7/25 The Peak

temple visit with visiting youth

Nothing can get me down! Haha This week was a little interesting. Got cancelled on and stood up all week, but hey I think it was just God preparing us for the crazy good week this is going to be. The area is well, A wanted to be baptized this Sunday so he could have some more people there and he feels ready. He is so powerful. We definitely need to continue to strengthen his faith, but he did use the tree of life (with scriptures that we haven't talked about) on some friends that were bashing him and his LessActive friend. I was impressed. As well he has been leading our gospel class the last couple weeks. Should be a lot of fun, the ward really likes him and I think we have 2 cheng outs with him this week at members homes. Brother T should be there as well. Brother C went to Mainland this week, but is doing well. K is making great ground, set a baptismal date in October that he should be able to make easy, I think he is just a little nervous right now. A very mature and large in stature 13 year old. Doing well. The W family wasn't at church unfortunately, but we visited them on Wednesday. They are doing well. Less actives are well, found another this week, as well Dave is doing very well. The area is doing great. 
My personal bit. Elder R shared a quote with me, that hit me pretty good because of the mountain boy I am. "To those who have struggled with them, the mountains reveal beauties that they will not disclose to those who make no effort. That is the reward, the reward the mountains give to effort. And it it because they have so much to give, and give it so lavishly to those who will wrestle with them, that men love the mountains and go back to them again and again. The mountains reserve their choicest gifts for those who stand upon their summits," Sir Francis Young Husband. That's why so few people see it. Effort. We hear tales of peaks that touch the skies in the Himalayas, mountains with secrets untold in the Rockies. We may even see pictures, but until we, "shake off the chains from which we are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust," we cannot arise even to the peaks of which tales are told. Just as any and all things, it is one to hear and another to do. Christ's atonement is full of joy greater that that to be found on any peak, but only to the man who arises to find it. It's the joy inexplicably felt after the wrestle, that makes it worth it. When your reserves of strength are quenched and you feel like you can't move anymore, then you make it to the summit. That last push. That's when we find the ultimate joy. In becoming free. Free from our sins, from all burden. To some, the peaks of mountains are their closest to God, as is the point of remission of sins to the wearied hiker. That feeling, that is what takes us back again and again. When we stand on the summit. That was my revelation piece for this week. Been a good one. 

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Love,

   Elder Sargent