August 25, 2014 — “I just can’t get myself to reach for an elder’s hand”

Sister Meservy’s Letter from August 25, 2014

Subject:  “I just can’t get myself to reach for an elder’s hand

Time is SOARING by. I can’t handle it anymore. Let’s just stop time. Alright? Sounds good to me. This week was full of craziness.  I am getting extremely worn out, but somehow I just have this burning desire to work through the exhaustion. I want to wake up earlier and work harder all day. I just know the end of my mission is going to be amazing. It’s nothing like I expected. It is just amazing though. Every time I talk to someone I can feel that this message of the restoration is TRUE. I know it with every fiber of my being.In the last few months I have felt some of the deepest, heaviest pains- and somehow, I have felt the most beautiful and indescribable joys. I know that the Atonement gives us a real power to cope with our struggles and rejoice. It is through our Savior Jesus Christ that we can overcome all things and have joy.Here, how about we have story time.Let me tell you about a family in our ward. The Schulze family. The Schulze’s have 4 beautiful kids, each with burning testimonies. Brother and Sister Schulze have been very less active, basically always. The details of their sins aren’t important, but they invited the devil to be a large part of their lives. Still, these four kids were a light. At age 9 Gavin decided to be baptized.  The Schulze’s wanted to get back to church but had so much they were struggling with and so much shame for the lives they lived. Us missionaries wanted to help, but couldn’t ever get in to meet with them.

Then, one day, Brother Schulze decided to pick up the Book of Mormon and read. He started reading every morning, during every lunch break at work, and every night before bed. He never missed a day. He started reading out loud to his kids who LOVED to hear the stories in the scriptures. Everything about Brother Schulze changed. He started coming to church weekly. He let the missionaries in. More importantly, He allowed himself to access and use the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In one week Brother Schulze had quit smoking. In 4 weeks he had finished the Book of Mormon and was on his 2nd time through. The Schulze family started reading together. They started watching uplifting TV shows. They came to church every week.

Brother Schulze read the Book of Mormon and felt the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He felt the love of God and knew that there was hope for even him. In just over a month I got to watch this family change completely. Brother Schulze got a blessing this week that told him if he would remain faithful and continue the things he is doing EVERY ONE OF HIS CHILDREN WILL GO ON MISSIONS AND GET MARRIED IN THE TEMPLE. I have no doubt about that. I can testify that reading the Book of Mormon opens the door for the Savior to enter our lives and change us. We can only do it with his help. It is the little things in life that make all the difference.

No matter our personal strength, testimonies, and faith- IF WE FORGET THE LITTLE THINGS ALL IS LOST.  Read from the Book of Mormon every day. Feast on the words of Christ. Say your prayers- with REAL INTENTIONS to communicate with your Loving Father in Heaven. Take the sacrament EVERY WEEK, and remember the covenants you are renewing. Repent and let the power of the atonement fill your heart and soul. Let it lift you.

I know that reading the Book of Mormon draws us nearer to Jesus Christ than any other book can.

“It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path.” -President Ezra Taft Benson

I got to sing at my last Zone Conference this week. When I was in the MTC my district sang “I’ll go where You want me to go” in church. My district and I sang that for Zone Conference this week. The words in the last verse hit me, “Where I may labor through life’s short day for Jesus the Crucified.”

I am so grateful I was called to the Washington Spokane mission to spend a piece of life’s short day laboring for my beloved Savior, Jesus Christ.

He is my Savior. I need his Redemption. This is HIS church. Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet, here to lead and guide the world to Christ.

Love,
Sister Meservy

PS: We played Ninja at Zone Conference. You have to hit the hands of the other players to get them out. In the end it was me against 3 elders. I couldn’t handle it. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t get myself to reach for an elder’s hand. So I got out and I was extremely relieved.

Anyway. LOVE Y’ALL.

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