Week 46: Pioneer Day, and 1 Month to the Temple!

Well, today is my 11-month-mark. We don't have a temple in our mission, so we get to go on very few occasions to the Denver Temple (10 minutes outside of our mission...). One is when we are working with somebody who is going for the first time. The other two are at our half-way point and the end of our mission. I am approaching Temple Jubilee, where I get to spend half of the day in the temple participating in every temple ordinance (except for sealings)!

 

Pioneer Day is a Utah holiday, but since we are right next to Utah, and we are Mormon, our ward had a little barbecue to celebrate. Elder M thought it would be a great idea to invite the fire-fighters, so we did, and they came! They opened up their fire-truck, and the kids got to look inside!

 

A, a less-active member we've been working with, said he had an epiphany this week, and decided he needs to stop worrying and just come to church. He came to the ward activity, and then he came to church the next day!

 

D, another less-active, who has been coming to church pretty regularly now, is really progressing, and he wants his wife to come back to church as well. I have seen his demeanor change as he's started to come back to activity.

 

"Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness... If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not."

- The Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 11:24-31)

 

Elder David B. Haight said in the October 1991 General Conference: "People of great faith know what is right and do it. They have uncompromised determination and commitment and are capable of enduring pressure or hardship. Paul knew what was right, and you know what is right. When you take courage like Paul and do what you know is right, nothing will stop your progress but yourself."

If Paul had chosen to take the easy path, he would almost definitely lived the high, comfortable life as a Pharisee, but he chose the path that was not comfortable, and brought him very low. It eventually led to his execution.

 

You have been given the gift of the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not an easy thing to carry. If you choose to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, you will likely be persecuted, and your most cherished beliefs may be reviled right in front of you, but you are not alone, and your suffering is never in vain, so long as it is for the Savior. We live in a perilous age, where the devil rages in the hearts of men, but if we are valiant, and stay true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can say with the Apostle Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

 

Until next week, "Come forth in the strength of the Lord."

 

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The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

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Week 45: The Farm and Anti Material

We had the chance to go to the Air Force Academy today, and we got to tour the Cadet Chapel. I got to go into the Protestant Chapel, the Catholic Chapel, the Jewish Chapel (Synagogue?), and the Buddhist... Chapel... That's right, I went to 4 different churches in one day.

 

Unfortunately, when C. M. told her friends and family that she was being baptized Mormon, and they gave her some anti-material, so she no longer wants to be baptized currently, though we could tell she didn't believe half the anti stuff she was telling us. She still wants to keep meeting with us, and we met with her as soon as we found out, salvaging our relationship with her. Satan works hardest on the most valiant. She knows this Church is true, at least partially, and she can grow in that testimony.

We had exchanges, and I went into Black Forest. I got to work on a farm, with turkeys, and a goat, and all that fun stuff. We taught the Restoration to the lady working there, and the second we mentioned Joseph Smith, she turned hostile, saying that he was a scoundrel. I'm guessing she gets a little bit of that hatred from her parent's religion. She was still open to hearing the other lessons, though.

 

We met with J again, and we had a lesson on temples and family history, with one of the family history consultants there. There is a saying that family history consultants eat, sleep, and breath family history, and that was definitely the case here. J is excited to start his FamilySearch account. he is scheduled for baptism on August 15th.

 

This is a marvelous time to be living in the world. It is an incredible time to be alive. We have some incredible tools at our disposal, and we have the power to change the lives of those around us. What will you do? Your possibilities are limitless. In Moses 1: 3-4, it reads, "And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?

And, behold, thou art my son..."

 

You are sons and daughters of the Most High God, the Infinite, Eternal Father of Heaven. He is the most powerful, good, glorious being in the universe, and you are his child. Never forget that.

 

Until next week, remember who you are and what you stand for.

 

--

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

 

 

Cadet Chapel

Me with my old turkey pal.



Me feeding the sheep (well, it's a goat, but you get the point).

Week 44: Two Mormon Missionaries Walk Into a Coffee Shop...

So the title this week sounds like the beginning of a joke, but we met with a less-active member by the name of A. He asked us to meet him at the coffee shop. It felt a little weird walking into the coffee shop, when everybody knows you are a Mormon Missionary. We met with him and without even realizing it, we had been talking to him for about 4 hours. A little over time, if you ask me. He goes to the big church that most people in Colorado Springs go to, which is actually the largest evangelical church in the US. He says he doesn't believe a word they say, but he goes there to be the "whistle-blower" and keep them in check. :)

So we decided to start tracting , which is something that a lot of missionaries frown upon here, just because of it's ineffectiveness (my mission president this week actually said that during his training at the MTC, the MTC Director told the new mission presidents that in some places, tracting has been found to have a negative impact on the standing of the Church.). But we are in Monument, where miracles seem to be happening quite a bit, so we decided to try it out. Our second day of tracting we handed out a copy of the Book of Mormon! The next house down we met a couple, B and D, who invited us in without us even asking! We had two lessons with them that week, and they told us that they've been looking for a church where the leaders are without hypocrisy and where they can actually feel the Spirit in the worship service, something that seems to be less and less common now. They asked for our number and said they'd read and pray, and they'd look into our church on LDS.org, and then they'd come to church in a few weeks, though they didn't want to set up a return appointment just yet.

 

We met with C. M. again, and she poured out her heart about the past mistakes she's made and the forgiveness she wants. She has had a pretty dark past, but she has come a long way before meeting us. However, there are some things that need to be resolved before she is ready to be baptized, but she is progressing incredibly. She came to church this Sunday.

 

We had a chance to do a JustServe project in helping to restore Black Forest after the devastating Black Forest Fire that happened about two years ago. We made some check dams to slow the flow of water and prevent erosion, and I also go to weed the forest of an invasive species. Fun stuff, right?

 

We were asked by the bishopric to give talks in Sacrament Meeting, so me and Elder M were the only ones talking that day. We also had a ward council meeting where we focused on ways we could help improve Sabbath Day observance among the members of our ward, something that is going to start being focused on Church-wide.

 

On the temple, the inscription, "Holiness to the Lord," is found, something that was there as early as the Tabernacle of Moses ( Exodus 39:30). In that holy house, the Lord can grant us power and guidance. We are given the ability to save our kindred dead. In order to enter that House of Holiness, we ourselves must be holy. The Apostle Paul called our bodies a "temple of God". Our temple must be clean, just as the temple we enter into is pure. We must cleanse ourselves of sin, and place ourselves in a state to receive revelation. Many people will say, "Well it's my body, it's my life, isn't it?" My answer to that is, "No." In 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20, it says, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

 

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."

 

The price with which you are bought is the blood of Jesus Christ. He ransomed you from your own fallen state, something you could not do yourself, and He used His blood as payment. You don't have the right to defile your body, because it isn't yours.

 

I testify to you that if you keep your body pure and sanctified, the Lord will grant you power and wisdom. If you are not clean right now, I testify that you can be cleansed through the Atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that He lives, and His power is real and infinite. I so testify in His name, the name of the Redeemer of Mankind, Jesus Christ, amen.

--

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

 

 



I came across this mask found in Skyrim, and the nerd in me had to take a picture.



The best musical group in town!

Week 43: Monument (The Fruitful Area)

So my new area is by far the most fruitful area I've been in thus far. My second day in this area, I set two baptismal dates with investigators (in one day), which I believe doubled the amount of baptismal dates I have set in my entire mission so far. This makes for a total of 3 investigators with baptismal dates in this area, the other one being set last Saturday for an investigator who has been investigating the Church since the 70's.

First, there is B. She started taking the lessons a few weeks ago, but she has had a crazy busy work schedule, so when I met her, it was the 2nd lesson she heard. She is trying to get another job so she can come to church.

 

The other one is C. M., who the missionaries met at a dinner last Saturday, so this was also her 2nd lesson. She says she has a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and she is excited to be baptized. However, yesterday she said that when she told her family, they told her she needs to stop, though they couldn't give here any reason at all to stop. She is also planning on meeting with the Jehovah's Witnesses. I am not concerned, though, because everything that was brought against her is pretty weak in my opinion. We are going to stop by tonight and briefly discuss any concerns, and then we are meeting on Wednesday with her.

 

J is the investigator since the 70's, and he is completely 100% ready for baptism! He is going to be baptized on August 15th, along with B if everything works out.

 

We had a chance to march with all the missionaries in Colorado Springs for the Monument 4th of July Parade. I got to hold the banner, and I nearly lost my voice screaming, "Happy 4th of July!" at the top of my lungs.

 

For those of you who are unaware of the recent Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage being legalized nation-wide, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put out a statement, stating that we will not change our beliefs, that God's laws don't change just because a nation's laws do, but that we will continue to seek equality for everyone regardless of sexual orientation in matters such as medical care, housing, employment, etc., so long as it doesn't infringe on religious freedom. I strongly affirm that marriage is between a man and a woman, and that is part of God's divine Plan of Happiness. I love all of God's children, but I stand by my standards and beliefs. God's laws DO NOT change. He loves all of His children, but he has established a specific pattern, and that is the only pattern that can bring us true happiness.

 

Until next week, remember the faithful service that President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve provided for so many years before his passing away on Friday.

 

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The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts