"Why Won't You Take This From Me?" (8/5)

Dear friends and family,

This was an interesting week. I need to somehow find a way to write something that captures it decently. It's tough because I've been badly slacking on my journal-keeping.

Highlights: we taught Bruce again and he told us of some health struggles he's had and mental struggles and we offered a priesthood blessing. Two days later we had the chance to do it at a recent convert's home. First we had a good lesson and then Elder Hacking was voice for the blessing itself, and it was one of the most amazing blessings I've ever been a part of. Literally tear-inducing. Amazing promises given to him. We were all silent for like a minute or more after it finished. He hasn't smoked since then.

A 15-year-old girl named Maryjean who came to the Pioneer Day picnic also came to church and Wednesday night activities, and after those we met with her, taught her the Restoration, and Elder Hacking was prompted to put her on date for baptism. It was pretty great. We're excited for her. Pray that she'll develop a strong testimony and that her father (who is also being taught) will be well from his sicknesses so they both can start progressing quicker.

Next there's Ashley who I might have mentioned, she's the friend of a recent convert and we really love meeting with her. We were able to put her on date for baptism too! She'll have a way to go for that to happen so pray we can do our job well and not get in the way of the Spirit.

Elder Hacking is a funny guy and he can talk forever, but not just stupid stuff, actually clever stuff. It's very impressive to someone like me who can barely string three sentences together at a time. He's a goofball for sure (both of us together really)--week one became bad Christopher Walken impressions week and week two is quickly becoming Severus Snape impressions week--but as I said last week he's an expert at bringing the Spirit and he's also great at listening to the Spirit and taking His suggestions. He's full of wisdom too. This is gonna be a cruddy story because my detail recollection is extremely bad and I'm also lazy but maybe it'll work anyway. The day before yesterday I fell into a small rut of feeling like I wasn't progressing and Elder Hacking proceeded to talk a LOT, explicating wisdom he's learned in four months that took me about a year and a half. He's a fan of video games and I learned about one called Xenoblade Chronicles which he related rather impressively to the Plan of Salvation if you can believe it. Basically he helped me see better (as have my recent studies) that the Plan of Salvation really is perfect, that agency really is essential to the plan, that God really is a perfectly just God, and the conditions we are in here on earth really are perfectly set up to honor our agency and allow us to be judged in the end solely by our choices--we won't be able to deny His justice upon us. In the midst of this long exposition he even said something that stuck with me enough that I had to write it down so I didn't forget. (I wish I could have recorded the whole thing, really.)

We wonder why we're so imperfect, why we can't just move on from our weaknesses. Like how Paul asked the Lord thrice to remove a thorn in His side.

Why won't God help me change everything about myself? Why can't I improve faster? Why are there always challenges and imperfections that we have to deal with, that afflict and torment us?

Essentially we ask Him, "Why won't you take this from me?"

God's answer to all that is this: "Because then you wouldn't need Me."

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

In the paraphrased words of my companion, we need to stop overthinking things and overfocusing on the wrong things and instead simply humbly do what we are asked to do, trusting in God all the while, and we'll see improvement day by day.

(That was probably an 1/8th of what I ought to have shared from his words and other stuff I learned this week. Man, I'm really excited for the bright recollection/perfect knowledge promised in the resurrection...)

Love,

Elder Gallagher