HeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyOOOOOH

This week was pretty sweet! At the beginning of the week we had a goal
to find 7 New Investigators! I thought this was a little bit steep,
but the lord always proves me wrong. We worked very hard and found 8
new people to teach!

Then we got into a run in with a few Muslims! Pretty much the craziest
time on my mission. We street contacted a few guys after contacting a
few investigators, they were just chilling and talking with us, and
this big tall huge black dude steps out of the house, and walks up
behind us. We turned around and asked him what his name was. He had
the craziest look in his eyes, I thought he was going to kill us! Holy
Moses! He just looks at us and says "what are you doing? I am the son
of God" and he just went all out on us. What the junk....he tried to
give us 600 bucks to bail us out of jail. anyway....crazy dude, didn't
kill us. Just a drunk dude.


The steps of Faith building
(These are just impressions, and insights as I have study this passage.)

These first 4 steps are the pre-ground for faith. Every farmer plows
his field before dropping seed. We can plow our fields, and prepare
our spiritual grounds for seed and nourishment in preparation for more
faith.

"Alma 32:11 And moreover, I would ask, do ye suppose that ye must not
worship God only once in a week?
12 I say unto you, it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues,
that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom; for it is
necessary that ye should learn wisdom; for it is because that ye are
cast out, that ye are despised of your brethren because of your
exceeding poverty, that ye are brought to a lowliness of heart; for ye
are necessarily brought to be humble."

Step 1: A man must be humbled by being compelled or by his own
instance. Faith cannot work without a building place, therefore we
must give place in order to grow. It's like a farmer, he has to plow
the field in order to place a seed. Likewise, On the Lords terms, one
must plow his own field, or it needs be plowed by someone the Lord
sent, usually his servants (*Cough cough* missionaries)

Alma 32:13 "And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are
ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh
repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and
he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be
saved."

Step 2: Repentance, we must seek to change, and we will obtain mercy
from it. In the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" pamphlet it states clearly:
"Repentance does not always mean making big changes. Often it simply
requires an increased commitment to live according to God's will. True
Repentance does not always happen quickly" in the end, if we have
obtained mercy, and take it a step further and ACT. We "shall be
saved"

Alma 32:16 "Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without
being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he
that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without
stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or
even compelled to know, before they will believe."

Step 3: Is the breaking ground of a Stoney heart. Steps 1&2 were the
blasting, now it's time to talk about the humble submission of
Baptism. If you have believed in the word of God, you would know that
you would need to be Baptized. It says so simply in (2 Nephi
33:10-11)"....hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if
ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall
believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the
words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all
men that they should do good....And if they are not the words of
Christ, judge ye--for Christ will show unto you, with power and great
glory, that they are his words, at the last day;"

Alma 32:23 "And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea,
not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do
have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the
learned."

Step 4: Listen to the spirit with submission. Even like a child.
Promise to follow those promptings. Mosiah 3:19 "he yields to the
enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and
becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and
becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love,
willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict
upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

 PHASE 2 Of Faith Building

These next steps are in demonstration of nourishing, and helping our
faith take root in the word of God. We can obtain continuous guidance,
as we pluck the fruit of a good seed. The Action, is the application
of faith. The hope of faith. You can't have one without the other,
that's insanity.

Step 1, Action 1
Alma 32:28 "Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give
place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a
true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief,
that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to
swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions,
ye will begin to say within yourselves--It must needs be that this is
a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my
soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it
beginneth to be delicious to me.

29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you,
Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.

30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to
grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it
swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will
not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith:
for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it
sprouteth and beginneth to grow.

31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto
you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness.

32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not,
behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.

33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted
the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye
must needs know that the seed is good."

Action:
Alma uses the word "Beginning" 8 different times in these verses, in
connection with "grow" and "enlighten". Everything has to have a
beginning before progression starts, and hearts are changed. The
beginning could be finding people to teach, it could be a lifelike
matter such as someone prepared their field for a seed, the beginning
could simply be the missionaries knocking on their door, or a member
inviting them to dinner with the missionaries. Whatever the case may
be, it has to start with a beginning before it can progress to
something greater. It only progresses to something greater if the Holy
Ghost can testify of its goodness.

Step 2, Action 2:
Alma 32: 34 "And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your
knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and
this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your
souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your
understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin
to expand.

35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light;
and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore
ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted
this light is your knowledge perfect?

36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith,
for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might
try the experiment to know if the seed was good."

Action
The action word is "KNOW". You must recognize that the seed is good or
likewise-the word is good. Acknowledge that it is from God, and that
your own mind did not come up with it. But it was divine revelation
from the almighty. The spirit is what expands out knowledge in that
thing. Light is discernible above all other elements, and if increased
can one day pierce the vail. The revelation begins to flow, and the
people begin to become enlightened.

Step 3, Action 3:
(Alma 32: 37-43)

Action
Nourish it until it takes root, and then continue to nourish it with
an eye of faith, looking forward to the fruit. The fruit, Is
revelation and guidance. If we desire more guidance and revelation, we
must have more faith, we must nourish our spiritual trees and be able
to pluck the fruit by and by and reap the rewards of everlasting life.
Nourishing the word takes diligence, patience, long suffering,
submission, and the continuation of the spirit. We can expand our
knowledge, our testimonies unto conversion, by nourishing the good
word of God, exercising what we know, and looking forward with a
positive mind to the future. If we choose to dwell in the past, we
will end up doing past things. If we choose to dwell in the future,
and the future is a righteous desire, we will eventually become that
righteous desire, our hearts will be changed, and we will know with a
perfect knowledge that it is in fact a good seed, it will take root,
and it will not be cast away. We will be building our foundations upon
the rock of our redeemer who is Christ the son of God. And THAT, is
how we can become "disciples of Jesus Christ, and declare his word
among his people, that they might have everlasting life"

I testify that not only does this work for us, as baptized members of
the church, but for those who are not yet baptized. Who need help
building their faith. We can help them if we understand our purpose,
walk with patience, are uplifted by prayer, and labor with power. If
we are not bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or
delayed. If we do not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder
in the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. If we
do not give up, shut up, or let up. We can can go until he comes, give
until we drop, preach until we know, and work until he stops us. Our
lamps will be filled, and we will be endowed with power.