General conference weekend goes something like this...
8:00 - personal stury
9:00 - companionship study
10:00 - language study
11:00 - conference
1:00 - teaching and finding and normal missionary activities
3:00 - conference
5:00 - proselyte again until you're starving... then eat... then go back out until 9.
Perdy simple.
And we watch conference at the ward building. You forget that going to the stake center is a little impractical when you're out of Utah.... Our stake center is an hour and a half away. Conference is broadcast to every church building out here. But most people just watch it on the internet.
It's hard to choose a favorite.. but I LOVED Tad Callister's talk about the Book of Mormon. We use that analogy ALL THE TIME. And I loved when at the end he reiterated how if you have not actually READ the Book, you have not "researched the religion." That is the issue without fail. Whenever someone is anti'd or thinks the Church is false, we'll always ask if they've read the Book of Mormon. And they will always say that if anything, they've only flipped around in it.
And as always, I loved Elder Christofferson's talk. LOVE HIM. And Pres. Monson's talk too! And Elaine Dalton's....
This past week the Lord really blessed us. He blessed us to find people and to "have out with their concerns".
We're working with T to understand that the Bible does not say there are no more prophets and to resolve her concern about modern-day prophets. (That's a VERY brief explanation of what we're doing with her...)
We're working with B toward baptism and understanding that Christ DID organize a church and that not ALL churches were man-made.
We're working with R toward baptism and quitting smoking and church attendance.
We're working with C.... she's too new to say anything definitive yet.
Ch.... oh wow.
A.... apathy's the worst....
AK.... cool beans from Africa.... also too new to know yet.
J.... the ex-Catholic nun. She's not, however, ex-Catholic. She's still VERY Catholic. She just recinded her vows. Except one. She did not recind her vow of chastity. She said she had to get special permission to take 1 vow instead of the all 3 or none of them. I wouldn't say she's looking, but she did agree in our last visit to read from the Book of Mormon.... and the Book is its own best defender and converter. :)
This week I was reading in D&C 68 when I happened upon a scripture that was EXACTLY what I needed. I was already aware of this promise, but for some reason I just needed to hear it right from the Lord for myself. Verse 6 helped me overcome a lot this week. And on Wednesday the Spirit changed what we had planned for our dinner message last-minute. We shared the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis burying their weapons and then we each wrote down on a piece of paper something that we were doing that was hindering closeness with the Savior or something we weren't doing that we should've been doing. We all then talked about them and committed to "bury" the past habit, never to dig it up. I can honestly say that being accountable and committed to not digging up the weapon I buried that day has made a lot of difference already. The Lord has this amazing ability to show you what you yet lack and what you're holding back. And then He leaves it up to you whether or not you're willing to fix it, to put yourself in His hands and let Him mold you into something much better.
So this week I encourage everyone who reads these words to follow the example in the Book of Mormon and be honest with him/herself and pick out something that you either do or do not do that keeps you from a closer relationship with the Savior and from doing His will.... and BURY IT.... never to dig it up again. I promise you, better yet, the Lord promises you, that you will be blessed for this and will enjoy the company of the Spirit more in your life, which the scriptures teach us is the greatest thing we can desire. . . for innumerable reasons.
Well, I love you all, and am thankful for your prayers and support.
Hope to hear from you soon.
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