Elder and Sister Reuben V. Alliaud of the Seventy
Tuesday devotional, January 21, 2020
Tuesday devotional, Elder Reuben V. Alliaud of the Seventy, Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Sister Alliaud:
- We are so grateful to feel your love. We feel at home here.
- We need to find a balance between demands and resources.
- I love ‘Adjusting to Missionary Life’ because is talks about ‘perfectionism’, and how to avoid it.
- Avoid extremes in missionary life. Don’t be too dogmatic rigid, but yet don’t be lax and lazy. Be better and better every day.
- Daily repentance is the key to happiness as a missionary.
- The power we hold is greater than the wiles of the devil.
- Doctrine and Covenants 1:24-28 says, “Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language that they might come to understanding. And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known; And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed; And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened that they might repent; And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.”
- Notice the words erred, wisdom, sinned, humble, blessed. Learn from your errors, seek understanding, repent, be humble.
- Mosiah 26:18 says, “Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.” You can trust in the Lord.
- See yourself as the Lord sees you, and act accordingly. See your companions as the Lord sees them, and treat them accordingly.
- It is a blessing to have the Holy Ghost in our lives. He is the agent of truth.
Elder Alliaud:
- I have a holy or sacred of envy of you and the work you are engaged in.
- All the great blessings of my life have a foundation in the mission I served as a young man. The same blessing will be yours as you serve faithfully.
- When I was called as a Seventy, I voiced my concern that my English was not adequate. My leaders said, “We don’t care”. I said, “Well, I care.” They said, “We still don’t care. Go serve.”
- One morming the Spirit whispered to me, “What are you afraid of?” I whispered back, “Speaking the English language.” The Spirit said, “Is that what you should really be afraid of? Allow me to teach you the things you should really be concerned about.” Speaking the English language became the 20th item on my list of weaknesses after the Spirit finished with me. Ether 12:27, “I give unto men weaknesses…”
- You are called to invite others to come unto Christ. The gathering of Israel is the greatest cause, the greatest work, the greatest service.
- Do you feel inadequate? You should, because you are. Alone, you can accomplish nothing; with Christ, you can accomplish all!
- He told the story of the Catholic Church in Argentina calling together representatives of all Christian denominations to make an announcement. They invited Elder Alliaud and another LDS leader to the announcement. The announcement was that the Catholic Church was going to accept all baptisms performed in any Christian denominations as valid and binding, as long as the baptism involved water and an acknowledgement of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. All denominations would be recognized, WITH ONE EXCEPTION. The baptisms in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints WOULD NOT be recognized! Elder Alliaud asked a Catholic cardinal why we were the only exception. He was told that it was because we did not understand the mystery of the Trinity. He responded that no one can understand a ‘mystery’. Mysteries are mysteries. The Cardinal just smiled and patted him on the cheek and ended the conversation.
- God told Moses that he was a son of God, but Satan told him he was a son of man.
- Satan said to Christ, “…IF ye are the son of God, make of these stones bread…”
- People taunted Jesus on the cross and said, “If thou be the Son of God, come down off the Cross”.
- The four times when God speaks about His Son are at the baptism of Jesus, on the Mount of Transfiguration, when introducing the Son to the Nephites, and at the First Vision.
- Don’t fall into the trap of worrying about who is speaking in various places in the scriptures, rather it be the Father, the Son, or the Spirit. “…whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, IT IS THE SAME.”
- Romans 8:16-18 says, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
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