Nephi

Jonathan Miller

 

 

8/17/15

 

 

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

Howdy!!!
It has been sooooo long since I have written everybody, and for that,
I apologize. I am trying to repent of that.
Quick update: I am still serving in Nephi. I have been here for almost
4 months. I am driving a Toyota Corolla (#no acceleration), and my
companion is Elder Hamilton. He is from Houston, Texas, and he has
been on his mission for 21 months. It has been a lot of fun working
with him.
This area has had its ups and downs since I got here. There have been
times of great productivity, and there have been times when there has
been a bit of a famine. This is one of those times when things are
flourishing. We have around 50 people that we are actively teaching,
with a lot more prospects on the horizon. The Lord is blessing this
area, far more than Elder Hamilton and I have earned.
It has been amazing to see the tender mercies of the Lord as I have
been here, especially during the down times. It was harder to see them
then, but looking back now, the Lord has had His hand in the work the
whole time. It reminds me of, in the Book of Mormon, when Ammon was
giving a summary of their mission to Lamanites. He talked about the
times when there hearts were depressed, and when they desired to turn
back. There have been a few times when I was just about to hit bottom,
and then something would happen; I would meet someone, or teach a
lesson, or hear a talk in sacrament meeting, that was exactly what I
needed to keep going. Often times, those tender mercies come so gently
that we have trouble recognizing them. But as we pray for the Lord to
open our eyes, He does. And then we see just how much He cares. And it
is such a humbling experience.
That is what I have been experiencing the most. The adversary is all
about the noise, the distractions, the bright colors. The Lord works
quietly, gently, sometimes even anonymously. As we serve others the
way that He serves us, we come to know Him better, and we become more
like Him.
I love you all.
Elder Miller

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

Yes, I have already been gone for over four months. I can't believe
it. I know I still have a long way to go, but still; four months. 1/6
of my mission.
Let's recap. No, their is too much. Let me sum up.
It's amazing how much you learn on a mission. Not just about the
Gospel, but about life in general. For example, if you already are
feeling ready to burst, and you still have half of the burger; save it
for later. Don't try to finish it.
Seriously, though. I have learned so much about myself, and about
other people. Most of all, though, I have learned about the Lord. The
more I learn about Him, the more I realize how little I comprehend
Him. But that does not mean that I cannot love Him with all my heart,
or that He does not love me. Because He does. He loves each of us;
personally, individually and perfectly. It also does not mean that we
cannot come to know Him.
I would like to relate an allegory. Some of you may have heard it,
some not. I may have told it before, I can't remember. But when I
heard this story my mind caught hold of it like a steel trap. And it
has resonated with me to this day. The story is called: The
Interviewer.

Two men were called into an office, one by one, for an interview. The
first came in and sat down in front of the desk.
"Well", the man behind the desk said, "what do you know of Jesus Christ?"
Surprised, the first man responded. "I know that He was born in
Bethlehem, of the virgin, Mary. I know that a new star appeared, and
that angels heralded His birth, and shepherds worshipped Him."
"Very good," the interviewer said, "But what do you know of Him?"
"I know that He was baptized by John the Baptist. I know that He
taught the sinners, healed the sick, and raised the dead. I know that
He called Apostles, and sent them to testify of Him."
"Very good, but what do you know of Him?"
Now perplexed, the man continued. "Know that He suffered for our sins.
He was crucified, laid in a tomb, and resurrected on the third day. I
know that He lives."
The Interviewer nodded encouragingly. "Very, very good. But what do
YOU KNOW of Him?"
The man had nothing left to say. He had exhausted his knowledge of
Jesus Christ. He left the office, wondering how he had not answered
the question correctly.
The second man entered the room. The chair was instantly forgotten.
Upon seeing the Interviewer, he fell to his knees, exclaiming in
wondering awe, "My Lord, my God."

What can be learned from this story? I won't tell anyone what it
means, because every time I read it, I learn something new. I will say
this: I want to be second man. It is my greatest wish to stand before
my Lord, and to know Him immediately as my Savior. And by living the
way that He wants me to live, doing what He would have me do, and
becoming, through his grace, who He would have me be, I have faith
that I will know Him the way He would have me know Him.
I love you all.
Elder Miller

er give up

Hey!
Greetings from Nephi, Utah!
This week has gone really well. It has actually been raining for over
a week here! People must have been praying extra hard, because it is
starting to feel a little humid here. It looks like it might rain
today as well.
We had a baptism on Saturday. Our investigator, was only nine years
old, but I have never met a sharper kid in my life. When he bore his
testimony, the spirit filled the room. He was baptized only two weeks
after we met him.
There was another event this week, very different circumstances but
equally amazing. One of the investigators from my last area was
baptized. She has been meeting with missionaries for five years, and
two days ago she was finally able to enter the waters of baptism. My
heart goes out to those many missionaries who have taught her over the
long process of her conversion, and I thank my Heavenly Father for
them. The scriptures teach that the worth of souls is great in the
eyes of God. I know that this is true. I know that she is a beloved
daughter of God, and that the Angels rejoiced when she was baptized.
We all know someone who is struggling in life. We all know someone who
could be blessed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we all know
someone who we think will never come unto Christ. But I know that the
Lord sees those people differently. He sees their potential. And He
will never write them off. He will never give up on them. And neither
should we. Those people are precious children of God, and as we come
to truly see them that way, then we can love them the way the Lord
loves them, serve them the way He would, and be led by the spirit to
help them on the long journey back to their Father in Heaven. All we
have to do is never give up on them.
I love you all
Elder Miller

  

This week has been good. This area is so different from Cedar. In answer to your question, reopening an area is hard. We have to sort of jump start the area, get the excitement up, dispel discouragement from the members, and get the work flowing again. My new companiado is Elder Urbina. He is from Miami, and he has served in this area before. He was here when they closed it. We are really short on missionaries right now, so some areas had to be closed to reopen this area.

Speaking of bikes, I will be using one of the mission bikes up here in this area. This whole experience is entirely new to me. I have really begun to appreciate the challenges that missionary work presents. I can feel myself growing, becoming stronger as new struggles arise and are overcome. I'm not to the point where I am praying for challenges, but I see them in a new light. I recently saw a Mormon message called the refiners fire. That video really strengthened my testimony of the purifying power of adversity. I know that the challenges we face in life are consecrated by the Lord, and help us to become the people that our Father in Heaven wants us to become. How will we ever learn our true potential if we are never stretched?

The weather is warming up here as well. We got to help an elderly Sister get her garden area ready to plant. One of the sisters in this stake has Nubian goats, so that was really fun. We are going down to Ephriam today to play football with the zone.