Our actions are the means, not the end we seek.

June 9, 2014
I don't think I need anything else right now, I'm still pretty happy
with that Air Force shirt. 

The Family Mission Plans are going well. We have been able to meet
with quite a few families in the Ward and we are hoping to see some
more fruit from our labors. We have already seen some so far. A family
in our ward invite their neighbor to have us come by and help do some
service in their front yard and they accepted (who wouldn't?). We also
have two families inviting a very less active family to a family home
evening tonight. Seriously the more people there are doing the simple
things that invite others to come unto Christ the more people we will
have come unto Christ. It's pretty simple really. I'm excite to see
what else comes from this.

Another focus we have had is called The Ward Council Process. What
happens is here are 15 names that the Ward wants to focus on that are
selected. 5 from the High Priests, 5 from the Elders Quorum, and 5
from the Relief Society. After they are selected they are invited to
meet with us. Yesterday we hashed it out in Ward Council and decided
on 10 of the 15 names (High Priest Group was slacking, but that's ok).
In the following weeks each person will be invited to meet with us. We
are hoping to see many miracles.

The work is slow right now but we are keeping hope alive. I had a
question answered during my studies. I was considering how the
Atonement that Christ made helps us change. I have had a hard time
comprehending that but I was reading in Mosiah 3 about overcoming the
natural man and I came across this:
“We are safe on the rock which is the Savior when we have yielded in
faith in Him, have responded to the Holy Spirit’s direction to keep
the commandments long enough and faithfully enough that the power of
the Atonement has changed our hearts. When we have, by that
experience, become as a child in our capacity to love and obey, we are
on the sure foundation.

From King Benjamin we learn what we can do to take us to that safe
place. But remember: the things we do are the means, not the end we
seek. What we do allows the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change us
into what we must be. Our faith in Jesus Christ brings us to
repentance and to keeping His commandments. We obey and we resist
temptation by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. In time our
natures will change. We will become as a little child, obedient to God
and more loving. That change, if we do all we must to keep it, will
qualify us to enjoy the gifts which come through the Holy Ghost. Then
we will be safe on the only sure rock” (in Conference Report, Apr.
2006, 14–15; or Ensign, May 2006, 15–16).

Our actions are the means, not the end we seek. Our actions and our
obedience are what change our hearts. In time after faithful obedience
our hearts can and will change. Our continued obedience is what allows
the Atonement to change us.

Elyse and Dallas are in my prayers, I love them so much. I'm so
grateful for the gospel and the comfort it brings in times of trial.
Adam is doing awesome. We had a good conversation yesterday, it's
always good to talk to him.

Love you!

Love Elder Alexander


Sent from my iPad

We sure love  George’s e-mails.  Jeff used George’s e-mail tonight for his FHE lesson.  It was great!  Thanks for sending them to us!             

 (A nice comment From his Aunt Jacki).