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

Focus is Hazy

Hey y'all!

So this is gonna be lame but I can't focus today to write.

Transfers are this week so that's cool! I'm staying and my companion
is leaving. We are sad but it'll be good.

This week we had a big zone Conference and that was good. President
Taylor talked a lot about what a Seventy does and his process in becoming
that, it was hilarious because he lives around Salt Lake and had to
like hide from people he knew because nobody could know he was getting
called. He also talked about how important the role of women are in
getting called. They basically give the yes or no to an authority
being called.

The week itself for work was......not fast so I don't have a ton to
talk about but I hope everyone loved Easter!

Sorry there isn't more, my mind is fried.

Love y'all!

Elder Hiatt

He was a Carpenter

I've pondered recently on something I can relate to about our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. He was a carpenter. All through high school I worked at a furniture and cabinetry shop and learned a ton. I also competed in competitions for cabinetry and it taught me principles and a new perspective on the Savior's grace.

Read more below! 

So these competitions I did consisted of the photos below. At the beginning of the competition they'd give us this pile of material. Just enough to complete the designated project. Then they'd call everyone over and they'd have a finished product made and painted and allow us to look around it. To study it so we had a vision of what we were to do with our own material.

We'd then get a big sheet of plans on how to create this project. They were like reading a different language! They'd begin the competition and you'd have about 6 hours to complete this project as best you can. I'd sit back that first time I competed and think how nuts it was to somehow decipher these plans. Well first I'd begin tackling the plans, understanding what it was that they wanted me to cut to what size and such. After I'd get an idea of what to do, I'd begin. Cutting and routing, gluing and nailing. As I went I thought I was doing pretty good, my spirits rose. But then as I went, I had realized I made a wrong cut.

My heart sank, the vision of my cabinet looking like the one at the beginning crumbled. But it wasn't too bad, I thought 2nd or 3rd was still well within reach. Well I continued to work hard. Within in another hour, another mistake. Then another, and another. Miss nail here, wrong cut there, things began failing. I continued on just to be able to say I finished. But at the end of it all, I didn't even get to that. I looked around and many did finish. How bad I felt to have done so terribly, I wanted to try again but that was it. I would just have to wait for next year. With frustration and anxiety I watched the winner be awarded the grand prize. I wanted to be there.

I reflected on these competitions this week, and thinking of how they are much like our life. We get here, placed before us is an array of tools, materials, and plans. We are told to make a perfect product and we can come back home. So we begin. We feel around the tools, look at our material, wondering what on earth it is we are suppose to build. Many begin making whatever they can. But there are many who heed the voice of e prophets of God, calling to look unto the perfect example, to study and learn from Him. The Savior Jesus Christ. Exemplar of perfection, of how our lives should be built. Of what we are to create for ourselves to be able to return home, to gain the grand prize of life eternal with our families and our Eternal Father. Those who follow this course begin, a vision in mind of their own raw material being something great some day.

With sweat on our brow we labor. We feel like we are doing pretty good. Oh but soon we see, we made a mistake.....our plan ahead alters a bit. Man okay well maybe it isn't so bad. We can still be pretty good right? That can still count for something? We continue on, another mistake, one after another. Well dang maybe we can finish at least? Come time we feel haven't. We look how others are doing, excelling, looking so flawless. How could we ever be that? Can we even make it back? That perfection required was long gone with the first mistake, where's the retry?

What is the difference here? The difference is, the competition is over. The Savior already did it. The outcome is decided. You've won, the grand prize is in your grasp, its for you to claim! So why must we too build our own? Hasn't Christ already made the perfect one for me? Of course He has, His grace holds claim upon you. What we must build is not to put forth as a decider. No the Savior asks us to do so that we may learn from each cut, each mistake, to learn to create the perfect cabinet. There is no limit of materials from Christ, we can retry, through Him we always can try again. No matter how many mistakes, there is no limit to His supply. It is infinite, His Atonement is infinite. We make our own, in the words of Brad Wilcox, not to "earn heaven. But to LEARN heaven." By grace we are saved, and through it we may be changed. We can learn what this competition has to offer without fear of throwing it all down the drain at each mistake. We can progress and learn the skills with every chance to try and try again. All we must do is try, go to our Savior when we mess up, show him what we have done, and he lovingly supplies a new piece to give it another go.

This is called repentance. Stop hanging on to broken and imperfect pieces. Stop hanging on to heart ache and sorrow. To shame and guilt. Stop looking at others and comparing yours to theirs, the competitions already been decided enough of that already. You're here for the knowledge and experience and you can rejoice in others progress just as they can yours. Stop trying to cover it up, trying to fill it with glue and sawdust desperately trying to hide the inevitable. Just go ask for a new piece!! Try again, if you mess up....repent and give it another go! The Savior's Atonement is there, it has no limit. So stop hanging on to broken mistakes. Just get a new piece and try again. Learn the joy that can be found in progression and improvement. The plan of salvation has been restored in full, we have all the means to claim our prize. So repent and learn the value in what the Savior has won for you.

Of Him I testify in His Holy Name, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

Just a Pic!

This is Christ's True Church

Hey y'all! 

This week was great! We have had quite the time talking to people this week. 

Dallas Daze

So this week we had a pretty awesome pick me up that shows the Lord works in mysterious ways. We had a long week of rejection and it was like to another level. So we had our spirits lifted last night. We were walking around our complex for the last bit of the day, and his lady calls from her balcony, "Mormons!?" We turn around and are all, "Yeah!" We walk over and she's like Samuel the Lamanite status leaning over the railing talking to us from the balcony. She turned out to be quite drunk but was talking about the "Mormon bible" and she loves it. As well as talking about how we are doing the Lord's work and how happy she is to see young men out about God's work. She said we were "soldiers behind enemy lines." Hahaha but ya, it was cool to have a week of hardship and then find someone so happy to see us.

So this week we had much opposition to us and we have been baffled at what the deal is. But we have learned A TON. We have truly been blessed by personal revelation. My message this week was about questions. Many shy away from questions, many rely on the knowledge of others to explain things, many don't want to study and figure out stuff but would rather rely on the explanation and knowledge of others. This is good but will only take you so far. Eventually you will plateau and it will get real, it will get hard, and you will struggle. This is where you can truly access the wells of spiritual revelation. This week we have truly been battered, but it was a blessing in disguise because in our personal studies we have discovered things by the spirit that I couldn't not have a conviction of any other way. We learn of Nephi in 3 Nephi that had such power and spirit that his testimony could not be denied by any. "18 And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily."

Did Nephi come to this strength from relying on others for answers? By relying on the testimony and knowledge of those because he didn't think he could be there? That he wasn't as smart as they were? Of course not. No more comparisons to others, we are children of our heavenly fisher and have divinity in us all, I know that personal revelation can be found for us all, through our personal diligence in seeking wisdom and knowledge. I know this because I've experienced it this week. When you are faced with a question, backed into a corner, that is not readily available, has not been addressed in a general conference talk, has not been solved on LDS.org, with no access to google or any outside resource. You must face one thing, to give up, or turn to the source of all knowledge, our Heavenly Father. Let him know of this question. "8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.

9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul."

And then seek the answer, turn to the scriptures. Things can be taught to you by the spirit as you study, it's a miracle of how it works. And I can testify of this, answers may come quick, they may come slow, or very slow. But hold to the faith. Start with the Book of Mormon. Find out its truth. Read it, pray about it, let it pierce your heart. Let it change you. It has power because they are the words of Christ. Have real intent, a broken heart and contrite spirit. And find out if that book is true. And after that, keep learning, keep growing. There is joy in the journey, not in the destination. 

I testify Christ lives, he is the Savior of the world and I stand firmly in my shoes with a knowledge gained no other way than by study of the word of God and prayer, that this is Christ's true church . He appeared to Joseph Smith with our Heavenly Father. He restored the Priesthood here. And through it we may have eternal life to its greatest degree. I testify of this as one holding His authority to preach His gospel to all. And invite all to come unto him, to discover for yourself who he is to you. It's time to plant our own seeds and stop using the labors of another. We need our own foundation laid on Christ that we may not fall. The shafts in the whirlwind are here, let us build upon the Rock of our Salvation.

I'm Christ's name I bear my witness, amen.

Love 

Elder Hiatt.

Pride

Hello everyone!

This week was a crazy week! But to start,

DALLAS DAZE!

So I am actually back in towards Dallas in a place called Prosper, TX. It's literally just huge expensive houses and it's great. Well to start off, yes people here (sorry Texans reading) are pretty fun nuts and that's okay, but sometimes they take too much pride in that. So we were knocking with my ward mission leader showing us around and we knocked on the wrong house. Well it's about 8:00, not too late. But the guy answers the door and is all, "man y'all should never knock on a door at night, you're lucky I didn't bring my gun with me, you never do this again" and then closes a knife he had behind his back and is like blatantly trying to scare us and such. Our ward mission leader was pretty petrified but Elder Parry and I, both having served in east Texas, this was a very common thing out there. People like to show off their weaponry, so we apologized and left but it was hilarious because our WML was astonished people do that all the time to us. It's like once the sun goes down everyone thinks a murderer is knocking on their door. Super weird, but it was hilarious to see our WMLs face. But ya, people here in Texas are very cordial.....except to missionaries.....especially at night .

So my message this week is about being doubled in to an area and what that has been like. Elder Parry and I showed up and the area is awesome, but not a whole lot of records have been kept. So we were in the dark all week. But we said whatever, we are here for a reasonable no let's do whatever feels right. So we started with what we had, which wasn't much. But we did what we could. As the week went on things were happening. Stuff was organizing in a way that was really quite miraculous. But the end of this week with no info at all about the area. God provided a way to meet with the bishops, the ward mission leaders, meet tons of members, get elder Parry a bike, fix my bike, find 2 new investigators, and my companion and I are basically the best friends already. Literally so cool. When you do the little things and try, God magnifies your efforts. Sometimes we feel in this life we have no direction, idea where to go, what to do. Sometimes we end up somewhere where there is no background info, no info moving ahead, and only prayers of faith and figments of ideas. Sometimes we are placed in a situation where we don't have the tools to work, where we may seem truly alone. But fear not, it is a lot like the life we have here. We are born into a vast world where Day by day we learn the skills to move on. Nobody gives you a blue print of life, but what we do have is the blue print to make the journey ahead joyful. To make it hopeful. And to make it enjoyable. That is the gospel, the little things God asks of us. As elder Parry and I tried, did the things we knew were good things and just tried, God choreographed our day that things worked to our benefit. In 2 Nephi 32:9 is the key. "9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul." Are you praying always? When we pray for things, many say formal, usual prayers, "thank you for my life, for my house, bless so and so" so on and so forth. But the shocking thing is, God cares about your questions, he cares about your desires, and he wants to help you. Have you ever asked a question exactly this way in prayer, "Heavenly Father I really want to pass this class. I have come up with a study schedule that if I follow it I feel I will be able to pass with an A. Will you help me as I try this? Whatever your will is, let it be done. And I ask for your help moving forward to know if this is a good plan and if so, be able to have your help." Let god know
your plans, ask for his help, and move forward and try. You'll find that whatever may happen, good or bad, will be consecrated to the welfare of your soul, sometimes that means trial, sometimes that means success. So keep going, keep trying, and smile. Enjoy the journey,
because the journey is eternal, and joy isn't a destination. I can testify of this that if you will go  to god, pray to him always for it is a commandment, and let him help you in your life, he will consecrate your performance to you. But it takes trying on your part. You can't expect God to do it all. It's hard to magnify your efforts when your not putting your efforts in in the first place. I can tell you is because I've experienced it this week. I love y'all


Here's some pics of our apartment

Allergies!

Hey y'all!

So this week was awesome! I'm being transferred back towards Dallas so that'll be good!

Dallas Daze

So this week we walked outside one morning, and man our car looked great! It was covered in yellow powder and it was interesting, everything was blooming oh it was beautiful. Then it happened the next day......ALLERGIES......CRAZY RIDICULOUS ALLERGIES......I FELT LIKE I HAD THE FLU. So yeah, if you have allergies and you come to east Texas, imagine being crop dusted by pollen. It's lovely. Thanks to some members I got some good help though so we good. Just a raw nose. We also got to meet a lemur, so that's cool.

So this week was way cool. We had a guy who has a non member wife that wants to know the gospel is true. She has been seeking it for years and her husband is a less active guy that has been to church in years. We've been working with them and being quite bold. Boldness requires love because if not, it is overbearance. So as we have done so they have slowly changed. They are now coming to church and really living it. It's a process and I hate to be transferred in the middle of it, but God knows what he is doing, and I have faith things will work out. It'll be awesome.

Sorry for the short letter, transfers make Monday busy!

Love y'all!