"I Found Myself Delivered From the Enemy" (Joseph Smith History 1:17)

August 08, 2022

"I Found Myself Delivered From the Enemy" (Joseph Smith History 1:17) - August 8, 2022

Spiritual Thought

As we study and teach Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision, our tendency is to focus on the appearance of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. This is rightly so. A vision of such magnitude deserves our constant study and recounting. In that moment when "a pillar of light descended gradually" upon the head of young Joseph Smith, heavenly choirs surely were singing for joy. In that moment the darkness of apostasy was chased from the earth, never to be reintroduced on a global scale. In that moment the dispensation of the fulness of times began to role forth in all the import and splendor inherent to such an anticipated period of time. In that moment our Heavenly Father's voice was once more heard by man. In that moment an adolescent farmhand from upstate New York became the prophet of this final dispensation prior to the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.

I wonder, however, if in our zeal over all that this vision entails we too often forget the terrifying event that took place immediately prior to this vision. In Joseph's own words he was "seized upon by some power which entirely overcame" him. Joseph Smith's own history tells us that in this moment he feared he was "doomed to a sudden destruction" and that "all of the powers of the unseen world were combined against him". It is easy to see why the adversary would try so desperately to destroy this young man when you and I consider all that would shortly transpire as a result of this simple prayer. There is a lesson for all of us in this portion of the account. Profound, spiritual, even life-altering experiences are quite often preceded by an increase of trial and opposition. Satan desires that all men might be miserable. He is also the enemy of all righteous. Because of this fact he will do all within his power to sway us or cause us to falter when we are on the cusp of something great or glorious. When you and I are faced with these periods of darkness may we ever keep in memory the "pillar of light" which did immediately expel all darkness from the boy prophet Joseph. The light and power of Jesus Christ's atonement will forever and always conquer the pathetic performance that the adversary may put forward. Because the Lamb of God descended below all things he possesses all power and has eternally vanquished darkness. He is the Light Which Shineth in Darkness. May each of us more earnestly draw upon His power I pray.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Weekly Update

Hello everyone,

I have finally made it to my new area. It's unbelievable. I was starting to accept that I would never actually be transferred and would spend my entire mission in random trios following other missionaries around in their areas. But here I am! In my very own area, the one that has my picture attached to it on the transfer board and I can see the map of on area book. My own area! I need to stop talking about this before I cry.

I had a normal day in Ambohijanahary on Tuesday. I didn't know it was my last day but it was a good one to end on. We taught all my favorite people and saw Ambohiroa, my favorite part of the area. On Wednesday all the Americans went to get our picture taken which is hopefully the last step in our visa process. After that I moved into a new house closer to the mission office so it would be easier to leave for Antsirabe.

Wednesday and Thursday were actually incredibly boring. Elder Lewis and I are both going to the same general area so we were just waiting around at the mission office trying to find ways to be productive. We organized multiple closets and swept every corner of the building at least 58 times but it was so unbelievably boring.

Friday made up for that however. We woke up very early so we could make it to the bus station in time to finally leave. The plan was for me and Elder Lewis to ride four hours to Antsirabe together, pick up my companion, Elder Razafimanantsoa, get on another bus and drive another five hours to Elder Lewis' area, Fianarantsoa. Just as we were getting to Antsirabe the mission office called and said New Mexico has a strange law and I would have to sign something at the US Embassy that day in order to get my visa. They told me to turn around and come straight back to Antananarivo as soon as possible. Problem was, there weren't any more buses going to Antananarivo that day. Long story short, the office rented an entire bus just for me and Elder Razafimanantsoa. We frantically got on the bus and told the driver to drive like Dale Earnhardt Jr. when his wife is in labor. We were about halfway back to Antananarivo when the office called again and said the embassy was actually going to be closed and there was no point in coming today so we should turn around and go back to Antsirabe. We were very frustrated and our driver acted exactly like you would imagine, like Dale Earnhardt Jr. when his wife pulls the pillow out from under her shirt, hits him in the face with it and tells him her entire pregnancy was the biggest April Fool's joke known to man. In a nutshell, we took an entirely unnecessary four hour bus ride through the Malagasy countryside just so we can now go back to Antananarivo on Tuesday instead. I've said it before and I'll say it again: "Man plans and God laughs". Whoever said that first was probably a missionary because they summed missions up perfectly.

Antsirabe is amazing. It's smaller and calmer than Antananarivo which is very nice. It's also significantly cleaner which I'm hoping will help with the flea bite situation. Antsirabe produces most of the produce for Madagascar so it's a farming town. The people, in my opinion, are essentially Malagasy cowboys which is definitely my crowd, not those upity city folk. Now, my goal is to get all of of addicted to country music. Overall the people seem like they are more genuine and sincere than in Antananarivo. It's a good, calm feeling here and I'm glad there's a good chance I'll probably be here for a very long time.

The biggest challenge is that none of the missionaries use area book and nobody has an address over here. That means when you are whitewashing (like we are) you are essentially starting from zero. There are six people who had a baptismal date at one point not long ago but were never actually baptized. On Saturday our only goal was to find those six people and see if they still want to be baptized. We were walking around the general area where they live when a group of people in a field down the road a bit started waving for us to come over. My impression was that they were members. As we were talking to them we asked if they were members of the church. Their response was "Not yet, but we want to be." We talked to them for a little longer then realized the couple who waved us over are two of the six people we were looking for. Even better, they know where the other four people live, the rest of their family is interested in learning about the church and their neighbor walked up to us in the middle of the conversation and said he also used to be taught by missionaries and would like to start again. Out of that whole experience we found at least nine people who are all interested in being baptized. It was a miracle and proves this isn't our work, we're just the instruments being used by the Savior.

I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Payne

We almost stepped on this snake while walking home on Monday. It was really neat!

Elders Lewis, Fergus, Mahatsiry, and I were standing by this desk in the mission office waiting to do visa things. Entirely out of the blue Elder Mahatsiry said Elder Fergus looked like the bartender and Elder Lewis and I were the depressed guys who came to drink away our sorrows. It was entirely random but very funny. We took a picture in honor of it.

Found this neat instrument while cleaning out a closet. I don't know what it is but it's really interesting.

Organizing a stash of suitcases because what else would we be doing? Definitely not finding, teaching, and baptizing people! Stop the crazy talk!

Found this quote from Michael Jordan in a closet.

And this painting of the Bountiful Temple.

The view driving to Antsirabe.

Depressed in a bus station that I can't ever make it to my area.

And incredibly bored.

Instead of buses they use posy-posy in Antsirabe. I feel like a lazy toad having some guy pedal me around like I'm in a chariot.

On the unnecessary bus ride with Elder Razafimanantsoa.

We're in a trio with Elder Lewis until he can make it to Fianarantsoa, which I'm fine with. One day none of realized he had left the house in crocs until we had been gone almost an hour.