The Importance of Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost

     Hey Everyone!

    I wanted to share some things that I have studied this week in one of my classes.

    So, I am still going to school here in good old Rexburg, Idaho! I'm taking a New Testament class this semester and so far it's been pretty incredible. I studied the Old Testament over the year in 2020 and I decided to continue my gospel study with the New Testament going into 2021. I have grown to love the Bible and the things that it teaches.

    One of the things that stood out to me this week in my gospel studies is baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. In Acts 19, Paul teaches some new converts about receiving the Holy Ghost after baptism. This has also made me reflect on the things that I learned on my mission.

    I've been home from my mission in Saint George, Utah for a little over 3 years now. As a missionary, our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by teaching them the restored gospel and eventually leading them to the ordinance of baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Even though that is our purpose as missionaries, we weren't always successful at it.

    For the majority of my mission, I did not see the fruits of my labors. I would serve in different cities across Southern Utah and many of the people that I visited and taught did not accept what was taught to them. Not only that, but if they did get baptized, I wasn't able to attend. This was very hard because it happened for almost the entirety of my mission.

    Even though this happened, I still felt like I did my best to touch their lives, even if it was only planting seeds and making small impressions. I still felt like what I was doing was super important even if people were not getting baptized. So, my message today is don't overlook the small things in life. Baptism and the Holy Ghost are super important but every little step taken towards that is just as important.