Sister Mary-Ashley Esplin: Come Unto Christ: A Missionary Musical Tribute

Bonjour! It is me! Sister Esplin, BACK AGAIN!! I know you missed me ;) To quote phantom of the opera: “Remember me, once in a while; Please promise me you’ll tryyyyyyy!!” This week was a great week, but then again most weeks are in the Arkansas Little Rock Mission. In Arkadelphia, specifically. This week was so much fun, as well! Missionary work is so HARD. But whoever said that missionary work can’t be fun is crazy! We have had some awesome success stories this week and shared some fantastic experiences.

Our Monday night dinner is now pretty much every week with the Johnstuns. Shout out to them!! We love when people feed us :) Not only because we don’t have to spend money on food and Sister Black gets a break from eating my food experiments, but because we get to know the members and help assist and guide them in their missionary efforts. FEED THE MISSIONARIES!!! DO IT!

On Thursday we went and had a lesson with a member who actually WAS actively trying to become a member of the seventh Day Adventist church, but they kicked her out. We have been visiting with her and she said we could start teaching her ‘the missionary lessons’. (Side note, I phrased it like that and now she thinks she is taking lessons to become a missionary which she is VERY excited about. She is kind of right). We had lesson one with her and, oh my goodness, the spirit was strong she just kept saying that things made sense and that she felt like a light bulb was going on in her head. She just loved the restoration. It was such a great lesson!!!

We were also able to teach another member the first lesson this week (side note, as their visiting teachers we are supposed to be teaching them the lessons. That is why we have a lot of lessons with just members). Well, as we taught her, we had quite an interesting experience. Everytime that sister Black talked she LOVED it. Every. Single. Time. I opened my mouth. She FELL ASLEEP!!! Oh my goodness. What in the world?! But it is okay, we ended our wonderful lesson with her singing a song about squirrels getting nuts for Christmas. I really don’t know what is happening with her. 🤷‍♀️

On Friday we were able to volunteer at the rehab center’s Halloween party. It was great, except we were all FREEZING!! ❄️ On the bright side, we were able to see some investigators there and talk to them so it was so so awesome! Just that week we were discussing as to whether or not we should keep serving at the rehab center, but then we had some great missionary moments and we felt like that this was our signal to continue serving in this capacity.

On Saturday we had our awesome branch Halloween party!!! It was so much fun and we were able to talk to a lot of members that we have been trying to get a hold of, but they have been NOT ANSWERING THEIR: (pick one of the above) phones, doors, Facebook messages, car door. I’m kidding about the last one. But we were able to talk to a lot of them, and guess what!? They came to church yesterday!!! YAYAY!!

Okay, last thing! We had our musical devotional yesterday, “Come Unto Christ: A missionary Musical Tribute”, and it was so good!!! Oh my goodness. I loved it. I definitely cried a lot. We sang in the choir and sang wonderful songs like Joseph Smith’s First Prayer, As Sisters in Zion/We’ll Bring The World His Truth, Called to Serve, and Amazing Grace-My Chains Are Gone. It was so so beautiful. The spirit was so strong and I truly know that what President Hansen has told us about the three things that bring the spirit is true. It is Sacred music, testimony, and doctrine. That is what our performance was. Missionaries bore their testimonies, the stake president spoke and taught everyone core doctrine, and we sang sacred music. It was so delightful. I wish I could be a part of another devotional.

As I was reading in the Book of Mormon this week, I loved the things that I learned! In Alma 36:14 Alma shared, “So great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.” Then in verses 17-22 he shared:

17 “And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.”

Turning to christ is the only way we can overcome our sins. As you compare verse 14 to verse 22, isn’t it amazing that in verse 22 Alma’s feelings changed from “the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with with inexpressible horror” to “my soul did long to be there (with God)”. The atonement helps us to approach God’s throne with confidence. Alma was a great sinner, but through Christ and His atonement, Alma became a changed man who desired to be with God. ALL OF US, no matter our circumstances can have that desire to be with God. If we have unworthiness or sin, all we need to do is repent and turn to Jesus Christ. He can help us through everything. He has suffered for us and he always has his arms outstretched for us.

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I love His gospel. I love the Book of Mormon and I know that it is the word of God. I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers and knows who we are. I know that through Jesus Christ we can overcome the sins that we make and we can become even better and truly become disciples of Christ and be instruments in His hands. When Alma repented, God didn’t hold back in utilizing Alma simply because Alma had sinned in the past. Instead, God put him to work and He used him for good. We CAN become new through Jesus Christ. We all have worth!!!

I love y’all so so much!! I hope that you have a wonderful week! I would love to hear from you!!!! HAAAAVE A GOOD ONE!!!!

Love,

Sister Esplin

Ashley

A Super Sister

A choir member

THE MUSICAL TRIBUTE!!!