Come Join With Us

Elder Penman "selfie" from the computer, just for Mom, so she could see her boy!

 It’s crazy it’s another Monday. Another week gone by. It really is true that days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days.

This week was one of those weeks that makes you question why you are out here. It makes you feel like maybe you are starting to feel the slightest of what Jesus felt. Nothing is going our way, we didn’t reach our goals, Investigators dropped us, and all the people we found gave us fake addresses and number or they weren’t in.  I love these weeks so much though. I just keep viewing myself as a warrior or a pioneer. They probably hated everything they had to do but they looked forward and saw the good that would come, the happy ending or the internal growth. I love this week because I know I am becoming stronger as a person and growing closer to my Heavenly Father who loves me so dearly. We have trials for a reason. We have trials to grow and to push us along in the path of conversion. If we don’t grow we are just wasting time. Our ultimate purpose is to grow as people every day. I'm also out here to be converted, that is no easy task. Prophets and apostles say they aren’t fully converted, that we are all on a path to become converted. We grow closer to God because we look for guidance and help. I find myself praying more personally with my Father and telling Him my issues and being honest to Him when I struggle. Having our Father closer in our life is so wonderful. But the reason this week is hard (is because salvation is not easy—it never was easy. Christ lived a hard life and He is the best to ever live on the earth... why should it be easy for me?)  I heard this in one of Jeffery R. Holland’s talk. (possibly this talk-- The Cost and Blessings of Discipleship-April 2014 )

We taught this LA (less active) by using Uchtdorf’s conference talk from last conference. It’s the one about “come and join us.” (Come Join With Us-October 2013)  This talk is fantastic because even if someone has hurt you. even if you feel like you don’t belong. even if you feel like nothing is going right. We all want you to come back to church. Even God wants you to come back to church. You could just see the change in this man as he watched this talk. I could see the Holy Ghost telling him it was true. If there is anyone reading this email that has even thought about going to church or coming back to church... Just go. You will be welcomed by wonderful members. If you are less active and don’t know if you want to, just try it. I promise that the change I saw in this man when he was at Sacrament Meeting was something amazing,. He looked so happy, even though he still has his struggles and even though he still smokes, you could see God’s love for him, these changes can happen for you even in the worst of times.

We had stake conference the other day. I got to sing in the choir. I knew about it last minute. So I had to learn it in a couple days. It was so fun to sing in a choir again. The main topic for the conference was member missionary work. This is the most important missionary work in the church. Members make it so much easier for people to join the church. Missionaries can’t get to everyone and can’t talk to people who are your friends because I don’t know any of the people I talk to. I feel as if out here, I am learning how to be a better member. I know as a member we need to share the gospel with everyone. It will take practice but it will be better for everyone if you do this. Just try to share the gospel with everyone because the more you bring to God the more happiness you’ll have in the life to come. <<<<This is a promised blessing from God.

Paisley Chapel

I love all of you so much. Thanks for all you’ve done for me. I need all of you in my life and you’ve all changed me so much.

awrabest

Love

Elder Penman