Time in Guayaquil Special shout out to my little brother Alec! I want all to know how much I love this soon to be 12 year old stud. I have grown up wanting to become like a kid that is 8 years younger than me because it is what would make me become more like our Savior than just about anything else. My little brother is one of the most submissive, meek, humble, and loving people that I know. Not to mention the most beautiful in the Noll crew...have you seen his hair?? A special congrats to him as well for coming to have the years to become a Deacon and receive God's gift to mankind, the Priesthood. I love you bud. You keep me going through the tough days! I could not be more grateful to be an older brother to a Nephi like you...you better be keeping Laman and Lemuel in line!! ;)
This
week was a great one! As usual! I don't have tons of time so I will
just share maybe my two most favorite experiences of the week!
One
night, lesson by lesson fell through. We had made a goal to find 4 new investigators but had found 0 at this point in the day with only an hour
left to work. We had changes last week and I am fairly new in the new
sector so I don't know it that well...and it is HUGE. But we prayed to
the Lord in the middle of that dirt road to help us find the 4. When we
asked Him to give us the four we waited...about five seconds of silence
passed and an image popped into my mind of a member family we had said
hi to on of my first days. And of course it was the farthest away from
where we were, but we got on our horses and headed there without
looking back! We got there and treated this encounter as if it were life
or death! Haha! We said..."Hermanos! We said a prayer and God Himself
told us to come find you!" They got all wide eyed and insisted that we come into their house. We explained to them that we were looking for
four people that have been waiting to hear of the plan that was created
for them in the Heavens and invited the father of the home to say a
prayer to find out who these four were. The prayer that he gave was
simple but so beautiful. When he finished we waited in silence again.
Then the brother spoke..."You know what? There is someone just down the
street. His boys are members but they are inactive. He could really use
some help. And in front of them is a family of 3. A father, mother, and
child. You could visit them." We were so happy! We went strait to these
homes and met these AMAZING people. We have visits scheduled with them
for later on in the week! Revelation is incredible and prayer is direct
communication with God the Father. I testify of that!!
The
other happened yesterday. There is a less active teenager who we are
working really hard with. He is super addicted to electronics. His
parents and Grandma can't get him off of his computer or phone. His
family is super worried about him and so are we. We visited him
yesterday and asked if we could share a scripture and sing a hymn. He
rejected and continued playing his video game. Then a thought came to my
mind..."Sundays at 5: Family History"...I remembered that the stake
worked in the Family History department every Sunday at 5. I was
cunning...haha..."So (name)...you like computers, right? Do you like
fast computers or slow computers? Obviously fast right? Do you like
video games? Do you wanna play a game that only members of the church
know how to play?? " He looked up with a grin and asked..."What kind of
game are you talking about??" I told him he had to find out for
himself. And he came with us to the church! It was the first time he had
stepped foot in the church for years! We paired him up with a Family
History Instructor and while they went to work we had a few meetings
with different Presidencies. After the meetings we asked him if he
wanted us to walk him home. He told us no. He wanted to keep kicking it
with his friends and working on his family history. Right before we
left he yelled, "Elders! Family Home Evening! My house! Wednesday at
7!' Haha! Such an amazing experience! He completely changed. It was
unreal how drastic the change was and how instant the spirit of Family
History was able to lighten him and touch him. How blessed we are to
have such an incredible access to helping our loved ones on the other
side of the veil...which brings me to the spiritual message of the
week!! :)
I started to form questions in my
mind this past week that really started to worry me. I was having
trouble sleeping. I spent the majority of nights on my knees asking the
Lord questions. Ever since I was a little child I remember my
Grandfather, who passed away not too long ago, denying our faith as a
family and as members of Christ's church. He spent YEARS
investigating...but did not receive it. Doctrine and Covenants 137
explains that "all that have died without a knowledge of this gospel,
who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be
heirs of the celestial kingdom of God." What happens to my Grandpa
after having had the opportunity to receive it but didn't? Will his
happiness be complete? Will he be forgiven for having denied the truth? Do
we or does he have any hope after being "permitted to tarry" in the
gospel but refused? What is he now? What will he become? I was led to 1
Corinthians 15:17. "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye
are yet in your sins." I know that Christ did indeed raise himself. He
is risen today...and forever will be. Because of this my faith and the
faith of all...living and dead...is not vain. Because of the
resurrection of Christ my Grandpa does not have to be "yet in his
sins". Then the Lord got after me a little bit in verse 19. "If in
this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable." In Spanish it hit a little harder...I became "the most
worthy of pity". There is hope in Christ in all times, in all things,
and in all places...on BOTH sides of the veil. As I read of the "seeds" or souls not baptized, my love for temple work grew so strong.
If it were not for the house of the Lord my Grandpa would be "sown in
corruption" (1 Cor. 15:42). If it were not for the restoring of keys
given through Moses, Elias, and Elijah themselves 180 years ago, he
would be "dishonored and weak" (1 Cor. 15:43). If it were not for a 14
year old boy in the spring of 1820 who saw the brightness and glory of
God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, my Grandfather would be "sown
a natural body" (1 Cor. 15:44). Which would then disqualify him of the
Kingdom of God knowing that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the
Kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 15:50).
But the Lord's house is here
upon the earth. Moses, Elias, and Elijah did indeed restore these keys
to a Prophet in this dispensation. Joseph Smith did complete the
prophesy in the 33rd chapter of Job, "He shall pray unto God and he
will be favorable unto Him: and he shall see His face with joy; and he
will render unto man his righteousness." And because of this my
Grandfather along with so many other will be "raised in in-corruption", "raised in glory", "raised in power", and "raised a spiritual
body". I know it and I rejoice in it!
This came to life even more when I
saw a sick, suffering, weak dog giving birth to 5 little beautiful
puppies right outside of our house the other day. I felt so bad as I saw
this dog suffer. It had already given birth to 4 living and breathing
puppies. When it gave all it had left to give birth to the 5th I was so
saddened when it came out dead. I then made a connection...this
suffering, pained, and weakened dog is like our Savior when He performed
His infinite Atonement. We are His puppies. Like the dog suffered to
give birth to her living puppies, the Savior suffered so that He could
succor and love the living. But the dog suffered equally to give birth
to something that did not live. The Savior suffered equally for the
dead. I testify that the Atonement functions on both sides of the veil
and that temple work and Family History is real and is perfect.
Love you all!
Elder Noll
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