This past week was one of the best weeks I have had. Mainly just because of the experience I had to be able to hear from a General Authority. We had President Whiting of the First Quorum of the Seventy come and speak to our zone of about 16 missionaries on Friday. It is going to be the center of my blog this week because I can truly say I love that man because what he said, and the spirit I felt has changed who I truly am.
I have never had a greater desire to become like my
Savior Jesus Christ and serve his children. I want to be a better son to my Father in Heaven, and my earthly parents. I want to be a better brother, a better friend, and a better servant of the Lord's children.
He started off the conference by saying that this meeting was under Apostolic Authority, which gave us as missionaries, guaranteed revelation if we had been living obediently and we were ready to receive it, he said. So I just wanted to highlight on some of the things that he said, that are not too personal to share. One thing that hit me was when he told the Elders and Sisters at the end of their missions that, "it is time to sprint Elders and Sisters. Do not ever take your foot off the gas. This is a race we are in." Now he did
direct that at the missionaries nearing the end of their missions, but after the conference some Elders told me how lucky I was to be hearing this, early in my mission. It hit me then that it is time to sprint now. This life truly is a race. A race against time. A race against the adversary. He told us that Satan is a lot of things, but one thing he is not, is lazy. He holds an anger that will never diffuse. He will work against us our whole lives. That thought honestly kind of scared me, but that is why we need to work every day of our lives and face our tents towards the temple truly.
I then had the opportunity to ask a question personally. I asked him about how in the MTC, we watched a film called the Character of Christ by Elder Bednar. Elder Bednar prophesied to missionaries that if they truly converted to Jesus Christ they would never fall away. Whereas with just a testimony they likely would. My question was when
President Whiting saw himself truly turn from testimony to conversion? He first told us what Elder Oaks said that, "Testimony is to know and to say, conversion is to do and become." He then used the Bible Dictionary definition of Conversion. One part says that "conversion will complete and will change a natural man into a sanctified, born again, purified person. A new creature in Christ." He told us how he
sees his conversion progress every day is by consciously looking for the natural man in himself and seeing how many times it comes out. I loved that. Now every day I seek to see when my natural man comes out, which is still more so that not, but I consciously see it and try to rid it from my life.
He then asked us if we had the faith to baptize every month. We honestly doubted. It is hard in Japan. He responded by reading Genesis 18:14: Is anything to hard for the Lord? I have never been so humbled. I fell into the depths of humility and sought forgiveness from my Heavenly Father truly. How could I ever of doubted or not had the faith? I will never be as I was. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. The second we believe that something is too hard for
the Lord, we turn from Him, we replace our faith with doubt, and then it truly will not happen because we have no faith. But we have to have that faith and work for it. Do not pray for things to happen in your life. Pray for God to help you be the instrument in his hands in which opportunities will come.
He also told us that from this point in our mission that if we would promise to live obediently, that every good thought is revelation. If it supports your purpose it is revelation so treat it as such and act on it. I loved that!
Lastly, and most importantly, the thing that most humbled me the most were these two things. He told us how Neal A. Maxwell said when he got Leukemia, that God told him, "I have given you this so that you may teach with more authenticity." I have rarely felt the spirit so strongly confirming with me that all the trials I faced before my mission were to build me to make me teach with more authenticity. To
love with more authenticity. Before we wish to complain about trials we are facing, as I did every year of my life before my mission, please ask yourself if the Lord could be giving you
this to help you teach, act, or love with more authenticity.
Then lastly, he told us we should be seeing more baptisms. Not because he cares about numbers at all, but because we should be having more faith for baptisms. He told us that we may be the best missionaries, maybe even the best human beings on earth. He quickly explained by
saying, "how many people on this earth have followed Christ and joined this church? How many remained worthy and faithful to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood? How many then went on to serve missions? Especially the sisters are all here by choice! He told us how the Lord has saved us for this time and has us at his side in the Pre-mortal life waiting to send us down. So REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE! You have a
responsibility!! How can you not have faith to baptize? If you cannot initially have the faith, act as if you do! You are living far beneath your priviledge. Remember who you are! Get over yourself. Forget yourself. Have the faith to baptize brothers and sisters. Remember who you are and remember your authenticity." I say the same to brothers and sisters. Remember how amazing you are! Remember how cherished you are of the Lord!! Remember who you are! You have such power and are so loved by the Lord. He is holding you so close to his heart and sending angels down round about you to guide you and lift you up. He will never leave you nor forget you. Do not forget him! Do not forget yourself! We are living far beneath our privilege. We are promised untold blessings from heaven if we just ask for them and live worthy of them! I will never forget who I am again. I am going to be better, I promise. I am sorry that I was not before and that I have so much to work towards now to be better. I love this work and I love my Father in Heaven and I truly do have a responsibility to Him and to these people and to all those I love.
I will be better! I love you all!
Love,
Elder Trevor Aiken
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