Week 96 - Divine councils

Dear family and friends,

Happy Easter! Easter Sunday couldn't have been better spent as more than a dozen investigators came to Sacrament meeting and felt of the spirit of love, peace and belonging. I wish I could describe every miracle to the fullest, but because of the Spirit lead experiences in your life I don't need to. 

Hearts have been softened, potential recongnized and effectuated. The work is hastening in every form. Because of the Father, through the Holy Ghost, the foundation for the pinnacle of success is being laid by those nail driven hands of Him our brother Jesus Christ through us.

Elder Peterson is doing great. I love him and respect his peace and maturity. He has been sick this last week and seems to be tired a lot. I have been trying to help him communicate more so he feels my love and we attain that fullness of divinty. I am learning many things from him that will be of great benefit now and later in life.

I am doing great and the investigators are progressing rapidly and the sphere of our influence broadens daily. We were blessed to baptize a 13 kid (Stiopa; future missionary) and his Mom (stella) will be baptized on the 9th of April, with his sister already baptized, this family will be complete and ready for the temple in due time. 

The miracle family is going strong and they are all on board. Many others will be baptized this month and the work is at an all time high in the history of Artashat according to our bishop..He is funny. We have been privledged to work with a lot of the youth. Almost 20 youth came to an activity this last week in which we had a major part in and we had a great time throwing the football and walking to a famous old church (Khor vi rap). All of them want to come to meetings with us and be missionaries. The love is strong between the youth and us.

(The following is a continuation of conversation between president and I,sharing revelation concearing establishing the church through the ward council that has blessed our area and companionship and is shared for the benefit of the mission)

Divine Councils---In my humble oppinon establishing the church means establishing the ward council. However, preliminary to establishing the church we must "work out our own salvation" and "cleanse the inner vessel" of our companionshps. I believe that to have a dinive council we need to first be divine individuals and second have divine companionships. As each prefaces the other and can't surpass the one without the other then we can move to a higher plane of influence---divine councils.

Continual counciling persists in changing the way we do missionary work. Many immediate blessings surface as we are diligent about communicating, reporting, and collaborating our efforts daily with the respective auxiliary. I have come to the realization that the most successful principles applied in continual counciling are communication, accountabilitly and unity. These are the basis for divinity. 

These three principles are needed in any scenario where divinity is the goal especially something as intricate and vast as establishing the Chruch of Jesus Christ, divinity is the only successful option. Communication as we council, accountability as both parties do and report, and the spirit of unity as we work together. With all of these simulatneously exercised we become one as Christ commanded...We become a divine council.

D&C 104

12 That every man may give an account unto me [and each other] of the stewardship which is appointed unto him.

13 For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings

Chapter 13 in PMG states "retaining and reactivating are the Ward council's first responsiblity". Although, we assist in retention and reactivating frankly put---and I feel comfortable saying I speak for the majority---we do not do these two as frequent as finding teaching and baptizing and rightfully so, as long as the ward council is established. I agree that Finding, teaching, baptizing, reataining and reactivating is all one work but we are not one labourer. 

D&C 104:11 "Ye shall organize yourselves and appoint every man his stewardship". Members and specifically those of the ward council are mavens in the field of retaining and reacitvating as they know much more about the areas, people and past than we do. We know how to find teach and baptize as that is our area of expertise and they know whom to find teach baptize retain and reactivate. 

My observation is that only in the realm of unision does missionary work--finding, teaching, baptizing, retaining and reactivating---become one and the labourers many and we establish the Church by establishing the ward council. Divine councils have been the keystone of success.

Thank you,

Love Elder Lunt