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

One Year. Be Valiant.

Week #51

This week is one year. It passes quickly, very quickly.

The strangest thing is to think that less than 7 months ago I couldn't communicate more than the most simple of phrases and now I speak well enough that I can teach, answer questions, and correct false principles alone. I usually don't like to do that, but sometimes when we do splits with the youth we have to answer most of the questions. The Gift of Tongues is real.

What else is there? I understand things that I never understood before. When I was still at home, the Church was something good, something I did, something I'll keep doing. Now, it is very different. I know that if we stop studying the scriptures and praying, we do not have the same strength. I know that if we expect to obtain our salvation, we must be valiant and valiance is much more than not drinking coffee or smoking. 

If we want examples of the valiant, we should look to the scriptures. The stories of men and women who would sacrifice anything to serve their God. Prophets that stood on walls crying to the people. Prophets that were scourged, stoned, left for dead, and scourged again. Why did they do it? If the only thing necessary were not to kill anybody, be kind, and love others, Paul, Peter, Samuel, Joshua, Nephi, and all the others did much more than that. They served their God and built up His kingdom.

We have many opportunities to be valiant. We have many opportunities to testify. Don't let them pass. These are the last days and all people deserve a chance to share in the joy and knowledge that we have. Many times I have to remind myself of this when we talk to people in the street or "tract." Many times I think " none of these people want to listen", but then I remind myself that everybody deserves an opportunity to hear the Gospel. It is much easier to talk to people if we think about it as something that people need to hear.

We are not just another religion. We are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is the kingdom of the Lord and is the only organization authorized to act in the name of Christ. The Priesthood was restored and on the Earth walk men who hold the same authority as Moses. I know this. 

Brethren, remember that we have been ordained to this sacred order. We must, as Christ admonished Peter, feed His sheep. That is the responsibility that we accepted when we were ordained. It is a covenant and our salvation depends upon keeping covenants. 

Boa semana!

Elder Dickson

A drawing from Emili. 

Elder Barnes with 10 coats.

Come Unto Christ

Week #50

"The words 'come unto Christ' are an invitation. It is the most important invitation you could ever offer to another person. It is the most important invitation anyone could accept." President Henry B. Erying

Sometimes it's really difficult to think of something to say.

This week, we had our goal to speak with 220 people. We didn't talk to quite that many, but it was still a lot of people. The problem is that only 17 decided to listen, but that's okay. Our purpose is to invite and we do a lot of that.

I also was invited to speak in Sacrament Meeting at the last minute. That was fun.

I don't know what else there is this week. I think I need to write in my journal more to remember what happened.

Elder Dickson

Montenegro Week 3

Week #49

That is, I'm starting week three in Montenegro. 

Bom dia todos! Hoje é um diamaravilhoso. Vamos relaxar, comprarcomida, e, mais para frente, aprenderfazer churrasco! Que legal!

Alright. Time for happenings and what not. 

Yesterday I spoke with my family with my companion and two members of a Brazilian Priests Quorum. One asked if my sisters are always so excited and my companion, Elder Souza (Souza as in the word "sew" not "sue") has already asked permission to marry one of my sisters. I just responded, "Se ela aceitá-lo." He finishes his mission in about 6 months and is studying English. 

On to other things. We have a goal this week to speak with at least 220 people. It's almost double what is expected. It should be difficult, but should be worth it too. What a surprise for the Zone Leaders. With that many people to talk to, I should have some good experiences this week. 

I've been reading a book called "The Power of Everyday Missionaries." The principles are wonderful for member missionaries and full-time ones too. There are a lot of good things I'm learning that I plan to use here to work with members and in our teaching. 

I recommend studying it and trying the things the author suggests. He cites numerous stories the really are miraculous. Remember that faith precedes the miracle and faith without works is dead. Ou seja, we need to work if we want to see miracles.

We can learn this in the example of the Brother of Jared. In Ether 2:16, The Lord says, "Go to work" and the Brother of Jared, "did go to work, and also his brethren." They followed the commandment of the Lord. When they arrived at the point that they could do no more, (as John Bytheway says, "listen with your spiritual ears" here) they asked the Lord to provide the miracles of touching the stones with His finger. This reflects a phrase that we use a lot in Brazil, "dá umjeito" that translates as "find a way." What it literally translates to is "give a way" or "do everything you can to provide the way". It is this that the Brother of Jared did. The Lord asked him, "what would you have me do?" and the Brother of Jared did some thinking and "did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones." He gave the Lord a way to perform a miracle.

I believe that many times we can make performing a miracle more difficult or easier for the Lord. We are the instruments in His hands. Imagine how difficult it would be to build a house if every time you tried to hit a nail with a hammer, the hammer turned to the side or even jumped out of your hand. We can be a rebellious hammer, or an obedient hammer. 

We can better ourselves even more if we make ourselves more sensitive to His touch. We can be as precise and useful as the surgeon's scalpel in the hands of the Lord, but we need to do the refining and sharpening and we must maintain that blade sharp and clean. The surgeon probably won't use a dull blade in a heart surgery, let alone a rusty one. We must be pure, sensitive, and receptive to the guidance of the Spirit if we want to help the Lord perform miracles.

His work and His glory is to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man and he lets us help if we are found worthy. "And faith, hope, charity, and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work." Our focus has to be His Glory, and we already know what that glory is. 

The act of sharpening must be unpleasant for the blade. It scrapes the blade. The blade loses parts of itself. The blade is repeatedly dragged against something harder than it is that it may be refined and useful. If we don't let ourselves be sharpened, we are not useful.

Let's all be well sharpened instruments in the Lord's hands.

I love you all.

Elder Dickson

Here's a picture with myself, Elder Cotton (from Texas), Elder Barnes (from Kansas), and Elder Souza.

Montenegro

Week #48

Hello Everybody!

I am now in the the city of Montenegro. I don't really understand the name. There aren't really mountains here, just big hills in the middle of the city. I like it here. It's not hot, it's getting a little bit colder and the rain is incredible. Lots of rain. Tons of rain. Rain and more rain. Winter in the south of Brazil should be fun.

Great, not a whole lot to say this week. I'm lost in another city, but my companion and I have already met. Elder Souza is from Fortaleza and we lived in the same house in Osório a few transfers ago. He's a lot more friendly than I am with members and investigators. 

Montenegro is a little bit more difficult than Osório. The people are a little more closed off and don't really like to accept us. In Osório usually every few houses we could teach somebody. Here, 20 houses might yield 2 lessons and the people don't really want to listen, but we met a young woman yesterday that may be baptized this week. 

It's always wonderful to hear stories of missionary efforts at home. Yesterday we did a split with two priests of the ward here. The Lord is preparing His army. The youth already know how to teach, testify, and invite. They just need opportunity to practice. Seek ye learning, be courageous. 

Until next week. 

Elder Dickson