4/9/2013

So, my fate has been decided once again. I'm staying in Hillsboro with
Elder Taft :)

What a great week! Well, actually it was a slow week that ended up
rocking my world!! Haha
Tuesday we taught an interesting lesson. The member we brought
dominated the lesson, and it really turned out to be not the most
spiritual lessons. I was really upset because she deserves to have an
organized and planned lesson that wasn't all over the place and didn't
teach incorrect things or undesirable things. Unfortunately this
happened with our member and his comments, and we spent most of the
time correcting what was shared. Really frustrating, but it turned out
well...She is having us over again tomorrow. hopefully it goes well.

Wednesday was very interesting...we went to a little church called the
Grace Center, just outside our area(a response to an invitation made
to us about a month ago). We went, had a great time, and after spoke
to the pastor and his sister(Which is who invited us). Pastor Ryan
expressed that he has always wanted to check out one of our services
and that he really enjoyed some of the materials he's gotten his hands
on from our church(Some church videos and The Other Side of Heaven).
It just so happened that General Conference fit his schedule and he
came to the very last session...oh how remarkable it was! He LOVED it!
He set up an appointment to meet us today for lunch, which we did and
had a 3 hour lesson where he asked real solid questions, which we
answered very well. He wants to meet with us next week for lunch
again! He is so cool! We are going to his service on Wednesday,
because he is actually teaching this week...he wanted us to be there
for one of his sermons, so we are following through. He now has a Book
of Mormon, and Joseph Smith pamphlet, an articles of faith card, and a
Restoration DVD. It was so cool!

General Conference was great! I've been pondering over the subject
given in John 3, about the requirements to enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven. Jesus says, "Unless a man be born of water, and of the Spirit,
he can not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven"; He then teaches an
object lesson about those born of the Spirit, saying, "The wind goeth
where it listith, Thou hearest the sound there of but canst tell wence
it cometh or whether it goeth" or in otherwords "Those born of the
Spirit go where they are sent, and those around them are influenced by
it, and in a way can be in great benefit by their influence, but they
don't seek riches or popularity or position, but rather do their best
just doing as they are asked by the Father". As we listen to the
Spirit, and let him be our guide, abandoning your will for His, you
become little by little "Perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is
Perfect" President Monson spoke about obedience, and I felt a strong
tie, this entire conference, in trusting in the Light and guidance of
Jesus Christ. We've been asked to follow His example, as we do, we
walk into the light and receive blessings, if we do not we receive the
consequences...sometimes they are heavy, and sometimes it is simply
that we didn't receive the blessing. I suppose this is the meaning of
Jesus' statement later in that chapter, "For God sent not his Son into
the world to condemn the world but that the world, through him might
be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned(Because he
receives the blessings of the Spirit), but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation that light is
come into the world, and men loved darkness rather then light..."
Meaning that God can't bless us in the darkness, not because he
doesn't want to, but being in darkness, we are seperated from the
light, thus we need to come to the light and we will receive the
blessings, through his Spirit, which is light.

Two years ago, I sat in the Chapel at the Church w/ Grandpa, watching
Priesthood session. Walking in, my life was in line. I had a year left
of school, I had a great job that I was about to start, I had a
wonderful girlfriend, that although was leaving for her mission, I
loved dearly and had many expectations for, I even had fulfilled and
continued to work towards dreams I had had since high school. These
were my plans when I entered that meeting, but they were not my plans
when I left. While listening to the wonderful messages that had been
prepared for us, I had been overtaken by the Spirit, and He whispered
a terrifying commandment, that, knowing exactly where it came from
cause it pierced me even to my heart, and said "You know what the Lord
would have you do". This was during a talk about Sacrifice for a
Mission, and the Spirit was 100% correct, I knew what I was being
called, by God himself, to do. I know for many of you, it didn't make
sense and maybe it still doesn't make sense, but I knew what God asked
me to do, and that was my reason...and it's a very hard reason to try
to explain. It was not for anyone, it was not for position, price,
popularity, but truly I did as I was sent to do. Many of you
disagreed. Many of you told me of my mistake that I was making and the
problems that would follow me for such a choice, but can I assure you
now...This was the greatest choice I could have ever made, and it was
given to me directly by God. I have since, made many wonderful
choices, guided by the Spirit, directly or indirectly, but just as
powerful as that experience at conference. I will go home and fulfill
all the purposes the Lord has prepared for me, and I know it will be
great...whether it fulfills any of my dreams or not is not my concern,
because my ways are not His ways, but I know that the Lord knows all
things and that He loves his children, and that when a man makes does
the duty God has given him, he can never be wrong.

It's amazing that Jesus taught all the requirements of the Gospel with
one simple sentence "Unless a man be born of water, and of the Spirit,
he can not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven", and this has been the
source of much study for me recently. It seems like the more I ponder
over the subject, the more I'm given from the scriptures and of course
with these General Conference addresses, the puzzle pieces are just
lining up nicely, and the Gospel is unfolding more and more for me
each day. I know this wasn't the most insightful

Conference was just very good. I felt very uplifted and really enjoyed
it! I hope you all take some time to watch a session or two, or at
least the highlights.
We are looking forward to another wonderful week of hard work! I love
you all! Have a great week!
Elder Tyler Robinson