I want to start this email with a confession. It will probably just look like a complaint (and it is) but it will apply to what I want to write today. The confession is this: I don´t like writing this group email. I just don´t. I love you all, and I appreciate your support, but this email has little value for me.
Anyway, I realize that my emails haven´t been too full of stories lately, but I´m on a little island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean where everyone is an active or inactive Catholic. So not much changes. The stories are always the same, just with small details that change. So instead we´re going to talk about things I learned this week.
I love marking scriptures. I have so many marked, and one of my companions showed me a great system of marking and now I can find any scripture that I marked easily, and I have tons already that I use for teaching, explaining, trainging, and not (maybe) bible bashing (it´s really easy because almost no one here reads the Bible, so you just show them that the verse exists and they have no response). But, as I was doing my studies in the last few weeks, I started marking my hymnbook, too, because hymns are scripture, and can teach powerfully and simply.
I found a hymn in Portuguese called "Semeando" that touched me with the lyrics, and I looked it up and we actually have it in English! It´s called "We are Sowing" (#216) and the words are just about the same in English (that is not true with many of the hymns). The music for this hymn is good, too, but it works with the melody of "Come, Thou Fount" so I usually sing it to that. But I wanted to look at the end of the third verse:
By a whisper sow we blessings;
By a breath we scatter strife.
In our words and thoughts and actions
Lie the seeds of death and life.
By a breath we scatter strife.
In our words and thoughts and actions
Lie the seeds of death and life.
What I wanted to share with you today are my thoughts on the power of words. I know it´s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that actions speak louder than words, but don´t be decived in thinking that words have no power. The scriptures are just words. General conference is just words. If words aren´t important, why do we have to say the sacrament prayer perfectly (or any other ordenance)? Words are powerful. All of the most powerful spiritual experiences I have had in my life have had to do with words: the words of a hymn, the words of a talk, the words a friend said or wrote to me just when I needed it. Just today, I opened my email account with no desire to write a group email. I was considering just not writing one. Then, I opened an email sent to me by my friend/sunday school teacher Rob, in which he said that he loves reading my emails every week. Just that little encouragement gave me the desire to write, even if he´s the only one who reads this email. His words touched me.
How well do we watch our words? Do we tell lies?Do we only tell a part of the truth? Do we gossip? Do we talk negitivly about others when they are or aren´t around? Do we criticize? Do we speak sarcastically? Do we mock others? If so, why? The core of our eternal being is intellegence, or light (D&C 93). Language, spoken or written, is how we give and recive more intellegence. Our words have the power to destroy people mentaly, emotionally, and spiritually. The hymn has the phrase "the seeds of death" and this is a problem I have seen a lot. Just about every single less-active member on this island has a story about another member who said someting. The "something" varies, but it makes me sad. I know that all these people have there agency, and they should still remain firm regardless of such troubles, but the fact that such troubles exist could be avoided! Maybe we say things, not intending to hurt people, but we need to be careful to not plant seeds of death, or in other words, say things that will lead to people choosing to distance themselves from the Savior.
On the other hand, by a whisper sow we blessings. I can not thank all of the people who have kept me in the right way just by the words they say. I´m a super stressed out person, and a lot of time people think they need to do things to help me feel better. But words have always been enough.
My parents always offered encouragement and support. My siblings would talk with me about whatever. My sister Camary would let me complain about anything and then just say "well that sucks" but in such a loving manner that I felt better afterwards. Jarom Loch told a story about birds going to church that changed my life. My Grandpa taught me about the Atonement using an analogy about nails and wood. All sorts of incredible words that still run through my head day and night that give me strength, courage, and the desire to follow Christ.
I have a lot of words to say about words, but I want us all to look a little closer at the way we speak. Do we speak how Christ would speak? Woud you speak to Christ the way you speak to your family and friends? Would you speak to Him the way you speak to strangers?
I know that our words our powerful. They have the power to touch hearts, and bring souls unto Christ. I hope we can all find a better and more edifying way to use this God given gift of language.
I finally added some new pictures for you all.
I love you all!
Elder Lofthouse
