Me I’m dishonest! And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest! Honestly! It’s the honest ones you have to look out for! Because you can never predict, when they’re going to do something incredibly... stupid.
Hello everybody! How are things going over there? I hope just fine and dandy and that everyone is happy and healthy ^^ Things are going quite well over here! At least, as far as the missionaries here. We’re not entirely sure as to how the relationships between the North and the South are going exactly, but! So far it seems that he just likes to be breathing threats and not much else yet^^ So we will see how this goes!
These past two weeks have unfortunately been pretty uneventful. We’ve been doing a lot of advertising for our English class, we’re trying to start one up, and that is also the only way that we can actually get them to even open the door to talk to us. Imagine! Here, we don’t get too many doors slammed in our faces, because people just like to yell through the door “Who is it?” and as soon as they here that we’re missionaries, we are greeted with either silence or lots of yelling saying “YOU’RE DONE!” and then silence ^^ But! When we advertise for English, the people are much nicer about it. Seems to work a little bit. I can honestly say that I am surprised with how much work it takes to put an English class together! It is something else! If you look on the blog or whatever, I think Mom’s posted the picture that we use for our advertisements^^ I love that one, it just kills me! People get a good laugh out of it too. Which reminds me, Mom, I’m just fine if you put a copy of that on the fridge ^^ It’ll give everyone a nice chuckle when they see it. Maybe we should make it more professional looking... Oh well, wanted something that’ll catch people’s eye.
Recently, there has been a fascinating subject on my mind. The subject of honesty. Hence the quote ^^ However, the feeling of this quote is not quite the one that I wanted to convey. The quote that had actually brought this thought to mind, was a quote by the prophet Joseph Smith, which I think you will find fascinating. “No one can ever enter the celestial kingdom, unless he is strictly honest.” I was listening to a man by the name of Truman G. Madsen, and he mentioned in his talk that to the question, are you honest in your dealings with your fellow men, the answer that is universally given is, I try. Eventually we must do more than that. But what truly is honesty? Might I suggest that honesty is a crucial difference, it is the line that separates many fascinating subjects. The spark for this spiritual thought was a run in that we had here with an American apostate. Fascinating fellow, in the sense that he blamed the church for every failure, every problem in his life. One of the interesting things that he told me was, “Oh yeah, you get really good at tricking people here when you are out here on your missions.” Might I suggest to you that what this man did not understand was the principle of honesty. The difference is crucial. Honesty. Honesty is the difference between, for example, flattery and compliments. Honesty is the difference between manipulation and friendship. Honesty is the difference between perjury and testimony. It is truly honesty that makes the largest difference in our lives. Imagine, for example, the amazing change in the world if everyone was honest. Perfectly and completely honest. The change would, I imagine, solve innumerable problems that occur in our daily lives. Remember that in the thirteenth article of faith, it starts out with, what was it? “We believe in being honest...” We believe in being honest. Why would that be so? Why is it, that the beginning of the list of virtues that is so ingrained in every primary child’s memory, is honesty? The answer is already on some of your minds as you read. Maybe because this virtue is the virtue that underlies all others. If we are honest with others, we are honest with ourselves, if that is so, then that will very soon lead to honesty with God. So, one of the challenges I make to you now is to step up. You know how much this virtue means to God, you even know as to how this virtue will change your lives for the better. But you still hold back. We always seem to hold back. STOP! Stop thinking that, well, he doesn’t understand the situation I’m in, he doesn’t understand that if I hadn’t lied in that situation, that it would have caused more problems... Just stop. We all know the excuses, we’ve given them to ourselves countless times. Try it. See how you feel afterward, then keep trying to do better. I know that these things are true with all of my heart. I hope you believe me. But, if you don’t, in complete and utter honesty, it doesn’t matter to me. I hold myself accountable to God, and He, knowing all of my weaknesses and shortcomings, will be the one to render judgment.
Love you all tons, and miss you too,
Good Luck, God Bless, and God Speed,
Elder Annen
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