Another week has come and gone here in Anyang, South Korea. We were blessed with the opportunity to have an absolutely amazing Zone Conference with our zone missionaries and President Morrise and his wife, and his Assistants. We learned about "We are the Message" , one of our mission's themes. Elder Thorup, Sister Hoffman and I were able to give training on being the message to our church members by being excited and happy about the work to remind them of the Joy of the Gospel. We also talked about using the Book of Mormon to help everyone hear the Gospel Music mentioned in last General Conference. Then we went up into a mountain and received inspired training on asking questions to help others learn the Gospel music for themselves from Sister Morrise, as well as positively powerful training on the Power of Positivity from the Assistants. Then we came back to the church, and President led us in a time of seeking and receiving personal revelation about what it means to Come Unto Christ, and how we can do that personally, as well as help others do it. I realized that for me, I needed to reconfirm my testimony of the most basic principle in the Gospel, that of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Yesterday as I fasted and studied, I was able to realize once again that Jesus Christ really did live and die, and that He lives again. He did and does everything for me and for you. The Spirit also helped me realize that because He lives, I can rejoice. I must rejoice! Interestingly enough, on this mission I have learned how to live more like Christ than ever before, but my weaknesses and shortcomings have been distracting me from the Joy that must be felt because of the Atonement of Christ. If I'm not happy when I'm this involved in His work, then I don't fully understand it and I need to complete my conversion.
I also realized, thanks to my insightful companion, that if we truly understand the Gospel of Christ, then we instantly and naturally begin to share it with those we love. If we hesitate about sharing the Gospel, then we either don't love the people or we don't understand what the Gospel is. There have been too many times that I have felt like "I don't need to talk to this person, I have somewhere to go" or "It's P-day, its time for a break". But thinking of the lives of the apostles and all the Book of Mormon prophets, I can't see any of them saying that. They truly understood the incomparably joyful message of Christ's Atonement, and they were eager to share it with everyone, no matter how they were received. They understood that all of mankind is on the same team, but many have just been confused by the devil to pursue less joyful things. It's our honor and opportunity to invite, to give them a chance to come back and enjoy the Joy of the Gospel.
I can testify that the Holy Ghost has witnessed to me that Jesus is the Christ, that He loves us and wants us to be happy and so He performed the Greatest Achievement in the history of mankind, the Atonement, so that we could have hope and joy. I also know by the same spirit that the Lord has restored, or brought back his one, complete Gospel through Joseph Smith, and that the Book of Mormon testifies of that truth, as well as teaching us plainly what we must do to feel the Joy. It has taken me a while, and I'm not anywhere near done yet, but I personally am coming to know the reality, intensity, magnitude and JOY of these truths. And I can share them with everyone that I meet.
I am so honored and joyful to have this opportunity to serve the Lord and His children, and to better myself in the process, in this beautiful land of Korea. This, and my whole life, and my eternity, is all because my Savior performed perfectly the Greatest Achievement. How matchlessly loving and joyful?
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder Derek Wilcox
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