Finding Joy in the Work
Former BYU Professor Dennis Rasmussen was
invited to study at the Jewish Theological Seminary, a few blocks from where
President Galli and I lived years ago with our little girls in New York City.
On the first day of the semester, Rabbi
Muffs said, “I
believe that joy is the essence of religion. There is nothing more fundamental
to religious living than joy. … I am working on a book about joy.”
Brother
Rasmussen responded, “There’s a passage in the Book of Mormon … ,
‘Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy’” (2 Ne.
2:25). Rabbi
Muffs was profoundly touched and exclaimed, “I’ve found the text I’ve searched
for all my life … in the Book of Mormon.”[1]
As the
Lord’s disciples, we are blessed to live with the expectation of joy. We understand that joy is our Father’s goal
for us. Not just joy in some distant heaven, but joy on earth. How do we find
that joy as missionaries?
Here are
some of my thoughts. What works for you?
Manage Expectations Recently I as spoke with one of our
missionaries, she mentioned that it was harder for her to find happiness in the
mission because there were few big events followed by a nice rest: no final
performance, championship game, or even end of the semester. I know what she
means!
The
mission keeps going, day after day. How can we find joy in this situation? Do
we sometimes wait to find joy at the end of struggle, instead of capturing it the
middle? I’ve been amazed at the Savior’s
ability to find joy in the midst of difficulty.
He said: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer
[now]; I have overcome the world.”[2] Our father Adam exclaimed, “Blessed be the
name of God, for because of my ctransgression my deyes are opened, and in this
life I shall have ejoy.”[3] What
expectations could we adjust so that we could find the joy available to us in a
world with sorrow, too? 
As
missionaries, could we find joy in the happiness or accomplishments of others? In
a small task completed, a promise kept, an improved relationship? And then, can
we accept the fact that some moments simply will be harder than others, but
they too will pass? This life is our opportunity to learn to understand the
opposition of good and evil, sadness and joy. Maybe through listening to the
Spirit testify of God’s love and miracles we can find joy even on challenging
days, not only on those mountaintop experiences. We can adjust our expectations,
embracing joy along side challenge and difficulty.
Pay Attention Years ago in the Washington DC subway, a man
stood playing the violin as passersby hurried on to their destinations. Few
stopped to listen. None seemed to
realize that the man was a world famous violinist playing exquisite music on a
premier violin. They simply didn’t
notice. How often are we so consumed
with the thoughts swimming around in our own heads that we don’t notice the
life that is right before us? Perhaps if we increased our ability to notice, we might not miss the beauty and
miracles that surround us on our missions.
The
Savior invited his disciples to develop eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart
to understand. In other words, he urged them to pay attention to the people and
world right in front of them.[4]
“Consider the lilies, how they grow,” “Behold your little ones,” “Come, follow
me.” Just as God is always present with
us (how awful if He weren’t!), we can be alert to the realities of every day,
rather than live in our distracting thoughts. As we give our attention to each
day, serving those around us, and not worrying about tomorrow or yesterday, we
will find more joy. “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth
his life for my sake shall find it.[5] Estamos
en España!--What is beautiful here and
now, today?
Practice Gratitude Today I shook the hand
of a brand new member of the church! Brother A. was describing his feelings of
finding the gospel through the missionaries and the peace he found in reading
the scriptures. As we discussed the
opportunity he now had to go to the temple on behalf of his deceased father, he
seemed overwhelmed by God’s goodness. He was beaming as he shared his newfound
calm and hope. He was full of gratitude!
It seems to be our nature to look ahead,
and not only to look ahead, but to scan the horizon for potential trouble. This
can be helpful in a small degree, but what about the ability to look back, to remember the Lord’s goodness, answered
prayers, the relief that came when we most needed it, the kindness of the
companion or family member who listened or reached out to us? Have we recalled the sacrifices made so that
we could be here? Have we considered the
miracles we have seen in the lives of those we have taught, those we have
loved, even in our own growth on the mission? The Lord invites us to remember,
and then give thanks. When we remember gratefully, we discover joy—day after
day. And we are more converted to the Lord.
Dear missionaries, finding joy takes
practice. Let’s be patient with ourselves.
Every missionary has hard days, and that’s OK.
But I testify to you that we are capable of joy daily. Not all days will bring the joy of holding
your new baby for the first time, or of seeing him or her pass through into the
celestial room of the temple, but every day will offer some beauty, some hope,
and some miracle that can bring you joy and lighten your burden. May we continue finding and sharing the joy
of the gospel in our mission. We love
you more than words can say. YOU bring us joy!
With Love,
Hermana Galli
El Faro: Convertidos al Señor!
[1] With a Joyful Heart, Elder
Lynn A. Mickelsen, Oct. 1995
[2] John 16:33
[3] Moses 5:10
[4] See Mosiah 2:9, Acts 28:27
[5] Matt. 10:39
LEAD KINDLY LIGHT
Long ago, my sister and I were both
attending Brigham Young University and we had shared custody of one of our
family’s cars. One week my sister found herself continually needing to ask for
help for getting the battery started. In desperation she took
it to a car repair place, where she bought a new battery and had it
installed. She called from the repair place to tell me to be ready
for our trip home for Thanksgiving because she wasn’t going to turn off the car
for anything. About halfway home from Provo to Tooele we started to
notice that the lights were getting dimmer. We turned off all unnecessary
systems and continued to verify if what we thought we were seeing was really
happening. We prayed. |
| Hermanas Weston, Jarvis, Howell, Wagner and Robinson |
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| Hermana Anderson |
“What is the key to reconnecting to the power of Jesus Christ when we are
flickering? President Russell M. Nelson said it very simply: “The key is
to make and keep sacred covenents . . . It is not a complicated way. Make
Christ the center of your life “ (Eubank, Ensign, May 2019)
Pres. Spencer Kimball taught:
“I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it
seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I
am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance
narrows and the spirituality returns. I find myself loving more intensely
those whom I must love with all my heart and mind and strength, and loving them
more, I find it easier to abide their counsel” (Teachings of Spencer W.
Kimball, 135).
A hymn teaches us another
truth: “Oh, how praying rests the weary! Prayer will change the
night to day. So when life gets dark and dreary, Don’t forget to
pray.”
President Thomas S. Monson in his
conference talk, “Be an example and a Light” (October 2015) shared a favorite
poem:
Whose lamp had ceased to shine.
I paused and let him light
His lamp from mine.
A tempest sprang up later on
And shook the world about.
And when the wind was gone
My lamp was out!
But back to me the stranger came-
His lamp was glowing
fine!
He held the precious
flame
And lighted mine!
One of our most
important elements of missionary labors is to care for our companion—to keep
their lamps lit and their batteries charged. We may find that
concerning ourselves more with others, especially our companion, is a very
effective way of keeping our own batteries from draining. As
this poem teaches us, we may find the power we have shared returning to
us when we most need it.
We are not energizer
bunnies, able to go indefinitely on our own power. We need to connect
regularly to our power source, the Savior Jesus Christ. For further
review, study “Look unto Jesus Christ” by Elder Kim B. Clark of the Seventy and
“Christ: The Light the Shines in Darkness by Sharon Eubank”
April 2019 General Conference
Hermana Mifflin, Senior Missionary
Hermana Mifflin, Senior Missionary
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| A Coruña missionaries |
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| Cies Islands |
THE GREAT COMMISSION
The Great Commission and the First Great Commandment
President Galli and I were sitting in the room in the MTC last summer when Elder Uchtdorf said,
The motivating basis of our missionary efforts
must be the two great commandments and
the great commission. They are given to us by
the Savior Himself. Should we fail in these, we
cannot expect to build His kingdom.(1)
What is the great commission, and how do the great Commandments relate to it?
The Savior said,
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: teaching them to observe all thingswhatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I
am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world.”(2)
This is The Great Commission: To invite others to salvation through the Savior and His gospel.
Elder Uchtdorf continued, “Our loving Heavenly Father gave two great commandments as a divine motive for our service as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are to love and serve God and to love and serve His children. Fail in these two commandments and we fail in all”.(3)
What place does the first commandment have in your heart? How does it guide your missionary work? I am continually asking myself these questions.
The world does not love God because they do not know Him. We must introduce Him as He is.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “[All] of us need to know God more fully in order to love Him more deeply and obey Him more completely. Little wonder then that the Prophet Joseph Smith taught: ‘It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God.’ ‘I want you all to know Him,’ he said ‘and to be familiar with Him.’ We must have a correct idea of his … perfections, and attributes,’ an admiration for ‘the excellency of [His] character.’”(4)We can know the Father through the Son.
The Savior said, “The Father … doeth the works. The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the father do: for what things soever [the Father] doeth, these also doeth the son likewise.” On another occasion He said: “I speak that which I have seen with my Father.” “I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me.” I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”(5)In other words, the better we know the Savior, the more we know our Father in Heaven. And to know our Father better is to love Him more!
How can we share our love for our Father in Heaven with our amigos?
• We can share that we know God loves us, and how we know it.
• We can tell them we know He hears and understands us. We can testify of prayer and personal revelation.
• We can share our testimony of His healing power in our lives and the lives of those we love. We can share experiences.
• We can share our faith that this life is not the end, and that we will once again see our loved ones. We can add how grateful we are for the priesthood and saving ordinances.• We can talk of priesthood blessings.
• We can teach of the Holy Ghost, which the Father has given us, and which He will give them.
• We can testify of baptism, and of temples.
We can tell them that all of these gifts come from God, and they show us who He is.
El Faro Missionaries, I love serving side by side with President Galli and with you. We strengthen each other.
I believe that through the power of the First Commandment, we will, as Elder Uchtdorf says, fulfill our great commission with greater power. We will have the unfailing power for Love of God and our fellow brothers and sisters in all that we do.This is our goal. It is what Elder Uchtdorf called the bullseye!(6) Let’s keep it in front of our eyes always.
_____________________________
[1] Go Ye Therefore, Dieter
F. Uchtdorf, Mission Leader Seminar 2018
[2] Matt. 28:19-20
[3] Psalm 121:4[4] The Grandeur of God, Jeffrey R. Holland, Oct. 2003
[5] See ibid.
[6] Uchtdorf, ibid.With Love,
Hermana Galli
EL Faro: Convertidos al Señor!
THE GIFTS OF BAPTISM
By the time we have finished our mission in Barcelona, three more of our grandchildren will have been baptized. They are Benjamin, Aaron, and Evelyn. We rejoice in these little ones and the opportunity they have to make this covenant.
We think a lot about baptism in our mission!
Our missionary purpose is to invite our friends to receive the restored gospel through baptism. When our friends have fully prepared themselves for this sacred ordinance, they will have exercised faith in the Savior enough to repent.
Then, in the name of Jesus Christ through the power of the priesthood, they will be baptized, leaving past sins behind and step from the baptismal font clean and pure. I love to see a person of any age in any country at any time be baptized and come forth a new son or daughter of the Savior. It’s a wonderful moment for me.
Every person baptized takes upon themselves responsibilities:
1. We take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.
“There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
“And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.”[1] As missionaries, we simply carry on the outside what we already committed to carry on the inside.
2. We become a witness of God “at all times, and in all things, and in all places.”[2] Newly baptized members are reminded, “Your efforts to stand as a witness of God include everything you do and say. Strive always to remember and keep the Lord’s commandments. Keep your thoughts, language, and actions pure….Choose friends who encourage you to reach your eternal goals. Stay away from immorality, pornography, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Keep yourself worthy to enter the temple.”[3] If those around us can see a true disciple, even an imperfect one, they will be blessed, as they will be more likely to want to see the Lord. We will be another light (a faro!) on a hill shining forth.
3. We commit to serve the Lord. We serve him best when we serve our fellow man.[4] For the rest of our lives.
What blessings come through baptism?
1. The baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost “Think of it as one sentence. First comes the baptism of water and then the baptism of fire.”[5] It’s a little easier to understand a baptism by water than one by fire, but I love the power that suggests. The great blessings of the gift of the Holy Ghost make any difficulty worth it. It is a supreme gift, and part of the baptism itself.
2. Besides the remission of sins, we receive the right to another ordinance: the Sacrament. This powerful weekly ordinance offers us the opportunity to retain this remission of our sins, or reclaim it weekly as we are worthy: a privilege that was bought with a price. For having renewed that covenant, we receive the renewed promise of the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
3. “Just as an infant enters a new existence at birth, [we] also began a new life when [we] entered into the baptismal covenant.”[6] From there we begin increasing spiritual growth that continues beyond the grave, aided by priesthood power.
4. I also consider it a great privilege as well as a responsibility to bear the name of the Savior on the Earth. Likewise, to be a witness for God in a lost world is a blessing, indeed.
5. Baptism opens the gate to the straight and narrow path of life.[7] This beautiful, clear path avoids “strange roads” that lead to disappointment and heartache.[8] Ahead on the path for the newly baptized disciple lie the further gifts of the holy temple.
Dear missionaries, baptism brings great blessings. As I consider our little grandchildren and our amigos here in Spain, I rejoice that we have the power and obligation of offering the gift of baptism to so many. Let’s treasure this special opportunity, and invite our friends to Come and see, and come and be baptized. El Faro 500 and beyond!
With Love,
Hermana Galli
El Faro: Convertidos al Señor!
[1] Mosiah 5:8-9
[2] Mosiah 18:9
[3] True to the Faith, “Baptism”
[4] ibid.
[5] Preach My Gospel, pg. 9
[6] ibid.
[7] 2 Nephi 31:17-18
[8] 1 Nephi 8:32
Simple
Do you remember the limbo? For the limbo you bend
your legs, lean back, and clear a low bar without anything but your feet
touching the floor, and nothing touching the bar. The question is always how low can you go??
Taking a cue from Elder Ballard’s conference
talk, I would ask, how simple can you go?
Elder Ballard encouraged us to live the true,
pure and simple teachings of Christ and apply the Savior’s two great
commandments.
He said we should:
·
Keep our Sabbath day observance simple
·
Keep our testimonies simple
·
Keep our ministering simple
We find this principle of simplicity in Elder
Renlund’s talk about the small act of lighting the match of faith and prayer to
bring the immense blessings the Lord is prepared to give us.
He reminded us that striking the match and
putting it to the kindling are small actions, but until the match is struck,
nothing happens. “Our puny actions approach zero, but are not zero. A match lit in the dark can be seen for
miles. It can be seen from heaven.” How
many simple acts of discipleship bring mighty blazes of light and power?
Sister Eubank encouraged “the simple act of keeping our covenants.”
I´ve always been fascinated in those who consciously avoided simplicity. In 2008, Elder Claussé reminded us that “Rejection of the principle of simplicity and clarity has been the origin of many apostasies, both collective and individual. In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Jacob denounced those in ancient times who ‘despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand.’”
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| Hermana Wright |
The Savior teaches that unless we become as
little children, we cannot enter His Kingdom.
What does that have to do with this principle of simplicity, or of small
acts?
Surely the
Creator of worlds without end and the Author of the Plan of Salvation is
anything but simple.
What do
you think?
What can we do more simply and powerfully in
the mission? Perhaps--
·
We
can be simply obedient
·
We
can Love God and others with our whole hearts
·
We
can lose ourselves in this work
·
We
can baptize 500 people in 2019
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| Hermana Walker |
Dearest El Faro missionaries, I know the sea
of knowledge is vast and deep, but I testify that our Father is a God of Light
and Clarity, and that by small and simple things, great things are brought to
pass. With simple acts of obedience and
faith, we will cross oceans in barges lit by God’s bright stones. We will see parting of the seas of doubt and
fear that lie before us. We will learn
line upon line and precept upon precept.
We will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Elder Ballard promises that as we live in
simplicity, we will find “peace, joy and happiness despite troubles around
us.” “Let’s not complicate things,” he
says. “It is in the simplicity that you will find peace, joy and happiness.”
How simple can you go?
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| President Galli and Elder Peterson |
With Love,
Hermana Galli
El Faro: Convertidos al Señor!
ZOOM OUT!
Have
you ever been so focused on one problem that you
could not see much else? It’s easy to do, especially in hard times. Maybe it is a concern about a family member
at home, a rough companionship, a sickness, the amigo that just doesn’t seem to
progress, our own imperfection as a missionary! It may be something very tough
and very real: divorcing parents or a brother leaving the church, or concerns
over college. It can become like having
something stuck in your eye: it’s just hard to see anything else, and we feel
we can’t really go on until that problem is solved, so we focus on it
intensely. Before long, we have developed a laser-focus on one thing.
If a problem has an immediate solution in our power to fix, perhaps this is ok, but the single focus on one problem can backfire. Why?
First,
It’s not the whole picture. Have you ever seen the old video of the two basketball
teams where you were asked to count the number of times the players in the black
jerseys passed the ball? Did you, like I
did, miss the big gorilla walking through the middle of the screen, pumping his
chest, then sauntering off? Yup. We were focused only on the task we were
given. This is natural, of course, but
it illustrates a common problem: we sometimes forget the big picture.
We learn the importance of seeing the big
picture in the temple. There, in the most
sacred teachings, the Lord reminds us every
time we go how the world was made, why we are here, and what the plan is to
get us home. He reminds us of the beauty
and love that went into the earth’s creation, and the certainty we have of
success as we walk back home with His messengers, using His power. Many prophets, like Moses and Nephi, on
beginning their ministry, have been given views of the Lord’s “big picture” in
vision. It’s so important to have a
perspective beyond the moment and our current needs.
Second,
it’s the wrong focus. No matter how critical our
current problem is, if we put it ahead of the Lord’s work, we are getting
sidelined. What this looks like could be
different for each of us. As we recently
reviewed in zone conference (remember?),
the Savior assures us we only need to concern ourselves with today’s
needs. He will clothe us, feed us, and
send miracles. He will give us the
strength we need for today, and when tomorrow comes, that day’s strength, like
manna, will lie before us. Rather than obsess over our problems, He urges us to
“Seek…first the kingdom of God.” To me,
that means, putting our studies, prayers and focus first on Him (always
remember…), making a plan for
whatever we can do to help our
specific concern that day, and then leaving it in the Lord’s hands. Then we
forget ourselves, and go to work blessing our companions, sharing the Book of
Mormon, and enjoying the gift of today in El Faro--n España! 
El Faro missionaries, I believe in the “zoom out principle” when it comes to
problem-solving. I know a young family whose oldest child was born with a rare
genetic disease. When I learned that caring for that little girl would take
several hours a day, every day, for the rest of her probably short life, I wondered
if her parents would have any more children. Now she is nine or ten years old.
She has been beautifully cared for. She
is a bright, joyful child who adores life and is the big sister of four more
active little siblings. How did her
parents take a problem which could have consumed them and overcome its weight
to go to build an even greater happy family? I don’t know all the ways, but I
do know that they have continued faithful in the gospel and focused on good and
happy things life has to offer. They must have let the Lord support them in
their trials, and seen the big picture.
As we also “zoom out,” from our own hard
things, we can overcome them with the Lord’s help, whether it takes a week or a
lifetime. And in the meantime, we can focus on more of the Lord’s “big
picture,” which always has a happy ending, and endless happy moments in between.
I can´t help finishing with a great Lord of the Rings ¨zoom out¨quote which features faithful Sam deep in the darkness of Mordor:
"There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
And there it is, Zoom out!
With Love,
Hermana Galli
"There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."And there it is, Zoom out!
With Love,
Hermana Galli
El Faro: Convertidos al Señor!
The Stunning Power of Covenants
Many missionaries have asked us how they can remain active in the church after they return home. A great key to the answer lies in this one word: covenants.
I really can’t say how much joy my covenants bring me. Let’s look at how much our lives are defined by our covenants, and how they bless us, as well as some truths about the consequences of breaking them.
Preach my Gospel teaches simply: “A covenant is a binding and solemn agreement between God and His children. God promises to bless us, and we promise to obey Him.” PMG 65.
As members of the church, we are a covenant people.[1] And we have been since the world began. We are in a long line of inheritors of the covenants that the Lord has given his people since the time of Adam, as the temple makes clear.
YOU are in that line, whether you have ancestors in the church, or are a convert yourself. If you are unsure of this, study your patriarchal blessing.
We do not know when we began making covenants[2], or when they will end, but the covenants we make in this life are clearly known, beginning with the beautiful covenant of baptism, which you dear missionaries are offering to the people of Spain.
As an example of the obligations and promises of a covenant, let’s look at what Preach my Gospel says about this covenant of baptism.[3]
1. What we agree to:
a. Take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ
b. Always remember Him
c. Keep His commandments
2. What the Lord promises in return:
a. The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost
b. A remission of our sins
c. Being born again
Of course, unlike earthly contracts, we are not equal partners in these sacred agreements. Our Father sets the terms, and
we receive the blessings as we obey them.[4] We also suffer the consequences of abandoning a covenant, and that is something to consider deeply if tempted to do so. Sadly, when we break a covenant, it affects not only ourselves, but our ancestors and our children.
Though people may fail us, God will never fail in His side of a covenant. It is not possible for Him to do that. This is something to treasure and trust in a changing world of good and evil.
As we keep our covenants, we automatically invite others to do the same. Through us, they will see that, though no life is immune from problems, life goes better for those who make and keep sacred covenants. They are happier, stronger, wiser, and more resilient. God loves to protect His children with His generous covenants, which offer us far more than we “deserve”! Ultimately, we offer the Lord ourselves, and our will.[6] With that great gift comes the power and love of God, including His healing and His presence.
Dear missionaries, as you honor your covenants with a sincere heart, you will not go inactive, because the power of God will be active in your life, and you will have the strength and love and wisdom you need to endure any trial. God’s power is greater than any adversity. Your covenants unlock the power of the Atonement in your life and in the lives of those you love.
Do you want to stay active in the Church? Honor your covenants. You will not need to fear.
With Love,
Hermana Galli
[1] Translated differently, our books of scripture would read “The Old Covenant,” and “The New Covenant.”
[2] Regarding premortal covenants, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: Many of us also made covenants with the Father concerning what we would do in mortality. In ways that have not been revealed, our actions in the spirit world influence us in mortality. (Ensign, Nov 1993, 72)
[3] See Preach My Gospel, pg. 65
[4] A reminder: Obedience is the doctrinal focus for this transfer. Teaching obedience to our amigos goes hand in hand with teaching commandments and covenants.
[5] President Gordon B. Hinckley, quoted by Elder David A. Bednar, Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults • September 10, 2017
FAITH TO LET GOD WORK HIS PLAN
Happy new year missionaries and friends!
In zone conferences this transfer, we are talking about a faith in Jesus Christ that leads us to trust and follow Him where the natural man or woman would fear to go. This faith is powerful.
There is another aspect of faith, which is the faith to partner with the Lord to create the changes He is trying to make. It requires that we are willing to look ahead with an “eye of faith” to accept what the Lord is trying to do with us.
All things are created spiritually before they are created physically.[i] Each day we create what we will do and how we will do it, even if we are not trying to. If we are not paying attention, mediocre days can follow mediocre days. We just go through the motions, and not much changes, including in our missionary work. If we truly plan, but using just our own ideas, things go a bit better. But if we seek the faith to support God in the changes He intends to create, we see miracles in our lives and our work.
Celeste Davis prayed every night that her fussy baby would sleep so that they both could rest and function well the next day, but it often didn’t happen, and she wondered why. She learned from the Bible Dictionary that “we pray in Christ’s name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ. … We then ask for things it is possible for God to grant. Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ’s name at all; they in no way represent His mind but spring out of the selfishness of man’s heart.”5
She decided to make a list of what she had been praying for, and she realized that there were things she wanted, mostly to change her circumstances. Then she made a list of things she was sure her Heavenly Father wanted for her. There was some overlap between the two lists. Of course God loved her and wanted her to be happy. But He also wanted to change her.
She said: “I came up with a little formula to help me in my prayers. It is simply this—whenever you ask for something you want and you’re not totally sure if it’s something God wants for you, tack on the phrase ‘but if not’ and then add something you’re sure God would want for you.
“For example: ‘[Heavenly Father], please help me get some sleep tonight, but if not, help me to have enough energy to be pleasant and hardworking anyway.’ ‘[Heavenly Father], please bless that my child will get over this sickness and feel better, but if not, help us to trust in Thee and be patient with each other.’ ‘[Heavenly Father], please bless that I will be included in my group of friends, but if not, even if I feel excluded, help me to be kind and generous. 
She said that her rate of “prayer success” skyrocketed. “I feel like I’m finally fulfilling the real purpose of prayer, which is not to negotiate my desires, but to align myself with God. …
“An unexpected benefit has been that I don’t fear hard situations or not getting what I want nearly as much as I used to because I’ve seen and felt God answer my prayers—both my desires and my ‘but if nots.’”6[i]
Sister Davis exercised faith that the Lord had a plan for her life that was not always what she was focused on. She decided to try to discover what it was, and work with it.
As we stop focusing just our personal desires, we develop the spiritual capacity to sense what we and others actually need in order to grow. We begin to see life through the Lord’s lens. We develop the kind of faith that produces miracles!
Mormon taught: [I]t is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.[i]
This is kind of faith is focused not on what we want, but on what the Lord wants. It is faith that God can see the road ahead for us and has a plan that is bigger than just getting through this day or this mission.
Alma asks, Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who acreated you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption braised in incorruption, to stand before God to be cjudged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body
With the eye of faith, we can participate in God’s miracles instead of resisting them. We can pray and work not just for what we want, but for what the Lord wants for us.
With love,
Hermana Galli
[i] Moro. 7:37
[i] Faith as a Principle of Action and Power, Chad H. Webb, Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Annual Training Broadcast • June 13, 2017, https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/satellite-training-broadcast/2017/06/faith-as-a-principle-of-action-and-power?lang=eng"
[1] Moro. 7:37
[1] Alma 5:15
Enduring Joy
Dear El Faro Missionaries and Friends, Merry Christmas!
It seems that, as a loving Father, the Lord worked as hard as possible to give us EVERYTHING we could want in life through the gospel: Prayer so that we could always be connected to our Father, and receive counsel from Him. Commandments that we might not lose our way in the world. Covenants that we might be assured of His grip on us and on our loved ones. Repentance that we might draw ever nearer and become more like Him. Forgiveness that we might love each other, Temple ordinances that we might have a sure link to family beyond this world. The list goes on and on. But on top of that, He has promised simply….JOY.
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| Elders Eiguren and Willden make great bodyguards! |
The Promise of Joy
Elder David A. Bednar recently spoke at BYU about joy. That They Might have Joy
He taught that joy is not a fleeting feeling, as the world sees it. Rather, it is “a condition of great happiness [that results] from righteous living.”[i] He called it “a spiritual gift and a state of being and becoming.” How great is that? As soon as I heard the spiritual gift part, I realized that joy was something I could pray for, as we can pray for spiritual gifts. Also something that I could become. Something we could all become.
How can we receive joy into our nature?
According to Elder Bednar, we can receive joy through:
Repentance (See Alma 36:18-21)
Keeping the commandments D&C 93:27–28.·
Service
“I have come to believe that one measure of our eternal progress is how much joy we derive from service.”[ii]·
Missionary
work! See Alma 36:24; emphasis added.·
Enduring
well even through challenges of mortality. Yes, even
the hard times can bring joy:
Joy in Hard Times
Because
of Heavenly Father’s plan and the Savior’s Atonement, challenges and
afflictions invite us to lift up our eyes35 to Jesus Christ,
the true source of joy. The precious perspective provided by the restored
gospel allows us to learn lessons that prepare us for eternity through the
adversities of mortality. Our suffering and misfortunes can be “swallowed up in
the joy of Christ”36 and consecrated for our gain,37 “that
thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.”38 Thus joy endures in times and through
experiences that are both good and bad because of our knowledge of the
Father’s plan and of the Savior’s Atonement.[iii]
Joy in our
Families
I would add that we have joy in our families, as taught in the temple. Families are a special sources of joy, and
for this reason, Satan loves to attack them. Our families are not perfect. Some of them are separated by divorce or
differences that divide those in and out of the Church. President Galli and I both know what this is
like. We grew up on homes divided on
religion, and later one of them by divorce.
But there was still much to love there, and much to be grateful for.
I’ll never forget how, after his father died, President Galli sent each of our children a letter telling them of the many good things in his father’s life, and how he had blessed him. They had not known their grandfather well, and he wanted to be sure he was not forgotten or unappreciated.
I would add that we have joy in our families, as taught in the temple. Families are a special sources of joy, and
for this reason, Satan loves to attack them. Our families are not perfect. Some of them are separated by divorce or
differences that divide those in and out of the Church. President Galli and I both know what this is
like. We grew up on homes divided on
religion, and later one of them by divorce.
But there was still much to love there, and much to be grateful for.I’ll never forget how, after his father died, President Galli sent each of our children a letter telling them of the many good things in his father’s life, and how he had blessed him. They had not known their grandfather well, and he wanted to be sure he was not forgotten or unappreciated.
Find joy in something about someone in your family now, without waiting for them to become perfect. Simply love them. We can find joy in families when we have grateful hearts for even the smallest gifts of love that have been offered us, and when we approach them with forgiving hearts, demanding nothing.
More Joy, Now
Beloved missionaries, I know that we can receive more
joy, now. Part of that will come as we
exercise more faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and less in relying on our own
efforts. As we trust Him, as we remember Him, as we covenant with Him, as we testify of Him, we will be more
joyful.
So what are we missing? I believe Elder Bednar expressed it well above when he said we should lift up our eyes to Jesus Christ. In other words, we can pause daily and consider on our own “blessed and happy state” as the Lord’s covenant children. We can begin and end long days of missionary labor with our eyes and hearts fixed on Him, taking time to remember, be grateful, be humble, and receive the promised blessing of….. JOY!
And the angel said unto them, fear not, for behold I bring you good tiding of great joy which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.
Merry Christmas!
Hermana Galli
[i][i] Guide to the Scriptures, s.v. “joy,”
scriptures.lds.org; emphasis added. scriptures.lds.org; emphasis added.
[ii] Kevin J Worthen, “Enter to Learn; Go Forth to Serve,” BYU commencement address, 16 August 2018.
[iii] “That they Might have Joy,” Elder David A. Bednar, BYU Devotional Dec. 4, 2018
So what are we missing? I believe Elder Bednar expressed it well above when he said we should lift up our eyes to Jesus Christ. In other words, we can pause daily and consider on our own “blessed and happy state” as the Lord’s covenant children. We can begin and end long days of missionary labor with our eyes and hearts fixed on Him, taking time to remember, be grateful, be humble, and receive the promised blessing of….. JOY!
And the angel said unto them, fear not, for behold I bring you good tiding of great joy which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.
Merry Christmas!
Hermana Galli
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| Missionaries Frazier, Chin ah You, Boggess, Chase, Fowler, Stout and Lewis keep us laughing at the Talent Show! |
[i][i] Guide to the Scriptures, s.v. “joy,”
scriptures.lds.org; emphasis added. scriptures.lds.org; emphasis added.
[ii] Kevin J Worthen, “Enter to Learn; Go Forth to Serve,” BYU commencement address, 16 August 2018.
[iii] “That they Might have Joy,” Elder David A. Bednar, BYU Devotional Dec. 4, 2018
Good News, Four Gifts, and Angels
Have you heard the prophet’s Christmas message? It’s good for the soul!
He began with the promise of “the blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments of God.” (Mosiah 2:41) He spoke of their “never-ending happiness,” and “unspeakable joy forever.” Do we believe this? As you see those around you who keep their covenants and are developing Christlike attributes, how happy do they seem in comparison to those who do not?
President Nelson posed two questions: What are your deepest dreams? What do you want to accomplish in this life? This has caused me to ponder. And I’ve remembered something: I want to be serving a mission right now. I really do!
Then he reminded us of four gifts the Savior offers us:
Gift #1: Unlimited Capacity to Love. We can love even the unlovable, “not only those who do not love you, but who presently persecute you.” Christ gives us love for those he needs us to love. How do we claim that love? It surely applies to companions, amigos, and family members who are struggling. He encouraged us to pray for angels to walk with us where we “presently do not want to tread.” Have you ever prayed for angels to help you with something? The prophet recommends it.
Gift #2 The Ability to Forgive. Through Christ, we can forgive even “those who have hurt you and may never accept responsibility for their cruelty to you…. Anyone who has mistreated you in any way.” Upon doing so, he says, those hurts can “no longer canker your soul.” In our mission, we have missionaries who were badly neglected and abused as young children, those who joined the church with much opposition, those whose fathers or mothers have not understood or supported them, friends and siblings who have left the fellowship of the church and gone down strange and sad paths. Everyone has someone to forgive, including themselves. With Jesus Christ’s Atonement, we can truly forgive them, even if the process takes time.
President Nelson posed two questions: What are your deepest dreams? What do you want to accomplish in this life? This has caused me to ponder. And I’ve remembered something: I want to be serving a mission right now. I really do!
Then he reminded us of four gifts the Savior offers us:
Gift # 3 Repentance. The Greek term translated repentance has the root of change+mind/knowledge/spirit/breath. Through the gift of repentance, we can change our minds, our knowledge, our spirit, even our breath, as we breathe out gratitude and love! As we discussed in the last zone conference, repentance is a gift! Without it we would be stuck forever. President Nelson called repentance a resplendent gift, and indeed it is! He encouraged us to embrace it. It is “a never-ending privilege, fundamental to peace of mind, comfort and joy.”
Gift #4 Eternal Life This is not simply living for a really long time, but it refers to “the kind and quality of life the Father and Son live.” Can we begin to imagine it? It is a gift worth anticipating.
Jesus Christ is the Gift Giver. Through Him, we receive all these and many other gifts.
What is the key to receiving them? President Nelson puts it clearly: make and keep sacred covenants. Live and progress on the Lord’s covenant path and stay on it. This will bring true joy in this life, and eternal life in the next.
Dearest missionaries, as we accept these gifts, our friends and fellow saints in Spain will see our light and glorify God.
Jesus Christ is the Gift Giver. Through Him, we receive all these and many other gifts.
What is the key to receiving them? President Nelson puts it clearly: make and keep sacred covenants. Live and progress on the Lord’s covenant path and stay on it. This will bring true joy in this life, and eternal life in the next.
Dearest missionaries, as we accept these gifts, our friends and fellow saints in Spain will see our light and glorify God.
The best missionaries are not necessarily the fastest runners (apologies to the many fast runners in El Faro Nuevo!!). The most effective missionaries are those individuals allowing themselves to be changed by the Savior’s gifts, day after day. Their testimonies ring true, their light shines, they bring the Spirit into lessons and finding. They are like you. Let’s keep moving forward and claiming the blessings Jesus Christ is offering us.
With Love,
Hermana Galli
Taking it Further::
· Ponder on your place on the covenant path. How are you keeping the covenants we are offering to others as missionaries?
· Privately choose a person in your life who needs more love from you, and pray for help to love them. Consider asking for angels to support you in this difficult task. Pray for one who “despitefully use[s] and persecute[s] you.” Observe the feeling that comes with that sincere prayer. Repeat!
· Make a list of people you need to forgive, including yourself, and ask the Lord to show you how to move forward with that forgiveness, then follow through on promptings. Study forgiveness.
· Remember one thing you have successfully repented of in the past, and thank the Lord for that gift, then select the next thing the Lord would have you let go of, and make a plan to do that. Study repentance.
· Write or talk to a friend or companion who has developed one of these gifts, and thank them for teaching you about them.
When we have more fully received these gifts, we will have become happier and more effective missionaries. I thank the Lord for the prophet!
With Love,
Hermana Galli
Taking it Further::
· Ponder on your place on the covenant path. How are you keeping the covenants we are offering to others as missionaries?
· Privately choose a person in your life who needs more love from you, and pray for help to love them. Consider asking for angels to support you in this difficult task. Pray for one who “despitefully use[s] and persecute[s] you.” Observe the feeling that comes with that sincere prayer. Repeat!
· Make a list of people you need to forgive, including yourself, and ask the Lord to show you how to move forward with that forgiveness, then follow through on promptings. Study forgiveness.
· Remember one thing you have successfully repented of in the past, and thank the Lord for that gift, then select the next thing the Lord would have you let go of, and make a plan to do that. Study repentance.
· Write or talk to a friend or companion who has developed one of these gifts, and thank them for teaching you about them.
When we have more fully received these gifts, we will have become happier and more effective missionaries. I thank the Lord for the prophet!
