Thank you for the emails, prayers, and support. I am very grateful for the opportunity that I have to be here on the mission and more importantly to have a testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have been thinking a lot recently about the importance of being obedient to the prophet and doing the simple things that we are asked to do. Reading our scriptures, praying, serving our neighbors. These are the little things that help us build are testimony. Every day we are either building our testimony or we are letting it die. There is no middle ground. You are either increasing or you are decreasing. In chapter 32 of Alma faith is compared to a seed. That when the seed is planted it is our job to nourish it and cultivate it. Because it is either growing or dying.
37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
38 But if ye aneglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
How do we nourish the tree? Doing the simple things like prayer, scripture study, fasting, and praying. Notice that the scripture says to nourish it with great care. Why do we have to nourish it with such great care? Because this tree means everything to us, it is the difference between life and death, salvation and condemnation. And just like any tree, if you stop giving it the nutrients that it needs, it dies. It might die soon or it might take a while but you can be sure that it will eventually die. It doesn´t matter what you say or think, the tree is going to die. We can pretend that it´s not, we can tell everyone that our tree is just as strong as it always was, but when the trials come, our tree won´t withstand them. How many times do we just read our scriptures instead of really study them? How many time do we kneel down to pray and say the same prayer that we did the night before without thinking? When we do this we are killing our tree and giving the enemy a chance to try and uproot it. I have seen this here on my mission and I thank God that every day I have the chance to nourish and strengthen my tree of faith. Please do the same thing so that we can receive the blessings described in verse 41.
41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and withapatience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree bspringing up unto everlasting life.
Love you all!
-Elder Caleb Anderson
Love you guys and hope you are all well!
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