COMPANION: ELDER BURTON
zone leaders
People are awesome. They're awesome because they are crazy. People do this crazy awesome thing where they cry when they are happy. Now, for those of you who don't know, crying is typically used to represent sadness, even extreme sadness. But sometimes, people cry to express happiness too. They call this "happy tears".
We'll circle back to that later.
I am here in St. Augustine and it is fantastic. It's the oldest city in the U.S.! Established 1565. That's pretty old. 450 years as of next year! It's diverse and fun and big. I'm not really sure how to describe it. It's like... I don't know. You'd have to see it to understand.
Elder Burton is excellent. He was actually in my first area with me!
He was in the other companionship in the Ward, so it's like coming
full circle serving with him again.
Election Day is tomorrow. Don't forget to vote.
Elizabeth, Jenni, and Calea have all committed to be baptized! Whoa.
And people are nice and talk to you and it's lovely. And the weather
has cooled off! And everything is awesome.
Right before I left St. John's, a series of events transpired. We had
this family we were working with and they are wonderful. Big family. Fantastic family. Taught all the lessons. Difficulty keeping
commitments. But we worked with them. I worked with them. When the father missed his baptismal interview, we went to his empty home, knelt in his driveway, and prayed him home.
Then I got the call that I was being transferred, and I cried. What
about this family????? But we do not question, we just obey. So we told the family, and the father announced that he wanted to be baptized at 6 AM the day I was leaving. So we told the Ward and they panicked a little but the whole Ward council committed to come. Best Ward ever.
We confirmed all the plans the night before and everything was set.
And I prayed. And I fasted. And I begged. And I checked and re-checked and triple-checked.
So we sprinted to the font, which we had previously opened. Someone had locked it. Both sides. Panic.
You can't break down baptismal font doors and there are no fire axes, I checked.
We got to the observation doors that you open to look down into the font, and THOSE were unlocked! WHAT??? MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!! I climbed over the glass, hopped into the font, and got it running.
So we get in the car and speed to his house. Well, we drive the speed limit because we have to, but it felt like speeding because my heart was pounding and my mind was racing.
We pull up and everything is pitch black. We knock, we text, we call... His wife answers. We protest and plead and persuade and testify. He gets on the line, says he's changed his mind, and hangs up.
So we call the Ward council, and they are very gracious and kind and drain the font and lock the building for us. We go home, and it's about 6:15, around the time we would normally wake up. My companion goes upstairs, I sit down on the couch, and it's decision time.
Except it isn't really. It really isn't. It's not decision time. There is nothing to decide. There is no choice on whether to give up, on
whether to throw yourself down and weep a bit and then have a good nap, there's no option to toss it in and take a break. That decision time is past. That choice was made 15 months ago when I knocked on the door of the mission home and presented myself not as a boy, but an Elder. The choice was made even before then.
The choice was made in heaven, when I stood in the Grand Council and declared myself for Him. Agency for me was not granted then, it was USED then. I have made a choice and tied my soul to this Man Jesus, of whom the prophets have written. I wound my fate up in His.
And there were rebels there then, just as there are rebels within my breast now. Rebels that seek to question, negate, revisit, or review the only choice that ever mattered. The choice to obey!
The Grand Council was not a brainstorming session. It was not an
open-microphone situation. Elohim declared His plan. He chose Jehovah. We were for, or we were against. We trusted or we doubted. We obeyed or we rebelled.
We, the human family, the people of this earth and all others like it,
are those that did obey! We stood as our brethren fell by millions,
and billions, and trillions and we rejected their filth. Warmongers,
heretics, liars, and apostates, they fell en masse, and still did we
remain, upheld in our exactness by the right hand of His
righteousness.
And now we have forgotten! And now we misunderstand. There is
no choice to make but whether to continue! There is no decision but whether to hold fast. For thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Trust that God that has created you, and that lends you even your breath!
Believe Him, and in Him. Doubt not, but be believing. Believe, obey, endure.
Yoda would say, "Trust, you must!" That would sum it up perfectly.
Yep! Yoda gets me.
So, sitting there on the floor, I pulled out my Book of Mormon, read for a while, exercised, packed, ate, walked out the door, and laughed. We need to laugh more, as a people. We don't do it nearly enough. I used to think it was fake or dishonest or something to smile when I wasn't happy, to laugh when I didn't feel like it. I was wrong. Some people cry when they are happy. If you can cry when you are happy, then you can sure laugh when you are sad. Laugh when you're happy. Laugh when you're sad. Keep moving forward. Tomorrow always comes.
And now I'm here. Here in gorgeous, soft-hearted, diverse,
adventurous, magical St. Augustine. Back in a real city, back in a
crazy adventure. South Florida tourism and diversity meets north
Florida "Deep South" Bible Belt. Deeply engrained and developed
culture and traditions blend gorgeously with the youthful vigor of a
college town. Urban and rural, swampy forest touches white sandy
beaches. There will be dirt roads parallel to major highways. And
people talk! People talk on the street and at 8:45 at night and listen
and it's wondrous. I love it here and I love these people. It's going
to be so fun. Hopefully I will be here a WHILE. A good long time.
Hopefully forever.
You and I were there together. We were magnificent. We stood shoulder to shoulder with Michael, with Gabriel, in the armies of Jehovah. As warriors of light, we defended our Father's Honor. We made a phenomenal choice. Here we renew, not reinvent! There was only one choice there, and there is only one now. Just make it, just do it!
One day I'm going to put all these letters in a book, and I will call
it, "Sermons to Self". Thanks for being patient with me! I love you,
~Elder Jorgensen
5:45am.. He still isn't there.
Except it isn't really. It really isn't. It's not decision time. There is nothing to decide. There is no choice on whether to give up, on
whether to throw yourself down and weep a bit and then have a good nap, there's no option to toss it in and take a break. That decision time is past. That choice was made 15 months ago when I knocked on the door of the mission home and presented myself not as a boy, but an Elder. The choice was made even before then.
The choice was made in heaven, when I stood in the Grand Council and declared myself for Him. Agency for me was not granted then, it was USED then. I have made a choice and tied my soul to this Man Jesus, of whom the prophets have written. I wound my fate up in His.
The Grand Council was not a brainstorming session. It was not an
open-microphone situation. Elohim declared His plan. He chose Jehovah. We were for, or we were against. We trusted or we doubted. We obeyed or we rebelled.
We, the human family, the people of this earth and all others like it,
are those that did obey! We stood as our brethren fell by millions,
and billions, and trillions and we rejected their filth. Warmongers,
heretics, liars, and apostates, they fell en masse, and still did we
remain, upheld in our exactness by the right hand of His
righteousness.
And now we have forgotten! And now we misunderstand. There is
no choice to make but whether to continue! There is no decision but whether to hold fast. For thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Trust that God that has created you, and that lends you even your breath!
Yoda would say, "Trust, you must!" That would sum it up perfectly.
Yep! Yoda gets me.
And now I'm here. Here in gorgeous, soft-hearted, diverse,
adventurous, magical St. Augustine. Back in a real city, back in a
crazy adventure. South Florida tourism and diversity meets north
Florida "Deep South" Bible Belt. Deeply engrained and developed
culture and traditions blend gorgeously with the youthful vigor of a
college town. Urban and rural, swampy forest touches white sandy
beaches. There will be dirt roads parallel to major highways. And
people talk! People talk on the street and at 8:45 at night and listen
and it's wondrous. I love it here and I love these people. It's going
to be so fun. Hopefully I will be here a WHILE. A good long time.
Hopefully forever.
You and I were there together. We were magnificent. We stood shoulder to shoulder with Michael, with Gabriel, in the armies of Jehovah. As warriors of light, we defended our Father's Honor. We made a phenomenal choice. Here we renew, not reinvent! There was only one choice there, and there is only one now. Just make it, just do it!
it, "Sermons to Self". Thanks for being patient with me! I love you,
~Elder Jorgensen