(Elder Cummings)
We have had a hard working week. I love it!
We had a beautiful baptismal service for Johnny, Jay, and Lisa Her. We have been working with them for a few
months now. The whole family moved down
to Fresno and immediately sought out the Church. The mother was less active for many years and
is happy to have returned to activity in the Church, and is even more happy
that her children are coming to the covenants!
Waiting for the font to fill Saturday afternoon, listening
to Elder Ostler plunk out hymns on the piano, I spent some time reflecting on
the story of the flood. I had heard it
said once that it symbolically relates to baptism, and I was pleased to find
that to be true.
Noah was distinguished from the people of his time by his
zeal in keeping the commandments of God. "Noah was a just man and perfect
in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). In describing his obedience, the scripture
states that "according to all that God commanded him, so did he"
(Genesis 6:22). Noah is a type of the
spiritual man that we all of the potential to be.
When the rain comes it is Noah who is carried by the waters
to higher ground. He ends up on the top
of the mountains of Ararat, a place much higher in elevation than where he
likely built the ark (Genesis 8:4). His
experience brought him closer to the Lord.
Through the flood "all flesh died" (Genesis 7:21), leaving the
world "clean" and symbolic of the death of the sinful life and the
beginning of one of discipleship that occurs at baptism.
To go even further, through modern revelation we understand
that following the "baptism" of the flood Noah received many
covenants from God, which God himself describes as those he "made unto
your [Noah's] father Enoch, concerning your seed after you" (JST Genesis
9:15). In the same way baptism is not
the end of our commitment to God, in fact God has many blessings for us that
follow baptism, conditional on obedience, and with the same far reaching
effects as the covenant God made with Noah.
In these latter days these covenants are available in the Holy Temples.
Unfortunately my camera died and I couldn't find the charger
until the day after the baptism, so no pictures from this one.
Yesterday we rode the bus to church with our beloved
farmers. A nine hour total round
trip. This instilled in me a much
greater love for these Hmong people and for the sacrifices they are willing to
make for God, truly inspiring. God truly
does love all of His children. You are
all included in that!
With love,
Elder Jared Cummings
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