You're faith was strong but you needed proof, you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you.‏

Good Morning my beloved Family!

Well, This week has been another good but slow week. Things are still going forward, but things have slowed down since week 1. We have had three different investigators drop us, and we have no idea why. And we are having a really hard time geting second ,lessons with people we teach. They only people that will consistently let us in are the ones that enjoy visits, but won't commit to anything. And because they won't commit, they can't repent, and can't progress. It is sad to see people not follow Christ, especially those who think they are. I say think, because they really aren't. There is more to following Christ than to "accept him in your heart." It doesn't work like that. but they don't get it.

That is, except for Gus. He is really starting to see changes. He has more hope than he has before, and he loves the church. He came again yesterday and he bore his testimony in sacrament. The only sad part is we missed it because we were doing something in the other ward we cover, because they overlap. But it was good, because now the ward has really gotten to see and hear him and everyone loves him. We're hopefully going to set a baptismal date with him for the end of the month, as long as the surgery recovery goes well when it happens (it got pushed back). But it's ok because it is helping him rely on the lord and giving him time to get other things in order.

Elder Moore and I are getting a long great. He is a really cool guy. Last night we were talking about... I don't even know what at first, but anyway, it eventually got to something about Marching Band at one point. I told him something about how band works, because I figured he didn't know, he's a cross country runner, and doesn't have any musical background. But then said "you probably won’t believe this, but I did marching band my freshman year. I went to Grand Nationals in Illinois."  "....."

Yeah. What a jerk. haha, anyway, it's cool. He does know about band, because not only was he in it, he got to see the best of the best. He saw L.D. Bell win it that year. They are a high school from Colleyville TX (where the mission home is). It is right by Trinity High school, for anyone who follows high school football, since you'll know who they are. Anyway, now I want to serve in Colleyville this fall so I can conveniently walk past the rehearsal and see a school that wins grand nationals a lot. That would be cool.

Elder Moore is awesome though. He is a very hard worker and knows very well how to do missionary work. He is really good at talking with everyone, and inviting everyone to come to church, which is something I have not been very good at, so I am doing better at that now. We have a lot of fun and do a lot of good work together.

Last week we had Zone Leader Council, and it was an awesome meeting. President Sagers talked about King David. We read several passages from the Old Testament and looked for leadership applications to us. One of the big things I noticed was that David's downward spiral began shortly after defeating Goliath. When he killed the lion and the bear, there was no pride there, just a knowledge that God had delivered him. That testimony is what caused his preparation and success in dealing with Goliath. He faced what should have been his demise with confidence because "there is a God in Israel." The problem was shortly after the battle was over.

1 Samuel 18:6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

So David's head gets big. He gets prideful. He sees all the things that he has done, the tens of thousands that he has slain. he forgets what he told Goliath before, "there is a God in Israel."

David becomes a Man of War, and become prideful. Then we get to 2 Samuel 11: 1 "And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem." The Leader stays behind, he doesn't go to do his duty. We don't necessarily know why, but we know that he did it. And we know that this is where the slip downhill becomes a slide downhill, that gets faster and faster. He gets up at night, sees a woman bathing, calls her in and since he's the king, she goes, he gets her pregnant, tries to cover his sin, puts her husband in a situation to die, and spends the rest of his life trying to fully repent, but loses his exaltation. It all happened so fast.

So what can we learn from this? The most applicable one I can think of is that little sins lead to big sins. You can't sin if you keep busy with productive things. But idleness leads to sin. Pride leads to sin. If we forget the Lord's hand in all things, we are lost and won't be found until remember it.

So how does this apply to us? What are you doing with your time? Are you playing when you should be working? Are you keeping the Sabbath Day holy? Are you providing for the needs of those you have stewardship over? Or are you slacking? Are you letting someone else pull more weight, just because they are willing and you would rather be doing something "more fun?" Are you fulfilling your callings, your assignments, and your family responsibilities? If not, fix it. 

2 Nephi 1:21 "And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity" 

or as Jeffrey R. Holland said it "Bretheren, Step Up."

or as Mrs. King at Davis High School Said it "Pull yourself up by the bootstraps"
or as Texas says it "Cowboy Up."

I'm not talking about grace. I'm not talking about waiting for someone else to do it for you. The time to act is now. Get up, get going, and do your duty. These are all actions, and they are really as simple as Nike. "Just do it." If you think "I can't," you're fooling yourself. If you think "I don't want to," at least your honest, but you're still lazy. Just fix it.

Well, that was a rant I wasn't expecting to go on, but it was a good one. As always, if it made you feel guilty, or angry, or anything like that, good. Man up and take it. And fix it. Guilt comes from God, Anger comes from Satan trying to hide your guilt. Either way, you need to change. And if you don't feel like there is anything you can do to change, 1 of two things are happening, either your about to be translated, or you're not humble enough for the spirit to teach at the moment. let's face it, if you think it's the first, then it is definitely an even more severe case of the latter.

Ok, now that I ranted a little bit more, It is time for me to wrap it up. The church is true. There is no other church with all  of the truth. No matter where you look, this is the only true one. So be a follower of Christ, and come into the fullness of the Gospel.

I love you! Have a good week!

--Elder Braxton C Foust--