(Aug 6 2015)

This week has been awesome, I have begun to understand that WHENEVER I am having negative feelings towards anything, In ANY type of way, it is because of my OWN selfishness. I was in personal coaching with one my my instructors today, Bratr Knapp asked me what I thought would be good for me to work on. I told him that I feel like I want to be able to Love the people and Love my "investigators" more. I feel like I have a genuine love for the whole of mankind, however I also know that when things seem difficult it is easy for me to think inward and not outward, thus making myself feel worse. It was suggested that I read Moroni Chapter Seven, and on my own time, during Personal Study time, I did just that. As I read, I realized that this section of scripture is speaking directly to every member of the Church who is diligently seeking to do what is right but Just needs some extra help from above... that means ALL OF US. Moroni is telling us about the words of his father Mormon, and confirms to us once again and with great power the fact the Miracles have not ceased Today; angels STILL continue to minister to the children of men. The Lord is not just sitting around, now that his Atonement is Complete, and just waiting for this all to come to an end, HE IS STILL engaged in the work, and HE IS STILL pouring HIS love out unto his people, all the children of God. After confirming this truth, Moroni tells us about Charity, and how it suffers long, believeth all things, and hopeth all things and endureth all things. Charity is not puffed up, Thinketh no evil, and envieth not. Charity is the pure love of Christ, and those found possessing it at The Last Day, it shall be well with him, is what Moroni tells us. The chapter ends by saying that we must Pray with all purpose of heart, pray to our Father who knows all things that we may obtain this Charity, which is the Pure love of Christ. I did that, immediately after reading this chapter and I am so glad that I did so. I believe that The Lord has been preparing me to see and understand this principle of Charity more and more over the last several days and likely for much Longer. The same day that I read this chapter, BEFORE I read the chapter, I went to lunch and was just getting ready to get some of this "delicious" MTC food, and I found myself Looking around at the people in the cafeteria. As I looked, I saw/felt in each of them they were Children of God; that God actually cared about them, and that he knew them, and that He creates all these rules that need to be followed, and has organized this MTC training ground so that we can be prepared to be his servants. I looked and saw so many people with their minds focused on simply getting food. How oblivious we are, all the time, of something that is MUCH greater than any of us can ever truly understand until after this life. And yet, we're supposed to teach that to the other Children of God... how are we supposed to do that? The answer came to me, and I'm still certain that I still don't have all of the answer, but as stated in my Blessing, "you will have that which will be sufficient for you." and for now, This testimony is all that I need, that... I know that Charity is the ONLY way that we can successfully teach our brothers and sisters, we are all struggling with different things, but if we forget ourselves and just Go to Work, we will bless the lives of others, and we will be able to help those who don't know where to find the help they need. I have no doubt in my mind that everyone on the planet is struggling with something that God can, and WANTS to help them with! This is my Testimony of Charity, and I pray every day that I can obtain it, and In doing so, I pray for others more than I pray for myself, which has brought me nothing but joy in regards to that. This is my weekly email, I'm gonna send it to more than just you MOM and DAD, because I feel like I also want Ethan and Chandler to here these words, please forgive me. But I say these things the same way I would say them to you, or to anybody else, including that I Love you, and that I pray for you always. Mom, Dad, thank you for your prayers, your son is beginning to understand once again, why he is here. To all those whom I care about, and especially to those who have given up their son to the Lord for a time, I love you. Elder Dean