Week 9

I just took Caryn & Camille to the airport after a very fun weekend visit. On Friday I picked them up in the morning, and we went to see where I work at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. They got to meet some of the missionaries I work with, and then we went to lunch at the Church Office Building cafeteria. Then we did an endowment session at the Salt Lake Temple. 

On Saturday morning we went to the funeral for Papa's aunt Geneal Cahoon. She was married to Grandma Christensen's brother Glen. It was wonderful to see the family there that we otherwise wouldn't have seen, and it was really nice to remember the sweet lady that Geneal was. 

The afternoon was spent doing a little shopping and having lunch at the City Creek Mall. Then we drove down to Coray's to watch Jonathan play football. It's always fun to see him on TV! They won of course! It was also really amazing to get the updates from Jon, Hanna & Mason about Tyler's soccer game! Woohoo Tyler! - Eagle High State Soccer Champs!!! 

We had a mission conference this week where Elder LeGrand Curtis Jr. was the speaker. He is the Church historian and recorder and is over the Church History Library. He talked about how to get a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. He said that a sure way is to read it a chapter at a time, and at the end of each chapter ask yourself these questions: "Is this the work of a man - could any man have written this book?" and "Is this the work of God?" Those of us who have a testimony of the Book of Mormon already know the answer to these questions, and I believe - and he was saying this - that those who are struggling to get a testimony will know the answer if they put it to this test. He then asked for missionaries to tell him their favorite chapter of the Book. My favorites were mentioned - Alma 5, Ether 12, Moroni 10. He said that the great message of the Book of Mormon is this - "Come unto Christ and be perfected in Him." If you know of anyone struggling with their testimony, you might suggest they prayerfully try this test.

I will try this test for myself, even though I know that I have a firm testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I know that it was translated by the gift and power of God by the prophet Joseph Smith. It contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and will lead us to the path to eternal life. 

Ether 12:41

And now I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.

Week 8

Chalk up another week flying by! The mission work is coming along great, and I'm working independently now. It's a good thing because the sister I'm replacing is going home this week. I love what I'm doing and the people in the office. I'm so grateful to be here.

I love being able to go to football games and to visit Coray, Mindy & family. Tuesday was Will's last season game so I decided to take off a little early so that I could see him play. I got to see him score a touchdown and make a couple of first downs, so that was really fun. The weather was beautiful - hot in fact! 

Not true for Weber State's game last night! It rained almost the entire game. Thankfully it was at 2:00, so the cold didn't really start until we were soaked through. Even though I wore a poncho, I still sat in a puddle and was soaked clear through. I could wring out my gloves, and my blanket is still hanging and wet in one corner. But both games were won by a comfortable margin, and it's always fun to celebrate. I wish I could be to all the games and performances! I'm excited for Tyler getting to play in the state soccer tournament! Wish I could have seen Jonah and Julia's play and Matthew's band field show! Maybe next year!

I combined my half day for the temple with a lunch with some high school friends. Most of them I barely remembered, but it was fun to catch up with the ones I was close with. I've seen their posts on Facebook in the past, so I was grateful to be here and go this time. 

I went to the Jordan River Temple again. I must admit to struggling to focus during the session, and I was about to walk straight through the Celestial Room to go home when something said "not so fast - stay and enjoy the Spirit." So I did. I sat down and reflected on the beautiful blessings of the temple and how grateful I am for my eternal family. It was a great lesson to me. There was a bad accident on the freeway going home and traffic was a nightmare. It took me almost an hour to drive what would normally have been about twenty minutes. It wasn't until a few days later that I thought about where that accident was and the possibility that I might have been much closer to it - or even involved in it - had I left the temple without staying those extra few minutes. I'll never know of course.

Here's a question for you. My cousin - never an active member of the Church - posted this on Facebook "If money is the root of all evil, why do they ask for it at church?" She meant it as a joke of course, but it made me think about the blessings of paying tithing. I know why I do - because it's a commandment with a blessing (Malachi 3:10); because I see the results of the wonderful things the Church does with our precious tithing dollars; because, as Elder Bednar said, we get "significant but subtle blessings." But what do you say to someone who doesn't have a testimony of all the blessings we receive from paying tithing? What would you tell my cousin?

Week 7

It has been a lovely week - cold but very fall-like. The leaves are turning beautiful colors, as I imagine they are where you are too. Except maybe Adam and Madeline! 😘 I love the after-Conference glow, where people are still talking about their favorite talks and we can still feel the Spirit. I'm glad that the text of the talks is now available online because I'm wanting to review the ones I loved so much. At the end of this post I'm going to include a little document that I made for myself. On LDS Living they had One Promise or Invitation from Every Talk. If you're interested, it's there.

On Tuesday we had a mission conference with Elder Randy D. Funk, a General Authority Seventy, visiting the mission. He is in the area presidency and is touring our mission. Here's a fun and amazing fact he shared with us: Picture the Conference Center - all 21,000+ seats. That's how many baptisms there are in the church EVERY MONTH! Does that just blow your mind like it did mine? That's a whole lot of missionary work going on, and we're blessed to be a part of it in our family. 

On Thursday I got to have lunch with Sister Reyna Aburto in the Relief Society building. I served as her counselor in our stake Relief Society in Orem, and we have exchanged emails lately. She invited me to have lunch with her. It was really sweet to reconnect and catch up personally, but also wonderful to hear a little about her travels all around the world. She is also serving on the committee for the new Book of Mormon videos, so that was fun to learn some of the background of those. She walked me around the floor where the General Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women presidency have their offices. I also got to meet Sister Eubank (RS) and Sister Craven (Young Women). 

On Friday I had lunch with my cousin Kathi (Garff). It was wonderful to catch up and learn about a cool connection to my mission. Because Bob was a mission president, temple president and area seventy, they are being interviewed by missionaries from the Church History Library; and all their journals and letters are scanned in to be a recorded history of their work. Of course this is being done with lots of other prominent members of the Church. We are record keepers! That's all part of the Headquarters Mission. If I didn't have a great assignment in the office, I'd really love to be at the Church History Library. 

Also on Friday I took a tour at the Conference Center with my friend Jenna (she's a service missionary and leads tours on Fridays). I was amazed at the beautiful artwork there! I've seen inside and been on the roof and behind the scenes, but I had never taken the time to see the art. There are some beautiful and priceless paintings and sculptures there, including portraits of all the prophets and apostles, and the original Arnold Frieberg paintings of the Book of Mormon. Well worth the time the next time you're in Salt Lake!

I was asked to be the organist at a small branch here. It's really part of the Inner City Mission, but our mission president wants to have opportunities for the young elders to do service. They go and help with the sacrament.  Our mission secretary asked me to play the organ because the past organist is being released. One more great place to be a missionary! It's a very small branch of residents of an apartment building for senior citizens. I really enjoyed it today, and I'm glad to have a chance to play the organ again. 

I'm sure you've missed the "laugh at myself" moments, so here's another one. You know how at the end of emails you can create a signature that just shows up at the bottom of your email? Well, I created one for my office emails and have been using it for at least four weeks. Here's the joke on me - I pride myself in being a "chronic proofreader" and most people know that I'm pretty good at it. Well, my signature has my name and title, the name of the mission and the name of the Church. I was horrified as I was reading through it to see that I had typed "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Satins." For the past four weeks that's what people saw, and hopefully ignored. I was so grateful that it didn't say Latter-day Satans." Anyway, I fixed it! That's what I get for being prideful! 

❤❤❤ I send my love and prayers to all! ❤❤❤

Here are the the Promises and Invitations from Conference:

One Powerful Promise or Invitation from Every Talk in the October 2019 General Conference by LDS Living Staff | Oct. 09, 2019

Saturday Morning Session

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland | "The Message, the Meaning, and the Multitude"

"I promise with apostolic fervor and prophetic conviction that He will hear you and will say, soon or late, 'Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.'"

Elder Terence M. Vinson | "True Disciples of the Savior"

"I plead with all who hear and read these words: Please, please don’t put your total commitment off until you get around to it at some nonexistent, future time. Get fair dinkum now and feel the joy!"

Brother Stephen W. Owen | "Be Faithful, Not Faithless"

"Whether you are a leader, a neighbor, a quorum member, or simply a fellow Saint, if you have the opportunity to touch the life of a young person, help him or her connect with heaven."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson | "The Joy of the Saints"

"With President Russell M. Nelson, I testify that joy is a gift for faithful Saints 'who have endured the crosses of the world' and who are 'intentionally trying to live a righteous life, as taught by Jesus Christ.'"

Sister Michelle D. Craig | "Spiritual Capacity"

"As you follow this eternal pattern ordained for our day, you will draw nearer to Jesus Christ—His love, His light, His direction, His peace, and His healing and enabling power. And you will increase your spiritual capacity to become an everyday instrument of His hands in accomplishing His great work."

Elder Dale G. Renlund |"Unwavering Commitment to Jesus Christ"

"You will become more like the Savior as you always remember Him, follow Him, and adore Him. I testify that He is the firm foundation. He is dependable, and His promises are sure. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

President Dallin H. Oaks | "Trust in the Lord"

"We can all wonder privately about circumstances in the spirit world or even discuss these or other unanswered questions in family or other intimate settings. But let us not teach or use as official doctrine what does not meet the standards of official doctrine."

Saturday Afternoon Session

Elder David A. Bednar | "Watchful unto Prayer Continually"

"I promise that the blessings of effective preparation and spiritual protection will flow into your life as you are watchful unto prayer vigilantly and continually."

Elder Rubén V. Alliaud | "Found Through the Power of the Book of Mormon"

"My invitation this afternoon to each of us, regardless of how long we’ve been a member of the Church, is to allow the power of the truths of the Book of Mormon to find us and embrace us once again and day after day as we diligently seek for personal revelation. It will do so if we allow it."

President Russell M. Nelson | "Witnesses, Aaronic Priesthood Quorums, and Young Women Classes"

"You will remember that I have invited the youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enlist in the Lord’s youth battalion to participate in the greatest cause on earth today—the gathering of Israel. I issued this invitation to our youth because they are unusually gifted in reaching out to others and sharing what they believe in a convincing fashion."

Elder Quentin L. Cook | "Adjustments to Strengthen Children and Youth"

"Dear brothers and sisters, I promise and testify that these comprehensive adjustments, under the direction of an inspired president and prophet, Russell M. Nelson, will empower and strengthen every member of the Church. Our youth will develop greater faith in the Savior, be protected from the temptations of the adversary, and stand prepared to meet life’s challenges."

Brother Mark L. Pace | "Come, Follow Me—the Lord’s Counterstrategy and Proactive Plan"

"Studying the scriptures with Come, Follow Me as a guide is strengthening our conversion to Jesus Christ and His gospel. We are not simply trading one hour less in church on Sunday for one hour more of scripture study at home. Learning the gospel is a consistent effort throughout the week. As one sister insightfully shared, 'The goal is not to make church one hour shorter; it is to make church six days longer!'"

Elder L. Todd Budge | "Consistent and Resilient Trust"

"I testify that as we commend ourselves unto the Lord and consistently and resiliently trust in Jesus Christ and His divine purposes in our lives, He will visit us with assurances, speak peace to our souls, and cause us to 'hope for our deliverance in him.'"

Elder Jorge M. Alvarado | "After the Trial of Our Faith"

"No matter the obstacles we face in life, we can trust that Jesus Christ will prepare a way forward as we walk with faith. God has promised that all who live according to the covenants they have made with Him will, in His time, receive all His promised blessings."

Elder Ronald A. Rasband | "Standing by Our Promises and Covenants"

"As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I conclude with an invitation and promise. First, the invitation: I invite you to consider the promises and covenants you make with the Lord, and with others, with great integrity, knowing that your word is your bond. Second, I promise you, as you do this, the Lord will establish your words and sanction your deeds as you strive with unwearied diligence to build up your lives, your families, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Women’s Session

Sister Reyna I. Aburto | "Thru Cloud and Sunshine, Lord, Abide with Me!"

"Let us follow the Savior’s path and increase our compassion, diminish our tendency to judge, and stop being the inspectors of the spirituality of others. Listening with love is one of the greatest gifts we can offer, and we may be able to help carry or lift the heavy clouds that suffocate our loved ones and friends so that, through our love, they can once again feel the Holy Ghost and perceive the light that emanates from Jesus Christ."

Sister Lisa L. Harkness | "Honoring His Name"

"When we remember Him and His name we bear, we have no place for self-degrading comparisons or overbearing judgments. With our eyes on the Savior, we see ourselves for who we really are—a cherished child of God."

Sister Bonnie H. Cordon |"Beloved Daughters"

"You are literally the spirit daughters of Heavenly Parents, and nothing can separate you from Their love and the love of your Savior. As you draw closer to Him, even taking the smallest baby steps forward, you will discover the lasting peace that settles into your soul as a faithful disciple of our Savior, Jesus Christ."

New theme:

I am a beloved daughter of Heavenly Parents, with a divine nature and eternal destiny. 

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I strive to become like Him. I seek and act upon personal revelation and minister to others in His holy name.

I will stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places.

As I strive to qualify for exaltation, I cherish the gift of repentance and seek to improve each day. With faith, I will strengthen my home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, and receive the ordinances and blessings of the holy temple.

President Henry B. Eyring | "Covenant Women in Partnership with God"

"Becoming a covenant woman in partnership with God is how great and good daughters of God have always mothered, led, and ministered, serving in whatever way and place He has prepared for them. I promise that you will find joy in your journey to your heavenly home as you return to Him as a covenant-keeping daughter of God."

President Dallin H. Oaks | "Two Great Commandments"

"For reasons we do not understand, we have different challenges in our mortal experiences. But we do know that God will help each of us overcome these challenges if we sincerely seek His help."

President Russell M. Nelson | "Spiritual Treasures"

"I invite you to study prayerfully section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants and discover what the Holy Ghost will teach you. Your personal spiritual endeavor will bring you joy as you gain, understand, and use the power with which you have been endowed."

Sunday Morning Session

Elder Gerrit W. Gong | "Covenant Belonging"

"Along life’s path, we may lose faith in God, but He never loses faith in us. As it were, His porch light is always on. He invites us to come or return to the covenants that mark His path. He waits ready to embrace us, even when we are 'yet a great way off.' When we look with an eye of faith for the patterns, arc, or connected dots of our experience, we can see His tender mercies and encouragement, especially in our trials, sorrows, and challenges, as well as in our joys. However often we stumble or fall, if we keep moving toward Him, He will help us, a step at a time."

Sister Cristina B. Franco | "Finding Joy in Sharing the Gospel"

"Can we invite a friend who is not of our faith to come to church with us on Sunday? Or can we perhaps share a copy of the Book of Mormon with a relative or a friend? Can we help others find their ancestors on FamilySearch or share with others what we have learned during the week as we have been studying Come, Follow Me? Can we be more like our Savior, Jesus Christ, and share with others what brings us joy to our lives? The answer to all of these questions is yes! We can do it!"

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf | "Your Great Adventure"

"Strive each day to find Him. Learn to love Him. And then let that love inspire you to learn, understand, and follow His teachings and learn to keep God’s commandments."

Elder Walter F. González | "The Savior’s Touch"

"We too can feel the touch of the Savior’s loving, healing hand. What joy, hope, and gratefulness comes to our souls in knowing that He wants to help us be clean! As we come unto Him, God will come to our rescue, whether to heal us or to give us the strength to face any situation."

Elder Gary E. Stevenson | "Deceive Me Not"

"There is much we can learn from Moses’s mighty response to temptation from the adversary. I invite you to respond the same way when you feel influenced by temptation. Command the enemy of your soul by saying: 'Go away! You have no glory. Do not tempt or lie to me! For I know I am a child of God. And I will always call upon my God for His help.'"

President Russell M. Nelson | "The Second Great Commandment"

"Giving help to others—making a conscientious effort to care about others as much or more than we care about ourselves—is our joy. Especially, I might add, when it is not convenient and when it takes us out of our comfort zone. Living that second great commandment is the key to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ."

Sunday Afternoon Session

President Henry B. Eyring | "Holiness and the Plan of Happiness"

"Whatever our personal circumstance, wherever we may be on the covenant path home, may our prayers for greater holiness be answered. I know that as our petition is granted, our happiness will increase. It may come slowly, but it will come. I have that assurance from a loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ."

Elder Hans T. Boom | "Knowing, Loving and Growing"

"Wherever you are on the path of life, some of you might feel so overburdened that you do not even consider yourself on that path. I want to invite you to step out of the darkness into the light. The gospel light will provide warmth and healing and will help you understand who you really are and what your purpose in life is."

Elder M. Russell Ballard | "Giving Our Spirit Control Over Our Body"

"Brothers and sisters, please do not miss an opportunity to look into the eyes of your family members with love. Children and parents, reach out to each other and express your love and appreciation."

Elder Peter M. Johnson | "Power to Overcome the Adversary"

"My friends, I promise that as we strive to love God with all our heart, pray in the name of Jesus Christ, study the Book of Mormon, and prayerfully partake of the sacrament, we will have the ability, with the strength of the Lord, to overcome the deceptive practices of the adversary, to minimize distractions that limit our divine potential, and to resist the discouragement that diminishes our capacity to feel the love of our Heavenly Father and His Son. We will come to fully understand who we are as sons and daughters of God."

Elder Ulisses Soares | "Take Up Our Cross"

"May we choose to seek His help and take an important and difficult step by forgiving those who have hurt us so that our wounds may begin to heal. I promise you that in your doing so, your nights will be full of the relief that comes from a mind at peace with the Lord."

Elder Neil L. Andersen | "Fruit"

"If you desire to return to the tree and taste the fruit once again, begin by praying to your Heavenly Father. Believe in Jesus Christ and the power of His atoning sacrifice. I promise you that as you look to the Savior 'in every thought,' the fruit of the tree will be yours once again, delicious to your taste, joyous to your soul, 'the greatest of all the gifts of God.'"

President Russell M. Nelson | "Concluding Remarks"

"You may wish to begin your preparation [for next conference] by reading afresh Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price. Our course of study for next year in Come, Follow Me is the Book of Mormon. You may wish to ponder important questions such as, 'How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?' or 'How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?' Also, with the Book of Mormon videos now becoming available, you may wish to incorporate them in your individual and family study."

Week 6 - General Conference

It's quite amazing to live across the street from the Conference Center and be able to walk to General Conference. I must admit to getting teary-eyed as I walked in and heard the Tabernacle Choir warming up. As wonderful as it was to be in the Choir during General Conference, it's so much nicer in front of the podium. My tickets were for Saturday morning and Saturday evening for the Women's Session. Both meetings were wonderful. A theme I recognized Saturday morning was a focus on Jesus Christ. I particularly loved Elder Holland's message - "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." He told us to find Christ at the center of General Conference and to set Christ at the center of our lives. I was so grateful to be at the session of Conference where the song we sang together was "How Firm A Foundation." It has become one of my favorite hymns, not only because we sang it at Doug's funeral, but because it reminds me that we will be sustained and upheld through all of our trials when we build upon that firm foundation of the Savior and His gospel. I felt like I was meant to be there. 

It was also wonderful to be at the Women's session Saturday night. I loved hearing my friend Reyna Aburto speak. I know that she would have prayed and labored over that talk and that it was very difficult for her to give. She's such a sweet and devoted sister, and I was so blessed to learn from her example as I served as her counselor in our Stake Relief Society presidency. It was also great to be a witness to the changes announced for the Young Women of the Church. I love the new theme and emphasis on building youth leaders (and also for the changes for the Aaronic Priesthood). AND A TEMPLE IN OREM!!!! AMAZING! I wonder where it will be. Some are speculating west of I-15 in the Vineyard area. Maybe. Or how about on the hill up by the cemetery? Wonder if Alan Ashton would donate the old Word Perfect campus? Anyway, it will be fun to watch that progress in my home town!

What is my take-away from General Conference? A few weeks ago I heard a message from Elder Bednar as he spoke to the students at BYU-Idaho. He told them not to take notes and try to remember every word he said, but to listen to what the Spirit tells them. Here's what the Spirit spoke to me today - "My mother took me to church." It must have been so very difficult for her as she took her daughters to church without the support of my father. And when it was just her with me at home, we still continued to go to church. That's why I'm here today serving a mission and enjoying every blessing of the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. My mother took me to church. And I'm so very grateful she did!