Oct 7th. Letter

HELLLOOOOOO!!!

So I don't have any time this week to email because I had to write a talk to my mission president about the doctrine of Christ. I thought since it is one of my better talks I am going to email it to you all too :) Just know that I had a fabulously insane week this week ha-ha. We went on two 24 hour exchanges and drove an hour and a half to a 7 hour meeting and we still taught 20 lessons!!! Whew it was madness!!! I will save some good stories to tell you next week. This week you can enjoy a little spiritual message. I love you all and have a wonderful week!!!! Love Sister Jones!!

My Talk on the Doctrine of Christ

My companion and I recently visited a young struggling single mother. We sat on her couch and listened to her broken voice and watched her tear stricken face as she told us of the struggles she was going through. My heart ached for her. So much pain and sadness engulfed her life. The hardest thing to witness was that it was affecting her 6 children too. I sat there feeling completely helpless and wished I could take the pain away. I wondered how everything in her life could go so wrong for her. 
As we were driving to our apartment, her appointment being the last one of a busy day, I pondered on what I had just heard and seen. I realized that yet again I have witnessed a direct result of a life without the gospel. Yet again I realized that it is truly better to "Prepare and prevent, than it is to repair and repent." This is a quote I heard quite often in Young Women lessons. 
This woman we visited carried the burdens of sin and consequences that followed for years. She had no idea that she could lay down these burdens and be free. She had no idea that the Savior has already carried that burden for her. 
The Savior paid the price for every sin that will ever commit. Through him we can be free of the guilt, the shame, the heartache, and the yoke that comes upon us from the mistakes we make and the mistakes of those around us. What precious knowledge this is. This truly is good news that we are blessed to share. 
All the Savior asks is that we come follow Him and be perfect even as He is perfect. We do these things by first having faith in Him. Faith is believing in things we cannot see. It is putting trust in someone or something enough to do something about it. Having faith in the Savior means we believe that He is the son of God. Trusting that he truly did die for his sins. How do you exercise this faith? By doing what he has asked us to do. Pray, go to church, read his scriptures, love your neighbor, keeping his commandments. When we do these things it strengthens our faith and it shows Christ the evidence of your faith. 
The second thing we must do to apply this gospel into our lives is Repent. Repentance is to change. Change for the better. We repent by recognizing what we have done wrong, making it better, asking for forgiveness, and refraining from ever doing it again. A companion once explained to me that, "repentance is gaining a fresh view of God, and yourself." Repentance is a lifelong process and will help us to be worthy of living in Christ's presence after this life. What a precious gift it is!
After we have gained faith in Jesus Christ and we have repented of our sins it prepares us to take the next step in our pathway to follow him. We are ready to make covenants or promises with Christ. We are baptized in his name and we promise to stand as a witness of him, always remember him, and to keep his commandments. Christ showed us an example of how to be baptized and his life shows us an example of how to live. 
Luckily Christ gives us a comforter and guide to help us along the way. After we are baptized we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost. He will be our constant companion. He is the connection we have to following the savior for the rest of our lives. Which leads me to the last step. 
The last thing Christ has asked us to do is to endure to the end. This is the hardest step because it is the longest step. Constantly remembering our baptisms covenants and being perfect is impossible without the guidance and direction Christ has given us through his church. As we consistently attend our church meetings, partake of the sacrament, read the scriptures and pray we will find the strength and knowledge it takes to receive eternal life. 
This is the path everyone is required to take. Without this structure and guidance we are lost. Like the woman above we wander a lost and broken path of sorrow. Christ is the shining light that everyone needs. We are his servants to gather in the lost sheep to point them to eternal life. I know these things are true. I have witnessed it on a daily basis. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Amen

LOVE YOU!!!!!!

Love sister Jones

P.s. my quote of the week was my favorite quote from conference. So wonderful!