Howdy and Hello!
Surprise news! We have a baptism coming up this Saturday, the 10th!
You may be tempted to say "Now Elder Sumsion, why didn't you tell us about this sooner?"
The reason why is because he committed to be baptized that day yesterday haha :D
Here is the story.
Brother J is married to a member and they have three baptized children. His wife has been a member all growing up. Sister J has been wanting very much for him to be baptized and to join the church. Brother J wants to be baptized. In November when his son was being baptized he wanted to get into the water that day. He felt so good about it as he was helping his son get ready.
We met with him and his family one evening because we heard about his experience and his desire. He talked to us about that experience and that he wanted to baptized. He is super golden.
While on exchanges with the Zone Leaders, Elder Graham and Elder Wilcox, visited him again. They had a super powerful lesson where they were able to address his concern and bear powerful testimony. One of his concerns was that he didn't feel like he was fully repented and didn't fully understand the atonement. He had tried to give up addiction before, but succumbed to it after he told Heavenly Father that he wouldn't do it again. He felt bad and guilty and that he had lied to Him. They bore testimony about the Atonement and that he was forgiven as long as he repented sincerely. He could be free from these addictions. He could break this "flaxen cord" that bound him, because Jesus Christ had lived, suffered, and died so that he could.
They invited him to pray about a date.
Elder Graham and I had our follow up appointment/dinner with them yesterday. Our Ward Mission Leader came with us. Our WML is solid and super committed to the work. He gets it and is very inspiring.
We started with the plan of salvation and talked about the Atonement section. We testified about it again, reminding him about what had been said. We followed up on the commitment for them to pray and he said February 5th. He wanted to get baptized soon and he thought that was pretty close to the soonest he could do it. Our WML is a bold man and invited him to a closer date, January 17th. Brother J was willing and our WML went sooner. Brother J accepted and is super duper excited about it! He felt good. The spirit was there and present. Elder Graham and I have some solid work we need to do with him before Saturday. It is all so great.
Hope that all made sense :D
I hope you thought about the idea last week.
Heavenly Father owns everything. He controls it all. Except our agency. We can give him time, but it is still his. We can give him our tithing, but that's only 10% of what is already his. The only true gift that we can give him that he does not already have is our will/agency/choices. That is consecration. Giving our will to God.
Give something up for God this year. Choose one better thing to do. Do one more thing that will help you become more Christlike.
And after you have chosen that one thing, make a plan on how to give it up.
Then ACT.
I love you all. I love being on a mission. It is the hardest thing I have ever done in life, but it is also the best thing I have ever done.
Love,
Elder Sumsion
Small World Moment:
We went and visited the Fulton's and when I said I was from Provo, Sister Fulton asked me if I knew any Duncan's. Sister Fulton is Emily Duncan's, one of my friends from choir, cousin.
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