Heiyo! (all of these 10 year olds have begun saying that to us - hmm!)
I'll just be honest in saying I don't know where to begin!
Our rockin' investigators are still awesome and pushing forward in
their grasp for eternal truth, but have been held back by personal,
family and health issues! Aww, it just breaks our heart to have an
appointment canceled - especially when there was nothing in their power
to stop it. But the work of the Lord presses on :).
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| Writing in the journ-journ with a Calvin & Hobbes shirt |
I would like to thank you all for the absolutely heaven-sent
packages and letters that have built me up this week. I feel so much
more empowered knowing there is more than Elder Farnsworth and I out in
this work. It is something I treasure - so I thank you all for that!
Earlier this week our Zone Leader from Trondheim came up to visit
ol' Mo i Rana for the day. It is at times hilarious to see how other
missionaries encounter the Mo i Rana experience. Our Mission President
for example describes my first area (Bergen) to be heaven in terms of
aesthetics, and my
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Poor choice of socks ><*
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second area (Mo i Rana) to be quite the opposite.
Elder Sessions (the zone leader) had a good, willing attitude about it
though! And it is also hilarious to see how "big-city" missionaries who
are on the street all day with thousands of people surrounding them,
approach the little cities where you're on the street with the same
50-100 people the whole day, everyday. Talking with people and sharing
the gospel is just done differently when you're in a more intimate
evironment! But Elder Sessions provided wonderful tools to improve our
work here :).
One of which was our focus on baptism as the focal point of our
work. It's true, baptism is how we can literally bring people closer to
their Savior. There is a difference in the degree of access to the
Atonement of Jesus
Christ before and after the ordinance of baptism. In
our district meeting this past week (with Bodø over skype), we discussed
the importance of baptism. However, one of the greatest issues we
have with baptism here in Norway is helping others recognize the need
for being baptized again. Authority in performing the Lord's ordinances
is KEY. As Ezra 2:62 says (paraphrased), those who do not have their
priesthood line of authority are considered unworthy for performing
ordinances. Priesthood holders of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints can trace their restored priesthood line of authority
directly back to the Savior Jesus Christ - we are so blessed! We, along
with Bodø, performed practicals teaching this vital, and often extremely
sensitive, point of doctrine! We in no way desire to offend others by
saying their baptisms are incomplete.
The greatest thing I have learned this week was from
the April 2012 Liahona magazine, where Elder David A. Bednar shared his
insights on the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. All
too often, us humans think we have to buckle down, grit our teeth and
make the journey back to God alone, which in reality that is impossible
without Jesus Christ. "We may mistakenly believe we must make the
journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves, through
sheer grit, willpower, and discipline, and with our obviously limited
capacities . . . . Individual willpower, personal determination and
motivation, effective planning and goal setting are necessary but
ultimately insufficient for us to triumphantly complete this mortal
journey." Jesus Christ is requisite to help us with our journey
to become a saint. Our daily frustrations and struggles can be
enveloped in Christ's love as we rely on Him, and push forward to
improve. The more I learn about this Gospel, the more I am so grateful
we are not alone in this journey!
Another thing that has been on my mind is the
ever-increasing availability, and unreliability, of knowledge by means
of technology. The complexity and rapid acceleration of all forms of
information make it difficult to find what is true or not. It seems to
me that many are led to believe untrue things just because it's in a
book, or on the internet. Reliable sources are collapsing left and right
to truly discern between truth from falsehood. However, from the
scriptures we have a clear, defining frame of reference from which we
can discern all things. (See Moroni 7:12-19). And if that isn't enough
to help you find the truth, you can always turn to God in prayer to know
the answers (See Moroni 10:5). Notice how the verse says "all things."
Not "only spiritual things" or "only secular things" but ALL things.
Both secular and spiritual, all that is necessary for you, and that
crucially affects you, to return back to your Heavenly Father. And
another thing I've realized on my mission: most of the time the Spirit
speaks through common sense. God gave you the ability to reason for
yourself for a purpose! Use it wisely.
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Waitin' in the bus stop!
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Right now I'm in Bodø on splits, which is why this
email was late. They had a baptismal interview, which went wonderfully.
The Lord truly does prepare the people, and us, in order to bring His
children into His fold! We are extraordinarily blessed to have the
knowledge of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ through God's prophets
and apostles in our day and time. We can deal with life's problems with
faith and hope knowing that Christ's atoning sacrifice will set right
any and all unfairness we can and could possibly encounter in this
life.
Just exercise faith!
-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson
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Exotic Fanta and Solo - Norske sodas MMM.
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p.s. Sis. H. the jerky was inCREDIBLE. Meat's extremely expensive here, so thank you soooo much!!
