Hello everyone!
This week I would like to share a super awesome experience I had in the temple. This last week we had the opportunity to go to the temple with our recent converts and do baptisms for the dead. We took our recent convert 林育甄 to the temple for her first time. The morning of we went to her house and read D&C 109 with her:
12 That thy glory may rest down upon thy people, and upon thisthy house, which we now dedicate to thee, that it may be sanctified
and consecrated to be holy, and that thy holy presence may becontinually in this house;
13 And that all people who shall enter upon the threshold of theLord’s house may feel thy power, and feel constrained to
acknowledge that thou hast sanctified it, and that it is thy house, a place of thy holiness.
We promised her that at the temple God's holiness really would rest upon her and she would be guided and protected and have the Spirit to be more with her. She was really excited but also really nervous about going in because she’s really afraid of water. She has scoliosis and when she did her own baptism it was super hard because she couldn't bend back all the way--it was too painful. It took about 5-6 trys until she was finally fully immersed. So she told us--"I'll go to do confirmations, but I don't want to do the baptism part."
When we entered the temple later that night, we were sitting in the waiting room all dressed in white and we asked her how she was feeling. She said really peaceful. After she got confirmed she was sitting by the baptismal font. A worker asked her if she would like to do baptisms for the dead. At first she panicked and said, "No, no that’s okay." The worker asked, "Are you sure?" Suddenly she stopped shaking and sat still for a moment. She didn't say anything for about 20 seconds, then she finally said, "Okay, I'll do it." She got up and went down into the water. And then...she did it!!! She had such a brave look on her face too. The worker behind me said, "She is so brave."
My heart was just bursting. I was so so so happy. I felt the Spirit so strong. Proudest moment of my life.
The following Sunday she bore her testimony at church. She read the scripture from D&C 109 and started to cry and said, "I know this promise is true. And I will keep going to the temple."
Lately we haven’t had much success with investigators and baptisms. At first it was getting me down. But after this week I've learned a very valuable lesson...this is a work of ETERNAL salvation, which means we need to have an ETERNAL perspective. I've been thinking a lot lately about why I'm here in Xindian, why it’s been so hard lately to find new investigators and such, but I had a real impression the other day that if anything I am here for 林育甄. And if that’s the reason, then my time here is worth it.
D&C 18:15
15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto
me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
I love you all :)
Sister Tracy
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