Becoming

Life is good when you see miracles everyday folks ✌🏻️

This week we were either on our feet running around talking to everyone and their dog, or we were in our seats soaking in knowledge from the biggest and brightest leaders in the Great OCM. We met a lot of interesting people and finally found the suburbs of Urbana. My favorite lesson was with a former investigator named Sarah. She was very argumentative and defensive when we met her. She doesn't think you can put a denominational name on Gods church and was offended by previous missionaries. We asked her inspired questions and were able to help her over come her concerns. Also, as soon as we opened up to her and offered to attend her church if she would attend our services her heart softened right away. It taught me a lot about the conversion and teaching process. If we want others to take chances, we need to be willing to seek out and discover for ourselves. She is so excited to bring her family to church now, and much more open to the doctrine we are teaching. 

We are also working hard with the Sisters of our ward to get to the temple. We are going as a huge group in June, and everyone is really excited to be doing family history so they can perform proxy ordinances for them. We have been able to make some really good connections with less active sisters in the ward and are helping them see themselves in the temple. I know the temple is a sacred space and when we work hard to get there our lives will all work out!

The spiritual thought of this week comes from my continuing thoughts on conversion. I have had many conversations with fellow Christians on my mission that confuse me. They are convinced that our good works mean nothing to God. Most of them are great people, they do so much good for the community and those around them but they say it means nothing because we can never repay God.  They say grace is all we need. 

The more I ponder and study conversion, the more I understand the relationship between grace and our works. We are taught by scripture that the only way to be saved is by accepting the grace that Christ gives us, by accepting his gospel. As we have faith, repent, get baptized, receive the Holy Ghost and endure to the end we can fully access the atonement and be saved. 

In 2 Nephi 25:23 the prophet Nephi writes about why he is keeping records of his people,

23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

In James 2:17 he writes,

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone

Grace is available to everyone, but both of these prophets have taught us that when we accept Grace our works will change. Conversion is about accepting Grace. It is about Letting that grace change you. Conversion is about who you become, because of what you know. The more converted you are, the more of a desire to do those good works you will have. The more you accept the Saviors sacrifice, the closer you will want to be to him. So no, we cannot earn our way to heaven, our good works might mean very little in terms of salvation, but they are also the biggest indicators of what we are becoming. I'll leave you all with some modern revelation from General conference in April to finish us off, 

"You and I may speak most eloquently of spiritual things. We may impress people with our keen intellectual interpretation of religious topics. We may rhapsodize about religion and “dream of [our] mansion above.” But if our faith does not change the way we live--if our beliefs do not influence our daily decisions--our religion is vain, and our faith, if not dead, is certainly not well and is in danger of eventually flatlining."

-Dieter F Uchtdorf ( https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/he-will-place-you-on-his-shoulders-and-carry-you-home?lang=eng )

"We all need to seek to have our hearts and very natures changed so that we no longer have a desire to follow the ways of the world but to please God. True conversion is a process that takes place over a period of time and involves a willingness to exercise faith. It comes when we search the scriptures instead of the Internet. It comes when we are obedient to the commandments of God. Conversion comes when we serve those around us. It comes from earnest prayer, regular temple attendance, and faithful fulfillment of our God-given responsibilities. It takes consistency and daily effort."

-Bonnie L Oscarson (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/do-i-believe?lang=eng )

I know the Lord loves us and wants us desperately to accept his Grace and be close to him. I know that the closer to Him we are in our lives, the more happiness we can find. I love helping people make those changes and I hope we can all continue to make those daily course corrections that will keep us on the right path.  

✌🏻️Sister Reynolds✌🏻️

Also HUGE shout out to my grandparents who are definitely living examples of conversion. They will be serving a mission in South Africa for the next 23 months. I am sad to see them go, so excited to be able to serve the Lord with them! I am so grateful for their example of true deep conversion and love of the gospel ❤️

Pics of the week

when you clean the apartment 👌🏻

get your kicks on route 36

love him ❤️ #ElderSelcho