Mom!
First off, I'm excited that the first week at home is stake conference. That'll be a great experience and will give me the opportunity to see so many people at one time. The 10th, I would like to go to the Temple. Let me know if that works out for you and your schedule. Also, the 11th sounds good to be home and visit the Connersville Ward. ..... It'll be a great Mother's Day for sure!!
I was very touched as you shared your thoughts, feelings and the spiritual truths that the Spirit taught you. This builds my testimony. Everyone has something to give. Sacrifices are essential for a spiritual progress. This concept of a "refiners fire" is an interesting idea for me. I think of how the Savior purifies us. How He invites us to come unto Him and deny ourselves of all ungodliness. In Moroni's last testimony he says that through the grace of Christ we can be sanctified. As I think of this sanctification or the process of becoming holy without spot, I think of the Temple. The Temple is dedicated and given to the Lord as a sacrifice and an offering to Him. May we ponder and reverence these sacred words, "Holiness to the Lord, The House of the Lord!" May we be reverent to holy things and the whisperings of the Spirit. May we treasure up in our hearts the words of life. Give thanks unto God with full purpose of heart! This is His house and His work and His plan and we are His children. I'm slowly but surely coming to understand and feel the truth of this scripture. Matthew 10:39. We must lose our lives for the Lord. That is how we can find purpose and meaning and value and understanding. Giving our lives in unselfish service to the Lord and His children is the key to happiness and will free us from our sins. I know this is true and am dedicated to give more than 2 years of my life but to use these 2 years of "training" to give my whole life to the Lord. Give Him all that I have and all that I am.
This week, a family that we are teaching got married and next Saturday they will get baptized! Its a mom, dad and two daughters. I'm so excited. Today is exactly 2 months until I get home. Its scary but I'm so excited to end my mission well and endure to the end and then get home and continue giving my life to the Lord for the rest of my life. Its possible. Some think that you serve a mission for 2 years and then you go home and you focus on other things and that you cant be a missionary anymore. Some people think that you're a fanatic if you think you're still a missionary and that you need to get a clue and stop living a dream or a reality that only exists when you use a name tag everyday. This is depressing to think and to hear. But, I know that its not the truth if you don't want it to be the truth. I'm not implying that I have to use social clothing everyday and only think about church stuff and that I have to be extreme and over the top with missionary work. What I am implying is that 2 years of faithful missionary service has caused a mighty change in my heart that I never want to be exactly who I was before or do all of the same things that I did before and, especially, think and feel the same that I thought and felt before. God is real. He exists. He is our loving Heavenly Father. He sent is only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to come to earth and to give His life for all of God's children. I know this is true and this burns within me and never can this fire be extinguished. Just as the apostles couldn't return to their nets after Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, I cant return to "my nets" after the Lord has touched my heart and shown me that this is true. I know that the family can be together forever. I know that the family is essential in God's eternal plan of happiness. I know that the priesthood is given to men to carry out God's work and that through ordinances and promises and covenants, God will draw us close to Him and if we choose to obey and endure, He will never let us go. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. They live and this is Their Church. I love you mom and am anxious to hear about all of the great things that are going on with you. All of the things youre learning and sharing with the wonderful sisters in our ward. I love you and hope to hear from you soon.
Élder Jared Knotts
Saturday, March 1, 2014
22 Feb 2014
This week was really great! We had Zone Conferences and I got to go to these Conferences and give trainings with Elder Maciel and President Lima. It was a great experience and I learned a lot. One of the many many things that were spoken in the conferences that I liked was about how our choices today will influence our future and who we are here in the mission is who we will be for the rest of our lives. I am certain that this is true. Once we have experimented a mighty change of heart, you cant return to who you were before. I thought of several examples such as Enos who once he prayed and was forgiven of his sins, he changed his life and spent the rest of his days bringing others unto Christ. Also with Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah. They completely changed and they never went back to who they were before. Joseph Smith was never the same person after he had the first vision. I can not and will not be the same person that I was before the mission. I refuse to let this mighty change of heart be only 2 years and then its over. I love the Lord and His plan of redemption is a plan of happiness. Sorry this is so short but I will talk to you more next week. I love you Mom!
15 Feb 2014
Hey Mom!
This week went well and I'm doing good. Tonight and tomorrow is our Stake Conference. Last PDay we went and played ultimate frisbee with some other missionaries and that was great. We went to an island this week called the Ilha do Governador where we had an activity and open house with the missionaries in that stake. It was great! We did the same thing in a stake that I've already served in, Madureira. This week I'm going to Macaé which is about 4 hours from where I'm at now, to give a training for the missionaries in the stake there. On wednesday we will go to Jacarepaguá and give a training for 2 stakes worth of missionaries and on Thursday will be a big meeting with 4 stakes worth of missionaries. The week after should have another 2 of these Zone Conferences. I'm really excited! We've got a lot to plan for but thats nothing new. Next Saturday we are gonna have a baptism so in my next letter I'll give you more details about that. This is basically whats going on with me right now. I went to Copacabana last night to visit a couple of families and we found a new family to reactivate that is awesome! I studied a lot this morning about how important it is to remember. If you look in the topical guide about "remember" there is a lot to read. Many people that have fallen away from the church is just because they forget. They forget how it is to feel the Spirit and they stop reading the scriptures and praying and going to church and they "forget the Lord" so to speak. The word remember is used frequently in the Book of Mormon. Many times we read, for example Helaman 5 the word remember is used 15 times in the first 14 verses. Remember remember! We can never forget the Lord. Sin, pride, hate, anger, laziness, and many other things cause us to forget the Lord. We must, as King Benjamin says, "remember and perish not." When we partake of the sacrament, we promise to "always remember Him". When we talk to people that have fallen away from the church, we must remind them! Help them to feel the Spirit again and they will "remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men" (Moroni 10:3). Read the scriptures, pray, sing hymns, go to church, go to the temple and bear your testimony! Dont forget the Lord. He will never forget us. We must avoid the temptation to have other priorities that become "false idols" and become more important than God is. King Benjamin warns us again in chapter 5:13, "For how knoweth the man a master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" How can we remember the Lord? We must serve Him. He must be close to our hearts. You will come to know Jesus Christ on a personal level as you serve Him and serve God's children. This will help you to "always remember Him". I know that this will bring happiness and an abundance of the Spirit. There is a talk that I have read many times and is very important to me and has encouraged me to always remember the Lord. I hope you feel the Spirit as much as I do when I read it.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/o-remember-remember?lang=eng
Its called, "O Remember, Remember" by Pres Eyring. I hope you really enjoy it and I hope it causes a change in your heart and gives you a greater desire to serve the Lord with love and always remember Him. I love you so much and hope to hear from you soon.
Élder Jared Knotts
This week went well and I'm doing good. Tonight and tomorrow is our Stake Conference. Last PDay we went and played ultimate frisbee with some other missionaries and that was great. We went to an island this week called the Ilha do Governador where we had an activity and open house with the missionaries in that stake. It was great! We did the same thing in a stake that I've already served in, Madureira. This week I'm going to Macaé which is about 4 hours from where I'm at now, to give a training for the missionaries in the stake there. On wednesday we will go to Jacarepaguá and give a training for 2 stakes worth of missionaries and on Thursday will be a big meeting with 4 stakes worth of missionaries. The week after should have another 2 of these Zone Conferences. I'm really excited! We've got a lot to plan for but thats nothing new. Next Saturday we are gonna have a baptism so in my next letter I'll give you more details about that. This is basically whats going on with me right now. I went to Copacabana last night to visit a couple of families and we found a new family to reactivate that is awesome! I studied a lot this morning about how important it is to remember. If you look in the topical guide about "remember" there is a lot to read. Many people that have fallen away from the church is just because they forget. They forget how it is to feel the Spirit and they stop reading the scriptures and praying and going to church and they "forget the Lord" so to speak. The word remember is used frequently in the Book of Mormon. Many times we read, for example Helaman 5 the word remember is used 15 times in the first 14 verses. Remember remember! We can never forget the Lord. Sin, pride, hate, anger, laziness, and many other things cause us to forget the Lord. We must, as King Benjamin says, "remember and perish not." When we partake of the sacrament, we promise to "always remember Him". When we talk to people that have fallen away from the church, we must remind them! Help them to feel the Spirit again and they will "remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men" (Moroni 10:3). Read the scriptures, pray, sing hymns, go to church, go to the temple and bear your testimony! Dont forget the Lord. He will never forget us. We must avoid the temptation to have other priorities that become "false idols" and become more important than God is. King Benjamin warns us again in chapter 5:13, "For how knoweth the man a master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" How can we remember the Lord? We must serve Him. He must be close to our hearts. You will come to know Jesus Christ on a personal level as you serve Him and serve God's children. This will help you to "always remember Him". I know that this will bring happiness and an abundance of the Spirit. There is a talk that I have read many times and is very important to me and has encouraged me to always remember the Lord. I hope you feel the Spirit as much as I do when I read it.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/o-remember-remember?lang=eng
Its called, "O Remember, Remember" by Pres Eyring. I hope you really enjoy it and I hope it causes a change in your heart and gives you a greater desire to serve the Lord with love and always remember Him. I love you so much and hope to hear from you soon.
Élder Jared Knotts
Saturday, February 8, 2014
8 Feb 2014 Coming home 1 May 2014
Hey Mom! …. I'm doing great and I'm feeling great. So many new things are happening. My new area and calling are incredible. I love the people here and the trainings that I gave this week went really well. Its awesome to be closer to President because he is so inspired. We ate lunch at his house yesterday and I shared a message with him and Sister Lima after lunch. I'm really excited to go to church tomorrow. President said that our Bishop sings classical music so I'm excited to meet him and sing with him. I'll need to practice for sure. Not all of our area is beach and big buildings but some of it is. Leblon (which is right next to Ipanema and Copacabana) is the most expensive place to live in South America and its one of the most expensive in the world! How crazy is that? I'll be sure to take tons of pictures. How are you doing? How was your week? How was Adam´s birthday? Jordan turns 19 Monday! I'm excited for him. I'm not sure what else to say right now but I hope you're great and happy and doing well. I love you so much and am thankful for your wonderful example and for your testimony and conversion to the gospel. I love the Lord. "In Him my soul delights." These are lyrics to a song that they made other lyrics for the Hymn Be Still My Soul. They took many ideas from 2 Nephi 4. I absolutely love this hymn. Its sang by the BYU mens choir and its incredible. Read 2 Nephi 4 and then listen to this song. I promise that the Spirit will testify to you that the things you read are true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true because it has caused a mighty change in my heart. This is conversion. I have received a testimony but to be converted is to give all of my heart, might, mind and strength to defend, preach and testify about the wonderful truths that the Spirit has taught me. I love the Lord. In Him my soul delights.
I'm inspired and am very pleased with your wonderful experience and how you are sensitive to the Spirit! Keep going!! These ideas come from our Heavenly Father and He is using you as a tool in His hand. I have a part of my Patriarchal Blessing that talks about my mission and how if I work with the Spirit, the Lord will use me to do His work. Keep going Mom! Pray for opportunities to bear your testimony and spread the Gospel. These people desperately need you... So much more than you think they do. … the Lord has made many promises that He will seek for His lost sheep. He knows where they are and when they are ready and He sends us, imperfect people, to find them and heal up their wounds and cure their hearts. They need our help. Run to their rescue. I imagine the Savior running to save me when I fall. He picks me up and carries me in His arms. He is gentle and loving in deed and in thought. The Savior wants to help us and is coming to our rescue. Mom, the Savior is asking you to fulfill your baptismal covenant and to run to the rescue of the hurt, the suffering, the sad, the depressed and the lost ones. I promise you as a representative of Jesus Christ that as you run daily to the rescue of the Lord's lost sheep, that He will heal your wounds, comfort your heart, strengthen your weaknesses and He will run to your rescue. You will feel your Savior's love in all the world around you. I know this is true because I also feel it. You're never alone. God knows you and loves you so much and He is proud of your sacrifice and service. I love you so much and can’t wait to hear from you next week!
Élder Jared Knotts
I'm inspired and am very pleased with your wonderful experience and how you are sensitive to the Spirit! Keep going!! These ideas come from our Heavenly Father and He is using you as a tool in His hand. I have a part of my Patriarchal Blessing that talks about my mission and how if I work with the Spirit, the Lord will use me to do His work. Keep going Mom! Pray for opportunities to bear your testimony and spread the Gospel. These people desperately need you... So much more than you think they do. … the Lord has made many promises that He will seek for His lost sheep. He knows where they are and when they are ready and He sends us, imperfect people, to find them and heal up their wounds and cure their hearts. They need our help. Run to their rescue. I imagine the Savior running to save me when I fall. He picks me up and carries me in His arms. He is gentle and loving in deed and in thought. The Savior wants to help us and is coming to our rescue. Mom, the Savior is asking you to fulfill your baptismal covenant and to run to the rescue of the hurt, the suffering, the sad, the depressed and the lost ones. I promise you as a representative of Jesus Christ that as you run daily to the rescue of the Lord's lost sheep, that He will heal your wounds, comfort your heart, strengthen your weaknesses and He will run to your rescue. You will feel your Savior's love in all the world around you. I know this is true because I also feel it. You're never alone. God knows you and loves you so much and He is proud of your sacrifice and service. I love you so much and can’t wait to hear from you next week!
Élder Jared Knotts
3 Feb 2014
Hey Mommy!
Sorry I didnt send an email last week. This week was really great and today is the last day of the transfer. I will be transfered to a new area (and probably my last area in the mission). My new companion is.... Élder Maciel again! I'm really excited to work with Elder Maciel again! This time though I wont be Zone Leader. I'm the new Assistent to President Lima. Out of the, more or less, 150 or 160 missionaries, There are 22 Zone Leaders and 2 Assistents to the President and now Elder Maciel and I will be the Assistents. ........ I wont be working as much in the street and knocking doors and stuff like that. I will still work and teach and baptize but now I will travel A LOT over all of Rio and I will be giving tons of trainings for other missionaries and also I will do a lot of number and technical work. My new area is called Jardim Botânico which would be Botanical Garden in english. My area includes Copacabana, Ipanema, Le Blaun and several other parts of the South Zone in Rio. Its incredible. I'm gonna go there tomorrow. President Lima and his family will be members of my new ward. I cant believe it! Its really exciting and now I'm even more excited to work hard and teach and give everything I have for my last 3 months in the mission. Its gonna be incredible. ..... Its gonna be awesome! I'm so glad that Mia ate with you at home and went to church. We gotta do everything we can to help... And dont wait! Serve people and you will see miracles happen. In our ward, the 2nd counselor of the Primary was called to be the Relief Society Presidetne and she said something really interesting in the Ward Counsil yesterday. SHe said that in the Primary, you feel close to the Savior because the children are pure and innocent but in the Relief Society you learn to serve and be like the Savior. I thought this was really special and essential in our callings and in our duty as members of the Lord's church and as His disciples. As we serve others every day, we will grow to be like the Savior and truly come to know Him. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ and I want to be more like Him. I feel His love for me and this love motivates me.... To lift up the hands that hang low and to strengthen the feeble knees. I am constantly reminded of those simple words in the Primary Hymns. Especially in "Im trying to be Like Jesus", "try to show kindness in all that you do, be gentle and loving in deed and in thought!" Reflect through out the day. Am I showing kindness for others? Am I being gentle and loving in my deeds (what I do) and in my thoughts? I hope you're doing great and I hope to hear from you soon!
Elder Knotts
Sorry I didnt send an email last week. This week was really great and today is the last day of the transfer. I will be transfered to a new area (and probably my last area in the mission). My new companion is.... Élder Maciel again! I'm really excited to work with Elder Maciel again! This time though I wont be Zone Leader. I'm the new Assistent to President Lima. Out of the, more or less, 150 or 160 missionaries, There are 22 Zone Leaders and 2 Assistents to the President and now Elder Maciel and I will be the Assistents. ........ I wont be working as much in the street and knocking doors and stuff like that. I will still work and teach and baptize but now I will travel A LOT over all of Rio and I will be giving tons of trainings for other missionaries and also I will do a lot of number and technical work. My new area is called Jardim Botânico which would be Botanical Garden in english. My area includes Copacabana, Ipanema, Le Blaun and several other parts of the South Zone in Rio. Its incredible. I'm gonna go there tomorrow. President Lima and his family will be members of my new ward. I cant believe it! Its really exciting and now I'm even more excited to work hard and teach and give everything I have for my last 3 months in the mission. Its gonna be incredible. ..... Its gonna be awesome! I'm so glad that Mia ate with you at home and went to church. We gotta do everything we can to help... And dont wait! Serve people and you will see miracles happen. In our ward, the 2nd counselor of the Primary was called to be the Relief Society Presidetne and she said something really interesting in the Ward Counsil yesterday. SHe said that in the Primary, you feel close to the Savior because the children are pure and innocent but in the Relief Society you learn to serve and be like the Savior. I thought this was really special and essential in our callings and in our duty as members of the Lord's church and as His disciples. As we serve others every day, we will grow to be like the Savior and truly come to know Him. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ and I want to be more like Him. I feel His love for me and this love motivates me.... To lift up the hands that hang low and to strengthen the feeble knees. I am constantly reminded of those simple words in the Primary Hymns. Especially in "Im trying to be Like Jesus", "try to show kindness in all that you do, be gentle and loving in deed and in thought!" Reflect through out the day. Am I showing kindness for others? Am I being gentle and loving in my deeds (what I do) and in my thoughts? I hope you're doing great and I hope to hear from you soon!
Elder Knotts
Monday, January 20, 2014
20 Jan 2014
Hey Mom!
This week went really well. We're probably gonna move tomorrow afternoon for our new apartment. Tomorrow morning will be an interview with President Lima. I'm excited to see the new house. This week was really hot again but thats not new. I'm doing well and yes I'm using sunblock. Thats great that you gave another talk in Sacrament Meeting. Its been a long time (maybe 5 months) since I've given a talk at church but we talk so much that I think the members get tired of it haha. I've been reading more General Conference talks as usual and am impressed by how much I learn sometimes. I read a great talk about the Atonement this morning by Elder Scott. "It is a fundamental truth that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be cleansed. We can become virtuous and pure. However, sometimes our poor choices leave us with long-term consequences. One of the vital steps to complete repentance is to bear the short- and long-term consequences of our past sins."
This made a lot of sense for me because of another talk that I read this week that Sister Oscarson says, "We live in perilous times, and the decisions which you are called upon to make on a daily, or even hourly, basis have eternal consequences."
With these two quotes in mind, we are able to feel a deep hope and gratitude for the Plan of Salvation. Our choices today are vitally important for our eternal progress. When we sin, we can be forgiven but it is still necessary to deal with the good and bad consequences of our actions. This helps us to set goals, make priorities and be disciplined to choose the right. A loving Heavenly Father has provided a way to return to His presence and independent of how many times we fall we can always get back up. But just to be safe, let's be cautious and careful to lessen the frequency of our falls.
I'm doing well and I'm happy. I'm gonna get my hair cut today. I'm also gonna buy new contact lenses and maybe do some other chores. I love you and pray for you often.
Jared
This week went really well. We're probably gonna move tomorrow afternoon for our new apartment. Tomorrow morning will be an interview with President Lima. I'm excited to see the new house. This week was really hot again but thats not new. I'm doing well and yes I'm using sunblock. Thats great that you gave another talk in Sacrament Meeting. Its been a long time (maybe 5 months) since I've given a talk at church but we talk so much that I think the members get tired of it haha. I've been reading more General Conference talks as usual and am impressed by how much I learn sometimes. I read a great talk about the Atonement this morning by Elder Scott. "It is a fundamental truth that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be cleansed. We can become virtuous and pure. However, sometimes our poor choices leave us with long-term consequences. One of the vital steps to complete repentance is to bear the short- and long-term consequences of our past sins."
This made a lot of sense for me because of another talk that I read this week that Sister Oscarson says, "We live in perilous times, and the decisions which you are called upon to make on a daily, or even hourly, basis have eternal consequences."
With these two quotes in mind, we are able to feel a deep hope and gratitude for the Plan of Salvation. Our choices today are vitally important for our eternal progress. When we sin, we can be forgiven but it is still necessary to deal with the good and bad consequences of our actions. This helps us to set goals, make priorities and be disciplined to choose the right. A loving Heavenly Father has provided a way to return to His presence and independent of how many times we fall we can always get back up. But just to be safe, let's be cautious and careful to lessen the frequency of our falls.
I'm doing well and I'm happy. I'm gonna get my hair cut today. I'm also gonna buy new contact lenses and maybe do some other chores. I love you and pray for you often.
Jared
Friday, January 17, 2014
from 13 Jan 2014
from Jan 13 2014
Mom!
This week was absolutely great! Laurindos baptism was awesome! We got there with two members that have known him for several years. We shared a message about the Plan of Salvation and it was great. When we started to talk about baptism he said that maybe not this week but next week. We said that there's no more time to wait. One of the brethren that was there with us has known him for 45 years. He said that it was his birthday that day (no one else knew that it was his birthday so that was completely unplanned) and that he wanted him to be baptized. Laurindo said, "Well let's go then. I'll be baptized today." His wife (who has been a member for 13 years) started to cry and the Spirit was really strong. When we got to the chapel, we started calling several people and we filled up the baptismal font. We were so excited! When Laurindo got to the chapel he had an interview with another missionary and then he asked who would baptize him. I said that he can choose whoever he wants. There were several people there. He asked me if I could baptize him and I just gave him a hug. There were so many people that could have done it that he has known for years but he asked me. It was great! I've got some photos that I will send you another week. I've got so many photos!
I absolutely loved the experience that you had with Courtney's dad. I met him one time about 4 or 5 years ago at his house out in the country. What an amazing experience! You felt the Spirit and saw the Spirit touch and change her heart. I am 100% convinced that people just need help. No one is lost or impossible or too hard. Everyone just needs help. Some more than others but when you search for people's needs and do everything to meets those needs, the person will feel your love and the Spirit will change their heart. Never forget these spiritual experiences. Search every day to have spiritual experiences. If you feel the Spirit every day of your life, you know that you're doing something right.
We had several other things this week that were really great but this was the high light. The day of Laurindos baptism, I made 1 year and 8 months on the mission. It was a great day and a great week. I love you mom and hope to hear from you soon!
Jared
Mom!
This week was absolutely great! Laurindos baptism was awesome! We got there with two members that have known him for several years. We shared a message about the Plan of Salvation and it was great. When we started to talk about baptism he said that maybe not this week but next week. We said that there's no more time to wait. One of the brethren that was there with us has known him for 45 years. He said that it was his birthday that day (no one else knew that it was his birthday so that was completely unplanned) and that he wanted him to be baptized. Laurindo said, "Well let's go then. I'll be baptized today." His wife (who has been a member for 13 years) started to cry and the Spirit was really strong. When we got to the chapel, we started calling several people and we filled up the baptismal font. We were so excited! When Laurindo got to the chapel he had an interview with another missionary and then he asked who would baptize him. I said that he can choose whoever he wants. There were several people there. He asked me if I could baptize him and I just gave him a hug. There were so many people that could have done it that he has known for years but he asked me. It was great! I've got some photos that I will send you another week. I've got so many photos!
I absolutely loved the experience that you had with Courtney's dad. I met him one time about 4 or 5 years ago at his house out in the country. What an amazing experience! You felt the Spirit and saw the Spirit touch and change her heart. I am 100% convinced that people just need help. No one is lost or impossible or too hard. Everyone just needs help. Some more than others but when you search for people's needs and do everything to meets those needs, the person will feel your love and the Spirit will change their heart. Never forget these spiritual experiences. Search every day to have spiritual experiences. If you feel the Spirit every day of your life, you know that you're doing something right.
We had several other things this week that were really great but this was the high light. The day of Laurindos baptism, I made 1 year and 8 months on the mission. It was a great day and a great week. I love you mom and hope to hear from you soon!
Jared
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)