February 22, 2016

Hey Fam Bam and Friends! 

 

I love you all...tons! You all are the bomb! Seriously...

 

This week was a great one! We had Stake Conference which was great. The Conferences are always incredible opportunities to get people to church and have spiritual experiences! It was crazy to reflect for a quick moment because I was in the same Stake Conference exactly a year ago! I ran into a lot of people I knew from El Empalme which was soo awesome! It was so good to see them all so happy and so blessed! There is no greater joy. President Riggins talked as well as the Temple President...there is no doubt in my mind that the investigators that attended the Conference were hit with something that they have never felt in there lives. We are super pumped to follow up with everyone to see how they liked the Conference.

 

Shout out to my BEAUTIFUL sister! First real dance! It made me think quite a bit...I feel like it was yesterday that I was capturing spiders in plastic bags and putting them under her pillow, asking her if it was okay to wear a certain pair of pants with a certain shirt, or being forced to walk around the block holding hands because we would not stop fighting! haha! You best believe that nobody is going to have to force us into holding hands from here on out! Love you mac! I wish I would have had a date like you in High School!

 

Last Monday was really fun...we got together as a zone and ate lunch...then I taught all of the Latinos how to play football...real football! It was such a good time. I think I got more out of watching these dudes that had never even touched a football, let alone thrown one, than I would watching the Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl! Man have I grown to develop such a powerful love for every living creature south of the border or Mexico! 

 

We had a neat visit with one of the recent converts in the ward. He has been taking a lot of heat from his companions from his work. They make a lot of fun of him because he walks to church each week with his white shirt and tie and hold his wife's and daughter's hands...how cool it was to hear him say..."I don't even care though. I am not going to hearken to those who laugh and point their finger at me for taking the fruit most delicious and precious above all others. God has a whole lot more in store for me than they ever would." So that was a proud missionary moment. I wanted to beat my chest and get up with him as if we just had taken the pigskin for 6!

 

We had a Multi-Zone Conference with a Doctor from Australia which was awesome. He is the area Doctor and taught us a lot about the importance of the health of the mind. It was cool how he related health in such a spiritual way. The way back was an adventure...we got pulled over and had to exit the bus. They made us all put our hands up for quite a while...I started to break a sweat (as if I wasn't already sweating ;)) and then put our hands on the bus...they came by one by one and patted us down thoroughly. So that was great. But we all made it back on the bus safe and sound...well almost all of us...all of the Missionaries: Yes.

 

This week was a week of references. One of the members told us that their neighbor was having a lot of troubles. Their little boy had been killed. We figured that there is no greater message for such a tragedy that the message of the only true and restored gospel on the earth today. Never have I met such an open and willing family. Despite the felt despair and hopeless sadness...they willingly accepted us and we are excited to help them find out where their little boy is and how they can find him.

 

So many incredible things happened...not enough time! AHHHHHHHH! I will just have to skip to the spiritual message!

I know without a shadow of a doubt that there is a living Prophet today. How important is the Prophet in  your life? What is it that the Prophets you have heard throughout your life have done for you? What is it that the Prophet has that nobody else has? All throughout the scriptures we find "the GIFT of the Holy Ghost"...and on rare occasions we read "the anointing of the Holy Ghost". In Lucas 4 and Isaiah 61 it explains that this Prophet "had the spirit of the Lord upon him, because he hath anointed him..." In Acts 10:38 it also explains "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power..." In Doctrine and Covenants 132:7 it explains in depth the meaning of this anointing and who it is that receives it. "...and I have appointed unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of the Priesthood are conferred..." There is only ONE person on the face of the earth today that has been anointed with the Holy Ghost...and his name is Thomas S. Monson. He has all keys and all authority. If we return to the question that I made at the beginning of the importance of the Prophet in your life this verse really brings things to life. "All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, OF HIM WHO IS ANOINTED..."

PAUSE!

That just about covers every single thing we do as members of the only true church over the face of the earth. All baptism, conferring, ordinations, temple promises, sealings, callings, repentance, etc. What is it that would happen to all of these sacred blessings without "him who is anointed"...without a Prophet? 

"...are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead..." How eternally grateful I am for a living Prophet today...who is anointed to make our covenants eternal and bind "whatsoever that shall be bound on earth in Heaven" (Matthew 16:19). Had it not been for Gordon B. Hinckley the sealing of my family would be of no efficacy. Had it not been for Gordon B. Hinckley as well, my Baptism and my confirmation would be of no virtue. If it were not for Thomas S. Monson the Priesthood that my loving Heavenly Father has trusted me with and the sacred temple covenants that God's mercy permitted me to make would have no force. There is nobody else that has been anointed with this sealing power save it be the living Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know that Joseph Smith was entrusted with this anointing and was called of God as well. He did indeed see the Son of God and God Himself in the spring of 1820. He did restore the same church to the earth that was edified by the Savior Himself and destroyed by man. 

If you truly loved your family and really had a desire to live with them forever you would believe in the Prophet...you would follow him...because he is the only one that can give you what you want...He does truly "know the way". There is no way without him. If you are looking for spiritual or physical relief...if you feel lost or heavy laden...if you are looking for true happiness...as an individual and/or for your family...you would dedicate your every breath to looking and searching for this Prophet...the ONLY anointed one by God...Thomas S. Monson. Because with him we "won`t go astray".

This I promise!

Love you all to the moon and back!

Talk soon!

Be safe.

Be careful.

Have fun.

Have lots of fun.

You guys are the best.

Really.

Hopefully you believe me.

Because it is true.

Okay.

I am going now.

Seriously.

For reals now.

Elder Noll