September 19.2016

Hello everyone! 

This week we walked and talked a lot. Not too much fruit was yielded, though there was a lot of seeds planted. I did not come on my mission to plant seeds, I came to harvest. (D&C 4) But, I find that the Lord is probably working on my endurance. Whenever someone accepts literature, but does not set a return appointment I just find it an opportunity to find someone that is waiting for me, or that the lord needs my time somewhere else. 

As we talk with people we try and identify 2 things. 

1.) what evidence do we have that the person we contacted felt the spirit?

2.) what evidence do we have that they want to repent? 

As we have done this we have been able to better identify the spirit in our work, and we have been able to invite more people to act on the repentant attitude they have. We help them identify that attitude by inviting them to be baptized. I haven't had one person tell me no, and I have not "been confounded before man." For I know that the Holy Ghost is the teacher. He aluminates the mind, and expands the heart as truth is unfolded. Those who receive this gospel, receive it best by a willing and open heart. They must let it into their hearts. We bring it unto, but they must let it into. I love that thought. Heavenly Father lets us exercise our agency even when he is speaking to us directly. 

I love being a full time missionary. I love my Savior. I love feeling the Holy Ghost in my life. It is the most enjoyable thing. Everything depend on that. 

Elder Jared M. Greenburg 

Missouri Independence Mission 

Warrensburg Missouri Area

September 12,2016

Hello! 

I hope everyone's week went well! I had a pretty good week! We had a few meetings, but we still managed to get some work done in our area. 

I had the wonderful opportunity of giving a training on Desires. I won't give the whole training, but I will touch on just a few points: 

1.) Agency only works if you are obedient. Disobedience causes the adversary to make you "miserable like unto himself". Thus we must educate our desires. Do we want to serve God, or Satan? Are the desires of our hearts leading us upward and forward toward God, or further from him? Do we aim for His pleas, or the worlds? 

2.) Righteous desires are more than passive preferences or fleeting feelings. Making a split second decision upon the arrival of instant gratification can lead to detrimental consequences.  In this realm, self mastery is not in our habitual attribute, but becomes an irritant. Righteous desires are those with eternal pleas, and not temporal things. 

3.) Those who truly want the desires of their hearts, will receive them without delay. For as Alma taught "I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction." (Alma 29:4) If you desire the things of the flesh, you will obtain them. IF you desire the things of God, you will get them. God does not remove your agency. He will respond to our earnest pleas. 

4.) If we are unhappy it is because we so desired to be. This one is difficult to recognize until one reflects on the eternal grand plan of progression. You see, we progress in only 2 ways. 1.) Toward God. 2.) Toward the Adversary. Each decision we make causes us to progress into darkness or light, Telestial or Celestial, Exaltation or eternal damnation. We set the standards of temptation. The sizing and the magnitude of temptation is determined to the heed we give to it. We make choices every day. Each choice we make is either a building block toward God, or a loop hole toward the adversaries final trap. We must then be honest with the consequences of our desires. We must be courageous enough to say that our desires are wrong and that we need to change. 

5.) Drawing upon the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change. As we recognize our wrong desires, we then must determine how we will change. Change in its process requires the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We must reflect upon our hearts, and prayerfully consider our eternal destiny. Are we really doing what's right when we act on our desire? Our all loving Heavenly Father wants us to have eternal happiness. That is His desire. He wants us to succeed and obtain all that he hath, and we can choose that path as we make the sacrifice necessary. 

I have recently began a study on the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. The significance of this part of the Atonement is deep. 

Preparatory to affixing the condemned to the cross, it was the custom to offer each a narcotic draught of sour wine or vinegar mingled with myrrh and possibly containing other anodyne ingredients, for the merciful purpose of deadening the sensibility of the victim.

The Savior did not partake of such, knowing the contents it contained would cloud his focus on the children of men during his death on the cross, and with his communication with the Father. In that very moment, we can understand that the Lord really did engrave us upon the palms of his hands. He undoubtedly did so. 

As He was crucified there was one Malefactor on His right, the other on his left. Thus, the prophesy of Isaiah being fulfilled "he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12)

I know Jesus Christ performed the Atonement perfectly. There was no fault in His countenance, no disobedience in His choice, step by step he performed what was necessary for the children of men to succeed and obtain every needful thing. 

I love you, and I know that he also loves you. If he didn't, we would have been damned to hell at the first sight of sin. 

Elder Jared M. Greenburg 

Missouri Independence Mission 

Warrensburg Missouri Area

Got a hair cut. I wear my sun glasses inside cause it's always sunny in d-ville

September 5, 2016

Hello! 

This week we were lead and guided to a sweet family! We had somehow been lead to a boons area of the Ward. There we started contact people on the street one by one. Then I miracle happened! We began to approach this couple walking down the street with a baby in their stroller. By the body language they had given previous to me contacting them, I could tell they were not interested in talking to me. "Hey guys! We aren't interested" before I could hold my tongue from the sarcasm I had inside of me, I said "yeah, I knew that about 6 steps back; do you know anyone in the area that just lost a loved one that we could visit? Maybe had a baby kinda like you?" They didn't have anything for me, but the Lord sure provided! We knocked on the nearest door and a man walked out, grabbed my arm and pulled us into the garage. He said "Elders! Where are you from?" He talked to us as if he was a member. He continued "you guys have no idea what kind of month I have had. I just lost my 1 month old son, and I have been praying to God that the Elders would find me, and now you are here. I want to be sealed to my son, and I want my family to become members" 

An experience like that will leave a man in awe for several days; and it sure did! I love the sweet tender mercies of the Lord. 


I have had some serious allergies this week! It kind of stems from the fact that I went to Gods great vegetation! I got the wonderful opportunity to go to Adam-Ondi-Ahman and Far West Temple Site this week!!!! That is a sacred and consecrated ground my friends! Onto some deep doctrine....cover your ears and eyes kids! 

Starting here with the Grand Council at Adam-Ondi-Ahman as prophesied in Daniel 7:9-14

"9 ¶I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

"This council will be the most importance to this world. At that time there will be a transfer of authority from the imposter, Lucifer, to the rightful King, Jesus Christ. Judgment will be set and all who have held keys will make their reports and deliver their stewardships, as they shall be required. Adam will direct preside at this judgement, and then he will make his report, as the one holding the keys for this earth, to his Superior Officer, Jesus Christ. Our Lord will then assume the reins of government; directions will be given to the Priesthood; and He, whose right it is to rule, will be installed officially by the voice of the Priesthood there assembled. This grand council of Priesthood will be composed, not only of those who are faithful who now dwell on this earth, but also of the prophets and apostles of old, who have had directing authority. Others may also be there, but if so they will be there by appointment, this is to be an official council called to attend to the most momentous matters concerning the destiny of this earth." 

“When this gathering is held, the world will not know of it; the members of the Church at large will not know of it, yet it shall be preparatory to the coming in the clouds of glory of our Savior Jesus Christ as the Prophet Joseph Smith has said. The world cannot know of it. The Saints cannot know of it--except those who officially shall be called into this council--for it shall precede the coming of Jesus Christ as a thief in the night, unbeknown to all the world.” Joseph Fielding Smith

Because of this knowledge, I decided to study about the millennial Era, Nephi said that “because of the righteousness of his [the Lord’s] people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth” (1 Nephi 22:26). 

There are many who teach that the binding of Satan will be merely the binding which those dwelling on the earth will place upon him by their refusal to hear his enticings. This is not true. He will not have the privilege during that period of time to tempt anyone. It is true that the result of the righteousness of the Saints is that Satan cannot have power over them. The restrictions that will come upon Satan will be a result of two important actions by the Lord: (1) He will destroy telestial wickedness from the earth at His Second Coming; and (2) He will reward the righteous by pouring out His Spirit on them to such an extent that Satan’s power will be overwhelmed. Satan will not have the power to tempt or negatively influence the Lord’s people. Both the righteousness of the Saints and the operation of the Lord’s power are necessary to bind Satan: if the Saints do not give heed to God’s word, He will not give them His Spirit. And without the Spirit, they on their own cannot withstand the force of the adversary. 

Do we see why it is important to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and honor our covenants? We on our own cannot withstand the force of the adversary. We need the enabling power of Jesus Christ. Satan will be bound by the power of God; but he will be bound also by the determination of the people of God not to listen to him, not to be governed by him. The Lord will not bind him and take his power from the earth while there are men and women willing to be governed by him. That is contrary to the plan of salvation. To deprive men of their agency is contrary to the purposes of our God. 

Satan only gains power over man through man’s exercise of his own agency; and when Satan shall be bound, as the Lord says he will be for a thousand years, one of the great powers that will help bring this to pass will be man’s agency. The Lord has never forced men against their will to obey Him. He never will do so. If Satan, therefore, has power with man, it is because man yields to his influence.

So how do we prepare for this Millennial era? There are several ways, but I'll list a few I have identified in the scriptures. 

(1.) Repent, and don't procrastinate. Alma 34 "32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world." 

(2.) Take Heed, learn to discern what the spirit of Christ is.  Moroni 7: "14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.

15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.

16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him."

(3.) Do not allow yourself to think that because it is the Millennium, that you will magically be able to do the right things. (Wickedness never was happiness) if you haven't been doing them now, you won't be doing them then.  Alma 41 "10 Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.

11 And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness."

In conclusion to this brain baby I had I will say this: I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know He lives. He is enough. Through Him I have been strengthened to carry the burdens of this life, and to liter on the path of discipleship my grievous transgressions, and imperfections. Without him, I am nothing, and I can do nothing. I love Him, and I know that He loves me. I know that God the Father loves his children. I am highly privileged to be one of those who has been called to be an instrument in His hands for the blessing of His children. I have joy in that and nothing else. 

Love you. 

This is Adams Alter of sacrifice built up after he was cast out of the garden. 

Preachers rock 

Oh dear,,, August 29,2016

Oh Warrensburg. "Oh wretched man that I am" I love the look of this
place, but man it feels dark here. That means there's a lot of work to
do! There is a college in our town along with the Whiteman Air Force
base so our ward is very unique! So many people moving in and out!

I was walking around contacting people the other day and came across a
man who asked me a very distinct question "What is the Holy Ghost?"
What a golden question! I think that was the Lord showing me that
people are searching here! I am extremely excited to have some success
in this area. My new companion is from Tooele. His name is Elder
Sagers. He works hard! He went to Stansbury and played on their
drum line. (Red head kid next to Ron) Pretty good dude. I'm still
getting to know him!

I'm also starting my 4 months to sexy challenge! I have been slacking
on my morning workout and a member is going to let me come over and
use his sweet gym! I'M pumped!

I came to an interesting observation this week.

We cannot live our lives with the risky chance of dying as an enemy to
God. Not only is it miserable, it is extremely unintelligent. We never
know when our "time to prepare to meet God" will be ended. We cannot
with good conscious say "when I am brought to that awful crisis; I'll
repent and return to my God". Life is not about squeezing our way into
the kingdom, but rather learning how to act appropriately so we can be
comfortable there.  There is a better way to live life; repentance.
Though it is hard to face our challenges and transgressions at times,
it makes an eternal difference in the end because we will hear the
Lord say at the final inning "well done, thou good and faithful
servant".  I know people who live there lives in complete and utter
misery, when they do not have to!

I had an experience this week that sunk deep into my heart. So deep
that it brought my own soul to ponder my life more fully, to
appreciate my life to its fullest. This moment that is so
sacred....changed me.

Before I got to Warrensburg I met with a family in Blue Springs to
thank them for serving me, and allowing me to serve them. At this
point I did not know where I was going. When the time to say good bye
came, I offered a prayer. After the prayer, the patriarch of the home
pulled me aside and said "Elder, you might know more about this than I
do. But I got a strong impression to tell you that there is someone in
your next area that has heard the gospel for quite some time now, but
when you invite him to be baptized, he will say yes. You need to find
him son." Pondering this experience for several days before transfers,
I was greeted with the calling to Warrensburg. I got here, and there
is indeed a special man that has been meeting with missionaries for
quite some time. I felt a connection with him immediately. I knew then
that this was the guy. The Lord has guided me along the path to teach
to this mans needs, though I have not invited him to be baptized yet,
I know that when I do, the Lord will be with me as I strive to
influence him.

The night before teaching him I had a dream. A man came to me in this
dream and began to explain to me that he had passed away several years
ago in an automobile accident. He went into great lengths of detail
about the accident. The car (bronco) was tipped upside down, and that
he had 4 friends with him. The car had rolled and each person was
ejected from their seats. The man that was talking to me did not make
it, he had died on scene. He said he had pulled his friends off the
road and laid them side by side to avoid further injury, and to ensure
that the paramedics would find them. He looked at me and said "I need
you to find my family and Baptize them. I want to baptized, and the
only way I can do that is if you find them and teach them." What a
powerful experience.

I wrote down the experience and pondered it throughout the day.
Finally, I arrived at this mans house to teach him. As we taught we
got on the subject of the gospel being preached to the dead. Somehow
he began to speak of a near death experience he had when he was
younger. He began to tell me the exact details of the dream I had the
night before. He said "my friend did not make it. But he made sure I
did". Through this experience I know exactly where to find the dead
mans family. I also know exactly who will be doing his work too. It
will be the man "that has been studying the gospel for quite some
time"  This experience changed my outlook on life for at least 3
reasons.
1.) The dead man came to me seeking consultation, because he had not
received the gospel on earth, and was seeking redemption. He chose not
to repent while in the flesh, and allowed himself with the risky way
of living his life, and dying as an enemy to God.

2.) Finding investigators to teach goes far beyond this life. There
are people on the other side that are praying that we find there loved
ones. When we find and baptize there loved ones we get them into the
temple immediately so they can be baptized for those who have been
seeking redemption on the other side of the veil.

3.) I need to live my life in such a way that if I were called home
today, I would be ready. I need to live a life that will not cause me
to be an enemy to God for eternity.


I know that the Lord directs this week!


Love y'all!

August 22,2016

Hello everyone!

We saw a lot of success this week, even though we haven't had much
time in our area. We had a missionary return home a week early for
school, so that put us in a trio  double covering 2 areas. We have
spent so much time in our car, and drove way too many miles! All weird
things aside, the Lord provided a way for us to accomplish the work in
this area.

I also hit my 20 month mark, so reality kind of set in, I still have
plenty of time!  Transfers are also this week. I will probably be
transferred due to the fact that my companion goes home next transfer,
and I've been here for 3 1/2. The unfortunate part of that is that I
have no idea where I am going until Thursday! YAY! I feel like I'm
going to Warrensburg. Probably!





Here are a few insights from my journal this week.

1 Nephi 19:7

The Atonement of Jesus Christ covers "both the soul and body". It is
"of great worth" to some. But others "esteem it to be a thing of
naught" Both have the opportunity to enjoy It. But I wonder what he
means by that "thing of naught."

Great Worth--Those who exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, are
baptized and honor those covenants, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
which sanctifies the soul, and endure to the end, are those who see it
to be of great worth.

Can there be a grey area? Yes. There CAN be, but will that grey area
be sufficient? No.

The grey area of which I speak is this--People think that confession
IS repentance. It is a step in the repentance process, but it IS NOT
repentance. This is what I believe he was speaking of when he said
"they set it at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, Even the
very God of Israel do men trample under their feet." Or in other words
"they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his councils"

The only way to use the Atonement of Jesus Christ and not set it as a
thing of naught, is to hearken to his counsels by exercising Faith in
him unto complete and sincere Repentance. If it isn't used in that
way, I believe it is used in vain. Falling happens when we allow
ourselves to turn back for just a minute on past mistakes. But with
full turning away from sin, comes the responsibility to forgive
ourselves, and not cause father any more grief.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ was performed in the furnace of
iniquity. He was rejected by the estranged, so he could save the
estranged. "the world because of their iniquity shall judge him to be
a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it;
and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and
he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering
towards the children of men." The testimony of the coming of the the
Lord. In this very instance we capture a significant testimony of the
for-ordained Savior. Only He could take that kind of iniquity and have
long-suffering, and loving kindness toward his accusers. Why did the
Lord have that kind of feeling toward us? Because those who see the
big picture, who see our eternal worth would know that it is not worth
it to lash out, or to give up. Those who know that all eternity weighs
on them, would do that.