December 19, 2011

What a blessing to be a representative of Jesus Christ! My favorite thing is that because we are immersed in the gospel so frequently, we are able to truly have the spirit of revelation show us what we can become and how we can do it. It brings more happiness and peace than anything else. A mission truly is a wonderful experience.

As missionaries, our purpose is to baptize. It feels good when you fulfill your purpose. We were able to fulfill our commission yesterday as Celine was baptized and confirmed. She is an elect child of God that was foreordained to bump into us during her short visit to Toronto. That point is not in question. She has been prepared through her life to accept the truths of the Gospel. They have blessed her already, and there is a visible change in her actions and way she carries herself. She has become more Christ like since she has accepted to learn about the gospel. After her confirmation she was glowing with the spirit. She was radiating the Light of Christ. What a blessing to be apart of a great conversion. Aspects of her conversion have greatly increased my testimony. I know prayers are answered in ways we don't always expect. Often times, Heavenly Father will gently remind us what we already know is true. When we know what is true, we know how we should act and respond to people and circumstances around us.

As some of you may know, the part of the world I am serving in is very unique. It is the melting-pot of the world. People from all cultures and countries come to Toronto for safety, a new life, more work, and many other reasons. One of the dominant ethnicities here in the part of the city I am living is in Persians. People from Iran, and the surrounding areas. These people are amazing; they are very nice, loving, and genuine. They are sensitive to the spirit and have special spiritual strengths that quite frankly many people from other parts of the world do not have. There are 4 Farsi speaking missionaries in my District-the only 4 in the world. Because of legal issues, the baptismal interview is usually done by a Mission President or someone that he assigns. I was temporarily with a Farsi Elder yesterday during one of these baptismal interviews. I was sitting in a close by room to where the interview was, and I overheard some of the things that were said. In the certain part of the world where this baptismal candidate was from, it is illegal to switch from the predominant religion to Christianity. It is such a serious crime that you will be killed if they catch you. The government will hunt you down and kill you if they find out. Baptismal candidates are well aware of the danger, but they need to be reminded in the interview. I sat quietly and listened as this young lady bore her testimony and unprompted, committed to stand faithful to the Restored Gospel until death, if necessary. She echoed the words in Mosiah 18:9. She was willing, and wanted with all her heart to make a covenant with God to stand as a witness of Christ until death....I never really thought that that verse applied to us in this day and age until I saw it apply to someone yesterday. The stories of standing up for the faith until death in the Book of Mormon really happened, but what many of us don't realize is that they are happening right now! In the world we live in today! People still are faced with those decisions; it’s not a thing of the past or just in the scriptures! This experience made me think about my testimony. About how strong it is. About the covenants I renewed last Sunday and the covenants I made in the temple. I have committed to the same thing. Many of us have. This holiday season is an excellent time to re-evaluate our commitment to Christ. We must stick to what we have promised God. I testify we will feel His love and approval as we live up to what we know we should.

-Elder Porter