Well the time has finally come and I can not explain the mix of emotions that I am having. I am so excited to see as many of you as I can this upcoming sunday, but, at the sametime wish I could stay and serve. Sadly I know I can and leaving is just as much as part of the plan as starting. There is no possible way to explain how grateful I am to have had the oppertunity to serve the Lord, and to see the love he has for everyone of his children.
I can not think of any better way to end the mission by sharing my testimony. Not just because I am a misisonary, but more because If you are reading this you are important to me. I have spent 2 years tesfiying of our savior to now many very good friends, but the majority strangers who I do not know, but how much more important is it to share our testimonies with those we really love.
Through out being here in Uruguay I have learned the gospel is black and white. It is true or it is not. There is no gray area, we as humans try to justify and make excuses, our own way, yet at the same time we want to say we follow christ and his way. As it says in the scriptures it is impossible to follow two master for ye will love the one and despiese the other.
It has been sad teach the restoration and see how some people are so confused, or so stubborn to change and repent that they do not accept the message. At the sametime it is amazing to see the power of the restuared gospel not he reformed or recently founded gospel of jesus christ but his church restored in our days. The invitation has and will always be the same, study, meditate, and pray and ask if it is true with the determination to act on our answer. Something so simple to do, but sometimes we make it harder than it has to be by not being willing to follow the steps 100 percent, or with real intention, or even sometimes we recieve the answer but are not willing to act accordingly because it may be hard, we are scared, or it may be a little uncomfortable to admit that we might have been wrong or to act diffrently in a world that is completly oppsite from our beliefs.
I know that jesus christ not only was a great man, with great teachings and a way of living but he is our savior and only through his sacrifice we can be saved by obeying his commandmands to the best we can and accepting the atonement through the sacred ordenanzas.
I know because he is our loving brother he has always provided the way to accept his atonement through his authoirty which he has given to his prophets in all times of the creation of the earth. If you think just having the writings of just a few prophets in our hands it is a miracle in itself. The events in the resturation and book of mormon are things recorded in history that fulfill the prophcies of the prophets from the bible. As if the scriptures are not enough of a testimony he has given the ablitiy of the holy ghost to not only testifiy to each of us individual but to testify of the truth when missionaries, members, and even children share how they know that Jesus is the Christ.
I know that he will come again, and through us today he is preparing the way to bless everyone in the world with this great message of peace. I know that if we not only are baptized but if we are firm in the faith until he comes we will live again with him and our families forever.
In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
