My sons:
A bit of housekeeping here; Mom and I will be out of the country for the next two weeks. We are headed to the Far East on a work vacation. I can't believe we are doing it but I suppose that it will be fun. I've never been outside of the the North American continent and so I'm pretty nervous. We should have email at nights and I'll probably be sending a few pictures along.
I hope your week went well and that you're planning on having a great upcoming week. I hope you are taking good care of your bodies by eating, exercising, and sleeping well. We have an obligation to take good care of our bodies in this life. In the New Testament Paul says, "know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
What does it mean to glorify God in your body and in your spirit? Being on a mission you should've become familiar with glorifying God in your spirit. You do that most every day. But, here's the question... How do you glorify God in your body? By taking care of yourself and considering both your diet and your lifestyle as potential contributors or detractors to the health of your body and spirit. I know from firsthand experience that when my lifestyle choices are poor, my body AND spirit weaken over time. So, make good lifestyle choices.
Sometimes you justify poor choices by telling yourself that you're busy and don't have time to eat or sleep. There are times when you have to make temporary adjustments in lifestyle but you should always try to baseline back to what you know is healthy. Enough of that.
In the early days of the church, our ancestors left their homes in Europe and travelled the world to come to Zion. Think of it, the equivalent of selling (or simply leaving) our home in North Logan with nothing and heading to a new land to start over. It wasn't our ancestors only; America is built on immigration. I have a ton of respect for many of the very people Jacob is teaching in AZ who have left homes in their Latin countries with nothing but hope of a better life and a willingness to work. Now here they are, in America trying to make a go of it. The few Americans who get to experience the uncertainty and joy of this are those who start businesses even though there is no certainty of succeeding.
One of the reasons that Nephi is so incredible is that he starts the Book of Mormon with his story of immigration. As you teach, realize that you are asking your investigators to make a spiritual immigration not unlike the physical immigration of the Nephites. The journey is hard, and much of it they will have to do alone, but the Lord will be their guide and will not leave them alone. What a great thought as someone joining the church... to be on par with Nephi. Those who are able to successfully join the church and endure are just that.
Well, take care and have a great week. I love you both.
Dad
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