Letters from Elder Spaulding: Week 75 - Life в Потсдаме Week 5: The Week of People

This week was full of people. There aren't really many other words that can be used to describe it accurately. We had Tausch twice, we had ZoKo, and we just had district P-Day. In addition to that, this week at church we had the most present that I have seen here! It was a pretty good week and I got to see some friends for the last times.

Tausch with Elder Keller was tons of fun. He is one of my zone leaders here. It was actually only my second time ever having an Austausch with my zone leaders, the first time was during my first transfer. We did some power finding, told some great stories, and met a man who looks like Papa Smurf, which was only made funnier by the fact that we had just opened a bag of Smurf shaped Haribo gummy bears.

Zoko was wonderful, I also must say that I quite enjoy being able to just listen! We learned a lot, and began to prepare for the upcoming Easter initiative: #AlwaysThere. I'm excited for that. :)

Some fabulous ZoKo demonstrations Ft. Moses

We also discussed some new mission policies and rules which helped me to understand some changes I needed to make to be obedient. In my studies recently I have found a pattern, which is essentially that happiness comes from obedience. I'll share an excerpt from my study journal that I think sums it up well. Pardon for the "Elder Spaulding Spin" on any doctrine, like I said, It's from my study journal. I just wanted to share. :)

This life is an opportunity for us to begin to become like God. Most of that growth will not be able to be made until after this life. As such, this life isn't so much about the actual growth, but rather, it is about the cultivation of the beginning of growth.

Alma explains in Alma 41 what the law of restoration is. Simply put, we received returned unto us what we cultivate. Just as the resurrection makes our bodies (God's creation) more of what he intended them to be, the resurrection also causes our personalities, desires, and abilities (our creations) to be more of what we designed them to be.

As Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge said (The Lord's Missionary), "You cannot be in a state of happiness, whether now or in the eternities, if you do not want to do the things that lead to happiness, even if you do those very things."

Alma also teaches in the aforementioned chapter that the things that the commandments, the scriptures, and the words of modern day prophets are all in place to bring us joy. Those things are literally instructions on how to be happy. If we are not happy doing them, we will be unable to be happy in heaven.

During this life we are in the state most malleable and susceptible to change induced by ourselves. Our goal is to find happiness in the things that bring happiness in the scope of eternity.

Anyway, much love is being had for you all. I hope you have good ones!

Liebe Grüße,
Elder Austin Spaulding