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October 27, 2015
I studied a lot about obedience this week because I gave a talk about obedience. I was studying a lot about how obedience will make us happy so that I could show the members that the commandments are for their benefit. It really changed my heart about mission rules. I feel that I have always had an obedient nature. I get stressed if I feel like I'm not being obedient and I'm always second guessing anything I do that may be questionable. This week I got a different outlook on the rules. I really can day with my heart that rules and commandments are blessings. And when we make mistakes that's when Christ comes in. It increased my faith in obedience and how obedience brings blessings ESPECIALLY in missionary work. I know that nothing happens when we are not obedient.
In my reading of the Book of Mormon. I am in the Isaiah chapters which are very confusing, but I really love the promises that God makes with us. He promises a lot of blessings according to my faith. I know that if we have enough faith we will be able to do anything that the lord requires from us. We just need to do as nephi did "go and do!" . I really loved the talk about obedience in general conference called "blessed and happy are those that keep the commandments of God" by Von g Keetch. I used it in my talk a lot! Obedience brings blessing! Hágalo!
My week was great again! This area is just on fire! I love it. We are just go go go. Last week we had interviews and mine was very short. He is just proud of Ramona and the branch. He talked to my companion though about her next companion......so I will not be killing Hermana Crider here in her last transfer:( I will be leaving Ramona :( :( :( I just love the progress I have seen here in Ramona! The work is just booming because the members are getting so involved. When I first got here you practically had to beg on your Hands and knees to get someone out, but now it is just so much better! They are really willing to do the work of the lord! I love them so much and I have been seeing them fill their full potential!
GUESS WHAT! Our progressing investigators, Luz and Eduardo came to church this week! We are seeing so much progress, especially in Eduardo! His heart has changed so much and his attitude towards us as missionaries has completely changed! We really feel like he loves us and we love him! I've loved her from the beginning and she is reading the Book of Mormon which is also a huge thing here in the mission field! I don't think I'll be here to see them be baptized if I get transferred because they haven't been to church enough, but that's ok. I'm just happy that they are progressing and I really think they will be bapitzed. My companionship is great. We went to the temple last transfer and my question was "how can we find people to teach" and the answer was "love your companion". I think I can now truly say that I love my companion. I really trust her! My trainer always told me that it is important to trust your companion and have communication.
Love,
Hermana Lapp
Talk For Sacrament Meeting (October 2015)
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
(2 Nephi 2)
God has a plan for us 25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are,
that they might have joy if they are obedient to the commandments of
God.
Plan of Salvation
In "blessed and happy are those who keep the commandments of God" by
Von G Keetch from the October 2015 General conference, he told a story
about surfers who were very upset they couldn't go past a barrier in
the ocean. They complained, and complained and complained some more. A
man came up to them and showed them through binoculars that just
beyond the barrier were sharks. The following is a quote from the
talk,
The group quickly became subdued. The old surfer retrieved his
binoculars and turned to walk away. As he did, he said words I will
never forget: “Don’t be too critical of the barrier,” he said. “It’s
the only thing that’s keeping you from being devoured.” (Blessed and
Happy Are Those Who Keep the Commandments of God)
Just as these people were annoyed by the barrier, we can become
annoyed by commandments. We can see them as restrictions, not
blessings. Rules, not protection. The thing we don't realize is that
commandments are there to help us. They give us protection from
spiritual sharks--spiritual danger, help us become the person he wants
us to be, and help us to be filled with the spirit. In the same talk,
Elder Keetch goes on to say,
As we trust in the Lord, exercise our faith, obey His commandments,
and follow the course He has charted for us, we become more the person
the Lord wants us to become. It is this “becoming”--this conversion of
the heart--that is all-important. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks has taught
us: “It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The
commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list
of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel
of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our
Heavenly Father desires us to become.”
True obedience, therefore, is giving ourselves entirely to Him and
allowing Him to chart our course both in calm waters and in troubled
ones, understanding that He can make more of us than we could ever
make of ourselves. (Blessed and Happy Are Those Who Keep the
Commandments of God)
God has a person that he wants us to become. We are all trying to
reach our full potential. In this life we will have trials to shape
and form us, but We will NEVER be able to completely overcome our
trials if we are not obedient to his commandments. We will NEVER be
able to reach our full potential if we are not trying with all our
hearts to obey his commandments.
Elder Keetch also talks about submitting our will to His. He said,
As in all things good and true, Jesus Christ stands as the best
example. The greatest act of obedience in all of eternity occurred
when the Son submitted Himself to the will of the Father. Asking in
deepest humility that the cup might be removed--that He might travel
some other course than the one that had been marked for Him--Christ
submitted Himself to the path that His Father wanted Him to take. It
was a path that led through Gethsemane and Golgotha, where He endured
unimaginable agony and suffering and where He was totally forsaken as
His Father’s Spirit withdrew. But that same path culminated in an
empty tomb on the third day, with cries of “He is risen!” ringing in
the ears and hearts of those who loved Him. It included unimaginable
joy and comfort centered in His Atonement for all of God’s children
throughout eternity. By allowing His will to be swallowed up by the
Father’s, Christ gave us the prospect of eternal peace, eternal joy,
and eternal life. (Blessed and Happy Are Those Who Keep the
Commandments of God)
We are not going to be perfect, but we can definitely give our all to
God and strive to do what Christ did. If we are striving to submit our
will to the father, we will never fall. When we are submitting our
will to the father, we are being obedient because we will be doing all
that He asked of us. We will receive guidance and protection from Him,
but We are also following the first law of God, obedience.
God must also obey His law that he will not bless us unless we obey
Him. He cannot break that law. It says in doctrine and covenants
130:20-21,
20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the
foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to
that law upon which it is predicated. (D&C 130)
Obedience
What does he bless us with? Sure, health, safety, a job are all
blessings that the Lord can give us. But what is the most important?
The spirit. There is a story in the Old Testament that gives an
example of what happens when we are not exactly obedient to His
commandments,
The lord gave king Saul a commandment through the prophet Samuel. He
said "Go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have.”He
spared the live of the king and brought back all the animals. When
Samuel asked him why he brought back the animals and didn't destroy
them, he said that he brought them back to sacrifice for the lord.
Samuel told him that it would be better if he obeyed the lord with
exactness rather than be selectively obedient in bringing back an
offering.Later in the story we read,
Zone Meeting (8-7-2015)
26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou
hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee
from being king over Israel. (1 Samuel 15)
Zone Meeting (8-7-2015)
I like to compare Saul and being a king to us and the spirit. Saul was
not allowed to be king of Israel because he was not exactly obedient.
Likewise, if we are not exactly obedient, he will take away his spirit
until we become worthy of it once again. As we are selectively
obedient, the lord can take away his spirit. But, as we are exactly
obedient we will be filled with the spirit. That is the most important
gift of all. As we strive to live this life close to God, we will
receive his spirit. His spirit gives us guidance when we don't know
what decision to make, protect us from spiritual danger or even
physical danger that can harm us and bring us to a place we don't want
to be, and comfort us in times of need when we are put through trials
that refine us and help us fill our full potential.
Zone Meeting (8-7-2015)
I invite you to have a personal council with yourself and the lord and
ask, What are the things that I am not doing in my life to have his
spirit to be with me? What can i do to be more obedient to his
commandments?I promise that you will find the answer. I promise that
as you strive to become obedient, you will be able to receive
protection from spiritual danger, become the person that God wants you
to be, reaching your full potential, and be filled with his Holy
Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
The talk in Spanish......
El Discurso Para El Reunión Sacramental (Octubre 2015)
Nuestro propósito aquí en esta tierra es para aprender y progresar;
para saber el mal del bien, la tristeza del gozo. Nuestro propósito en
la vida es más sencillo en 2 Nefi 2:25
25 Adán cayó para que los hombres existiesen; y existen los hombres
para que tengan gozo. (2 Nefi 2)
Me gustaría a agregar un parte pequeño a este versículo para
introducir mi tema para esta discurso. Adán cayó para que los hombres
existiesen; y existen los hombres para que tengan gozo si obedezcan
los mandamientos de Dios.
Me gusta un discurso de la conferencia general en Octubre de 2015 se
llama "Benditos y felices son aquellos que guardan los mandamientos de
Dios." Por Elder von g keetch del quórum de la setenta. En este
discurso, el dijo una historia sobre surfistas que estuvieron enojados
porque no podrían pasar una barrera para hacer surf. Reclamaron y
reclamaron y reclamaron un poco más. Un anciano surfista les mostró
por sus binoculares que había "grandes tiburones alimentándose en el
arrecife del otro lado de la barrera."Él dijo en su discurso,
Enseguida el grupo se apaciguó. El anciano surfista tomó sus
binoculares y se alistó para dar la vuelta e irse. Al hacerlo dijo
estas palabras que nunca olvidaré: “No critiquen tanto la barrera”
dijo, “es la única cosa que evitará que los devoren”. (Benditos y
felices son aquellos que guardan los mandamientos de Dios)
Como esos surfistas y la barrera, a veces los mandamientos de Dios nos
molesta. Podemos verlos como limitaciones o restricciones en vez de
protecciones. Podemos verlos como reglas en vez de bendiciones. La
cosa que no realizamos es que las reglas son para nuestro beneficio y
ayuda en esta vida. Nos dan protección de tiburones espirituales, nos
ayuda a llegar a ser la persona que Dios nos quiere llegar a ser, y
nos ayuda a ser lleno con el espíritu.
En esta discurso el continuo, "[...] Él, quien “comprendió todas las
cosas” , sabe exactamente dónde se encuentran [los] peligros. Él nos
da dirección divina mediante Sus mandatos y guía amorosa para que
podamos evitarlos, y así fijemos un rumbo en nuestra vida que esté
protegido de predadores espirituales y de las gigantescas fauces del
pecado."
Tenemos los mandamientos como las barreras. Van a ayudarnos a tener
protección de las cosas que puede destruirnos.
Elder keetch dijo también,
Al confiar en el Señor, ejercitar nuestra fe, obedecer Sus
mandamientos y seguir el rumbo que Él ha trazado para nosotros,
llegamos a ser más la persona que el Señor desea que seamos. Es ese
“llegar a ser”, esa conversión del corazón, la que es más importante.
El élder Dallin H. Oaks nos ha enseñado: “No es suficiente que
cualquiera tan sólo actúe mecánicamente. Los mandamientos, las
ordenanzas y los convenios del Evangelio no son una lista de depósitos
que tenemos que hacer en alguna cuenta celestial. El evangelio de
Jesucristo es un plan que nos muestra cómo llegar a ser lo que nuestro
Padre Celestial desea que lleguemos a ser” .
Por lo tanto, la obediencia verdadera es darnos enteramente a Él y
permitirle que trace el rumbo de nuestra vida tanto en aguas
tranquilas como en turbulentas, comprendiendo que Él puede hacer más
por nosotros de lo que jamás llegaríamos a lograr por nosotros mismos.
(Benditos y felices son aquellos que guardan los mandamientos de Dios)
Dios tiene una persona para cada uno de nosotros que nos quiere llegar
a ser. NUNCA vamos a superar nuestros desafíos completamente si no
estamos tratando a obedecer los mandamientos. Todo de nosotros estamos
tratando a alcanzar nuestro potencial. En esta vida vamos a tener
pruebas para moldearnos, pero NUNCA vamos a superarles si no
obedecemos los mandamientos. NUNCA vamos a alcanzar nuestra potencial
si no estamos tratando con todo de nuestros corazones a obedecer sus
mandamientos.
Elder Keetch habló también sobre cómo necesitamos someternos a la
voluntad de Dios.Él dijo,
Como en todo lo bueno y verdadero, Jesucristo se erige como nuestro
mejor ejemplo. El acto más grande de obediencia de toda la eternidad
ocurrió cuando el Hijo se sometió a la voluntad del Padre. Al pedir
con profunda humildad que pasara de Él la copa, es decir, que pudiera
tomar otro rumbo que aquel que se había trazado para Él, Cristo se
sometió al sendero que Su Padre quiso que Él tomara. Era un sendero
que llevaba a Getsemaní y a Gólgota, donde aguantó una agonía y un
sufrimiento inimaginables y donde se lo abandonó completamente cuando
el Espíritu de Su Padre se retiró. Aun así, ese mismo sendero culminó
en una tumba vacía al tercer día, con exclamaciones de “¡ha
resucitado!” resonando en los oídos y corazones de aquellos que lo
amaban; incluyó el gozo y el consuelo inimaginables centrados en Su
expiación a favor de todos los hijos de Dios por toda la eternidad. Al
permitir que Su voluntad fuera absorbida en la voluntad del Padre,
Cristo nos dio la posibilidad de obtener paz eterna, gozo eterno y
vida eterna. (Benditos y felices son aquellos que guardan los
mandamientos de Dios)
No vamos a ser perfecto, pero podemos dar todo de nuestros corazones a
Dios y tratar a hacer lo que él hacía. Si estamos tratando a
someternos a la voluntad del padre, nunca vamos a caer. Cuando se
estamos sometiendo nuestro voluntad al padre, estamos siendo obediente
porque estamos haciendo todo que él nos preguntó. Vamos a recibir
protección y orientación de el. Pero también, estamos siguiendo la
primera ley de Dios: Obediencia.
Es necesario que obedecemos Su ley porque él no puede bendecirnos a
menos que le obedecemos. Él no puede romper esa ley. En doctrina y
convenios 130:20-21 dice,
20 Hay una ley, irrevocablemente decretada en el cielo antes de la
fundación de este mundo, sobre la cual todas las bendiciones se basan;
21 y cuando recibimos una bendición de Dios, es porque se obedece
aquella ley sobre la cual se basa. (DyC 130)
Obediencia
Que son las bendiciones de Dios? Claro, podemos recibir salud,
seguridad, un trabajo, pero que es lo más importante? El espíritu. Hay
una historia en el antiguo testamento que nos da un ejemplo de que
pasa cuando no estamos siendo obediente exactamente a Sus
mandamientos.
Por medio de un profeta, Samuel, Dios dio un mandamiento a Saúl, el
rey. Él dijo, "Ve, pues, y ataca a Amalec, y destruye todo lo que
tiene." Pero Saúl perdono la vida de amalek. Él no les destruyo, pero
han traído de nuevo todo de sus animales para ser un sacrificio al
señor. Samuel le dijo estaría mejor si el obedeció el mandamiento con
exactitud. Luego en la historia, leemos,
26 Y Samuel respondió a Saúl: No volveré contigo, porque desechaste la
palabra de Jehová, y Jehová te ha desechado para que no seas rey sobre
Israel. (1 Samuel 15)
Me gusta a comparar Saúl y siendo rey con nosotros y el espíritu. Saúl
no podría ser rey porque no fue obediente. Lo mismo, si no somos
obedientes, el puede llevarse su espíritu. Pero si estamos obedientes,
podemos ser lleno de su espíritu. Eso es el regalo más importante.
Cuando tratamos a vivir cerca de Dios, vamos a recibir su espíritu. Su
espíritu nos da orientación cuando no sabemos cuál decisión es lo
correcto, protegernos de peligro espiritual, y consolarnos en tiempos
de necesidad cuando estamos en pruebas que nos refina y nos ayuda a
alcanzar nuestro potencial.
Invito todo de ustedes a tener un consejo personal con su mismo y el
señor. Pregunten sus mismos, "que son las cosas que no estoy haciendo
para tener su espíritu conmigo? Que puedo hacer para ser más obediente
a sus mandamientos?"Prometo que van a encontrar la respuesta. Prometo
que solamente cuando están obediente, podrán recibir protección de
peligro espiritual, llegar a ser la persona que Dios quiere, y ser
lleno del espíritu. Y yo sé que podemos encontrar gozo en Esta vida
por medio de nuestro obediencia, en el nombre de Jesucristo, amén.
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