June 23, 2014

Elder Low's report:

This week I read in Alma 53. I did it because I was trying to study how it was that I could better follow my leaders and apply their trainings and the revelation they had received for us. In this chapter, to defend the commitment that the people of Ammon had made to not take up arms with the Lord as a result of the revelation that their leaders had received, and to defend their freedom, their sons take up their arms instead. They did it because they believed the words of their leaders, and their parents concerning God and eternal life, even to the point that they asked Helaman (not a military man, a lot more like a young men’s leader) to lead them. They knew that for it they would be blessed, that following the council of God's servant could not lead them astray. In verses 20 and 21 they are described:

20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.

This week we were very excited to go to the temple, and the question, of what were we willing to do to qualify for the greatest revelatory temple experience sunk deep into our hearts. We knew that as we were going to the house of God we had to prepare, and that the Lord would help us prepare. We started working hard in the beginning of the week and by the Thursday before the temple (to happen the next day) we had lots of people to work with and to follow up with, but unfortunately that day we were having a hard time seeing anybody. On top of that it rained the entire day. Finally we came to a point in our day when we had nothing left to do. As we stood near our bikes unlocking them and getting ready to go farther down south, the thought came into our minds to go to the part member house behind us, knock on the door and to invite the nonmember in the house who would answer, whom I knew but had never taught, to be baptized. We stood and thought about it, prayed about it, and decided to follow. We came to the door. The man answered. We told him we had felt inspired from God to come to his door with to invite him to be baptized. He invited us in, and confided in us that he had just been praying to God. He knew that we were the answer to his prayer, and stated he knew he needed to be baptized. The next day in the temple I felt humbled, knowing the Lord had led us, and that had we not followed the call to prepare for the temple, we would have answered no such prayer.

I have felt the power of God in my life president on my mission. I have felt the reality of the priesthood authority which I hold, and had confirmed to me of the reality of the callings of my leaders. Because of the revelation which my mission president has been worthy to receive, it has changed my life, and been a tool in the Lord's hand in helping to bring my soul unto salvation. I know that God has restored this church. I know as we humble ourselves before God and those he has called to lead us we will be blessed, becoming the kind of men, Christ wants us to be.

Elder Low