Still in Irajá

Irajá again! I'm here for atleast 5 more weeks and I'm with the same companion. I know the Lord has a purpose. I just need to fast and pray to discover what more we can do. We're moving to a new house today.For the past 9 and a half months I've been living with other missionaries in another city about 30 minutes away and using the bus every day. Now we will be moving to Irajá and we're gonna live 30 seconds away from the church building!!!!!!!! A HUGE BLESSING! Ive been trying for so long to do this. Thank you so much for putting up my email. I've gotten several emails from some great friends. I'm so thankful for my time here and I know I'm doing the right thing. I've never been more certain of anything in my life......

you can email him now

jared.knotts@myldsmail.net

Hey Mom!

So we got an update with a change in the rules of my mission. We can email all of our friends and family now. You can and should put my email on my fbook so that my friends can email me. Its way faster and cheaper than letters. ...... it'll be nice to receive emails from friends every once in a while.

 

Please email him....he will be out one year May 9th!!

This (past) weekend was so great because General Conference was Saturday and Sunday! Truly and amazing opportunity to listen to such inspired men and women. It was equally as great to listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I miss music so much and they are absolutely incredible! Singing in a choir will be one of the first things I do when I get home for sure! Everyone here is super excited about the new temple that is gonna be built in Rio de Janeiro! Truly the work is moving forward quickly here in Brazil! I'm excited to hear about new friend's mission calls also! All over the world, members of the church are leaving to serve God and His children. Its amazing to see how fast the church is growing and the "army" of missionaries. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be serving here in Rio! Its been a good week and we're excited about this new family that we've been teaching and helping. I've met some absolutely great people here in Rio. Its great to see the changes that people make in their lives and how they become more happy. That is truly what God wants for us. I know that we can be happy when we do what He asks us to do. 

Well just to wrap up quickly about some of my thoughts about General Conference, I read a scripture yesterday that really wrapped it up for me. I heard so many inspired counsels and teachings from prophets and leaders of the Lord. I don't have the time or space to write everything I learned but I know that is essential that we put in to practice what we learned. D and C 21:4-6 puts it in to clear perspective what it is that we must do when a true prophet of the Lord speaks to us. 

 4 Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give ^aheed unto all his words and ^bcommandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all ^choliness before me;

 5 For his ^aword ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.

 6 For by doing these things the ^agates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of^bdarkness from before you, and cause the heavens to ^cshake for your ^dgood, and his name’s ^eglory.

The Lord gives us a promise here and we are entitled to that blessing when we study and prayerfully apply the teachings of modern day prophets and apostles. I know this is true.

Well I'm excited for Mother's day next month. School is almost over and I'm sure everyone is all stressed about finals. Well just keep swimming. I'm excited for the experiences and blessings that are coming your ways back at home. I hope to hear from you soon!

Elder Jared Knotts

April 1, 2013

Another busy week and I'm thankful that the weather is cooling down. I'm thankful for a lot this week. I'm thankful for great members here in Brazil that help me. I'm thankful for great friends at home that send letters and words of encouragement. I'm thankful for other missionaries that help me to learn more and to change and be better. I'm thankful for my health and safety. I'm thankful for my testimony that the work I'm doing is the most important work on earth. Especially, I'm thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ that helps us on a daily basis and several hundreds of years ago, suffered and died for me and 3 days later was resurrected. I'm thankful for the lessons I've learned here on the mission. I'm thankful for prayer that I'm able to speak with God and thank Him personally for the blessings, gifts and talents that I have. I'm thankful for a living prophet, Thomas S Monson that speaks with God today and leads the Lord's church on the earth today. I'm thankful that Heavenly Father trusts me enough to send me here and help His children. I'm thankful for so much and hope that you all feel my love and gratitude for the help that you give me.

This week I just have a real short message. I read a talk about the importance of the Priesthood (power and authority of God given to His chosen servants on earth). President Henry B Eyring gave a talk recently called, "Families under Covenant". I learned a deep and powerful lesson from this talk that has helped me to have a more profound understanding and appreciation for the plan of Salvation. The scriptures say that, "Many are called but few are chosen." The Atonement (suffering, sacrifice and resurrection of Christ) enables us to return to God´s presence and live with Him once again for eternity. Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end) we qualify to place the atoning sacrifice of Christ into practice and be cleansed of our sins. The ordanances (sacred ceremonies) of salvation can not be realized without the Priesthood authority of God. The privelege and responsibility of the Priesthood is incredible and we must honor it and use it faithfully and wisely. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a living prophet, with 12 apostles and the power and authority of God to bind on earth that which is bound in heaven (Matthew 16:19). I know that you can come to know these things are true if you have the desire to know and ask dilligently in prayer. I promise that the blessings of the priesthood are essential and have the power to accomplish the Lord´s restored gospel here on the earth today.

Elder Jared Knotts

So this week was good and been a lot of the same stuff for almost 9 months in Rio. Teaching, walking and serving people every day. Its incredible how we do the same routine everyday but every day is different. We meet new families every day and teach them. This week, we talked with over 200 new people in the street or at their homes. I've learned a lot about making goals and putting forth the extra effort. I've learned that doing "the bare minimum" never leads to anything except "an alright day". I heard another missionary say recently that the miracles and true results will never come until you do everything you can... and then a little bit more. I've seen this happen a lot. For sure, these past 11 months have been the least lazy months of my life. Learning to use your time wisely and work effectively are life skills that each and every one of us should learn and apply to our daily lives. Its been a good week but I know that this next week will only be better.

The Spiritual message of the week comes from another talk that I read this week that I studied and wrote some personal thoughts on the matter. I learned about the importance of prayer in times of trials and difficulties. Prayer is more than just a commandment or formality that we do just because we think we should. Prayer is a privelege that we have to converse with our loving Heavenly Father. Prayer, with real intentions and a desire to know the will of the Lord, can be the door and pathway to have a life guided by God through His holy spirit. Prayer brings peace, comfort, and a true knowledge that God exists and that He loves us. Prayer that is insinsitive and that lacks faith, with words spoken quickly just to "go through the motions", is disrespectful and useless. The personal thoughts and feelings that we share with God in prayer need to be words that are truly "written upon our hearts".

Well I really hope everyone is enjoying the Spring break with snow! Its been cooler this week in the mid to high 80s! Well I love you guys and hope to hear from you soon.

Elder Jared Knotts

Por todo mundo,

Uma semana bem corrida mas que foi bom. Falamos com todo mundo e conhecemos muitas pessoas novas. Aprendi muito esta semana sobre a importância de oração e diligencia. Oração é mais de só um mandamento ou um habito. É um privilégio que temos a conversar com nosso Pai Celestial. Oração, com real intenção e o desejo saber a convide do Senhor, pode ser a porta e o caminho para ter uma vida guiado pelo Espírito. Oração traz paz, conforto, e uma verdadeira conhecimento que Deus existe e nos ama. Oração sem fé, com palavras rápido e sem emoção, é desrespeitoso e adianta nada. Os sentimentos e pensamentos pessoais que compartilhamos com Pai Celestial devem ser "escrito em nossa coração". 

Élder Jared Knotts

I feel like I say this a lot but the time is flying by. Another school year will be ending for you guys here soon and I'm closing up on my 1 year mark. My Portuguese has gotten way better and have little to no problems with the language in a couple months. Obviously, I'm still not perfect of course but its definitely better. Just need to lose my American accent which is kinda tough because my voice is deep. Thats ok though. March has cooled down and its not been near as hot here. Its rained a little bit more but usually the weather is beautiful. I've been working pretty hard and I know the blessings will come. We here often that no effort is wasted. Every person we try and help, if they accept or not, is a worthy effort. Makes me glad to think that no matter what happens, my work is always worth the time and effort. We've been trying to use our time more wisely and effectively to not waste time. Its crazy how fast a week goes by.

So the spiritual message of the week is from a talk from GC by President Eyring from April of 2004. I've thought frequently on the message he shares. The difficulties of life can often seem overwhelming, undeserved and impossible to overcome. And sometimes this is true but as President Eyring shares, he speaks of the privelge and opportunity we have to benefit from "the strength of the Lord". He says the following, 

"But the test a loving God has set before us is not to see if we can endure difficulty. It is to see if we can endure it well. We pass the test by showing that we remembered Him and the commandments He gave us. And to endure well is to keep those commandments whatever the opposition, whatever the temptation, and whatever the tumult around us. We have that clear understanding because the restored gospel makes the plan of happiness so plain.

That clarity lets us see what help we need. We need strength beyond ourselves to keep the commandments in whatever circumstance life brings to us. For some it may be poverty, but for others it may be prosperity. It may be the ravages of age or the exuberance of youth. The combination of trials and their duration are as varied as are the children of our Heavenly Father. No two are alike. But what is being tested is the same, at all times in our lives and for every person: will we do whatsoever the Lord our God will command us?

I think of this often and thank my Heavenly Father for the blessings of the gospel in my life. The knowledge that I have and comfort and strength that I draw from it, help me to not only "endure" my problems but to "endure them well". I know that this is true. I know that if we are willing to seek the Lord and accept His will for us, we can not only deal with our problems but truly overcome them.

Well I hope you guys are doing great and enjoying the daily joys of life. Just remember that you're great and I love you guys!

Elder Jared Knotts