The cause of the children of men ( Week 24 in Olomouc, Week 59 in Czech )

Hey Everyone,

The title of today's letter comes from Moroni 7:28 which reads,

"wherefore he [Christ] advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens"
I chose this today because of some insights the Lord has blessed me with during my reading of the book of Mormon recently. In Alma 12-13 as well as 37-42, Alma discusses many many many deep and powerful doctrines, the ones being most meaningful to me at the moment revolving around missionary work. These doctrines clearly illustrate that the most important thing that anyone could be engaged in is the instruction of his fellow men with regards to the plan of redemption and salvation as enabled through Jesus Christ. I say that knowing full well that it is a serious claim, but let's discuss it for a moment.

Last week, a 19 year old mongolian boy named PJ was guided to us. He read the bible when he was younger but forgot what he learned and instead turned to drugs, alcohol, and other poor choices to find happiness. One day, he woke up and looked up at the sun streaming through his window. He then looked around at the mess his life was in, drugs and bottles and stuff laying around his room, and it hit him: Jesus wouldn't want me to live like this. His belief in the existence of a redeemer changed his life from that point on. When he met with us, we duscussed the Savior, the Book of Mormon and the testimony it brings us of him, and the Restoration. PJ is preparing for a baptism set for July right now. Since then, he has started learning of the gospel, of repentance and forgiveness, of the plan of salvation, and it's changing his life. Imagine, then, if the millions of PJs around the world had a chance to hear this message. President Ezra Taft Benson made a powerful statement once, saying that, “The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.” Wouldn't it be amazing if every person had a chance to act according to this message? There is no better way to solve marriage problems, to solve hunger problems, to solve poverty problems. There is no better way to inspire and motivate a brother or a sister to become something greater.

In connection with missionary work, these concepts take a powerful shape. Christ called Apostles anciently and today, councils of 70 and Elders to direct the work as far as we have written records, probably further. These men were charged with the same call: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19) In light of this call to serve, I'd like to suggest that these men on earth, the Savior, and our Heavenly Father are all engaged in the same work, the work of "[bringing] about the immortality and eternal life of men." (Moses 1:39) The cause of the children of men is this work, the work of instructing and supporting others as they orient their lives with our Heavenly Father's life, and the blessings of the gospel in both temporal and spiritual dimensions are the blessings that all righteous hearts desire. How many times do the book of mormon prophets testify, "If you keep the commandments of God you shall prosper?" I've lost count, but it's enough to make a firm image of the importance of that principle.

I'm so incredibly grateful to the Lord for the blessing to serve a mission in the Czech Republic. When I first received my call, I was rather busy, distracted, and frankly dissillusioned with having to wait 3 months for the final answer. In the first part of my mission, I felt like I'd been thrown into deep water and had to make it to try land 100 miles away (Kind of hard to imagine that distance nowadays, everything is in kilometers...). Since learning these things and learning more about what it means to strengthen faith, to repent of my mistakes (repentance is more than just "what blatant sins have I committed this week" and then saying sorry, but the broken heart and contrite spirit aspect is just as important), and to live to keep my covenants. Living the Gospel brings the greatest satisfaction and happiness, and the blessings you see because of your efforts are priceless.

Last sunday, Daniel Šebek came to church in Olomouc unexpectedly. For those of you just joining us, Daniel was a man Elder Smith and I found in August just before transfers after a long, hot, and wet transfer. We were pretty sad and disappointed. We taught Daniel twice, and left Ostrava. He was baptized within a month, has the melchizedek priesthood, received his patriarchal blessing, and is now serving in ward callings in Ostrava. The thought fills me with incredible joy! Renata Blomberg was baptized a year ago next Sunday with Tomaš Koutný, and she's now in the relief society presidency. The gospel has made a difference in their lives, and is now making a difference in the lives of others around them. I think that's just a tiny fraction of what is meant by "the cause" of the children of men.

Hope this wasn't too much of an Epistle this week, we're nearing in on the last 3 weeks of the transfer at the moment, so I'll probably be here until around the 21st and then I'll be going elsewhere. This week we're heading to Brno and next week we'll be going out to Ostrava, however I'm not sure which day yet.

I can tell you all that the difference in the work is the Spirit of the Lord. He makes the work roll forward, and when we let Him take over our lives, when we surrender our will for His, that is when the windows of heaven open brilliantly and our lives are changed in remarkable and beautiful ways.

Keep reading in the Book of Mormon, keep pushing forward in your own lives, and live the way you want to live right now, today. Don't make excuses, but choose to be happy, obedient, and to follow the spirit. Live your life so the spirit is with you and envelops you always, you have a right to it! And then go out and do what you know the Lord would have you do. I love you all, I'm glad to hear from you when I can, and I'm looking forward to sharing a few minutes again next week to share the miracles we're seeing and performing every day to keep the work rolling along, but faster and faster.

Starší Brent Anderson

A pro ty, kteří neumí anglicky, chci, abyste věděli ode mne, že Já vím, že Kristus žije, a vede tuto církev i její členy, že skrze Něho můžeme najít pravdivou radost, vizi, a smysl, a že ta nejdůležitější věc je žít tak, jak by si přál On, v souladu s Jeho přikázáními. A také mám vás všechny moc rád.