ST JOHNS, FLORIDA
COMPANION: ELDER BORE
"Several members of the ward, especially our Ward Mission Leader and
his family, insist that I have a very distinctive Californian accent.
I thought I'd give today's letter a title that matched.
Guess what? Vicki and Nelson got baptized. I did Vicki's baptism and
Nelson's confirmation, Elder Bore did Nelson's baptism and Vicki's
confirmation. We'll get back to that. For now, there are not words.
Aubrey (11) and her father Darrell (45) have set baptism dates as
well. And Tommy is still excited for his. Dates are 9/6, 10/1, and
9/20, respectively. I will tell you. No, there is too much, I will sum
up.
On Wednesday, we were at scripture class at the church and we got a
text from the bishop telling us the font was open for a baptism the
following day. So we stopped what we were doing and took Aubrey and
Darrell into the baptism font, bore our testimonies of baptism, and
role-played baptizing Aubrey ("Here, let us show you how it works.
Aubrey, will you help us?") Three days before, they both said they
would never join the church. The next time we saw them, they were
demanding we bring them jumpsuits to try on.
Did the doctrine change? Did my teaching style change? Was it
something I planned? Was it anything I could possibly do? Sigh. The
Spirit takes care of it. We teach by the spirit a lot. We are teaching
a family who has an objection to EVERYTHING. Everything. What we ask,
what we say, who we bring to lessons, the topic of the talks in
church, stories we tell, verses we read, everything. There is at least
a solid half an hour at the beginning of every meeting of us listening
to their objections. And at the end of the shpeel we say, "We love you
so much. The Church is true. Today we have a message to share about
such-and-such. May we start with a prayer?" We pray, the spirit is
there, and their objections are as the morning mist, burned off by the
fire and the light.
So, that's nice.
There are trials now and then. They just make life more exciting. And
it is WARM! I have discovered I love the heat. We will be standing
outside at 9 pm and POURING sweat and I'll be happy as a clam. Our
bikes work like a dream, we were awarded extra miles to drive for
having an especially clean car at zone conference, and most of all,
Vicki and Nelson got baptized.
Alright, I am ready.
Their baptism was absolutely magical. It was crazy, but magical. I had
only had one baptism before this in what is now almost a year of
full-time missionary service, so to have two in a day was pretty
exciting. I discovered I have many talents, and planing baptism
services is not one of them! Perhaps that is why Father has been
withholding them. But people pretty much know the drill without being
walked through it, right? It was great. There was enough water in the
font (well, ish. It was about thigh-high. But we got them all the way
under so you know, success) and we said their names right (actually we
got Nelson's completely wrong but we called President and he said
"Close enough!") so I'd give it five stars for sure.
Hehehehee.
And then yesterday we confirmed them members of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, and conferred upon them the gift of the
Holy Ghost. I have performed the baptism ordinance before (for Duncan,
Cassidy, and Ciera) but that was my first experience conferring the
Gift of the Holy Ghost. In the blessing, I used a unique phrase. It
burst into my brain and stood radiating, waiting to be used. I
promised Nelson that he would, "feel to sing the song of redeeming
love". And Brothers and Sisters, I feel so now.
How mighty is our God! He has shaped the universe! He has molded
creation! And far greater still, He has molded the human soul. All
glory, laud and honor to Him, our Heavenly King! Let fear and fire
tremble, let wretched Satan flee. For God our Father raised His voice,
and at His word, all men are free. All men! Amen.
A mighty fortress is our God! None from Him are lost. All people know,
all kingdoms grown, through His immortal power! Oh wondrous is that
godly work that bursts from every shaft. A shattered sky, an open
h'vn! And darkness gasped it's last!
A mighty angel here has come! Restored His glorious news! And filled
with love from up above I race to speak His truths. Oh mighty Master,
how can we e're praise Thee enough? It fills me up, Thy love for me
and love for these explodes from every fold. Visions open to my eyes,
and dreams awake in my heart. I see the heavens bathed in light and
streets all paved in gold.
A mighty Regent is our King! That Savior, Son of God. Wonderful,
Counselor, Shepherd, Priest, and Lamb. Sanctified and justified,
sacrificed, and free. Free from hell! Free from death; shackles, bond
and beast! That animal within my breast denied, the ugly brute
released. Make us more Redeemer. Save us from that Hell. Deliver us
Immanuel. He does. He did. Sweet Jesus... Oh... Can tongue tell?
Can any tongue come, praise my Lord? Are there any ears to hear?
Speech does not but chain me! Weak sight and sound but bind... For
like the rushing of great waters and the fire of the sun, the glory of
Messiah comes into my mind.
Oh blessed name! Oh righteous God. His name is all to me. Restoration
of my virtue, and sweet nectar of my liberty. I have tasted of His
SWEETNESS! I have seen! My eyes still now behold! I can stand as
witness. I can testify. I can rebuke the fallen state of heart and
soul and earth and man and mind for I have seen a miracle! I have been
a tool. An instrument from which burst a symphony pulsating sound and
light and wonder and vision and hue! Oh God! Oh sweet Jesus. A man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of
our peace was upon Him. My peace. That sweet release of peace I
shrivel without... And with His stripes, we are healed. Alleluia.
Alleluia!! Hosanna! Hallelujah! ALLELUIA. How wondrous is Thy power. I
need Thee, oh I need Thee. Every moment, every hour.
I feel to sing, my brothers. Come and praise with me. Come let us
adore him, the Man of Galilee! Born in David's City, foreordained,
chosen, called, exalted, glorified! Resurrected! Champion! High
Priest! Light! Way! Word! Jehovah. God. First of Elohim. The Lamb.
Oh... My Lamb! Weep for me! All we, like sheep, have gone astray!
Master, Maker, champion and chief... We turned... We turned every one
to his own way! And what are we, that Thou art mindful of us? I know.
I know that man is nothing, which thing I had never supposed. But
Jesus! But Father... The tempest is raging. Deliver us. Rescue me.
How mighty is our God? He clothes even the lilies of the field with
more magnificence than Solomon arrayed in all his glory. He has
crafted the eternities. He has conquered death. By the power of His
Only Begotten, He hath cast out that lucifer and all his vile host. By
the blood of the Lamb He hath cleansed our fragile souls! Filthiness
made Celestial! Bestial made new. A broken vessel was I once; He let
His light shine through. Angels sing and stars ignite and intelligence
expand and life must mold and seas split and continents migrate and
space collapses and heavens shine and time quavers and man exalted at
His word and pleasure. Why not then Vicki? Why not Nelson? Why not
then His 50 or yea His tens of thousands?? Why not me? Let them come,
and see where the Master dwelleth! Clothed in white, let them ignite
that spark of the Divine. Let them look, and live.
Look and LIVE! See the Church! Read the Book! Have but a glance of the
light that shines from my countenance and renders me utterly
unrecognizable to even my own self. Why will ye die when such a
marvelous work and a wonder rolls forth as a stone cut without hands
to shatter the kingdoms of the earth and ransom captive Israel? A
mighty Lord is ours. Invincible our cause. Glory, laud and honor. All
glory to our King. My God.
And now perhaps you have a glimpse of that roiling sea of joy that
floods every tingling mite of matter of my soul! Now perhaps you have
a gasp of that sweet breath of life whirling from His unutterable name
emblazoned within my meager breast. Let it be known and let it be told
and let it stand from all eternity to all eternity, unto glory or
condemnation, that I have tasted, and do KNOW of His goodness. I have
been visited of the Lord not in flesh but by the power of the Holy
Ghost and do KNOW and witness and testify of His matchless glory.
Abinadi aflame, Stephen stoned, Peter crucified, Abel slain, Jeremiah
languishing, Moroni alone, Mormon hunted, Joseph martyred... All do
count such trifles a privilege beside the magnificence of such a
knowledge. A child's knowledge is mine, an infant's grasp... But ever
will it grow, and ever will this testimony, MY testimony, stand. It is
my own and though the heavens and the earth shall pass away it shall
not pass away for it is rooted an entwined with the holy Word of God
and it shall be fulfilled.
Now I would commend you to seek this Jesus, for where else shall we
go? He hath the words of eternal life. He is the Christ, the Son of
the living God! I saw Him work a miracle this week. I see Him work in
me. Immanuel, Immanuel... He still sets me free.
You are my friends. I love you. That, at least, I can manage to say in
simplicity. I love you. Have a fantastic week.
~Elder Jorgensen"