For which we will praise his name Forever

Hi Everyone,

This has been another crazy week. I can’t remember what day it was but one of the days this week I was looking at some of my companions pictures of his family and stuff from back home in Zimbabwe. He served as the ward mission leader and as a full time ward missionary before coming on his mission. He had several pictures of this one missionary that looked really familiar. I told my companion that it looked like one of my friends that I played soccer with a while back named Taylor Madsen. My companion looked at me in shock and said yes that is Elder Madsen. Ha-ha! Come to find out it was Taylor’s older brother. Small, small world. Who would have thought that I would see a picture in Ghana, taken in Zimbabwe of someone I knew in Utah.  Elder Madsen served in Elder Wichos home area for some time.

Yesterday at our multi stake conference we had the chance to witness history in the church in this area. The four stakes that we had are now six in the Accra area. President Badoo from the Ordorkor ward is now the new stake president over that stake. A lot of other cool things took place yesterday as well.  A few of my recent converts from around Accra were presented to be ordained Elders and receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. That was a sweet feeling to see that something was done right in there lives. Today we will be going in to have a small mission tour with Elder Callister who was assigned to come and oversee the splitting of the stakes along with Elder Sitati and Elder Curtis.

This week I also got to go on splits with Elder Wollenzien again. We had a good time doing the work together. Elder Wollenzien was my third companion who will be going home July 4th. He has some small time left and he is trying to go out on top with the work. He is a good kid and plans to go to UVU after he gets home this fall.

Life is not all that easy and some of the trials that we face and the challenges that come our way can be pretty harsh. One of my favorite Book of Mormon prophets and hero, Ammon, explains how much two people can accomplish together when one of them is the Lord. In Alma 26:12 it reads:

12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

Given my current state I know what Ammon is saying to be true. For I am nothing, and my strength is weak! The things that I have been able to do has not been because of me but it was because of the Lord who has provide the way for me to be his instrument, even in bring forth many miracles among the people of Ghana. The joy that I felt as I sat in the conference and watch 6 of the men that I was able to teach and baptize stand to be presented as worthy to be ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood brought to me indescribable joy. I owe it all to the Lord for in his strength I can do all things, and do mighty miracles in this land. Forever and ever I will praise his might name. I thought about a scripture in Mosiah chapter 2, in this chapter King Benjamin is teaching his people the way back to the lord, he closes chapter two with verse 41    

 41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

For me I desire that every one should consider the blessed and happy state of my six brothers that are keeping the commandments of God, for they are blessed in all things, temporal and spiritual as they continue to keep the commandments. As they are faithful to the covenants that they have made they will be received into heaven in a state of never ending happiness. I desire all to come unto Christ and to repent keeping the commandments of god that they to maybe able to feel the joy and happy state that comes from Gods love. I feel blessed to have been among them yesterday! For my six brothers and many others that are in this blessed and happy state they have come to understand and know that these two things are true. The first is in Mosiah 3 17

17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

They understand and know that the only way to revive salvation is through Christ, the lord omnipotent and there is NO other name given nor any other way nor means where by we can gain salvation. Must be why we read so much in the scriptures "come unto Christ and be saved" The second thing that they understand and follow is in verse 19 of chapter 3

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

They know that the natural man is an enemy to God. They understand that they must yield to the enticings of the hold spirit, and become a saint through the atonement of Chirst, being as a child. Submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to ALL THINGS (even skin infections ha-ha) which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him. I personally know that as we put off the natural man, and keep the commandments of God that we will become a saint, because Christ has done everything to make that possible if we put forth our effort become what God wants us to be.

Love everyone,   Bbear

The preaching of the "word" had a "greater" tendency to lead people to do that which is just.

Hello again,
I find that its getting harder and harder to write since I feel like I
have already written about everything and that I am just repeating
myself so I guess I better force myself to write this letter before
something happens and I don't do it. Well I got transferred again to a
ward called Cantoments. We worship at the stake center that is next to
the Ghana temple, so my area is pretty much the center of Accra. Our
area is huge so it is going to take me some time to be able to figure
things out here. My companion is way tight his name is Elder Wicho, he
is from the same stake in Zimbabwe as Elder Mudenga my last companion.
Elder Wicho came in August with Elder Rich. The biggest problem with
this area is the airport is right in the middle and so we will be
teaching some one and a huge plane will fly over and make a lot of
noise and causes a big distraction for both me and Wicho and the
people we are teaching.
The Stakes here is Accra will be split this Sunday so this past
transfer they changed the zones. The zone that I’m in now is the
Christian Borg zone, and we have my old area Teshie, LA and Christian
Borg districts in the zone. A lot of change is happening here in Ghana
and it is truly a blessed land for the gospel.
Part of our study in the Book of Mormon has been focused on Alma 31:5
“And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead
the people to do that which was just--yea, it had had more powerful
effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else,
which had happened unto them--therefore Alma thought it was expedient
that they should try the virtue of the word of God."
In this chapter Alma goes on a mission to reclaim the apostate
Zoramites. The Zoramites are Nephites that have fallen away from the
church and are persecuting church members. Alma said in this scripture
that the preaching of the "word" had a "greater" tendency to lead
people to do that which is just.
In John 1:1 Christ refers to himself as the “word” so Alma found that
is was more powerful and effective on the minds of the people to teach
and preach unto them about Jesus Christ than by the sword. We have
been using this example in all of our missionary work. When our
companions are not doing what they’re suppose to are we to pull out
the sword and force them to do what is right or are we to pull out the
word and preach unto them the about Christ because he has a more
powerful effect upon the mind to do that which is just. With our
investigators when they don’t keep commitments to come to church or
whatever, we are quick to tell them they are wrong but we need to
continue to preach unto them the word, so that their minds and hearts
will be softened to come to church the next time.
President Boyd K Packer taught "True doctrine, understood, changes
attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will
improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve
behavior" as we teach people the word or teach them about Christ, and
they begin to accept his gospel you can immediately see in them a
desire to change. I have seen an old man by the name of Richard who
went to Denmark and drank and smoked for 30 years until one day the
doctrine of Christ and the teachings of Joseph Smith pierced his soul
and he accepted the word of wisdom to be from God which changed his
attitude and behavior towards drinking and smoking.
I have seen missionaries who have not liked mission life but who have
changed their attitudes as we studied the scriptures together and as
they have felt the spirit. The “word” had a more powerful effect on
them to change their attitudes and behavior than any other method of
persuasion could have.  I have seen them repent and change their life
so they were living more in accord with god.
It is Hollie’s birthday next Tuesday! I wrote her a letter but I lost
my stamps so I didn't send it yet! Ha-ha! Don’t worry I still love
you. I will try to borrow a stamp to send it to you so don’t send me
any stamps. I hope that you have a good birthday next week!
I love you so much!
Brady
P.S.  What Brady is not saying in his letter is that he is still
suffering each day with his skin problem and nothing seems to be
working to help him.  He is meeting with his mission President later
this week to discuss what should be done which may include coming
home.  This is something that Brady does not want to do.  He loves
Ghana and he loves the people and being a missionary.  Please remember
him in your prayers this week he wants to be healthy enough to finish
his mission.