His Grace *IS* Sufficient

Last week, my bishop gave me a book to read called, "Believing Christ" by Stephen E. Robinson. It talks about the difference between believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the World, and believing that He really can save us. Its the difference between believing in Christ, and believing Him. That is, believing Him when He says that His grace is sufficient for us.  That through Him we can be justified and made perfect.

He shares a lot of great parables that teach how Christ saves us. They all boil down to us entering into a partnership with Christ. We are the junior partners, with very little to offer. In fact, we have great debts that we need to pay off. When we enter into that partnership with Christ, His assests immediately pay off those debts, and we become a single entity which is immediately justified. This is what Moroni means when He speaks of becoming perfect in Christ (Moro. 10:32-33). Individually, we are still imperfect, but together with Christ we become perfect as He immediately makes up the difference. 

I've been thinking a lot about that this week. Could it really be that as soon as I choose to truly exercise faith in Christ and accept Him as my Savior I could be perfect in Him? As I came to understand that, I became very anxious to partake of the sacrament and renew that partnership with Him. 

I went hometeaching today for the first time in 3 years, and left feeling the best I've felt since being a missionary. I didn't teach perfectly, but I knew that I only had to put forth my effort, and that would be enough. And as I relied on the Savior for the rest, it became a wonderfully uplifting experience.

I know that the plan of redemption can take immediate effect in our lives as soon as we fully put our trust in the love and power of our Savior to make us whole. He lives, His grace is sufficient, and as we strive to improve we can rest certain in the knowledge that our mistakes are ultimately beneficial when we are yoked with our Savior.

I'm back! Onward and upward!

Well, I've been thinking on and off about starting up my blog again for the last couple months since getting back.  I just never get around to it.

There is so much I could write about.  It's amazing to me that I've only been back from my mission about 2 1/2 months.  It feels like a year.  So much has happened!  I worked during December, started going back to Snow College after receiving a great scholarship offer from the music department, started dating again (a bit), got my own phone, and was called to be Ward Mission Leader in my YSA ward to list a few things.  It's been a good couple months!

One of my institute teachers likes to say, "Your mission was a wonderful introduction to the foothills of the Spiritual Himalayans of your life."  I've heard many times that if we are asked to share a spiritual experience and the most recent one we can think of was from our mission, then something is wrong.  We are supposed to be continually progressing.  A mission is not a final destination, rather "a spring board to every other good thing in your life," as my mission president liked to say.

So that's my challenge.  I'm trying to keep having spiritual experiences like I did as a missionary.  It's hard.  I was encouraged by a recent lesson in institute.  My teacher explained that this mortal journey is like a journey through a desert.  Eventually, we come to an oasis with a couple tress and a small stream.  It's a wonderful time! All our prayers are being answered, we're feeling the spirit often, keeping the commandments is easier than ever.  But we're not meant to stay there, and Heavenly Father soon kicks us back out into the desert.  What we can't see is that a little ways ahead is another spiritual oasis, this one with more trees and more streams.  And beyond that one, another even better.  However, the journey between oasis's is hard.  There seems to be a "brass ceiling" between us and Heaven.  Why aren't our prayers being answered as easily as before?  Why are we struggling so much more with temptation?  Are we doing something wrong?

Not always.  The thing is, Heavenly Father wants us to become better, stronger, more like He is.  So He asks us to give more effort to receive the answers, he lets us wander in the desert to try our faith and see if we will stay faithful despite no additional confirmations that it is still the right thing to do.  The more we progress in our journey, the longer those stints in the desert become.  Sometimes, they last decades. But if we will keep pressing forward in faith and allow ourselves to be stretched, we will reach those oasis's and eventually our final destination.

For those with faith in Christ, there are good things to come.  I know this is true.  If you're struggling, hang in there, hold on to your faith, and know that God has a grand plan just for you.  

Final Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/17/14 Here We Go!

Wow.  Two years just flew by.  I can't believe that I'm coming to this point.  I always knew it would come, but it still seems so far away.  

I had the privilege of bearing a departing testimony at our stake fireside last night.  I love my Hispanic brothers and sisters!  I am so thankful for the opportunity I was given to serve them.  I had many members come up to me last night to thank me and I felt so much love from them.  I'm so grateful for Facebook!  I will certainly be  keeping in contact with all of them.  What a blessing!

I know that this is God's work.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that through Him we can change and become like He is.  I know God has a plna for us and that as we strive to be our best, all of His promises will be fulfilled.  Again, I am so grateful for the privilege I've had of serving.  I know that this is just the beginning.  I have a whole life to fill with service, with growth, with blessings.  I'm excited!

I love you all and will see many of you soon!

Love,

Elder Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/10/14 Here we go!

Well, here goes.  Last full week.  Last week was a good one.  The only down side is we had no lessons with members present.  However, the Priesthood was called to repentance by our ward mission leader and the high priest group leader and we several people signed up to go out with us this week and a couple more who said they were going to look at their schedules.  The ward really is very willing to help out we just have never been able to find a super effective way to coordinate our efforts and our schedules.  

Saturday night we finally got to see an investigator we hadn't seen for several weeks, J.  He was discouraged and frustrated because he recognizes he's not living right, he fears what will happen if he were to die right now, and when he shares that with his friends and family and in a way calls them to repentance they just laugh at him.  He also said he gets frustrated because people see the Mormons as a different religion, "like they worship another God.  But it's the same God!  They just have another side to it."  He says he wants to make changes in his life but he feels no support from anyone.  We encouraged him, promised our support and God's, and he accepted to get married and baptized by December 13th.  He came to church the next day and we have a return appointment tomorrow.  I think he's finally hit the point where he is ready to do whatever it takes to get right with God.  I'm excited for him!

V has been telling everyone about his baptism in two weeks.  He didn't make it to church because he got called into work, but it sounds like he has every intention of making it to that baptismal date.  We just need to follow up on smoking every day and make sure he stays strong.  

I wanted to share some of my feelings about family history for a moment.  Last week we took some time to be on family search and I found three names to do temple work for.  Just like that!  When was the last time you were on familysearch?  We had a training on it last week.  A few months ago there would be changes all the time but recently those have slowed down.  It's about as good as it's going to get.  And trust me, it's good!  Now-a-days you can do so much just from your computer.  You can search records, index (they're adding 1.7 million names a day) and don't assume that because you looked before and didn't find anything that you wont' find anything now.  Italy recently asked the church to photograph all of their records.  That's 200 million names.  200 million people who are waiting for their work to be done.  200 MILLION!!  So get on familysearch, ask your family history consultant what you can do, and go do some work of salvation!  We're finding more veery day.  

This is going to be a good week.  Good things are going to happen.  Hope you all have a great one as well!

Love,

Elder Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/3/14 Sprinting to the End

Hello family and friends!

This is suddenly becoming very real.  I got my flight plans this week, the schedule for my last day in the field, and various instructions for things I need to take care of.  I just had my last fast and testimony meeting as a full-time missionary.  I'm running out of time!  

We had a fun ward Halloween activity on Thursday.  There was a carne asada cook-off (it was fantastic!), games for the kids, a cakewalk, a hay ride, a costume contest and then a trunk-or-treat (we left before that part though).  On Friday we had to be in our apartments by 6.  Then it poured!!  I think it rained all that night.  It was so great.  California really needs the rain.  

We had a wonderful elderly couple come to church yesterday. Their names are F and C. I was very surprised when they committed to come because they had recently expressed to us that they aren't going to change religions and C doesn't even go to mass anymore because she has trouble walking. But they came! Sadly the only other person who came was A. V and his family didn't come, but we had a great lesson with them on Tuesday. His wife and daughter said that they will also eventually get baptized, just not this month. She loved church last week, especially a special musical number the missionaries sang (Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning). 

We found out yesterday that we're getting the car taken away tomorrow.  Some sister missionaries need it.  But it's all good because I'm definitely not going to be gaining any weight the next couple weeks!
I'd like to share part of my testimony:
I have made a lot of mistakes, not only on my mission but throughout my life. Often I am very tempted to dwell on those mistakes and weaknesses. I feel frustrated that I'm still not perfect, that I still have many of the same character faults, weaknesses and temptations that I have always struggled with. But I know this: What matters is not how many times we fall but how many times we rise up. I can start right here where I'm at and do better today. Why?
Because Jesus Christ suffered and died for me. he suffered the consequences of my poor choices so that i could try again. Because of Him we are free to choose life and liberty or captivity and death. While there is breath left in me I can and will choose to serve him THIS day. I don't need to worry about yesterday or tomorrow. THIS day I choose to serve Him.
I know that I am weak. But I know God is my Father. I know His Beloved son died for me. I know that by the power of the Holy Ghost. I know by that same spirit that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that through the Prophet Joseph Smith God began to restore His church and gospel to the earth. I know that as we strive to live that gospel, as we come unto Christ, through faith, repentance, covenants, receiving the Spirit and enduring to the end, weak things will be made strong by Him.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 10/27/14 Serve!

V came to church yesterday with his wife and daughter!! He is super excited about his baptismal date on the 22nd. They had to leave right after but he said that they will stay all three hours next week. We are going to see himTuesday or Wednesday this week. 
Sadly, no one else came to church including recent converts. It was a strange day. Oh, except for one very special sister, P. She's 84 and hasn't been to church for a few months because she's always feeling sick. But she had lost something important and couldn't find it and she told Heavenly Father in a prayer that she would go to church five times if she could find it. And right after that she did! So she's been making a real effort to be able to come. She's so awesome!
We've been really struggling at getting members to lessons with investigators and finding new investigators. Our ward mission leader should be coming with us to visit V this week and we're going to try and find a member to come out with us each day this week. We're also going to make finding time more of a priority in our planning. 
I feel ready for these last three weeks. It's time for a sprint to the finish. I don't want to have any regrets my last day.

I would just like to testify of the principle of repentance.  I also went to share my thoughts on 3 Nephi 11:30-41.  The doctrine of Christ is simple.  Those who have faith in Him, repent, are baptized,  receive the Holy Ghost and endure to the end will be saved.  They will receive eternal life.  What is eternal life?  "That they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).  What does it mean to know them? "That they all may beone; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us" (John 17:21).  The goal is to be completely united with our Father and His Son and then to be united with each other.  To become of one heart and one mind.  Only then will Zion be established (see Moses 7:18).  How is that accomplished?  I believe it is in losing our lives in service.  When we seek to serve others to glorify our Father, we become more like Him and we help others to get closer to him as well.  
So go out and serve someone!  Do good!  Be good.  Let go of your will and seek His.  You will see miracles.  I promise.
I love you all!  I hope you have a wonderful week.
Love,
Elder Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 10/1314 Going Strong!

A got baptized yesterday! It was really good. I can see her serving a mission one day. I love that family. C reset her baptismal date. She wants to shoot for November 16. I think the fact that I'm leaving will help her do everything she can to get her situation worked out so she can get baptized before that. Her boyfriend has been bringing a lot of opposition into her life but for the most part it only seems to be strengthening her resolve. 

We had a good lesson last night with V's wife. Apparently he's been going to his AA classes every day and doesn't get back until nine. Except Thursdays! So we should be seeing him then. In our lesson with N (his wife), we reviewed the importance of the Book of Mormon and read Moroni 10:3-5 with her. She opened up to us and shared all her doubts about how she finds it confusing because it's difficult to leave the Catholic church but believes it's possible that the truth is in this one. She said that all she wants is for her family to be united. She's the only one that goes to Catholic church. She said that if V will commit to our church, going every Sunday and such, that she will follow. We want to talk with them on Thursday about eternal families and being able to be sealed together in the temple.

At random moments it hits me that this is it. This is the end stretch. And maybe I'm crazy, but I've been praying for God to give me experiences to help me grow and progress, "mountains to climb" if you will. They've been coming, I feel like I'm seeing more of my weaknesses than ever, but recognizing that God is just answering my prayers gives me strength to face those trials and weaknesses with determination to rely on the enabling power of Jesus Christ to overcome them. I've noticed that when I struggle most is when I start focusing more on myself. When I'm doing really well it's because I'm focused on the people we're teaching, members, my companion, and other missionaries.

Tomorrow we are going to be having a conference with Elder Nielson from the quorum of the seventy.  He asked us to read a couple talks by Elder Bednar beforehand about the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I love this topic.  If you can I strongly suggest reading "Bear up their burdens with ease" and "The enabling power of the atonement" both by Elder Bednar.  I know that the Atonement is not just for cleansing us from sin, but strengthening us to bear up our burdens, overcome our weaknesses, and become better disciples of Christ.  

I love you all!  Hope you have a great week!

Love,
Elder Lofthouse