24 August 2016

"Since our last update we have continued our travels throughout Devon and Cornwall.  We attended Harold's baptism in St. Austell.  Harold is a fairly intellectual man, whose first impressions of the missionary discussions were that it sounded logical.  He talked about not doing "feelings", but the missionaries explained that the Holy Ghost can speak to us in different ways, and that his impression that it was logical was his answer about its truthfulness.  We often fail to recognize the Holy Ghost's influence in our lives, much as in 3 Nephi 9:20.  "The Lamanites... were baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost and they knew it not."  Recent convert Rose was in attendance, and another recent convert family who have attended every Cornwall baptism since their own baptisms this summer.  They say they really feel the Spirit at baptisms, which has been our own experience as well.  Their daughter is joining our YSA group when she turns 18 next month.

The next day we returned to St. Austell to speak in sacrament meeting on overcoming our doubts and choosing to believe in God.  The topic was requested by the bishop.  One quote we particularly liked and shared is: 'We as members of the Church tend to emphasize marvelous and dramatic spiritual manifestations so much that we may fail to appreciate and may even overlook the customary pattern by which the Holy Ghost accomplishes His work.  The very "simpleness of the way" (1 Nephi 17:41) of receiving small and incremental spiritual impressions that over time and in totality constitute a desired answer or the direction we need, may cause us to "look beyond the mark". (Jacob 4:14) ... I have talked with many individuals who question the strength of their personal testimony and underestimate their spiritual capacity because they do not receive frequent, miraculous, or strong impressions.  Perhaps as we consider the experiences of Joseph in the Sacred Grove, of Saul on the road to Damascus, and of Alma the Younger, we come to believe something is wrong with or lacking in us if we fall short in our lives of these well-known and spiritually striking examples.  If you have had similar thoughts or doubts, please know that you are quite normal.  Just keep pressing forward obediently and with faith in the Savior.  As you do so, you "cannot got amiss". (D&C 80:3)  (David A. Bednar, April 2011)

We have been working on our Plymouth Stake YSA convention which takes place in September.  It will be held at Dragon Archery, owned by a church member who is also the branch president in Bideford.  He has 3 YSA children of his own.

We made food and taught at Institute last week.  The subject was Joseph Smith Matthew and the signs of the coming of the Savior.  Last Sunday we traveled two hours to the Bideford branch located on the north Devon coast.  We spoke once again in sacrament meeting, this time on the promises the Lord has made, and that He has all to fulfill them, with counsel from two good sources:
James E. Faust quoted Dr. Arthur Wentworth Hewitt as saying: "If on a basis of strict personal return here and now, all the good were always happy and all the bad suffered disaster (instead of quite often the reverse), this would be the most subtle damnation of character imaginable."
Henry B. Eyring said, "God makes it attractive to choose the right by letting us feel the effects of our choices.  If we choose the right, we will find happiness- in time.  If we choose evil, there comes sorrow and regret- in time.  Those effects are sure.  Yet they are often delayed for a purpose.  If the blessings were immediate, choosing the right would not build faith.  And since sorrow is also sometimes greatly delayed, it takes faith to feel the need to seek forgiveness for sin early rather than after we feel its sorrowful and painful effects." (April 2014)

Speaking in church so often is a great opportunity to study the scriptures and the words of the prophets by topic.  We are most grateful for their guidance and feel deeply of their truthfulness.

After the meetings in Bideford we were invited to Peter and Maureen Smith's for lunch, which was very kind of them.  They told us the stories of their own conversions.  He was shocked to be called by then Elder Hinckley to be a bishop of a large ward after being a member less than 3 years.  He and Elder Warnick shared with each other their feelings of inadequacy accompanying the call to be the leader of a congregation.  Now his son is a bishop in Scotland, and feeling the same desires to serve to the best of his ability.

Yesterday we took the ferry to Dartmouth and on to the castle at the mouth of the estuary.  It was built for defense, and had multiple cannons.  Originally they employed a huge chain they could raise to prevent the French and pirates from traveling upstream. The castle is rumored to be haunted.
 

We had local crab sandwiches, and decided we will stick with fish and chips.  Many people were crabbing right off the pier, which involves lowering a line with bait on a small net, which the crabs grab and won't let go.  There ought to be a lesson in there somewhere."