High commitment religion #32

 Hi everyone,

Loved hearing from many of you last week, reach out if you haven't! I'd love to hear from ya! 

This past week we put 2 friends on date for baptism, found 2 more investigators, and had 6 member meals. 

As Sacrament meeting started this week, someone shouted "Bateman, we need a translator". I look and our translators were gone. Literally my worst nightmare  it was probably the worst translating in the history of translating but I did my best.

Spiritual thought - high commitment religion (conversation I had with Elder Smith on exchange)

Our church requires a lot. Full participation requires sacrifice of time, effort, and worldly things. 

Some churches beleive if we lower the expectation, church participation becomes more attractive.

To me, I've always admired high commitment faith. To my knowledge there's no other church that sends 10s of thousands of young kids to learn new languages, establish church branches, and spread the good news. 

In high school I admired the Greek orthodox kids who attended morning seminary, I admired the Muslim kids who fasted during Ramadan, and us LDS kids who didn't smoke, drink, and would visit the widowed each Sunday. 

I think God smiles everytime his children endure discomfort, hardship, and pain to serve one another. 

Living a religious life is meaningful precisely because it is diffcult and done out of love. 

I beleive in a God who loves us so much, he wants us to experiance the joy of sacrifice. 

God loves you. He lives. 

If you don't feel it; feed someone who's hungry, cloth someone who's cold, comfort someone who's grieving, or love someone who's lonely. 

You'll feel something, I promise

Elder Bateman 

(Little guy below is our little brother 'Oscar', he calls everyday to hang our and get a lesson)