Becoming a true disciple of Christ

Elder Bednar shared the following in regards to becoming a true disciple of Christ:
A disciple is one who follows or attends upon another for the express purpose of learning (Oxford English Dictionary On-Line, second edition, 1989). Please note that a disciple both follows and learns, as the following scriptures highlight:

I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12; emphasis added)

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30; emphasis added)

Thus , a disciple of Christ is a follower of Jesus who learns of and from Him and lives according to His teachings. As we learn in Doctrine and Covenants 41:5:
He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be cast out from among you.

A disciple of Christ is one who is following and learning to be like Christ-learning to think, to feel, and to act as He does. He or she is striving to gain “. . . the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Becoming a true disciple of the Savior and following His ways are the most demanding learning objectives we can ever strive to achieve. No other discipline compares with His curriculum in either requirements of rewards. Discipleship demands total transformation of a person by putting off the natural man and becoming a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord (see Mosiah 3:19). A disciple is one who loves the Lord and serves Him with all of his or her heart, might, mind, and strength. (A Disciple Preparation Center, Elder David A. Bednar, August 31, 2004)

I invite each of us to ask ourselves the following question, what more can I learn about the life of Jesus Christ and what more can I do to follow Him so that I may become a greater disciple of His? It is my prayer that we will all become the disciples of Jesus Christ that He expects us to be so that we can more fully accomplish our purpose which is to find, teach, baptize, confirm, and help others endure to the end.
The Lord loves each of you very much,
President May
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Time is short, even in the mission

Nice Poem, sent from one of our Hermanas, about taking advantage of our time. It is precious.
Slow Dance
Have you ever watched kids On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down. Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short. The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask ‘How are you?’do you hear the reply?

When the day is done do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You’d better slow down Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short. The music won’t last.

Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow?
And in you haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time to call and say, ‘Hi’

You’d better slow down. Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short. The music won’t last

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift…thrown away.

Life is not a race. Do take it slower
Hear the music before the song is over.

~Unknown
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Greatest gifts of all

Elder Amado stated the greatest long term gift we have is Eternal Life in the Celestial kingdom and the greatest short term gift we have is the companionship of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Preach My Gospel states that have the companionship of the Holy Ghost should be our greatest desire.

The process of having the Spirit in greater abundance in our lives involves taking action to do two things:

Engage with greater frequency and effort in activities that bring the Spirit:

• Pray for the Spirit (see D&C 42:14).

• Keep the commandments (see D&C 20:77, 79).

• Diligently treasure up God’s word (see D&C 11:21; 84:85).

• Teach so that others understand your message and are edified (see D&C 50:13–22).

• Exercise faith (see Moroni 10:7).

• Develop Christ like attributes.

Engage with greater frequency and effort in activities that help us remove behaviors that distance us from the Spirit:

• Purify your heart (see D&C 112:28).

· Pride.

· Disobedience to the commandments and mission rules.

· Laziness.

· Negative feelings such as anger, envy, lust, or covetousness.

· Judging others, criticizing them, or saying negative things about them.

· Not following the counsel of leaders.

· Comparing ourselves with others.
Preach My Gospel teaches that we have been set apart for our sacred callings with the promise that the Spirit will be given to us as we meet the requirements set by the Lord. Enjoying the gifts of the Spirit should be one of our most earnest desires.

As Elder Costa has invited to set great goals, we must have greater faith and greater companionship of the Holy Ghost to achieve those goals to accomplish the great and marvelous work the Lord has sent us to do here in the Chile Santiago North Mission. There is no better starting point than obedience with exactness to the commandments and mission rules so that we can accomplish our purpose which is to “Find, teach, baptize and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost.”
We love you,
President May
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“Relatos de Exito” (success stories) from Newest Missionaries

Missionaries in Phase 2or3 have been here for 12 weeks, or are in their second ‘change’ cycle or third, respectively. As the meeting begins, any are invited to share something they have learned or witnessed in their teaching or personally that demonstrates success or miracles they are participating in and observing. Here are a few thoughts, shared anonymously:

Aug 20, 2010- FASE 2/3 Training
Elder M: “We have been teaching a 15 year old girl who is a daughter of a member. When we talked about serving a mission, she asked us the question, “Can girls serve missions too?” and we of course told her we have sisters/hermanas in the mission, who go at age 21 or older and serve for 18 months.
She told us, “I’d like to serve a mission too!” and she isn’t even baptized yet. That is how powerful the Holy Ghost is in testifying and prompting of the truth.”

Elder S: “This woman we are teaching as cancer a brain tumor. She wouldn’t get out of bed. She told us she felt not point to it, as she didn’t want to waste some of her time and energy if she was just going to die soon anyway. When she talked to us, her left had trembled and shook from the pressure from the tumor on her brain, I assume. I met her on my 2nd day in Chile. We began teaching her and just 2 weeks ago, she was baptized. Now she has hope, and feels happy. She has energy and doing many things. She knows she will die, but we will all die someday but now she feels happy, with hope and peace.”

Elder T: “This is not something I have ever seen or heard of before, but in our ward last month, there was zero/0 % home teaching in our ward. Incredible. We started working with some of the leaders in the ward, and they are enthusiastic to help. They began going with us to do visits, and we are making great strides. We even met a man who had been less active for over 18 YEARS! Now we are teaching him again, with his family. Miracles when the members step in and want to help, catching the influence they can be in the other ward members’ lives.”
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Prayer and the Book of Mormon answer "Questions of the Soul."

What a wonderful opportunity and blessing we have of helping people receive the saving ordinance of baptism. It is our purpose: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19). In Doctrine and Covenants 20:37 we learn that the first requirement to be baptized: All those who humble themselves before God…

What better way to prepare those we teach for baptism than to invite them to offer a kneeling prayer in the very first lesson. The act of kneeling down shows humility toward Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We find a great example of the power of a kneeling prayer in Alma 22:
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15 And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.

16 But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.

17 And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth,

23 … And the king stood forth, and began to minister unto them. And he did minister unto them, insomuch that his whole household were converted unto the Lord.

Let us be valiant as we invite the head of the household to kneel in humble prayer in the very first lesson so the great questions of the soul can be answered, “Does God know me?” and “Does He answer my prayers?

We love you and pray daily for your success,
President May
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Having a "Passion to Find!"

Yesterday Sister May and I went to a meeting in Colina. We went through a toll road. We paid the money to the lady who works at the tollbooth. At the same time we gave her a pass-along card and invited her to attend church on Sunday. She told us that lives in Colina and knows where the chapel is located. She asked us what time the meeting starts. We invited her to attend church next Sunday. She was very friendly with us. As we continued driving toward Colina, Sister May asked the question,"What do you think is happening in her life that makes her more sensitive to the Spirit? Is she reading the Bible? Has she had some type of spiritual experience? Is it her recognizing the need to have something else in her life? Is Heavenly Father trying to communicate with her in one way or another?"

In the zone conferences last week saw the DVD of Preach My Gospel about finding people. One of the missionaries spoke of the importance of having "a passion" to find people. For me, passion is constant. The passion for finding people to teach the Gospel is not something that we turn on and off.
Elder Maynes of the Quorum of the Seventy, shared this story:

“One day I was traveling in the car with the family during the summer holidays. I had to stop to fill up the car with gas. We stopped at a gas station. While filling the car, I saw two missionaries filling their car. I approached them without telling them that I was a member of the Church. They were friendly and I asked them where they were from and what are and they doing. They answered my questions and then said goodbye to me. I thought these two missionaries really missed an opportunity to share the gospel with me. It made me think whether they really understand their purpose.”

A sample of this passion to find is whether we are talking to everyone during our preparation day. Are we taking advantage of opportunities to talk to everyone when we go on the bus, do shopping, walk among the people? The Lord will bless us when we show love for all people in every moment of every day.

Now is the time to have this passion to find those who will follow Jesus Christ. I invite each of us to pray to develop the love and charity that will create in each of us "passion for finding" all of the time. In this way we can bring more souls to the Lord through baptism and magnify our purpose as missionaries.

We love you,
President May
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Faithful, obedient Missionaries

Just to report to all the families and loved-ones of your great missionaries serving here in the Chile Santiago North Mission. They are amazing in their obedience and desire to serve the Lord. The Missionary Dept in SLC has sent all Presidents of missions all over the world a new, simplified curriculum to help us become better teachers of Preach My Gospel, including doctrine, principles, and application. The following are the 8 lessons we have been instructed to teach. We started out exactly as the brethren requested, first teaching our leaders (Assistants, zone leaders, district leaders and trainers)Now we have set the course and announced the exact dates for the month of August to continue to teach ALL of our anxious missionaries who want to learn how to be better. Here are the 8 lessons:
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1. Doctrine of Christ-your missionary purpose
2. The role of the Holy Ghost in Conversion
3. Revelation through Prayer
4. Revelation through the Book of Mormon
5. Revelation through church attendance.
6. Teach people, not lessons.
7. We invite, they commit, we follow up.
8. How to begin teaching.

These changes will also include interviews now happening trimestral and zone conferencias the same. The missionaries are eager and willing to adapt, change and become better. We love these great Elders and Hermanas
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Steadfastness in Christ

In 2 Nephi 31:20 we are taught what we need to do after we have recieved baptism by water for the remission of sin and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. We are to press forward with a steadfastness in Christ. Steadfastness means fixed or unchanged. To be steadfast in Christ we must follow this counsel “He has set the perfect example, and He commands us to become as He is (see 3 Nephi 27:27). Learn of Him and seek to incorporate His attributes into your life. Through the power of His Atonement, you can achieve this goal and lead others to achieve it also.” (Preach My Gospel pg 115)

Having a brightness of hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance(Preach My Gospel pg. 117). When we have hope in Christ it will bring light into our lives to guide us as we press forward in our steadfastness in Christ.

Having a love of God and of all men is the reason for pressing forward with steadfastness in Christ. When you are filled with charity, you obey God’s commandments and do all you can to serve others and help them receive the restored gospel (Preach My Gospel pg. 118).

Feasting on the word of Christ will keep our steadfastness focused on Him. We feast upon them because they open the door to revelation and show us what we need to do and become. We search the scriptures to learn about Jesus Christ and His gospel. Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from God and comes through studying and living His word and His gospel (Preach My Gospel pg.73).

As missionaries we must have a steadfastness in Christ by having a brightness of hope, having a love of God and of all men, and feasting on the word of Christ to be powerful servants of the Lord who bring many souls unto Him regardless of the obstacles or adversity. This is His work and He has sent us here to bring many souls to Him through baptizing, retaining, and reactivating our wonderful brother and sisters here in the Chile Santiago North Mission.

We love you and the Lord expects great things from us,
President May
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