Well, good news! I'm for sure staying here in Harrisonburg and finishing Sister Fry's training!!! I'm so excited for these next six weeks, we've got lots of work to do!
To be completely honest, this week was hard and disappointing. But that is part of a mission. We have been working lots with our friends and helping them gain testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We had six people commit to coming to church and even had members planned to pick them up, and they all canceled and didn't show up. It can be hard and sad because you come to love these people so much and desire the goodness that we know will help them, and they don't keep commitments. But I know God wouldn't and doesn't give up on us, and we are not going to give up on them!
I've been studying a lot on the attributes of Jesus Christ and learning more of him and his nature. While studying this, it made me really understand I have to change my nature to become a better disciple of Christ. But how do we change our natures? Isn't that impossible? Let me say it might feel like it, but because we have a Savior, nothing is impossible. Here are some scriptures that stood out to me.
Mosiah 3:19
"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."
Alma 13:28-29
"But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest."
D&C 4:3-6
"Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence."
As we put off the natural man and try to develop the attributes that are repeated over and over throughout the scriptures: faith, hope, charity, meekness, patience, diligence, obedience, knowledge, virtue and love! These are repeated for a reason because God wants us to develop these and change our nature through his Son and become a Saint! As we do this, we will become like the truly converted Lamanites (anti-Nephi-Lehis) who sacrificed all the worldly things to do HIS WILL!!!
Alma 23:6-8
"And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away. For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren. Now, these are they who were converted unto the Lord:"
Just want to invite you all to think of one of these attributes that you can work on and become converted to the Lord, Jesus Christ!
Even with how disappointing and how hard this work can be, there is nothing I love more than being a missionary, a representative of Jesus Christ and his TRUE CHURCH! Even with disappointments, the Lord blesses me with so much and because of him I can feel joy:
🫶a companion who is my best friend
🫶emails from loved ones
🫶snow finally in VA
🫶scriptures that help me feel closer to him
🫶prayer so I can communicate with him
🫶 the people in my life that push me to be and do better, my family and friends
🫶service days
🫶personal study
🫶opposition in all things
🫶the people here in Virginia
and the list can go on and on!!!! Pray to see the Lord's hand in your life and I promise you will see it everywhere!
Also, happy birthday to the best brother-in-law ever!!! Love and miss you so much, Jake, and beyond blessed to have you in our family!
I love you all and miss you!!
#CTR-SISTER HANNAH COPELAND
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