Sunday, August 31, 2014

A Thinking Week


Dear Family and Friends!

This week has been a thinking week.  The area we have been working with has just felt like it is at a stale-mate, so Elder Wolfley and I were determined to change that.  We wanted to come up with a game plan each week, and I quite enjoyed what we came up with, so I thought I might share it with you!

Something we talk about a lot out here is being a consecrated missionary, and in most of our minds we make that out to mean that we need to be the perfect missionary.  We can't make mistakes, and we have to be exactly obedient. Unfortunately when we have that mindset we tend to become overly stressed, and then just give up. So Elder Wolfley and I came up on a solution.

If you remember in Matthew 19:16-22 a young man has kept all the commandments, and he wants to know what more he needs to do, perhaps expecting Christ to tell him his work is done. The response in verse 21 is where we focused though, because Christ told him if he wants to be perfect he must give up everything and come follow Him. Unfortunately the young man decides he would rather have his wealth. The part that stood out to me though is that if you look at the footnotes you see that for perfect, it sends you to the Topical Guide for commitment....

Long studies short, Elder Wolfley and I agreed that in this world we will all make mistakes, it's inevitable. We can't be "perfect" in the world’s eyes. However, Christ has provided the Atonement so that we don't need to stress about not being perfect to the world. Rather our perfection, for lack of a better word, would be based on our commitment. If we are willing to try each day to do something better, and we rely on the Atonement, we are made perfect each day.

Am I crazy? Probably.  But we've measured our success now by looking at each day and seeing if we've done better, and it worked. Not only were we happier in general, but everything else actually increased as well!

I loved my studies this week, I could share so much more, but I know most of you would get pretty bored!

Nothing too exciting happened this week. I love my mission though.  I love the ward and I am in love with the scriptures!

All in all it was a great week. Transfers come up here this week, but I doubt much is going to change up here, but you never know!

Love you all heaps!

Love Elder Gibb

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