Tag Archive for: faith

New Arrivals

Last Friday, we welcomed 10 new missionaries to the Belgium Netherlands Mission.
Being with them was a real joy! ๐Ÿ˜
Picture for a moment that you put your heart out in front of you, so that you can take a long look and carefully consider what is inside.
That is what each these young people will do for the next 18 or 24 months, exploring and sharing the feelings of their hearts.
They’ll consider…
– their hopes
– their dreams
– their feelings
– their faith
– their fears
– their desires
– their attitudes
– their opportunities
– their purpose in life
– their futures.
Along the way they will speak with thousands of people and help each of them to come to know Jesus Christ, better than they know Him now.
Look out for each one of them and ask them why they came to Belgium and the Netherlands – they’d love to speak with you!

The Multiplier Effect

I offered a 1 Euro coin to the missionaries on Friday.
โ€œHow much is that worthโ€ I asked?
โ€œ1 Euroโ€ came the reply.
I inquired further, โ€œAre you sure?โ€
โ€œYesโ€ he said.
I responded, โ€œItโ€™s actually worth a lot more than that, let me show you how.”
I purchased a random item from the first missionary with the 1 Euro coin.
Then he purchased an item from the second missionary in line with the same 1 Euro coin.
The second bought something from the third, and the third bought something from the fourth, with the same 1 Euro coin.
As if by magic, the 1 Euro coin had now become worth 4 Euroโ€™s.
Repeating the process, 1 Euro can become worth thousands of Euro’s.

The Multiplier

In economics itโ€™s called the ๐’Ž๐’–๐’๐’•๐’Š๐’‘๐’๐’Š๐’†๐’“ ๐’†๐’‡๐’‡๐’†๐’„๐’•.
Multiplying means to increase or cause to increase greatly in number or quantity.
Iโ€™ve learned that there are, earthly economic principles and divine eternal principles of multiplying โ€“ it depends on who is doing the work.

Scripturally

For instance, the scriptures are filled with stories of multiplying.
In each of the Gospels, we read about the ๐‘ฎ๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’• ๐‘ด๐’–๐’๐’•๐’Š๐’‘๐’๐’Š๐’†๐’“, our Saviour Jesus Christ, feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fishes.
We understand that after the breaking, came the giving.
In Mark 6:42-43 we read โ€œAnd they did all eat and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.โ€
The multiplication was a result of His work, not our work.
To meet a great need, He always starts with what we have.
I know that Jesus Christ is an expert at multiplication.
Time and time again, our Saviour takes something small, ordinary, seemingly irrelevant, and multiplies it into something amazing, remarkable and of eternal significance.

Starting Small

I find it interesting that He always starts small.
The loaves and fishes were broken by His hands.
Sometimes we are broken too, before we see the blessings of the Great multiplier.
Tenderly, He will multiply your faith, your hope, your love, your joy and your worth.
He can supply all that you need, in abundance.
Let Him be your ๐‘ฎ๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’• ๐‘ด๐’–๐’๐’•๐’Š๐’‘๐’๐’Š๐’†๐’“.
Ask the missionaries โ€“ theyโ€™ll help you understand.

The Road to 200…

โ€œCan it be done?โ€ asked the missionary.
โ€œThatโ€™s a stretchโ€ was the reply.
Nevertheless, the goal was set.

Finding

Every week, finding new people with which to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is a challenge.

Missionary work is finding people, teaching them and helping them to come unto Christ.

Since 2017 in Belgium and the Netherlands non-religious people have been in the majority.

Indeed, recent censuses show that those following no religious belief is increasing.

Its tough out there!
And yet we try.
Our previous best, 10% shy of the new goal, was achieved with a seasoned group of experienced missionaries.
Things change, our mission is now made up of youthful inexperience, yet aflame with a fire of faith.

Impossible?

The scriptures are replete with examples where the Lord employs the unlikely to achieve the impossible.
Could it happen again?
โ€œAnd he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.โ€ โ€“ Luke 18:27
Faith is a principle of action and power.
I know that struggles yield learning and growth.

Momentum

And so, with obedience, prayer, inner belief and frankly, a lot of effort, the missionaries went to work, with all their heart, might, mind and strength.
Momentum started to build.
Hour by hour, day by day, miracles happened.
One by one, clutching a Book of Mormon, missionaries spoke with everyone they met.
Hereโ€™s just one example.
By mid-week, I received a message from Kate, Emily, Anna and Grace.
Theyโ€™d been working their socks off all day in Amsterdam and online.
The result, that day, they found 32 people themselves.
By Friday afternoon the mission goal was done.
By this morning, it was completely smashed.
A remarkable week! How could that happen?
President Russell M. Nelson taught that as we increase our faith in Jesus Christ, focus on eternity and build our strength and courage in Him, miracles happen as we acknowledge the Hand of the Lord.
And they did!
How have you seen the hand of the Lord in your life?

Hope

Recently I was asked “How do you build hope?”
There are many compelling reasons to lose hope at the moment.
We may lose hope because the future for the world in general or for ourselves personally – looks increasingly bleak.
We can lose hope because it seems there are no solutions, there is no way out, or perhaps no escape from the challenges ahead.
Is that your reality?
I believe there is great hope for everyone…
Hope is “the anticipated fulfilment of a desire, to expect with confidence.”
For me, hope is the antidote for despair.
Working with missionaries every day I find that when we have hope, we trust in Godโ€™s promises.
Dieter F Uchtdorf said: “Hope is one leg of a 3-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope. The Apostle Paul taught that the scriptures were written to the end that we โ€œmight have hope.โ€
In a recent Zone Conference I used a 3-legged stool to reinforce this principle even further.
See Moroni 7:33, 40-43, 47-48 in the Book of Mormon.
Hope will always lighten our load and it strengthens our resolve to succeed.
Here are some ideas to build hope…
– Work on your self-discipline
– Focus on the positive
– Identify and challenge any negative beliefs
– Take care of yourself -physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually
– Surround yourself with hopeful people and environments
– Celebrate even the smallest of victories.
How are faith, hope and charity like a 3-legged stool?
What do you need to do to develop them?

Fires and Flames of Faith

A few days ago, 12 new missionaries arrived at Schiphol Airport.

Their flame of faith aglow, spiritually they were on fire!

Each of them with a burning desire to share their knowledge, eager to communicate gospel truths by talking to everyone.

Years of preparation and several weeks in the Missionary Training Centre (MTC) fanned their flame of faith.

โ€˜Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,โ€™ (Mark 16:15) โ€˜for ye shall โ€ฆ [witness of] me โ€ฆ unto the uttermost part of the earth,โ€™ (Acts 1:8).โ€

Fire

โ€œFor a piece of wood to catch fire, it must first be heated to a temperature at which it ignites, then burns by itself. The initial heating requires energy from outside. When it is ignited, it becomes self-sustaining and gives beneficial light and heat.โ€ โ€“ Richard G. Scott

Having been around the new missionaries for a few days this week, their flame has certainly been ignited.ย  Just like their other missionary colleagues, they’re now providing โ€œbeneficial light and heatโ€ to many people throughout Belgium and the Netherlands.

Your own fire of faith may be small, but I know that making principled choices, brings greater confidence in God, and then your faith will grow.

Flames of Faith

Never let your fire of faith be quenched.

How we choose to live our lives, can either increase or diminish our faith.

If its diminishing, donโ€™t despair.

A flame of faith can grow from a tiny spark.

Missionaries come to ignite the flame of faith in some and rekindle the flickering flame of faith in others.

โ€œFirst and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe.โ€โ€”Jeffrey R. Holland

Missionaries can help you fan the flame of your flickering faith, and catch fire, even if you feel lonely, like an isolated ember.

My experience is that embers burn much brighter and glow stronger when they are closer together.

Come and join us.

Keep your spiritual flame burning brightly.

Why not reach out to one of our new missionaries today and let them rekindle your flame of faith and ignite your fire.

Connections

You are not Alone.
Despite having a companion, sometimes I am confronted by the fact that missionaries can feel alone.
Serving in a foreign land, far from home, with a different language and culture can create feelings of homesickness.
It is not easy for some as they wrestle with loneliness and discouragement.
Being homesick isnโ€™t at all bad.
It is natural after all to miss those you love most.
Similarly, it is natural to miss the familiar places you know best, where you feel safe and secure.
Being disconnected can and does bring feelings of loneliness.

Connections

And in my experience, connection is something we all strive for in our lives.
Missionaries, however, always have many people for them to connect with.
Knowing that people love and care, is so important.
Parents, siblings, other family and friends are only a call away via technology or regular mail.
More especially, mission leaders, companions and many other missionaries are always on hand to connect with.
And most of all, there are two people always willing to connect with us, at all times and in all places, no matter what we may be going through, namely Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Each of us, can always turn to Them.
They know us, personally.
Jesus Christ has said, โ€œI will not leave you comfortless: I will come to youโ€ (John 14:18).

Overcoming Loneliness

Gordon B. Hinckley said, โ€œI believe that for most of us the best medicine for loneliness is work, service in behalf of othersโ€.
We read in Proverbs, โ€œWisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understandingโ€ (Proverbs 4:7).
Listening ears and an understanding heart comes for missionaries and for you and me), as they take time, to serve, to slow down, to study, to talk and to pray together.
Recently, I have enjoyed doing just that with many missionaries.
Making time for those special connections, really does make a difference.
Who can you connect with today?

Step by Step

The dictionary says that to walk means to move along on foot or advance by steps.
In life, people take many kinds of walks.
As we walk, we advance ๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’‘ ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’‘.
The greatest of lifeโ€™s rewards coming from walking along the right paths.
Jesus Christ recommended the strait and narrow way that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14).
We are encouraged to become like Him, โ€œto walk, even as he walkedโ€ (1 John 2:6).
Becoming like Jesus Christ will not happen in an instant, it happens gradually, ๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’‘ ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’‘.
He will guide us in our walk, at the right speed, in the right direction.
As we walk, we learn to control our thoughts and behaviour.
It takes time, maybe even an entire lifetime and beyond.
It requires daily work and daily effort.
Small steps in the right direction can sometimes turn out to be the biggest steps in our life.
All it takes, is one small step.
Becoming like Him is a slow, steady, and sure process.
The Apostle Paul taught, โ€œFor we walk by faith, not by sightโ€ (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Having faith in Jesus Christ will help us move forward, even if we’re unsure of the next step.
Step by step, inspiration will come.
Step 1, say to yourself, โ€œI can follow Him.โ€
Step 2, speak to a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It is a process you can start today, one step at a time.
Answers are only one step away.

People May Wonder

– Who is Jesus Christ? How can He help me and my family?
– What does it mean to have faith in Jesus Christ?
– How can having faith in Him bless my life?
– What does it mean to repent?
– How can I feel God’s peace and forgiveness after I’ve made bad choices?
– What is the purpose of baptism?
– What is the gift of the Holy Ghost?
– What does it mean to endure to the end?
๐‘ฏ๐’‚๐’—๐’† ๐’š๐’๐’– ๐’†๐’—๐’†๐’“ ๐’˜๐’๐’๐’…๐’†๐’“๐’†๐’…?
All of these questions and more are answered in the third lesson taught by our missionaries in “The Gospel of Jesus Christ”
Why not speak to one of the many missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, today.
Answers are only a conversation away.

People May Wonder

– What is the purpose of life?
– Where did I come from?
– Is there a God who cares about me?
– How can I feel that He cares?
– How can I believe in God when so many bad things happen?
– Why is life so hard sometimes?
– How can I find strength during these times?
– How can I become a better person?
– What happens after I die?
๐‘ฏ๐’‚๐’—๐’† ๐’š๐’๐’– ๐’†๐’—๐’†๐’“ ๐’˜๐’๐’๐’…๐’†๐’“๐’†๐’…?
All of these questions and more are answered in the second lesson taught by our missionaries in “Heavenly Father’s Plan of Salvation”
Why not speak to one of the many missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, today.
Answers are only a conversation away.

Nuts and Bolts

The phrase โ€œnuts and boltsโ€ means all the basic components, the fundamentals, no matter how big or small, that are part of the essentials to complete a task or activity.
In essence โ€“ nuts and bolts hold everything together.
The phrase has been running through my head for a while.
The nuts and bolts of missionary work are the basic components, the fundamentals, the essentials to complete our tasks.
A couple of weeks ago, at Zone Conferences (when upwards of 50 โ€“ 60 missionaries come together once a transfer for instruction) I spoke specifically on four of the fundamental principles of missionary work โ€“ the core nuts and bolts, if you will.
Each missionary was issued with a bolt and 4 nuts, to make the analogy feel real.
The bolt โ€“ represented themselves.
Each nut represented a core principle.

Core Principles

1 โ€“ ๐‘ท๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’„๐’‰ ๐‘ด๐’š ๐‘ฎ๐’๐’”๐’‘๐’†๐’ โ€“ ๐‘บ๐’†๐’„๐’๐’๐’… ๐‘ฌ๐’…๐’Š๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’. Since its publication, like many of the missionaries I have enjoyed my daily study in Preach My Gospel. President Russell M. Nelson said โ€œโ€œOur charge is much more than just inviting people to join the Church. We want each one to become a fully truly converted disciple of Jesus Christ and to follow Him, now and foreverโ€.
2 โ€“ ๐‘ผ๐’”๐’† ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’”๐’„๐’“๐’Š๐’‘๐’•๐’–๐’“๐’†๐’”, ๐’†๐’”๐’‘๐’†๐’„๐’Š๐’‚๐’๐’๐’š ๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฉ๐’๐’๐’Œ ๐’๐’‡ ๐‘ด๐’๐’“๐’Ž๐’๐’. Marcus B. Nash said โ€œThe mandate for each missionary to search the scriptures is clear and unequivocal, for searching the scriptures brings to them the power of God. It does the same for anyone regardless of their age and experience.โ€
3 โ€“ ๐‘ญ๐’๐’๐’๐’๐’˜ ๐‘ณ๐’Š๐’—๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ ๐‘ท๐’“๐’๐’‘๐’‰๐’†๐’•๐’”. Itโ€™s important that we follow the right voice in a world full of wrong voices. That right voice is Godโ€™s voice, and He speaks to us through His living prophets and apostles.
4 โ€“ ๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฎ๐’Š๐’‡๐’• ๐’๐’‡ ๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฏ๐’๐’๐’š ๐‘ฎ๐’‰๐’๐’”๐’•. The gift of the Holy Ghost is the privilege – given to people who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, been baptized, and been confirmed as members of the Church. He will guide, teach and comfort us.

Actions

After explaining each principle and the ensuing discussion, each missionary tightly fastened their nuts and bolt together.
As the nuts tightened, thread by thread, symbolically each missionary was strengthening and securing themselves to Jesus Christ, as each core principle was riveted into their mind through their actions.
I know that true joy comes through our daily actions of study, pondering, reflection and prayer, as we fasten ourselves, thread by thread to Jesus Christ.
The world is changing whether you like it or not.ย  Are you?
How can you fasten yourself to Jesus Christ?