Yielding My Heart to God

     This last week we had transfers and my companion, Elder Hughes, went home. My new companion is Elder Fonseca from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Last Saturday we had the baptism of Hazlly. She was a young woman who had come to church before years ago but for some reason had never taken the missionary lessons. We found her about a month ago and invited her to go to church with us. She said that she had loved going to the church before but had never been baptized. Across the street from her lived a member who she knew very well. The member across the street helped us take her to church and supported her all the way towards baptism. It was a great experience and the young woman was very excited for the baptism.
     Ever since the conference with the new mission president and his talk about spiritual power, i have been pondering and searching the scriptures more on the topic and taking from the lives of the prophets of old ways that I can obtain more spiritual power. Today I read a scripture that is found in
Helaman 3:35
"Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God."
     For they did "fast and pray oft and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility." How many times do we take fasting and prayer for granted? How often do we selfishly use these gifts and tools that God has given us for our own benefit and not for the salvation of others? These things I have asked myself and wonder how I can procure that kind of love and devotion towards the work of salvation and the cause of righteousness. I hope that these desires may work in me unto faith and action. I pray that I might better yield my heart to God as to receive the sanctification and purification of the Holy Spirit.