Elder Hayden Carroll: WEEK 81: Daily Bread

FEBRUARY 2, 2015

Hey everyone!

Great things are happening! I love the mission and feel incredibly privileged to be serving the Lord here in the Utah Salt Lake City Mission.

This past week, Elder Boyles and I had a great experience. A recent convert in one of our wards needed help picking up a food order from the Bishop's Storehouse. We offered to pick it up for him. I had never been a Bishop's Storehouse before. It was overwhelming and humbling experience, even though the food wasn't for us. This is the Church of Jesus Christ. I'm always surprised when I encounter individuals who say the Church "could use their money on much better things than they do, like helping people who actually need help." If those people would only go into a Bishop's Storehouse and see what I saw!! The Church is amazing when it comes to it's Humanitarian efforts. It simply amazes me! It was an experience that I will never forget.

Recently, I’ve been studying the importance of receiving our "Daily Bread" from the Lord. The Master once petitioned, “Give us day by day our daily bread." Remember CPR? Church, Pray, Read. If there's one thing that I can teach somebody that will help them come closer to Christ, it would be this.

A quote by Elder Bednar: “In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. …

“… Just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. ‘Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great’ (D&C 64:33).”

Talk on "Daily Bread" by Elder Christofferson. Read it if you have a minute!

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread by Elder D. Todd Christopherson

The little things MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. If we can't do the little things that the Lord asks us to do, then how can we ever expect him to trust us with the big things? The more the Lord can trust us, the happier we will be. Can the Lord trust you? Repentance is an amazing thing. I strive to apply the Atonement daily. If there is anything that we are doing that might lessen the Lord's trust in us, I invite us to repent, now. It's the only way! Christ paid the price already for our mistakes. It's up to us on whether we want to use that mercy that he has provided for us. Otherwise, the demands of justice must be satisfied.

The Gospel is an amazing thing, isn't it? So many things to learn. I know if we will commit ourselves to put the Lord and what He's asked us to do first in our lives, we will be so much better off. We will have a strong foundation built upon Christ (Hel. 5:12).

I was able to go on a companion exchange with an Elder in the Zone from Thailand. We had a fun and effective day together. He's only been speaking English for 6 months! Doing well though. We had a lesson with Liz and invited her to bear her testimony in church on Sunday. She did and was awesome!! We also asked her if she could and would prepare herself to be baptized on Feb. 21st. She is shooting for that date. So excited for her!