Dear Elder Yu,
My job has been busy and having a project handover deadline and a tight schedule to catch up lately. It was always physically exhausting and drained brain come back home from work. I am really glad that have Annabelle who takes care of the daily house chores and with Ally’s stuffs.
It feels like I have to go through a mini daily battle every day to tackle things that pop up suddenly in the projects, trying to solve them one by one at a time. I feel blessed that I can feel the Lord watching over me every moment of my daily life because I can see how some ad-hoc things in projects turn out to be just fine at the end of the day. And I am grateful for that!
It is so co-incident that I read this article last Sunday which I wanted to write to you but did not manage to. It coincides with the previous week’s Come, Follow Me focus on the Book of Mormon Alma chapter 43 – 52. And I hope this sharing might help you when you go through a little storm in your days trying to be a good missionary of the Lord.
It is natural to wonder why Mormon included the war stories between the Nephites and the Lamanites when he had limited space on the plates. We indeed have our share of wars in the latter days, but Mormon’s remarks are still valuable for more than just explaining the tactics and the tragedy of warfare. His teachings also equip us to fight the war that “we are all enlisted”, which is the battle that we wage every day against the forces of evil. This is a real war, and the result will have an impact on our eternal lives.
Elder Dale G. Renlund shared 3 principles that we able to be like Moroni in battling our adversaries in our daily lives:
1. Understand Our Purpose
We must never lose sight of the larger picture of our divine nature, everlasting destiny, and the evil forces that oppose us. Correctly comprehending Heavenly Father's plan will inspire us to continue battling for our eternal salvation and release from spiritual bonds.
2. Strategize for Success
We can employ the same methods Moroni used to cope with spiritual adversaries. We might begin by realizing what Satan is trying to do in our lives. He tries to derail us from our mission. When confronted with temptation, we must ask ourselves:
- How does this action on my part stack up against the revealed word of God?
- What are the consequences of taking this action?
- Will this action help me fulfill my purpose on earth?
We should also comprehend the consequences of succumbing to even little temptations. As we succumb to temptation, we swallow "poison by degrees" (Alma 47:18), a highly successful method employed by the powers of evil that can result in spiritually disastrous consequences.
I think that is how adversaries always make us feel as if we are not enough, and never enough! Just remember the Savior when this kind of thought comes into your mind.
We can fortify ourselves against Satan's temptations by following the guidance of our latter-day prophet. This helps us maintain an everlasting viewpoint from which to judge our deeds. Strategizing how we will deal with temptations in all aspects of our lives will help us make better decisions at the moment. Preplanned methods and techniques will assist us in avoiding diversions from our everlasting mission.
3. Prepare for Metaphorical Battles
Spiritually, we prepare individually by keeping the commandments of God. We make and keep covenants with God that draw the power of Jesus Christ into our lives. We can better prepare by strengthening our families. We can collectively gain strength and prepare for our spiritual battles as we join in communities of Saints.
I am indeed grateful for your companion by your side to uplift, encourage, share, and guide you along the way. Please tell Elder Fleshman that I am thanking him and grateful for being such a good companion to you!
Like Captain Moroni, we can receive divine help and power from the Lord for the battles we face in life. It is just like what you have been facing as a missionary, and myself as a wife, mother, and employee. Moroni demonstrated concepts that we can use to meet the challenges of our modern existence. As we exercise our faith in the Savior Jesus Christ, He will shower us with His strength.
After reading your email, I just felt as if I needed to tell Elder Stratfold and Elder Paewai about your thoughts on both of them and how grateful you are for them to teach our family the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I am reaching out to both on Messenger. Elder Stratfold was so happy to read my message and he is happy to know that you are already on your mission to serve the Lord. And, here is his message:
“Of course, I remember you and your family! It was the happiest time of my mission. Thank you so much for your message, it has made my week.
I am so happy to hear that Isaac is on His mission, it makes me feel very old as I remember him as a 9-year-old. It was such a pleasure teaching all of you, thank you so much for being so patient and receptive.
My Wife and I now have 3 kids, we had twins born in January last year so life has been very busy. We are planning on coming for the dedication of the Singapore temple and driving from Singapore and then up through Malaysia so we would love to see you all then, that will be a few years away of course.
Give my Love to the rest of the family, especially Isaac as he is serving the Lord, I am so proud of Him, Love you guys How are the rest of the family?”
Lastly, Heavenly Father believes you can be successful. Strive to see the value in yourself as He does! Even though this quote Elder Holland addressed to all the mothers, I want you to know that his counsel applies to you too, “Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are.” Remember your purpose and the value you bring to everyone around you. You can do this!
