Hello,
This week has been so much fun. We've been doing so much
practice teaching. We've even been skype-calling members of the church in
Sweden to practice our teaching with them. It's so fun.
I leave for Sweden a week from Monday. I can't be more
excited. Tomorrow we get our flight plans that will tell us exactly when we
leave and which flights will be taking to where. I cannot wait.
We had two more apostles speak to us this week: Elders Ballard
and Anderson. Both of them gave inspiring talks on how to focus ourselves and
become more committed missionaries and more effective instruments in the Lord's
hand.
That leads me to my little message today. Elder Ballard
specifically taught about obedience and what it means to be wholly committed to
the Lord on the mission. The scripture I chose this week is pretty well known
and oft-quoted:
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Jesus teaches pretty clearly here that if we are truly His
disciples, we will follow His commandments. But I think there is a little bit
more to it. Note that he does not say: "If you keep my commandments, you
love me." He teaches in Isaiah 29:13 that we can be outwardly loyal to the
Him without truly loving Him or being worthy of His saving grace. In other
words, though the love of the Lord will always inspire obedience, obedience is
not a sure sign of true commitment.
As I have been here on my mission even just these short four
weeks, I have learned this lesson.
Reluctant obedience is disobedience.
Jesus the Christ, as always, is the perfect example. He
willingly endured the pain and sin of the world and he willingly was raised on
the cross to suffer and die because he loved us and he loved His Father. His
pure love inspired Him and can inspire us as well.
Love,
Äldste Cummings
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