Dear family and friends,
This past week was still rather uneventful although I've had some interesting thoughts about a couple of subjects that I'd like to share with you. Before I begin I should explain that the pictures that you're all seeing were taken about three weeks ago when I participated in the Daisy Mountain hike. The other missionary I'm with is Elder Vaughan, the goofball from South Carolina who taught me how to fish sharks and hunt alligators.
I'd first like to direct your attention to 1 Corinthians 13. In this chapter Paul gives his famous discourse on charity. The first part of chapter 13 mentions how that even when he does all these great things, or possesses Christ-like attributes like faith, if he "has not charity he is nothing". I've often wondered why that is and now that I'm out on a mission I think I understand. If you don't have charity for the people that you're working with nothing else matters. If the investigator feels like all you want is a baptism they shut down. If the members feel guilt and not motivation they're not going to do missionary work. Even if we are master teachers, super obedient missionaries or even good with people if we don't have the pure love of Christ motivating us to do all that we do we might as well give up or not even go out. That's what I've been missing this whole time: charity. I realize that I've only been doing things on a mechanical level and that I haven't been putting my heart into the work, which is why I've been feeling down these past few days. I've been really impatient with the members and with the investigators and that's not right. I need to love EVERYBODY regardless of what they do or do not do. Impatience and frustration only leads to grief and discouragement. So right now my big focus for this transfer is developing charity and patience (yes I know it goes with charity but it's still worth bringing up). I believe that I've come to a greater understanding of verse 7 which says:
Moroni 7 also gives a good look at charity.
"If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity."
We are taught from both Paul's account and Mormon's that charity "endureth forever and faileth not". Mormon goes further and tells us that "whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." This is something I'm earnestly praying for and striving to work harder towards being. It is my hope and prayer that you're all doing well in whatever it is you are doing.
Love,
Elder Boothe
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