(Ariel: Hey everyone! I sent an email to my brother asking for some advice on how to share the gospel with friends and he gave me some great tips as well as a wonderful testimony. He wanted me to make this his letter to you all, so I took the liberty of posting a majority of it. Hope it helps and inspires you as it did for me!)
November 7, 2011
Yes, activities are a great way to start off, just ease them into it, so that he/she feels comfortable. And then, when that person has the friends and comfort zone, he/she will be eager to learn even more! If you think your friend will be privy to the words you speak, listen for the spirit, he will help you pick out key words that will let you know what he/she spiritually needs. The first one that is my personal favorite to start off with, is the Plan of Salvation. Almost always, someone has lost somebody special to them or a new life has come into the world and they don't know how to go about it, but the Plan of Salvation brings a unique comfort to anyone who knows it's purpose and the most important part, it's true. Ask dad to teach you sometime, because I'll tell you what, I'm still learning how important the plan is to me. Like Boyd K. Packer said last night, "Don't teach so they'll understand. Teach so they can never misunderstand."
When you go out on a mission, you just about hear it all.... The sadest thing I've experienced on a mission though is missionaries who go home when they've experienced something as cold and hard as false doctrine. One of my friends had an investigator who would go off in rants about how Joseph Smith wasn't a prophet and blah blah blah evidence against him. During one of these rants, her rebellious daughter of all people spoke up, "Mom, you must be an idiot, if you think you find something on the internet and know it is true!" Of the biggest technologies that lie, the tube (no matter what form) has always been the biggest deciever. What can we believe now? Everyone and I mean everyone has been exposed to this tool of the adversary. And the saddest part? It's been made pleasurable and almost neccessary in our daily lives. To the point that almost everyone who is confined to their homes is directly influenced by this evil catalyst of thought, by the devil. Now, there are things that they are good for, even things that bring the most brightest light and spirit into the home, which I believe God intended for. But as with all things, man has a tendency to change it to better anchor him down to the pit of misery and endless wo.
When you go out on a mission, you just about hear it all.... The sadest thing I've experienced on a mission though is missionaries who go home when they've experienced something as cold and hard as false doctrine. One of my friends had an investigator who would go off in rants about how Joseph Smith wasn't a prophet and blah blah blah evidence against him. During one of these rants, her rebellious daughter of all people spoke up, "Mom, you must be an idiot, if you think you find something on the internet and know it is true!" Of the biggest technologies that lie, the tube (no matter what form) has always been the biggest deciever. What can we believe now? Everyone and I mean everyone has been exposed to this tool of the adversary. And the saddest part? It's been made pleasurable and almost neccessary in our daily lives. To the point that almost everyone who is confined to their homes is directly influenced by this evil catalyst of thought, by the devil. Now, there are things that they are good for, even things that bring the most brightest light and spirit into the home, which I believe God intended for. But as with all things, man has a tendency to change it to better anchor him down to the pit of misery and endless wo.
If you find anything that does not come straight from the horses mouth, it was not from the horse! Therefore there is only a partial truth to it. No man can be taught through the Holy Spirit if he has the Spirit of contention, You can only serve God or mammon. Another way of describing this feeling is stubborness. In the scriptures it says that a man who is stubborn does not have the desire to learn, therefore he is blind to the desires of Gods heart.
Through this and other experiences though I really began to doubt. But once my testimony became sure, now there is not one person I've come across who has been able to thrwart that conviction! If you have a firm and sure testimony, you can never go wrong, the reason why? YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE!!!!! And the spirit will always whisper it is true! I leave this testimony with you and any blessings that may come from it, in the name Jesus Christ, Amen.
~Elder Ian Nessen
AKA "The Nestle Ninja"
P.S. We baptized Marcella this weekend and it was wonderful! One of the youth started snoring during the confirmation, but that made it memorable! And her daughters are wanting to get baptized soon, we are soooo happy!!! Pray for the son, though if you wouldn't mind. He's being a lazy teenager right now, but he'll come around eventually!
Happy birthday to:
Jim Easter!!!
Miss ya buddy! Sorry for all the havoc when we were little! but it was fun right? =P
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