Hope all is going well. I heard we got some people feeling a little bit under the weather. I'll send some prayers your way.
So I guess there is so much that I could tell you about, but usually when I sit in front of this screen, all I can really remember is what I had for breakfast this morning (it was oatmeal, btw). Well here is an experience we had yesterday. We were at this lesson for two 20 year olds that in are the military, and we were discussing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On the last page of the Gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet, it is talking about enduring to the end. And it quoted a scripture found in 2 Nephi 31. And above that scripture it said, "The gospel of Jesus Christ is a way of life." And although I knew that, and although I taught that, it kinda of hit me at that point. I remember one of the people I was teaching, after her first time going to church, said, "Your church is less of a church, and more of a meeting." And its true! Going to church on Sundays is not as much as making that all your religion, but more of seeing that your everyday life is in accordance with how God wants you to live. Its a lifestyle, not a religion. And I guess I have a slightly amusing story to go along with that. Every wednesday, one of the favorite parts of the week for me and my companion is jumping into normal people clothes to play sports with the youth. Its always a blast! Well, we were really excited this week to play football, and then last minute the Stake President texted us and said we have a meeting with him during sports night. What makes things worse is we already had a meeting the night before. I am not really one for meetings, in fact, in my mind, the less meetings the better! So I started complaining, saying things like, "This is stupid! Why do we need to go to meetings. Maybe we can just make a cut out of us and sticking them in the chair before it starts. Or maybe we can just say we had some sort of emergency that needed to be taken care of. WE got to think of something!" I was literally ready to have my comp hit my knee with a bat. I didnt want to go. But, I bit my tongue and went to the meeting. It was rather lame, and the stake president just read over some protocalls with us. Something we could have done on our own. Then he looked at us and said, "Oh yeah, are you going to be at this meeting tomorrow? We're expecting you there." WHAT. ANOTHER? I almost passed out. I was so frustrated. You can ask my companion. But the next morning I was dabbling in the 1st Book of Nephi for personal study and came across the part of Laman and Lemuel complaining about going back to get the gold plates from Jerusalem. Then a little thought came into my head that went a little something like this, "They are complaining because they have to go back to a place they just left a few days earlier, through a desert, with no way of knowing how they are going to get there, and youre complaining about what? A meeting? Who's Laman and Lemuel now?" And I tucked my tail in between my legs and said you're right Holy Ghost. And so I had a better attitude about the whole thing. I changed my ways.
Now I tell that story because it's not like I went to murder someone. I was just complaining about a meeting! Who hasnt done that? But this life is one to prepare to meet God, and so apparently, my contempt for meetings was holding me back ever so slightly from becoming the person God wants me to be. And I think thats what life is really about. Becoming better through "small and simple things." Although meetings arent my favorite thing, they aren't something I should worry about. But this week has been amazing, as with all weeks. I had a rather cool experience with fasting which I will tell another day. But I love you all. This gospel is true. Meetings arent. Just kidding... Kinda.
LOVE ALWAYS,
Your home boy,
Elder Gleave
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