Press forward

While crossing the plains of the old west, the early saints had quite the challenge facing them.

From Wild beasts to unforgiving terrain, from frigid Wyoming weather to mountainy Utah landscape, One could say that the saints had every reason and right to feel a little apprehensive about embarking on this epic journey. Their prophet and seer, Joseph Smith, was martyred in a savage manner by a mob of over 100 men, and now considering that Brigham Young was going to oversee the safety of the early saints now coming from Nauvoo, England, and (from my own ancestry) even from Denmark, the early saints were now facing a wide variety of challenges from culture barriers to language walls. They were a people rejected of the Missourians and were subject to ''lawful extermination'' by Governor Boggs. Hundreds of miles of untamed prairie land lay before them, countless wolves, coyotes, and Indians were on the prowl, seeking every opportunity to pick out easy prey. Supplies were low, and even at the beginning of the journey, people lost faith and returned home to Babylon.

And yet, those who remained still went. They pushed. They faced trials that would prove their faith to God and others. Think about this!!! Men were sacrificing their lives by carrying women, children, and other men across frozen rivers. Women were giving birth where there was no doctor even for their time. Children were freezing to death. Why would they choose to press forward and keep going rather than to shrink and go back? 

Because, they followed Joshua 24:15. ''As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.''

That statement and declaration of faith will require and not come without bleeding, sweating, crying, and not even for a second without repenting. If you believe something, you act on it. James says your faith is dead if your don't couple works with it. What does that mean to believe in something? We hope for things that we do not see, but which are true nonetheless. Not seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, or hearing something does not make it any less true than it already is! You feel the wind, but you don't see it, so it would be pointless to say that wind doesn't exist. 

They KNEW that God existed and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was true and that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet called of God. So why hang on to the truth?

Because Truth is eternal, and pressing forward in the truest and noblest cause in eternity will lose you nothing. If you leave this life and see that there is no God, what have you lost considering you lived an honorable life? Nothing. If you live a prideful, slothful life, and die, seeing that there is a God, and that there is a spirit world, what have you lost, also noting you don't want anything to do with God? Everything.

As a missionary, I can say that it is most definitely not easy to press forward with faith in people or in the work, and thank goodness for that! There must needs be an opposition in all things, or else what would happen? There would be no law, and everything would vanish. Just as the stars can't shine without darkness, we cannot become like our Heavenly Father without first facing the challenges of life. How meaningful would money be to people if we didn't work for it? It would become a pretty piece of paper that would have no value. But since we DO work for money, and we use that money, it is absolutely meaningful to human beings.

So, the last question comes: How meaningful is YOUR journey to heaven?

I would invite all to consider that question. It is really, really important to keep tabs on our faith, our knowledge, and our progress to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Please, think about this.

I am happy to report that the parasite situation is swiftly coming to an end. I feel great and I have never felt so loved by the Savior!

I love you all,

Elder Johnson

 

10 companions down, 2 to go

Salama indray!

Wow, every week seems to be stuffed silly with blessings (even those with worms, nothing has changed about that, but that doesn't bother me anymore). Why bother to worry about things that can kill the body when we should fear the death of our spirits? If it is something that I can handle by relying wholly on the Savior's help, I should move forward fearless. You got it, worms has never been a worse problem for me, but that problem has never felt so puny than in that of my Savior's endless love and his eternally receiving embrace.

While waiting to go to Fianarantsoa this past week, two friends of mine (Elder Meldrum and Hjorth) came and spent a week at our house until about today. It was an absolute blast to have them around, and they proved to be a great help in the work, despite their brief sojourn.

 

On friday, I went to a meeting to go pick up my new trainee. Seeing the new trainees was amazing. Fresh, new, and ready missionaries from america (excluding one from Madagascar), you could also tell that they were a little tired from jet lag. The meeting started out by remarks from President Duckworth and Sister Duckworth followed by some other people. During this time, Elder Rafiliposon (The malagasy elder) received some translation through other missionaries (including myself...I translated for him a lot of the time. He told me I did a pretty good job). After lunch at the mission home, the trainees were given an envelope to open, which had a letter from President Duckworth. The letters also said which elder was going to be their companion and which area they are going to go to. The sisters went first, and they all were pretty excited. Eventually, it came down to me and another Elder. The two remaining elders were the malagasy elder and an american elder. I just about flipped the biscuit when the name of my area fled from the mouth of the malagasy elder, who I am now proud to call my companion. I love him very much, and I will be sure to make him the best malagasy missionary in speaking english, which he is already very decent at.

I cannot go on without crediting you all for the blessings that I received this week. Your prayers are precious to me. The work of a missionary (or for any calling for that matter) is not that easy, but with the Savior and your prayers, I practically cannot feel a lot of burdens that I know are there. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the moon and back for your prayers.

Oh yeah! I only have 2 more companions left (including elder Rafy), so I'll be sure to live up the twelve weeks I have with him before the day that I get an eternal companion. He will be great practice as all my companions have been :)

Love you all! I am in good shape. Kicking and alive as usual, just another warrior in the Lord's army

Elder Johnson

I'm sorry for the one picture with the package, I'm just so excited I get to taste twizzlers and pringles for the first time in over a year XD

New record, new area, new transfer

Salama!

New record for how long I've been sick: 1 week and counting. I am still sick. I started out last week with parasites and as the week passed I got a migraine and got a tender mercy of a day of health on my 20th birthday after which I got a cold which I am still recovering from, but the Lord will provide!

A new area is opening here in Madagascar and it is called Fianarantsoa. It has been closed ever since the black plague hit Madagascar in 2017. My companion with 3 other valiant missionaries will be going there to open it back up, and that is a really cool thing for me to see one of my favorite comps to go and open a new area. Props for him!

With this new transfer, it also means I have 4 whole transfers until I come back, and it also means I have some new responsibilities...like training a new missionary! I am very excited to be training and bringing a new and courageous missionary into the Lord's vineyard. It is possible that I could get a Malagasy trainee, but we will see this friday at the training meeting!

Love you all! I got some great pictures for y'all this week. I went to the lemur park again this p-day, so enjoy some more cute lemur pictures!

Love,

Elder Johnson

What lack I yet?

Welcome to the amazing year of 2020!

This past week, I have been facing more health issues that followed me from Fort Dauphin, but I trust in the Lord and I know that He will provide a way for me to accomplish the work He has called me to do.

This past week, we had zone conference at our mission office. The topic of the conference was about the Law of Chastity and other topics. One of the topics that I really enjoyed and really needed to hear was the talk about enduring through trials on the mission. We started out by listing a number of the things that the average missionary here in Madagascar might have faced. We then drew a line next to that list, and then came up with some ways to overcome those trials. A trial that I faced this week was going without water for 2 days, It was a challenge since we had plenty of laundry to do and we also had plenty of dirty dishes to wash (ourselves included). But, at the zone conference, a missionary gave a story about how he only had a cup of water to wash himself with, and as he thanked Heavenly Father for that water, the water for the shower came back on. Gratitude goes a long way. The Lord appreciates our appreciation...especially when He gave all that He had and expected no recognition!

Another question I asked my mission president this past week was concerning the fact that I had felt that I have been doing everything that I have been needing to do, but I felt that I had something missing. That question was What lack I yet?

The answer I got was confidence.

Perhaps you too can ask that question and find new ways to please the Lord and become more like him.

I am grateful for this time that I have to serve here in Madagascar and to serve the people with all my heart.

Love.

Elder Johnson