Writings from West Virginia: Charity Never Faileth

Hello everyone! I hope your week has been amazing! Another week has gone by, and I have some highlights! Let's jump into it!

On Tuesday, we started the day off in Pembroke, for Specialized Training with President and Sister Salisbury and our wonderful assistants. It was a wonderful meeting, centralizing on 3 main topics: 1) Forget about past mistakes. Repent and move on 2) The doctrine of The Atonement and 3) The Sabbath Day. All the district leaders got to get up and give a 5 minute portion about what their district is doing well. I don't know how well I did, but I felt the Spirit, so I guess that's all that matters.

After the meeting, Elder Tebbs and I headed off to Hillsville for exchanges! That was a blast. We taught a couple really awesome lessons, and it seemed like their area is really doing great. I love those two elders for all the hard work they are putting into their area! The work is picking up.

Jump to Thursday, where we got to go do the Food Kitchen! It's a little weird to think that it was probably my second to last time serving the people there. I really like doing service there, even if staring at the food for an hour and a half without being able to touch it is a little hard. But that's okay! Having people thank me for the work I do makes it worth it. Seeing their faces light up as they actually get a warm, hot meal.

That night we got to go to the V's house for dinner! They graciously invited us over to eat with them. They are one of my favorite families in the ward. They are just so fun! Brother V has this sauce called "Insanity sauce" that he likes to give to unsuspecting people. I had already tried it weeks before, but we were having Taco Casserole, and I figured it was a nice fit to try it again! WRONG.

I had forgotten how hot that stuff was. If you ever have the chance to try it, DO IT. So worth it, at least once. I'll never do it again though. So hot. Just had to throw that in there. It sticks out as one of the poignant events of the week.

Skipping to Saturday, we had the opportunity to teach J. and G. about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! They understand it all, accepted it all, and G. even bore his testimony about how he knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet. How awesome is that? Their baptismal interview is on Friday and their baptism will be held on Saturday evening! Pray for them! They still have some things to do before Friday, and I have complete confidence and faith that they can do it, but heavenly help is always appreciated.

Sunday was an interesting day. I've never had a day quite like it before. Luckily, church was great. It always is. I got to bless the Sacrament, which I haven't done in FOREVER. We had 3 pieces of bread and had to break it into AT LEAST 120 pieces. Some serious feeding the 5000 miracles happened yesterday. It was awesome.

Brother Wh. teaches Gospel Principles during Sunday School, and that was great! We are on Chapter 30, Charity. We had a great conversation with the class there, and the Spirit was strong. I thought it meant that a happy, charitable day was ahead of us!

We really don't need to get into the details of it here, but maybe I'll share it with some of you someday. The reason it was interesting was because EVERYWHERE we went, all we found was hatred, hurt, and unkind words. Never in my life have I seen such an uncharitable attitude from some of the people we met. We ALSO saw the OTHER side of the coin, when we spent 3+ hours with someone who had been hurt by someone's unkindness and malevolence, who conveniently was not there at the time of our visit. I have a few things to say to about this.

Let's start with a scripture Moroni 7:

44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity,ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day,it shall be well with him.

This is the Christian virtue of charity. The prophet Moroni clearly explains what this is and why we need it, and what the reward will be if we have it. There is something wrong in this world, when husbands and wives, parents and children, sons and daughters of God, can speak such vile things to each other and expect to be pronounced clean before the presence of Jehovah, "because I was right."

Let's go to the book of James, chapter 3:

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

That's pretty straightforward language to me, I don't know about the rest of you. I also don't really know where I am going with this sermon, but let me tell you that I am angry with ANYONE who would abuse one of their divine brothers or sisters with horrible words. If you are guilty of this grievous offense (as I know I am at times, and I have to repent daily of it), I encourage you to repent and change. You will never become the person that God himself sees that you can become so as long as you continue in the wickedness of hurtful speech.

Sorry for my sermon there, but I am passionate about this subject. The things I listened to and heard about yesterday are inexcusable to everyone except maybe the devil.

Thank you all for your continued support of me! I love you all and the Lord does too. Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Elder Brax Johnson