MTC Week 7 - October

October 03, 2017

MTC Week 7 - October

Hello Everyone!

Becoming a Sister Training Leader (STL) has been one of the biggest blessings. I love each and every sister in our zone and I don't even know them all that well yet! I have always felt that I love people I meet pretty easily, but usually not this much this fast. I can promise that Jesus Christ is helping me to love these sisters more than I could on my own. I can feel it, and it's a very special feeling. I get excited when the sisters come to ask us questions about what they can do to improve their Chinese and teaching skills. This is surprising because I've only been here six weeks, so what do I know? Yet these sisters trust us, and come to us. In turn, we do all we can to help and support them. The sisters in our zone are amazing young women and I'm so blessed to know them all!

General Conference is the thing that is forefront on my mind right now. Of all the beautiful words spoken, heart-wrenching and inspiring stories told, and exhortations given by these, God's very servants, I was most touched by four specific talks. I wish to share some highlights here. First, during the Sunday morning session of Conference, Donald L. Hallstrom narrated a story about a man who fell off a cliff. He was severely injured, but miracle after miracle occurred to the point where this man is expected to make a full recovery. His family had an extraordinary amount of faith and their prayers were heard and answered by God. Elder Hallstrom next said, however, that sometimes despite the faithful prayers of friends and family, tragedy still happens. Why? Why do we see divine intervention in some circumstances and not in others? We don't know. We may never know. That's why we have to have faith in Jesus Christ and not in outcomes. "Do I have faith not to be healed in this life so I can be healed in the eternities?" God knows the beginning from the end. He has a plan for you in which he sees you happier than you've ever felt before; happier beyond comprehension. Follow Him through thick and thin and just you wait. You will see the salvation of the Lord. All of us have equal access to the miracles of Jesus Christ's Atonement.

My other three favorite talks were all about the same thing: Follow the prophet by reading The Book of Mormon every day. They were given by President Russel M. Nelson, Elder Tad R. Callister, and President Henry B. Eyring. As I listened to them, I was reminded of these things: where did Joseph Smith get all this profound doctrine found in The Book of Mormon if not from God? The Book of Mormon has messages with a heartbeat. Messages that live and breathe and teach us the best way to do the same. This book is a gift, an armor. Through sincerely reading it daily, pondering and striving to follow the words carefully included inside, we can become filled with positivity, charity, and a resolve to serve others. Revelation did not end with the Bible, and the heavens are not sealed. "This book is unequivocally the Word of God." I highly highly highly highly with allllllll the energy of heart encourage you, urge you, implore you, to read The Book of Mormon every day.

During my MTC stay, I have been fervently reading this book. I have read over twenty chapters of it during ponder time in the last two days. I kid you not, I have never felt so much purpose in my life. I thought I was decently close to Jesus Christ before, but not like I feel I am now. And I ache to come closer. I promise that the The Book of Mormon can change your life for the better, and it will if you let it.

Nimen hen bang! I LOVE YOU ALL.

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Aaron! You know Elder Driggs_! He says he loves you. He's going to Cali speaking Mandarin and just arrived in my zone!