Week 10- Gilbert

Things are going great. Missionary work is progressing a lot lately so we're super excited. We have many more teaching opportunities these past couple weeks. that's awesomet that you taught seminary this morning! first time huh? well keep up the good work. You're very right. It's hard to get them interested. especially in the morning. As a seminary student i was kinda the same way. I wouldn't really pay attention much and fell asleep quite a bit. Looking back though, obviously i regret it. Advice? yes. As a high school student, not everyone realizes the influence that the spirit can have on your life. The jobs that the spirit has are incredible. his job is to testify of the Father and the Son, but he also warns, inspires, and comforts. Each one of them have the gift of the Holy Ghost, and therefore are entitled to reap the blessings promised to them each week in the sacrament prayer, "that they may always have His spirit to be with them." However, they have to obey the conditions in the sacrament prayer as well "willing to take upon them the name of thy son, always remember him, and keep his commandments." If they do so (and it is hard to do so, especially in a high school environment), They are promised by our heavenly father, because of the covenant that they made with him at baptism, that they may ALWAYS have his spirit to be with them. it is important to realize how incredible of a blessing that is, to ALWAYS have it with you. but even more important to realize the what the spirit does, and how it can help them. It can warn, comfort, inspire, testify of truth, and speak through them the truths of the Gospel. How incredible it can be and is to be used as an instrument in the Lord's hands through the holy ghost. Ammon describes it as "a blessing" in Alma 26. Study the holy ghost.  you can find in preach my gospel in the "recognize the spirit" section what it really does and how it can help us. if you really want you can get into gifts of the spirit in Moroni, and in doctrine and covenants 40 (or somewhere around there).
 
Anyway... school started in Arizona. We went to the temple last week... However, i had to be in a different session than my zone because the first session was just starting... "Brothers and sisters..." and then i sneezed. and then started bleeding. out of my nose. really hard. so i pinched my nose, and turned to my companion, "Elder, we gotta go." it was terrible. We went to the bathroom and it took about 25 minutes to stop, just enough to make it to the next session. but it got on my tie, my sleeve, my pants (all of which were not mine, they were the temple's). It was bad but ended up being okay.

That's awesome that you're going to the Bahamas! That would be so much fun! sad about the green pool though... hasn't cooled down at all. the locals say it doesn't cool down until about halloweenish. which stinks. but we haven't had a monsoon/duststorm in a while. money on my card is sufficient. the people we are teaching are doing great though! Marshall (the guy i said you could pray for) is doing good. We were able to have another lesson with him yesterday. not a legitimate lesson, but a tour of the church and then a sciptural discussion. but it ended up being super awesome because it was led coupletely by the spirit. We were in the church so the spirit was super strong, and it was much easier to listen to the spirit to know what to say. The spirit was so strong that we think he knows it's true. He's a lifelong catholic though, so the spirit told us to talk about praying with real intent in order to find out if it's true. Because he doesn't want to receive an answer that it's true, because that would mean that he has been catholic for so long. it would just be hard. It's not like cathollicism is wrong, it's just not all right. but we were able to teach him about praying with real intent, but in reality he knows he'll receive an answer that it's true, and for that reason he doesn't want to do it. He committed to though so we'll see. pray for him. We meet with him again on Wednesday at 8:00. We'll be going over the plan of salvation. We are also teaching a less active that's now returning back to activity. We were able to talk about the atonement with him and his girlfriend, and then afterwards his girlfriend (ally) (and his name is Eric) asked us if we could say something about forgiveness. We were like "ummmmm... yeahhhh!!!!" haha so we shared one on forgiveness and the spirit was super strong. And then Eric closed with a prayer and gave the best prayer i've ever heard. It took about five minutes, but he was crying a lot too. So they agreed to take the lessons. Since then, we've shared the restoration with them, and Ally wants to get baptized but doesn't want to set a date yet. We hope to put her on date soon. They weren't able to make it to church though yesterday, so pray for that too! Anyway, i have to go. sorry if i didn't answer all of the questions that you had.

Good to hear from you again! Well every week actually. I love emailing. and nobody else emails me anymore except the family haha. That was fast. good to hear hailey is working so hard at soccer and faith in God. I never got my faith in God. only duty to god and eagle scout. haha you went down that slide? that must've been good. Did anyone happen to catch it on video? haha

I love that thought. i swear you always have the right thing to say. I just emailed Jeff and said that you always have the right thing to say. Last week's was seriously perfect, and it's easier to get along with my companion now. And we work so much better when we're both happy. We teach well, and we find well, and the Lord blesses us as we strive to do His will rather than focus on the companionship. Kinda like a marriage! But this week was perfect because it's exactly what our new mission president was saying! The last mission president had a HUGE binder of rules for the missionaries and consequences. President Nattress has basically two rules.

1. Obey the spirit

2. Pray with Faith

those are the only things he gave us. Of course he explained them really well too but that's what he wrote down for us to follow. It's perfect because if you obey the spirit, you'll be perfectly obedient! President Nattress told a story to the leadership and they told us but he said that one of the apostles, I think it was Elder Oaks, told president nattress "I am perfectly obedient." Can you imagine being able to say that??? As obedient as I am, I am not perfectly obedient. I do strive to be, but fall short. and keep trying, So your thought was perfect because it went right along with what our mission president was saying.

We'll probably end up doing some proselyting time every day in the church on the computer/ipad or something. It's nuts but exciting. With that and with the Gilber Temple opening soon (well not that soon. probably not for like six months) and the new mission, and more missionaries, we're going to be having more and more teaching opportunities. It is crazy how much everything is changing, but we have to change the way, if we want to change the world. It's awesome though. We're excited. The Lord is really transforming our area though through Elder Cook and me. It's crazy to see. We picked up another investigator this week, and had an incredible lesson last night with Marshall (the life long catholic). It's amazing how the spirit can help you understand what people are thinking through the spirit of discernment. kinda like ammon and king lamoni. actually just like ammon and king lamoni. 

Love you!
Love, Elder Bronson

this is my zone leader Elder Komm that went AP this week... sad... but he's so awesome.

(this guy most be soooooo tall!!!) - courtney