Consider the Lilies

Good Morning!

We have had quite the adventure this week. In order to make this the best week ever, Elder Dickey decided to get sick for two whole days. Normally this would be absolute torture, but I survived. We'd go on exchanges and I convinced him to leave the house, all so we could attend our 8 lessons we had on Monday and Tuesday. Our teaching friends are probably still healthy and Elder Dickey has made a full recovery because of his frosted flakes. Life is back to normal.

Everyone keeps telling me it's cold. My only comment is that it's warm(er than 30 degrees) and rainy. It's quite pleasant out here in Kanab!

Two of our friends chose to be baptized! On Saturday I had the privilege of baptizing Stephen. It was a beautiful experience, until I dropped him in the font and we realized we've spelled his name wrong for the past month . . . you live and you learn I guess. Despite this it was still a beautiful experience!

Isabella, or Bella for short, is our 8 year old convert. She's a good friend of mine, and is a huge ball of energy. She got shy for the photo, but for the 15 minutes before her baptism she was running laps in the foyer and handing programs to every family that arrived! We could barely get her seated so we could start! The individual conducting the service commented that "if we were all more excited for the gospel, we'd be a lot better off". I agree.

Funny moment for the week; after a lesson with Andy Barlow, Elder Allan and I were driving home from Moccasin. I don't recall the sequence of events that led to this comment, but Elder Allan is very quotable.

You don't even need to know the meaning of "consider the lilies". Because once you start thinking about lilies all your problems will go away.

- Elder Allan

Sometimes this is the case! We make our problems way more complex than they actually are. I thought our week was shot when Elder Dickey got sick. Then we found a family of 5 kids to start teaching on Saturday! It's our Clan part 2! Hopefully part 1 is baptized soon. God can make miracles out of minefields, or help our bleak circumstances turn into blessings. I definitely experienced that this week.

Matthew 6

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

I learn the best from other missionaries. Lilies put all their effort into growth, yet that effort is so minimal from our perspective. We, as children of God, are running around doing everything we can to grow and be better, yet I'm sure from God's perspective, it's a lot easier than we think. He invites us to change our lives through Christ. We often are so busy looking at anything else but our Savior that we don't notice the true source of peace.

I gave a talk on Sunday focusing on Mosiah 12:20-21:

20 And it came to pass that one of them [wicked priests] said unto him [Abinadi]: What meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying:

21 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth;

I love the interchange here between the wicked priests of King Noah, and the righteous prophet Abinadi. They have a verbal debate of sorts, where Abinadi ultimately answers their question, yet chastises them for looking beyond the mark. For better context, the wicked priests were failing to teach the people of Christ, the true source of their redemption. Abinadi's answer, while diverse, can ultimately be summed back towards Jesus Christ.

Mosiah 15:18-19

18 And behold, I say unto you, this is not all. For O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people;

19 For were it not for the redemption which he hath made for his people, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, I say unto you, were it not for this, all mankind must have perished.

I promise that the ultimate source of peace in this life, and the life to come, is Jesus Christ. He is the author and finisher of our faith. We are responsible to make Him the focus of our lives. Just as Abinadi pointed the wicked priests back to Christ, so too will we experience more peace when we place our relationship with our Savior at the center of all we do. Truly this is a gospel of glad tidings; that the founder of peace has come down among us and descended below all things, simply that He may lift us above the pull of this fallen world. Isn't it glorious?

When put in this perspective, I suppose it's a lot easier to be like the lilies. They toil not, neither do they spin: So stop stressing about the little details and trust that it will all work out through our faith and willingness to live our covenants.

I shared some of my fears and concerns with another missionary, who is also approaching the end of his missionary service. This is the counsel he provided me, adjusted according to the revelation I received.

Keep the pace. Move forward with joy and confidence and everything will fall into place.

- Inspired by Elder Beaudette

There's a lot on my mind, and not enough mind to hold it all! But I can do all things through Christ. I have faith in the perfect Plan established by my perfect Father. And somehow, someway, it'll all work out.

Who'd have thought that lilies had so much to teach us?

- Elder Williams

Mailing Address:

881 South River Road

St. George, Utah, 84790

Pictures:

1. I found another pile of snow!
2. The skies of The Ranchos, in Kanab.

3. Elder Dickey, working while he's sick(ish).

4. District Council with the Zone Leaders!

5. I finally discovered you can do this to cats!

6. How many of these pictures do I have?

7. The chicken whisperer!