WEEK 101 - Blessed Are They that Have not Seen, and yet Have Believed"

Mom,

I think it is so unfair that you guys are vacationing on the beach in Cape Cod, while I am bound to my white shirt and tie trying to endure the intense Utah heat!  Actually, I think it's a good thing I'm not with you because if I was, I would be parading my missionary tan (including tan lines above the elbows, neck and pasty white legs), which is not too attractive.  I hope you have a blast while you are there.

Besides us trying to survive this incredible heat, Elder Bland and I are trying to accomplish great goals.  In order to end our missions on a 'high note', we agreed that we had to step it up, just a little.  With the Lord, we want to baptize two more individuals.  That being said, as that as our focus, the Lord, out of nowhere, provided two new investigators for us.  We both viewed that as a tender mercy from heaven and acted immediately.  What I mean by 'acted' is that we helped them understand that showing faith, repenting, submitting to baptism, receiving the holy ghost, and enduring to the end were not only good things but necessary if they wanted to return to Heaven.  What is amazing is that, without us ever trying to convince them that these were the right things to do, they willingly agreed to and accepted baptism dates!  Their story reminds me of when Alma the younger taught the people who were kicked out of the synagogues because of their poverty.  Alma assured them that," blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words,  blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know before they will believe" (see Alma 32:16).  Also, the Savior confirmed those words when he said,"blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (see John 20:29).  I guess the point these super inspired men are trying to get across is that blessed are they who have faith and trust in the Lord and, "lean not into their own understanding" (see Proverbs 3:5).  

This week has been very inspirational for me.  As I have studied more closely the principle of grace, my eyes have been opened.  For the longest time I have misinterpreted this scripture 2 Nephi 25:23.  I thought that as a result of us working our hardest Christ would make up the rest.  Although that is partially true, the full truth is that Christ is with us the whole way.  He doesn't just wait patiently and then step in at the last moment.  Why would he when he told us to be, "anxiously engaged in a good cause... and bring to pass much righteousness" (see D&C 58:27).  If we think of the Savior as a person who just steps in at the last moment, we fail to keep our baptism covenants which obliges us to remember him always (see D&C 20: 77-79).  Also, I think that when Nephi says "after all we can do", he is not referring to you and I, but to the Savior and us. Through our covenants, we can truly access his strenghth and perfection.  Grace is not the end reward given to those who try their best, but it is given to them during the process of doing their best. 

Thanks for all the support. I love you tons.

Elder Jonathan Kaufman

Below: Picture of Elder Bland and Kaufman with some relatives of Elder Bland during a dinner appointment on July 26 2010 in Farmington.