Fwd: May 21

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Seraphin Decker <seraphin.decker@myldsmail.net>
Date: May 23, 2016 at 1:49:32 PM PDT
To: Robin Decker <robinlynnd@gmail.com>, D Decker <7halcon@gmail.com>
Subject: May 21

Hi family and friends ! 

Thanks for all the birthday wishes ! It means a lot to know that I have so many people that think about me. I pray that God blesses each an every one of you. 

My birthday was chill. I actually forgot it was my birthday...ha my companion put a reminder on the phone that reminded me. Oh and I got a dunk on my birthday so that's always good :D 

I haven't done anything special but I found out that there's gonna be a surprise party for me hahaha so I'm excited for that of course because there's gonna be a lot of food I'm hoping. 

I'm lucky to have had 2 birthdays on the mission. It's different because you spend your day thinking about everyone besides yourself ha. I love it though. 

The transfer ends this week and I'm thinking I'm gonna be transfered to my last area. I hope I get transfered because Salvador is not the business (sometimes) (It's babylon :/ ) 

anywayssss this week I was reading in D&C and there was something that really caught my attention. In verse 16 Christ says that men walk in their own ways, and in the image of their own God. And Joseph Fielding Smith explains that that doesnt necessarily mean literally kneeling down before an image and praying to an idol but it's simply what we do act and say. A lot of us worship false idols and walk in the image of our own god. Maybe it's sports, movies, sex, drugs. This isn't church doctrine but to me, when God gave this commandment to Moses to have no other God before our Heavenly Father, besides the blessings that we can't receive for having another god, I think God just wants us to show our love for Him. I imagine sometimes how it must be to be God. Day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, literally EVERYTHING SINGLE THING he does is to simply make a person happy. And 9 times out of 10 receives zero love in return because of our lack of faith or obedience. I couldn't imagine the excrutiating heartbreak that He has when He sees His children worship other gods. And we might say, "Well it's hard.." It is. But if we want the same things that Christ has (exaltation, and eternal family, etc...) Let's remind ourselves what He did to get where He is. So if your thought is, "Well I was born this way, I can't change." Then you have one more reason to repent. We're not rocks, and if we can't change then Christ's sacrifice was in vain. But I testify that it was not in vain. That God loves His children with an unmeasurable, unconditional love that will never end. So my message for today is the same as it always is...Love God, and see His glory in your life. I promise that nothing can bring a man more joy than to love God and feel His love in return. Like Alma said: "There can nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."

God bless you all.

--

Élder Serph Alain Decker

        Missão Brasil Salvador 

A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos

            Dos Ultimos Dias