This week was stake conference in York. For our friends who are not LDS, last week was general conference, where the general leaders of the church meet in Salt Lake City and address the members of the church (it is broadcast via satellite and other methods to members throughout the world). This week, in York, the leaders of the stake (roughly equivalent to a Catholic diocese) met to address the members in their local area. They do this twice a year.
"Hey there kids!In the article from President Hinckley we referred to last week, he said one of the gifts a missionary should bring home from his mission is a love for the people he teaches. Check.
This past week went by pretty good. We had a great week here in York. This week we had stake conference. It was amazing. It was so good. President and Sister Stock spoke as well as the stake president, President Tunnicliffe. The highlight however was they had about 6 recent converts share their testimonies and conversion stories. They were immensely powerful. Three recent converts from York 2 spoke. One was Rabbie. He talked about how he changed in the past six months. He talked about how six months ago he would have put an alcoholic to shame. The discouragement of losing his wife and kids to a drunk driver turned him to the bottle. He talked about how the gospel of Jesus Christ saved his life. He talked about how a few months ago he would get nervous in a room with 3-4 people. Now he was speaking to 600-700 people! He is a walking miracle. I love taking him teaching with us. His testimony is amazing. Also Lucia, our chinese student and Ashley, an english ysa spoke. Ashley's whole family is non-members and they all came. She spoke specifically to them and expressed her love to them and bore her testimony to them. So many of them spoke of how they knew they would stumble but they would never forsake of what they knew to be true. Sister Stock spoke about what it will be like when we will return and be judged by our Saviour. It was very vivid and moving. President Stock spoke on power...his favorite subject, and how we gain power. Then President Tunnicliffe finished and talked about how the Lord grants our desires. He invited everyone to refer one person to the missionaries, visit one less active and do the temple ordinances for one person for the next stake conference in six months. I really love this stake. I wish I could stay here forever. The people here are great. I get emotional thinking about how much I love the people I work with. I can't imagine it ever ending. I am so excited for the work here."
Here's the update on the people they are teaching:
"Also this past week we have been blessed in our area. At stake conference we had Richard, Eva, Perlin, Joseph, Sam, Charlie, Jordan and Kallan. Kallan is pushing really hard in overcoming the word of wisdom. He is getting further. We need a miracle. He has a pure heart. The Lord will provide. He really, really, really wants to get baptised. Richard, Eva and Perlin are about the same. I think Lucia's talk helped them. Joseph is still struggling to make steps. He hasn't been reading and praying much but he came to church and he said that he read and prayed on Saturday after we taught him. Charlie and Jordan are a father and son. Charlie's wife has passed away. They are a sweet family. He also brought his three year old son named Aiden. They are English. They are so great. We prayed really hard about a place to go on Thursday and we knocked on Charlie's door but he wouldn't let us in. We tried everything. We taught and testified and were probably on his doorstep for about 10 minutes. We came back the next day and he let us right in and accepted an invitation to church. I think church was bit long for the kids but it was good. Jordan is almost 12 by the way. So last week we were going to teach a recent convert, Ashley, the one who spoke in stake conference. When we went to see Ashley another recent convert named Cassie was there. Cassie lives by Ashley and when we went by we asked for referrals and Cassie said her 16 yr old sister Sam might be interested. So we asked her to bring Sam the following week. Sam showed up on Friday and while we were there we had Ashley practice her talk. Upon hearing it Sam asked if she could get baptised. We told her yes. So now we are working with her as well. So that was exciting."Then, the e-mail closed with this lengthy testimony about the Book of Mormon.
"This past week I've really focused on studying the Book of Mormon for most of personal study. I have come to see how much it really applies to us. It especially applies to missionaries. I love the Book of Mormon. It has saved my mission on numerous occasions. The spirit it brings has rescued me from discouragement and despair. I realised how similar my experiences are to those in the Book of Mormon. I have taught in people's homes and on their streets. I have been rejected, thrown rocks at and cast out of people's homes just like the sons of Mosiah. I have gained power through study and prayer just like they did as well. I have gained a testimony through fasting and prayer just like Alma. I have wrestled before the Lord in mighty prayer just like Enos did. These experiences are miraculous but they are not uncommon. Like them I have also been truly blessed by the Lord. I have seen the arm of the Lord revealed. I have not seen angels but I testify to that they do minister unto the children of men. There is no other explanation for some of the things I have experienced. If there are so many similarities then surely I can become as obedient as Nephi, as powerful as Nephi and Lehi, as charitable as Alma the younger, as bold as Abinadi and the list goes on. These men are amazing men but they are not singular in their devotion to Christ. Of the 51,000 missionaries on the earth surely one is as powerful as they were. And if we can be powerful like them why can't we see miracles like them? Why can't we knock down prison walls? Why can't we have angels minister unto us daily? Why can't we have the gifts of the spirit like they did? I think that too often we don't take the scriptures literally enough. Last night I got to talk to Elder Kacher on the phone and explained some of these thoughts. He told me that his dad told him about a meeting he went to for general authorities and area authorities just before general conference. Elder Packer read Moroni 7:33-38 and told them that if they haven't seen angels then they don't believe in the Book of Mormon. Obviously we don't need to get down on ourselves when we haven't seen angels and question our testimony but we do need to be believing. I also think that we need to remember that these men weren't perfect. They made mistakes just like us. Lehi murmured. Ammon got depressed. The sons of Mosiah were exceedingly wicked. Amulek loved his money. But the Lord still worked miracles with and through them. We need to be believing and trust in the Lord and not in the arm of flesh. I feel so strongly about this. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I am a spirit child of my Eternal Heavenly Father who is perfect."I have nothing to add to this, except to provide the verses he refers to in Moroni 7:33-38 from the Book of Mormon:
33 And Christ hath said: aIf ye will have bfaith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is cexpedient in me.
34 And he hath said: aRepent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved.
36 Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he awithheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?
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