Temperance and Repentance

Hey Everyone,
Well another week is down! And what a week! I still dont know if im going to be in the next transfer, ill probably find out tonight or tomorrow. I really dont know if i will because i havent been here very long, but who knows. I was also so happy when i got 4 letters! I got a Christmas card from Jay Sill, Nicole, a letter from Quinn and from Mom! It was awesome! Thank you so much for them! I wanted to answer your questiion Mom about 'temperance', so ill probably do that more at the end of this email. But my week went very good! It was super busy and we had a couple problems in the district that i dont think i am allowed to tell you all about so theyll have to wait, but know we're all doing good! Elder Nyuiadzi and i have been super busy and this next week is only going to be more crazy. Tomorrow we have a district meeting in the morning and a zone meeting with the President in the evening. Wednesday we have a couple meetings with the bishopric and the ward council. Thursday, im going to be doing baptismal insterviews for my district, and Friday the zone leaders will come and interview all our candidates. Saturday morning we have the baptism and in the evening we have an activity that Elder Nyuiadzi and I planned for 4 wards... and thats not including if theres a transfer somewhere in there. But it will all go good. When Im super busy like that, its when the missionary work gets really interesting.
But today for the spiritual thought I wanted to talk about a little more serious subject, repentance. How many of you are "in the gall of bitterness", "encircled about by the everlasting chains of death"(Alma 36:18)? How many of you experience the "pains of hell"(Alma 36:13), "racked with eternal torment" (Alma 36:12) or "inexpressible horror" (Alma 36:14) of the judgement day? How many of you have thought "i'll repent tomorrow", "i'll see the bishop when i know i can stop", "just one more time", "ive already messed up", or "what will everyone think"? I want to tell anyone who might have felt any of these things that there is relief. And not just relief but a joy beyond what you can imagine (Alma 36:21). I want to extend
the invitation to shake off the "old man of sin"(Ephesians 4:22,24; Col. 3:9-10) and become a "new creature in Christ" (2 Cor. 5:17). Be "changed from your carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming His son or daughter...thus becoming a new creature" (Mosiah 27:25). I promise you that when you do the Lord will give you a "new heart" or "new spirit" (1 Samuel 10:9; Ezek. 36:26) and you will be "turned into a another man" (1 Samuel 10:6). I want to testify how literal there scriptures are. I can testify that there is a literal change that occurs when one truely seeks repentance through proper authority. I
promise each one of you that there is no sin that you have committed that cannot be forgiven of. If Alma the younger or the sons of Mosiah, who were the worst of worst, or Paul who was the "chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15) could repent , what makes you think you cant? Do not be trapped by that awful lie of Satan that tries to make you feel that the blood that Christ spilt wasnt for you. Instead of saying "i'll repent tomorrow" , say tomorrow's too late. "just one more time" vs. enough is enough. "ive already messed up" vs. I can be made perfect. Dont think, what will everyone think, but instead, "what does Heavenly Father think"? "Let not your heart be troubled!" (John 14:27) Experience what Alma felt when he says "my soul was pained no more" (Mosiah 27:29). Experience the saving and healing powers of the atonement. It is more literal and powerful than you can imagine. I know that Satan works through fear. Dont be afraid, take care of things. I promise that "sin never was happiness" (Alma 41:10). We may recieve short time satisfaction or pleasure, but regret and pain ALWAYS follows. I know that our Savior was sent to this Earth to pay the price and make up for what we can't. I am personally thankful for His tender love and mercy. I know He loves me.
It is amazing to see peoples lives change. You can literally see the change in people. I am so grateful for my mission and being able to help people get closer to their Savior. I dont mean to just send abunch of spiritual thoughts but heres some of my thoughts of temperance.
'What is temperance and why does the Lord want us to be temperate'? The first thing of when i thought of the word 'temperance' was patience, but more. I then broke the word apart and thought of other similar words, such as: 'temper' (how easily or slowly we anger), 'tempermental' (how easily our moods change), 'temperate' (as in the weather; being mild, not having extremes, or changing often). I think it is interesting how they all have a pattern.
In the first lesson, we teach 'how to pray' but also 'how to recognize our answers to our prayers'. While teaching this principle we teach the traits or 'fruits of the Spirit' (in Gal. 5:22-23) which temprance is one of them. In the famous missionary section in D&C 4, temperance is one of the necessary/qualifying traits to become a servant in this 'great and marvelous work'.
As all other principles in the gospel there are several meanings we can give one single word. But to me, temperance has two great meanings. #1. Temperance is being submissive to long suffering while being patient, accepting God's time schedual. And #2. It also means you are self controlled, being able to no use things excessively. (the two meanings really arent that different)
I love what Peter says in 2 Peter 1:5-6 "...and virtue knowledge; and knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness..." Patience is an important element of temperance. I love what Preach My Gospel said about patience, "Patience is related to hope and
faith- you must wait for the Lords promised blessings to be fulfilled...When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully". (That reminded me of the 'tempered glass' that you mentioned in the letter.) But to me being temperate is a step further. Being temperate, you are able to control your emotions, thoughts, and actions. In 1 Cor. 9:25 it says "every man that striveth for the (self)mastery is temperate..." Being temperate is being self mastered of self controlled. It is being able to "briddle our passions". Not be excessive, whether it be with even excercise, work, etc. God never said that money was bad, but He warns us to use it wisely or with moderation. Of course food is
an essential to live, but people can excessively abuse it. I think D&C 59:20 explains it well: "it pleaseth God that He hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, WITH JUDGEMENT NOT TO EXCESS, NEITHER BY EXTORTION". It may also mean to control our attitudes even in the hardest situations, still retaining hope and faith.
I am so thankful for the example of our Savior. Being 'temperate' is truely a Christ-like attribute. He showed His entire life how to be submissive and patient. I think the comparison of Christ and Paul are interresting. Just after Christ suffered more than anyone can fathum in the garden, He was brutaly beaten while He was being trailed before Annas (John 18:19-23). He took every blow with love, not even thinking a single negative thought about those who struck Him, unlike Paul, after being hit screamed "God shall smite thee thou whited wall!"(Acts 23:3). As Christ suffered on the cross, He never gave into the screaming cries 'if thou be the Christ, save yourself'. He always had His thoughts not on Himself but on an eternal prospective. He fasted for almost 2 months and truely mastered His mortal side.
Being on my mission I have tried to have temperance in many different ways. I have learned to control my thoughts and to have my desires be the same as the Lords. I have learned to forget myself and care for others. Ive learned to be temperate with spending my money, using my time, water, other resources, and many other things. I have learned how to be patient, even while being alone and sick, accepting Gods time. I am thankful for all the Christ like attributes. I love what Preach My Gospel says: "Christ-like attributes are gifts from God. They come as you use your agency righteously. Ask you Heavenly Father to bless you with these attributes; you cannot develop them without His help. With a desire to please God,
recognize your weakness and be willing and anxious to improve". May we each have the desire and follow this council is my prayer, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Elder Cameron Jay Legere