"Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease"

Wow.  Time Flies.  Ain't no doubt about it.  This week has flown by.  But thankfully, in the whirlwind of time that was this week, I learned and saw in practice a very important principle.

My thoughts this week have turned towards Elder Bednar's April 2014 General Conference talk entitled "Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease."  I didn't have a chance to really study the talk until this morning, but I have listened to it a couple times this week and have tried to live the principles that are taught by Elder Bednar.  I will relate two experiences that I have had this week that have illustrated this in three different ways.

First, on Thursday, we had to go to the farthest neighborhood of our area.  It generally takes us over an hour of straight walking to get there.  The sun decided to really come out that day, too, so I was slightly dreading having to go out.  Thinking of the talk I had just listened to, I prayed that our burden would be made light.  Stepping out under the sun in faith and equiped with my new hat, we made our way to Akogbato.  We picked a member up at the branch as we had to visit a few single sisters and needed an adult male with us. "[African missionaries] sang as they walked and walked and walked and walked and walked..." Then, "We're already here?!"  We looked at our watches, and it had only taken 40 minutes!!  Almost stupefied we went about our visits.

On the way back, I was again slightly dreading the walk back, but with a renewed faith in the principle of lightened burdens, we again set out in faith.  The difference this time was that my legs were already exhausted.  After about 10 minutes of walking, the first counselor of our branch, who speaks English and very limited French, pulled up and said, "Hey!  I had just come to visit Bona [one of our investigators], but he said he's at the Church building.  Hop on in I'll take you guys back!!!"  I got in the car with a heart full of gratitude.

Second, on Saturday we were working with Frère Kazotti, the former Branch President.  We finished a couple of lessons and then had one of our appointments canceled last minute.  We called all of our back-ups, but no one was there.  We finally decided to just go to the Branch building and see, but there was no one there again.  We spent a few minutes there just wondering what to do.  Frère Kazotti shared something that had touched him from his personal study a few days before.  Just sitting there, I was starting to get a bit stressed because I don't like just sitting somewhere doing nothing as a missionary.  So I suggested that we go inside and offer up a quick prayer for direction.  As Frère Kazotti offered the prayer, the thought that came to my mind was just to go to the street corner and await further direction.  So we did.

As we were standing on the corner, Elder Nkanza and Frère Kazotti were bouncing off ideas, but I just didn't feel right about any of them.  We called a couple more people, but there was still nothing.  I still had the same feeling to just wait.  Finally, after about 2 or 3 minutes, a taxi-moto pulled up with a guy.  The guy on the back hopped off and exclaimed, in English, "OH MY GOSH! I've been looking for you guys!!  Where is the church in this area?" 

We asked which church, and he said, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!"

"Are you a member?"

"Yeah!  I was baptized about a year ago in Nigeria!"

"Okay, well, the church building is just right here.  Would you like to check it out real quick?"

"Of course!!!"

So yeah.  I was slightly shocked but more relieved.  After we showed him the building a bit, he promised that he would be there Sunday, and sure enough, he was there even before us Sunday Morning!  His name is Victor.

In studying "Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease," I was specifically marked by Elder Bednar's allusion to covenants.  Sacred covenants kept and made with the Lord truly are essential to the Plan of Happiness.  The word for covenant in French is "alliance."  The base of this word is "lier" the verb which means bind or tie.  With this background, I thought of covenants as cords that actually bind us to the Savior which allows Him to pull us through situations when we ourselves don't have the strength to do it, as long as we are faithful and true to these covenants.  The more covenants we make with the Lord, the stronger this bind becomes and the more we feel His presence and His yoke.

The first principle that I felt is well described by Elder Bednar with the story of the people of Alma in the Book of Mormon.  This people had several burdens literally placed upon their backs and were forbidden to pray aloud.  They continued to pray in their hearts, and the Lord heard them.  He promised that He would make their burdens light.  What happened next was not that the burden was taken away, but the scriptures tell us that "the Lord did strengthen them." (see Mosiah 24:13-16)  I felt this principle as we made our way to Akogbato.  The distance didn't change nor did the sun go away (there were a few small, but friendly clouds on the way), but the Lord gave us the strength to persevere, and we felt that our burden was made light.

The second principle is the principle of tender mercies, which I have not ceased to feel during my 17 months on my mission.  The Lord knew that the task ahead was extremely difficult, so He sent someone our way to help us carry our burden.

The third principle was the Lord giving us patience and direction.  The time that we had to wait with nothing to do was a trial for me.  I don't like not having anything to do.  But He first gave me direction as to what we should do and then the patience to accept His timing.  What I felt as a result of this was joy.  The sweet joy that comes through the Spirit testifying of God, the Father, and of His Son, Jesus Christ, and of Their eternal and infinite love for us.

I testify of the Lord Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice.  I have felt but a mere particle of its power.  I have felt my burdens made light through my faith in Him and my covenants that bind me to Him.  I know that He loves each of us individually and perfectly.  I invite all of us to seek to feel His love more in our daily lives.

Again, if you have not had the opportunity to contract a sacred covenant with the Lord through his prescribed ordinances--the first of which being baptism by one holding the proper Priesthood authority--I invite you to do so.  I promise you that you will feel His strengthening power as you traverse the various trials of your life.  You will feel those covenants pull you through the toughest times of you life.  You will feel them pull you towards, and eventually to, Eternal Life.

If you have had the opportunity to contract certain sacred covenants, I invite you to stay true to these covenants.  If you have strayed, the way back lies, as always, upon the principles of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and repentance.  It may be hard, but I promise you that it will be so much more worth it.  We cannot imagine the joy that we will feel at the last day if we contract and remain faithful to these covenants with our Lord and Savior.

I love you all so much.  Have a great week!!!

Avec amour,

Elder Jenkins

I testify that the Holy Ghost lives.

Hello all!  What a week it’s been again!  As has become almost a custom for this period of my mission (or maybe my mission in general), I have felt a great spiritual growth this past week.  In everything that I’ve done, it has seemed to be centered on learning from and about the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead.  He testifies of God, the Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.  He comforts us in times of grief or sorrow.  He strengthens us in times of weakness.  He teaches us in times of learning.  He reminds us and recalls to our memory importants truths when necessary (and when we ask).  He guides us and leads us along the path to Eternal Life and can be our constant Companion if we are worthy.

I have felt the presence of the Holy Ghost in my life.  Since the beginning of my mission, I have felt His presence more often.  And especially in this past month or so (as I have taken a much more conscious effort to be exactly obedient), I have felt that he has been my almost constant companion. I am not perfect, and I still make many mistakes, but in my quest to be perfect and to repent promptly when necessary, I have felt His presence like I never before have in my life.

I have felt a formula presented by Elder Bednar in the October 2010 General Conference in practice. He explained that there are three things that we must do to have the Holy Ghost as a constant Companion. First, we must desire to receive Him.  Second, we must invite Him into our lives by prayer, scripture study, Sabbath Day observance, fasting, etc.  Third, we must live worthily in respecting all of the holy commandments of God.  If we do these three things, we will feel the Holy Ghost by our side constantly.

In my research and experience, I have found certain fruits of the Spirit.  Love for God and our fellowmen.  Gratitude to God and His Son, Jesus Christ.  Faith in Jesus Christ. Patience to accept the will of God in all of our activities.  Long suffering towards our fellowmen and their weaknesses and in our own trials.  However, the one that I have felt the most these past couple days is power. Spiritual Power over Satan and his temptations. This power has come through prayer, study, fasting, and research to better understand Doctrine and Covenants 10:5, which states: “Pray always that you may come off conqueror, yea, that you may conquer Satan and escape the hands of his servants that uphold his work.”

After much prayer and fasting and study, I finally not only understood the meaning of this scripture, but I FELT its power and truth.  I FELT the power that God has over Satan and will have eternally. And I knew that this feeling came from the Spirit.  That is how the Spirit normally works with people.  We FEEL.  Just as if we go from an air-conditioned room outside on a warm sunny day, we will FEEL the difference of the light radiating from the Holy Ghost.

I testify that the Holy Ghost lives.  I have felt His presence throughout my life, and the testimony that he has given unto me many times of God our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ has become a part of who I am.  I have felt this testimony in the very tissues of my mortal body.  I have felt His strength and His power.  I invite all of us to seek after His soothing influence constantly in our lives.

I know that it is only through the baptism I received by someone (my father) holding the proper priesthood authority of God that I am able to have the Holy Ghost as my constant companion.  I know that this proper priesthood authority is only found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it was restored to Joseph Smith through Peter, James, and John who received it from Jesus Christ Himself.

If you have not yet been baptized by someone holding the proper priesthood authority of God, I invite you to do so.  The blessing that you will feel in your life with be eternal, and you cannot even begin to imagine the joy that you will feel.  No lasting happiness can come from the world.  No matter how appealing the things of this world may seem, they will never last.  I have seen that first hand.  We have all seen what fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. can do to big homes and fancy cars. These things are eternally worthless.  The only real, true, and lasting happiness can be found in living the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I do not say that in pride or haughtiness, but I say that as a voice of witness from on high and a voice of warning. I know that these things are true, and I would declare them in front of all mankind, for God is my witness.

If you have already made sacred covenants with God through ordinances through His proper Priesthood authority, I invite you to stay true to these covenants.  You will feel of their saving power as you strive to live true to them, even if you have strayed from them. I know it. And as an official representative of Jesus Christ, I can, in all humility and respect, say that it is through His authority and through His merits that I can say that.  I know that as you strive to live true to your covenants with God, you will feel the strengthening power of the Holy Ghost.

Finally, I know that these are not my words, but the Lord’s.  I prayed specifically today, as I normally do, to share uplifting words with those who will read them.  I have, once again, felt His Spirit lead and guide me and inspire me as I have written these words.  This is a sacred feeling that I wish all of God’s children could experience more regularly: to know that you are on the Lord’s errand and that He will guide you and put words in your mouth (or on your fingertips).

That’s about how my week has been.  I love you all so much.  Have an inspiring, Spirit-filled week!

Avec amour,

Elder Jenkins