Chapter 5 - The Spirit of God

I did a lot of stuff this week. It was fun.

Now, it's time to talk about spiritual things. First, with God we can do anything. One of my goals here at the MTC has been to run a sub-6 min mile. I've been working at it almost every day, but I got stuck at 6:10. I ran three miles at that exact time. But then, this week, I had a day where during exercise time, I was feeling a bit distraught, and I just wanted to find comfort in something. So I prayed, and asked God to help me run a mile in less than 6:10, and I would push myself as hard as I could, and if it worked, He could have all the glory. And then I ran, and by the third of ten laps I was gasping, but I kept running, and running, and finished in 5:53. So, again, all the glory goes to God. Without God, I can't run a sub-6 mile. But with God, I can cut a full 17 seconds (and yes, that is a lot in distance running) and achieve any goal.

Next, the Spirit will always testify of truth. My class was doing role-plays, and I was playing a young man whose dad and brother had died in a car crash the previous month. Elder Baker began teaching me, and when he found out about it, he began preaching about the Resurrection, and life after this one. The Spirit came over me like a wave, and I felt the power of the message, and knew that I would live with my dad and brother again. It was so strange, because I knew that I hadn't really lost anyone, but I still knew, in that moment, that when God says families are eternal, He means it. Death has absolutely no hold on us, and our families ties surpass any power of darkness.

Third, praying for something will bring answers and blessings, but fasting for something will multiply the answers and blessings a dozen times over. I've done full fasts before, and I have almost always fasted with a purpose. But on Saturday, as I was playing a different investigator, Elder Cox and Elder Lemmon taught me the importance of fasting, and promised me that if I would fast, it would increase my faith. So I decided to really fast with a purpose. I asked God to let me have a powerful spiritual experience to help me know that I could survive in the mission field, and I also asked Him to fill me with gratitude, because I'd never done a fast of gratitude before, and I want to start counting my blessings more. Saturday, after dinner, I started fasting. That was the hardest time for me, because I'm always drinking water, and so for the three hours of studying we did, I was pretty thirsty. But I didn't drink at all. Sunday came, and we had our normal three hour block, and it was good. However, we had a mission conference (they happen every fast Sunday) and before the conference we were all singing "How Firm a Foundation" That song is full of great lyrics, but the ones that hit me are in the second verse. "In every condition, in sickness in health, in poverty's vale or abounding in wealth, at home or abroad, on the land, or the sea, as thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be." That last line "as thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be" hit me hard. The Atonement is infinite. But what does that mean? It means that we can use it whenever, and in any amount. We aren't allotted some amount that we can use up. Every moment of every day, we can have the full power of the Atonement helping us in our lives. "As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be." So if your days demand that you have the strength to lift a mountain and carry it on your back across the whole Earth, you will be given that strength. No matter what my mission demands of me, Christ has already promised to be with me through it all. This realization hit me so hard that I wasn't able to sing the rest of the song because I was crying. And then, after that, I was filled with gratitude for the Savior, the Atonement, and everyone that has testified of these things and helped make the scriptures for us. We live in the fullness of times. For the first time in history, a dispensation will not end in apostasy, but will end with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. I know this is true.

In other news, our devotional on Sunday was moved up to an earlier time. Everyone was guessing that it might be an Apostle coming to talk to us. We got there, and it was Jenny Oaks Baker. She's the daughter of Elder Oaks, and she's a world renowned violinist. She talked with us and performed with her family. It was really cool. But then, after, they announced that everyone would be watching Elder Bednar's devotional "The Character of Christ" (usually there are more films we get to choose from). So, we all watched it, and then when it was over, they announced that Elder Bednar was here to answer questions we any questions we had. It was so cool! An Apostle came and spoke to us, face to face. It was amazing.

Last thought of today is just the power of hymns. In D&C 25:12 God says, "For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads." Singing in the MTC choir has been one of the most spiritual uplifting things I've experienced, and I know that this promise is true. If you do something as simple as singing praises unto God, He will bless you. Good music is one of the most powerful tools we have in fighting the adversary and inviting the Spirit.