SINCERE Simple Things Matter

Hello everyone!

This weekend was a wonderful weekend because of General Conference. I´m not going to lie, I don´t remember all of what was said until I review my notes. BUT, I do remember the peaceful spirit that I could feel during the conference. Lots of times in our lives we can forget the things we have learned and felt if we don´t nourish our testimony. If we stop learning and growing, God will slowly take away what he had given us. A testimony is a gift from God. This is why so many people fall away from the church. I have seen members, return missionaries, ex-bishops, and even ex-stake presidents fall away from the church because of one simple thing: they stop nourishing their testimony. They take a “break”, and that break is their downfall. They begin to lose everything that God had given them. We can never stop learning and growing. Lots of people wonder why they have lost the faith and good feelings that they once had when they were active in the church. It´s because they stopped doing the simple things, the easy things.  Alma 37:6 says,

“Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise”.

SINCERE prayer, SINCERE scripture study, and SINCERE church attendance. This is the formula for always having the spirit to be with you. And when you have the spirit with you, you won´t fall. There is a fine line between Satan and God. If we get even close to the line, Satan has power over us. We must stay as far from the line as possible and we can´t be tempted. Satan can´t tempt us unless we allow him to.

I know that God lives and is present in our lives when we allow him to. God won´t help us unless we get off the couch and start working for our future. Salvation is personal. Alma 34:31-32 says,

“Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.”

We broke the zone record with 32 baptisms in the month! So we celebrated by making Oreo milkshakes! We also went to the temple with missionaries from the interior zones and President Farnes.

We baptized Giovana, an elect of God, super ready to receive the truth. She reads the Book of Mormon everyday and always asks us good questions. God´s work continues!

Enjoy life!

Love,

Elder Olsen

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Elder A. Oliviera and Pres. and Sis. Farnes

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Celebrating with Oreo milkshakes!