Foust in Fort Worth: September 2012

Monday, September 24, 2012

The best time of year

It's finally starting to hint that it may be getting cooler, which is awesome. The last couple weeks have been a lot cooler than before, so that is good. But the last couple days have still been about 90. But, I may not see another triple digit day the rest of my time in Texas. That's a weird thought. But the best thing about the cooler weather is that more people are out and we can talk to them easier now.

This week was really good. We are working really hard to find, teach, and baptize. We are starting to see more people that are interested, and that are willing to do a little bit. Now we are just working on helping them be willing to do a lot.

We found a new part member family this week. They met with missionaries before, and she learned something that concerned her, but she never told them what it was, they had no idea that there was a concern really. So they just kept teaching and it never went anywhere. She eventually told them that they are probably not doing much good there and should go work with someone else. We went over there not knowing all the details, but were able to sit down, and as we taught the spirit worked on her and after telling us that she was fine where she was and everything, she finally blurted out her concern, and it was obvious that she is not only not fine with where she was, but really she was worried about eternity. She had a friend tell her that she was going to hell and things like that, so we taught about the Atonement. She felt the spirit a lot, and now she is very willing to have us back.

We had a couple people drop us, and Gus (who has still been in and out of the hospital) told us that his sister told him to stop meeting with us. So he doesn't really want us to go by his house anymore. But he still wants to come to church. So hopefully we will be able to teach him there and eventually he'll decide he's ready to be baptized.

Yesterday in the YSA branch the pianist was out of town, so they asked

me to play for sacrament meeting. Luckily they asked a week ago so I was able to figure out what I wanted to play. It was fun to get to play up there, but it is weird to play with people singing along.

Today is a really busy p-day, so I will have to end it here. I love y'all!

--Elder Braxton C Foust-

Monday, September 17, 2012

Insanity

This week has been insane. It has rocked, we have gotten a lot of work done. Elder Border is exactly what I needed to get pumped up and what this area needs to get into shape. Our work styles are a lot more compatible than Elder Moore's and mine, and so we work really well together.

We have been doing a lot of tracting, and we are finding that people are still about the same receptiveness as before, but we teach better together, so more gets done. Yesterday we met a lady who lived in Idaho most of her life, so she thought she knew all about the church, and had some common concerns, but as we taught the Restoration, things were explained to her in a way that made a lot more sense and she committed to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. One of her concerns was one I have heard a lot, but it is one that I never really understood the root of the issue. Behind every concern there is some point(s) of doctrine that are not understood. As we talked with her, I realized what the Doctrine is behind this concern. The concern is "Mormons believe that Christ and Satan are brothers." I realized something though. When people have this concern, it is because they believe that Christ is the Father, or in other words, they believe in the Trinitarian view of 3 in 1. One in being, which is completely false. The implications of this false belief, when tied to our understanding of the premortal existence implies that Satan is the Brother of our Father in Heaven. But when you understand that we are all spirit children of our Father in Heaven, and that Christ is NOT the Father, but his son, a separate being, and then you realize that we were all together as our Father's children, and that Satan rebelled, it is no longer this big scary thing. The Bible calls Satan a Fallen Angel. He was a spiritual son of God, but did not keep his first estate (meaning he did not accept our Father's plan to come to earth and receive a body and use agency.) As we resolved her concern, a lot of barriers were removed. I love the fullness of the gospel, because it makes so much sense.

Another great thing about transfers is that like I said last week we have three new missionaries. One of them is named Elder Weaver, he is from Kaysville and graduated from Davis High this spring. He was in Dean and DeAnn's stake, I know that because he asked if I was related to Landon Foust and said he was in his stake. It was fun to talk to him and try to find people that we both know, but we have very different types of people we hung around, he doesn't know Jaden either. But as soon as he saw me he said "Yup, I know I've seen you before." Jaden, you should ask Sam Barlow about this kid.

Have you ever heard about the Texas State Fair? They always deep fry tons of stuff there, and they have new things they do each year. This year one is Deep-Fried-Bacon-Wrapped-Cinnamon-Rolls. I want to try one. Unfortunately the fair is out of my area.

Elder Border is a really cool guy. He is from Ogden. He played basketball in high school. He went to Fremont and Ben Lomon (idk how you spell that). He also played basketball at Dawson Community College in Montana, and then came on his mission. He is my second 6'6" companion (the first being Elder Pipher). We have fun together. We even got in a bash the other day and we rocked it :) not that i look for those, but when they come, sometimes you have to put these "Christians" in their place. It has made me love the Bible more though, and I have really gained a testimony of the Bible being out here.

Well, I need to wrap it up, I love y'all! Have a great week!

--Elder Braxton C Foust-

Monday, September 10, 2012

The tenth day of the ninth month in the year of our lord, two thousand and twelve

What is significant about 9/10/12? well, simply put, it's today. Which makes it a good day. In fact, it makes it a great day. Also, as I was typing this i was just reminded that tomorrow is 9-11. I heard Courtesy of the Red White and Blue the other day, which is what I often think about whenever I hear about terrorism, 9-11, or other things that have to do with our Liberty, Justice, and Freedom. This is America. One thing Texas has done for me is help me be more patriotic. There is no place in the world like America. Land of the Free, Home of the Brave. I am going to have a "come and take it" flag in my room when I get home, cause that's how I feel about America. Just try to bring us down. Nobody can. Nobody, except for us that is. In the world we live in, where morals and ethics are decaying around us, we are bringing about our own demise. Sodom and Gomorrah may be forming around us. Babylon the Great is building up again. We need to keep the commandments of the Lord and eliminate these cities, and instead build Zion around us. (if you don't understand what those are, read the Old Testament, and the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon. All of them explain those.) We need to keep the commandments so that we can prosper in the land. We need a place to start right? So let's start with these. Living the Law of Chastity, Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, and Living the Law's of Tithing and Fasting. If these three laws are kept, the rest fall into place, and we can experience Zion around us. That's why the City of Enoch was translated. That's why the people in the Book of Mormon were righteous and had no poor among them for 200 years after Christ came. These simple laws were kept.

Anyway, that was a random tangent that all came from me having no idea what to put in the subject line. Funny how those kinds of things happen.

Transfers are this week. Elder Moore is leaving me, he is going to Hurst North to be with his MTC companion, Elder Jansen (who replaced me in Denton 3 months ago). My new companion's name is Elder Border. I have no idea where he is from, or really anything about him, other than he is tall and plays basketball. Maybe he'll be able to teach me how to actually shoot right. One of the wards in our zone is closing, that's the ward that Elder Johnson (from DHS) was in, he is going to Arlington to be a ZL with his trainer, Elder Ford (who was in the MTC with me). And a ward that has had a senior couple in it for a long time is getting a set of elders in it now instead. I'm really excited for this companionship, because one of them is a New Missionary (missionaries are not supposed to use the word Greenie), fresh from the MTC. And his trainer is Elder Warburton. I am stoked to have him nearby again. (if any of you don't remember, Elder Warburton is my trainer too). This will be his third "son," so I will have another brother in the mission now. Our zone is actually going to have 3 New Missionaries in it, so it will be fun. I am way excited for this coming transfer.

Last Friday morning we spent a few hours at the Keller's home doing service. They were putting in Dog Runs and needed help with the big gas powered Auger. The thing about it though is that Texas dirt is not exactly friendly. There was about two or three inches of dirt, and then we hit solid clay. But we got 8 holes dug and 8 posts set, it was fun. Then we used the chainsaw to trim a big tree. It was a lot of fun. Afterwards he fed us Elk and Deer steaks for lunch, he bow hunts all the time. They are actually going this weekend, and he said if he gets one he'll give us some filets. I'm excited for that. They gave us a bunch of tenderized deer steaks that we took home and Chicken Fried, they were delicious. I'm glad Texas has shown me what a real chicken fried steak is. It is good stuff.

Well, time is short today, so this will be a shorter email. I love y'all! Have a great week!

--Elder Braxton C Foust--

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Faith, Hope, Charity, and Love qualify him for the work

Developing the Christ like Attributes is not the easiest thing to do, as with every blessing from our Father in Heaven they require effort. They require a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Christ in order to develop. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a talk once where he talked about Faith, Hope, and Charity being three legs of a stool. They are all dependent on each other, and without all three, one's foundation cannot stand. So how do we exercise these attributes and develop them. We have to do things that we would do if we had them. It is a cycle. As we do things that develop faith, our faith grows. As our faith grows, we do things that develop our faith. It applies to the others as well, to all Christ like Attributes. It is not possible to change your nature without changing your behavior. It is impossible to live the Spirit of the Law without living the Letter of the Law. It is impossible to be a good person without doing good things. It is impossible to be a follower of Christ without following Christ. It makes sense.

So it is impossible to BE something without DOING the things that they do. But is it possible to DO something without BEING that? yes. A missionary can work hard because they know it is what they are supposed to do, but that is the end of their reason, they are not BEcoming the missionary, or the child of God, they have potential of being. The same goes with any of us in any situation. If we are doing things without our heart in it, whether it be doing those things grudgingly, or if we do them passively, we are missing out on opportunities for growth. DOing without BEing is hypocrisy. Saying you are something without Doing it is deceiving others and yourself.

So why do I bring this up? I don't know. But it is still true.

We had a lot of times to develop love this week. each time we sacrifice something for someone else we see blessings. For example, three nights in the past 8 days have been given up so we can travel to far parts of the zone to do baptismal interviews for the District Leaders. Is it worth it to lose proselyting time for that? of course! That is 5 people entering the waters of baptism, performed by the priesthood authority, and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost so they can progress further in this life. Once those of these who are male receive the priesthood, they have authority greater than any pastor, preacher, evangelist, or any other religious figure in the world. They have the authority to perform the ordinance of baptism for others. How incredible is that? How awesome is that? God loves us, so he has provided a way for us to be happy, to follow him, and to receive all of his blessings. And he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so just as in days of old, he is orderly. He is organized. Not just anyone can hold this authority, but everyone may, if they will simply follow Christ and be baptized by one who holds the authority.

This past Friday was Zone Leader Council. It was an amazing meeting, as always. We had great trainings on how to develop our faith, how to help missionaries in the zones that are struggling, and how to teach more effectively. Afterwards we were able to find a jumpsuit for one of those 5 people i talked about a second ago. We needed a 5XL suit, and fort worth had one, so we got it on the way back to Weatherford. It was still too small for the guy, but he got into it. When we got back to Weatherford we saw the Keller Family again. we had a great lesson on the Plan of Salvation, and we are going to do service over there on Friday morning. We have had some very busy days, and they are only going to get busier. This Saturday we get transfer information, so 'll let y'all know on Monday if Elder Moore or I go anywhere.

This was a weird email, sorry about that. I love y'all, Have a great week and find someone for the missionaries to teach :)

--Elder Braxton C Foust--

Be of Good Cheer

Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith. My dear brothers and sisters, I express my love to you. I am humbled by the responsibility to address you, and yet I am grateful for the opportunity to do so. Since last we met together in a general conference six months ago, there have been continuing signs that circumstances in the world aren’t necessarily as we would wish. The global economy, which six months ago appeared to be sagging, seems to have taken a nosedive, and for many weeks now the financial outlook has been somewhat grim. In addition, the moral footings of society continue to slip, while those who attempt to safeguard those footings are often ridiculed and, at times, picketed and persecuted. Wars, natural disasters, and personal misfortunes continue to occur. It would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future—or even fearful of what might come—if we allowed ourselves to dwell only on that which is wrong in the world and in our lives. Today, however, I’d like us to turn our thoughts and our attitudes away from the troubles around us and to focus instead on our blessings as members of the Church. The Apostle Paul declared, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 1 None of us makes it through this life without problems and challenges—and sometimes tragedies and misfortunes. After all, in large part we are here to learn and grow from such events in our lives. We know that there are times when we will suffer, when we will grieve, and when we will be saddened. However, we are told, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” 2 How might we have joy in our lives, despite all that we may face? Again from the scriptures: “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.” 3 The history of the Church in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, is replete with the experiences of those who have struggled and yet who have remained steadfast and of good cheer as they have made the gospel of Jesus Christ the center of their lives. This attitude is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. It will not remove our troubles from us but rather will enable us to face our challenges, to meet them head on, and to emerge victorious. Too numerous to mention are the examples of all the individuals who have faced difficult circumstances and yet who have persevered and prevailed because their faith in the gospel and in the Savior has given them the strength they have needed. This morning, however, I’d like to share with you three such examples. First, from my own family, I mention a touching experience that has always been an inspiration to me. My maternal great-grandparents Gibson and Cecelia Sharp Condie lived in Clackmannan, Scotland. Their families were engaged in coal mining. They were at peace with the world, surrounded by relatives and friends, and were housed in fairly comfortable quarters in a land they loved. Then they listened to the message of the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, to the depths of their very souls, were converted. They heard the call to gather to Zion and knew they must answer that call. Sometime around 1848, they sold their possessions and prepared for the hazardous voyage across the mighty Atlantic Ocean. With five small children, they boarded a sailing vessel, all their worldly possessions in one tiny trunk. They traveled 3,000 miles (4,800 km) across the waters—eight long, weary weeks on a treacherous sea, watching and waiting, with poor food, poor water, and no help beyond the length and breadth of that small ship. In the midst of this soul-trying situation, one of their young sons became ill. There were no doctors, no stores at which they might purchase medicine to ease his suffering. They watched, they prayed, they waited, and they wept as day by day his condition deteriorated. When his eyes were at last closed in death, their hearts were torn asunder. To add to their grief, the laws of the sea must be obeyed. Wrapped in a canvas weighed down with iron, the little body was consigned to a watery grave. As they sailed away, only those parents knew the crushing blow dealt to wounded hearts. 4 However, with a faith born of their deep conviction of the truth and their love of the Lord, Gibson and Cecelia held on. They were comforted by the words of the Lord: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” 5 How grateful I am for ancestors who had the faith to leave hearth and home and to journey to Zion, who made sacrifices I can scarcely imagine. I thank my Heavenly Father for the example of faith, of courage, and of determination Gibson and Cecelia Sharp Condie provide for me and for all their posterity. I introduce next a gentle, faith-filled man who epitomized the peace and joy which the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring into one’s life. Late one evening on a Pacific isle, a small boat slipped silently to its berth at the crude pier. Two Polynesian women helped Meli Mulipola from the boat and guided him to the well-worn pathway leading to the village road. The women marveled at the bright stars, which twinkled in the midnight sky. The moonlight guided them along their way. However, Meli Mulipola could not appreciate these delights of nature—the moon, the stars, the sky—for he was blind. Brother Mulipola’s vision had been normal until a fateful day when, while working on a pineapple plantation, light turned suddenly to darkness and day became perpetual night. He was depressed and despondent until he learned the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His life was brought into compliance with the teachings of the Church, and he once again felt hope and joy. Brother Mulipola and his loved ones had made a long voyage, having learned that one who held the priesthood of God was visiting among the islands of the Pacific. He sought a blessing, and it was my privilege, along with another who held the Melchizedek Priesthood, to provide that blessing to him. As we finished, I noted that tears were streaming from his sightless eyes, coursing down his brown cheeks and tumbling finally upon his native dress. He dropped to his knees and prayed: “O God, Thou knowest I am blind. Thy servants have blessed me that my sight might return. Whether in Thy wisdom I see light or whether I see darkness all the days of my life, I will be eternally grateful for the truth of Thy gospel, which I now see and which provides the light of my life.” He rose to his feet and, smiling, thanked us for providing the blessing. He then disappeared into the still of the night. Silently he came; silently he departed. But his presence I shall never forget. I reflected upon the message of the Master: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” 6 My brothers and sisters, each of us has that light in his or her life. We are not left to walk alone, no matter how dark our pathway. I love the words penned by M. Louise Haskins: And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown!” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than [a] light and safer than a known way.” 7 The setting for my final example of one who persevered and ultimately prevailed, despite overwhelmingly difficult circumstances, begins in East Prussia following World War II. In about March 1946, less than a year after the end of the war, Ezra Taft Benson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, accompanied by Frederick W. Babbel, was assigned a special postwar tour of Europe for the express purpose of meeting with the Saints, assessing their needs, and providing assistance to them. Elder Benson and Brother Babbel later recounted, from a testimony they heard, the experience of a Church member who found herself in an area no longer controlled by the government under which she had resided. She and her husband had lived an idyllic life in East Prussia. Then had come the second great world war within their lifetimes. Her beloved young husband was killed during the final days of the frightful battles in their homeland, leaving her alone to care for their four children. The occupying forces determined that the Germans in East Prussia must go to Western Germany to seek a new home. The woman was German, and so it was necessary for her to go. The journey was over a thousand miles (1,600 km), and she had no way to accomplish it but on foot. She was allowed to take only such bare necessities as she could load into her small wooden-wheeled wagon. Besides her children and these meager possessions, she took with her a strong faith in God and in the gospel as revealed to the latter-day prophet Joseph Smith. She and the children began the journey in late summer. Having neither food nor money among her few possessions, she was forced to gather a daily subsistence from the fields and forests along the way. She was constantly faced with dangers from panic-stricken refugees and plundering troops. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks to months, the temperatures dropped below freezing. Each day, she stumbled over the frozen ground, her smallest child—a baby—in her arms. Her three other children struggled along behind her, with the oldest—seven years old—pulling the tiny wooden wagon containing their belongings. Ragged and torn burlap was wrapped around their feet, providing the only protection for them, since their shoes had long since disintegrated. Their thin, tattered jackets covered their thin, tattered clothing, providing their only protection against the cold. Soon the snows came, and the days and nights became a nightmare. In the evenings she and the children would try to find some kind of shelter—a barn or a shed—and would huddle together for warmth, with a few thin blankets from the wagon on top of them. She constantly struggled to force from her mind overwhelming fears that they would perish before reaching their destination. And then one morning the unthinkable happened. As she awakened, she felt a chill in her heart. The tiny form of her three-year-old daughter was cold and still, and she realized that death had claimed the child. Though overwhelmed with grief, she knew that she must take the other children and travel on. First, however, she used the only implement she had—a tablespoon—to dig a grave in the frozen ground for her tiny, precious child. Death, however, was to be her companion again and again on the journey. Her seven-year-old son died, either from starvation or from freezing or both. Again her only shovel was the tablespoon, and again she dug hour after hour to lay his mortal remains gently into the earth. Next, her five-year-old son died, and again she used her tablespoon as a shovel. Her despair was all consuming. She had only her tiny baby daughter left, and the poor thing was failing. Finally, as she was reaching the end of her journey, the baby died in her arms. The spoon was gone now, so hour after hour she dug a grave in the frozen earth with her bare fingers. Her grief became unbearable. How could she possibly be kneeling in the snow at the graveside of her last child? She had lost her husband and all her children. She had given up her earthly goods, her home, and even her homeland. In this moment of overwhelming sorrow and complete bewilderment, she felt her heart would literally break. In despair she contemplated how she might end her own life, as so many of her fellow countrymen were doing. How easy it would be to jump off a nearby bridge, she thought, or to throw herself in front of an oncoming train. And then, as these thoughts assailed her, something within her said, “Get down on your knees and pray.” She ignored the prompting until she could resist it no longer. She knelt and prayed more fervently than she had in her entire life: “Dear Heavenly Father, I do not know how I can go on. I have nothing left—except my faith in Thee. I feel, Father, amidst the desolation of my soul, an overwhelming gratitude for the atoning sacrifice of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. I cannot express adequately my love for Him. I know that because He suffered and died, I shall live again with my family; that because He broke the chains of death, I shall see my children again and will have the joy of raising them. Though I do not at this moment wish to live, I will do so, that we may be reunited as a family and return—together—to Thee.” When she finally reached her destination of Karlsruhe, Germany, she was emaciated. Brother Babbel said that her face was a purple-gray, her eyes red and swollen, her joints protruding. She was literally in the advanced stages of starvation. In a Church meeting shortly thereafter, she bore a glorious testimony, stating that of all the ailing people in her saddened land, she was one of the happiest because she knew that God lived, that Jesus is the Christ, and that He died and was resurrected so that we might live again. She testified that she knew if she continued faithful and true to the end, she would be reunited with those she had lost and would be saved in the celestial kingdom of God. 8 From the holy scriptures we read, “Behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in [Him], they who have endured the crosses of the world, … they shall inherit the kingdom of God, … and their joy shall be full forever.” 9 I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith. I declare that God lives and that He hears and answers our prayers. His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and our Redeemer. Heaven’s blessings await us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.