"Thank the Lord thy God in all things" (D&C 59:7)

November 22, 2021

"Thank the Lord thy God in all things" (D&C 59:7) - November 22, 2021

Spiritual Thought

One of the lifelong challenges that is ours is to develop lasting gratitude for the blessings which we have been given. This probationary time is, by design, a period of struggle, trial, and difficulty. Because of this fact one of the great tests of character is whether or not a person can show gratitude and thanksgiving in all circumstances that may arise. It is easy to be grateful in flush of comfortable times. However, when confronted with sickness, death, heartbreak, or any other of the plethora of trials which may face us it becomes more difficult to be grateful for our situation.

We are the recipients of so many blessings for which to be grateful for. Supreme among those is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with all of the beauty and splendor which accompany it. We possess the knowledge that the priesthood authority is once more to be found upon the earth. Prophets speak to us in this day and counsel us on the dangers which accompany it. Additional scripture has been made available through The Book of Mormon. The Holy Ghost can, if desired, be our constant companion. Temples are becoming ever more prevalent and the sacred ordinances performed therein are being are available to every "nation, kindred, tongue, and people". In these holy houses we gain the clearest glimpse into the love our Heavenly Father has for us and the haunting curse of "till death do you part" is eternally nullified. Above all, Jesus Christ stands as our eternally merciful Savior. He anxiously beckons all people to come unto him and allow him to heal our broken hearts. I will forever be inexpressibly grateful for all that he has done for me. Were it not for him there truly would be no hope, no joy, and nothing for which to be grateful. However, in this season when we focus more intently on our blessings I testify that we have reasons beyond measure to be grateful and rejoice. I testify of this because I first testify of the one who is the "light, life, and hope of the world." May we ever be willing to demonstrate our gratitude for him I pray.

In the name if Jesus Christ, Amen.

Weekly Update

The first week as a Spanish missionary has been hectic, to say the least. I am honestly very confused as to why I was chosen to serve in a Spanish area because I know of multiple other missionaries who are more fluent than me. Everything happens for a reason though. My companion is Elder Ditto. He is from Spokane, Washington and this is his second transfer in the mission field.

We are teaching a couple named Daniel and Yerli. They are from Colombia and are working towards being baptized on December 4th. We had an excellent lesson with them on Wednesday. I am excited to see their progression unfold. I have quickly realized how lacking my Spanish is but they were able to understand everything we were trying to teach, largely thanks to Elder Ditto.

I am living with our two zone leaders, Elder Gray and Elder Arce. They are a lot of fun. There were already quite a few inside jokes when I came in but I enjoy living with them.

On Friday we were riding our bikes down the street when a truck pulled over. The driver rolled down his window and yelled "do you guys need me to buy some headlights?" We both had lights on our bikes but had forgotten to turn them on. I thought we were about to be yelled at but he ended up being the nicest person. His name is Mark and he lives in one of the English wards in our stake. He thought he had some extra bike lights and invited us to his house so he could give them to us as extras. He didn't have any but we offered to help him clean up his yard the next morning. After we were done he came back to our apartment about thirty minutes later and told us he had decided to run to Walmart and buy us some extra lights.

What made the situation even better is that Mark is a very passionate hunter. His garage and basement are full of trophies. He has hunted all over North America as well as Africa and New Zealand. It was fun to tell hunting stories for a few minutes. Before we left he gave us some Elk steaks. I can't wait to make them!

I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Payne

Most of these are pictures I took with people in Woods Cross the night before I left. I will just list the whomever I am with.