Mosiah and the Importance of Families

May 26th

Hey!! Sounds like everything is going great for everyone! This past week has been awesome! My companion ran into a bus stop sign which slit his thumb wide open. Don't text while riding a bike. I had my first aid kit with me so while administering to his wound he squirts blood at me and got on my tie and shirt, so I now have my companions blood on a tie and white shirt hahaha.

Anyways besides that we found a huge new housing complex that has all these brand new homes that young couples are moving into. It is so new it doesn't show up on google maps yet haha. but we are going to tract the area and we are hopeful! Also got a great referral that we are going to try today!

So this month in our mission we are studying chapter 5, Book of Mormon. And for one of our assignment we had to write a short testimony on a favorite scripture story so here is mine: My favorite story in the Book of Mormon is found in Mosiah Chapter 27. The conversion story of Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah. I love his story because it is one I can relate to in my life. No I was not going around seeking to destroy the church, but life hasn't always been the easiest of times. I love when the angel appears and testifies this church is true and testifying that the Lord hears prayers. It is comforting to think our Savior knows us and is right by us even if we fall or try to handle life on our own. I find another aspect of this story easy to relate too. If you look at Alma the father, he was a loving father who did not force the gospel on him for he knew his son needed to know the truthfulness himself. Aren't our parents like that? They love us unconditionally, through thick and thin. I think this part of the story gets over-looked. The importance of families. And the final part of the story when Alma the younger has his strength again and bids everyone to be of good comfort, and him now having the desire to preach and teach the gospel so others can repent and have a hope for things because that is why we have true joy and happiness we have the spirit of God in us.

I love this gospel, and the more time I am out here the more grateful I am to be serving the Lord. No I wasn't planning to serve a mission, and no I did not have an angel come down. But the people I have met, the examples they showed are the angels I needed to have. The Lord has a grand design for all of us, and is never far away. I know He loves us more than we know. Alma the younger is a perfect example of someone being converted and deepening his conversion. He served people the rest of his life and never loosing faith even through the trials in the city Ammonihah. I pray that now I know my purpose, I know I have a Heavenly Father watching over me, and angels all around me that I will never loose my faith just like Alma the younger.

I hope everyone is reading at least something out of the Book of Mormon each and everyday, and study it out in your mind during the day. I love you! Miss you!

Elder Harris

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Elder Jorvik Ty Harris
Rancho Cucamonga, California

A couple of my own thoughts.... when I joined the church at 16 one of the things that really appealed to me was how important families were.  My own upbringing did not allow me to have the most ideal family life and perhaps that is why it appealed to me.  I do not really know... I just know that the idea of families being together forever in the eternities made my heart fill with joy and happiness.

Why are families important to Mormons?
Our families provide a setting for much of the growth we experience in life.

In our families we love, serve, teach, and learn from each other. We share our joys and our sorrows. Family ties may bring us difficult challenges, but they also give us strength and some of our greatest happiness.

The family is central to God’s plan for His children. It is also the central unit of society and the means for bringing children into the world where they can be loved, provided for, and taught truth and righteousness (see “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”).

While we cannot choose the conditions of our birth, we can choose each day to make our families stronger and happier. It is possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

What do Mormons believe about family?
In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”many Mormon beliefs about families are outlined. One of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ core beliefs is that family relationships can last forever—not just for this life.

Just as some of life’s sweetest joys can come through family associations, the loss of a beloved family member can be a source of our deepest sorrows.

But death does not need to be the end of our relationships with cherished loved ones. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that the “same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there [in eternity], only it will be coupled with eternal glory” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:2).

Family members who accept the Atonement of Jesus Christ and follow His example can be together forever through sacred ordinances performed in God’s holy temples. Jesus gave to Peter the power to have things sealed on earth and sealed in heaven (Matthew 16:19). This same sealing power was restored to Joseph Smith. Mormon’s believe that they can be “sealed” or bound together through His power enabling them to live together in eternity.

This Week Has Been Awesome!

This week has been awesome! we moved to an apartment with missionaries. Except it is in their area so we have to bike in suits to the church building which is 5 miles away. Nothing like nice warm up 5 miles to wake ya up. hahaha.

Other than that it has been a chill week. We are still trying to find people. My luck we have been talking to all these people that go to Calvary chapel which is the definition of great and spacious building. It is so hard  when all their preacher fills their mind with hateful things toward our church. It is honestly so sad and I feel sorrowful for them.

On other news I watched the face to face with Elder Bednar. I love his first answer talking about Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-neggo and how not only did they survived the fire, but had no smell of fire. And if you think about it, when you go camping what is the first thing you smell? Campfire. So how do go throughout this world not only avoiding temptations, but not even have the thoughts? So my challenge to you is study Daniel Chapter 3, and find a scripture story in the Book of Mormon that is just like the story in Daniel. Find what they did that helped them stay away from negative thoughts.

We had to teach Elders quorum this week in church over "flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon" by Ezra Taft Benson. I hope you are continuing to read the Book of Mormon each and everyday. You wouldn't want to go into war without your weapon and Armour on. Same thing applies to reading the Book of Mormon and going out into the world where the adversary has a great hold on people's heart.

We were talking to a member who is the definition of missionary after the mission. He has like 10 referrals every time we head over. Most of them are not in our ward go figure hahaha. But he was telling us about this book he is reading about the war in heaven. He said this creepy and scary part was when Satan was cast down into the earth he warned everyone," you won't remember me, but I will remember you!" It is so true, he knows that we didn't follow him so he is ever so desperately
whispering in our ears to do wrong.

I am glad you guys liked the letters! With rooming with Elders who have been here a while and are actually going home everyone in the apartment writes letters, so at nights after we are done with nightly planning and before 10:30 bed time I have decided to write letters. I actually have another letter sending off today!

Love you guys so much! Hope you guys are safe. Sandi you left your story with dad and the paramedics. It would be nice to know what exactly happened, and dad if you are okay. Don't need to be scaring me!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Elder Harris
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Elder Jorvik Ty Harris
Rancho Cucamonga, California

Mother's Day Phone Call

So our Mother's Day phone call with Elder Harris was totally awesome!!!  We had Skyped his brother, Elder Packham, serving in Mexico, on Saturday so it was nice that they each had a different day to talk with us.

My heart was SO full of joy when  I saw him!! He looks so great and his spirit was amazing!!! He shared so much goodness with us and I just couldn't be more proud.   He bore a tremendous testimony of the Book of Mormon, the Plan of Salvation and his Savior.

Here are some pics from our phone call:

Service, Transfers, and Upcoming Mother's Day Call

I am working on catching up on Elder Harris's blog.  This email was from May 4th.
I really love hearing how much he is progressing.The best part of his email was the anticipation of the Mother's Day call!!! YAY!

He talks about the Atonement in this email and I want to tell you that I know that the Atonement is the greatest gift we have.It helps us in EVERY aspect of our lives. Too many people think that Atonement is solely for sin and that is just not true.  The Atonement is so much more. 

Jorvik talks about two scriptures and I will tell you more about them after you read his email:

 So this week has been interesting. We did a lot of service this week. One of the days we took out a fence, and were breaking up the cement foundation with a sledgehammer you could say I felt like a boss lol. This week was transfer week and I am staying in Chino with my trainer. I am done with 12 week training!!!! Woot woot I am so old now hahaha.

So with Elder Plymell and I we sat down to do transfer goals. I realized this past couple of weeks that the mission is of course to help invite others to come unto Christ, but it also allows you to find yourself and give you a chance to be away from everyone as personally you start to build the person that you would want to be. And that is exactly how and what I am now focusing on. The talk by President Uchtdorf on being a genuine disciple of Christ really kick started me self examining myself.

So happy late Birthday Sandi!!

And it is soon Mother's Day! Which means I get to call home! So I will be at my ward mission leader's home at 1p.m. on Sunday (MY TIME) to call! I will try to use google hangout, but you are probably going to have to call me because I don't know how to work the dang thing. I only know how to accept calls. I emailed Jake about it also I am going to try and get Cameron because he takes off to the MTC pretty soon and would like to see him too!

I miss you guys so much! Love you guys and keep up the good work! I never realized how amazing Mosiah chapter 3 is. I have learned so much about the Atonement and how vital it is as missionaries and us using it every single day.

Also we have been going around at members homes and giving messages on Family Home Evening. We have seen so many families start to fall apart due to not being united. And that is the idea of having FHE. So please make sure you guys are doing so! I know schedules are busy but it is
important to be together. D&C 31:2.

Anyways love you guys!

Much Love,
Elder Harris

--
Elder Jorvik Ty Harris
Rancho Cucamonga, California

Mosiah Chapter 3 in the Book of Mormon is King Benjamin's address.  Here is a link:
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/3.19
Here is a good take away from that Chapter:

 “But King Benjamin, who understood as well as any mortal what it meant to be a man of strength and courage, makes it clear that to be like a child is not to be childish. It is to be like the Savior, who prayed to His Father for strength to be able to do His will and then did it. Our natures must be changed to become as a child to gain the strength we must have to be safe in the times of moral peril. …

“We are safe on the rock which is the Savior when we have yielded in faith in Him, have responded to the Holy Spirit’s direction to keep the commandments long enough and faithfully enough that the power of the Atonement has changed our hearts. When we have, by that experience, become as a child in our capacity to love and obey, we are on the sure foundation.

 “From King Benjamin we learn what we can do to take us to that safe place. But remember: the things we do are the means, not the end we seek. What we do allows the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change us into what we must be. Our faith in Jesus Christ brings us to repentance and to keeping His commandments. We obey and we resist temptation by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. In time our natures will change. We will become as a little child, obedient to God and more loving. That change, if we do all we must to keep it, will qualify us to enjoy the gifts which come through the Holy Ghost. Then we will be safe on the only sure rock” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2006, 14–15; or Ensign, May 2006, 15–16).

Then Jorvik spoke about Family Home Evening.  I am grateful that we have honored Family Home Evening in our home.  It has blessed us tremendously.  In a time when families are under attack and they are so busy that they do not spend a lot of time together - FHE is the best!  All of that ties to the last scripture he shared....D&C 31:2. 

 2 Behold, you have had many afflictions because of your family; nevertheless, I will bless you and your family, yea, your little ones; and the day cometh that they will believe and know the truth and be one with you in my church.

“The great work of every man is … to create and perfect an eternal family unit. … Salvation is a family affair.” (Bruce R. McConkie, in Conference Report, Apr. 1970, pp.

26–27.)

Obedience is the Price, Faith is the Power....

Well this week has been rough. Yesterday I caught the stomach flu so that has been fun! Also we lost 2 progressing investigators, but found a new investigator and should have another one today! Priesthood blessings works wonders. Elder Plymell gave me one yesterday and I woke up today and you could not tell I had the stomach flu yesterday. Though my stomach still feels weak I am surviving. We had zone conference this past week which talked a lot about desire. And to continue to increase our desire to become like our Savior we must increase our understanding of Him. Which I thought was interesting.

Yeah I have realized I am not a morning person. I am a zombie until study time rolls around. My stake president from BYU-I emailed me and gave me this awesome quote.

OBEDIENCE IS THE PRICE.
FAITH IS THE POWER.
LOVE IS THE MOTIVE.
THE SPIRIT IS THE KEY.
CHRIST IS THE REASON.
JOY IS THE REWARD.

Hope everyone has a great and safe week! I miss you guys!

Elder Harris

--
Elder Jorvik Ty Harris
Rancho Cucamonga, California

Jorvik loves his Stake President from BYU-Idaho. I am really glad that he wrote him.  That was nice.  I think that people don't necessarily know how important it is for missionaries to get mail.  It makes them feel loved!! I wish that there was a way to ensure that they get mail - but, alas, there is not.

The quote that his Stake President shared is from President James E Faust, in 1999.  He was teaching the importance of a positive attitude in missionary work.  Some things he said that I really like are:

Even when someone rejects the message, missionaries need to learn to have a positive attitude, because the message is still true, whether accepted or not.

In order to do well, missionary work has to be totally positive.

Obedience is the price that produces faith, love, access to the Holy Spirit, and, ultimately, access to the celestial kingdom. It is the first law of heaven.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. Faith in Him is more than acknowledgment that He lives. It is more than professing belief. Faith in the Savior consists of sure and complete reliance on Him. As God, He has infinite power, intelligence, and love. There is no human problem beyond His ability to solve. He descended below all things. He knows how to succor His people according to their needs. We must have “unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save” (2 Nephi 31:19). Faith in Him means that even though we do not understand all things, we know that He does. We must look to Him “in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36).

One way we can experience a greater confirmation of God’s love is through keeping our hearts and minds pure. Jacob exhorted:

Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause. . . .

O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever.[Jacob 3:1–2]

The Savior knows us perfectly. Through the Atonement He knows how to succor us (Alma 7:11–12). When one receives a prompting regarding a question asked in prayer or a feeling of love for another person or if one has a confirming feeling during a person’s testimony, where do those come from? One should recognize first of all that the Holy Ghost is at work. In addition, since the Holy Spirit represents the Savior, one should also recognize that the ultimate source of those feelings or those promptings is the Redeemer Himself

Christ is the basis for all that we do. He is the reason we do missionary work. Without the Savior and His Atonement, there would be no good news to spread. Without Him, temple work would be in vain. Our progress would stop. But He did partake of the bitter cup and “finished [His] preparations unto the children of men” (D&C 19:18–19). As we come to know Him and to “learn . . . that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ” (Alma 38:9), we become better students, we have a stronger influence on others, we serve more faithfully as missionaries, we raise better families, and we become worthy to enter the Holy City, following the footsteps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.