"Chicken Stock" 5-19-2025

To explain the title of this email I will first describe how to make chicken stock (sorry to my culinary teacher if you read this and it's slightly wrong) Put simple you put roasted chicken bones along with some vegetables like celery, onions, carrots, and garlic along with some herb seasonings and put all of that in a pot filled with water and turn on the heat. You wanna get it to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer it preferably for 24 hours for better flavor. Throughout the process of cooking the impuritys from the ingredients rise to the surface in a foamy/scum like way that is not at all good you wanna remove that from the stock using a spoon or something. Throughout the 24 hour cooking process those impuritys just keep coming to the surface and it sucks it's annoying always scraping them out until eventually....it's done and we get to use a strainer!! You strain out all of the soup stock and trash the bones and now flavorless veggies and keep the good liquids, But wait we gotta refrigerate it or I'll eventually go bad and so you place that thing in the cooler where it's dark it's cold and next thing you know there is a whole bunch of gross impurity stuff that cooled off to a solid at the top, But don't worry it'll be easier to remove. Now all you do is add salt and boom it's delicious! Wouldn't trade it for the world. (This isn't about Chicken stock although it does sound absolutely yummy) These past 2 transfers I have just been cooking on stove and it has been hard, some call it the refiners fire but me I like chicken it tastes good so why not. Words cannot express how hard last week was but how grateful I am for the pain and for God's plan for me. Given all of my circumstances and the events that transpired I have recently felt beaten down, exhausted, unworthy, a failure, out of place, and in a rut. I won't lie though when I say I have seen many miracles and manifestations of God's love and created so many special memories but this past week I felt like that chicken stock that got placed into that cold dark refrigerator and what felt like remained was that gross thick impurity floating at the surface because that is what was visible and ever present. Tuesday before zone accountability an Elder I absolutely love shared a quote with me that didn't quite resonate with me at the moment but I knew that sometime near in the future it would...and it did. During zone accountability one of the zoneleaders shared a personal experience he has been wanting to share about liberty jail he has been wanting to share for months but felt prompted to finally share. I felt that it would apply to me in the near future...and it did. The quote that was shared with me is... “As part of the covenant people's descent, occasional withdrawal of the Spirit from an individual is part of the tutorial of earth life. An ebb and flow of the Spirit sometimes seems to have little to do with our current spiritual strivings or worthiness. That means we aspiring disciples may have to expect days, or even longer periods of time, when we feel the emptiness left by the Spirit's withdrawal. We do not feel that vital quickening of the Spirit. These become periods of hanging on. We just have to endure hanging-on days. This ebb and flow is important to know about lest we become too discouraged in our discipleship during these periods of withdrawal of the Spirit. Elder Neal Maxwell wrote: "If everything in one's immediate context were constantly clear, God's plan would not work. Hard choices as well as passing through periodic mists of darkness are needed in order to maintain life's basic reality—that we are to overcome by faith." Brigham Young was apparently asked, "Why are [we] left alone and often sad?" His response was that man has to learn to "act as an independent being . . . to see what he will do . . . to practice him . . . to be righteous in the dark—to be the friend of God." . . . On another occasion, President Young called for us to be faithful even if circumstances are 'darker than 10,000 midnights" Wow....that's all I will say about it I didn't realize the depth of this until I went through it. I won't go in details how me week was but we will just say my comp almost went home, sickness lingered for a minute and all of my weaknesses were out there and I struggled to feel the spirit even amidst hours of studying praying and listening to talks. How grateful am I though to have these experiences for my own good..Joseph Smiths cry unto The Lord Jesus Christ and his response highlights it best in D&C 121 O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed... My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes What a powerful promise and a witness. As I write this today I am filled with Joy and a peace and light of Christ that through these experiences strengthen me. My weakness have been strengthened and made strong through Christ.Did it suck was it hard? Duh who said life is easy. Friday I went on an exchange with an Elder who is just like me and he has been out for a long while and he has had very personal experiences on his mission that perfectly tailored to me and I was able to learn from one of God's servants and be put in a position where I could soak it in and become greater through Christ. I have a firm testimony of God's plan and his timing. As my companion likes to say.."Let him cook" and he's been cooking me. But God is the perfect chef. Sunday after taking the sacrament I was filled...how glorious is that promise in the sacrament. That Sunday we had two powerful lessons and I have just been filled with Joy. I wouldn't trade any hardships for the world The apostle Pual said it best to the Corinthians.... 5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong I love you all. Jesus Christ is the master Chef he knows how to cook let him cook even if he starts making chicken stock just trust the process I know that God love you personally and everything shall be for you own Good with faith in every footstep everything will work out. Love-Elder Williams (Stay sweet) Thank you for everyone who writes me emails! I cherish them