Quayd's letters are much longer than this. I edit parts of them out each week. He blows me away, the way that he makes analogies to the gospel principles that he is teaching. Before he left, I figured we would be lucky to get three sentences a week. I even bribed him with the promise of a package for every fourth letter he sent. I'd forgotten that Quayd loves to write and he loves to teach the gospel. Put them together and we have very long letters! I love it. Thanks for your prayers and good thoughts in his behalf!
For every person... there is a time. For every purpose in life. There is a time. For every choice there is a time. Only god knows the time of all things. The mistakes and trials we face, it's all in his timing and He knows the fullfillment of our time. These are our times, where the gospel is fulfilled, where the church is restored,where the gathering of Israel has started. And why we don't know everything? The timing of our Heavenly Father or know the timing of things to happen when we make choices and when there is a consequence to every action, to every choice? Here's the reason. we don't and that's okay. That's why - he expects us to live.
Life means to live. To live for the right time, at the right time, living at the right place, living the life God has given you and doing the right thing. The savior died so we could live and not only live but live in righteousness, to live a fulfilling gospel-filled life. To live with faith with repentance, with the Holy Ghost to comfort us and to endure through those trials that Christ died for us so we could transcend the trials we face in this life.
Every drop of blood, every tear He wept, it was meant to be fulfilling. Even for us to overcome our struggles, our weaknesses, our trials and challenges or the endeavors of life. Whether it is losing a loved one, or seeing a family who you've come to love leave the gospel, or hearing a rejection that could change the life of someone or just things in life.
Agonizing pain or loss of a loved one, friend or family or even a pet. Or losing every opportunity you get or depression because of the things you had or can't receive in life because of weakness or anger and even regret. All that.... the Savior felt.
He died to fulfill the meaning of life and that is - simply to live it and find hope joy peace in the journey. Even when it's seems hard and you can’t endure, the Savior is there with his hand reaching out for you. It's just a matter of letting him lift you. How do you do that? by praying, by reading, by coming to church and feeling of his divine spirit. Even that promise, if we partake of his sacrifice or even his body of flesh and blood, His spirit would be with us.
But will we let him lift us from our burdens, trials and challenges, by reaching our hands out or are we going to continue to weep and feel lost and hopeless. I can testify that those who feel lost or hopeless, there is hope and there is joy, even true joy and you can find it in the gospel, or in the scriptures, even the Book of Mormon, that the prophet of the restoration and so many are willing to proclaim the truth, even if it means dying to seal that testimony. This book... the Book of Mormon, is true.
I had the chance to experience it with one of our investigators. We read the chapters of 3 Nephi 11-18, where the Savior came to visit the Americas.
Personally, I have never seen so many tears coming from someone searching for the truth. I have read the Book of Mormon, over and over again in my life and I have passed the chapter a thousand times and felt nothing to give me a conclusion that this truly did happen… Unless I see my wonderful mother crying, because that's when I know that we are feeling the spirit. When I look upon her eyes and see the tears shedding from her face, that's when we say, “Man, we are feeling the spirit!” haha Love you, Mom!
But, I got the chance to read it with our investigator and had the chance to take the time to look over it. It is a blessing, it teaches the words and phrases of the Book of Mormon and the message of faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance because of his atonement. The willingness to believe him and follow him through baptism, so we can emulate him and have his Holy Spirit to be with us and help us, so that we can persevere in life and have the tenacity to live in righteousness until the very end. It adds to my testimony. Elder Oaks said, “Read the Book of Mormon with the spirit, with sincerity and pray.” We cannot read it like we are reading a magazine or chapter book or cook book.
The scriptures or the words of god are to be looked upon with earnest desire, to be feasted upon until our spiritual bowels are full, which I consider an unending process. It’s not to just get through a task, so you can teach a lesson in Sunday school or in Seminary, just to say “Okay, I shared that scripture thought, now I can sit down.” But, when we take the time and think about it and apply it in our very own lives, that's when we feel the spirit and when we understand the impressions of the spirit! I have come to the conclusion that the Book of Mormon is true. I have. I know it's true!!!!
I'm so grateful for the chance to see the influence and power of the Book of Mormon and not only that, but seeing and witnessing the Holy Ghost testify in the very heart of a soul, testifying to the individual that it is true. Tears shed through honest eyes. The personification of a child of God within, wanting to radiate, wanting to burst out and testify with all the heart and faith and testifying, with all the joy in the meaning of the word, Hosanna! There is hope! This is a moment to treasure.
That hope is and has been, Jesus Christ, the Savior, redeemer, light, truth and way. That hope in his name is unimaginable and the chapters that we read explains that hope and the faith they had in the Messiah and the tears wept as they felt the prints on his hands and feet and side, tears of faith and understanding that he truly died for the sins pains and afflictions of the world. It's remarkable, a message, such as this and you can't find it, in any other book. unless it was instrumented by God. The Book of Mormon is true and I'm grateful to have witnessed that for myself again and I'm sure I shall witness it many more times in the years of my life.
Can you imagine what it would be like, if we didn't have this knowledge and isn't it incredible that we do have this knowledge!?!? that god still loves us. that the doctrine our father gives is guidance, peace and joy in our lives.
Never underestimate the power of this book. It changes lives. It changes hearts and I'm so greatful that Jackie knows the truth of it. It's opened my eyes a little as I hope it does for all those who are listening.
Anyway enough said of that.
I got the chance to learn a few things in zone confrence and guess who taught... PRESIDENT DIXON!!!!!! Yeah baby!!!!! Man, it was great stuff and the wisdom he shared was remarkable. I think it got the mission pumped a little... let's hope it did! so we can get a flame burning in the world of Redlands California. when I mean flame. I mean Holy Ghost and baptisms of fire!!!!
oh yeah got to love the heat!!!!! anyway here is some things I learned.
A vine what is so important about a vine? Well the way president Dixon explained it was in this way. It is Jesus Christ. He is the vine, the true vine. President Dixon was talking about how we need to live. He brought up Uncle Larry again and his talk of living and living in abundance, but he talked about how we need to seek nourishment from the vine to live and not die. If we disconnect ourselves from the vine, we end up falling and all the fruit we bear seems to wither away . Tresident Dixon said and I quote, "they'll turn into raisins instead of grapes".
So he said to Abide in the vine. That is the way of life, relying on the true vine, having that faith that that vine is going to carry us, as long as we are holding on and abiding. Abide means to live and Permanently connected ourselves in the doctrine of Christ. Because the gospel is all about the Savior and his atonement, we have faith in his atonement, right? And if we have faith then we are repentant. Because of his atonement which leads us to want to emulate and follow him, and we can do that by receiving the Holy Ghost to connect ourselves forever by enduring the storms of Satan. But, What if we are not abiding. Well, repentance is the opportunity to live to enjoy to be renourished by the spirit and to reattach ourselves to that true vine as we bare more fruit of righteousness.
The devil may say that there is no way to reconnect ourselves. This may be what he wants us to think and, being out on a mission, I've seen a lot of that. He may say, “ It's too big. There's no way you can make it back. You've fallen and you can't reconnect yourself, when you have already fallen.” Don't fall into that advice from the devil. There's always away back up and it's steps. It's faith and repentance. That's how we reconnect.
It's the gospel of Jesus Christ, the way, the only way!!!! There is no other way and if there is another and there is. It’s a path of madness. Satan wants us to think that it's impossible to live a life such as this... but I've seen the miracles of the gospel and abiding the precepts of Christ. Jasvinn told us Sunday that she would live the word of wisdom and give up coffee. She explained the struggle she had, but finally found a way to get away from that addiction.
She can feel the spirit more. She feels in control and she feels happier. I'm grateful she is soon to be baptized and that's the blessing of following the gospel and abiding in Christ that will come to her.
Another thing I want to share before I end this weekly report is this. I had the chance to visit Beaumont Ward!!!! I got to see a lot of familiar faces. My companion, Elder Allen left for endowments with one of his investigators in Fontana, a great couple I love that couple so much. I was happy for my companion to go and see them be sealed for all eternity. great stuff!!!! Anyway, I got to see Brother Byers and brother Daniels and most of the seniors in that ward.
After that, Elder Powell, my roommate, was driving to a members home and I noticed it was close to a family that I loved so much. I said to my roommates, “Are we going to the Goodman's!?!?!?” They thought it wouldn't be a bad idea. So we stopped by and that made my day! They answered the door and asked what we wanted... Elder Powell told them that Elder Corbridge was here and that I wanted to see them. I was a little anxious of the response. Would they be like “Elder Who???” Instead I got a different reaction, Brother Goodman happily said, “Bring him in!” Sister Goodman greeted me and I felt like I was back at home.
I love the Goodmans! They are a great family and seeing them again was a highlight! We talked for 35 minutes and had a great time! I was just grateful that they still remembered who I was and every time I see them, they ask, “Are you back in Beaumont Ward. I wish that was the case. I love the members of this ward but that's not the timing of my Heavenly Father. He needed me here in the Oak Valley ward. It's a great ward.
The members are awesome. I love this ward. There are 3 families that needed me at this time. I often wonder what would happen if I stayed in the Beaumont ward. Because I love that ward, but I'm grateful for the timing of God and being here to teach Jasvinn, her two boys and Jackie and her granddaughter and dale and Linda Winchell. These people are amazing and I can't wait to see them follow the Savior through Baptism! But seeing the Goodmans returning to Beaumont ward for a day... I must say was God’s timing.
After we left the Goodman’s, we had the impression to see another family that I had met, maybe three times. They’re less active but they have a great family and are making it back to reactivity. Anyway, we walked over to the house and usually irthee dog, Annie, usually would wobble over to us, but this time it was different. When we walked in their yard, I remember asking elder Powell if this was the house with the puppy. It was. I was excited to see their dog. We approached the door and my heart sunk. In the window, I saw Sister Tabor crying... I knew something was wrong. Brother Tabor greeted us in but his face was sunken with sadness. Sister Tabor asked if someone was alive. I was all but confused, but at the same time I knew something terrible must have happened. I saw their boy, maybe 13 years old, crying as well and then it hit me, there was no sign of the dog. No barking or the tail hitting us as she greeted us. And it hit me. Annie was gone.
Brother taber told us that she was hit by a truck flying 50 miles per hour. My eyes watered remembering the experience that took me weeks to get over, my own dog getting hit by a car, my friend and buddy. A dog I trained, slept with. My dog hat I lost days before my mission. I remember that exact same pain that Sister Taber was feeling and I wept for their dog that was hit because I knew how hard it was and is.
I had the impression to tell what happened to my dog, but I stood there shocked just envisioning the experience that took that sweet dog away. Their dog was maybe a year old and had so much more to live. Sometimes, we don't understand the timing of all things, but that's why we have to trust in God and Jesus Christ. We have to trust that he did feel our pain like this moment. A few minutes later she asked if it was her fault, if she didn't follow a prompting. She explained that if she would have just gone outside, none of it would have happened and her kids wouldn't have to witness that horrific sudden moment of the extinguishment of life leaving that dog.
That's when I knew it was time to bear my testimony because that day where I lost my best friend was the time to realize that there is a Plan. The night before I had a dream of losing my dog. It was a nightmare but it was just a dream. So, I thought. I had so many impressions to just play with my dog. Earlier that morning I told him to wake up and stop being lazy. Something about him was off that day and it was weird but I ignored him and decided to film or watch tv. My sisters decided to take him for a walk. I didn't even say goodbye or tell them to take the leash. I had never done so before, so why would it matter? But, I felt this unusual feeling After I was done showering, I felt that sudden pain. I got dressed started filming some more and then I heard the voices upstairs, pulsating,the words, “He's dead!”
I remember running up the stairs, tripping making it to the last step and seeing my sister with our black dog in her hands, his eyes barely open, but merely closed and I remember my heart sinking, as I wept tears and tears screaming and yelling and regretting the whole time, “Why I didn't follow the impressions that I had that day!” I told her about my sister carrying that dog that long half mile, pleading with all her heart to “Stay for your boy. Stay for your boy." But it was all too late. I remember her regretting taking him on a walk and not paying attention to him when he walked off the curb and thinking it was all her fault. She thought that I hated her because she lost my favorite dog, but It was my fault as well. I want to take the time and say thanks to my sister who carried that burden, rushing with that favorite dog of mine and pleading to make it home for that boy. That was not an easy thing to do. I never thought of it until that night, as I told Sister Taber my story and as I continued to cry. Then I had the impression to also testify that it wasn't her fault that for whatever reason it happened and it happened because of God’s timing. I told her the plan and told her that it would all be okay and that she would see her again, that Annie would be running instead of wobbling over.
I believe in God’s timing. I believe that for whatever reason, my time going on mission being about 8 months ago was the right time and I believe that I am at the right place at the right time, that being God’s time, and doing the right thing within this time of 2 years. I believe and know that President Dixon has called me to these three areas and that he was inspired to know what time I should serve these people of Fontana or Beaumont or Oak Valley. The people I've met, the experiences I've had and continue to see. it was the right time for me to reach them and share with a testimony that still grows in this time. I'm grateful for the gospel that was restored in these last days, our time. It's now up to us to live to that time and make the best of what time we have left.
Thank you again for your prayers. I hope all is well.
Love,
-Elder Corbridge
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