U.S. Might Just Make Semi-Finals

Week #56

Yeah, I'm just a little bit excited about how well we're doing in the World Cup. Futebol is a lot better than American football. Everybody here says that the U.S. is doing well, but nobody thinks they'll win. I think if we do win the Brazilian government might just send all the Americans home. Who knows?

This week went well. We're still having difficulty with member participation, but there is a lot of progress. We met a lot of people and invited one couple to get married. We also taught a lesson in English! I never thought it would be so difficult to speak my native language, but she's from Texas and doesn't speak Portuguese yet. She has a lot of good questions (questions we usually don't hear from Brazilians) She takes the idea of a prophet and a one true church a lot more seriously and with more interest than many of the people here. Usually people here just say "cada um cada um". Which is basically "each one to himself."

 It's frustrating when you say "God appeared to a man and established His church and still speaks with Prophets and Apostles and we can know by asking God" and people respond "I think this way. Each one to himself." and don't answer the question that we asked. She doesn't do that. It's great. It's also probably the only time that we will leave a quadruple combination of the scriptures with an investigator. (The only English Book of Mormon we have).

There are great things happening here. The leadership is trying to excite the members not only to help the missionaries, but to fulfill all of their callings and covenants as members of Christ's Church. Yesterday the First Counselor of the Bishopric, the Bishop, and the Stake President (without coordination) spoke of being true servants of the Lord. 

Other than that I don't have much to say about happenings, but I will say this: I know that the Lord lives. That He was ressurected on the third day. We also can acheive exaltation through strict obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. I know that to receive all that the Father hath, we must do all that He asks of us. Our potential is great. Our worth is great in the sight of God. 

Our responsibility is to share this Gospel with all of God's children. Let us fearlessly testify of what we know.

Elder Dickson

Short one

Week #55

This week we had a lot of emails from the mission office, so I don't have a lot of time today.

Just a quick thought. 

I've heard a lot of people talk about certain verses of scripture as "good missionary scriptures." I started to think about how sometimes we put a label on certain principles and leave the principles taught for other groups of people. We say things like, "Church leaders need to remember this." or "this is great for youth." Obviously we should be capable to think how we can use scriptures to teach our classes, train leaders and many other situations, but I fear that sometimes we exclude ourselves from the teaching of those scriptures.

To fix this, I thought of a new label. Lets just call all scriptures "discipleship scriptures." We are to be disciples of Christ in whatever calling we may hold and there is no principle of righteousness that does not apply to every person that has, does, or ever will live.

This week was another difficult one, but we found a few people that should be baptized in the coming weeks. It's always good to find families that are really trying to live the Gospel. Our favorite family right now is Gabriel and Senara with their son Gustavo. Família fantastica.

Until next week.

Elder Dickson

Elder Dickson's apartment

What I Learned

Week #54

This week was probably the most difficult I have had on the mission. 

That isn't to say that we did less than any other. When I was in the United States we didn't teach as many people or have so many opportunities to meet new people. The difference is that in the U.S., I wasn't working as hard. 

I've started to understand a little bit of what Alma (Alma 8) and Nephi (Helaman 10) felt. We try. We talk with hundreds of people. We're being obedient. Rain or sun, we're in the street. We do all of this and people don't listen.

The responsibility of all those who serve in the building up of the Lord's Kingdom is teach people the what, why, and how of the Atonement. Many times, we forget that people will choose not to understand and partake. 

I've read the chapters I mentioned before many times these last few days. Nephi preached with "unwearyingness." If there is one mark of a good missionary, that is it. We cannot stop. We will weep for the hardness of hearts. We can pray as Alma did that God pours out his Spirit that some may be baptized unto repentence (Alma 8:10). And still people will not give place that the Spirit may work within them. But we cannot stop.

We must be patient. We must be humble. We must continue being worthy.

Elder Dickson

A Lot is Happening at Home

Week #53

It's always wonderful to hear of new mission calls(Rose Bowler), graduations (Lauren, Jesse, Emily, Paige) scholarships, family baptisms, babies and everything else that happens. The Lord really does provide wonderful opportunities, especially to those who serve him.

This week, we baptized Josè Carlos. He's a very simple man and the only thing he talks about is how much he wants to change his life and how happy his family will be when they learn that he is "with the Bible in his hand." He has a little more than that in his hand, but that's a good start. 

Josè is a referral. Referrals baptize. Please, give referrals to the missionaries. They don't even need to be people you know very well. Yesterday, when we asked a family for a referral, they said "We need to talk about the Church first and have to know them well." This is false. I honestly believe that this is one of the devil's greatest false doctrines that he uses to block people from entering the Celestial Kingdom. 

If we had to talk about the Church before introducing people to the missionaries, the missionaries would never baptize and we wouldn't have the book of Acts or most of the great missionary stories from The Book of Mormon. 

The basic principle is this: "The Lord prepares his children. He already planted the seeds. The field is already white. He does the preparation and we (members and missionaries) are called to harvest."

The wonderful thing about harvest time is that you don't need to wait for each individual stalk of wheat to be ready and pluck it from the middle of the field. The field is harvested all at the same time. The scriptures do not speak of stalks. They speak of sheaves. 

We must thrust in our sickle with our might and reap the harvest the Lord already prepared. Many halfheartedly swing the sickle, others just walk through the fields with it and yet others are afraid to even touch it. 

Look back at the third paragraph of this e-mail. The false doctrine to which I referred does not serve just to impede our friends, family and other non-members. This quote is one of my favorites the we have in Preach My Gospel.

"We will attain our exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom only on the condition that we share with our Father’s other children the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and observe the commandments that will enrich our lives here and hereafter.” - George Albert Smith

An evil spirit teaches a man not to pray and that same evil spirit teaches all men to fear preaching the Gospel. Whatever reason we have for not sharing the Gospel is an obstacle placed in our path by the very same who cast out of Heaven for open rebellion against the Almighty. We cannot serve God and Mammon. We cannot claim to be serving God while we do not build up His kingdom.

The Savior put it this way. "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." If we are not actively engaged in the work of the Lord, we are in direct opposition. There is no middle ground. There is no fence to sit upon. Think of No Man's Land. Filled with mines, barbed wire, the enemy firing and nowhere to hide. The Lord promises safety, but only if we are on His side. Only if we build up His kingdom.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the Earth. I know this and testify of it every day because it is true.

Now to answer my Mother's questions.

Yes, I'm eating well. I don't even think it's possible not too. Everybody always says "Eat more, Elder." No matter how many times you say that you are full, they always put more on your plate, or say you must not have liked the food, or they bring dessert. I'm eating fantastically.

Yes, they do have lots of meat. Espeto corrido is very common here. Lots of black beans and white rice too. I think I'll buy a pressure cooker when I come home.

Yes, I have lost enough weight that the CTR ring doesn't fit any more.

Here are some pictures.

Companion: Elder Cooper from Erda, Utah

                         Being baptized: José

          O tchê with the sportcoat and hat: Leóncio
             (Member that brought José to church)

                    Batizador: Sou eu (Baptizer: Me)

Until next week.

Elder Dickson

Transfers

Week #52

One more transfer gone. That's 9 transfers I've already finished and they all went very quickly. It's even stranger to think that I probably only have 3 or 4 more areas. The time is short.

This week we saw some great things in Montenegro. The attendance in the ward has been low. The difference between the number of Priesthood age men in the ward and the number of Elders that attended yesterday was 150. If all of them were Elders, there would be enough to form two quorums and probably split the ward. Fortunately the Stake President has started a plan of action to reactivate the members. 

The plan is simple. It consists of a five minute meeting after church every Sunday and people fulfilling their callings. Every Sunday, the ward council reports how many people were in each organization and their goal for how many will be there the next Sunday. Each member of the council is expected to already have a name backing up each number. The question that is being asked is, "who isn't here today that should be?"

The idea is simple. The goal is achievable. Incredibly, people still say they don't have time for Home or Visiting Teaching. President Uchtdorf stated the following. 

"'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.'

"Everything in life should be secondary to these two great priorities. (. . .)Those who live up to these principles will not sleep through the Restoration."

We must, as we have read many times, lose our life for the Savior's and Gospel's sake and the promise is that we shall find it. We shall find eternal life. 

Though the Law of Consecration is not fully in force, we can still live it. Many of us have even covenanted to do so. Consecrate means that we set apart or dedicate something to the Lord. If we are to live the Law of Consecration, we must set ourselves apart and dedicate ourselves to the Lord. We must place the Lord and building up His Kingdom as our first priority. This is what is expected of us. This is but one aspect of the commandment to "love the Lord thy God."

Many times we find it easy to justify our lack of activity. "I've done a lot already." "I deserve a rest." "That only applies to leadership callings." "I don't have time." These are common excuses and ones that I have already used. The Lord always gives us clear guidance through his prophets. 

I found this verse yesterday while reading ahead in the Gospel Principles manual. 

"O my son, I desire that ye should deny the justice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins (. . .)" Alma 42:30

We cannot deny the justice of God. We cannot deny that we must bear record of what we did and did not do. We cannot justify or excuse ourselves "in the least point."

Alma continues, "And now, O my son, ye are called of God to preach the word unto this people. And now, my son, go thy way, declare the word with truth and soberness, that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them. And may God grant unto you even according to my words. Amen." Alma 42:31

Let us all share in this wonderful work. Let us all lose our life for the Savior's sake and share His Gospel with those we already know and those we will meet. Let us bring souls to repentance and give the great plan of mercy opportunity to take effect.

I know that this is the true and living Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that the keys of the Priesthood were restored. I know that the Lord only has one path that we may follow and it is strait and narrow. We must repent and be baptized by one ordained to the Priesthood of God. We must receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost and we must endure to the end.

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no other way or other name by which we can be saved. 2 Nephi 31:21

Elder Dickson

Our District