Hey Everyone, all is well here. This email is going to be long
1. Car Wash
2. Mountain Goats Raking
3. The work
4. Spiritual thought - May 29th Sacrament Talk
1. We had a car wash activity this week with the young men. It was a good time. Some members were loaded with some sweet car washing gear like a power washer, and they got a whole water hose system and everything. They were doing it to raise money for the YM camp. I thought it was interesting that they decided to do the car wash for free, and then people could donate at a booth after getting dried off if they wanted to. I think they raised around 2k if I remember correctly. But it was a good time. I got sprayed a lot by young men who couldn't properly handle a hose but it was ok. The cool air from that was actually kinda nice and I got a little trunky because it reminded me of swimming. And my family is at Park city swimming this week. But, it's okay. The soap we used smelled like banana Popsicles so it all worked out. But I just keep thinking about swimming. I also just put on sunblock for our P day activity and it just made me time travel back to when we put on sunblock for swimming. But it's ok
2. We had a service yesterday with a lady who had been in contact with Missionaries previously. She has this huge hill behind her house (There are a lot of hills here), and she wanted us to rake the dead weeds up there. I was so confused at first just because I'm like there's no way she's talking about that hill, but she was. It wasn't very fun. It was hot, and we were standing on this hill like mountain goats, trying to rake out these dead weeds or something. I also just really hate the heat and we were getting pretty cooked up there. So I was sweating, and my nose was acting up and getting runny so I was sneezing, and it was all just a mess. I was not having a good time, and was murmuring internally. It took 2 hours but we got the section of it done that she asked. There was still this other side of it but she didn't bring it up. I was kinda just hoping we wouldn't have to do it. We went over and talked to her after we were done and she opened up about a lot of stuff. She lives alone after the death of her mom, and has definitely experienced trauma in her life. She has a lot more work to do and was really grateful we came. She had this whole other section of it that we hadn't done and she didn't want to ask us to do it. In her own words, it was because she could tell we didn't "work on a farm back home". But as she talked about a lot of the things she has been going through I thought back to the chapters in Matthew that I've been reading. Specifically all the times the scriptures say that Jesus has compassion on others. I think I had read the end of Matthew 20 the night before. So, we offered to come again, and are going to be going over weekly. I felt, and still feel bad for murmuring, even though it was indeed not fun at all. But it feels good to be helping her. I'm sure the Savior did a lot for others that the natural man wouldn't want to. We know he didn't really want to perform the Atonement. But because of His love he does what is best for us according to God's will. So that was a cool learning experience this week.
3. The work is going pretty bueno. Our main person is part of a member family who's been meeting with Missionaries for 25 years. We had a good talk with her about a lot of stuff: Prayer, other religions having truth, and if it was good. Her main concern is that she doesn't want to commit because she's had really powerful experiences with other religions too, and so she feels like she's giving it up. But she has faith in the Church, she just likes other religions too. Our other friends are doing ok too. We had a meeting with our new friend William this week. We met him when we stopped by what we thought was an inactive member's home. They moved but we talked with him and went by later to teach the Restoration. It went really well and he said he'd get started on the Book of Mormon. That was on Wednesday and we haven't heard from him yet but we remain hopeful. Other than that things are going good. Brenda and Evert in my last area are getting baptized on July 9th is the plan. Since the mission is trying to Crack on gas because of gas prices I was worried I wouldn't be able to go. Elder Hodes had a baptism that he wanted to go to, but the APs said no because he wasn't on the program. I have learned from his misfortune and Elder Hatch is going to give me an assignment on the program so I get to be there. Mwahaha 
- My topic today is on "We can experience God's wonders if we have faith in Jesus Christ". I wanted to start by looking at Elder Soares talk from this past General Conference "In Awe of Christ and His Gospel". In his talk, Elder Soares defines wonder as "The sensation of emotion, awe, or amazement, common to all who wholeheartedly center their lives on the Savior and His teachings, and humbly recognize His presence in their lives". This awe and wonder truly is joyful. It is full of love and is accompanied by the power of the Holy Ghost, and is a natural result of centering our lives on Christ. One of my favorite scriptures that defines this wonder is 1 Nephi 11:22-23. This is when Nephi is seeing the vision of the Tree of Life that His father Lehi saw. An Angel asks him to explain what the tree represents, and he responds saying "Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things. And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul". The love of God really is the most joyous to the soul. It is a joy that the Lord wants us to have. It gives us love and strength to serve Him and others, and is central to our conversion and discipleship.
- Later in Elder Soares's talk he warns about spiritual apathy, which he defines as something we experience when we "take the Gospel for granted, lose our excitement for the gospel, and as a result, distance ourselves from God". I would like to share my own experiences with spiritual apathy. Being raised in the church, the gospel is something I have been taught my whole life. But I wanted to know if what I was being taught was true. I wanted to know if the Book of Mormon was true, and if Joseph Smith was a prophet. While I can say that this desire was genuine, I did not take the initiative to gain a testimony. I did not work for it. I had read the Book of Mormon around 3x growing up, but my heart was not in it. I didn't study with intent, ponder the things I was learning, and I probably couldn't even tell you where I was reading or what I was learning. I had some testimony, and experienced the light of Christ. I had had sustaining experiences like receiving my Patriarchal Blessing and going to the temple for my Endowment. But I lacked faith and in wonder of Jesus Christ, and I definitely felt distant from God. Quite frankly it was a really pathetic state, and Elder Soares explains very well what it was like: I had taken the gospel for granted, lost my excitement for the Gospel, and as a result distanced myself from God
- This is basically where I was up until about 9 months ago when I got set apart as a Missionary. It's almost like there's something special about serving a mission. When else is your life so structured to be centered on the Savior and His gospel? It was in this state that I began to invest in the Book of Mormon. I had been given 1 hour of personal study everyday, and could spend time in its words. It really felt like I was reading it for the first time. Little by little my testimony grew, and I realized how divine the Book of Mormon was. It was physical evidence that I could hold in my hands to know if the church was the church of Jesus Christ. This new environment and perspective also brought new challenges. These challenges made the Book of Mormon a refuge. I was humbled and turned to its words for answers to my questions and struggles. As I learned I ruled out the possibility of Joseph Smith being the author, and knew it was the very word of God. There was no other explanation for how it came to be and for the Spirit that came with it. I gained a strong testimony of its truthfulness. The scriptures and stories filled me with joy. I cannot adequately express the way I felt reading about the Saviors visit to the America's in 3 Nephi. I learned more about His sacrifice and redeeming love. The Book of Mormon really is Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
- Before I continue, I would like to share a quick personal testimony of Missionary work. I have never had a more rewarding or challenging 9 months. It has brought me so much light and I can feel joy everyday in the work. If anyone missed the emphasis from General Conference, or if you need another reminder, I would like to share my testimony of the importance of Missionary work. I promise that participating in this work will be one of the greatest things you'll ever do. In every mission call, the First Presidency promises: "Greater joy and more blessings than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children". I promise and can testify from my own experience that this is true. The blessings from serving the Lord are real, and I invite you all to serve when and where you can. Along with that, I would like to invite every able young man to prepare to serve a full-time mission.
- Sorry, I just wanted to say that. I'll now go back to my topic. Alongside gathering Israel, there are many things that fill us with the Lord's awe and wonder. These things include attending the Temple regularly, studying the scriptures and words of living Prophets, and sincere prayer towards Heavenly Father. Brothers and Sisters we will experience spiritual droughts in our lives. Some of you are experiencing them now. But in these times remember that the root word of disciple is discipline. When you do not feel the joy of the Gospel or love of Christ please do not slow down. Keep trying, praying and doing your best. Do not deny yourself further light or love in any degree. Acting in discipline is an act of faith. And as we exercise this discipline the wonder of the Gospel will follow. Brothers and Sisters may we never lose the light and the joy of Jesus Christ. During darker times I pray we continue to have the Humility and discipline to do what is right. I bear my testimony that the Book of Mormon is true, that President Russell M. Nelson is the Lord's prophet today, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's New Testament church restored. The light of these things are real. As Alma said in Alma 32:35 "Oh then, is not this real? Yea because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good; because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good". The light of the Restored Church and Gospel are real and discernible, and they are freely available to us. I bear my testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ, the very Savior of the world. And I say these things in His name, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sorry this email is so long. You make me happy if you read it all. I hope you all are doing well and would love to hear from any of you. Love you much!
- Elder Wride
Pictures:
1. Temple trip this morning
2. Temple trip pt. 2
3. A member we visited has a house on a really big hill
4. Car Wash. The Elders Quorum 2nd counselor did me dirty. He called "Elder!", in the middle of my intense scrubbing for a picture. I turned my head instinctively
without having the reaction time to give a better smile.
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