Family and friends,
The week of conferences! We had Zone Conference last week as well as General Conference this weekend.
Zone Conference was fantastic! We talked about recognizing the Spirit and making prayers more meaningful. Those were the two big ideas. It was exactly what I needed since I have been working on that. Two things I decided to do differently afterwards-- First, ponder about what I should pray for before doing so, and second, do companionship morning prayers. We always close the day with a companionship prayer before bedtime but what are we closing exactly if we never opened it up with a morning prayer? So after we wake up, we have a companionship prayer. That's helped open our eyes to seeing smaller miracles. For example, just last week we were given permission to be able to go inside a home if we are first invited by a person we are teaching or a member. That opened the opportunity for us to be with a part member family to watch a session of General Conference. If I'm being honest, I would not have seen that much as a miracle but I would have seen it as a nice convenience. So I'm glad that the Lord finds ways to humble me.
We had a first lesson with a member and her husband. The husband is not a member and he says that he doesn't belong to any religion but he's read a good portion of the Bible. When we talked about commandments, it was incredible because he was able to relate the fact that all commandments point to the first and greatest one which is to love God first. It was amazing that he got that on his own and we felt it was the workings of the Spirit. We really hope that we get another opportunity to talk with him again. He is on call working at the hospital for the next couple of weeks so he won't be available for a while.
I hope you were all able to take some personal things from Conference! I certainly did and I will probably take more when I go back to read the talks. The Conference was wonderful and humble. No big changes or huge adjustments, just messages of hope and reassurance as well as warning. The gospel is a gospel of hope and warning. It's often difficult to live in a world that is becoming further distant from the virtues, values, and standards of Heavenly Father. And it's even more difficult when we don't keep the commandments. I want to make a special mention of Elder Bednar's talk. https://youtu.be/-UUJqQCK7QM
He mentions how increasing polarization is becoming more and more evident. We are arriving at a point where having one foot in the water will not do. We've heard it said that we cannot serve God and mammon. That is as true today as it was when it was written. The longer time goes on, the more we can see the gray area fading. The casual one day a week worship is beginning to fail. We need to continue the at home gospel learning. As was spoken, over these last several months we've been tried, proven, and examined. At the beginning of all this, Elder Oaks https://youtu.be/fiMCvmenrdQ even said how the Second Coming was not yet happening, but this was more of a test run to see just how prepared we are. I think of it in a sense as when Jesus comes again, will we think, "He is finally here!" Or would we be in shock that we didn't actually think it would happen? The Savior will come again whether we believe it or not. Elder Christofferson https://youtu.be/KS3iK9mr40M has taught this principle well when he talked about mankind being free to choose. He said how consequences or many following events are not affected by someone's actions, as in the Second Coming will occur whether we believe it or not and whether we are prepared or not. Jesus Himself said that it will be at a time when no one would be expecting it. Alma taught that now is the time to prepare to meet God. Not tomorrow or next week or next year. The question is, how do we prepare? First, you need faith. You need faith in Jesus Christ and not only believe in Him, but also believe what He says. The follow up question- Do you believe in Him? Yes. But do you believe Him? He says He is the life of the world. He says He suffered and descended below all. He says He can make your burdens light. He says His word is sharper than a two edged sword to the dividing asunder. He says ye need not fear. He says ye need not fear again. He says that all things will be made right at the last day. He says the voice of His prophets is the voice of Himself. He said, "Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments." Those two of believing in Jesus Christ and believing Jesus Christ are inseparable. Obedience is of course the first law of heaven and to act on our faith we obey so it grows. That is faith, not that we have a perfect knowledge, but that we hope and are willing to act. If I remember correctly, Elder Johnson talked about his experience of their microwave catching on fire. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/56johnson?lang=eng His daughter, not realizing it, turned the microwave on and set it at 30 minutes. Because there was nothing inside to absorb the heat and energy, the microwave lit itself on fire. Elder Johnson likened this to faith. We need faith to burn because when we walk through life, going through metaphorical furnaces of trials and afflictions, we will need something to burn. Otherwise it will be us who will burn to spiritual death. The faith is what absorbs the trials and afflictions. How many of us have seen many fall away in life because of trials where they lacked faith? Or even in these last several months? It's sad to see it happen. It's heartbreaking. And it's not going to get easier. In fact, Elder Uchtdorf https://youtu.be/-3qVFFGPX8M just said in this Conference that things might get harder before they get easier. Back to the point Elder Bednar made about increasing polarization, that ties in with many other things mentioned in Conference. Including Elder Anderson's https://youtu.be/UAf8B9X51WE sermon of how we should speak more of the Savior. As the world continues to fall away in its fallen state, people are finding it more and more awkward to talk about the Savior as we do. They are going further down the path about how religion is old and just weird. Funny thing- Paul said we would be a peculiar people. And Nephi said that in our day, we would be small in number compared to the rest of the world. That makes it pretty weird or awkward to the world if you ask me. If today isn't a prophecy fulfilled then I guess I'm not sure what is haha. I hope we take these invitations from General Conference seriously and not roll eyes at something that we think might be ridiculous or said too harshly. One very sad thing is that even members of the Church will begin to deny the faith. Maybe not through words directly but in the form of actions. Little by little, some will participate in not so great things. Things that we are encouraged to stay away from and avoid. Even if it's small and seems insignificant. We learned directly from Elder Soares https://youtu.be/S3YmruFk_b4 that this is how the adversary works into our lives. It begins with impure thoughts or small actions that lead to something more severe. We're not expected to be perfect now. But we are asked to give an effort. As things become more yes and no, I hope we all strive to stay good examples! Talk more of Christ. Recognize Him more as the world recognizes Him less. Elder Oaks https://youtu.be/fiMCvmenrdQ laid down a pretty impressive talk by claiming and clarifying again the standard of the church in dealing with worldly cruelty. I was thoroughly pleased and impressed. With his correction and claims, we can have confidence in talking more of Christ. But above all, remember charity and treat others as the precious souls of God they ought to be treated. Brigham Young once said that even the lowliest and least person in the earth is still worth worlds. I think for me, the most touching and heartwarming talk was given by Sister Craig https://youtu.be/nEHfIgZgpM8 when she spoke of the experience at the store. Those small and simple things are often what means the most. If there was just one thing you could do, it would be to love. I'll end here with part of Elder Holland's talk, Be Ye Therefore Perfect- Eventually. This talk is by far one of my favorites. Please, when you find time, watch or listen to the full talk. It's absolutely necessary to hear Elder Holland's voice. https://youtu.be/3DVpRFRFKME
Leo Tolstoy wrote once of a priest who was criticized by one of his congregants for not living as resolutely as he should, the critic concluding that the principles the erring preacher taught must therefore also be erroneous.
In response to that criticism, the priest says: “Look at my life now and compare it to my former life. You will see that I am trying to live out the truth I proclaim.” Unable to live up to the high ideals he taught, the priest admits he has failed. But he cries:
“Attack me, [if you wish,] I do this myself, but [don’t] attack … the path I follow. … If I know the way home [but] am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way simply because I am staggering from side to side?
“… Do not gleefully shout, ‘Look at him! … There he is crawling into a bog!’ No, do not gloat, but give … your help [to anyone trying to walk the road back to God.]”
I love you all!
-Elder Markham
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