Revelation is the Rock of the Church!

It has been a good week.  Got a little bit of snow, and I have felt a little sick (sore throat, cough, chills), but believe I am doing better.  Taking a lot of Vitamin C.

Tuesday, for district meeting I had the Watertown Elders do a training President assigned on teaching the Law of Chasity, focusing on pamphlets and the needs of the investigators.  It is amazing, because this week that is exactly what we needed to teach a couple we are teaching, and we have been praying and trying to figure out the best way to do it.  So counseling together as a district brought even more revelation.  When we taught the lesson it was bold, and loving, and was filled with the spirit.  I am so grateful for the guidance of the spirit.

I also went on exchange in Lowville.  I worked in Carthage with Elder Bergman.  It went well. Many appointments fell through, but we worked hard, and kept going, which I think helped him.  We did have a chance to sit down for a sec with a less active, who would like to start coming back to church.  So good stuff! This week I will be going to Lowville and work with Elder Lamborn.  He was in my MTC district.

Wednesday morning the Relief Society president called us with a referral for a husband in a part-member family who would like to start taking the lessons.  We called him up that night, and had a lesson with him the next day.  He has been going to sacrament meeting for the past year or so with his wife in Watertown, though they live in Carthage boundaries.  He is a good guy, and hope to get him to come to Carthage with his family.

We continue to meet with Luetta.  What a great lady! We talked about Temples and Family History work.  She is still excited for her baptism on Saturday.  We had her try the stairs into the font after church yesterday because they are steep and she does not do so well with steps.  We are probably going to have a chair in the water she can sit on.

We had a very powerful lesson with Timothy and Michelle Friday night.  We talked about missionary work.  Scriptures came to mind in the moment.  Had Michelle describe her feelings as she not only she came back into activity, but as she watched her husband embrace the gospel.  Tender words spoken.  Spirit was strong.  Tears were shed.

The baptism was wonderful.  Not as many people showed up, but we still had about 40 people (majority probably kids).  I had the opportunity to perform the baptism.  I asked him how he felt soon after.  He answered: 'Amazing. That felt different than all the other times I was dunked.  It did not feel empty. I haven't felt this good in a long time.' After changing, Michelle shared her testimony.  She recognized that coming back to church and having her husband baptized not only saved their marriage, but brought it to a deeper level.  Her mother, not of the LDS faith, said to Michelle over the phone that she knew Michelle and her husband were closer now, than even their wedding day.

Is it not amazing!  The fullness of the gospel is here!  It has been restored!  There is power behind the ordinances!  There is power behind the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Like Joseph Smith who compared himself to Paul standing in front of King Agrippa, how can we deny something we know to be true through the power of the Holy Ghost?  How could deny the promptings we have felt?

Something Elder Simmonds and I have been noticing and talking about this week is the frequency of revelation we have been receiving.  Who we should teach? What we should teach? What should we say? What scriptures should we use?

As district leader: what to suggest?  What to train on?  How to encourage and support? 
Revelation:  This is the 'rock' of the church, Jesus Christ declared in Matthew 16.  Revelation to direct his ordained servants in His church.
I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Elder Shurtz