Derrick's Letter 11.24.14

Ha! Well, this week flew by. It was Saturday and it felt like yesterday was Monday? The week flew by!!!!!

Well, anyway, I could not help but to keep thinking of Elder Cox on Wednesday! I am so excited for him! And, of course, I could only think of Sister Shumway on Saturday!  That is crazy that she is married!!!!

On the other hand, again, not a whole lot has happened over the past week! Thanksgiving is Thursday and I know that I will not go hungry. Everyone we go to asks to feed us. (I have not had one night that I have not been fed.) So it is kinda hard to watch your weight. But, last week I dropped 5-6 pounds.  I live with one other companionship in our house and we all get along, so it is really nice. I have read the Book of Enoch and that stuff is awesome. Everyday, and the more I research it, the more I know Joseph Smith was, and is, a prophet of God! There is no way a boy of 14 could construct a church that strengthens families, and make someone happy in the midst of this world. It brings peace to the worried and comfort to the restless. This gospel changes lives. I know this and I could not trade anything for this knowledge. But no matter how much I know… believe this… I can’t override someone’s agency to choose. I can invite and love and care for them, but in the end, it is their choice. This brings me back to a scripture, "Wickedness never was happiness". I know that sometimes I think there are gray areas, but.... there isn’t. If you are not following God, who are you following?.... I see this so much out here. I see that people claim Jesus as there Savior but worship alcohol or sports,,,,,,,,, and the list goes on. 

     

I am so grateful to be a missionary. I might not be teaching anyone right now or be baptizing anyone. The Lord says, "Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word." I guess I needed to come out here and learn of the gospel before I am able to teach it. The Lord knows what He is doing. Trust him and do what he says. We will all be held accountable to our Maker one day. We will stand before Him, and He will ask us, “Did you do all you could to follow Me? To share my message to those I put in your path?”

         

It has taken me almost 100 days in the mission to learn and to understand these different lessons. I don’t know how on earth I would have learned them any other time if I didn’t serve. This message is true! There is no denying it. By your fruits ye shall know them. Show me another church on earth that follows The Bible more than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Our numbers will always be smaller. We will never be a majority. The world is only going to get worse, and worse, and more darkness and more confusion.  "Men’ss hearts will fail them."  The great and abominable church will fall here in the Latter-Days. As hard as it is to say (The great and abominable Church is any church that is not God’s church. Any church that is not LDS.

         

We know who is going to win. Darkness can never overcome light. Don’t live below your potential. Don’t wait to be happy. Choose to be happy now-- today. God’s plan is the plan of happiness, not the plan of crappiness. God’s whole purpose is to bring us eternal joy (pure happiness). How can we be happy if we don't follow what He says, but instead follow the natural man which is an enemy to God? God will not give you any commandment that will not make you happy. 

This is a perfect church run by imperfect people. I know, for sure, the saying, “If the church wasn’t true, the missionaries would have destroyed it a long time ago!!!!!” That is SOOOOOOO true!!!!

 I know these things are true. "O be wise, what more can I say more?" 

 I love you all, 

 Elder Dawes

P.S. Love you both! Dad, I hope you do well on you dissertation! Mom, well, I remember those years... They were rough. Sorry for spending a bit of money last week! I will not need to spend a whole lot for a while. I love you. And I think of you all the time. I am thankful for you. As much as I hate to say it, but I needed a lot of that correction that I got. Don’t be afraid to correct......humble the girls.

I can’t wait for Christmas. Ha! Only a month away. I will look forward to it!! What wind? Have you got any more snow? Everything is pretty normal here. AZ , I guess, is not being affected by this storm. Anyway. I love you!!!!!