Search, Ponder and Pray (October 3rd, 2016)

Good first week of October!

And it has become officially cold. The scarves and jackets are out
along with the layers of cardigans. ❄️☔️☹️ I will never get used to
the cold.

This week has been tough! Lots of ups and downs. But the ups make the
downs feel smaller. The ups of this week were Zone Meeting with lots
of other missionaries and GENERAL CONFERENCES! Oh. My. Days. So good,
but also intense!

I am so thankful for the opportunity we have twice a year to hear from
Gods prophet, apostles, and our general authorities who are only there
to help us in this crazy world. They volunteer only because they know
for themselves the truthfulness of the Gospel and of the blessings
that follow living it. That's it! And by the looks of the prophet,
they don't get much in return. He has dedicated his life to serving
others.

The counsel they gave was to return to the basics. Develop your
testimony of Jesus Christ. Gain a testimony of the Restoration and the
prophet Joseph Smith, especially the blessings that directly come from
the restoration. Make sure to have real, fervent prayers not just
repetitive reciting.

See these things we already know, but do we do them? Sometimes we get
so caught up in the deeper, not as well understood doctrine, that we
allow these basic principles to wither and die, and our foundation
becomes weak. No idea who said it, but they were on to something when
they asked, "Is it pertinent to your salvation?" Is it necessary to
understand for you to have faith in Jesus Christ and return to live
with God. If the answer is no, then maybe we should focus on what is
important to our salvation. Like getting a testimony of the Book of
Mormon and what it will mean in our every day lives.

What I am going to try and do is to be better at using the atonement
of Jesus Christ for everything. Not just sins but any unfairness or
trouble in life, because Christ died so that all things may be made
right. Big and small.

I hope that you all may have an empowered week knowing that there is
always a brightness in the future as we follow our Heavenly Father!

Love you!

Sister Lisa Haynie!