18 Months in the Big Apple: Obedience-The First Law of Heaven

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Obedience-The First Law of Heaven

Zones 4 & 5 of our mission met yesterday for yet another Zone Conference. We have the opportunity to attend these meeting once every 6 weeks. We always serve lunch and will only do this two more times before we go home. Our mission is going so fast!
I've already mentioned, obedience was the theme for this conference. As missionaries we invite people to experience the blessings that come from keeping God's commandments. We first teach that God is our loving Heavenly Father and He wants us to find happiness in our lives. Years ago we took a wonderful quote that President Benson said and shortened it so that our family could learn and use it. "When obedience becomes a quest, rather than an irritant, then you will have real power." We have challenged our students to put this to the test. Our family knows how true this principle is. As missionaries, it's a blessing to obey. We are so happy we have much to do. President Bennion challenged us to find a family. In Preach My Gospel it says, "Strive to find and teach families- a father, mother and children- who can support one another in living the gospel and eventually be sealed as a family unit by restored priesthood authority." We have been working to meet this goal and we want to obey. Thanks to our family and friends. We love your calls, letters, and all of your support. We feel your prayers. Pray for our Astoria family that the Lord is preparing, please. We are hoping we may have already found them!

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“Service is the virtue that has distinguished the great of all times and which they will be remembered by. It places a mark of nobility upon its disciples. It is the dividing line which separates the two great groups of the world–those who lift and those who lean, those who contribute and those who only consume. How much better it is to give than to receive. Service in any form is comely and beautiful. To give encouragement, to impart sympathy, to show interest, to banish fear, to build self-confidence and awaken hope in the heart of others, in short–to love them and to show it –is to render the most precious service.”

Bryant S. Hinckley

January 10, 2008 we arrived in Queens, New York. We are currently serving as full-time missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We were called to serve in the New York, New York South Mission. It is a special and unique assignment. Serving here is like teaching all nations, with missionaries who teach in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Russian and American Sign Language. Nearly 10 million people live within our mission, representing 112 nationalities. We are blessed to be serving along side the most incredible missionaries in the world! We love President and Sister Bennion who have been cherished friends since he was the president of Ricks College. We are happy to be serving the Lord and living on Steinway Street in Astoria.
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History of the New York, New York South Mission

Long before our mission was organized, Elder Parley P. Pratt was the first missionary in this dispensation to preach the Gospel in New York City and Long Island.
This mission has significant historic roots. It is the heart of the former Eastern States Mission which was established in 1839.
That mission, headquartered in Brooklyn, enjoys the distinction of being the second oldest mission of the Church, behind the British Mission.
The Eastern States Mission consisted of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and West Virginia in 1948. Since that time, many changes have been made in the boundries of the mission.
The name of the mission was changed from the Eastern States Mission to the New York New York Mission in 1974. At that time the mission included the following areas: New York State as far as Poughkeepsie, the entire state of Connecticut, a small part of Massachusetts, as well as part of New Jersey and the island of Bermuda. The mission boundaries were once again changed in 1976 excluding Massachusetts and all of the state of Connecticut, with the exception of Fairfield County.
In 1987, after another boundary change was made, the New York New York Mission consisted of the five boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island), Long Island, New York State north to Poughkeepsie, a portion of Connecticut and the island of Bermuda.
The mission was divided once again in 1993. The New York New York South Mission encompasses the New York City boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, as well as the New York counties of Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island. It also includes the small British Island of Bermuda in the Atlantic.