This week through a number of tender mercies/miracles we visited a Ukrainian refugee family. The mother and her 2 daughters live in Murca a city 25 minutes away from Vila Real. Last week the missionaries in Vila Real changed their normal routine and went to a small grocery store during their lunch. While there the mother recognized the missionaries and introduced herself. The family are members and have lived in Portugal since March, 2022 when they escaped from Ukraine. They have had no contact with the Church during this time. She is learning Portuguese but speaks pretty good English. On Wednesday, July 20th we took lunch and visited this family.
The mother Nadiia is 38 years old, Anastasia is almost 15 and Maria is almost10.
The mother gave Kim this bag she had brought with her from Ukraine.
The city of Murca has a population of about 6,000. They agreed to house 2 Ukrainian refugee families so they cleaned, painted and furnished 2 apartments in this building named “Holy House of Mercy”. These families have lived there rent free since March, 2022.
This is a photo of the entire Vila Real Branch library.
Imagine the excitement when the missionaries found a Book of Mormon in Ukrainian!!
What are the chances of a Book of Mormon in Ukrainian being in a small library in Portugal! It happened! Here is the photo.
This is a photo of a text from the Dad who remains in Ukraine.
New record for English class, 18 + missionaries!
YA activity on Saturday, July 23rd at Mirandela River Beach. 15 YA + 4 missionaries.
On Sunday, we attended the Mirandela Group for the 1st time. 4 in attendance!
Beautiful Kim and beautiful flowers
SCRIPTURE POWER
King Benjamin begins his powerful discourse by asking all to “open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view (Mosiah 2:9) Our ears, hearts and minds need to be open to comprehend the mysteries of God.
Interesting that understanding is associated with our hearts. Abinadi who was martyred about 25 years before King Benjamin’s discourse said: “Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye have not been wise.” (Mosiah 12:27) Jacob reminds us: “O be wise; what can I say more?” (Jac. 6:12)
Satan wants our hearts!
“the author of all sin…doth carry on his works of darkness…from generation to generation according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men.” (Hel. 6:30) “the devil has got so great hold upon your hearts.” (Hel. 7:15)
One of his most successful means is when we set our hearts upon riches and vain things. “..they began to set their hearts upon their riches” (Hel. 6:17) “ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world” (Hel. 7:21) “..how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!” (Hel. 12:4) “they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world” (Alma 4:8) “Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world. And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years.“ (3 Ne. 6: 15-16)
Jesus explained: “And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Ne. 9:19-20)
Gospel Topics-Sacrifice: “To have a broken heart and a contrite spirit is to be humble and receptive to the will of God and to the counsel of those He has called to lead His Church. It also means to feel deep sorrow for sin and a sincere desire to repent. The prophet Lehi emphasized the importance of offering this sacrifice: “Behold, [Christ] offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered” (2 Nephi 2:7). Those who show their willingness to sacrifice as the Lord has commanded will be accepted by Him. He taught: “All … who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me” (Doctrine and Covenants 97:8).
My experience is that the best way to ensure that our hearts are not placed on riches and the vain things of this world is when we sacrifice our time, come out of the world and attend the temple with a broken heart.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “We are often actually less generous with our time than with our money. We keep forgetting where our time comes from!” — (All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience)
Without regular temple attendance pride can grow from day to day.
“Exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land; and it did grow upon them from day to day.” (Hel. 3:36)
Just a few months before the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, he met with the Twelve Apostles to talk about the greatest needs the Church was facing in that very difficult time. He told them, “We need the temple more than anything else.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 416)
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