Thursday, September 15, 2011

SPIRITUALLY ADDICTED


Passionately in Love with a book!! Who da thunk!!!

Wow, what a great week we are having… first off I want to say happy birthday to Haleigh. So in other words HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY HALEIGH!!!!!!  I was a little upset that I didn’t have the chance to write and say happy birthday this Monday like normal… but we went to the temple this week. The temple is a really powerful and sacred place. I was thinking of describing the temple as Magical, but the place is not Disneyland… but a whole lot better. 
I have been spending a lot of time thinking about the Gospel. You would think that as a missionary it’s would be the only subject on your mind… but to be honest you can talk about the gospel all day but not really arrive to any profound faults. I have been using the bible a lot in my teachings because the majority of the people that live here are catholic or some other religion that believes in that sacred book. I’ve came to a shocking conclusion that, and it might seem a little bit obvious, the Lord has called me to teach the restoration of the gospel. The most power instrument in the conversion that I have in my arsenal is the combination of the Spirit and the Book of Mormon. I am not saying that I have not been using the Book of Mormon in my teachings, what I am saying however is that my capacity to understand the simple truths that exist in the testimony of the Nephites, has been helping not only me understand more of the gospel but also all of the our investigators. I have been slowly learning a new principle. There are different levels of desire that comes from reading the Scriptures. First, when we really don’t know the importance of the Scriptures we are at level one. The first level is called reading. We just read the scriptures but we are just reading to read and not to learn. Level 2, just barely above reading, that being to read just for the stories. I am not saying that it’s bad to just read the different stories in the book of Mormon. All of the history has a special lesson that we can learn but... well… it’s not going to feed your soul all that much.  The third level is starting to ponder over what you are reading. In this level we begin to think and consider the topics and lessons. We begin to form a foundation of faith and trust in the Lord through his words. Level 4 is to deeply study the pages. Intensely meditate the subject matter… pray diligently for wisdom and knowledge…seek the guidance of the spirit and counsel from our modern day prophets. Really level four is to be in love with the scriptures. If you can believe it there is one level that is just a bit higher than level 4 that being the dominant level 5. I thought about it and came to the conclusion that the most powerful feelings that we have in this world… that truly dictate our actions are our passions and love. Level 5 is to be in love with the scriptures that it arrives to the point of an addiction… that you don’t feel good if you are not reading them. Your heart becomes intertwined with the teachings of the prophets that your spirit cannot function properly, without a heavy dose of SCRIPTURE POWER!!!! We arrive at this point when reading for 15 minutes is not enough, and we begin to do everything in our power to feel the spirit stronger and stronger in our lives. In my mind I can see it as a real addiction… that if we don’t take larger and larger doses we don’t get that same spiritual high. I want to arrive to become SPIRITUALLY ADDICTED. I have decided that I am going to start to reflect, contemplate, and fall in love with reading the scriptures so that I can start to become passionately addicted them.

I hope that sometimes when I am writing you guys I don’t just sound like I am totally crazy… but know that I love you. I am glad that all is good at home.

Hurrah for Israel !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elder Harris

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