Love One Another

Hallo Leute!

This week was great!


We ended up meeting with our friend Tarek who we met at a service project. He is so incredibly open and ready to learn, even though we weren't initially expecting to talk about the Gospel with us. We got into a long discussion about temples and the Book of Mormon. We gave him a brand new copy, and he said he would be completely down to read! I admire him for how open minded he is and willing to listen to two 19/21 year olds. 


I also learned even more about prayer this week. I studied a lot about examples of prayer in the scriptures, and it was really cool. 


We played soccer this week at our game night, and my poor 1 year old €30 dress shoes from Deichmann finally gave up the ghost. The soles were already coming off a bit, but during soccer pieces were flying everywhere. Needless to say, I bought some new shoes today. Also €30, and also from Deichmann.


This week we also did a mini mission with Marcel who will be leaving on his mission to Berlin soon. After our companionship study we said that we close with a prayer too, and he said "Why do we pray so often?" and it really made me realize how much we pray, and how much I pray personally. You can pray in any situation and at any time, and as you do so, you will be comforted and the Lord will bless you. I have found it so comforting to know that in even the worst situations in life, those situations where you feel overwhelmed by something out of your control, you can turn to prayer and the Lord "will not leave you comfortless:" He "will come to you." (John 14:8). I have also sought to develop more charity and love for people around me. I have tried so hard to follow Moroni's counsel in Moroni 7:48, to develop this "pure love of Christ" - "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love". As I have given my whole soul to God in my prayers, I have felt love for myself for others and for myself the way God loves. God loves unconditionally, and as we pray unto him with all energy of heart to see others and ourselves as He sees us, we can also develop that love. 


Matthew 5:44

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you"


Matthew 18:21-22

"How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."


Matthew 19:19

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."


2 Nephi 4:20-21

"My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. 

He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh."


God wants us to love. He wants us to love Him, ourselves, and He wants us to love others. As I was praying this week to better understand His Atonement, I came to understand how everything God does for us is out of love. Every single thing is done out of love. Not even God's anger is anger like the world defines it. Everything He does is based on love. He has no other motive than "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)

Sometimes it is hard to love people, especially if they annoy you, anger you, hurt you, reject you, ignore you, or disrespect you. Everyday I am rejected and insulted by people I have never met before, but yet all I am trying to share with them is something that has brought me peace. It's also sometimes hard to love yourself when you see yourself as not good enough, not athletic enough, not in shape enough, not confident enough, not attractive enough, not talented enough, or not funny enough. But God loves those people, and God loves you, unconditionally. Despite your flaws, and the improvements to make, God sees you as His perfect child. Seek to develop this pure love of Christ, this unconditional love, of yourself and others, and you will be so much happier in life. It has changed me forever.


That's all for this week. I love yall, and miss yall.

Bis nächste Woche,

Elder Allan (Landon)

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