Week 13 - September 28, 2015

Week 11- September 14, 2015  
It has been an interesting week as always. Planning is so important and it is also what I am struggling with the most. We do our best to fill up every hour of the day with missionary work. I have seen how it has blessed me to do that. When we completely plan out our day we always end up where we're supposed to be. We were looking for a members home the other day and ended up helping this guy chop wood. There was a ton! He had 2 truck fulls to cut and that was just for his dad. We were able to share our beliefs and teach him about the restored gospel as we continued chopping wood. Him and his girlfriend invited us to come back to teach their grandchildren and have dinner with them! It's amazing to find those who have been prepared to receive the gospel. My companion and I gave talks yesterday at church so I'll send mine. Every Sunday we go to this thing called job corps. It is a school for drop outs learning a specific trade and type of work so they can find good jobs. We go with some members that put on family home evening type of deal and all the kids there are welcome to come. We usually have about 10 kids there every Sunday. Anyways, on our way home we had about 30 min before we were supposed to be home and the spirit was trying to lead me to visit one more person. After making a couple of inspired turns I realized where the spirit was taking us. We arrived at a less active woman's home. We asked her if there was anything we could do for her. She told us how grateful she was we came over and she needed a blessing of comfort from us and didn't want one from anyone else. Her daughter had committed suicide a few months ago and was beginning the grieving process. She asked me to give the blessing. I know very little about this woman and next to nothing of her daughter but I knew the spirit would provide the words if I opened my mouth. The moment I opened my mouth to speak I felt the spirt envelop me and the words flowed. This continued with each new sentence. The love I felt from God to this woman was amazing and when I closed the blessing in the name of Jesus Christ I realized there were tears rolling off my cheeks. The sister was in a similar condition and told me she could feel the power from my hands coursing through her body down to her feet. The spirit was unmistakable. This is the first blessing I've ever given and there is nothing like it. I hope you are all doing fantastic! I love you all.Elder Sedig
Sacrament talk: The Gospel of Jesus Christ-Faith, Repentance, Baptism and Enduring to the End
  Faith is a strong belief that motivates us to act. Our love for God and His son Jesus Christ grow according to our faith and that love we have for them will give us the desire to be obedient. Enos had abundant faith as he "cried unto him in mighty prayer" for the welfare of his soul (Enos 1:4). Heavenly Father spoke to Enos saying, "thy faith hath made thee whole" (Enos 1:8). Another definition I can give to faith is hoping for things which are not seen. It reminds me of the Bible story known as doubting Thomas. Although Thomas was one of the twelve Apostles, he told the others which have seen that "except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). Christ appeared to Thomas during this time of unbelief and made a profound example of him. He allowed Thomas to feel the scars on his hands and side and then spoke, saying, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29).  Thomas believed because he saw Christ, but the scriptures teach that seeing is not always believing. While beating Sam and Nephi with a rod, an angel appeared to Laman and Lemuel. The angel asked them why they do such things to their brothers. They were commanded to get the scriptures from the wicked king Laban and promised protection to do so, but immediately "after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur" in unbelief. Seeing will not grow our faith and certainly will not grow our love for God, but faith will. Even more, faith will motivate us to repent of our sins.
  Repentance shows our Heavenly Father we have the desire to change for the better. Christ suffered so that we can repent and God desires to forgive us and extend mercy if only we would  ask for His forgiveness. How do we repent though? What does that encompass? First, we must recognize what we are doing as wrong. Second, we must stop. After we know what we are doing is sinful we must keep ourselves from doing them again. We will not always be perfect at stopping our bad habits, but God expects us to try. Third, we must make restitution and do all we can to make up the debt. Fourth, we are expected to obey the commandments of God. And the most important thing we must do in our paths of repentance is to acknowledge the Savior. There is not a single sin Jesus has not suffered for. The pain Jesus went through literally caused him to "sweat as it were great drops of blood" (Luke 22:44). No other person could have lived through the agony Christ himself went through. His Suffering is sufficient for all! It is ignorance to believe we have sinned too much or have gone too far to be forgiven. Forgive yourself even as Heavenly Father forgives you after true repentance. "And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them" (Mosiah 4:10". Faith and repentance surely prepare us for baptism.
  Baptism is a saving ordinance, meaning we need it to be brought into the kingdom of God, and a covenant, meaning a two way promise between you and Heavenly Father. He will never break his promise. He is bound to it as we obey his commandments, but has no commitment with us if we do not hold up our end of the deal. Christ is our perfect example! He walked forty miles from Galilee to the river of Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist who held the priesthood authority of God. As our perfect example Jesus Christ is baptized "to fulfil all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). Peter teaches us to "repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). We are promised the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost after baptism. The scriptures teach us plainly so we can follow plainly. "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism--yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost" (2 Nephi 31:13). Attending sacrament and taking of the bread and water each Sabbath day enables us to renew our covenant with God and show our devotion to Him. Our appreciation for the eternal sacrifice of Christ will also deepen each Sunday as we partake of the sacrament. 
  Enduring to the end means exactly what it says. We will all face challenges, trials and opposition, but it is how we react to these experiences that will ultimately influence our eternal destiny. There is nowhere in the scriptures or revelation from prophets, teaching us to hang in there. That is not a principal of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are promised by Christ himself "that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world" (3 Nephi 27:16). Temples help us endure. In the temple we more fully understand our purpose here on earth and our true potential. The house of the Lord blesses us with strength beyond our own means and comfort during hardships. We are closest to God while in his holy temples. The children's hymn "I love to see the temple" sings pure and simple truth. It goes as followed: "I love to see the temple. I’m going there someday to feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray. For the temple is a house of God, a place of love and beauty. I’ll prepare myself while I am young; This is my sacred duty. I love to see the temple. I’ll go inside someday. I’ll cov’nant with my Father; I’ll promise to obey. For the temple is a holy place where we are sealed together. As a child of God, I’ve learned this truth: A fam’ly is forever". The temple binds heaven and earth. We are able to perform life saving ordinances there for all of God's children. Always remember the vital importance of temple work. Elder Boyd K. Packer said: “Ordinances and covenants become our credentials for admission into His presence. To worthily receive them is the quest of a lifetime; to keep them thereafter is the challenge of mortality” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1987, 27; or Ensign, May 1987, 24). 
  I leave you with my testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a way of life prepared for every person that has ever lived, is living and ever will live. I know that the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ and builds our faith in him. I know as our faith grows we will choose to follow God out of love and not fear. I love my Savior and my God. I know I am saved by His grace. I know Jesus died for me and arose a resurrected being and because of that so will I. I know that baptism by immersion by someone holding the priesthood authority of God is essential for our salvation. I'm so very grateful for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost as it guides me in all that I do. I know that enduring in this life is only but a short period time in the perspective of eternity. What a blessing it is to have the temples among us where we can seal our families together forever. This gospel was designed for the family and I know that temples are the only place we can create those eternal bonds. It is my prayer that all will find these same truths. I say these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Week 10- September 7, 2015 The town of Ronan is really small but everyone is so spread out. When
I got here I was surprised at how many native Americans live here but
it makes sense because I'm on a reservation! I think it's called
flathead reservation. It's beautiful up here. The first thing I saw
coming over the hill on the highway was the mountains. They're huge!
My companion and I are gonna get some good hikes in. Before I left
Missoula I was able to do a bunch of service for the community which
was awesome. I had the most fun mowing one of our investigators lawns.
She just made it through surgery for stage 1 cancer! She is so tough.
She also taught us how to pop wheelies on her ancient riding mower.
I'm gonna miss her for sure. I love my new area and companion though.
I'm training Elder Argyle. He's a cool dude. He's been out 6 days now,
but has a great understanding of the gospel and has the desire to
become a great missionary. It's tough getting doubled in but the ward
is really welcoming and helpful. We are really pumped to be here
because we're the first Elders here in 12 years! I'm so grateful for
the trust God has in my companion and I. We are going to be putting a
lot of focus on the ward members and less actives. We have a lot of
less actives here. I'll have to find the talk but one of the apostles
said something along the lines of attending sacrament meeting and
Sunday school and our other meetings on the sabbath day is just about
the most important things we can do. The way he said was much more
powerful, but you get the idea. I love Sunday's. Taking the sacrament
allows me to let go of the world and focus on what Christ has done for
me and the beautiful plan Heavenly Father has designed.
We are living in a members home a little ways out of town. They are an
older couple in a small trailer. They are so generous and kind to the
missionaries. They really do everything they can to make us feel
comfortable. I love staying in their home but at the same time,
everything is really small. Our room is 10x9feet with two twin beds, a
mini fridge (blessing), and a not so spacious desk for the two of us.
Our closet is too narrow for my shoulders to fit through but that's
okay because it's not a walk in closet anyways. I'm content living out
of my suitcase though. I hope I don't come off as ungrateful in
anyway. I've had some of the best nights of sleep in this room.
There's a lot of potential here and I can't wait to really get
familiar with this area and work.
I love you all,
Elder Sedig

Sent from my iPad
Your screen elements are hidden from view. Press Esc or move pointer to the center of the screen to return to Mail.Press Esc or click anywhere to return to Mail.by stevedocwra on by stevedocwraNice and tidy. #low-bandwidth-container { background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7); color: #000; font-size: 115%; display: none; padding: 0.5em 0.7em; position: absolute; bottom: 0.5em; z-index: 10000;right: 0.5em;} <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;URL=launch?reason=no_js_enabled"> Close

•  
•  0

Week 9 - August 31, 2015 Transfers are Wednesday. My companion will be staying here in Missoula training a new missionary. Training lasts 12 weeks for new missionaries and transfers are every 6 weeks. Getting doubled into an area can be hectic so I wasn't able to get very much training done. I still have at least another 6 weeks of training, but God has other things in store for me. I will be leaving Missoula to go to Ronan near Kalispell and Flat Head lake. My area is only about half an hour from Big Fork. I will be getting doubled into this area as well and will be training a new missionary. I'm grateful that the mission president has enough trust in me to get doubled in and be training. I'm really excited to meet my companion on Thursday. Anyways this week was pretty normal besides all of the smoke from wild fires. Our zone prayed and fasted for rain and wind to push out the smoke. This week ended with a lot of rain and wind. I feel like I can actually breath now and it's nice not having ash rain down anymore. I gave a talk in the Seeley Lake branch. There were about 25 people there for sacrament. It's a tiny branch, but the people are awesome and understand the importance of loving those around them. When someone is sick they don't just start dropping off food. While that may be nice most people need something other than a bowl of soup. They take the time to ask others how they can really help them with real love for that person. I'm grateful for that little branch. I typed up my talk on Sunday along with my testimony so I'll add to this email. I hope everyone is doing well. Remember that if we are too busy to make time for God, then we are too busy altogether. -Elder Sedig

  The Book of Mormon is the sole reason we are gathered here at church today. It is the reason I am 1,230 miles away from home. I am serving a mission to invite others to the fullness of the gospel which is accomplished because of the Book of Mormon. The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “The Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man can get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” Let us not forget the Holy Bible is also the word of God and essential to the gospel of Jesus Christ, but the Bible has been through very many hands and was left to the interpretation of man as God took his authority from the earth after the death of Jesus and his disciples. Religion became a thing of power and stature and the scriptures were abused. What once was perfect was manipulated by those who possessed worldly authority, but lacking the authority of God. With that said, I believe the bible we use today, the Kings James version, is the most accurate to the original text and has teachings we must learn and follow to return to our father in heaven. I do not value the Holy Bible any less than I do the Book of Mormon. In fact the, the Book of Mormon has strengthened my testimony and understanding of the bible. We were blessed with the Book of Mormon for the "confounding of false doctrine" (2 Nephi 3:12). I will say it again, the Book of Mormon is the sole reason we are gathered here at church today.  It is the keystone of our religion! When an archway is being built a keystone is used to hold the two sides of the archway up. The structure of the archway relies on the keystone and without it, the archway collapses.  The Book of Mormon plays the same role in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There are three fundamental reasons this is true:  First, it is a witness of Christ. It bears solemn witness of his reality and power. We learn of his divinity and atonement in its fullness through the Book of Mormon. Ancient prophets teach and testify of Christ and his gospel. Through the Book of Mormon we learn truths of Christ complimenting those in the Holy Bible.  Second, it has the fullness of all doctrine. As we study the Book of Mormon we learn how to become disciples of Christ and return to Heavenly Father. It teaches the gospel simply and plainly so that all may come unto Christ and follow the commandments. Many churches of the world teach pieces of truth from the Bible. With the Book of Mormon we are able to have all truths. The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes: revelation from prophets and apostles (which we have), baptism by immersion (which we have), the priesthood authority that makes these things possible to do (which we have), and more.  Third, it is the foundation of our testimonies. As I mentioned before, without the keystone the archway cannot hold. So it is with the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If the Book of Mormon is not true, all that we do as members of this church is false. If it is not true, Joseph Smith would not have been a real prophet of God. Our claim to priesthood authority and revelation would be discredited. But if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. If Joseph Smith was a prophet of God then that would mean Christ's gospel has been restored!   The beginning pages of the Book of Mormon includes a title page, an introduction, testimonies of witnesses as well as Joseph Smith's testimony and a brief explanation of the Book of Mormon. I encourage everyone to read those beginning pages. They have been a great help to me as I sought to learn whether or not this book is true. I love the Book of Mormon and feel enlightened by the spirit as I study it and pray of the things Ive learned. When I first began to read the Book of Mormon, the first paragraph and the last two paragraphs of the introduction hit me with power. Introduction:"The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel.We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5). Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah."  I can testify to the world that the Book of Mormon is true. Through faithful prayer and an open heart the Holy Ghost testified to me that it is the word of God. I do not lean on the testimonies of others who believe the Book of Mormon to be true nor do I believe because I have been raised in the church. I believe because the Holy Ghost bore witness to me personally. I truly desired to know and God gave me an answer. My answer did not come in the form of words. It did not come immediately or with the first prayer either. However, as I read more intently and prayed more sincerely I felt as though my heart was filled. My body felt electrified and my find felt enlightened. It seemed to me that I had discovered a hidden treasure. I had discovered something that could benefit every single person on earth. I imagine it as if a doctor had labored diligently to find a cure for cancer and then actually found it with the benefit of preventing others from developing cancer. And the best part is everyone can have it. My joy is full because of the Book of Mormon. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored and the Book of Mormon paired with the Holy Bible gives us the fullness of his gospel. I invite all to read the Book of Mormon and pray in faith to know if it is true or not. If you are sincere and truly desire to receive an answer, God will surely give an answer through the Holy Ghost. I know God has provided a divine plan for every person to ever live. I know his son Jesus Christ is my savior and made it possible to repent and to become more than I am now. I know it is only by the grace of God that I am saved and by obeying his commandments I show my love and appreciation for him. I know this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the only church on the earth with a fullness of truth. As a representative of the Son of God, I say these things in his name, even Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sent from my iPad Your screen elements are hidden from view. Press Esc or move pointer to the center of the screen to return to Mail.Press Esc or move pointer here to return to Mail.

Week 8 - August 24, 2015
This week wasn't very busy, but I learned a lot and there were plenty
of miracles. We had mission tour this week so a general authority came
and spoke to the whole mission. Elder Martino taught us a lot about
finding people to teach. Our mission is really good at finding through
Tracting and knocking doors, but that isn't very productive and can
waste a lot of time in the day. He taught us how to work through the
members to be more effective missionaries. When the members give
missionaries referrals and work along side them, the work is much more
productive.
Miracle of the week:
We have been teaching a family that already has a faith in Christ but
love to bible bash. We know that they have been dropped in the past
but they say they love meeting with us. As we were teaching them the
other night we discussed the role of the Book of Mormon. We explained
that the Book of Mormon acts as a second witness of the gospel of
Jesus Christ and puts an end to false doctrine. With the Holy Bible
and Book of Mormon we have the fullness of the Gospel. We taught them
that just like the bible, the Book of Mormon has teachings from
prophets of God and  records of testimonies of Christ. There was a lot
that we covered and throughout the whole lesson they said that what we
were saying makes sense and feels right. Every question and concern
they had was able to be answered through the Book of Mormon. We
kneeled in prayer together and my companion prayed that they may know
these things are true through the spirit. After the prayer we asked
what they felt and they said they felt enlightened like they gained
wisdom and peace of mind to their concerns. They told after 10 years
of meeting with missionaries, we were the first ones that made
complete sense of the restored gospel. I know that it was because of the spirit that they were able to understand and feel the truth of
these things. I'm grateful that the diligence my companion and I put
into our studies payed off. The spirit is the real teacher and it's
missionaries job to learn the gospel so the spirit can prompt you to
say certain things and ask inspired questions. I also know that is
through prayer and the spirit that they can gain a knowledge of these
truths.
I love missionary work and having the companionship of the Holy Ghost
with me at all times. I'm motivated to serve others at all times and I
know the best service is to bring others to the knowledge of the
gospel. My heart is filled as I continue to grow my knowledge of this
gospel and what God has in store for those who follow his son Jesus
Christ. Fight the good fight and keep the faith. - 2 Timothy 4:7
Elder Sedig

Week 7 - August 17, 2015
This week flew by, but it seems like there was so much that happened.
I have met so many interesting people. Most of them should be in psych
wards but that's okay I guess. I've had a really humbling week as I
have felt God's love for the crazy people here. I've also been exposed
to my weaknesses a lot this week. I'm grateful for my weaknesses
though because it gives me an opportunity to make them strengths. All
the good experiences and even the bad ones have only added to my
testimony and helped me grow. I see God's hand in my life everyday and
by reflecting on that it helps me appreciate the blessings and trials
I am given. As a missionary I can not convince people to believe the
gospel. I can only teach gospel truths and invite others to come unto
Christ. I wish people could see the importance of this message but few
are the people who actually listen and find out for themselves.
I learned more fully the importance of the atonement and prayer this
week. Not only did Christ suffer and die for us but he lived a perfect
life for all mankind. It's hard to imagine perfection, but Christ was
just that. Imagine how hard it is to be perfect for yourself or even
your loved ones. We always fall short of perfection even when we give
it our all. Now imagine how hard it would be to live perfectly for
those that hated you, abused you and mocked you. Christ lived
perfectly for his followers, but what more than that, he lived
perfectly for his enemies. And all the while he knew they would kill
him. Had Christ not lived a perfectly sinless life, no man would be
able to repent or be saved by grace. But because Jesus Christ was
perfect, all mankind can access the greatest gift of all time: the
atonement. What does the atonement mean to you? Moving on, prayer has
always been important to me but I have recently learned more about it.
Prayer is a chance for us to literally speak to God. He desires to
hear from us and help us through our trials. God helps and strengthens
us as we act in faith. Prayer is an act of faith. It is also a
fundamental principle to do so. Our burdens and trials can be
lightened through prayer. We can not expect God to help us or bless
others if we do not pray accordingly. Our prayers should be sincere
and honest. God is all knowing and by not being completely open to him
in our prayers we put a false image of ourselves up in our mind. As we
open ourselves to God through prayer and share with him our gratitude,
concerns, questions, desires, and all else that is dwelling our
hearts, He will bless, comfort, answer, and nourish us and those
within our prayers.
Never think you are too far gone to access the atonement. The debt has
already been paid so take advantage of His gift to us. We can do so
through prayer and also find happiness that our souls yearn for.
I hope everyone back home is doing great. I don't have very many
people's emails so if any of know some one who would like to get my
emails just let me know or you could just forward these. I love you
all.
Elder Sedig

Sent from my iPad