“Abide with me; ’tis eventide.

The day is past and gone;

The shadows of the evening fall;

The night is coming on.

Within my heart a welcome guest,

Within my home abide.

O Savior, stay this night with me;

Behold, ’tis eventide.

O Savior, stay this night with me;

Behold, ’tis eventide”

Quick update: We did the 15-step program and Kathy quit smoking! She tried to drop us (told us she didn’t want to meet anymore) but we went over and talked about it and now she’s progressing more than ever! Nelsons baptism is next week, Amanda bore her testimony in sacrament meeting, and we went to a magical Chinese buffet with Katie. SO MANY PEOPLE AT CHURCH I CANT EVEN :,) Investigators and less actives that hadn’t been in several months!

Satan has been crazy-powerful this week! Sister DeGolyer and I both felt the adversary so powerfully in our lives this week. Satan is just as real as Christ is, but the good news is Christ will always win! Trials and troubles are simply opportunities to react as the Savior would and grow and progress. Man were the inner-struggles real, but the power of the atonement was so evident. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrew 10:35-36) As Satan brings despair, doubt and discouragement in our minds and hearts, remain confident in the Lords love!!! We can do this through abiding in His love.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman

Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you

When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”

John 15

So what does it mean to abide in the Saviors love? A few synonyms for abide are: receive, stay, comply with, sustain, accept, endure, follow and remain. In this scripture the Savior tells us how to abide in His love: keep His commandments (love one another) as a result, He promises to send us the Holy Ghost. Sound familiar? This is our baptismal covenant that we renew each week as we take the sacrament! I don’t have time to go into as much depth as I’d like to, but I will share a quick testimony.

I know that the Savior loves us and is aware of us. He will never save us in our sins, but He will always save us from our sins. Christ is the only sure, stable thing we have in life. I know as we abide in His love, we will feel that spirit. We will be able to produce that sweet fruit! Heavenly Father, the husbandman, will purge us. He will allow us to experience trials and troubles because He wants to allow us to grow and progress! He knows the bigger picture. He knows what will benefit us in the long run. He loves us and He wants us to bear fruit! He wants us to be happy! As we follow the Savior, we will come to know Him. I have come to know the Savior through loving others and through feeling the Spirit testify of the reality of our Redeemer!

My challenge to you this week is to abide in the Saviors love. Keep His commandments. Love others. Recognize the trials as opportunities for growth. As you do, you will feel the Spirit in great abundance. You will come to know the Savior. You will become more like our Heavenly Father!