• All we need to do is be obedient, work hard, and sacrifice, and the Lord will make up the difference.
• We had a huge break through last week during our weekly planning session. We realized that all of our success in this area has come from having the members make the invitations. Nearly all of the invitations we've made have been declined. So many members in this area have friends whom are coming to church and other activities. It's simply a matter of determining who their best member friends are and asking them to invite them.
• I love Christmas. Everyone loves each other at Christmas. And we had a Christmas miracle this week. A few months ago we had a baptism for a 14-year-old boy who moved in with his active member cousins. His grandma also moved in. She is not a member of the Church and we were teaching her as well, but she was just not progressing. I don't know what happened over the past couple months - maybe it's the Christmas spirit - but now she wants to get baptized! We went to visit their family on Saturday, not really expecting anything, and Grandma Bolton's son asked her, "So, do you want to get baptized now, or are we going to have to wait until after you croak?" She decided that she wanted to get baptized now. She started telling us about all of the experiences she has had since living with this family, and she knows the Church is true. She just has health problems and has a hard time making it to sacrament meeting. But she'll get there.
• We have an investigator that we started working with and we had given him at least 3 baptismal goals and he never made any of them. My current companion continued to give him dates but to no avail. I was prompted one night as I was praying and asking what I should do. The spirit prompted me that I should give him full reign over the baptismal date and have him give his own date. Never in my wildest dreams would I do such a thing because from what I think, such an idea would be an eternal mistake. Needless to say, it was and is such a blessing because I did so and he confronted us on Sunday and told us he wanted to be baptized on the 24th of December
• I guess the Scripture of the week Hebrews 5:8-9 is actually related to my letter subject. I’ve heard and I’ve seen sadly the doctrine that some missionaries are preaching with their example, it is sad to know that some missionaries have in their minds that even with disobedience they can baptize, and I am sure that disobedient missionaries can baptize, some probably they can baptize more than some obedient missionaries, but I think about the process and about the final destination of us and the people we teach, then I know that it’s not about the numbers, it’s not about people under water, is people actually changing their lives, it’s actually leading them to eternal life through obedience to the commandments of God, so I just think what are some missionaries preaching?
• In the last zone conference the missionaries asked me if it was true that I was baptizing 8 people this month. I don't know how they got that out, but I hope that they can tell that they can baptize weekly, just like you told us. It is possible, I know it, and honestly I hope they have this same attitude and say “If he can do it, we can do it'”.
• Everything is going great right now we are schedule to have a baptism on the 19th so that is really good and we are schedule to have two more on the 26th so even though we weren’t able to teach a lot we are going to have a good week with a baptism coming up and next week we are going to pick up a couple new investigators for us.
• It seems like we are making great progress with our eternal investigator and his family. I mentioned before that we had challenged them to read the Book of Mormon and pray as a family. They have been doing great with the challenge! I am still so glad that I followed through on the prompting to give them that challenge. Also, Sunday morning we went to their ward's ward council and told them about the progress we had made with the family. The bishop decided that he is going to meet with the investigator and invite him to be baptized. Because of what the bishop had said, we weren't going to talk about baptism when we went to their house that afternoon, but he brought it up himself! He said that he and his wife were talking about baptism. Sister Callahan then challenged him to pray about Dec 25 as a baptismal date, and he said that he would! We could hardly believe it! It now seems very possible that he could be baptized this month after investigating the church for 15 years. I guess we'll see what happens. His baptism would be the Christmas miracle that we have been praying for.
• Hebrews 5:8-9 Because of what Jesus went through he learned obedience. He obeyed the father and now we can enjoy of eternal life if we obey him.
• I'm new but what I've learned so far about a mission with so many members is basically resolving investigators concerns and sharing the spirit with everyone. Once their concerns are out of the way and they've felt the spirit, they usually have a strong desire to be baptized. That comes from working diligently and being obedient to gain that spirit that touches others I guess. Less active members do like to go to church most of the time because they feel like people are judging and staring. My companion and I usually just explain that the members are people with problems too and usually the spirit touches them and they know they should go back and they usually say they will. I'm starting to sense that as I’m diligent and obedient, I know what to study and what to say at the right time. I guess if I’m worthy of the lords spirit, the work can be done. It’s amazing to see how I’m not really doing anything! It’s all the lord, I can bear my testimony and stuff but it’s that spirit that makes the tears start to flow.
• The spirit of Christ is here in the mission during this Christmas Season and it truly brings many blessings and miracles, especially in missionary work.
• On Tuesday, we met a new investigator, Paris Thomas. She was a little hesitant at accepting a baptismal date for January 23, but her friends helped resolve her concerns. Her main concern was that her family would be opposed to becoming a member. But, yesterday we found out that she got up the courage to talk to her sister, who said she would love her just the same. Also, her grandmother is an active member and is very excited for her.
• Something I have been reflecting on is making you a tool in the Lords hands and how we most effectively do that. And I think it boils down to one thing learning to recognize and follow the Spirit. We can have all the skills in the world but if we use our own judgment then we will be wrong. But the Lord will always guide in the right way and make up for our lack of ability.
• Gerry Li was baptized on Sat. , it was a nice service, and 23 families from the ward were in attendance have been sharing a Christmas message with our investigators, and it has been a great opportunity to strengthen their faith in the Savior.
• Right now we are just going through the area book and following up with EVERYONE to see where they are at. We are also doing a lot of tracting to get familiar with the area and to get to know neighborhoods. I seriously LOVE tracting. It is just so humorous. I honestly crave the crazy, weird reactions that we get. I love introducing ourselves and asking if we can serve them in anyway. Everyone loves the little business cards we leave that have our numbers on them.
• My companion has been focusing on being more grateful in our prayers and more specific also. This has changed my attitude about missionary work and it has given me an opportunity to show love to those around me since I am so thankful for everyone around me.
• When the assistants announced that I would be whitewash training, I was scared to death and felt completely inadequate. A million times a day I still feel like that, but I know that I wouldn't have been asked to do this if the Lord didn't already know that I could do it. And it also helps to know that really, it's not my work. It's the Lord's work.
• My studies this week in all honesty, were less than I had hoped for. I think I just got stuck in a rut of reading the Book of Mormon solely for the assignment and not for the investigators. However, the last two days I have been keeping with the seven to eight pages a day, but I have looked for specific answers to questions that investigators have, within those seven to eight pages. And I have found answers. I love the Book of Mormon. If you read it with the right frame of mind, you will find whatever you need. The Lord blessed us in so many different ways through that book.
• With the zone we will be focusing on faith and keeping the line in the water (the basics: work and faith. We are focusing on every companionship teaching at least 10 lessons with members a week, and finding 3 every week. It is more than possible we just need to believe it and pray and work for it. I know we will see great miracles this transfer and we will accomplish our goals to not only teach and find, but be consistent at it as well.
• And we have a great district leader. He covers the same territory but in English. He gives us so many referrals.
• We're getting there President Laney. We're working harder and I can feel the greater portion of God's Spirit because of increased diligence. Diligence and obedience I think are close to, if not right on, the most important Eternal Principles.
• We found!!!! It was amazing! We just came to the realization that ALL of the work that we've had in this area is directly from members. Meaning we have not been able to get into any non-member doors unless a member has done the inviting. Even what seem like golden referrals from members aren't so good unless they introduce us. So we're going to figure out how to make things more successful with our new efforts.
• To answer the question we got last week about the kingdoms of glory (sorry that I forgot). As far as I understand so can you not get to a higher kingdom once you already have had your final judgment. However, there are certain levels in every kingdom where you can "get higher up" but not to another kingdom. Those who are in the higher kingdoms can visit the lower kingdoms but not the opposite.
If you are sealed in the temple but your kids or other family members don't live up to the standards nor commandments results in that they will deny that blessings of eternal families. You have to live up to celestial laws if you want to come to the celestial kingdom. If you're not living up to the temple covenants then you can’t follow your family but they can visit you. That's my understanding at least.
• •Doctrinal Question from a weekly letter
• Our zone also has a doctrinal question with which there are many controversies. Is there progression between kingdoms? For example, can someone in the telestial kingdom progress into the celestial kingdom. Also, what about people who were sealed to their parents yet don't hold up their covenants? How can families be together in the celestial kingdom if the kids don't do what they should? (Respond in your weekly letter!)
• Answer:
• Joseph Smith taught that “The eternal sealing’s of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father’s heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on; trust on, till you see the salvation of God. Who are these straying sheep—these wayward sons and daughters? They are children of the covenant; heirs to the promise…Could all of that go for naught?” (Quoted by Orson F. Whitney, Conference Report, Apr.1929, 110).
• Brigham Young said, “Let the father and mother, who are members of this Church and Kingdom, take a righteous course, and strive with all their might never to do a wrong, but to do good all their lives; if they have one child or one hundred children, if they conduct themselves towards them as they should, binding them to the Lord by their faith and prayers, I care not where those children go, they are bound up to their parents by an everlasting tie, and no power of earth or hell can separate them from their parents in eternity; they will return again to the fountain from whence they sprang” (quoted by Joseph Fielding Smith in Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, vol.2, p.90-91).
• Lorenzo Snow taught that “If you succeed in passing through these trials and afflictions and receive a resurrection, you will, by the power of the Priesthood, work and labor, as the Son of God has, until you get all your sons and daughters in the path of exaltation and glory. This is just as sure as that the sun rose this morning over yonder mountains. Therefore, mourn not because all your sons and daughters do not follow in the path that you have marked out to them, or give heed to your counsels. Inasmuch as we succeed in securing eternal glory, and stand as saviors, as kings and priests to our God, we will save our posterity” (in Collected Discourses, comp. Brian H. Study, [1987-92], vol.3, and p.364).
• Elder Boyd K. Packer said that “The measure of our success as parents…will not rest solely on how our children turn out. That judgment would be just only if we could raise our families in a perfectly moral environment, and that now is not possible. It is not uncommon for responsible parents to lose one of their children for a time, to influences over which they have no control. They agonize over rebellious sons or daughters. They are puzzled over why they are so helpless when they have tried so hard to do what they should…We cannot overemphasize the value of temple marriage, the binding ties of the sealing ordinance, and the standards of worthiness required of them. When parents keep the covenants they have made at the altar of the temple, their children will be forever bound to them” (“Our Moral Environment,” Ensign, May 1992, 68).
• Submitted by Elder and Sister Richardson of the Taylorsville Zone
• So after having only 2 people to teach the lord blessed us with some more people and now we have 6 people getting baptized on the 24th and one in January. I have such a strong testimony of diligence. Even when it seems that you have knocked every door and talked to everyone, the lord wants to test you to see how you work and then He will bless you with the people He has prepared to hear the gospel.

• One thing I really wanted to mention was the Spirit I felt as listened to the Christmas Devotional. We didn't get to watch it last night, but we did today. I especially liked the end of President Monson's talk, where he quoted the final verse of O Little Town of Bethlehem, which says "No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in."
I just think that really applies to what we do. Even though there are so many hard-hearted people out there, the meek and humble still will receive Christ into their lives.
• It is our goal to see the zone surpass 100 lessons. 10 per companionship. I have full faith this is possible as we pray and work for it. This is looking up to be a white Christmas and New Years.
• OBEDIENCE=MORE FAITH Helaman 10:4-5 I’m sure that's a PMG scripture but I just thought I wanted to share with you. It struck me this week. 4 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. 5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.
• We had a good week. It seems like weeks worth of finding efforts finally came to fruition, as we found 8 new investigators. It was great. We also should have at least 3 this week. It is proof to me that to find consistently it is important to be working hard all the times and it will finally add up. We won’t stop though.
• However from the zone conference I learn how important to ask question, so that we will know there concerns not only that is the language that were using we should try to be careful when we teach of using "yea"instead of "yea"use "Yes"or the using of the word "COOL" and It is so important that we should using respectful language when we teach not only that I learn how to use the book of Mormon to answer every question, and it was so true and mostly all of our investigator love readying the book of Mormon and I know that it is so powerful when we use the Book Of Mormon.
• At Zone Conference I learned that obedience gives us more faith and it also prevents us from becoming sinful. Obedience is the first law of heaven.
• Mosiah 2:41 - This is an easy one to understand, difficult to put into practice sometimes. But if we choose to be obedient to the commandments we've been given, if we're 100% obedient, we will be happier. The more we can focus the happier we are. I know this to be absolutely true. I'm more focused than I was weeks ago and I am very much happier for it.
• Also as I've been reading the book of Mormon looking for Christ in it. It has really helped me grow closer to my savior.  I have been able to apply the things I've learned in my teaching as well.  I love it.
• So something I learned from zone conference was that I needed to testify more of the book of Mormon. I have begun doing that and everyday I have testified and I have seen miracles happen. We were teaching a young man who has recently come back into activity and we were reading D&C 5 and 17, asking the question "what does it mean to be a witness?" After reading the D&C 5 a salesman came in, and actually sat down with us and started to listen in. We didn’t know his situation at all but we thought we would just carry on, so we read section 17 and had he read it. When he read the saviors testimony on the book of Mormon, he stopped, and nodded his head. We testified of the book of Mormon in simplicity and I believe that the sprit was carried to that salesman because he said "I'm not a member of the church, but I'm opening minded". We asked if he wanted a book of Mormon, and he accepted without hesitation. It was amazing because he did not know the beginning of lesson 1, he came in at the last principle and yet it was good enough because the book of Mormon covers all the principles before it in lesson 1. We will be meeting with him this week. And this all happened because we bore pure testimony of the book of Mormon.
• We had a great week! It was amazing! We've been praying and striving to hit 30 lessons a week, and things weren't looking too good by Saturday night. We had 21 lessons by then. That's still amazing, but we promised to hit 30. On Sunday, something amazing happened. It just so happened that EVERYONE we tried to contact was home and willing to hear a lesson! We got 9 lessons in one day with members present! It just goes to show that prayer, study and diligence all together with the Lord's will in it makes anything happen. This area's doing amazing and we have two more baptisms scheduled for this upcoming Saturday.
• We have been working on our OYM's for the past couple weeks and they are paying off.  I went to talk to a young lady and she came out and said she wanted to meet with us before I could really get anything out.  He fiancé is a member and she isn't.  We are hoping they will make the temple their final goal.  Right after that we talked to another young lady and she invited us over.  It's amazing how the Lord works.
• What I learned at Zone conference was that I can be a better witness of the Book of Mormon. I have seem as of late just an increase in opposition to our investigators and it has been a struggle to get them to keep their commitments. The world is getting worse and we need the saving power of the Book of Mormon even more. I will not let Moron’s efforts of 37 years go to waste! The world needs to know about this!
• This Zone Conference I was touched profoundly by the spirit. Teaching is one of the things that I struggle with on my mission and at times I get sad because I feel like no matter how hard I study and strive to improve on my teaching skills I fail. At times I am overwhelmed with sadness because I feel like I am not improving or feel eloquent enough to teach. So last week I was thinking why the Lord called me on a mission when He knew that I was a horrible teacher. President Laney I have gotten on my needs pleading for help but it sometimes seems like I am not improving. When I went to Zone Conference and we watched the video about the man who testified to Brigham Young about his testimony of the Book of Mormon and how he felt like he wasn't good enough to testify yet his simple testimony touched Brigham Young. That eventually led to his desire to read the Book of Mormon and his conversion. I was so touched by that because I feel like that man I don't think I will ever feel good enough to teach the gospel beause I don't have words the Lord's truth deserves but I do have a TESTIMONY OF THE GOSPEL!!! I have a strong testimony that HE LIVES!! That Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God that the Book of Mormon is true and no matter how horrible I think I am teaching the investigators they will always know that I know that this church is true! I have a simple testimony and I was called to proclaim it and to testify what I know. The spirit told me at Zone Conference that I have something to offer even as I struggle with my teaching. Moses is always an inspiration to me because when he was called to be a prophet he felt like he wasn't good enough to speak to the people yet he was strengthen and became an amazing man. I know that my weaknesses can become strong in Christ for he is mighty and he knows and has compassion of my weaknesses and fears. I love my Savior he truly is my Friend and is always by my side to strengthen me.
• I'm doing the book of Mormon challenge and I've learned a lot so far. I know that by the end of the challenge I'll have a bigger testimony of it.
• Something that really stuck out to me at Zone Conference is when you said that you cannot replace the knowledge and time you have to learn and study the gospel in the next 2 years, with decades. So I have been taking a more serious thought to my study time. Because I would like to learn all that I can in the next 2 years... believe me when I tell you that time has been like a speeding freight train. It's heavy, loud, cause’s lots of commotion, but as soon as you see it, it’s gone again. I hope to savor the precious moment I have left thus far on my mission. Ring zone conference I learned that I need to use the book of Mormon more often and that I need to help my investigators gain a testimony of its truthfulness.
• Zone Conference was great.  I felt like I needed to use the Book of Mormon better.  I especially liked the training on Questions of the soul.  I guess I am just too straightforward sometimes and say "Hey, do you want to listen or not."  (Not exactly like that, but the general idea.)  I need to show people why the Book of Mormon is going to answer their questions and how it will help them in their lives.  And if they don't express questions I can come up with ways it has helped me resolve questions of the soul.  I was also called to repentance by the film a man without eloquence and realized that while I try to bear testimony frequently, I can always do it more.
• My favorite part of zone conference was when we talked about using the Book of Mormon to answer the questions of the soul, and that’s something that sometimes we forget. Something I started doing was to write down the questions of my investigators and try to find the answers in the Book of Mormon. That's one of the activities in pmg that I've enjoyed the most, because you get the same questions over and over through out your mission and it’s great when they see and feel that the book contains all the answers they need.
• That reminds me that I need to write about zone conference.  First of all, I simply love the Book of Mormon and testify about it every chance that I get.  I have a strong personal testimony based on experiences that I've had on the mission that the Book of Mormon is the key to conversion.  Even if an investigator rejects everything taught in a lesson, as long as they read the Book of Mormon, they will know that the church is true, and will overcome their doubts. I also like how we applied Alma 26:22 in the conference.  How we can exercise faith in to find and the importance of being obedient.  There are definitely some things that I can work on to increase my faith and improve obedience.
• Zone Conference was great on Thursday, and I'm glad it was very much focused on the Book of Mormon. Throughout my mission I've read to much of the New Testament, and not enough of the Book of Mormon. It's really nice getting the reminder that the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth. I finally realized again that it doesn't matter what other people think about. It's true whether they want to believe it or not. Now our mission has a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in tree months along with marking the names of Christ, his attributes, and the words that he speaks. It's been very rewarding so far.
• What I learned in zone conference was never be afraid to bear your testimony about the book of Mormon, not matter the situation.
• Last week was an amazing week on Sunday we had a family baptism. When we started teaching the restoration and asked them to be baptized they accepted without hesitation. They said that they had heard the discussions before but that they were ready now to make the commitment of baptism. The daughter started taking seminary at school and her knowledge of the gospel gave her a desire to get baptized. At first the mother  was hesitant about her daughters desire to be baptized but she was able to see the change that the gospel was taking place in her daughter and she had a desire to learn about the gospel. They bore their testimonies at the baptism and they were all crying from joy they said that they knew that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was the true church of Christ. That they wanted to always stay faithful to the commandments.
• Don't worry, that 10 up there for investigators to church is NOT a typo, unfortunately neither is the 0 on date...
We have come down with the cold finally, it was only a matter of time, so we figured that since our health was failing us Sunday, our investigators finally wouldn't, and if this hypothesis is true, I'm going to try and stay sick the rest of my mission!!   Not really, but the sacrifice was worth it.   And yes, those 10 people at church last week will translate into people on date this week.
• In Zone conference I learned that I need to testify of the Book of Mormon more, I always call the Book of Mormon my "Weapon of Mass Instruction" since I'm deprived of 6 shooter.   But I did like the training from Elder Tolman at the end, he's so great.   I REALLY don't like it when people always have kids come up to the font when someone gets baptized.   So I'm going to start telling the WML or who ever is conducting NOT to invite kids to do that more often, and just set up little chairs in front.   I also LOVE it when random people come in before the baptism and sit on the soft chairs in the front row, the seats that are obviously there for the family and people involved in the ordinance.
• This past week was a great learning experience for me personally. I loved Zone Conference, especially the insights and impressions I received about what the Savior thinks about the Book of Mormon. I had never really thought about that before. I think I had always had a testimony that it was true, but I never took the time to think about how valuable the Savior thinks the Book of Mormon is. It really strengthened my faith and courage in sharing the message of the Restoration and the Book of Mormon.
• Zone Conference which really helped me learns about the Savior. Then after Zone Conference, I studied all of the scripture references that were used during conference. That really fortified my testimony and faith in the power and spirit that comes with the Book of Mormon.
• Thanks for a good ZC, I really enjoyed it. I felt like I need to use the Book of Mormon more effectively and more often during lessons, and that is what I am going to do. And I learned, or I guess re-learned, how to resolve concerns from Elder England and Elder Pearson's training.
• I enjoyed Zone conference although I was really out of it the whole time. I learned how important the Book of Mormon it is in helping investigators gains a true conversion. I need to make sure my testimony of the Book of Mormon is kept sharp.
• I also learned that I should start using unique ideas for finding people.
• Should get many more on date this upcoming week, and our stake president had training on getting members to lessons for the Ward Mission Leaders here that I think will help us do that. We won't let the snow slow us down, working hard to be diligent. Zone Conference was great, we're role-playing asking questions and resolving those more. That may be what we need most to work on as a companionship is involving investigators more. It’s great to read the Book of Mormon and focus on the words of Christ. It’s pretty easy to tell whose talking by the way they speak. It’s very interesting to see that.
• I've been keeping up with the Book of Mormon challenge, and been loving it.  I wish that I had appreciated the BoM like I do now before my mission.  It's a beautiful, powerful compilation which has so much LIFE to it.  Sometimes it seems incredible to me that people can read it and not feel a thing.
• What I got out of the zone conference was that my prayer's need to be more specific, and that the reward for obedience is faith. I learned quite a bit more about Moroni, and I liked that.
• I was reminded that I need to pray MORE specifically. That was a message I got from last zone conference as well and I got it again just this past week so I guess I am not doing it right. Also it reaffirmed that I need to teach from the Book of Mormon. Which is how I teach?
• This week I learned to be obedient with exactness, and to follow the Spirit in all decisions in finding investigators.
• We have been OYMing everybody. We've been checking referrals. We're asking to speak in every ward. We're starting a scripture study class. We're setting up appointments with our investigators. We're trying out all the finding tools we've been given. We're both going to work as hard as we can and we know the Lord will always help us as we ask him to.
• This past zone conference was very interesting and inspiring for us to keep going and keep working as hard as we have been to bring more souls unto Christ but, that our best tool of helping them receive that personal revelation is through reading and praying about the scriptures. I love the Book of Mormon challenge and so every person we meet with we try to start them on the 90-day challenge not only to help their testimonies but, also to feel like they are apart of the work in reading and thinking of the souls who still have yet to know the fullness of the gospel.
• I'm really enjoying the Book of Mormon challenge. Every time I read through the Book of Mormon, I find more that stands out to me. During zone conference I realized how much I have to work on memorizing scriptures. I've never been too good at memorization, but as I am persistent in my efforts as well as in prayer I know that the Lord will help me. I learnt a lot about asking question at Zone Conference. It really helps others when they can answer questions for themselves. It helps them to remember better and almost teach themselves. I will be trying to apply this as much as I can in future teaching.
• I really liked that sheet on Moroni. Just today I was reading Ether and it said that Moroni was going to stand during judgment for everyone to see that he has authority. So for those that discredit the Book of Mormon and the work that Moroni did, they will see and will regret not accepting it.  Mosiah 2:41 means to me that obedience to the commandments is everything. You may have worldly things to loose, but absolutely everything to gain. You can't go wrong following the commandments.
• What I learned from the zone conference was mostly about the small but yet important details about the baptism services don't close the curtain etc.
• Zone Conference was very awesome as always. Learning about the Book of Mormon like that was really something I felt I needed. I feel that I am learning more about the Book of Mormon than I ever had, not just from reading the notes I took during the conference, but also taking that challenge of reading the Book of Mormon in 90 days.
• Finding is one of my favorite aspects of missionary work!  One of the best things that I learned from Elder Collado, is that there are always golden investigators waiting to be found, the missionary just needs to have faith in the Lord so that you can be lead to the 1 percent.  It was proven very true!  On the way to a lesson that we were quite possibly going to be late for, the spirit prompted us to talk to this man named John who had been standing outside his apartment with his wife Tammy.  John has gone to church the past three months or so in a different ward, just moved into the area, and his wife is a member.  The first thing he said to us is that he wants to be sealed to his wife in the temple.  But apparently- baptism is the first step.  We caught John at the perfect time, because he had just barely gotten out of his apartment so that he could head off to work (which he was late for).  And after talking with, and setting up a lesson with John, we traveled to our appointment which had to cancel on u.Just goes to show that the Lord works on his own timing.
• After bearing our testimonies this Sunday in Sacrament meeting, the bishop walked up to we and his eyes became moist. He told us that as we spoke a rush went through his face and he felt the spirit strongly. He also said that he enjoyed our simple testimonies. Also after bearing our testimonies, a brother by the name of David Rice walked up to us and told us that he had not been to church in over 30 years and would like for us to teach him. We set up a date and will be teaching him on Tuesday. Well I want you to know that I know that miracles are still occurring today. God is still a God of miracles (Mormon 9). I also know that obedience leads to stronger faith. Faith leads to miracles. And miracles are what we are looking for.
• Their area is still struggling though for some reason. I reminded them about Elder Snows advice to just sacrifice something, anything, the bigger the better. I love that concept because it's something you can do even when you can’t see anything wrong with the way you are working your area, if you are working your best. Kind of an indirect way to boost your area.

• My companion and I have had great success. Yesterday we spoke in sacrament meeting three times. Every time we spoke about members working with the missionaries. After a day of what seemed like no success and pointless walking in the snow, we decided to go the extra mile. After we came in for the night, we got several phone calls. One person called, saying that their daughter wants to be baptized and has been attending church with them for several weeks. All of a sudden we were able to teach families that we were not allowed to before. By Wednesday of this week we will have taught more lessons than we have in the last few weeks. Miracles are still happening today. What I'm trying to say is we MUST go the extra mile.
• We also found 3 new investigators this week. Even though all three were from referrals that members having working with for awhile, I know it is because of our efforts to ask our investigators for referrals. Teach when you find, find when you teach.
• We've been trying to include the less-active members in missionary work. We invited a less-active returned-missionary to share his testimony at the baptismal service, but he wouldn't so we invited the less-active Dad of a recent convert to do the same, but he didn't come, but we'll keep trying! I've realized that I've made the mistake of just including the active members that I think are best for the job, when including everyone foments a lot more unity and helps a lot more people out.
• I forgot to email you last few times about zone conference. I learned that when we are obedient, it not only helps with the work, but with our faith. I also learned more of the importance of the book of Mormon (not like I didn't already) but I think it helped inspire me to read it more and I had a desire by the time I left ZC. Things get old, but it's always good to get a reminder.
• Reading the Book of Mormon, I noticed that the most commonly mentioned Christ-like attribute isn't faith or obedience or any of that. It's power. The power of God, his atonement. So I'm going to try to be more powerful.
• This has been a great week! We are finding some new investigators and seeing success. One of the families that were previously taught before I moved into the area has accepted the missionaries to come back. I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet them, they are a fantastic family. Also, we are having much success with the Ward Mission Leaders in using their help in finding more people that speak Spanish. The Stake President has been a tremendous blessing as well. The Lord truly does have his hand in all things, especially his work. One night this last we week we decided to stop by one of our investigators without an appointment but we were in the area at the time and wanted to check up. Turns out the father wanted a blessing and was going through some pretty hard times. Turns out, we were exactly in the right place, at the right time.
• What I learned at Zone Conference: I learned the importance of getting more familiar with the Book of Mormon. What I felt: I really did feel the spirit testifying to me of the importance of obedience, how it's the greatest act of faith we can do now.
• The BoM challenge is going wonderfully. I am really enjoying it. The pages just seem to fly by! I have never realized before how many references there are to the Savior. It's awesome!
• This week went very well.  I've been working on my faith and diligence with the work, and we've seen immediate results.  We started to talk to more people and we started finding people (surprise surprise).  Imagine that.  We kind of fell in a groove, like we all do, and we're getting out of it.  Tracting, trying new things with the ward, getting people to come out with us, and a few other things.  It really goes to show that there are people ready to receive the gospel EVERYWHERE.  Even people, who have lived in Utah their whole lives, attended church until they are 14 and want their son to be baptized.
• What I'm going to apply: I'm going to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days!  I want to continue reading it the rest of my life!  It's the book that brings me mo9st joy!
• What Mosiah 2 means to me is that those that keep the commandments are blessed in many ways. Ways here in this life and after, physically and spiritually. Blessed are they that keep the commandments of God for they will have never-ending happiness! What a great scripture!!
• This week we’re trying to get our investigators solidified for their baptismal dates, because the 14 people who are on date look great on achieving their baptismal date. And the zone conference was perfect for them, because almost all of them have been stressed with the necessity of reading the BOM to know the Truth. And they all have said that they felt the Holy Ghost when they are reading it. Even in the families, the couples are reading them together.
• So we had the baptisms yesterday for the Zamora family. It was great! We had a lot of people there and the spirit was strong. That really helped the non-members at the baptism realize that baptism is very important ordinance. I have a great testimony of using baptismal services as finding tools. There's always at least one person that wants to get baptized afterwards and yesterday was not an exception. We started to talk to this guy and he said he wanted to get baptized and we'll start teaching him right away....
• The Stake President got up after I did and confirmed what I said to be true He asked if we had hit our goal for teaching 21 lessons this week and I said no. He than turned to the congregation and said that it was the fault of the members and he called them all to repentance. It was amazing, the power of the spirit that I could feel in the room was tremendous and I will never forget it.
• This past week has been a pretty good one. The top two highlights were Zone Conference…But it was something I needed to hear. And reading the Book of Mormon and specifically looking for the Savior's name and his words. Just from reading 1 Nephi there were so many things that I had not noticed before. I also realized that faith is something I need to work on; I have been lacking faith in this area and in myself.
• Then Zone Conference was great Learned Allot. Faith Is Essential to this work and obedience is the price for that. Learned to ask more questions when I teach and better ones. The spirit was very strong the entire meeting. To be honest with you president I have no idea why I cried. Maybe its because I realized I’m going home and I’m not going to be doing this full time anymore. Or because I just felt very peaceful. I feel really good about everything no bad feelings about on anything. That night we had a baptism and that was wonderful.
• I really learned a lot at Zone Conference. One thing that really hit me was that the Book of Mormon can solve any concerns. That any doubts of the gospel can be solved with a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I was even able to put this into practice the very next day after zone conference. It was amazing to see the Spirit bring the things I learned in Zone Conference to my remembrance.
• I learned from Zone Conference, more reminded, the most was the importance of using questions and being a good teacher from that most wonderful senior couple that instructed us so wonderfully. It was profound and it has influenced me to want to use a lot more questions in my teaching again. I also learned all the things and greatness of Moroni to get the Book of Mormon here. I didn't know he wandered for about 37 years alone; just to get the record to the correct spot so Joseph Smith could bring it up in a future time.
• The area is picking up a little bit. I think by the end of this week we'll have at least 8 people on date. And hopefully we baptized more before the transfer is over. The companionship is doing very well; we do not have any problems. We're improving in our teaching skills and our unity while teaching.
• The week went well and zone conference was amazing. I know I shouldn't say that but it is the only work to describe it. I learned that the Book of Mormon has a sweet spirit to it and we should use it in all the aspects of our lives. It helps out a lot and we are going to start reading the whole thing with an investigator and hope that he feels the spirit. I am testifying of it more and I am using it and carrying it all over the place. No matter where I go I have a Book of Mormon with me.
• We had 2 more baptisms yesterday and it was incredible! The father is less-active and the mother is a non-member but they have wanted the kids to be baptized for a while and yesterday they were! The next step is to get the mom baptized and then to get the family to the temple! I really want to see a family be sealed on my mission and there is nothing I want more than to see that happen and it can! The mom has wanted to be baptized for a while too but she is overcoming smoking but after seeing her son and daughter is baptized she really wants to be baptized now! The lord is working on the family and I can tell he really wants them to be sealed in his temple and that is what I want for them! It was incredible to see the family come closer and after the baptism I just keep seeing them getting sealed in the temple!!! They are almost there and I hope and pray that they will keep working towards that!
• To see how great a miracle that was please look about 4 months back and again about 2 1/2 months back to see their family situation.  Let's just say that they were thinking of getting a divorce 4-5 months ago when we knocked on the door.  Since the whole family has become active, she teaches primary, he gave a lesson in High Priests, and their 12 year old un-baptized son who was rebellious as all get out got baptized, and they were all smiling and I think the parents actually kind of like each other now!!!  The gospel does bless families.
• Church was great this week, we had Mark and Sonya’s whole family comes. They have 4 kids, and 3 who are at baptism age. They told us to not come back a few weeks ago, but told us to come back Wednesday at church. The 18 year old Victor, who was the hardest to work with, loved church and is gaining a testimony of the book of Mormon. He has read a little and prayed about it. A member he works with gave him a few scriptures and told him to pray about it, so it’s been great! He was even mentioning the other day about a mission and what he would have to do to go on one. It was an amazing experience to hear that out of him... Everything for this Saturday’s baptism with Spencer Lamb is ready, he is excited and there will be over a hundred people there, so good turn out!!
• The baptisms we had yesterday were absolutely great. We had a family of five that were baptized. The amount of support displayed by the branch was amazing. We made sure to make invitations and talk about the service with as many people as we could during the week because we wanted the baptism to be special. It was truly amazing how strong the Spirit was. We also were able to find a referral for another mission because of the service. He felt the Spirit and told us afterward that he wants to be baptized.
• Our work with recent converts and less actives slacked a little this week because we were focused on the baptism so much. However, we did invite one of our recent convert families to bear their testimonies at the baptism. It was so fulfilling to hear their testimonies of the restoration and about the importance of baptism. My studies this week really lifted my spirituality. I have been surprised just how much I can learn in two hours. I don't learn anything that I did not know before; I think the Lord is just showing me new ways to apply things that I already knew.
• I finished the book of Mormon last week and restarted doing the challenge now. I already noticed many things I hadn't before. This will be the 4th time I read the book of Mormon on my mission.
• We had a great baptism last weekend.  Tanner, who had been taught for a long time by the missionaries in Provo (he used to live in Provo until recently), decided for himself the Church was true.  How was it done?  Superior fellowship, I have never seen members rally around an investigator with so much friendliness.  After he was baptized all his friends.
• I made some sacrifices last week, and just in the last two days we received 2 referrals from members, the first time in a long time.  This week we should be picking up 2 new investigators.
• I think we definitely have seen the blessings that have come with sacrifice as we have found 7 new investigators in the last two weeks.
• On Sunday we had a wonderful opportunity to go to a gospel essentials class where a less active couple we are working with came.  It was an amazing lesson on prayer and they both were asking questions and everyone opened up to them and both felt extremely welcomed.  It was amazing.  Also the teacher also brought her inactive daughter in law along (which we had no idea) and she opened up and said she had an amazing feeling and said she now wanted you come back to church.  And she hadn’t been to church in 20 years!!!  It was awesome.

• The three things I took away from zone conf were to bear my testimony simply, never underuse the BOM, and to teach with more questions. We have been trying to do all three ever since ZC. Also I liked the idea of “the reward for obedience is faith".
• So this week has pretty much been the most amazing week of my mission. We started teaching 6 new investigators, put those 6 people on date for baptism, and we taught 22 lessons. It has been full of miracles and of amazing faith building moments. The people we started teaching are amazing!
• Last week was great. While in the temple I received the distinct impression that I needed to invite one of our families to read the Book of Mormon together. Every one in the family is a member, except for the father, who is an 'eternal investigator'. I really feel like if the family reads and prays together, they will eventually make it to the temple to be sealed. I had a number of experiences that confirmed that decision. For example, zone conference reaffirmed the importance of the Book of Mormon and its great power to convert. We also had the wonderful opportunity to attend a sealing, performed by Elder Christofferson. Being at the sealing was truly amazing. It has been the highlight of my mission thus far. More than ever I want the same blessing for all the families that I work with on my mission!
• Zone Conference: Thank you President Laney, Zone conference is important to me because it is a time when the spirit is so strong and the feeling so powerful that I am always motivated and inspired to work on making my weakness become strengths. I felt an increased desire to truly hear the word of the Lord speak to me as I read the scriptures and use the book of Mormon more with investigators. What I will do: Since zone conference I have made a concentrated effort to start reading the book of Mormon first thing in the morning at 6:30 to 7:00. I have been learning that the best way to prepare for our investigators is to make the morning hours effective and Spirit-filled. In the last week my love for the book of Mormon has grown and I have a hard time putting it down.
• This week was great; we had 5 baptisms this week. The people baptized were the ones we planned on baptizing. We baptized Tony Dibella and his two sons Scott and Matt. We also baptized Stephanie Seewer and her sister Aubbrey Seewer. The services were great and the wards were very involved and they were very excited about the baptisms. The father of the Seewers showed up surprisingly. He doesn't live with them and has bad feelings toward the church. And from what the mother told us, the girls barely talk to him. But anyway after the baptism I saw him in the back of the chapel (a lot of people showed up) and he was crying, I think they were tears of joy.
• Zone conference was wonderful! I really understood more of the importance of the book of Mormon. You actually shared a story of an investigator you had, that sounds just like one of ours. We have been struggling with what to do with him, because he too has gone through many missionaries, goes to church, has a calling, but won't get baptized. After zone conference I knew that we have to help him gain a testimony of the book of Mormon. This week our goal is to challenge him and his family to read the book of Mormon together. This is the next step with him.
• I loved zone conference I wish we could have them weekly because they are Great Spirit builders. I learned there are people in my area who need the Book of Mormon who are just waiting for it to help them in their lives, so I need to testify to everyone. Everything else is going great I love the Book of Mormon Challenge thank you so much for having us do that.
• The most outstanding point I took from this Zone Conference was just how precious the Book of Mormon is. I felt a strong reminder that the Book of Mormon is truly the keystone of our religion. Courage in testifying comes from knowledge that what we teach is true. That being said, what I've committed myself to do is to mention/teach from the Book of Mormon at least once if not more in every lesson. Just like bearing your testimony strengthens your testimony, so it is my belief that the more myself and others feel of the spirit of this glorious record, both the investigator and I will be converted many times over.
I feel that as I do this, I'll become a more powerful tool in the Father's hands by having a firmer testimony of the reality of Christ, the validity of the prophet Joseph and the divinity of this church. I feel that I will also find more success in connecting/reconnecting people with the Holy Ghost.
• So it was a great Zone Conference this past week. I liked the feel of it. It was WAY different than last year's chapter 5 zone conferences, and I got different things out of it.
What I felt: There's someone in my area waiting for me to find them.
What I Learned: That it's great that I have the faith and the knowledge that they are they, but I have to do everything that I can to find them.
What I'm going to do about it: Be more active and engaged in looking over the potential investigator lists, work with the area book, and ask referrals from members. And ALSO be prayerful about it. SO it wasn't a very chapter 5 zone conference for me. It was more like chapter 9 but that's what I need.
• This week has been incredible, the best week since I've been on my mission. We started teaching six new investigators this week and five of those six accepted a baptismal date. We are teaching so many lessons. Our afternoons and evenings are filled with teaching appointments and I love it! Alma's description of glorying in the work of the Lord in Alma 29:9-10 is exactly how I feel.
• My Book of Mormon Study has been blessing my life. I'm glad I started the challenge. It isn't that much of a chore for me. I don't really mess around with the Bible too much unless it has to do with PMG scripture study. But yeah. I had a great experience teaching preparing a lesson for an investigator with book of Mormon PMG scriptures this week. I was re-reminded why we make PMG a part of our personal study. If we don't we're missing out, and it's a little selfish.
• I learned that perception is key. I can't believe so many people call you to report on us. I don't know how I feel about that. I guess if I do what is right I won't have to worry about it. I promised myself before I came out to follow all of the rules. I am doing well in that so I'm happy with myself. I learned that a simple testimony can bring the spirit but if we use complicated logic or even simple logic it is not as powerful. I have found the purest testimony I have and am sharing that with my investigators.
• In Zone Conference I felt a little condemnation from my Heavenly Father for not testifying more. I learned just how important testifying is. Not only testifying of gospel principles, but of the Book of Mormon. That is what truly will convert people.
• WE will do our best to find all we can. We have been baptizing a lot we had 9 on dates and now we have 4 and we baptized 7 this month so we do need to find more but our pool has not gone dry and I plan to work so it doesn't.
• I read the story about Elder Perry and it really makes me think about what we are doing here in the United States and why we were called the Utah. It is a pretty big commission to teach 21 lessons with a member and my companion and I are still working on it and getting a little better each week. It helps that we have found some good investigators who are progressing really well. I would see on average overall lessons we teach 16-18 not just counting member lessons.
• I loved zone conference. I am learning that the Book of Mormon that we have is something that I have not appreciated as much as I should of my entire life. After conference it has been my goal to testify more openly about the divinity of the work surrounding the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith. My testimony was grown during zone conference and through my personal studies that conviction is being increased.
• Zone conference was very inspiring. It really got me motivated to give everyone a copy of the Book of Mormon.
• Things are on the rise. We have found three new investigators in the past two weeks. We still need to find more and we are working hard on that right now. We are working really closely with are ward mission leader. We also had the entire English ward mission leaders get a map of their ward and mark all of the houses with Hispanics in the house. So this week we will be contacting all of those houses to find new people to teach. Also, working with a couple part member families.
• There is more to being a missionary than to just wearing a little black tag...I feel like I’m starting to earn that little thing, though... Its funny, how when I look in the mirror and realize I left the tag on another coat... I feel naked. I just keep thinking how much I’m going to hate the day when I have to take it off... Ill wears it on the inside, though... When your on the lords errand your entitled to his help. President Monson said that when I was... well, not even a member. Its funny how you can do one thing, and it effects millions later on...
• In Zone Conference I have learned the importance that the Book of Mormon plays in investigators lives. I remember a quote that said "Don't read the Book of Mormon because that is how they get you". The Book of Mormon in the hands of an investigator who pray fully reads it will come to know that it is the word of God. The Book of Mormon also weeds out the non-elect of God. If they don't want to read it and they choose not to read it there is little chance that they will ever find out that Joseph Smith was a Prophet and that Christ's Church is on the earth again today.
As I have used the Book of Mormon in my teaching it has strengthen my own testimony but it also lets the people we are talking to see just how valuable the Book of Mormon is because it can answer life's great questions. As I have been reading out of the Book of Mormon daily there has come a fire inside of me to want to share it with others.
• Zone conference was great. I am making it a goal to use the book of Mormon in every principal I teach.
• I love the thing that you challenge all of the missionaries to do, is reading the Book of Mormon within the next 90 days. Then, I was on an exchange. We have a dinner with the member house. After the dinner, we shared a little scriptures to them, then we talked about you are challenge us to read in the Book of Mormon within the next 90 days, and we ended up to challenge them as well. And we promise them that as they do so, it will be easy for them to open your mouth to testify from the Book of Mormon, and easy to invite people to hear the gospel, and to meet with the missionary.
• I love the thing that you challenge all of the missionaries to do, is reading the Book of Mormon within the next 90 days. Then, I was on exchange with elder Ames. We have a dinner with the member house. After the dinner, we shared a little scriptures to them, then we talked about you are challenge us to read in the Book of Mormon within the next 90 days, and we ended up to challenge them as well. And we promise them that as they do so, it will be easy for them to open your mouth to testify from the Book of Mormon, and easy to invite people to hear the gospel, and to meet with the missionary.
• Zone Conference was really good for me though. I really felt the Spirit and a renewed desire to use the Book of Mormon in all of my teaching and finding and work. I'm going to try and use the Book of Mormon more on doorsteps, in teaching, and most importantly in resolving concerns. Because it doesn't matter how "good" you are. It all comes down to the Book of Mormon and on their personal effort to receive personal revelation about it. I'm excited and ready to do it.
• Zone conference was wonderful! Thank you for going through Alma 26:22. That scripture has much more meaning for me now and really motivates me more than it did before. I really loved what you said, that the reward for obedience is faith. When we are doing what we know is right, our faith in what we are doing grows. It's a never ending cycle.
• We started teaching a really neat couple on Friday. They have been looking for a church that feels "like home" for a long time. The wife, especially, has tried everything; she has even tried paganism and told us how she was a witch for four years--crazy! We got a text referral for them from church headquarters (somebody had ordered a Finding Faith in Christ for them; we're still not sure who) a week and a half ago. We went over and set up a time for a lesson. They were so warm and friendly and expressed a desire to learn more. We had our first lesson with them on Friday. It was the most amazing lesson ever! They were so open and able to express to us their history with religion and what they were looking for. They both work with LDS people, and Shirley thinks they are wonderful. She made the classic comment, "I just want what they have," which was amazing to hear from a real person who is truly and earnestly searching for the truth, for a religion where she can feel like she is where she is supposed to be. The lesson was incredible. Shirley even cried (I've always wanted an investigator to cry in a lesson; it's a true testimony that the Spirit is strong and they know that what they are hearing is the real thing). At church on Sunday, they both looked like they were supposed to be there, like they were already members and had been members their whole lives. The ward embraced them; in fact, a couple we are teaching, who have been inactive for 27 years and have just recently had a major spiritual whack in the head and returned to church, both latched on to this couple. After Relief Society, this sister thanked us so much for bringing her and said she was so excited for Tuesday when we're teaching the next lesson. We can just see how the Spirit is working in their lives and that they are just craving more. It builds my testimony immensely to see how, even though they know hardly anything about the gospel, they are so touched by every little thing they are hearing and learning. And, they just recently moved here from California because Shirley had lost her job and was looking for work; another case of a family brought here so they can hear the gospel and be baptized. It just amazes me how often that happen. They are on date for Dec. 19.
• I felt I needed to use the Book of Mormon more it teaching and in contacting approaches. I always have one with me but rarely bring it up while I am on people's door steps. I love President Benson's talk on the Book of Mormon being our keystone. I also realized that I need to connect people to the Book of Mormon so when we leave they will still have a source of answers. I enjoyed your trainings and humor at Zone Conference. "Whatever happened to free agency?"
• Mosiah 2:41 reminded me that only the gospel and obedience brings both physical and spiritual happiness. Other vices and sources will bring us temporary or half joy but only living the gospel and drinking up the living water keeps us from thirsting again.
• To bear a heart felt testimony and really mean it is different from any other kind of testimony bearer. And that my friend is the kind of testimony that converts people. For me, I think I can do this in a manner which is pleasing unto the Lord and to the Spirit when I dig dipper into really finding out who I am and why I am here on this earth and on the mission and that is, we are literally begotten sons and daughters unto God and its our responsibly to help one another make it back some day. "NO EMPTY CHAIRS" as Pres Benson. That is what I learned at Zone Conference.
• Well I learned a lot of things in zone conference. How to better use the book of Mormon when I teach is one thing. A lot of good scriptures that show the bible and book of Mormon compliment each other.
Of course I felt the spirit there. When ever I testify about any principle of the gospel I am some how going to link it back to the book of Mormon.
• While studying the Book of Mormon I've strengthen my testimony so much that I think nothing is going to move my faith from him, sometimes I feel so much peace in my person that I don't really worry about anything, not even about the bad attitude of others, and man!! It is something that people these days have! But I am just positive about it, because I know that positive attitude (and mind set) invites the Spirit.
• At zone conference I really learned that I need to read the book of Mormon every day and that I will always stay close to the church and to god.
• So this past week we were very excited to have 5 investigators to church!! This week we are going to work with all of them very hard to move them towards baptism and give them dates! Our district fasted this past Sunday so that we can all find new investigators and we are all going to work the hardest and best we can to find them.
• Mosiah 2:41 I’ll respond with a part of a different scripture "wickedness never was happiness". Basically, keep the commandments and you will be bless and there for happy.

• I want to thank you for coming out to our stake last night and giving that training. I feel that it will really improve the work. The stake is great, and with that it will only improve. It was an amazing day yesterday. We had Elder Perry in the morning. He told us how important it was to get missionary work going in America. He also warned us that if we didn’t with in two decades America would be like Germany. I thought that was pretty intense. He told us the church is going to close 13 missions and open 9 new ones sometime if it hasn’t happened already. He said that a member oriented program is the key to success. He told the bishops and the stake presidents mainly that they NEED 1) enthusiasm and also 2) spirit. That will get the ball rolling like no other. He said that the high councilor was like the catalyses. He causes the reaction that gets things moving. He makes better what’s already good. He said the ward mission leader is like the quarter back. He makes or breaks!! Then he made us stand up and tell him how many lessons we taught. He said, “Elders that’s not good enough.” then he said "did you hear that?" then ha said "we need to NOT waste our missionaries." it was intense. Then he told us about how Brigham young had the idea to make a huge sugar beet crop. The best place for sugar beets was found in England. He told john Taylor to find the best man with sugar beet experience, baptize him and send him over, so he did. He related that story to us, and then he told the bishops that they NEED to be like john Taylor. Find the people who will be the BEST for the job. Whether it is less active people who are ready, or non members, or something of that sort. Yeah it was a wonderful training. Thanks again for the time you spent in our stake. (If you read Elder Perry's comments above please express your opinion of his challenge in your weekly letter.)
• Scripture: Mosiah 13:23.  My definition is quick and to the point.  Don't gossip.
• We baptized a 17 yr old YW and it was a very spiritual baptism. We were talking to our ward mission leader afterwards and he said he always gets worried about the convert. He gets scared about what happens next and if they stay active or not but he said he did not to have to worry about this one at all!!! It was amazing because there was so much ward support and especially from the YW president! The best part about the baptism was at the end of it! all the young women came around her after the closing prayer and started giving her hugs and then they all got a group hug together and were laughing and having fun and it was a powerful moment!!! to just see a new convert have so much love and support showed me what fellowshipping is at its BEST!!! I was really happy to see all the love and attention she got from the ward and I am grateful for all the ward has done and for what heavenly father has done to have her prepared because her baptism couldn't have happened at any better time!!!
• A less-active woman whom we taught a couple of weeks ago have now been back to church three times, and each time more members of her family are coming with her. I saw her yesterday after sacrament meeting, and she gladly told me that her husband has promised to come to church with her next Sunday. It's so exciting to see people who have taken a step off of the path come back.
• I learned this week that my personal study time in the morning should be more specifically directed to our investigators. Before I would spend a little time reading from the Book of Mormon, and then move on to Preach My Gospel, but now I study topics and lesson principles more closely, and save reading time for later. I know that will help me to keep my mind focused on helping others.
• This week we talked about the things that we were going to sacrifice because we weren't sacrificing meaningful things. And we have begun to see the blessings from it already. We had investigators come to a baptism which made us really happy, and we are going to invite all investigators to our next baptism.
• I have started the Book of Mormon challenge.  Honestly, I didn't believe there would be time to do it, but I can see now that there are many opportunities throughout the day to do it.  The Lord has opened my mind up in how to use time more effectively.
• We just had a baptism for a young lady. She was quite solid from the beginning. We had about 70 people show up to her baptism. The area is slowly picking up but we are working with really good leadership and members.
• D&C 6:12- I think this refers to the advice of not casting you pearl before swine.  In other words, not everything you know or can do should be shared.  Everything has a time and place, and our gifts should be used, as we have been instructed, for the benefit of those around us, and not for any other purpose.  These gifts are sacred and God has entrusted us with them.  If we abuse them, they will be taken away. Also, applied to teaching, this goes along with the instruction that we are not to teach everything we know, just the "portion which shall be meted to every man."  Our investigators do not need to know everything, and cannot know everything.  And as they build up their knowledge, they must learn line upon line, just like anyone else. And finally, we are not to trifle with sacred things.  This would apply to our covenants certainly, but also the scriptures, our gifts, and our very calling and conduct.  We must act as Christ would, give proper reverence to the things which deserve reverence.  We our example to our investigators, but also to everyone who sees us, and if we do not hold precious these "sacred things," we will be a negative influence to everyone around us.
• We were not able to catch a lot of our investigators home.  However our baptism went very well.  It was a 13 year old boy and we got a lot of support from the ward.  It was probably the most people I have seen at a baptism ever!  IT WAS GREAT.  we added a new sacrifice of waking up a 6 AM every day so we have time to work .  We are tired but we think we are seeing the blessings.
• We are pursuing new investigators on several fronts, tracting, Bishops and Auxiliaries, Potential investigators from our area book, and this week part member family lists.    We are also making a chart of fellowshipers for each ward so that we know at a glance that is available on what day, so that it doesn't take us forever to find the right fellowshipers.   That has been one of the problems in this area.  Our goal is to have not only a member, but the best member at every lesson we teach to both less active members, and non members.  We are still teaching about 20 lessons a week regardless of how many investigators we have, which is building the strength of our stake.  I hope that through them we will find additional investigators.  We pray with them to think of people they could invite.
• Things are going well with the Book of Mormon study.  I'm creating my own topical guide of the verses with Christ like attributes and keeping track of all the names of Christ.  It's amazing how much content is contained in such a small book.  I've got a page front and back so far of Christ like attributes for 1 Nephi alone.  It's been great to go through the Book of Mormon so quickly.  I haven't read it like I am since just before my mission.  It's a new experience every time I read it.
• We had a very good week, it was a very spiritual week for me to realize so many things for our investigators.  The Lord really has so many things in store for me.  He really is my Eternal Father.  We had a baptism this past week, and we met a family that I met in my old area!  They are ready to get baptized, and we are working hard to be able to bring as many people as we can back to Christ.
• We had 4 baptisms this week and have 2 more new investigators. After our 4 baptisms this week we would have 2 people on date and I was a little afraid that the work might seem to slow down, but I pleaded with the Lord and it hasn't! We are continuing to receive new referrals from the ward members and the work is just constantly flowing now. We are teaching more and more people, more regularly. I love being a missionary! It's such a blessing to feel the concern, worry and love for others and to be able to learn a little more how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ truly love us. And putting names on the temple prayer rolls does wonders!!
• Now it actually feels like winter and the snow on the ground justifies it being cold.  Plus, a lot more potential investigators let us into the house when everything outside is frozen. We are planning on having three baptisms this Saturday.  That's really exciting.
• This has been the most incredible week. We had three baptisms this weekend and we are continually getting amazing referrals for people who are ready to be taught.
• We started teaching a young woman in one of our wards. The ward has been working with her family for a long time. On the day she expressed that she would like to be baptized, several people were fasting for them. We taught the first lesson, and she accepted to pray about being baptized Dec. 5. She has an amazing spirit and really wants to learn.
• We had a lesson last night that I just want to tell about. We've been teaching a 14-year-old girl who was adopted from the Ukraine by a very active family here. We've been teaching with translators (two sisters that just returned from their missions in the Ukraine, and who actually speak Russian, not Ukrainian) and we're often not sure how much is actually getting through and making sense. We taught lesson 3 last night, and we were planning on giving her a date to be baptized. We started teaching, and she was a lot more talkative and more willing to ask questions than usual. When I asked her if she wants to be baptized, she said she didn't know. We asked her what concerns she had, but we really couldn't get out of her what she was worried about. (This is all through the translators, of course). We asked her how her scripture reading is going and she said good. When we asked her how she feels when she reads the Book of Mormon, she said in English, "Happy." We tried to explain to her that that was the Holy Ghost, and that feeling can also mean that something is true. We've been trying to get her to pray about being baptized, but have been unsuccessful thus far. It finally dawned on me that she has no concept of what baptism is, not just why it is important or what it means, but the actual concept of being placed under the water and coming back up. It was so much easier to understand what she was struggling with, and why she was so unsure. So, we took a few steps backwards, but they were necessary steps. We were able to really dig and make much more progress, than if we had droned on talking about faith, repentance, baptism, etc. Luckily, it will be very doable to have her come to a baptism in our zone in the next couple weeks, so she can see and feel what happens there. That lesson had a huge impact on me. As we tried to explain the Spirit to her, I really felt like the Spirit was guiding us.
• This transfer is really amazing. We had the wonderful blessing of having 3 baptisms this weekend, and we already have 13 lessons lined up for this week. I am so thankful to be serving in my area. I can see the lord’s hand in all the hours of the day. He is moving this work and we are just following the path he makes. I am so very optimistic about this coming week. I am so happy!
• I am thankful. I am doing the assignment which was given. I am almost done with marking the names of the Savior. I will have to go and underline his attributes and what he says.
• I am working fast to catch up on my book of Mormon reading. I did not start on time but I still plan to finish in the 90 day time frame. I am also studying the lessons from PMG and the recent conference talks.
• Things are great President; i love the area and my companion and the people we are teaching. We have had a lot of people on date recently and now we are baptizing them so things are getting done. Mosiah 13:23 - Don't lie, don't lead people astray, be honest in all your doings with yourself, others, and God.
• This week was great as we had a wonderful baptism of Friday. I have also thought a lot about personal revelation this week. What has stood out to me is the effort that is required to receive personal revelation.  We need to ask, seek and knock.  I think that to knock means to take action.  We need to have 'real intent', or be willing to act on the revelation that we receive and also be worthy to receive revelation by keeping the commandments.  I think that these insights could help many of our investigators.  A scripture that I really like that refer to this is 1 Nephi 10:19. "For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto him by the power of the Holy Ghost..."
• We found a new investigator this week and we will pick up a new one today. We are getting a lot of referrals in correlation. We will be having five baptisms this week end. A family of three. Mosiah 13:23 I means to me to not lie about other or start rumors. Like the hypocrites

• This past week was awesome! We never lost faith in the miracles we knew would come and this week we saw them. We got 4 new investigators and 5 people on date in just one week. Well really, it was a matter of about four days. If we continue where we are at we will be definitely baptizing weekly. And people said this was a "dead area"....oh ye of little faith!!!

• We have also been able to go to several ward councils and train about the ward mission process. The wards are beginning to finally invite people from their lists and we are now teaching many less active families from these lists. When people truly understand the ward mission process and know that you want to help them with their missionary work the work begins to pick up.

• I am so glad that the assignment to read the Book of Mormon and mark the specific parts of it was made. I had been reading it every morning for half of my studies, but as I focused more on how The Book of Mormon truly teaches of the savior my testimony of the Book of Mormon has changed and grown. I am able to truly see how it testifies of Christ in almost every chapter. I am really enjoying it!

• This last week was the best of the six that I have been in the mission field. My companion and I have repeatedly made the goal to teach twenty-one lessons with a member present, but this week we actually reached our goal. Rather than hope to reach twenty-one, we laid out a 7 day calendar with three investigator's names on each day, and worked to meet those three people on the day planned. Appointments were still canceled, but with the help of backup plans, we accomplished our goal, teaching our twenty-first lesson on Sunday evening.

• My subject this week to work on is obedience, be more and more obedient, because Obeying the Lord's commandments is loving the Lord, I think the same with mission rules, obeying the rules of the Lord's mission is loving the Lord. So this week I will strive on keeping the Spirit at all times being obedient and having a great attitude.

• The district, especially the sisters (surprise! surprise!) are doing very well and we all have people on date. In our area, I feel like we are really working with the members. We are having more members to appointments and more members hosting lessons in their homes. The relief society president came up with a list of names of sisters that she hadn't ever heard of to ask me if they needed visiting teachers, and I not only explained who they were, I explained their situation and where exactly they had been sitting in Relief Society that morning... Am I good or what? All credit to God of course.

• Thank you so much for placing me here with new companion, I love it here and I know that I can learn a lot from this area and him. We are having so much success I almost don’t know what to do. I know that I messed up last transfer but this transfer I am working as hard as I can to make up for it and more. I again remember why I am out on a mission and realized that I need to rely on the Lord more and less on myself. I am also trying to push my wagon as that email said and not just pray for work to come to me. If that makes any sense... Its spectacular how much there is to do. I’m sad that I left my old area but I’m glad that I got transferred to where I am. I know that where you and the Lord placed me is where I need to be. I thank you for transferring me so that I can relearn why I am here on a mission.

• I am taking that Book of Mormon challenge that you gave us and it is a blessing. I am starting to understand more of the scriptures each time I open them and read them. I am also starting to write something that I learned from each verse which is teaching me a lot too. I love studying!! I get the chance to learn about the scriptures and Jesus Christ and I get to feel the spirit while doing it.

• We had a really good baptism on Friday night. We really saw the blessings of applying what we learned at zone conference by making invitations for our investigators to hand out. At the baptism, it was standing room only. The Relief Society room was packed full of people from the mom's work and the son's friends and members of the ward. When we talked to her on Saturday about how she felt at the baptism, she talked about how she felt the Spirit and how she was amazed that so many people were there to support her and her son as they made that step.

• This week we found one of the bishops that we had been struggling with outside raking his leaves. We just went over and started raking with him. We talked about all the work going on in his ward and asked what we could do to more effectively work together. Raking leaves with him was far more effective than actually going to his ward council! On Sunday he bore his testimony in Sacrament meeting about missionary work and about how the ward members need to get more involved and help where they can. It strengthened my testimony that what President Monson talked about in conference is so important. We always need to be looking for opportunities to serve.

• Well this week was a great week because we found 6 new people to teach and also we had a baptism. I am excited because we are going to have another baptism this Tuesday. We will continue to work hard and continue to find new investigators.

• Assignment: I really love Doctrine and Covenants 108:7. I think this scripture is really a command to develop charity, because as we fulfill all of our responsibilities with the spirit of charity, we will want to strengthen everyone around us. If we are filled with charity, all of our actions will be towards the goal of strengthening all of those we come in contact with. We will desire to help lift non-members, members, and companions out of whatever trouble or doubts that they are going through.

• We had a great week for teaching lessons; we met our goal of 21 lessons! We were able to meet with all of our investigators more than once this week. I know that helped to bring the spirit to their home more frequently. We also exercised our faith by re-extending baptismal dates to our investigators that did not accept on the first lesson, the Lord provide for us and helped us. We also found Garret Ellis this week; we were walking around the neighborhood and started talking to his dad. I visited these family months ago, but we had faith that Garrett is ready now, and he accepted a date on the first lesson.

• When I read D&C 108:7 I started remembering another scripture that talks about strengthening our brethren. Like 2 years ago I read in Luke 22 about Peter and how when he felt the spirit and had a testimony, the lord gave him the commandment to strengthen his brethren and the same principle applies to all of us. I think we have to first help ourselves if we want to help others, and also something else I was thinking about was the fact that we have to start praying more for the missionaries in our zones district and our leaders , so that we can have success instead of trying to be "better" than other missionaries.

• First off I got to tell you of how great it's been lately with my waking up on time, I've woken up on time (or less than ten minutes from 6:30 AM. It's so great!! I now always have time to get a full study in from 7 to 8 AM. IT"S SO AWESOME!! Even though it's hard to not sleep in and gets more rest at times, my load has been made easier, the Lord has compensated me with energy and health for my obedience when I pray and ask for it and actually try to go to bed on time! (Key word there is trying!). But it's been great; it’s such a blessing to have sacrifice and Obedience so that I can better follow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Though it's not easy, and yes I've been less than perfect this transfer, more than usual, but I'm working on doing better, and I am, and I will continue to rise, for I wish to follow my Savior and reach my full potential!

• As all my letters to you seem to say, things are going great. We nearly made every single one of our weekly goals. Our Stake presidents are amazing and it's all thanks to them that all this work is going on. I love them.

• I have been trying to learn all i can. Its crazy how there is literally every answer in the scriptures.

• The Scripture D&C 6 : 12 Means to me...


• Our Investigators will not understand the gifts of the gospel until the Holy Ghost touches their hearts and grants great faith so they might understand .. Also to not take lightly the knowledge and power (by our ordination) that we have received; because we will be held accountable for the knowledge us posses.


• The scripture you chose is a good one... trifle not with sacred things, i like it. When we have the spirit of discernment or revelation to go someplace we should act upon it. And that we should not take spiritual things for granite. I know that acting upon the promptings we have are essential.


• Doctrine and Covenants 6:12 - Our gifts or talents are given to us from the Lord and we need to use them in a way that would be pleasing unto him. We need to keep them sacred. As missionaries, we need to use our talents to help people come unto Christ.


• I hadn't read the announcements yet when i sent my last letter so i didn't know to explain the scripture. "Trifle not with sacred things" was the part that stuck out to me. I think that that means to not be light-minded. To not make jokes out of gospel topics or talk about sacred things in a too-casual manner. Lots of times we hear jokes of people using lines from the temple or using the Savior or one-liners about the Holy Ghost or things like that. I feel like those are the most commonly trifled sacred things and those us as missionaries are especially susceptible to making that type of humor. But we should watch out. That is what i got out of that scripture. D&C 6:12


• This transfer has to be great, we can have a lot of baptisms, and we just need to do the right things so we can be successful. I’m' trying to help my companion as much as I can with his teaching skills. We use a camera in fact to record ourselves while we're doing role play and we check it to see what are the things to improve on (just like the MTC). He's listening a lot to me; I hope to give him the best teaching by my example. We'll do great, and I know it. Have a great week!!


• As for the scripture Doctrine and Covenants 6:12
"Make not thy gift known unto any save it be those who are of thy faith. Trifle not with sacred things."
To me it says that we should not openly share our spiritual experiences. These things that God gives us must be kept sacred and shared only with close loved ones as the spirit directs. Even when they are shared or written down, we must be sure that they remain safe guarded and sacred.
When someone confides in us sacred things, we should safe guard them as if God revealed these things unto us. Treasure up sacred things.


• D&C 6:12 Trifle not with sacred things. Trifling would mean making light of, disregarding, or even mocking things that are supposed to be kept sacred. Such as the temple, the scriptures or our callings as missionaries.


• D&C 6:12 make not thy gift known unto any save it be those who are of thy faith. Trifle not with sacred things. This scripture reminds about the section in PMG about being cautious with the Spiritual Experiences we have in our lives located in Chapter 4. The section says that we should only share our spiritual experiences with those who we feel really prompted and treat them as very sacred messages from the Lord to us, because they are Personal Revelations for our lives. So I think the meaning of this scripture is to share these precious experiences with only the ones that will be benefited and with enough spiritual maturity to understand them.


• what D&C 6:12 means to me is that we have a sacred calling, it is not just a "thing" we do as young people but it’s a sacred calling from above and we have the responsibility to bring the great news to the world, it is not a reason to boast or be prideful but it’s a reason to humbly bring the news of salvation to our brothers and sisters and when we find those who reject it then well don't be prideful and bash or force it on them but move on to those waiting to accept. I really like that verse.


• D&C 6:12 I think of not being sober and being light-minded toward sacred things; something I am guilty of. There needs to be respect for the sacred and consecrated and my actions and words should change to respect and reverence as it is a reflection of my character, integrity and mindset. I cannot expect revelation if I make light of that which is given.


• To me the scripture means that we must always strive to make others around us have a better picture of them that we must make them feel they are great in the eyes of heavenly father.


• My study time has help me a lot this week how to become a better person more than anything else and i learned that as i become better i can help others become better too.