1.12.15 - Nuestro preordinacion

Every week gets faster and faster!

This week we met the Aguilar family. The man was baptized 16 years ago, and after 2 years he married his wife. Amongst the hustle and bustle of their new life together church slipped out of their priorities. When we talked with them we found in his scriptures a card that had the duties of the Aaronic priesthood he'd once committed to live by. When we reminded him of that covenant he felt the spirit very strongly, and it moved him to want to return, now with his whole family, back toward activity in the church.

We taught the Morales family. They were baptized 6 years ago. They go hot and cold, and I think they just hit a hot streak. The father now drinks heavily, but he's said he'll make the commitment to return if he sees his family go 3 consecutive times. The 2 boys, steven and bryan haven't been baptized yet and they came to church yesterday. The young men welcomed them very warmly, and I think they are have a lot more optimistic view of what church is really all about now.

We've been talking about having better unity not only within the mission but in the work that happens in all parts of the world. Part of the training we'll give tomorrow during zone meeting will be about the oneness of Zion. Sometimes missionaries get in the negative thinking pattern, that if what they're doing doesn't benefit their own ward, it doesn't pertain to their stewardship. That may impede them from talking to everyone they see, or teaching briefly and passing off the people they meet in their area that don't live in their ward boundaries. We'll also talk about the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. When those who worked and did all that was asked of them from the start of the day till the end expecting the pay they agreed upon got angry because the householder gave mercifully and in abundance their equal pay to others who didn't toil so long. We know that to whom much is given much is required. I think it's also interesting that they who went after the first agreed only to receive that which was right, and thus worked more for the sake of the work rather than for the promised reward. I think we can adapt that mentality in our individual situations within the work of salvation. As missionaries, sometimes we'll get frustrated if other missionaries are blessed with a lot of success without putting in as much effort or without abiding as closely to the mission standards.

When we work in Zion we work alongside everyone called to labor in the vineyard and rejoice for the tremendous harvest they reap as well as for the bounteous blessings the Lord sees right to give to us. The confusion comes from thinking of our mission call as an individual call to labor in the field. In reality, our call to labor in Zion comes as a part of our for-ordination to fulfill the covenant made to Abraham that through his seed all the world would be blessed. Israel will be gathered, and the harvest will be plenteous, and everyone working with all their heart, might, mind and strength to further the work in the master's vineyard will receive a merciful and abundant reward.

I have a testimony of the fulfillment of that prophecy in our day. May we thrust in our sickle with our might, not for the promised rewards, but for love of God and our faithfulness to him.

I love you!

Stay Salty!

Elder Tyler Meidell