The Truth is marching on

 Hola hola!! 

What a week! The weather here in SoCal has been absolutely nuts these past few days, lots of rain and wind it's crazy! We're just so used to soaking up the sunshine that I guess we're just a little spoiled;)

Besides weather, a lot happened this week and it ended really well with lots of our friends coming to church on Sunday!!! The Mayo family all came and listened (and LOVED it), and Maria and Alma did as well!! We also started teaching Maria's son, Leo, and he's been getting to know other boys in the ward and he is SUPER awesome so we're so excited!! Keep up the prayers because we know through them our Heavenly Father is blessing us and our friends!! 

This week I have been thinking a lot about something we call the Holy Ghost. I think Nephi describes it best in the Book of Mormon when he says: 

"For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:5) 

Truly, the Holy Ghost is the messenger of God here on earth who helps us know and recognize when things are true!! The Holy Ghost is the number one teacher in all the lessons we missionaries have with people because HE'S the one who carries truth into the mind and heart!! That being said, before someone is baptized we believe that all people can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, helping them recognize when things are true!! After baptism, it is even more amazing because we receive something called the Gift of the Holy Ghost which is like having that messenger of God with us ALL the time as we maintain ourselves to be worthy! 

Thus, on my mission I've been thinking a lot about what it means for me personally, someone who possesses the Gift of the Holy Ghost, to hear and follow the things he tells me!!  Then, this past week I listened to a talk centered around HOW to recognize and thus act on what the Holy Ghost tells us. The speaker talked a lot about how the Holy Ghost is often the first voice in our heads... telling us that something is a good thing to do or that something we hear is true. Too often though, Satan puts secondary thoughts in our head, ones that come after those thoughts from the Holy Ghost, and he uses clever tactics such as logic or rationalization. For example, maybe we have a thought to call someone randomly (the first thought) and then we think, ah well I haven't talked to that person in years so it would be super weird if I call them... I won't call (the second voice). So the trick is... how do we listen to the first voice and not the second?? The speaker pointed out that the more we act on anything good that comes to our minds, the more we will ignore the second voice because we recognize that our Heavenly Father's ways often defy logic because His ways are higher than ours. "For behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God" (Moroni 7:13). So... if we feel like something is true because it brings us closer to God or we have a thought to do something good for someone... it's from God! I invite us all this week to focus on that first voice just a little more in our own lives and see what miracles come as a result:) 

I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost in my life. I have seen it change hearts, teach people in a better way than I could ever teach on my own, and guide me daily in doing the Lord's work. I know my Savior lives and is guiding His work on the earth today!!

Have a great week!!

Hermana Leonard 

The District

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