December 8, 2008 Letter

  So, someone came from Oklahoma to fire everything up at the bbq.  The only thing that troubles me is that I didn't hear anything about sharing the gospel with him.  I don't care what the excuse is.  He could have been in my area or something.  Hopefully you did, you just didn't tell me.  But, if not, I have one word for you - repent!  Just like you were saying about BaiLee, how we take the Holy Ghost for granted, well it's the same thing with the gospel. (*BaiLee is Skyler's niece who had just been baptized and had asked her parents how long she would get to have the Holy Ghost with her)  You don't know how blessed you are until your not blessed.  God didn't have to create us.  He didn't have to send his only begotten son to die for us but he did because he loves us.  That's so important that we understand that.  If you look in "Preach My Gospel" in ch3 the first lesson under the first principle is what?  God is our loving Heavenly Father, then what -  the gospel blesses families, then what - God reveals his gospel in every dispensation, then what - Christ's earthly ministry, then - the apostasy, and then probably something we totaly take for granted, the restoration followed by the Book of Mormon.  Do you see how lucky we are to know these things.  How important is the restored gospel to us. If we really understood these principles we wouldn't need full time missionaries.  In Helaman 12 it talks about how we are less than the dust of the earth.  To me that's disturbing,  I don't want to let God down after all that He has done for me.   There was an apostle who said, (I think it was Elder Packer, not sure) but he said "When I grab a pen and write with it I want it to work, I can't use a pen that doesn't work, it's useless to me. What am I going to do with a pen that doesn't work.  Same thing with us, are we going to be instruments in the hands of the Lord or are we going to be less than the dust of the earth?  I often think of the song in the hymn book, pg 260 "Who is on the Lord's side, Who?",  I love that song because it's so bold and so true.  Who's on the Lord's side, who, NOW is the time to show.   We ask it fearlessly, who is on the Lord's side, who?  Are you on the Lord's side?  Pretty sure Nick was. Not only was he willing to sarcifice his time for the cause of Christ, but he left knowing that he wouldn't see his family and friends again and knowing that he wouldn't have a family in this life.  He gave that up for the cause of Christ.  I wish I had half the faith Nick had, he was such a good example and that's part of the reason I'm on a mission and I hope in my 2 years I can be at least half the missionary he was in 2 months.  We are on a higher plain than most people are because of Nick.  He died sharing the gospel.  We flinch to share the gospel.  I think of the scripture in D and C 68:5-6,  it talks about how the Lord will be by our side when we talk to people about the gospel, and to put that into a different perspective for ya, the Lord said he would be by your side (if you haven't read it yet get your scrips and go read it) well I know that to be true.  Think of the story of Meshak, Shadrack and Abednigo.  When they were thrown into the furnace who was with them?  Remember, the king threw in 3 but saw 4.  The Lord will be by our side, I know that when we share the gospel with others the Lord himself will be there and so will the Holy Ghost.  So now you can tell BaiLee how she can have the spirit with her always, and I think it's interesting to me that BaiLee asked how long she would have the Holy Ghost.  Most people today don't feel it while they have it, they feel it leave and want it back.  We will not have successful missionary experiences until we learn to recognize the spirit when we know we have it.
 So I am almost out of time and I will have to go and get measured for a suit because the one I have now from Ferrals is way big on me. So I will get measured and see what kind of a deal I can get, I wish you would have given me a price range so I would know what to look for, but I will try to keep it under 300 dollars.  Anywase, hope you have a good week and feel free to send Elder Scholle something for Christmas.  His family situation is fine, but still it would be the nice thing to do.  Because we have been given much, we to must give.
 love your missionary, Elder Silcock