1 June 2015, Excerpt 3 from Weekly Email

                                                                  Mom thought...

Leaving behind family, friends, schooling, Facebook, Snapchat and all that is familiar is a real trial for new missionaries. To live in an unfamiliar place where everything is new, and everyone is new, is a huge adjustment. The transition to this new lifestyle is real, and it usually takes a few weeks for missionaries to adjust. As adjustments are made, missionaries comes to love the people they meet and the places where they travel. I hope you will follow this blog and witness for yourself the transformation that I am confident will come as Blake continues his missionary journey. He will meet new people, build meaningful friendships and have experiences that will transform his life in a very significant way. Great things are around the corner, and I hope you enjoy the journey of discovery that will be Elder Blake Morgan's mission.

Learning Through Trials

By Elder Blake Morgan 

Once you get into the mission field, you realize many trials that you have to overcome and you see the trials other people have to overcome in life.

A Missionary Story from The Book of Mormon

The Prophet Alma teaches the poor whose afflictions had humbled them.

 Book of Mormon, Alma 32:1-6 (Book of Alma, Chapter 32, verses 1-6)

1 And it came to pass that they [Alma and other missionaries] did go forth, and began to preach the word of God unto the people, entering into their synagogues, and into their houses; yea, and even they did preach the word in their streets.

2 And it came to pass that after much labor among them, they began to have success among the poor class of people; for behold, they were cast out of the synagogues because of the coarseness of their apparel--

3 Therefore they were not permitted to enter into their synagogues to worship God, being esteemed as filthiness; therefore they were poor; yea, they were esteemed by their brethren as dross; therefore they were poor as to things of the world; and also they were poor in heart.

4 Now, as Alma was teaching and speaking unto the people upon the hill Onidah, there came a great multitude unto him, who were those of whom we have been speaking, of whom were poor in heart, because of their poverty as to the things of the world.

5 And they came unto Alma; and the one who was the foremost among them said unto him: Behold, what shall these my brethren do, for they are despised of all men because of their poverty, yea, and more especially by our priest; for they have cast us out of our synagogues which we have labored abundantly to build with our own hands; and they have cast us out because of our exceeding poverty; and we have no place to worship our God; and behold, what shall we do?

6 And now when Alma heard this, he turned him about, his face immediately towards him, and he beheld with great joy; for he beheld that their afflictions had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word.

Alma goes on to preach a powerful sermon on faith to this people, and many are converted. (See Alma 32 in The Book of Mormon)

In reading Alma 32:6, one learns that trials humble us and prepare us to accept the word of God and as we accept that word, it will be easier for us to lean on Him. We must pray and ask Heavenly Father to support us, and as we pray in faith, with a sincere heart, He will.