Hail & Promptings

Hey y'all!

This week was pretty good. I got a new companion! His name is Elder
Nigh and he's way cool. He and I like a lot of the same stuff so it's
been cool. It's his first bike area though so that has been fun.

Dallas Daze

This week was crazy for a day. We were about 8 miles from our
apartment and this really dark storm cloud was in the distance (you
can see storms coming from miles away here) and so we did a few more
things and decided to head back. It was about 7:30 and would take
about 30 minutes to bike it home due to all the hills and such. So on
our way back people kept reminding us of the storm that was right
above our heads, like we appreciate the concern but we do see it you
know. So we finally get to our apartment and it's dark now, as we
get into our apartment around 8, it starts pouring. Not water, but
hail. And man that hail messed up a LOT of stuff. Roofers are
definitely in a good place living in Texas. Cause hail is a bad thing
here. One funny thing though was though this huge hail was coming
down, these really ugly ducks that live in the complex ponds didn't
even care. They sat outside straight up taking the hail! None died it
appears either, that's a miracle in itself! But ya, everything's
bigger in Texas, including hail.

This week has been good though. One thing I've thought a lot on is
acting on spiritual promptings, specifically the first one as they
come. To think of this I like to recount Nephi with killing Laban. If
you read the story, think of it as if you were him. Nephi was a pretty
stand up guy and wanted to help people when he could. So first he's
commanded to get the plates and that Laban would be delivered to him.
He then says the famous line, "I went not knowing beforehand what I
should do," or something along those lines. As he strolls in he sees
this man passed out on the ground. Nephi being a good man I'm guessing
went to see if he could help. He walks up and notices it's Laban, for
whatever reason, he decides to check out his sword. From the
description he obviously was taken into examining this Sword. As he
does this, the spirit constrained him. Now when I am constrained by
the spirit, most often and for me honestly never, it's not an audible
voice, "hey do this," but rather that feeling we get that prompts us.
Nephi wasn't spoken out loud too, and angel didn't come and make it
obvious to, Gods voice didn't announce it from the heavens, he was I
only prompted as we are all the time with, "kill Laban." Imagine his
reaction to that! I woulda second guessed it too! It had to be my own
thoughts right but the spirit prompts again, "kill Laban," and Nephi
ponders on it and eventually we know he obeyed the voice of the
spirit. Are we able to follow promptings like that? To first discern
it is the spirit, especially if it's something saying to kill someone!
Then to act on it immediately before the opportunity leaves? I'm
definitely still learning. But the benefits of acting on the first
prompting are of great magnitude much past ourselves. If Nephi hadn't
done what he did following the spirit, Aaron many years later wouldn't
have the means of teaching King Lamoni's father about the creation, for
Aaron began "reading the scriptures unto the king." And we know where
that story goes, nations are brought to the light of Christ! If Nephi
hadn't followed that prompting, Aaron wouldn't have had the scriptures
to teach, and that's just one of many repercussions. My invitation is
that we may stand worthy first to receive spiritual promptings,
reverent enough to hear them, wise enough to discern them, and
courageous enough to act on them. It's my testimony that if we do,
miracles will happen in our lives and the lives of those around us.
Though we will most likely ever to be prompted to do that which Nephi
was to do, the things we are promoted with are of the same magnitude.
May we live our lives in a way according to being able to receive such
word and act on such, bringing into our lives the power and revelation
of God. Of this I pray in Jesus name, amen.

Elder Hiatt