Week 88 - Things to Act and Things to Be Acted Upon

Hello All!

Quite a lot happened this week, and I don't have much time left to email, so I'll try to fill you in.

  Tuesday brought one of my favorite parts of my mission: interviews!  It's always a great opportunity to sit down with President Nicholas and learn from him and his experience in the gospel.  I taught me some things I definitely needed to learn and gave me some encouragement that I really appreciated.  I've had a couple of opportunities this week to have the Spirit testify to me that he really is the man the Lord wanted to lead this mission at this time, and I'm trying harder to truly sustain him and my other leaders.  I feel so blessed to be part of a kingdom where our leaders are chosen by someone infinitely more wise than we sometimes are.

   We had a couple lessons this week with some awesome people.  Jason and Brenda seem to be understanding more and more, but they missed church again yesterday.  Brenda was apparently not feeling well.  Eva is doing well, and seems to be different, in a good way, every time we go there, according to her home teacher.  We also had the chance to meet with one of our YSA members who was baptized a couple of years ago.  His name is Brandon, and he's decided to start going to another church.  It was interesting to talk with him, and I don't know his story very well, but from what he said, it seemed like he was almost compelled to be baptized, even though he had some testimony issues.

   Now, I really don't know what happened, but his story lends itself really well to something I've been learning a lot about in the past days.  In 2 Nephi chapter 2, verse 14 it says,"And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon."  God's creations are pretty well separated into agents and objects. (things to act and things to be acted upon)  An object I think about a lot is a rock.  You can do whatever you will to a rock, and it will react.  An object can't do anything of itself.  We, however, are definitely agents.  When God created us, He gave us the priceless gift of moral agency; the ability to choose for ourselves.  Something I struggle with is being too much of an object.  Somebody does something I don't like, for instance, and I react by becoming angry or offended or whatever.  The thing is, I choose to do that.  I'm willingly giving up my freedom to gratify my natural man, but what kind of life is that?  Is it really worth it to feel a little bit of smug satisfaction if you're becoming a slave?  Is it really worth it to elevate myself above others if my heart just gets harder and harder and less able to feel the happiness the gospel brings?  This has been a valuable lesson for me personally, and I can truly testify that God intends "that we have the principal decision-making role in our own life’s drama." (D. Todd Christofferson)  We can choose whether to act or be acted upon.

   I love you all!  I hope you have a fantastic week.  Thank you so much for your love and support. 

Be good!  Have fun!

Love,

Elder Hafen