The Elder Poe Report
This week had several difficult challenges and concerns that have shown me how important the Gospel is.
On Monday we had an appointment with an elderly gentleman that we had talked to and given a Book of Mormon. He had read several of the chapters in Nephi 1 after three weeks or so and when we asked him what he thought of it his response was that he thought it was interesting and he wanted to read more before he prayed about it. We have had several people recently that read through some of the Book of Mormon or The Restoration Pamphlet and have said they thought it was “interesting” or “nice” but not that they wanted to learn more. This brings to my mind a story President Monson once shared in General Conference, him and his wife had given a copy of the Book of Mormon to one of their dear friends and asked them to read it. Several weeks went by and the Monson’s asked their friends about it, to which they responded they thought it was a nice and pleasant book, President Monson looked them in the eye and told them he knew they had not read it for nobody that really reads that book will have such a nonchalant reaction to it. He told them to go back and read the book, several weeks later they came to him with tears in their eyes professing they knew the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. This is how I feel every time someone responds to our message so casually I just want to shake them and tell them how important what we are talking about is. If what we are saying about Joseph Smith, about Jesus Christ, about continued revelations and prophets, is true then it is the most important thing on this earth, and I think that alone merits some studying of it, not to mention that more blessings than any of us can imagine will be poured out upon the heads of those who come to know the truth of what we say.
On Monday we had an appointment with an elderly gentleman that we had talked to and given a Book of Mormon. He had read several of the chapters in Nephi 1 after three weeks or so and when we asked him what he thought of it his response was that he thought it was interesting and he wanted to read more before he prayed about it. We have had several people recently that read through some of the Book of Mormon or The Restoration Pamphlet and have said they thought it was “interesting” or “nice” but not that they wanted to learn more. This brings to my mind a story President Monson once shared in General Conference, him and his wife had given a copy of the Book of Mormon to one of their dear friends and asked them to read it. Several weeks went by and the Monson’s asked their friends about it, to which they responded they thought it was a nice and pleasant book, President Monson looked them in the eye and told them he knew they had not read it for nobody that really reads that book will have such a nonchalant reaction to it. He told them to go back and read the book, several weeks later they came to him with tears in their eyes professing they knew the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. This is how I feel every time someone responds to our message so casually I just want to shake them and tell them how important what we are talking about is. If what we are saying about Joseph Smith, about Jesus Christ, about continued revelations and prophets, is true then it is the most important thing on this earth, and I think that alone merits some studying of it, not to mention that more blessings than any of us can imagine will be poured out upon the heads of those who come to know the truth of what we say.
I hope that all you who have not had a chance to watch the broadcast “Hastening the Work of Salvation” will do so soon. We saw a remarkable miracle of member missionary work this week with one of the members of our ward. One of my first weeks here in Ohio we had dinner with a lovely young college family in the ward. Unfortunately due to timing we had to leave a little early and did not have a chance to share a message with them, but we did leave with them a family proclamation and asked them to think of someone they could share it with. We had dinner again with this same family on Wednesday and talked to them about it, they told us with great pride that they had given the Family Proclamation to one of their friends and had discussed it and talked about it a little bit, and now their friends would be attending church with them this Sunday, it was a remarkable example of how we can bless the lives of others through the Gospel.
The final thought I wanted to share was about the importance of converting a resolution or desire into action. We had Ward Mission Correlation with our Ward Mission Leader this week and we talked about how the desire to do something about the missionary work could be transformed into action. We decided we would come up with specific measurable attainable reasonable timely goals to present to the ward council. These experiences helped me understand how important it is to take feelings and desires and transform them into action if we actually want good to come of it. All the inspiration in the world amounts to nothing if it is not acted upon. This is not just in Missionary Work or the Gospel this is a true principle throughout any human endeavor. In the words of Elder M. Russell Ballard, Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, “I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to realize we reached but a small part of our full potential. When on learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.” So I would invite every person who is reading this to find some area of their life in which they wish was better, then set a specific goal on how you will make it better, and then make a day by day plan of how you will reach that goal.
I know that persons who set and reach their goals will always move farther, get higher, and do more than those persons who simply are acted upon in this life. Those who desire to make a difference and then go out to make that difference will live a much richer and fuller life than those who do not. I know that the Saviour knows every struggle and challenge we will go through in this life and because of that He knows perfectly how to help and aid us if we will turn to him and call upon His aid.
Moroni 7:29
And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.
The Report of Elder Hunter D. Poe
Note: Please forward this report to all those you think would benefit from this message.
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