If the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing…
Dear Elders and Sisters;
It was so wonderful to be with you in Zone Conference last week and I appreciate your kind, sweet sustaining love and support. Sister Clark, the Assistants, and I truly hope what we shared was and will be a blessing to you in your lives as individuals, as set apart missionaries/servants of the Lord here in the CFM, and as companionships. I felt we were truly blessed by an outpouring of the spirit as we were taught to better focus by the Assistants, to be industrious and make sure we don't drop the ball by Sister Clark, and what will we give and give up to assist Heavenly Father's children as they travel their "Road to Jericho". We also hope you enjoyed our Christmas Gift and noted that the most important part of our offering hopefully pointed you to the Savior, who is "The Gift".
There is a wonderful account in the Old Testament of Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria (2 Kings 5). "...he was a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper". His army had captured a "little maid" from Israel who "waited on Naaman's wife." Although captive, she cared for Naaman and his wife and lamented to his wife that she knew the "Prophet that is in Samaria...[could] recover [Naaman] of his leprosy.
"But the King of Syria being confused as to who a prophet was, sent a "letter unto the King of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
"And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
"And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and sad, 'Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy?"
Well, Elisha the true prophet heard of this and bid the king to send Naaman to him to be healed saying: "Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in the Israel."
"So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
"And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, 'Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean'.
"But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, 'Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
"....And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, 'My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean?'
"Then he went down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."
A Prophet of God has asked us to do some small things which, when combined together, will yield a great miracle. Each and every one of them is very simple, not a great thing in and of itself. So when you consider each and everything you've been asked to do, like get up on time and exercise, conduct personal and companion and language studies and begin them on time, offer prayer for the mission at 7:55, keep a model home, a clean car, be clean yourself, and Find, Teach, Baptize, and Rescue, consider that each one is a small thing but that it will yield great blessings. The Lord or Prophet will not themselves "come out to [us], and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover His people." He sends us to do simple things that His people may be recovered as a result. Each thing we do, each rule or commandment we obey, in and of itself is simple and when combined together will allow the Lord to "recover" His people here in the CFM and "make their hearts as one" with His.
I would ask that you give serious consideration to all the small and simple things you've been asked to do to be Exactly Obedient as we seek the miracle of the "Strength of 1,000" in the CFM. I know He will bless us to the extent we will let Him. I know He is trying to give us the best deal we will allow Him to as a result of our obedience. And I know we can do it. He has not asked us to "do some great thing" but rather a lot of very simple things that will yield a great blessing - the Recovery of His children in the CFM.
I know as each of you give more and give up more "burying your weapons of rebellion", the Lord will bless this Mission with the righteous desires of our hearts.
All my love, prayers, and blessings,
President Clark
It was so wonderful to be with you in Zone Conference last week and I appreciate your kind, sweet sustaining love and support. Sister Clark, the Assistants, and I truly hope what we shared was and will be a blessing to you in your lives as individuals, as set apart missionaries/servants of the Lord here in the CFM, and as companionships. I felt we were truly blessed by an outpouring of the spirit as we were taught to better focus by the Assistants, to be industrious and make sure we don't drop the ball by Sister Clark, and what will we give and give up to assist Heavenly Father's children as they travel their "Road to Jericho". We also hope you enjoyed our Christmas Gift and noted that the most important part of our offering hopefully pointed you to the Savior, who is "The Gift".
There is a wonderful account in the Old Testament of Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria (2 Kings 5). "...he was a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper". His army had captured a "little maid" from Israel who "waited on Naaman's wife." Although captive, she cared for Naaman and his wife and lamented to his wife that she knew the "Prophet that is in Samaria...[could] recover [Naaman] of his leprosy.
"But the King of Syria being confused as to who a prophet was, sent a "letter unto the King of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
"And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
"And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and sad, 'Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy?"
Well, Elisha the true prophet heard of this and bid the king to send Naaman to him to be healed saying: "Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in the Israel."
"So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
"And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, 'Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean'.
"But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, 'Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
"....And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, 'My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean?'
"Then he went down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."
A Prophet of God has asked us to do some small things which, when combined together, will yield a great miracle. Each and every one of them is very simple, not a great thing in and of itself. So when you consider each and everything you've been asked to do, like get up on time and exercise, conduct personal and companion and language studies and begin them on time, offer prayer for the mission at 7:55, keep a model home, a clean car, be clean yourself, and Find, Teach, Baptize, and Rescue, consider that each one is a small thing but that it will yield great blessings. The Lord or Prophet will not themselves "come out to [us], and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover His people." He sends us to do simple things that His people may be recovered as a result. Each thing we do, each rule or commandment we obey, in and of itself is simple and when combined together will allow the Lord to "recover" His people here in the CFM and "make their hearts as one" with His.
I would ask that you give serious consideration to all the small and simple things you've been asked to do to be Exactly Obedient as we seek the miracle of the "Strength of 1,000" in the CFM. I know He will bless us to the extent we will let Him. I know He is trying to give us the best deal we will allow Him to as a result of our obedience. And I know we can do it. He has not asked us to "do some great thing" but rather a lot of very simple things that will yield a great blessing - the Recovery of His children in the CFM.
I know as each of you give more and give up more "burying your weapons of rebellion", the Lord will bless this Mission with the righteous desires of our hearts.
All my love, prayers, and blessings,
President Clark
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