“I wish to be up and doing. I wish to face each day with resolution and purpose. I wish to use every waking hour to give encouragement, to bless those whose burdens are heavy, to build faith and strength of testimony.”


—Gordon B. Hinckley, “Testimony,” Ensign, May 1998, 69

“This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).






“My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.


“… He that keepeth thee will not slumber.


“Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep”
(Psalm 121:2–4).


FEED MY SHEEP
Don't be discouraged in times of difficulty, But hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage, let what will, come; don't deny the faith, and all will be well."



----Joseph Smith


YOU ARE INVITED TO COME UNTO CHRIST

"Mormons Believe in Jesus Christ"

"Mormons Believe in Jesus Christ"
WE BELIEVE

"Oh, Lord, thou shalt save me if thou please; if not, thou shalt lose me; yet Lord will I keep my rudder true"

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Wed, 21 Apr 2010

What'd ye at b'ys,

Hey everyone. Man this week was hectic. It has been rainy, which has been fun, lol. Being soaked head to toe you really find the people who are elect and are truly seeking the truth. But we have another person on date for baptism. Last night we had a lesson with a man named, John Stratton and John is the brother-in-law of the Branch President here in Houlton, and he is really prepared for the gospel. He said two weeks ago he had a cigarette and he said it was nasty and he hasn't touched them since. So that's the only problem he had before, so when that was over with we set something up with him and had a first lesson, baptismal date with him. It was awesome. The date is on may 16Th, so it is coming up soon, but it will be a great thing for him and his member wife.

This upcoming Sunday I have a chance to go to my investigator Nicola's Baptism in Moncton. Yay, lol. And she has asked me to give the talk on Baptism. I am so excited, I have no idea why, because I hate speaking in front of people and I have to go give a talk in front of a lot of people she said, but it will be fine. I'm more willing to do it because she personally asked me to do it. I would have done it anyways but ya.

Knocking on doors here is really different than knocking anywhere else in this mission. We like to call it, "boonie knocking." Everything is out in the woods and houses are spaced out few and far between. I love it, actually. But I do have to say this, I prob have walked more miles now then I have ever walked back at home, just being in this area, ha.

Well that's about it. I love you guys and thanks so much for everything you do.

Elder Rogers


*****************************************************************************

Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2010

WHATS UP, from Maine,

So this was my first week in the states, my area is called Houlton but it has a bunch of surrounding cities as well. Our area is huge, lol. I thought Riverview was big - this is bigger but I'm way glad I'm here. The minute i got into the states the Maine sign said "The Way Life Should Be" and I was like yup, I totally agree, lol. But the good news of this week is that we already have committed an older lady named Wendy to date on may 16th, which was awesome. I was so happy when it happened, she was really prepared. Anyone could have come in and done it but it happened to be me, so I was happy about that.
My companion is Elder Allen and he is on his last 6 weeks here on the mission so he is a well seasoned vet as a missionary, so I'm glad to be with him here. Once or twice a week we go over to Canada for the day and it is really easy to get into Canada but on the way back to the states is really difficult. It's insane, lol, but its all good, it's keeping the country safe .......I think anyways. As well we had our first District Meeting, it went really well. The Zone Leaders showed up for it and then went on splits with us. One of my Zone Leaders now, was my trainer, so we just went around his old area and he showed me the people he used to teach, which was cool, it gave us a lot of new contacts.

Love you all. Thanks for the prayers and support,

Elder Jordan N. Rogers

Monday, April 12, 2010

Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2010

Hi Rachel,

I was asked to write to you, my name is Darlene Kearley and your son Elder Rogers served here for 4 1/2 months or there abouts, im not sure if he told you that i was the one who bought him his sweater at christmas time. Elder(Jordan)Rogers became like part of the family, he is a great person and has alot of potential for becoming the next Assistant to the President. I tell him that all the time he has the confidence and the ability to be a great role model for all missionaries after him. He is doing great work, i sent him two ties last month and he loved them and in the pictures im attaching he is wearing one of them. I went down to NewBruswick to see him on Saturday to spend conference down there. He is a very spiritual and uplifting person and he knows his stuff. He know what to say when you need to hear it the most. IM a convert to the church and sometimes its a struggle for me but he has made some very good friends here and he will do great work there where he is also. We come to know and love him very much and i am so greatfull he came to NovaScotia first because no matter where he goes and now matter what he does he is going to do great work. I have made a great friendship with him he is like my extended family(son). I have two kids i have a 18 year old son and a 16 year old daughter, my son is not a member but my daughter is and my daughter looks up to him. Again thanks for bringing up such a great son who has touched our hearts deeply. I hope you enjoy the two pictures i will send you more when i get some. Love from Canada
Darlene
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010

Whats up everyone,


I'M COMING HOME....................to the states that is. I'm getting transferred to Maine and president has made me a District Leader now. Wow, that's crazy. I'm only 8 months out and he puts me there. I'm grateful for the challenge and as well his trust in me. Other then that, this week went flying by. We had a leadership training meeting this week where SLC sent down 2 people to train us. There were about 50 of us missionaries and it was a great meeting. It made me more prepared for what I have to do now. Something else cool, we now have 2 investigators here in Riverview on date, that means when I leave aka tomorrow for Maine I will be able to come back and see and participate hopefully in the services. The first investigator I wrote about last week and as well this week, was an eternal investigator that has been coming to church for about 5 years now and she knows it's true, so Elder Arnell and I went in there and lovingly and persistently asked her what's up and she accepted the invite. It was awesome and the spirit is what backed us up in lesson.

Thanks for all the support as usual and thanks for your prayers. I love you all.

Elder Jordan N. Rogers

Everyone that knows Elder Rogers:

At the end of every post is the word "comments." If you would like to send some words of encouragement and or your love, just click on that word and it will bring up a comment box for you to type in and then just save it and it will be attached at the bottom of his posts for him to read the next time he gets on. He would love to hear from all of you.



Thank you to those of you who have left a comment to let us know how you know Elder Rogers and have become a follower. It will be a memory for him in his mission book that will be made from his blog. We would love to hear from everyone eventually.....Just go to Monday, May 3, 2010 in the archives list and pull up the "Getting To Know You" post and leave a comment. Thanks so much for supporting Elder Rogers.







A Title of Liberty

A Title of Liberty
In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children. Alma 46:12

The Book of Mormon as a Personal Guide

The Book of Mormon as a Personal Guide
By President Henry B. Eyring First Counselor in the First Presidency:

All of us feel, in our best moments, a desire to return home to live with God. He gave us the gift of His Beloved Son as our Savior to provide the path and to teach us how to follow it. He gave us prophets to point the way. The Prophet Joseph Smith was inspired to translate the record of prophets that is the Book of Mormon. It is our sure guide on the way home to God.

Joseph Smith said of that precious book, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”1

The precepts of the Book of Mormon are the commandments of God we find in it. Some are direct commands from the Savior through His prophets as to what we are to do and what we are to become. The Book of Mormon gives us the Savior’s example to increase our faith and determination to obey His command to follow Him. The book is filled with the doctrine of Christ to guide us. Here is an example from 2 Nephi:

“[Jesus] said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

“And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son” (2 Nephi 31:10–11).

The book makes plain that we must receive the Holy Ghost as a baptism of fire to help us stay on the strait and narrow path. We are taught that we must pray always in the name of Christ, not fainting, and that if we do, we have this promise: “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:20).

The Book of Mormon makes plain in the marvelous sermon of King Benjamin what it means to have a love of God and of all men. When our natures are changed by the power of the Atonement and through our faithful obedience to the commandments, we will be filled with the love of God (see Mosiah 4:1–12).

The Book of Mormon also gives us confidence that we can become so purified in this life that we have no more desire to do evil (see Mosiah 5:2). This hope gives us courage and comfort as Satan tries to tempt and discourage us on our way.

Each time I read even a few lines in the Book of Mormon, I feel my testimony strengthened that the book is true, that Jesus is the Christ, that we can follow Him home, and that we can take those we love home with us. It has been for me the book of books. It is the word of God.

I pray that we and all those we love will drink deeply and daily from it. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that it is a true guide.

Mar. 2007

The Message: Gifts to Bring Home from the Mission Field
By President Gordon B. Hinckley

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Quite a few years ago I was in an airport and happened to meet some returning missionaries. Their families were there. They were picking up their baggage, and I said to one of them, “What’s all this you have?” He said, “These are gifts I am bringing home.” And that has given me the title of what I would like to share: “Gifts to Bring Home from the Mission Field.”

1. A knowledge of and love for God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
“This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). There is no greater gift that comes to anyone in this world than a certain, reassuring conviction that God, our Eternal Father, lives and that Jesus is the Christ. I believe that. I think it is so very, very important.

2. A knowledge of and love for the scriptures, the word of the Lord.
As a missionary, I read each evening before going to bed a few chapters of the Book of Mormon, and there came into my heart a conviction which has never left: that this is the word of God, restored to the earth by the power of the Almighty, translated by the gift and power of God to the convincing of the Jew and the Gentile that Jesus is the Christ. I thank the Lord for the testimony which I have of the truth of the word of God as found in these sacred revealed books. And I would hope that every missionary would leave his or her field of labor with a conviction in his or her heart that these things are true.

3. An increased love for parents.
I have attended hundreds of missionary meetings over the years. I love to hear missionaries speak of their love for the Lord, but I also love to hear them speak with great appreciation and love concerning their parents. Boys who had been careless and indifferent stand on their feet and with tears in their eyes thank the Lord for their fathers and their mothers. In these days, what a salutary and wonderful thing it is to hear a strong young man stand up and speak with great feeling concerning his father and his mother, saying things he would never have said before in all of his life. Every boy and girl ought to come home with an increased love for parents.

4. A love for the people among whom they labor.
I love the English people. No one can sell the English short in my mind because I labored with them, I lived with them, I was in their homes at their firesides, I learned to know their hearts, and I learned to love them.

I have learned to love the people of Asia. I spent 11 years among them, and I love them. To me, I love them as much as I love anybody because of the experience I have had as a missionary, as it were, among them.

There’s something wrong if a missionary doesn’t come back with a great love for the people among whom he labored.

5. An appreciation for hard work.
Every missionary ought to come to realize that work, work, work is the key to getting things done, the key to success in life. There is no substitute for work, for getting up in the morning and getting at it and staying with it to get the job done. I don’t know of a greater asset for whatever lies ahead in life than the capacity to discipline oneself to work.

6. The assurance that the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is available to each of us when we live for it.
The availability of inspiration—each of us, if we live for it, if we cultivate it, can have it. I love these great words of revelation, these words of promise: “God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost” (D&C 121:26). What a precious gift to bring home—the assurance, the certainty that if we live for it, we have available to us that which comes by the power of the Holy Spirit.

7. An understanding of the importance of teamwork.
No one can do this work alone. We work in pairs. “In the mouth of two or more witnesses shall [all things] be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1). We work together. There is no place for prima donnas in the mission field. Our efforts are largely team efforts, and what a marvelous thing it is to learn to work with other people.

8. The value of personal virtue.
I think there is no greater thing concerning future integrity that a missionary can learn than the value of personal virtue. I think there are fewer words greater than the promise given under the inspiration of the Lord as set forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith: “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly.” That’s the commandment. And then the promise: “Thy confidence [shall] wax strong in the presence of God” (D&C 121:45). That’s the promise to those who walk in virtue.

9. The faith to act.
“I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way … that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth” (1 Nephi 3:7).

We ask tremendous things of missionaries. It is so hard for shy and diffident young people to do the things we sometimes ask them to do. But what a marvelous thing that they try. They have the faith to do, the faith to act, the faith to go forward and make the effort. And what a marvelous gift that is to bring home.

10. The humility to pray.
Recognize that there is a power greater than ours, that no matter how good a man is, he is not good enough, that no matter how wise he is, he is not wise enough, that no matter how strong he is, he is not strong enough for all of the things which he will face in life, and that there is a source of power to which he can go with the assurance that he will be listened to and that there will be a response.

These are 10 gifts that I would hope every missionary would bring home with him or her—not a lot of tinsel, not a lot of dolls, not a lot of rugs or furs or dresses or plates, but these great, enduring, wonderful things. God bless you to keep the faith, and while doing so, enjoy with great happiness that which you are called to do.

For more on this subject, read “Ten Things to Know before You Go” by President James E. Faust, New Era, July 2002, p. 4.

[photos] Photographs by Matthew Reier; far right: posed by models

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