Personal Study Time in the Mountains

Guess what? I got to sing with Elder Gluch at Zone conference!! How crazy is that. Heavenly Father sure knows what He's doing. Four of us sang I'll go where you want me to go--I sang the alto line and there was no possible way I was going to mess that up. (There was only 3 notes.)

Dad asked me a question about learning everyday words like "potassium permanganate"--haha. No, not yet. But it made me think of zone conference President Hoer had to traslate for parts of the conference because no one else knew the words that were being said. He knew words like whale shark, plankton, and carbon monoxide poisoning. He is so smart! He is a master of the language!

Most recently I've been so amazed at the Savior and His role. I've been pondering on the meaning of always remembering the Savior--as we promise to do each Sunday when we partake of the sacrament. Every prophet's purpose, since the begining of time, is to testify of the Savior and His divine role. Every verse of scripture points to the Savior. Every ordinance in the law of Moses and every ordinance in the law introduced at the time of Christ's death points to the Savior--every jot and tittle. This insight is starting to change how I study and how I act. The words of Hymns and scriptures have taken on new meaning.

I just want to let each of you know that we have a Father in Heaven. This life is not "whatever" (sui bian), there is a plan. We are being looked out for. The way is prepared and we are not left comfortless.

This week, I wondered, "How can Christ know what it's like to sin and to have that loss of spirit?" I thought there was no way, Christ can't know how that feels. How can he help me in that case? How can he know how it feels to have the spirit withdraw? and in that case, how can I use the atonement to overcome that distance from God? However, my wonderings were very immature: On the cross, in the agony that he was put through at that time, the Father withdrew his spirit. In the Savior's hour of need, in his darkest hour, the Son of God--perfect and holy--suffered a a temporary spiritual death. He bridged the eternal divide. When we sin, and the sprit withdraws, Jesus Christ's atonement has covered that, and he can lift us from our fallen state and allow us to keep going. We can feel the arms of mercy extended to us and once again experience the blessings and joy of walking in the presence of God. How great is our Savior!

The scriptures often begin with the words, "And it came to pass". In Chinese it is written "Shiqing shi zhe yang de" -- the literal translation of that is, "Things are this way." I thought that was pretty cool.

Today for Preperation day my companion and I biked to the other end of our area, and hour + ride up the mountians. We got permission and had personal study up there. Biking up the mountian was really cool. I felt like I was in my zone. We decided that since we never go up that way that we'd take some time to spread the good news, so we took some of our Preparation Day to find the prepared. It was fun! As we tried to do as the Savior would do, we were lead to a less-active family that there was really no way of finding where they lived by their address; we were able to serve some people who had stuff fall out of their truck; and we were able to run into a former investigator on the street that my companion had just barely told me told me about.

Too many things seem to fall into place in missionary work. It can't all be coincidence. God directs this work.

(Jia you!) add oil - give your best.

With all my love,

Elder Spencer Harris
--posted by his mother