Hey y'all!
This week was SWEATY like holy cow! The heat has been something else.
Dallas Daze
Aside from being drenched in my own sweat, Saturday we helped with a
move that went pretty awesome. We got a case of water out of it as
well as a thing of Gatorade and these drinks elder Frausto loves
that's like Perrigrino water or something like that. Well he talked it
up like no other and so I tried it, it wasn't bad but it was odd and I
was drinking it as we ate dinner one day. Well flippin, I check the
"best by" date......the stuff was three years old. He took a swig and
was all, "yeah that's definitely not how it tastes." So here I am
downing half a bottle of it! It wasn't all that bad though, I mean it
was "best" by that date not inedible by that date. We also had an
awesome dinner this week. We got to go to a sub shop called jersey
mikes that makes some reaaaaallllyyyy good subs. The gigantic size
which looks like a footlong (Elder frausto had been many a time and
prepared me to know it was much larger) is like a foot and a half. We
were STARVING so we ordered one of those each and man it was the best
sandwich id ever had. Elder Frausto has been getting after about me
for eating to fast especially there. He wasn't even done with the
first 1/4 of his sandwich by the time I'd eaten a little over half of
it. He ended up saving some for the next day and I ate the whole thing
of it. I don't know where it all went but man it was awesome. Expensive
but awesome, I mean the sign says that size "feeds 2-3 people" so I
definitely ate a lot.
This week we had an awesome experience with a lady we ran into. We
knocked on her door and she was so happy to see us. She invited us in
and we talked to her about Eagle Scouts, college, her kids, all these
great things. We saw all this stuff hanging up in her house which
sparked all the different topics. She let us sit down and we just
shared beliefs. She is some form of Catholic but it was the most
uplifting and pleasant meeting I've ever had with someone. She wasn't
particularly like searching for more but she respected us a ton and we
talked a lot about family and the importance of it which she is a huge
advocate of. We share the Proclamation to the World with her and she
LOVED it. We were also able to read 2 Nephi 2 about opposition in all
things and she loved that as well. It was a fabulous exchange of
beliefs and we learned a lot. She then asked about our missions and we
talked about our daily life and logistics and she was amazed we live
on our own and cook and such. She was all, "we've gotta have you two
over for dinner. You need a home cooked meal, and my boys need to meet
and be around real men like you." It was truly the greatest compliment
I think I've ever received in my life. Christ has definitely changed
me and glory be to him for who I am today. But it was awesome and we
plan to go back.
The family though is what I want to point out this week. It's been a
major topic among people we discuss with and especially at church this
Sunday. Satan has his crosshairs on the family more than ever before
these days and many are being picked off left and right without the
protection that comes from Christ's gospel and temple covenants. Too
many families are being torn apart from an array of reasons that are
no secret to any of us. I reflected on how lucky I have been to have
been raised in a family where the gospel was lived and revered. Had I
not been blessed so, I can genuinely say out of my own knowledge that
I would not be where I'm at and may not even be here at all. Christ is
the glue that holds us together, that invites love at home, that
teaches morals and virtues to children, that raises boys to be men and
girls to be sacred, stand up women. I want to stress with all my
faculties that we take things seriously, put on the armor of god and
be as captain Moroni and erect whatever we must to protect our homes,
families and children. No longer can we build walls and pretend it's
not there, insisting to our children the outside world is not what
their tv or phone says. But face it head on and present the two
options before them. That as all things die, through Christ shall all
things be made alive. That when we choose the world, we choose misery
and confusion, misunderstanding, hate, and moral degradation. We
cannot build walls to be climbed anymore but prepare ourselves
mentally and spiritually to fight these battles before us, for we are
indeed all enlisted and will fall if we do not go forth in the
strength of the Lord. I believe strongly we must teach in the Savior's
way more than before. To present two options and allow others to make
the choice and live the consequences. There is no learning any other
way. For example, "lest ye be born of water and of the spirit, ye
cannot enter into the kingdom of God." He present both sides, be
baptized and be saved and enter into eternal life, or don't and be
damned in the end of days. It's your choice, and those who choose
otherwise will maybe quickly or slowly, but they will one day see the
light shine through what choice was true. David A Bednar said do we
have the faith not to be healed, but as the savior and our Heavenly
Father teach, it offers opportunity for pain and suffering, and I
present the question do we have the faith to watch our loved ones
suffer the consequences of choices? Because I know what it's like to
suffer due to sin, but I now know today the joy that comes from what I
rejected before. And how grateful I am to know now that the gospel
taught by Christ truly is the way and there is none other way, and I
accredit it to family scripture study, family night, and teaching in
the saviors way of presenting choices and establishing the
consequences, we can make choices but we cannot choose our
consequences. In science this is known as the independent and
dependent variables. So I admonish all to please harbor the savior in
your homes, erect these spiritual barriers that will take the blows of
the world and come out stronger in ourselves and our families, and
find joy in an ever darkening world. For with so much to mourn and
fear, comes things to rejoice in and put fear aside. So stop fearing,
stop hiding, stop putting up walls, and follow savior through. He made
it through, there will be no absence of trial but you will have joy
and you will make it. We all are worthy of rescue and all are worthy
to follow Christ. Start today wherever you are. Teach using the
Savior's words, nobody else's come with such power. Open the
scriptures with any and all and read Christ's words, and let us
rejoice in the sunlight and stop seeking out storms. The world has
enough of those, if you can't find the sunshine, be it for someone
else. Open yourselves to the light of the gospel and let it shine
through. I like to think we all are windows, and if we can open our
blinds to the light, others will see. If you need to clean your window
to let the light through do it, if you are only halfway cracked open,
take the step, be that light, join the winning team and tomorrow the
Lord will do wonders among you. I know this gospel to be true and the
family to be absolutely essential to God's plan, so implement God's
plan into yours and watch miracles unfold. This is all possible
through the Savior Jesus Christ, of Him I so testify in His name,
amen.
Elder Hiatt
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