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Sorry it has been a few weeks since I have written, it has been a
hectic few weeks here in Cortez!
I wanted to write a little bit about a few things I learned this week.
I will start with something my 12 year old sister taught me! She read
the whole Relief Society Lesson before class on Sunday, as the Young
Women were invited to attend Relief Society, and said that this was
her favorite part:
(Pres. Hinckley Ch. 8 - We look to Chirst)
In the April 1975 general conference, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, then a
member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, shared the following
experience:
"We recently held an open house in the [Mesa] Arizona Temple. Following a
complete renovation of that building, nearly a quarter of a million people
saw its beautiful interior. On the first day of the opening, clergymen of
other religions were invited as special guests, and hundreds responded. It
was my privilege to speak to them and to answer their questions at the
conclusion of their tours. I told them that we would be pleased to answer
any queries they might have. Many were asked. Among these was one which
came from a Protestant minister. "Said he: 'I've been all through this
building, this temple which carries on its face the name of Jesus Christ,
but nowhere have I seen any representation of the cross, the symbol of
Christianity. I have noted your buildings elsewhere and likewise find an
absence of the cross. Why is this when you say you believe in Jesus
Christ?' "I responded: 'I do not wish to give offense to any of my
Christian brethren who use the cross on the steeples of their cathedrals
and at the altars of their chapels, who wear it on their vestments, and
imprint it on their books and other literature. But for us, the cross is
the symbol of the dying Christ, while our message is a declaration of the
living Christ.' "He then asked: 'If you do not use the cross, what is the
symbol of your religion?' "I replied that the lives of our people must
become the only meaningful expression of our faith and, in fact, therefore,
the symbol of our worship. "… No sign, no work of art, no representation
of form is adequate to express the glory and the wonder of the Living
Christ. He told us what that symbol should be when he said, 'If ye love me,
keep my commandments.' (John 14:15.) "As his followers, we cannot do a
mean or shoddy or ungracious thing without tarnishing his image. Nor can we
do a good and gracious and generous act without burnishing more brightly
the symbol of him whose name we have taken upon ourselves. "And so our
lives must become a meaningful expression, the symbol of our declaration of
our testimony of the Living Christ, the Eternal Son of the Living God. "It
is that simple, my brethren and sisters, and that profound and we'd better
never forget it."(1)
I loved that! Recently I have been thinking a lot about my mission and
about the fact that sooner or later I will not be able to wear my
Missionary name tag anymore. It is a thought that has saddened me, but
this quote comforted me. My badge is merely a symbol of the time I
have here, but the symbol of my dedication to Christ is and always
will be manifested by the way I act. It isn't something that can be
put into words or captured by numbers, not even a photo can capture
it. The way I live my life must be the symbol of my dedication to my
Heavenly Father. I know that someday I won't be a full time
missionary, but I rejoice in the fact that I can always be a disciple
of Christ.
In District Meeting, we talked about the story of Peter. After Jesus
Christ died, the apostles looked to Peter to see what to do, and they
all returned to go fishing. They went back to the nets that they had
so willingly forsaken some years prior, and took up their old ways
once more. It made me think about what I will do when I go "back to
normal life." I do not wish to take up those old nets. I hope to
continue to be a dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ and know the only
way to do that is to consecrate myself now. I love this work and I
love that I will always have an opportunity to participate in it.
Once you have taken up the plea to "come follow (Him)," stay on that
path, don't return for your discarded nets.
We have been working hard these past few weeks and have been blessed
with wonderful experiences. There are still many searching after our
Savior Jesus Christ and the restoration of His Gospel on the earth
today. Don't hesitate to open your mouth and share!
Hermanita Jensen (: <3
My beautiful family!
