9/10/12

Dear Mom and Dad
Yes, even on my mission I am still sucking up! I am grateful that you keep praying for me and I am grateful for everyone else in our town!  It's pretty much the greatest place in the world.

Everything here is going good.  Just getting ready to head out on the 18th!  I am starting to get N-E-R-V-O-U-S! But also very excited.  we have been teaching a lot, so I feel scared to death because i have no time to study.  Even when I do have time, they make us do something else!

I have been pondering the Economy of Heaven;  this too has meaning concerning "The Word" and "preaching" the word.  A teacher here at the MTC explained the Economy this way; "The more we focus on others, the more we learn about ourselves".  This principle is not only applied into preaching "the Word", but, I would argue, more importantly studying the Word.  For it is easy to study for oneself and salvation and to bring ones own soul to God (D&C 18:15).  But how can we preach without the knowledge of ones needs?  We must follow the admonition of Paul to the Philippians.  Paul says that he can do all things because he knows them.  He can preach to the needs of others because he has been instructed to know them (Phil. 4:11-14).  How did Alma preach? To the needs of the people (Alma 32).  How did he teach these things?  He had known the things he taught.  Elder Kopischke said "We can only teach the things we know" So, how can we teach the word to the people if we know not the needs of those we teach? How did the righteous Nephite armies defeat the enemies that are the Lamanites?  They knew their enemy.  Many references for this, I most recently found one one in Mosiah 10:7, Helaman 6:37, notice where the preaching starts, "Among the more wicked part of them" the Lamanites had been these more wicked parts, henceforth they could teach to their needs.  If you keep reading (As I know you have) the Nephites began to become totally overrun by this wickedness because they used to be righteous.  Both God and Satan start where they know they can hit you the most. 

So how does this fit into the Economy of Heaven?  The more each of these examples knew the needs of whom they teach, the more they could study out their plans in their minds.  This planning lead to further "self revelation" and helped these brethren grow.  Look at Alma the elder.  First a priest so he knew the needs of others.  Next in preparation to be a Prophet, studying for those needs of others.  Finally Alma was a Prophet of God, Fulfilling his needs through serving others.  I hope my words and thoughts shed new light.

I close and express my thanks and let you know how much I love you.  I think I can do this no better than Christ and His words.  John 5:19-20.  Thank you.

Love,
Elder Hamblin