! He isn’t our
boss, he is our Father. Like any good Father, he gives the same importance to a
broken leg just like a craving for a candy bar (Luke 8). We just need to ask!
If we don’t tell Him, He won’t be able to do anything for us (2 Ne
32:8-9)!
Third,
sometimes our Plan C is God’s Plan A. Many things will go wrong in our lives.
We will be disappointed by many things, and we will get angry! The most
important thing we can do at this moment, is get on our knees and ask what we
are supposed to do! This is humility. Being able to recognize that God knows
better and He knows what He is doing (Isa 55:6-10).
I have
learned that just about everything we do revolves on those three things. When
we look for what God wants, all of our problems will disappear, and all that is
left is for us to get to it! I have seen everything that can be called a
problem on my mission, and when the person was willing to do these three
things, they were able to rise above their problems. Dieter F Uchtdorf said
that above all sorts of dark and stormy clouds is always the clearest and
bluest skies. All we need to do is rise above them.
The most
important tools we have to rise above all of these problems are simply the
restored gospel, the Book of Mormon and the living prophets. We missionaries
preach that this Gospel will solve ALL of our problems if we are willing to do
our part. Literally all of our problems. This is why the Book of Mormon is so
important.. it is our guide to live a Christ-like life in less than favorable
conditions. If we are able to apply all that we learn in the Book of Mormon, we
will be better people. This will solve the biggest problem of all eternity, our
return to our Heavenly Home. The Book of Mormon was a gift directly from God to
us to help us know what is the truth in a time of such confusion.
If we know
that the Book of Mormon is true, which it absolutely is, we will know exactly
what to do to have eternal life. Jesus Christ established, and restored, his
church exactly for this purpose. We need to just follow, and trust, and we WILL
return to our Heavenly Father. There is no simpler solution to such a difficult
problem.
Jesus
Christ was the perfect example for us because He simply did all that God asked.
No more is asked of us. If we do something wrong, we can reconcile and keep
going forward. If we follow His example in His church, we will take all we can
out of our lives.
We just
need to get down and pray, and our problems will start to solve themselves.
Start from the top down... if we aren’t sure if God exists or not, just talk to
Him, and wait for Him to speak back. If we don’t know where or if there is a
true church, ask His help. It can be boiled down to this... our life is simpler
when we know and do what God wants.
That is
what I have learned these two years. There is no mystery, nor secret. I know
these things are true. I know God exists, and His Son, Jesus Christ lives! I
know His Church was restored on this earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith,
and Thomas S. Monson is His prophet today. God is more alive and active than
ever. We just need to look!
With love,
Elder Cornwell
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