Serving in Omaha, Nebraska

Elder Dudley is serving in Omaha, Nebraska and will be home in less than two weeks!!

This is his mother writing again since he continues to be very busy and has asked that I share a bit on his blog for him. I know it would be better to hear directly from him, so I will do my best to share with you what he has shared with us - his parents.

 

 

Like the title of this post shows - Elder Will Dudley is serving in Omaha, Nebraska. Following is what he shared soon after arriving there. "There are a lot of stories in Sioux Falls (previous area) I don't get to experience the rest of, but I am so excited to be here." "I am in Omaha . . . I love it so much already. . . We have already taught so many people. I can't describe every part of it that I love. We have a young ward who is active in helping us with meals and teaching. Many of them attend Creighton University. Our apartment overlooks the campus, and we have a great view of downtown." He also lives close to and has had the opportunity to attend the temple which meant a lot to him. 

 

 

Family Home Evening with one of the young couples in the ward he is serving in.

 

 

Missionaries are always on the go, working hard, and continually learning and growing. There are days filled with blessings and miracles and there are times when it's not always easy. I think we can all relate to that. I don't have a lot of stories to share with you, so I thought I would share a few "one liners" and "short thoughts" that he has shared with us. I hope I don't share thoughts that are too personal to him, but I always learn from and can relate a bit to what he shares.

 

From Elder Will Dudley:

 

"I continue to learn that I only feel successful when I pay attention to and follow the Spirit, and when I give my heart to helping each individual in the moment that we sit with them, look them in the eyes, and testify of how the gospel will bless them."

 

After a hard week he shared - "I refuse to let the Lord down by letting my faith slip. He will work miracles here if we are faithful." 

 

"We have prayed and worked more than ever the last few days, but we have hardly taught any lessons. This is doing many things for me. It is reminding me to be humble and to rely on the Lord, the only one who can actually cause the work to move forward. It is teaching me how much more missionary work is than just teaching. I feel peaceful because I have worked hard and sought the guidance of the Lord. It is drawing me near to the Lord . . . I still feel motivated to go out and work because, at the very least, it works miracles in my life and my heart."

 

He recently shared a short message about what he learned from October 2015 General Conference. "The confidence and peace that came to me as a result of the simple testimonies will help me greatly in my missionary work. The main messages I got were to bear simple testimony, center completely on Christ, and move forward with faith."

 

Well, it is starting to "sink in" to him that he is coming home, but he is giving it his all as he wraps up his two year mission that started in the South Dakota Rapid City Mission and will end in the Nebraska Omaha Mission.

 

I know that he would want to thank all of you who have been so supportive to him in so many ways.

So, "Thank you!" from Elder Will Dudley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mission Assignment Change

It's been quite some time since Elder Will Dudley has posted anything in his blog since he is so busy (a good thing), so he asked me (his mom) to share a few thoughts from his recent emails with you.

First, let me explain the title of this blog post "Mission Assignment Change". On 29 April 2015 we received a letter from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Office of the First Presidency) confirming that Elder Dudley's mission assignment had been changed from the South Dakota Rapid City Mission to the Nebraska Omaha Mission. This change was brought about by a mission boundary realignment. Elder Dudley is serving in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota Zone at this time (August 2015) which is now a part of the Nebraska Omaha Mission (NOM).

In the top picture Elder Dudley and his missionary companion are teaching at a Zone Conference in Sioux Falls, SD mid-August. (Service with a smile!) They taught and practiced with the other missionaries the importance of planning, preparation and meaningful companionship study. In a recent email from Elder Dudley he wrote the following about companionships, "I have a testimony that love, not tolerance, of a companion, and a feeling of need for another, brings about miracles. If this element is gone and companions start to merely put up with each other in what they may think is "patience" it drags the work down. LIFT TOGETHER."

 

The second picture shows that Elder Dudley knows how to wash dishes. He helped clean up after a recent Zone Conference luncheon - with a smile.

 

The third picture shows Elder Dudley (second from left) with a group of missionaries helping in clean-up efforts in Bolton, SD after a tornado in May 2015. He wrote about this experience, "As we were cleaning, I found Legos, and Uno cards, books, and a piece of a little girl's tiara. It was sad to see all the destruction. We didn't get to hear how the families who lived there are doing. I was wondering about that the whole time. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to go through that loss so unexpectedly."

 

A couple thoughts from Elder Will Dudley - hopefully it's ok with him:

 

"I had always thought of humility being the opposite of pride, so that was how I tried to overcome pride. Now, I understand that when I am feeling prideful towards others, the solution is charity."

 

"I fasted completely in gratitude yesterday. I have done this once before, and both times have been amazing experiences. The whole fasting period, I did not ask for anything in any of my prayers. This time it was inspired by your comments (his mission president and wife) about giving our all to the Lord. I know that I am in no position to ask anything or expect anything more than what the Lord has already blessed me with. I am now better prepared to turn my will over to the Lord and only ask for things in accordance with his will."

 

Lastly, I will share an experience he had in June with a man from Columbia. "He is very devoted to the Lord. He moved up here with his family because of threats on their family, focused on the children. His wife is a lawyer and would not bend her values to help those she was working with, so they became very upset, hence the threats on their family. They have been reading the Book of Mormon daily, and the father knew very quickly that he needed to join the church. His wife and daughter have been more hesitant, but now they are fairly certain about baptism. We plan to set a date with them this week. He is blind and has been praying that the Lord would send angels to his family, and that is when he came in contact with us." This story continues to progress, but I will let him share the rest with you when he returns home.

 

The official letter came saying that Elder William Dudley is scheduled to return home on

11 November 2015.

He wrote to us recently, "I do not think I am going home "soon". Soon is a couple of minutes or hours. In missionary work, miracles happen in moments and seconds. I know how much can happen even in a day of missionary work, so I have a LOT left of my mission." 

 

He loves hearing from and about friends and family! He often says, "It is great to hear all the little stories about the kids!" I know he would want me to thank you for your love and support and prayers.

 

I hope I did ok writing on his blog for him.

His mom, JoAnne

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accountability

I was at a meeting this week in Rapid City, and I was asked to share a short spiritual thought on the topic of accountability. I would like to condense those thoughts for you right now, and add some additional comments.

Early in my mission I was a little bit discouraged because people were not responding to our ministry as I hoped. There are a lot more details to this story, but the main point is that I had expectations for the missionary work in the area, and those expectations were not being met. The important truth that I forgot is that the people I am serving are accountable to the Lord for their choices, and so am I.

When we forget that our accountability is first to the Lord, we lose our humility before him and pride steps in. This leads us to complacency because we appear more successful than others by comparison, or it leads us to discouragement because we appear to fail according to false expectations.

We are all 100% accounted for by Heavenly Father, but our goal is to become 100% accountable to Him. In order to do this, we must come to know Him on a very personal level. Jesus Christ was able to live perfectly because He knew His Father. He walked exactly in line with God's will because He understood and was perfectly united with Him. I offer 3 suggestions to become more accountable to the Lord, which will in turn make us more righteous.

1. NOURISH YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. The way that we can be accountable to the Lord in this life is by having His Spirit with us, which is the gift that God has made available to us so that we can prepare to live in His presence. If we do not learn it now, it will seem impossible later and will require much more effort and painful adjustment on our part. As we make covenants such as baptism, bound by Priesthood ordinances, we devote our life to the Lord and he rewards us with the Spirit in our lives. If we make all of our decisions based off of our covenants with the Lord, we will successfully fulfill our purpose in life.

2. SEEK THE LORD'S WILL. We must lay aside our desires, hopes, and dreams in life so that the Lord can step in and show us how He wants us to be. If we try to live up to our expectations in life, we will fall dramatically short of our potential. Because Heavenly Father loves us, he will allow us to enjoy life and do the things that we like, as long as we engrain His will as the top priority in our hearts.

3. DO ALL THAT IS IN YOUR POWER TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL. If you have chosen to draw your heart close to His in life, and you have sought His guidance in your decisions, it is your responsibility to move forward in faith that God will make a way for you to do what is right in His eyes. This decision to follow through with the Lord's will is the only way to bring real peace to your heart and mind. This is the peace that Jesus Christ offered His disciples:

  26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

(John 14, KJV Holy Bible)

If you do not seek to carry out the Lord's will, your heart will be troubled and you will be lost in life. You may not feel these troubling effects immediately, but unless you devote your life to the Lord, the misery will certainly come. It may come much later, when the time is shorter and the pain deeper, but it will come. Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance. I am aware that there are some in the world who do not serve the Lord or believe he is important, yet they feel comfortable. The promise is the same to them, that at some day, they will become painfully aware of their unworthiness before God and great remorse will come to their conscience. You will, at some day, feel tormented, if you ignore the Lord. I love the people that I know on this earth, and I do not wish such pains upon anyone. I hope that everyone will turn to Christ.

 39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.

 40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.

 41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

 42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

(2 Nephi 9, The Book of Mormon)

Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved. If you believe that your life can be acceptable without following the Lord's narrow way that He has given, you will be brought down low. I pray that all of my loved ones can find forgiveness and keep themselves on the path set forth by God. I wish you all the greatest happiness in your lives. I love you!

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My mission summed up in a poem

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a long time. I've been really busy, and the computers here in Sioux Falls don't let me upload pictures. I love it here. About a week ago I felt like I should write a poem. I have always enjoyed poetry, but I haven't taken the time to write on my mission until now. This describes the type of service I have attempted to offer my Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you enjoy it:

 

A Labor of Great Care

To be diligent like the Savior

takes a lot more thought and care.

To be prepared in spirit

takes more heartfelt study and prayer.

It's more than going to work each day,

expending strength with none to spare.

It takes a lot more thought and care;

more study and earnest prayer.

To serve the Lord with heart and soul

takes consecration and obedience exact.

To impact the world in heart and soul

takes charity as the motive to act.

It's more than knocking on every door,

wearing shoes out pair by pair.

It takes a lot more thought and care;

more study and grateful prayer.

To work each day with the Master's touch

takes clean hands, and faith, to start.

To be an instument for your King

takes a willing and humble heart.

It is patience and hope; trusting the Spirit

Without fear; never rush or despair.

It takes a lot more thought and care;

more study and Christlike prayer.

Elder William R Dudley

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Elder Dudley, you don't seem yourself. Have a Snickers.

I need to make this email short, but lets just say I enjoyed this gift of candy.

​

On a serious note, I really wasn't doing as well as I could have been. The Lord has a way of showing us that.

Ether 12:27 - "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

In the past wee or so, I have found this to be very true. I caught myself being very prideful. I made a list of things that I was thinking or doing (or not doing) because of my pride. I then listed the opposites, which were all traits or habits of the Savior. As I have been more humble before God, I have been much more aware, painfully so, of my weaknesses and faults. The amazing part is that I feel much better about who I am as a person. It is easier to love those around me according to the Savior's command, and it is easier to sense God's influence in my life through study and prayer. He will show you things about yourself that you wouldn't otherwise recognize, let alone feel the need to change. The correction that the Lord gives is so loving that is pierces our hearts and causes us to change. It transforms the heart. I know that each of you will experience a "mighty change of heart" and greater happiness and success if you come before your Heavenly Father in humility. 

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas I have been thinking about the recordings of Christ in the scriptures. Jacob, a prophet in ancient America, stated: 

 

"For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us."

I decided to record my testimony of the Savior this year, and I would like to share at least some of it with you, maybe all. It is the most important thing that I can share with any of you, because it is the most valuable thing I have:

Recently, two parts of the Plan of Salvation have stuck out to me more than ever before. First, the vitality of gaining a physical body has really sunk in. Second, it has deeply impressed me that Heavenly Father sacrificed and punished His literal Son. The fact that the Anointed, Chosen Son of God was the one to suffer for our sins displays the infinite mercy of Our Father. Christ must have been the most precious gift that Heavenly Father could have offered. They had worked hand in hand since before the world began. How great the pain must have been for the Father to withdraw; not to mention the payment for our sins - which overcame justice.

We lived with God, so why did we have to leave? To gain a body and experience. Then, why couldn't He just pick us back up there when our lives are over? That would destroy justice, and He would cease to be God. He is perfectly just. The options were to either leave us as spirits, not knowing the complete joys of a physical body, leave us in a fallen, sinful state contrary to the nature of happiness for eternity, or to sacrifice His most precious Son. This decision was made before the Creation of the world.

My testimony of the Savior is the most precious possession I have. I draw this conclusion because there is nothing else that, if taken from me, would suck so much joy and peace out of my life. Even with my family, life wouldn't be enough without Christ. But, without my family, though excruciating it may be life could be worth living because of My Redeemer. 

- I am not weak to say that I desperately need a Savior. Every living soul needs Him. Those who do not realize it, though they may convince themselves they are fine, or even comfortable, are left on their own, powerless to take hold of everlasting happiness and peace. They will be miserable. Everybody will eventually confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God; they will confess the need for a Savior. Those who still do not accept Him will be lost forever, but those who humble themselves and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whether on earth or when they have the chance after this life, will be inheritors of an eternal life of joy and peace and freedom from all sorrow and cares. -

I know that He lives and loves me. I know that the love that has brought about such great mercy is charity. To "be possessed of charity" is not to have the capability to love as God does, but to feel God's love for self and all humankind so strongly that one may know how to treat others in a Christlike manner and find joy in so doing, due to the sincerity and integrity of heart by which the person acts. This charity is the greatest of all because it has played the most pivotal role in bringing mercy to our souls through the great Plan of Redemption.

I know that My Savior understands me and will do anything possible to rescue me. Looking at where I am today, I know that His grace is a real power. I know that He called Joseph Smith to initiate this marvelous work and wonder, and that a man can certainly draw closer to God by abiding by the precepts of the Book of Mormon than by any other book. I know that faithfully doing so will bring about the Plan of Mercy upon us and will transform us into inheritors of eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God, because it came at the cost of sacrificing His Holy and Most Precious Offspring; The Gift.

New Area

So, on thanksgiving, I arrived in Sturgis, SD. This place is awesome. Elder Emmett, who I knew before, is my new companion, and we are going to work great together. He cares a lot about missionary work and the gospel! We also work in some surrounding towns, including Deadwood and Lead, which are beautiful. They are in the Black Hills, and really, the towns were built on very hilly terrain. Lead was built there out of convenience for Miners who worked there back before the automobile days. The houses there are beautiful! I took a picture of the town, but the library computers here won't accept my camera, so I'll have to figure something else out for next week.

I just want to take a minute to talk about the Christmas season. The Church has put out a Christmas website (christmas.mormon.org) with a 2 1/2 minute video called He is the Gift. The site is centered around the pattern: Discover the gift, embrace the gift, and share the gift. Last night, the Church also put on a Christmas devotional that we got to watch over satellite. It was full of  beautiful music and great speaking from Church leaders. I would invite you to find it on lds.org. Beforehand, I was feeling a little bit dull. I think that's the right word. I wasn't sad or upset, but there was something weighing on the back of my mind and draining my energy. I was not my cheerful self, and I have no idea what was causing the negativity. But, the devotional brought me some peace. At night, I still felt that weight, though. It was time for my nightly prayer, and here's the experience I had, in words that I shared with my Mission President:

"I was praying, planning to communicate with Heavenly Father about some of my weaknesses and some minor concerns with the gospel that came up, but as I was expressing my shortcomings, I literally felt something stopping me. I tried a couple more times to express different things that were on my mind, but I was prompted to stop and listen. As I waited, familiar yet personal words were put in my mind. They were so clear, and it felt so different than if I were just remembering or reciting the words on my own. I have the words recorded somewhere, but here I'll just say that the Spirit pierced my heart with these words and peace overcame me. I had no more desire to dwell on my weaknesses or even seek guidance on the concerns I had been having. I now feel better prepared to go and help others discover and embrace the gift of Jesus Christ."

As I went to church services and the devotional, I discovered the gift of Jesus Christ through learning about and listening to words about him. Through prayer, I embraced the gift. Now, I wish to share it with everybody. Please go to christmas.mormon.org and at least watch the He is the Gift video. I hope some of you have already seen it.

I'll end with my testimony of Jesus Christ that I have gained from experience and the Holy Spirit of God. We all have burdens in our life, and we all need spiritual cleansing. We suffer from the weight of past sins and unresolved emotional pain. I have felt all of that. I know that relief from any of this can be found through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as His power gave sight, hearing, and health to those whom he ministered in life, the power that comes from his ultimate atoning sacrifice grants us spiritual healing when we come unto Him. If we embrace the true gospel, His grace will make us whole from the negativity that seems to be stuck to us. You may pretend to mask these feelings of guilt and pain from the past, but unless you have embraced Jesus Christ and been changed by Him, they still linger in your soul and they will forever. Let Him help you and heal you. I know that as you discover and embrace the sacred teachings of His gospel, you will find relief and healing, which will make room in your heart for peace and joy beyond understanding or explanation. This process is the only way to be prepared to enter the Kingdom of God when you meet your Creator face to face.

1st snow!!!

Today...the first snow...of the season...hit Williston. I have been here since April 30th and this is my first snow in Williston. And it already got down to around 10 degrees last night. The rest of the week won't be warmer either. But aside from the weather, I'd like to share with you something I have learned lately.

The last week of October, we had a conference with about 50-60 missionaries. We had a visitor at this conference. Elder Marcus B. Nash, of the seventy, came to address us and train us, and it was a fantastic experience. I want to mention something that his wife taught us, though. Sister Nash talked about the importance of a vision, meaning something to work towards. She gave us the following image: You are out rowing a boat in the middle of the ocean, and you do not see land. How long are you going to stay motivated? You'll probably want to drown yourself. What happens if you can see land in the distance. A little more motivation. How about an island a few hundred feet from you. Then you will be very motivated. I thought about this a lot, and I also saw a parallel to covenants. Our ultimate vision is eternal life in the presence of our Heavenly Father. He has given us other things along the way, however, to set our vision on. The first is probably baptism. I have noticed that the knowledge of baptism truly gives people greater motivation to progress in living the gospel. For those who have already been baptized, the temple gives them a vision. For those who have gone to the temple, a temple marriage gives us something to look forward to. After that, we work to keep our families strong and to prepare together to enter the Kingdom of God. We can also be motivated as we see our children and grandchildren working towards baptism, temple covenants, and temple marriage. AND, every week, we all have the sacrament as a time to renew our commitment and refresh our covenants. We can even look forward every day to account to our Father in prayer how we lived our lives that day. Without a vision and checkpoints along the way, we would be lost, and it would be pointless to try to stay motivated to live the gospel. Eternal life, made possible through Jesus Christ, is our vision, and it gives us the hope we need to move forward. Do everything you can to gain faith in Christ's true gospel so that you can have a vision of your purpose in life. The whole message of the scriptures, the entirety of what God wants and needs us to know, is that the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us and our families to become more like the Father through making and keeping covenants. These sacred covenants must be bound through ordinances performed by the Holy Priesthood of God, found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This gospel, and nothing else, will lead us to everlasting life and exaltation. God's whole work is to bring this message to all of humankind and redeem them from their lost and fallen state. This is why I am choosing to take two years to serve the Lord. I know that He lives and has mercifully reached out to us through scriptures, the gift of prayer, and His Church organization led by a prophet. I testify to all that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as part of His perfect plan, to save the world. I promise you that anything unfair in your life does not go unnoticed by your Father. He desperately wants to bless you and make things right. So live the gospel, and let His grace enter your soul.

Another 6 weeks in Williston!!!

This week I want to share a part of my letter to my Mission President, because I had a great week. Also, check out the sunrise from this morning!

​

Ok, here it is:

"There are a couple of experiences in particular that have touched me this week. The first is with a young man who Elder Sullivan actually knew in Hurricane, UT. His parents have lived here for a while, but he just moved in right before Elder Sullivan got here. He has made bad choices regarding the word of wisdom, but has a desire to change. We invited him to come out with us, then we had the opportunity to teach him once about the doctrine of repentance and another time about the plan of salvation. He has a copy of Preach My Gospel, he set up an appointment with Bishop Packer, and he has told us and his parents that he has decided for certain to go on a mission. I feel great joy in seeing him repent! The second experience is Michael. I think I've told you about him being picked up broken down on the side of the road by a member, having health issues that kept him from work; in short, going through unfavorable circumstances yet being guided to us. He was baptized on Saturday, and it was amazing. We told him to think of all the guilt and negative feelings from his past when he stepped into the water. He did, and he told us that He could feel the relief that I know comes from the Atonement. We saw him last night, and that was the first time, at least that I remember, when I could literally perceive a change because of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Up to the baptism, we noticed mighty changes in him. This was from the power of The Book of Mormon, church, prayer, etc. But, there was a real difference in countenance and outlook after the baptism and confirmation. He ended the lesson with a beautiful prayer; perhaps the most sincere I have ever heard. It sounded as if he were right there at his Father's feet. I have learned so much from Michael and his conversion."

Miracles do happen.

My letter this week will focus on amazing experiences that have fortified my faith that God lives and that this is His work that I am carrying out with His divine help.

First of all, let me share with you an experience I had on wednesday. This is taken from my weekly letter to my Mission President:

"...I would tell you one more story from my exchange with Elder Gruver. It was about 8:45 and we had nothing else planned, so we went to knock some doors (honestly, I probably would have just driven home). We knocked half a block with one great door slam, yet no other success. It was 9 by the time we knocked the block, but we decided that we had to go to one more house. I saw one more block down, in a cul-de-sac, an open garage with a man busy at work inside. I told Elder Gruver, "we are going to go help them with something." So we went and offered help to his wife who was out front. She said no and did not seem interested by anything else. She had met with missionaries before. Then her husband called, "HEY! Are you two free labor?" We were excited and knew that this is what we were looking for. I talked to the wife for a minute about temples and eternal families, then I joined Elder Gruver in helping the man push a very large, metal shop cabinet across his garage. Then we addressed the couple and their teenage daughter. We explained our missions a little bit, prayed, then went over the restoration briefly. It seemed that we answered concerns they had previously developed about The Book of Mormon, and we were able to testify that it was not a chance meeting. We helped with another service project for them the next night, and we will return tomorrow night to teach them. By the way, the man has recently had a change of schedule which gives him weekends off, and they were unimpressed by the New Hope church because of their focus on money and their new in-church coffee shop. We know that we were guided to that street at that time and that the Lord blessed us for diligence..."

The next day, we had another amazing experience. A man from the Church here stopped and helped a man on the side of the road. He has had serious health problems that have hospitalized him and kept him from work, making his time more available. He has been reflecting on life and having many regrets, yearning for a chance to change. On Thursday, we visited him in the church member's home. As we talked about our basic doctrines, he expressed his desires to change and his disappointment with his life to this point. Our conversation shifted to baptism, and the Spirit caused emotions in him that I'm sure he could not explain, because he apologized for his tears. When we invited him to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the authority of God, he hesitated none to accept November 1st as his baptismal date.

Two nights later, Elder Sullivan (My companion) and I were out of people to visit around 8 o'clock. We had no real idea of what to do. I asked him to say a prayer to ask for guidance, so he did. In what felt like a random choice, we headed off to a nearby trailer park. We were rejected by one man, then we dropped off our bikes. I took out a Plan of Salvation pamphlet from my backpack, and I told Elder Sullivan that I felt like we needed to use it. We started walking, we knocked on a couple doors, which proved to be interactions for the purpose of delaying us, because when we started walking again, we heard a door open off to our side. We turned to it and started walking. We introduced ourselves briefly, then I asked, "Has anyone close to you passed away recently?" He told us that his dad had 4 years ago, and it had caused many family problems. We testified that we were there to tell him what happened to his father after he died. We prayed with him, talked about the purpose of life and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and testified that he could be sealed to his father forever because of the restored gospel. He committed to continue learning from us about this message.

The next night, which was last night, our Mission President came into town and wanted to go out to work with us. We tried to visit 2 people, one who had an appointment with us, but both fell through. Again, we wondered what to do. I asked President Anderson to say a prayer for guidance. He prayed that we could find someone with concerns that we could answer. After the prayer, he asked if our ward leaders wanted us to visit anyone. Someone very specific came to mind. We did not see that person last night, but I know it was inspired because it took us the right direction. As we looked for their home, I noticed a man sitting alone outside. I asked if the other two saw him, and they said no. But, I said that we should turn around and talk to him. President Anderson sent us out to ask him for directions, but we ended up talking about the gospel, because he had a cross around his neck. He said we could spend some time with him, so we beckoned to our Mission President to join. We prayed together and started to talk about his religious background. We learned more about his life, and he said that he moved up here because of a nasty break-up caused by his anger issues. We testified that we could help with that. Then, his sister joined us outside and we had a discussion about The Book of Mormon. They both want to learn more, so we are going to send the sisters back on Tuesday.

I bear my testimony to all of you that Our Father in Heaven is a God of miracles. He has the power to bless us and those we meet because of our diligent efforts. He wants us to work hard in the service of others, and the best service we can give is to declare the glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, He guides us and directs us and grants us success when we put our heart into His service. I promise that you can find God's guidance and influence in your life if you are willing to act in faith. He loves you as a perfect and all-knowing Father. I testify that He sent His Son Jesus Christ and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the organized body that holds the authority of God to teach, baptize, confirm, and seal families together for all eternity. I know that The Book of Mormon is holy scripture that does not add to or take from the Bible. It is not the work of men, but it is the word of God. God is free to speak to us, and to say that He stopped giving us His word with the limits of the Bible is to place on him restrictions with no doctrinal foundation He will continue to speak to us and work miracles. This Church and the large missionary movement of over 85,000 full-time missionaries is the "Marvelous work" and the "wonder" spoken of by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 29 of the book. The angel spoken of by John in Revelation has sounded his trump and spread the everlasting gospel over all the earth. This message is a message to happiness and truth. It is not designed to take anything away from you but to add to your faith in Christ, even to complete it, that you may be filled with joy and peace.

 

Isaiah 29:13-14

13 ¶Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

 14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

Revelation 14: 6-7

 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Mormon 9: 7-10, 15, 20

 7 And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God, and say that they are done away, that there are no revelations, nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor healing, nor speaking with tongues, and the interpretation of tongues;

 8 Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them.

 9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?

 10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.

 15 And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.

 20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.

Still here in North Dakota!

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This past week was another transfer week, and I'm safe here in North Dakota. That means I will be here at least a total of 5 1/2 months! Here is a picture of an oil rig, in case you were curious. Most of them are at least a few miles from town, but this one is actually pretty close to our church building. I heard some cool history about the oil industry recently, beginning in the times of the great depression. There was a man who owned many grocery stores throughout the North Dakota area, and during the depression, he would give free groceries to farmers in the area in exchange for their mineral rights. Now that the oil industry is so huge, his grandchildren are being rewarded for his kind deed. He had no practical use for the mineral rights, but he made the trade anyway for the good of society. What a cool piece of history. 

I would like to briefly address a problem that we face as humans. There are many sources trying to define success for us. We often feel pressures from those we associate with to fulfill their desires in order for us to be successful. There is only one source that, without fail, wants for us what will give us the most happiness that we can have. God does not promise us wealth, popularity, approval from our leaders, or freedom from challenges and trials. He does promise us eternal life, however, if we are faithful in living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Father sent a Savior to us to show us the way to live now and to make possible infinite peace and joy in the life to come by paying our way into the Kingdom of God, into which no sin can enter. In the Church, we hope that our leaders always want the best for us, but even they are far from perfect. Sometimes in our efforts to follow the counsel of our leaders, or bosses, or teachers, or counsellors, or even parents at times, we forget the ultimately more important priority to seek and live the will of God for our lives. It may be the strictest and require much self discipline, but it does not put unnecessary pressure or stress on us. It is important to trust those that have been put in our lives to instruct us and direct us, but we must remember that their influence and authority cannot and will not ever overpower God's merciful hand, which He so lovingly and patiently extends to us. His invitation is to repent and be baptized, with faith in His Son,  which pattern of life will never fail to give us true and lasting success; Real success that does not give us worldly status or recognition but that makes us perfectly and permanently clean in the eyes of Our Creator. John 14:1-6, 15-27 (KJV):

 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

15 ¶If ye love me, keep my commandments.

 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

I have to let everyone know that this has been an amazing week! I am willing to make the statement that the last few days have been the most dramatically uplifting days of my life. Looking back, I can see that I have been struggling for several weeks but that I have been too naive to notice it. Sometimes we get the impression that we are doing better than we actually are. We look at all the things that are going right and that are right about us, but then we fail to grow and progress. On the other hand, if we focus only on what we are doing wrong, we become discouraged and depressed. One of the tricks of life is finding the balance of rejoicing in success and learning from failure. A key to this is recognizing the source of our blessings. If you think back to the times when you have been rescued or saved by being able to recognize a failure in yourself and then having the strength to overcome it, you will notice that it wasn't anything special that you did. God reaches out to us through many sources. Maybe you have felt this through scriptures, parents, friends, even feelings that you get when you pray. It could come through church, siblings, children, or anything else you can imagine. I know that we can be happier if we recognize this one truth:

"It is by the grace of God that we discover our weaknesses; it is by the grace of God that we have the strength to overcome them; it is by the grace of God that we receive any blessing in life, even if and especially when that blessing is simply the gift of life. All that we can and must do is accept God's will for us and be willing to make the changes that His grace offers us the possibility of making."

If you don't think you need God, your life will be a dull, repetitive life. Everybody has ups and downs, but God has provided us with the way to lasting success. In order to really achieve anything worthwhile in life, we must look to Jesus Christ. I testify that we will stand before God at the last day, and our worthiness will be determined by one thing, and one thing only. That is our spiritual preparedness. All that we do and have to make ourselves feel worth something will disappear upon death. The only thing that will clothe our vulnerability and unworthiness before God is our discipleship of the Lord Jesus Christ. The entertainment we seek, recreation, careers, education, physical stature, strength, abilities, talents; anything measurable to the human eye will vanish when we come into the presence of God, and we will stand naked of anything but the desires of our hearts and our works (see Revelation 20: 12-13, KJV, quoted below). There is a common belief throughout the world that by grace alone we are saved, and that works don't matter. The first part is absolutely true, but works are necessary. Works do not matter because they show superiority or because we believe we can save ourselves through works. Works matter for one reason. They are the evidence that we have allowed God into our life and let His grace change us. They show that we have not shut Him out, but that we have opened our hearts and our lives to Him.

The importance of serving God is urgent. Because I know that we will be judged before God and that nothing ungodly can dwell in His Kingdom, I know that without being changed by grace and living the gospel as evidence of this transformation, we will certainly not be prepared to meet Him, much less to live with Him. We will not feel comfortable in His presence, because the only feelings that exist in Heaven are the same feelings that result from living close to Him here. If His grace has changed you and converted you, you will be able to know. You will sincerely desire to do good. You will look forward to activities such as prayer, scripture study, church, offering service to others, and anything else spiritual. If you experience such changes, you will not be able to deny God's power (see Moroni 10: 32-33, quoted below). If you read this and say, I am just not like that, you might be right. But, you can be. Follow the advice of Moroni and come unto Christ. I strongly urge you to do so, because it is truly the only thing of eternal significance. Make God a priority; prepare to meet Him by exercising faith in Christ and repenting. Further that by being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost, then live a life as a disciple of Christ. It is infinitely rewarding to live this gospel as taught simply in the New Testament of the Bible, The Book of Mormon, and God's authorized servants and leaders of His Church Today.

Revelation 20: 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Moroni 10: 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

 33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

Happy 4th!!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July!! I did! We received special permission from our Mission President to stay out and watch fireworks. We had a great evening with one of the families from the Church here. We started with a dinner from KFC and it went from there. There was also another couple there, one of which was baptized just in May. We were able to talk to both families about how they can share the gospel with those they care about. Then we had fun with fireworks! I can't say I thought a lot about the true meaning of the holiday, but I'd like to talk about it now. To me, it means that God has provided a place for us to have religious freedom. Of course there are many other freedoms that come from living in the US, but that is the one that provides the most lasting effect in our lives. It is the one that allows us to make a difference in what happens after we die. Because we can worship God how we see fit in this country, we need not worry about what is going to happen in the next life. We can learn about Jesus Christ and Our Father in Heaven. We are free to practice our faith and live the gospel with no worries about legal restrictions. That is such a huge blessing, because as I have learned to live the teachings and follow the example of my Savior, I have gained a confidence in my personal relationship with God. I do not worry about what is true or how I need to live my life. There are always doubts, but I have a sense of direction, and I trust the Lord to guide my life as I turn to Him. The future is in His hands. I hope you can all take advantage of the blessing of living in this country. A prophet foretold of this in The Book of Mormon, which was written on this land in ancient times and has come to us to confirm and clarify the doctrines taught in the Holy Bible. Jacob was one of the first prophets on this land around 550 B.C. He wrote:

" But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land. And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles. And I will fortify this land against all other nations. And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God. For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words."

-2 Nephi 10:11-14

If you feel that you lack "light" in your life and you need a better vision of the future, turn to the Lord and serve Him. It is no wonder to me that those who place more priority on careers, fashion, entertainment, recreation, etc. than on God lack a sense of real purpose to their life. A life not headed by God will certainly lead to doubt, eventually if not immediately. We can be confident that we will have success in our careers and all aspects of our lives if we put Him first. He cares about our needs first, but our wants as well. He knows we want to be happy, and He will show us how to achieve that. But, true and lasting happiness will only come with self-sacrifice. I have learned that to be true as I have lived and observed others. It is clear to me the Jesus Christ is the only 100% unfailing foundation for our lives.

Safe in Williston.

I'll make this a short post. I will be in Williston for at least 6 more weeks and I love it! I'd like to explain some mission organization. We have the mission, which is about 200 or so missionaries in an area. That is led by a Mission President who is usually old enough to have grown children. Then, we have about 5-10 zones in each mission. Two Elders (young male missionaries) lead each zone. Within each zone, divided by area, are 3-5 districts, each led by one Elder. Then, within each district, each pair (companionship) of missionaries covers a specific area. This picture is of the missionaries in the Williston district.

I love the mission organization. It allows information to be passed down effectively, and it provides a great support system. This is how Christ commanded His servants to work. 

Luke 10:1-3:

 1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

 2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

 3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

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I've been so busy!

I am sorry that I haven't posted anything recently! I have been so busy up here in Williston! It is not a describable place. It is like any other small country town, but It has been filled with so many trucks and outlined with trailers and apartments. It's almost like a peanut with a shell of oil workers and an inside of old town folk. The population has exploded from about 18 thousand (I think) to way over 30 thousand (I think) in the past couple of decades (I think). Could someone please look that up for me? My dad also just informed me that Williston is currently the #1 most expensive place in the USA to rent an apartment right now. WOW I'm actually at the top of a list for once in my life!

I'll share one thing this week. When I got the call to come to Williston, I received an assignment with more responsibility than I've had through the rest of my mission. As I travelled from Casper, I thought a lot about my new assignment. I have observed other missionaries perform this assignment, and I felt that I was incapable of carrying it out very well. Well, I was right, but there's more! We were listening to music on the way up, and "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" came on. The lyrics are:

1. I know that my Redeemer lives.

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, he lives, who once was dead.

He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives to bless me with his love.

He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed.

He lives to bless in time of need.

2. He lives to grant me rich supply.

He lives to guide me with his eye.

He lives to comfort me when faint.

He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears.

He lives to wipe away my tears.

He lives to calm my troubled heart.

He lives all blessings to impart.

3. He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend.

He lives and loves me to the end.

He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing.

He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath.

He lives, and I shall conquer death.

He lives my mansion to prepare.

He lives to bring me safely there.

4. He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

The line that stood out to me is "He lives, my Savior, still the same." I know that Jesus Christ suffered all of our pains when He performed the Atonement (Isaiah 53:3-5). However, I felt it in a deeper sense than I ever have before. I know that He is exactly the same today as He was the second after He rose from the dead. As a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my duty is to represent the Savior in all that I do, and perform whatever actions he would if he were in my position. Therefore, He knows exactly how I felt when I received this assignment. To be like Jesus Christ, especially on a larger scale as I am assigned to do now, is very overwhelming. I was so worried that I would fall short, but when I heard this song, I was comforted. The Atonement is not a far distant event for our Savior. He does not look back on it like we might on an instance of traumatic pain in our lives. The sense of agony is still perfectly vivid in the memory of the Lamb of God. Right now, He exists and can perfectly tune in to our trials. The stress of my responsibilities is something that He can relate to as if He were in my shoes right now, and the same connection with Him is available to everyone today. You can receive strength from above. Get on your knees daily and confess your weaknesses before God. Plead with Him with all of your heart for help. He will not leave you on your own. I have heard this so many times, but to experience it so strongly was a new experience for me. I know that we can receive grace from our Lord as we humble ourselves and strive to serve Him with every ounce of our heart. This is the testimony that God has given me, and I want everyone else to be able to experience it as well.

Matthew 11:28-30:

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 

 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 

 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Happy Easter!

My companion got a book of 108 Hello Kitty fake tattoos for Easter, and he let me use one :) I probably haven't put one of these on since I was 7 or 8, but I remember my mom putting dinosaurs on my hands! Today we are going to play soccer for our P-day activity, and I know for a fact that I'll run faster with Hello Kitty on my leg.

For Easter, we have been sharing a 3 minute video with everyone we can about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Please check it out! the url is mormon.org/becauseofhim.

As I have watched it, I have had many thoughts come into my mind. Many people in the world today who face many pains and challenges look at their trials as evidence that we do not have a loving Heavenly Father. To me, this is a logical idea that shows the faults of human understanding. We learn from Isaiah 55:8-9 that God's thoughts are not our thoughts. He allows us to go through physical pains and temporal struggles to make us stronger. Jesus Christ's life was given in pain (Isaiah 53:3-5) yet he never for a second doubted His Fathers will or his divine mission to save us, His spiritual family. Our Savior knew that physical welfare and spiritual welfare do not always reflect one another in an immediate sense. Often, severe physical trials are a requirement to strengthen our spirits to their full potential. But, if we live the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can be assured that we will be able to live in a world after this life with no physical pain, no heartbreak, no guilt, and no challenges. We will live forever in a state of perfect happiness and peace. However, if we forget our Creator and seek the vain things of the world, we have no such promise. Pleasures of the world, such and drugs, alcohol, sex, or even public recognition, are all spiritual dangers that can lead us to sin against our Father in Heaven. Many of these pleasures do seem good because they can immediately benefit our physical senses, but the only way to obtain everlasting rewards both spiritually and physically is to follow Jesus Christ. As I have tried my best to live His gospel, I have learned and grown under the grace of my Savior. I am certain that He lives now and that he came to earth as my personal Savior. Please turn to Him, and He will not forsake you or forget to reward you. Don't give up if you feel that God has forsaken you. I know that those who patiently wait on the Lord will not be forgotten.

Flat Tire, Full Heart

I know that the title may not make sense with the picture because my heart most certainly does not look full. But yes, we did get a flat tire this week. In the front seat is one of the other missionaries calling the mission office in Rapid City to let them know...

But really, my heart has been full. Serving a mission is a great opportunity. The work does not always show success, but I am constantly growing as a person. It is sad when people do not accept the gospel, but both when the work is slow and when it is going well, I learn valuable lessons. I am learning to be patient. I am learning how to trust in the Lord and recognize His influence in my life. I am learning how to relate the gospel to life, and to help others through their struggles, which I know will bless me for my entire life. I am learning to view others as Christ would and to treat them with love, as He would. The opportunities that God gives each of us will either help us to become more like Christ or distance us from Him. If we do not use each opportunity to become a better person, we will not fulfill our maximum potential for happiness.

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." -John 17:3

Let us learn about Jesus Christ, because we know that He followed perfectly the will of the Father. As we strive to live more and more as Christ did, we will grow closer to Him and to our Father in Heaven. "Life eternal" is living in complete happiness forever. There will be no heartache; no pain; no physical limitations as we turn our hearts to God and let our actions each day exemplify the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. Let us also remember that even after our best efforts, it is only because of the sacrifice of our Savior that we may achieve eternal life. 

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot." -Moroni 10:32-33

Free Food!!

Lately, we've been volunteering at a food bank two times a week. I finally got up the courage to ask for some food, and now I have snacks for the next few months! YES. I have a lot to do today so I'll make this short.

Last week I talked about the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and this past weekend we all had the opportunity to hear from the prophet and apostles by broadcast. As I listened to their words, there was no doubt in my mind that they are appointed by God to lead the Church. They are the way by which God can communicate to the whole world in modern language. Next week, I will share some of their words, because they are not yet available on the website. But, the videos are available, so please watch this talk from President Henry B. Eyring.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2014/04?lang=eng&vid=3434748289001&cid=12

Have a great week!

I don't care what's on the calendar, it is so NOT SPRING

Today, we woke up to at least 3-4 inches of snow on the car. No need for further explication. Here is our "palabra del dia" board that I've been meaning to share.

We've been doing this for about a month now, and among my favorite words are "pilluelo" (mischievous) and "mezquino" (wretched/miserly). Now for the story behind the broken board. It hasn't always been hanging up, so it used to be leaning against the table. I may have mentioned that I like to practice handstands at night. Well, I got a pretty good one and apparently I got too excited, because I somehow tipped over right on the whiteboard and snapped it :(

Just a quick scripture today. Ephesians 2:19-20

 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

This is how Jesus Christ set up His Church when He was on the earth. He also taught that we must be baptized in order to enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5, Mark 16:16). In Ephesians 4:5 we learn that there is to be one baptism. In 1 Cor. 12 we learn about the body of Christ. The body of Christ, or His Church, is the Kingdom of God on the earth, which we may be baptized into. If we then continue following Christ to the end of our lives, we have the promise of everlasting life. That is worth so much more than any pursuit available to us here on earth. Our Father in Heaven wants us to have families, careers, friends, recreation, and other things in our lives. We just need to make sure that He comes before any of these things, and as we pursue these things, we must make sure to put God's will as the top priority, then we will have success. Perhaps it won't come immediately, but I believe the promise found in proverbs 3:5-6. I testify that the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ as explained in Ephesians is important for our day (Ephesians 4:11-14). I testify that Prophets and Apostles are on the earth today to guide the Church. I realize that this statement carries a lot of weight, and I don't expect you to believe me. Think about what I've said and take it to God in sincere prayer. If you really want to know and you are willing to act based off of the answer you receive, you will definitely receive an answer. If you really want to find the truth behind what I'm saying, you will also meet with the missionaries. I have by no means given you enough information, but the missionaries will. They can help you see why it is important for you. Our Father in Heaven wants us all to find the truth in our lives. That is why there is 85,000 missionaries throughout the globe. It is the work of God to bring all to the knowledge of the truth. He expects people to search in faith, and not wait for an answer.

 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."  -Hebrews 11:6