By small and simple things

Jonathan Miller

 

 

6:35 PM

 

 

To: Tori Pickens, Sister Markel, Sister LeDoux, Sister Gibson, Sister Burdett, Sister Bishop, Mom, Melissa, Elder Wells, Elder Thornley, Elder Rimer, Elder Prior, Elder Oswald, Elder Martell, Elder Hornbeck, Dad, Brother Tinsley

Hi everyone!
This week has been great! This area is super busy, and we are looking
at having two baptisms this next week. Good things are happening.
So, this is my last full week in the Utah, St. George Mission. On the
1st, I will be a Provo missionary. I'll try not to break anything
(like the mission, for example). Anyway, next week we will have
interviews with the new mission President. That is both exciting and
terrifying. What will he be like? What kind of rules will he make for
the mission? What kind of person is he? Naturally, we are all a little
curious. But, of course, no matter what he is like, he has been called
of God to be the Provo Mission President, and that is enough for me.
The Mormon Miracle Pageant is going on this week. I have never seen
it, but I have heard about how great it is. We will be going down to
Manti on Friday to see it, and I am super excited. We went on
Saturday, but we just stayed to greet people; we left before it
started.
Something happened yesterday, that has happened a thousand times, but
for some reason really struck me this time. We went to contact an
inactive man, who told us to go away, and said something to the effect
of, "I served a mission; I know what it is all about; leave me alone."
Seeing that tore me up inside. This man had been exactly where I am
right now, with the fire of the spirit burning in his soul, testifying
to the world of the truth of the Gospel. What on earth happened to
cause such a change? The answer: very little.
This past week was zone conference, and our mission President spoke to
us about obedience. He talked about the very little things, that over
time cause a huge change in us. Daily prayer, scripture study, the
small acts of obedience, will over time transform us into sanctified
disciples of Jesus Christ. On the flip side, failing to do those
things will over time degrade us to the point that we will lose the
spirit. When that happens, our vision becomes clouded, and the
adversary easily leads us away from our Father in Heaven.
So when the time comes to choose, we absolutely cannot afford to move
even an inch! Because one bad choice becomes two, then a dozen. You
know what happens to a snowball when it rolls down a hill.
The Savior has commissioned us to be perfect, even as He and the
Father are perfect. Obviously, none of us are, but should that keep us
from trying? Will we ever be perfect if we never try? Of course not.
Perfection may not be possible through our own power, but as we deny
ourselves of ALL ungodliness and offer our WHOLE souls as an offering
unto God, then we are perfected through the power of the Atonement.
Nothing less will work.
This is coming from a person who is anything but perfect. I know
exactly how hard it is. But is it worth the effort? Is it worth the
pain? Absolutely. The cost is nothing when compared to the reward:
everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God.
I love all of you. When I get to that place that God has prepared, it
is the wish of my heart to see everyone I love there. And I know that
it is through obedience to all of God's commandments that we can all
be there one day.
Elder Miller

Hiya!

That's "hi, how are ya", not the death cry of a ninja warrior. 

This has been a great week. I have to say, I felt kinda weird packing up all my stuff to move across town. But it has turned out to be a great experience. The work is going really well in this area. There are so many opportunities to teach and serve. We had the opportunity to help out with a fence building project up in the mountains. That sound kinda epic; "In the mountains". I tell you what, though, I didn't feel epic climbing that last slope. I wanted to curl up and die. Its amazing how little energy you have in a low oxygen environment. 

On a more spiritual note, I have gained a greater testimony of the healing and converting power that service has, both on those serving, and those being served. We also had the chance to help an inactive man. All we did was hang some kitchen cabinets for him. But that man came back to church this last Sunday, for the first time in over fifty years.

I worry that sometimes we think that the work of salvation is too hard. How can we, through our own efforts, help others to come unto Christ? Well, that's the whole point, isn't it? If we try to do the Lord's work on our own, how would we ever succeed? Who in their right mind would send out a bunch of 18+ year old's to share the gospel with the world, if the work depended on their own strength and abilities? The work would be doomed.

But the Lord's work is just that; His. He stands at the helm. I will admit, there are moments when the work is hard. There are times that the Lord needs to teach us a lesson. But never, for even a brief moment, believe that we are shouldering this work alone. We may at times look around, and all we can see is the talents and abilities of others, and the fruit of their efforts. But when the Lord of the Vineyard called His laborers at the end of the day, to give them their wage, who received more? No one. All were rewarded equally, because each had done the duty assigned to him, and had labored while the day lasted. So it is with us. We are the laborers, and we have each been given a work to do. No matter how "great" or "small" that work is, if we do our part, the reward is the same: everlasting salvation in the Kingdom of Heaven. I know that these things are true, and I bear that witness in the name of the Lord of the Vineyard, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Elder Miller

Hi, y'all!
So, this is an interesting development. Here goes: with the creation
of the new Utah Orem Mission, the boundaries of several missions are
being redrawn. As a result, missionaries are moving, and basically a
lot of people are freaking out. But as of July 1st, I will be serving
in the Utah Provo Mission! To those of you who are saying "okay, so?"
let me just say that this is a huge deal for missionaries in the
field. My mission call is essentially being changed.
I have to say that I was freaking out at first, but the Lord has
blessed me with peace. He really does hear prayers, and, as He
promised His Apostles, He does not leave us comfortless (John
14:18,26-27). And now, as I am undergoing such a big change, with new
leadership, new mission rules, new goals, new expectations, I feel at
peace about all of it. And I know that it comes through faith in the
Savior, however small that faith may be. I know that He is in control,
and that He is watching over each of us. All we have to do is trust
Him, and He will lead us, and we will know that we are led by Him.
As far as transfers go, I am being transferred. I actually think that
it's kinda funny. I am being transferred all the way to Nephi South
Stake. So I have to pack all my stuff to move 5 minutes to the South.
Nice; I can't wait. My new companion will be Elder Slate, from North
Carolina. I've met him before, and he is a pretty cool Elder. I'm
excited.
Love you all. Next email will be from the Provo Mission.
Elder Miller