Happy Mother's Day!

Hello my dear friends and family!  I am truly humbled and in awe of this week. My heart and soul burn with a desire to share and spread this great gospel! This was another week of seeing and experiencing the Lords hand of miracles! I testify that He is ever present in our lives. As we live pure and holy lives, we can draw nearer to God each and everyday!

Yesterday was Mothers Day and it was a rich blessing to speak to the family, and my brother Tanner for the last time before he heads out on his mission in July! I am so excited for him, he will change the world.

 I hope all of you mothers had a great Mothers Day, it was a powerful day for me! It's amazing to see families from all walks of life, those we teach and those we meet, and the impact of a loving mother in their lives! 

Yesterday in Sacrament Meeting I felt that I was going to bear my testimony. It wasn't testimony meeting so I thought it was quite odd. Sure enough I got a text from a member of the Bishopric off the stand, “You will bear your testimony in five minutes.” I was asked to share my love for my mother, and my testimony of the gospel. As I sat in that meeting an experience came to mind that I wish to share. It was in the middle of winter last year and I was serving in the Tiger Mountain Ward. My companion and I had biked up a steep mountain hill for a few miles, to reach a few homes that stood at the crest of a mountain, overlooking the valley. On the way down, my bikes brakes had worn completely through. By the time I noticed I was headed down the mountain at full speed. I hit a big turn, I was leaning as far to the side as I could, but to no avail, I was headed straight for a cliff. I pleaded with God that he would spare my life, or just spare me from missing a few of the trees on the way down. As I headed toward the edge, all of the sudden I felt a force carry me to the center of that road, slow me down, and guide me to the bottom. The following Monday my mother shared with me the following account. “Elder Aiken, I had the oddest experience. I was home from work on Wednesday, and was resting on the couch. I heard a voice yell "Mom!" I got up and looked around and couldn’t see any of the boys, thinking one of the boys might have come home early from school. I again sat down, and again heard a little louder "Mom!" But there was no one there. I then felt impressed to kneel and pray for you and your safety.” My dear Brothers and Sisters, that time I know my life was spared, there could have been no way to survive such a fall. Mothers seem to have an extra sensitivity to the spirit, and for that I am eternally grateful. Grateful for a righteous mother listening to the spirit. There is a power in a mother's prayer. This morning we received a call that a woman needed a blessing in the local hospital. We rushed over and gave this woman a blessing, while she was in labor! You woman are wonderful, and will forever pray for you and the pain you endure! Mothers are great.

        Two weeks ago we were running from person to person in one of our apartment complexes, and ran to talk to a man taking out the garbage. He said “I am busy. We are just moving in, but stop by later if you want.” This week we showed up for our appointment, and we took him on a church tour. Greg said, “Let me tell you why I have showed up here at the church today. I am here to investigate your church. I have heard great things about this church. I was in a different religion for many years but no longer find that to be true. I want to be a Christian. I want to be the example for my family, my wife, my kids ,and my grandkids. I am struggling right now and want to find the truth.” We had such a powerful lesson with this man, I will never forget the feeling in that chapel. As he entered he said, “I feel clean, I want to feel clean in my life!” 

         Is there a greater blessing our dear Father has given us? Our brothers and sisters are perishing in unbelief and pain all around us. Are we not all from the same Father? Might we once have befriended these souls prior to entering this earthly existence? Do we not owe all to that God who gave us life? We can lend a helping hand to that Shepherd who is looking for the “ninety and nine” who cries over them and yearns for their joy. Each of us, prior coming to the earth, were spirits with God! We learned and grew. In that place we were only able to grow to a certain extent and had to leave our Fathers presence, to be able to gain experience. After the fall of Adam and Eve, we became an “enemy to God” and “we will be forever and ever, unless we yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord…” 

         We are here to put off “the natural man”!! We are here to follow the whisperings of the spirit and change our lives so that we might be purified through the Atonement of Christ. In that true happiness lies. In that will we be prepared to meet God and receive the rich blessings he has in store for the righteous. Greg is the example of this! He has realized in his life that he needs to change and that he wants to change. A few days later we went back to teach Greg.  As we entered I asked how he was and if he had been busy. He replied, “yes I have been pretty busy! I have been recruiting people for you to teach. You have an appointment with my neighbor on Monday at 7:30, here is the address.” Everytime we go by he seems to have more souls for us to teach.

         This leads me to the topic I wish to end on today. The importance of spreading this glad gospel. Here in my new area there are MANY people from the Islands. Such faithful people. I have yet to meet one of them that is Atheist. They are a people filled with love and void of doubts. I have pondered for the past few weeks of these people and their willingness to share the gospel. My eyes water as I look at how inept I am, how weak I am. These people love without end and will serve to no end. 

         My dear friends and family the world needs us to rise up. God needs us to rise up! We need to rise up and fight off the natural man! For in this time of turmoil and grief we must not falter, rather be pillars of righteousness and truth. All morals are decaying! Satan and his challenges are rampant. How we must help our Brothers and Sisters come to know God's plan for them! The worlds “path” looks enticing and fun! But it will fail them, and they will “wander, hungry, and helpless, and cold..”! We must be like Moroni during a similar time in his day, in which he raised this title of liberty, “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, our peace, our wives, and our children.” Which he then fastened to a pole and waved to all the world. It's easy for our mouths to proclaim that we love this Gospel, and that we love God. But do our hearts turn to our Father, and yearn to answer his call to rescue His sheep? I know that we can all make a great change in this decaying world. We can bring joy and happiness to these souls! We have nothing to fear! God is with us and before us. This is the truth. I testify to each of you that God's love for us is ever reaching. It knows no bounds! He lives and has sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem us when we fall short. This is the Lord's work, for He watches us by night and cries for us to come home. I love you all! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!      

Love,

Elder Aiken