Officially interviewd by an apostle

Well, well! Dale G. Renlund (new apostle) is the one that interviewed
me back in March! I remember he taught me about patience. Pretty
legit!

I loved conference, it's like Christmas for missionaries! Henry B.
Eyrings talk was stellar! I got a few impressions I wanted to share.
There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an
elder when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to
preach to the people who are the Lord’s children”-Lorenzo Snow
-The Lord is interested in My success. Go figure right? This is the
drive I get, the stirring motions I feel, when I see a child of God in
my midst and the Restored Gospel is on the for-front of my mind and
heart. That is the Lords interests, he Atoned for that persons sins,
he knows that persons heart just as much as he knows my heart, and he
will testify with me as I bear record of him!  I want to talk to them
because he expects me to, but further more, I should want to talk to
them because HE loves them, just as he loves ME, he wants that person
to come unto him, and I am the only tool that qualifies for the work.
How great is my calling.

As I reflected on the words that were spoken in General Conference, i
sought revelation in many different subjects. One in particular was
following the spirit, the desire to do so, the courage to act, and the
meaning behind it. I'm happy to say that the spirit taught me a great
deal while President Eyring spoke in the afternoon session on Sunday.
The spirit whispered: "Only through the Holy Ghost can you see people
as God sees them!!"
"The influence of the Holy Ghost can help you obtain the gift of
discernment, the talent and opportunity to lift others spiritually and
emotionally, and to see people as they really are. Compassion will
follow for your fellow beings, and you will be able to help them."

We found a guy from Sudan! He has a family of 10! He is inviting them
to sit in on our next visit! Holy Moses! We are excited!

We had a pretty great mission conference, I attached a video of us
singing "called to serve" to some members as a thank you for preparing
a lunch for us! Excuse my terrible singing

Sept. 21st and Sept 28th Posts

Sept. 21, 2015

This week has been long and crazy, we haven't had too much going on,
just a lot of finding, there's a special character that is built when
you talk to people. Especially when they make you a "Hiss and a
byword" I love it. Training is so much fun, I always feel like I learn
more. Our zone got consolidated. That means there are 20 companion
ships in our zone now. That's huge!

This letter is short, but I'm going to keep trekking! We have a
baptism in October that's going to be sweet!

Love yall

I'm out.
 This is a huge steak!

September 28, 2015

Welp this week was interesting. We found 2 new investigators, put them
on date, and then gave them to the sister missionaries because they
were single women.  Salvation is coming whether by us or by them,
doesn't really matter as long as the work is getting done.

We had an awesome lesson with our investigator Chris. He's so ready
for baptism! He committed to living all the commandments, reads his
Book of Mormon every night, knows it's true, and who knows there is a
prophet on the earth, the only thing he is struggling with is church
attendance because he runs 5K's every weekend. But we had a sweet
lesson with him about the sacrament, and he grew in his testimony. He
committed to come to general conference this weekend with us! And then
every week after that! The down side is that we have to move his date
back because the week he's scheduled is for the 17th, and that's stake
conference, (go figure right?) it will be good for him to get the
habit forming of coming to church. He's 20 years old, so our vision is
seeing how much we can help him grow, maybe one day he will serve a
mission! That'd be shweet!


Elder Burke and I have been working hard. We have been trying to see
how "exactly obedient" we can be. We are at the starting stages, so
it's super rough but, we hope it gets easier. For instance, we cleaned
our apartment like crazy! It's like deep cleaned! We even did the tub!
Holy Moses you'll never see that in a missionary apartment! The past 3
tubs I've seen have been black! It's ridiculous! Hopefully this helps
Elder Burke get a good start to his mission, training is so crucial.
You can form good habits with a trainer, or bad habits. Hopefully I'm
helping him form good habits. I know it's helping me be a better
missionary, and more effective servant.


Stroke of sarcasm fell out of my mouth this week while at a door step.
(Anyone surprised?) so this 24 year old blonde girl answers, we spill
a short statement, and use the how to begin teaching point that says
" we will be guides so that you can learn the truth of our message for
yourselves. It is your choice to accept and act on the message."
"As you accept our message, you will learn how to make covenants, or
promises, with God. You will learn how to make changes to bring your
lives in closer harmony with His teachings. You will want to follow
the teachings of Jesus Christ and be baptized by proper authority" Ok,
so this is a normal thing for us. We invite literally everyone we meet
to be baptized, it's just what we do. If you want to baptize only a
few people, talk to and invite only a few people. If you want to
baptize everyone, talk to and invite everyone. So we go on with this
point of being "guides so they can accept and act on our message" and
she goes "well, I have a brain, so. I don't need you guys to come
around and 'tell me' I'll figure it out on my own." (Applicable
argument) hence why we say "we will invite, you act." That's what I
meant to say to her. This is what I actually said "well, ya know. What
we do as missionaries is simple. We extend invitations so you can USE
YOUR BRAIN to find those answers, and if you pray God will reveal them
to you." Oops. She uh, shut the door on us. I have found that I have
slight struggles with defending the truth, and being nice and
charitable in the process. Sometimes when people start to argue, or
try and "prove us wrong" with "false, vain, and foolish doctrines, and
shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek to hide their
councils from the Lord and their works shall be in the dark" (2 Nephi
28:9) it just makes me want to drive a drill bit through my ear.
Probably one of the many reasons why I'm training again, and also
visiting with the mission therapist once a week.

Any-whom, far west Missouri. Ya know the famous "Adam-ondi-Ahman"
where Christ will return again someday. Yeah, well, they are opening a
Far West stake out there! Which is historical! The work is pushing
forward! The people are being prepared, and I thank my father in
heaven for this glorious privilege of being a missionary in the Alpha
and Omega mission. I know this is the land, I know that the Lord is
moving this work forward "like a stone cut out of a mountain without
hands" it's rolling forward, and it shall not stop. The opposition we
face is a "puny arm, trying to stop the Missouri River in its steady
course"-Joseph Smith.


Here is a picture of our Popsicle smoothies. Can't believe I didn't

know about this until now.

Another Transfer Slayed

Heyyyyooooooooo!!

The transfer is coming to an end, and I have been given an assignment
to train a new missionary! Sick! I love training! I'm not sure where
this is going to put me, so if you have sent me physical mail (HAH!
Doubt it) I may not get it for a while. I'm not sure if they will
transfer me to a new area, or have me stay here and move the Zone
Leader spot somewhere else, or have me be a Zone Leader/Trainer (it's
happened a few times in the mission, but not likely in this case) we
will see! It's been a crazy week! We had a family of 4 attend church
yesterday! #bonusPoints! They are so ready to be baptized!

Other than that there is really nothing too new happening up in here!


We have an investigator that has been struggling like mad lately! The
opposition is intense, we haven't been able to see her! I study really
hard for her, and it was sad to see that we couldn't get in with her
because her Dad is passing. If we could just meet with her, we could
help her out so much! Anyway! She isn't understanding the grace of the
savior. And it sparked some thought I had.

"Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose
from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm,
grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience
to His commandments, lift us to eternal life." -Elder Holland.

"Even after we have accepted Christ and repented of our sins, we may
fall short and sin again. We should continually try to correct these
transgressions. In addition, we should continually improve--to develop
Christlike qualities, to grow in knowledge, and to serve more
effectively. As we learn more about what the Savior expects of us, we
will want to show our love by obeying Him. Thus, as we repent daily,
we will find that our lives will change and improve. Our hearts and
our behavior will become more Christlike. We will come to feel great
joy in repenting daily." -Preach My Gospel p. 63

Repentance does not just mean "Recognizing, stoping, confessing,
forsaking, asking for forgiveness, and exercising faith" it is much
more indepth than that. Notice: it says "in addition" in that quote up
there. "We should continually improve--to develop Christlike
qualities, grow in knowledge, and serve more effectively". I have
often wondered how long it should take for me to start doing these
things again, to serve, and to work on developing Christlike
qualities. As repentance is applied it's easy to feel unworthy, and
it's easy to feel like we can't serve, or read the scriptures, or
pray, or strive for those Christlike attributes. But I have mistakably
missed the point! To Repent is to do those very things! Those things
are what bring on change! They are powerful enough to change someone's
Nature! The power of Gods words created the earth and the heavens, he
had the power to take Matter unorganized and by command he created a
world, and put us on it! So why on earth is it so hard for me to
understand that those words, can create a God? Why Is it so hard for
me to understand that he can fix a broken souls? Application to the
powerful words that come from the scriptures can, and will heal us. If
we let them. We have to choose, and we have to work at it. It doesn't
come easy, salvation never came easy. But we can sure practice. We can
put all things on the alter of sacrifice and rise above it. Rock
Bottom doesn't come, with the Savior waiting for us to jump. There is
a better option, that is repentance.



I bare witness that Jesus Christ lives! I know him, he has restored
his church, and through a prophet, he continues to guide and direct us
today.

Elder Greenburg
Missouri Independence Mission
Kansas City Missouri Area

Non-denominational church's light me up.

YupOkay

This week was interesting. I'm slightly in kind of a funk. Not sure
why, but I guess that happens from time to time. We had an awesome
Mission Leadership Council this week. We went fasting for answers to
improve our mission. We broke off into groups with a set of questions
on where things could improve. President Vest left the room to council
with the Lord about them, and the council discussed the same questions
for 45 minutes. He came back Into the room, and the council and
President Vest came up with the same exact answers. The spirit guided
both of us, and it was amazing, we could see the hand of the Lord that
day. After the council we had to get Elder Fillerups temple recommend
renewed. I had a great discussion with Sister Vest in the mission home
about the Council. She expressed gratitude for having such young
people be mature enough to follow the spirit. I had a prompting to ask
President Vest for a blessing, I wasn't sure why, and I wasn't sure
what his response was going to be, but i did it. It's A testimony to
me that what the Lord needed me to understand was answered upon my
head as the blessing was being given. I know that the Savior Lives.
And he is pulling for each one of us. "Every soul is great in the
sight of God" and that's why "He gave his only begotten son, that
whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life"
he has not forgotten us. He will never forget us. What he asks from us
is that we exercise Faith. Which for some reason in the church is a
confusing Concept to understand. Each time I hear someone talk about
their Faith they always start with how much faith they "Don't have".
What a copout! We get what we focus on consistently. If we desire more
faith, we must be obedient. We must pray earnestly for the guidance
and direction of the Holy Ghost, and live in harmony with it. We might
be surprised at the changes we realize we need to make. As we make
those changes, we are increasing our faith. As we focus on that change
consistently, we rely on the Lord for help, and we get to work our
faith will grow, and we will gain stronger testimony in the doctrine.
The most miserable missionaries I know are those that 1.) Aren't
living their lives in harmony with spirit through disobedience,
dwarfed goals, and lukewarm commitments, but want the blessings that
come from the spirit. 2.) have the ability to listen to the spirit,
they live in obedience to the material things like staying clean,
listening to approved music, and watching their time. But they are
quiet within their hearts. They don't act on the promptings they
receive, and become frustrated within. They too, want the blessings of
Baptism, and they might Baptize, but a part of them dreads the day
when the teaching pool is low, and they have to start opening their
mouths. They don't baptize with "an eye single to the Glory of God"
but they do it for themselves. Some will step up, others with rely on
their companion, and the rest usually fall back into category #1 The
greatest missionaries I know Have the spirit, the courage to act on
the message he receives, and he does it. He gives all emotions to the
Lord, he understands his weaknesses of Faith, but recognizes the
principle that it will not GROW if he does not ACT. He doesn't need
much attention, but he gives everything he has. He is made strong, he
is happy, and he loves his mission, good times and bad. The conclusion
is that if we want more Faith, we must Act on the impressions we
receive. The Lord blesses those who act constantly.

We were able to find 7 new people to teach this week, and we have put
6 people on date for baptism. The Lord has blessed us with building
this area. We have literally asked every person we talk to if they
would be baptized, no matter where we are at, door step, mall,
anywhere. We haven't had a single person tell us No. I know the Lord
is a part of this work. I know that this church is true, I know that
the Book of Mormon is true, and is a blessing to all who will only
humbly submit to him. He wants to help, we just need to submit.

Here's a picture of Elder Garrick and I on exchanges after a 5AM
workout. He's from  Stansbury, we went to junior high together,

Love ya!

Temple Day

Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't write yesterday! We decided to go to the temple last minute, so we had to take our P-day a day later. 

This week was awesome! We are seeing the fruits of finding those who are prepared. We found 5 new awesome people this week, and now 
 We miraculously have 4 on date for Baptism, and hopefully 2 more this week!:) 

We had interviews with President And Sister Vest! We love it interviews because we just feel this lift of being edified each time! 

The temple was amazing, as always! I feel a boost of energy and power that comes so tenderly whenever I go. The Lord speaks to us in so many different ways, it's amazing what you can learn. 

This coming week is going to be a doozy! We have MLC all day tomorrow, and then we are training the zone on Thursday. That gives us literally no time to prepare any trainings! Then of course we can't not end our week without an exchange. We are going on exchanges with the assistants. I'll be going with Elder Garrick. We went to school together in junior high school and he's from stansbury. so this will be great! Haha! 

Here are some insights from my studies this week about repentance.

D&C 18:10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

-First thing we need to know about Gods nature is that he is not going to let us fall forever, and be in shame and misery, he has not sought out to destroy us, nor condemn us. We matter to him, if we didn't, the Atonement would not have taken place, and men would have been sold to the devil at Adams transgression. However, our Father recognized that sin was the problem, he knew it would keep us apart. He cannot stand sin, but he can stand the sinner. The Atonement was the only way sin could be taken out of the sinner. 

"11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.12 And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance." 

-Here's the good news. In the grand council in heaven, we had our Fathers plan explained to us. When Christ said: "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." It was accepted. And we jumped for joy. Thinking about this moment has caused me much reflection. Repentance, is a change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world. Furthering my point about God condemning the sin, and not the sinner. We feel Godly sorrow because we know the sin has effected us, we know that we did not follow the Lord. But that does not mean that sin has to become a part of us. What he asks of us is that we recognize that we have disobeyed his commandments, when we recognize this we know that we have gone carnal. Therefore we are not spiritual, and we are not in line with Gods will. The only way we can stop the Natural man is on conditions of repentance. The Atonement advocates the fact that we can be forgiven as we come unto the Lord and accept his power to overcome the carnal state that we are in. He can enable us to put off the sin, and become saints who keep on trying. He breaks us free from sin, and we become clean in the sight of God. 

"13 And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth
-When I repent, I can imagine the Lord looking at me and saying "Elder, I am so proud of you. Thank you for trying again. You have given it another shot, you have kept the Faith in me!" I sometimes even feel a presence of someone hugging me. I don't imagine him saying "get away from me". We learn from scripture that when ever the Lord addressed the sinner he has said: "come unto me" I can picture him saying "please, don't abandon me, I know what you are feeling, just believe in me" I can even imagine the Father saying "oh child, please. Make the right choice, please. Choose to stay. Use my Atonement. I want to see you again" We are to "trust in that spirit that teacheth us to do good" one of those good acts  is to come unto the Savior when we have not done our best, and ask for his best. That we might be able to do better. Our souls are great in the sight of God. He cares about us enough to give the option to receive redemption. He wants us to succeed. He has given us everything that we need to succeed. We just need to do those things with faith in his son, and an eye single to his glory. We are not working WITH Repentance. We are working THROUGH repentance. Our Father in heaven Weeps when he sees us struggle, hence why "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God". We feel the tugging guilt of our wrong doings because he is nudging us to change. The only acceptable change is through the Savior. We feel peace when we repent because we have become reconciled to God. We are no longer off the path but on it. God, cares, he is not playing the shame game. He is playing the change game.

"According To The Desires Of Our Hearts"

This week was a roller coaster! We had to drop a few people :( that wasn't too fun, but we needed to because we found 3 people that were prepared. Sometimes the Lord presses us to let people go cold for a minute so that someone that is ready can be taught. It was a sure act of faith because we didn't have any appointments for a few days. That's a cause for frustration, but we worked and ended up with some great results. This coming week we have some great opportunities to help people grow closer to Jesus Christ. Like tonight we have an appointment with a member referral in the members home! That's golden! It doesn't get better than that!! We are in extreme re-build mode! 

In other news: Elder Fillerup and I set a goal to get fit at the beginning of this transfer. We are happy to report that after 3 weeks I have lost 10 more pounds. That equals out to be 55 pounds total that I've lost (so far) on my mission. 


My perspective has changed a lot. It's interesting what you can be taught by the spirit just off of one single quote. We have been studying desire this week, and in result I have found a new meaning to my calling as one of the Lords Representatives 


"The greatest men came to the top because of the strength that grew
out of meeting resistance." -M. Russell Ballard

Through my life my sweet Mother often
wondered what the Lord was preparing my family for. Trying and
failing, trying again, failing again, over and over for the past 9
years of my life. The circumstances were unbearable, the struggle was
a real one. Suffering heartaches, disloyalty, sudden deaths,
sicknesses, financial crisis, spiritual whirlwinds, sin, temptation, a
broken home, helping support a family, and wrestling the adversary.
But trial after trial the Lord was there, helping us build strength,
never once did he give up on us. I have often wondered What was the
point of all that? Here is my partial answer:I am the man I am today
because of the strength I have gained from growing up the way I did.
God, has let me pull through those times for this moment right here.
These resistances prepared me for this moment right here, today, in
the mission field. The "dry area" shouldn't phase me, the rejection
should be a "challenge accepted" moment to act on what commitments I
should extend to bring that person to humility. I have been prepared
for resistance, and trained in the furnace of the refinery, I had to
act, or I was going to get eaten alive. The Lord has prepared me long
and hard through those years, and what will be my outcome? What will I
do? I have been given talents to work through affliction, to bust
through the darkest hours, and to find the light of the gospel. Will i
doubt the Lord? Will I stand ready? Will I take what I have been given
and build a kingdom? I didn't lay down when times got difficult, and
for that reason I was made strong. I worked with my circumstances, and
I got through it. I can work in any area, and leave it better then
when I found it. I can sure change my circumstances by the desire of
what the Lord has placed in my heart. Through the resistances that
have been placed before me in past years I have been given the gifts
that are necessary to build just a sliver of Zion. Each family I come
in contact with has experienced at least one of those trials if not
more. But I have been prepared spiritually and emotionally to help
them. I will no longer let that go to waste. "I am a disciple of Jesus
Christ, the son of God, I have been called of him to declare his word
among his people, that they might have everlasting life". I will
"declare his generation" from 10am to 9:30pm. Every day.

“Our time in the mission field is short but eternally important"

"Become a creator of circumstances instead of a creature of circumstances."

"By being able to control what we put in this mind of ours, we determine our own lives. “as we sow, so shall we reap.” We can see how important it is to sow the right beginning thoughts. Another interesting fact about our minds is that we can only entertain one thought at a time. Therefore, your destiny may be determined by one single thought, and it is up to you whether you make it positive or negative. Think baptism and you will baptize. Your actions, attitude, mission, and life will be directed by your thoughts." -M. Russell Ballard


-- 
-Elder Greenburg
Missouri Independence Mission

Rebuking of the sisters 

 Comp-mansionship

Shots Fired!

What's up! This week was crazy! I can't even believe it's Monday again! We ran like mad this week. On Tuesday we did our stake reports, our computer crashed on Friday, so we had to re submit everyone's comments/indicators. That took all day! We only proselyted for like 1 hour! Then on Wednesday we had Mission Leadership Council where we got trained on an app called the "Area book planner" it's an amazing tool that keeps track of pretty much anything and everything EVER! Investigators, events, schedules, planner, indicators.! I love it! We were in the mission home from 8am to 5pm and then we had to go to stake correlation at 5:30pm. From one meeting to the next! We were able to contact our investigator that night. They have been to church 3 times and never been

taught before. They asked us what they needed to do to qualify for Baptism. I don't think I have ever heard someone ask for that before! But I will take it! We are meeting with them this week. 

On Thursday we prepared for Zone Training, it was a lot to cover because we had to train on the Area Book Planner. We hosted the training in the basement of the Historic Liberty Jail! It went great! Then I went on an exchange with some Elders in our zone until Saturday. They had a biking area and I blew out my knee! It's okay though because half of our Ward consists of medical students and residents so I got it checked out. I will survive! 

Saturday was the only full day we had of proselyting so we just tore up our contacts to get people to the next level! This upcoming week is going to be normal! We also get to go full swing with the area book planner tool. It's going to enhance our efforts! 


Here is an excerpt of my study journal based on the Atonement. 

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  
If we love the lord, we are to think on these things. This is the importance of knowing who Christ is. As I think on these things I know that I am beginning to know who he is, and I am able to internalize his charity, and grace. 9 "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." This applies to all teachings in Christ. The lord is our master teacher. He has made this promise that if we do these things, we will have peace. Once we begin to understand the Savior and his purpose we can feel his love, this is how we are able to be converted to him, and not material things. It only comes through putting that change in our hearts. 10 "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity." -Here is the catch 22. Here is where most people become less active and begin to fall into traps, right here. You can do all these things, but without opportunity and a desire to act, it means nothing. If we don't give ourselves or others chances to grow, we will never become converted, we will never overcome our weaknesses even if we do these very things. 
(Conclusion): 3 points for conversion that I've picked. 
1.) Opportunity is one step toward repentance. When we give ourselves goals, and achievements, we receive opportunity to become better, when the Atonement is applied, along with the teachings of the Savior, it can change our very nature. 
2.) The Atonement is one step towards Charity, the pure love of Christ. When we feel this love within us, it gives us opportunity for success. As we act on this, and recognize that others can receive his love, we will understand that God loves all of his Children, and as representatives, we will be able to branch out that love through the Doctrine of Christ. 
3.) The desire to change is what makes us Latter Day Saints. "Saints are sinners who keep on trying"-Elder Renlund. We feel the Holy Ghost pressing us to change, we feel the Godly sorrow. We can be reconciled unto God as we use the Atonement, it may take time, or many failed attempts, but as we keep trying, we will be able to look at the progress we have made with the savior on our side. 

I love this work, and I love the Lord! Here is a picture of my zone after the training we had at the Historic Liberty Jail 

Love you! 

Jared and his Zone at Liberty Jail