DESIRE

We should begin by recognizing the reality that just because something is good is not a sufficient reason for doing it. The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives.   - Dallin H. Oaks

I hope you all take the time to analize and question what is most important in your lives.

This week I read one of my favorite talks on DESIRE.  Our desires shape us hugely, and its very important to know what we REALLY want... to give our lives direction, and to cut out the stuff thats just "good" and replace it with the grea:   

I have chosen to talk about the importance of desire. I hope each of us will search our hearts to determine what we really desire and how we rank our most important desires.
Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.  - Dallin H. Oaks

 

We should remember that righteous desires cannot be superficial, impulsive, or temporary. They must be heartfelt, unwavering, and permanent. So motivated, we will seek for that condition described by the Prophet Joseph Smith, where we have "overcome the evils of [our lives] and lost every desire for sin."5 That is a very personal decision. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell said:
"When people are described as 'having lost their desire for sin,' it is they, and they only, who deliberately decided to lose those wrong desires by being willing to 'give away all [their] sins' in order to know God."
"Therefore, what we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity."6
As important as it is to lose every desire for sin, eternal life requires more. To achieve our eternal destiny, we will desire and work for the qualities required to become an eternal being. For example, eternal beings forgive all who have wronged them. They put the welfare of others ahead of themselves. And they love all of God's children. If this seems too difficult—and surely it is not easy for any of us—then we should begin with a desire for such qualities and call upon our loving Heavenly Father for help with our feelings. The Book of Mormon teaches us that we should "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ" (Moroni 7:48).
I close with a final example of a desire that should be paramount for all men and women—those who are currently married and those who are single. All should desire and seriously work to secure a marriage for eternity. Those who already have a temple marriage should do all they can to preserve it. Those who are single should desire a temple marriage and exert priority efforts to obtain it. Youth and young singles should resist the politically correct but eternally false concept that discredits the importance of marrying and having children.7

actually just read the whole talk...

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/desire?lang=eng

This talk is responsible for helping me focus less on people, and more on BUILDING FAMILIES.

IM OUT HERE BUILDING FAMILIES AND I LOVE IT.

FAMILIES ARE OF GOD... Eternal families are my priority.

LOVE YOU ALL,

ELDER AMANN 

heres a picture of my seminary class with ELDER BEDNAR

LESSONS FROM A 1 YEAR OLD MISSIONARY

I BEEN IN ARGENTINA FOR ONE (!) YEAR!!! 

Exactly a year ago I ran a marathon.  Heres a tip... dont run marathons. I think im still in pain.  ;)

I have been learning about freedom, liberty, and what they really mean. And to me, to be free, means to be free from onesself.  Im talking about SELF MASTERY.

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Theres an awesome MLK, JR quote from his "I Have a Dream" speech:

"We must not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom, by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred."

At this part in his I Have a Dream speech, MLK is talking about not rioting, not playing dirty to win their freedom.  Sure it would be pleasurable to FIGHT and burn buildings and fight for black freedom with all the power of earth and hell... But it was very important to MLK to fight for freedom 

by using what he called "SOUL FORCE"

 "Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force." 

"It would be easier to exercise self-mastery in the face of sin if the bad effects of sin were instantaneous. But they are not. Further, it is an illusion that sin always appears to the mind to be ugly, vile, and repulsive. Consider this insight from Elder Spencer W. Kimball:"

"Whoever said that sin was not fun? Whoever claimed that Lucifer was not handsome, persuasive, easy, friendly? Sin is attractive and desirable. Transgression wears elegant gowns and sparkling apparel. It is highly perfumed; it has attractive features, a soft voice. It is found in educated circles and sophisticated groups. It provides sweet and comfortable luxuries. Sin is easy and has a big company of pleasant companions. It promises immunity from restrictions, temporary freedoms.

 

"It can momentarily satisfy hunger, thirst, desire, urges, passions, wants without immediately paying the price. But, it begins tiny and grows to monumental proportions—drop by drop, inch by inch." 

These are the PHYSICAL forces that our enemies use to try to tear us down... By promising attractiveness and fun.    

But we must NOT seek to satisfy our THRIST FOR FREEDOM by drinking from the cup of bitterness and pleasure.  

WE MUST USE SOUL FORCE.  We cannot overcome things of this world by using things of this world.  We must use spiritual force....the only indestructable force.  The force that has the power to shake earth and hell and the force that is a GOD GIVEN FLAME inside each and EVERYONE OF HIS BELOVED CHILDREN.

We are all blessed with the flame of soul force from our Heavenly Father... but you must feed it.

let it grow.  let it grow outward, outside of you until others can feel it.

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I leave you my testimony that I know sin is fun. 

But there is nothing that will fill your soul, nothing that will enrich your life, nothing that will grow from the inside of your very soul to something bigger than you, 

....like soul force.  

We must build our spirit.  

Feed it with scriptures, feed it with prayer. 

and I promise, you will feel a new power.  This is the greatest thing. And it comes from Christ.

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I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH,

ELDER AMANN 

ARGENTINE CULTURE

Let me tell you about the Argentine people.

I love them.  

So it snowed yesterday.  And it snowed a lot.  It hasn't snowed like this in 7 years.  Maybe a little frost, but not like this. 

And so we went to church, and had a great time, learned about Faith, and partook of the Sacrament.

When we were going back to work afterwords, passing cars in the bus, about every 4th car had a snowman on the top of it.

SNOWMEN ON CARS.  Click on any of these pictures to enlarge.

Apparently it is a thing here that WHEN it snows, you construct a little snowman on the front of your car.  And everyone just does it.  Ha!  How great is that?? It made me SO happy!! 

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So here's some snow to help cool you off up there.  And a little Christmas miracle.  A very important family who is investigating the church, family Lucero, wanted to come to church.  Specifically the mom.  But because of her husband needing to work, she wouldn't be able to go.  So she prayed Saturday night for snow so she could go.  You must know Saturday was warm and sunny.

and Sunday it snowed.  For the first time in 7 years.   Please pray for them, they are so close to this wonderful thing.

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I want to speak on the importance of change.

CHANGE = LOVE

And when everyone talks about changing on the mission, I guess Ive figured it out.  The way to change is to do what others want instead of what you want.  Even if it means doing something in a way that's hard for you.  There are missionaries who don't change on their mission, and it is very sad for me.  

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH,

ELDER AMANN

Cerro Arco (con perro)

WILD HORSES

SNOWY PALM TREE

FIRST SNOW ANGEL IN 7 YEARS!

CHAPEL

Brother Newbold

I was just about to go to bed last night when I started thinking about a good friend of mine!

Bruce Newbold!  He passed away around a year ago, but I know he´s doing great!  All growing up, when we would get to church, he´d be the one welcoming us in the doors, warming us with his smile, no matter how late we got to church.

He would always ask how my dad was doing, and to tell him that he´s loved.  I knew just by hearing the way he asked about my dad, it was very obvious that Brother Newbold actually cared about him.  

Brother Newbold is a great example of love to me, and I hope to be more like him!  I was one of his last home teachers before he passed away, and it was such a great honor to get to know him more.

Brother Newbold is the type of guy that nobody could say a bad word about because he was just so filled with love.  Getting to see him at church in his favorite tie, a tie that was drawn on by his grandkids, is something that made me realize what the important things in life are.  

I somehow know he's looking out for me in heaven, and even though it might be awhile, I know he's going to be one of the first people to welcome me!  

Although it's sad for me that he is no longer here, I feel ok, because I know he used his time here to love and bring others closer to Christ-like love.

I know death is just another step... It's part of God's plan.  And when you know this, it takes the sting away.  The only death that isn't part of God's plan is spiritual death, or when we distance our spirits from Him and love.  But we can always come home.

All the conflict we have with one another seems kind of silly, doesn't it?  Our time here is too short for it.

LOVE YOU ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

ELDER AMANN

If someone could send me a picture of Brother Newbold, and tell his family they are in my prayers, that would be greatly appreciated!

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Kickin it at Cerro de la Gloria with PRESIDENT PANZZACHI

Freedom Kevin !

and the only thing that helps the cold is dreamin about ski season!  IT'S FREEZING HERE BRRRR

Golden State vs. The Church of Jesus Christ

Trying to support my GF and her Swedish Mission from way down south in Argentina

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a lot like the Golden State Warriors.

I have been noticing a huge trend among people in relationship to the church.

I want to draw a comparison between Golden State and The Church of Jesus Christ.  There are a LOT of Golden State fans, who believe Golden State is the best basketball team.  (Although I'm not a Golden State fan, I cannot deny.) Golden State is the greatest basketball team in the league.  This is an undeniable fact.  

Even if you don't like the Warriors, they are (in 2017) the greatest.

And even if you don't like the Church.  It is true.  The Book of Mormon is true.  A LOT of people know this.  But they don't use it.  They don't come to church.  Don't EXPERIENCE MIRACLES.

Because of Golden States undeniable greatness, there are a lot of people who recognize that Golden State is number one.  

But they don't benefit from it.  But I can promise you, no one knows of Golden State´s greatest like the players themselves.  They feel it.  It is part of them.  They know how hard they worked.  They know how they work together, how they are family, how they are not just a team... They feel like they are the greatest compilation of players to ever hit the league.

They feel a spirit from it.

And I testify that when you feel a spirit of the Truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it's not just your favorite team.  It's not just "true."

You feel a spirit from it.

This is what I invite everyone to have.  To BE PART OF THE TEAM.  To know MIRACLES EXIST.  To feel it in every ounce of your bones, NOT ONLY IS IT TRUE.... 

IT'S THE GREATEST.

I pray you work for it.  It will always pay off.

LOVE, ELDER AMANN

Our new presidente, Presidente Panzacchi and Sister Panzacchi

And we lost a soccer ball on a huge lake. hahah