Be thankful; Be charitable

Matt amazes me.

Well, well.  I'm here to report that obedience week was excellent and then pretty bad.  We definitely saw miracles the first part of the week and then Satan started attacking hard.  I'm sorry to say that we gave in to the depression the last half of the week.  We had some good experiences yesterday and we are pumped up to do it again.  The thing that I have realized is, that Jesus Christ knows what it feels like to be rejected by everybody he loved.  He knows what it is like to be utterly alone.  Heavenly Father even withdrew his spirit in his most agonizing, most lonely moment so that our Savior knew EXACTLY how we feel when we are alone.  He did that so that we can reach to him and find comfort in his embrace.  The atonement of Christ is no imaginary concept that man has come up with to encourage and inspire himself to do better and to comfort himself.  The atonement of Christ is a real power that, if applied correctly, can alter lives and change our very nature.  It can fill any hole, can repair any hurt, with the pure love of God.  Not only that, it will make you want to shout from the rooftops that Jesus Christ is the savior and God of all the Universe.  It will be a fire that cannot be quenched.  You will never be satisfied until you let everybody in the world know what you know and have them feel what you feel.  According to Jeffrey R. Holland, this is what it feels like to be an Apostle of the Lord.  As this season comes, it is not enough to pray and be thankful to our savior for what he has done for us.  We have an obligation to share that love that we feel from the savior.  That is the true way to thank our Heavenly Father.  I challenge each of you to engage yourselves in acts of charity and I can promise you that you will find more joy than you have ever had in your life as you help your brothers and sisters come to the knowledge of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  I love each of you with everything I have.  I want every one of you to feel the love that the savior feels for each of his brothers and sisters.  We will not be able to experience that until we are able to share our love with others as he did.  Have that fire burning in your bones.  Pray for charity as Mormon directs.  I can promise you that God will give it to you as you act in faith and try to walk in our savior's footsteps.
-Elder Blakemore