Week 8- Gilbert

Hello! 

good to hear Ryan came home and gave an awesome homecoming talk. believe it or not I actually did write him once... but i forgot to send it. It sat in my scriptures for about a year. I can't remember where I put it but i definitely lost it. I wrote it at efy like two years ago haha. Anyway...  that doesnt' mean he can't write me!! he's got it all backwards. he has to write me first!\

 

Thanks for the thought. It's definitely true that we need to be positive even if difficulties lie ahead. All good thoughts. I kinda have something that kinda goes along the lines of that haha but I think that Alma 26 is one of the greatest chapters in the book of mormon. At least missionary related. All of Alma is missionary related but anyway... Alma 26 is about Ammon as you know. but there is a ton of good stuff in it. especially toward the end when it says "and the lord comforted us and said: 'bear with patience thine afflictions, and i will grant unto thee success.'" totally applicable. The work is tough. especially during the arizona summer. not the heat though, that's easy. but the members. not even the members but all of Arizona. they are all gone! haha they call them snowbirds. They leave during the summer and don't come back until it's cool again. But basically 1/3 of the ward comes to sacrament every sunday, and 2/3 are out of town. So those are our afflictions. It causes the work to sometimes be tough. But we've worked with patience and dilligence and faith (D&C 4 and Alma 26), and we were able to see success. and are looking forward to more success. Elder Cook and I were able to have a lesson with a guy named marshall. he's about mid forties. We did some service for him a couple weeks ago and we were able to get in with him. we taught the restoration. He's a lifelong catholic but it didn't even matter. the spirit was there and super strong toward the end when we got into the restoration. It was so awesome. They just stare at you without blinking when you are quoting joseph's experience. I love it. But anyway he said that he'd read the book of mormon and pray about it. We gave him a soft commit too ( that's basically like, "When you come to know that the bom is true, will you follow the example of jesus christ and be baptized by proper authority?") And he said yes so we'll see how it goes! But we have two more lessons set up this week with two other investigators, so we are seeing the work pick up and we're super excited! But it's all about the members! read pmg and it'll tell you the same thing! but definitely in this area. \

 

Elder Cook and I are happy to see the work pick up. There are a few people in our area desiring to come back to activity and so we are working on them slowly but surely! and we had an awesome lesson with a new investigator last week! his name is marshall. and a couple more lessons set up this week with other investigators. We're excited. Anyway love ya Court! but you are definitely right. never let doubt or discouragement creep in. Discouragement can result in a decrease of faith. never doubt. coolest quote ever ready? I'm sure you've heard it and i'm sure i'll butcher it but... Elder Holland, "for two hundred years this book (book of mormon) has been examined, and attacked... but i'm sticking to what my great grandfather said 'no wicked man could write such a book. and no good man would. unless it were true. and he were commanded of God to do so." It's wayyyyyy better when you hear holland say it so look it up! good stuff though!

 

Also as a ward missionary, when you are trying to get members excited, look in the first chapter of preach my gospel. there are a bunch of quotes from all of the prophets about member missionary work. some of them inspire, others condemn. but my favorite one (which is kinda condemning) is by President Hunter, "When you feel the blessings of the atonement in your life, you cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of others. A good indicator of your personal conversion is your desire to share the Gospel with others." Use PMG.  

Maybe you could start incorporating pmg into family night, or nightly scripture study. but there are some quotes in the first chapter from each latter-day prophet about member missionary work. some of them are so awesome, and slightly condemning haha but my favorite one is the one by president Hunter (I actually shared it with court already too but...). It says, "When you feel the blessings of the atonement in your life, you cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of others. A good indicator of your personal conversion is your desire to share the gospel with others.) Pretty intense, huh? i think so! but anyway  love you lots! keep writing!

 

Love, Elder Bronson