maybe a little preachy ....

Dear everybody,

Well, it's been just a few days since I talked with the family (most of the family) on the phone for Mothers' Day. It was very nice, though there was a lot of business to discuss. I love the chances to talk home, but it does make me wonder just how different am I from two years ago? Whatever the case may be, I know the changes have been for the better, and I know that I still have a lot to learn and a lot of progress to make. Good thing I'm not coming home for a really long time still—I need every moment I can get.

Elder Argyle and I make a good team. We have such good relationships with other people as a companionship. We gave a referral to the English-speaking elders for a man we met in the street, but we keep seeing the man, and we teach him on the spot just as much as "his" missionaries teach him. He is so prepared for the gospel; seeing how much he loves to read the Book of Mormon and how much joy he finds in the restored gospel truths is just a joy. Other missionaries' investigators we meet once, maybe twice on exchanges with other elders remember us and want us to be part of their baptismal services. Even the youth in our branch trust us so much that we feel like we can teach them obedience and other gospel principles so easily, because they will respect what we say to them.

It is amazing to watch people's hearts open to change. To see a person come to repentance and grow closer to Christ in any way by small and simple things brings me to a higher plain of joy. Active members can still be uplifted and taught, and I feel so honored that God has put us two in the position to help so many people. Even in silly ways, we have found so many doors to invite people to hear of the gospel and to change their lives. At times it feels comical that as we, two kids, invite people to change habits and repent, that they actually do it. The trust that can be developed as we live honorable lives does so much for the glory of God, and for the furthering of His work. It is a lesson to all. As we model our lives after Christ, the loving, trust-filled relationships we form will be maximized and we can uplift those we love. Only as we become like the Savior and obtain this honor and respect, can we find ourselves being a positive influence in every life we touch.

Of course, we all have flaws and weaknesses, and being truly Christ-like feels so far away, at times even unattainable. This is how we, as Latter-day Saints understand the atonement so well. We understand that it is not only the power by which we become clean of really big sins, but even more it is the force that enables us to modify our lives and move away from imperfect desires. We understand that just because a person is not bad, does not mean they have become like the Savior. The absence of bad does not automatically constitute good, and neutrality can never be a permanent state. The absence of bad, and the everlasting presence of righteous thoughts, actions, and habits is what makes a person like Christ. As we invite people to come to Christ, we don't simply ask them to empty their lives of bad practices, but then at the same turn fill it with uplifting activities. We understand that the quickest way to eliminate sin from our lives is to occupy all our time in righteous pursuits. We must fill our lives to maximum capacity with daily scripture study and prayer, magnifying our callings, serving our neighbors and others, and providing acts of charity to the needy. Only then can we avoid the sins of slothfulness, gluttony, and other temptations that come to us as our hands and hearts are unoccupied. This purifying process is the atonement in action.

Understanding this process also reminds us that mercy is essential. Perfection is not achieved in one day. And we definitely should not put off righteous action until we have been cleaned from all imperfection, for that is not how it works. The day to start is today, understanding our weaknesses and having hope in the process of the atonement. We are each at a different level, and the only one we can afford to evaluate and judge is our own self. Let us be engaged in a righteous cause and leave the old self behind. We must fight the good fight and declare by our actions that we are disciples of Christ, not merely students of his words.

I love you all. Be good.

-Elder Sam Bostwick