Fear not!

This past week I had the opportunity to share with our zone of missionaries a message with the topic "Fear not". 

I started with asking the cute sisters in my zone what they're fearing and they said: Fear of not knowing what to say, fear of going home from your mission with regrets, fear of being bold, fear of losing the people you learn to love, fear of talking to people,  fear of Brussels sprouts, fear of disappointing your parents, fear of asking people to be baptized, fear of not progressing, fear of not being all that God wants you to be, fear of not strengthening your testimony as much as you could, fear of getting people on date and then losing them. 

I was able to open up with these fears and tell them that it is okay to fear. There are so many examples from the scriptures of people being afraid and angels coming to comfort them. 

I used the New Testament for examples from the scriptures of "fear not":

🔸Joseph and Mary were espoused to be married and Joseph found out that his fiancé was pregnant by someone other than him. An angel appeared to Joseph and said, "fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 1:20)

🔸When Mary Magdalene went 3 days after Jesus' death to anoint his body she couldn't find his body in the tomb. An angel came and told her, "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified." (Matthew 28:5)

🔸Zacharias and Elisabeth were old and had never had a child. As Zacharias went to the temple to perform the labors of being a priest an angel appeared to him and said, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John." (Luke 1:13)

🔸One of the greatest stories ever told was the birth of Jesus. There were shepards that were told of His birth by an angel that said, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)

🔸when the apostles were called they were fearful to leave their nets, they feared leaving what they knew and what they loved, Jesus told them, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." (Luke 5:10)

🔸In Revelation John quotes Jesus saying, "Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen." (Revelation 1:17-18)

I then was able to share on of my favorite stories from the New Testament which is Jesus washing His apostles feet. 

-John 13:

"5 After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen"

We truly are not alone in this life. Especially after the past couple of weeks I have realized that Heavenly Father is so aware of each of us and the struggles, trials, and situations that we are in. He has suffered us to go through these things because he loves us. We came to earth to become like God and we surely cannot do that unless we are out through things that make us grow and develop and become perfect even as our Father who is in Heaven is perfect. I love this gospel and I love being a missionary. May we each develop faith greater than our fears. 

Dam**n got baptized!!