Oct. 17,2016 "Adam-ondi-ahman!!"

Oct. 17,2016 “Adam-ondi-ahman!!”

This week was a spiritual FEAST!!!!

So first of all we met with Scott a couple more times this week. We met with him Wednesday night and our teamup was our recent convert Jory Lowe and it was awesome!!! Jory's testimony is so strong and it's amazing!! (He's the father of the family we baptized back in July) Scott definitely felt the spirit. We don't know how much he understood completely but he's coming along. But he said he knew he church was true!! So that was Wednesday night and then Thursday ...

WE GOT TO GO TO ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN!!!!

Twice a year they take the new sisters in the VC to go see all the church sites so that we all know the history better and idk just because we are VC sisters

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SO we all piled in the senior couples cars and mission van and road tripped an hour and a half to Adam-ondi-Ahman (AOA) and then to far west and then liberty jail before returning to the visitor center. At AOA it was freezing!! Haha so we had sweaters and tights and winter coat. But then it warmed up. But we got a tour by the far west patriarch who took us all around and basically gave us the tour and the run down that the apostles and prophet get when they come. It was awesome!! We were able to go to preachers rock and listen to the people talk and we could still hear them from like forever away. And we even sang there and it was so amazing. We got to go to Spring Hill and then tower hill both places where Adam and the nephites would have built their alters to the lord and where the first family home evenings were held and where Christ came and where he will come. Sorry I can't remember all the facts he told us but what I do remember was the spirit and how I felt.

OH MY GOODNESS it was amazing. I cannot even express. Literally one of the sisters described it best when it she said it was like an outdoor temple. Truly that's how e experience was. When we were on tower hill, we were given a little moment to just go off by ourselves and just ponder. It was like the spirit was swarming all around us, and we were all enveloped in it. I have probably mentioned this before but a phrase that has been running through my mind for a long while is the phrase "nothing else matters" nothing else matters but the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is so easy to get caught up in all the little material things in worrying about social media,about work, about friends, about boyfriends, about having the new and latest thing, about education ... while some of those things are good, when it comes down to it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all that matters. Nothing else! I received the strongest witness confirmed to me there that we are undoubtedly in the last days, we are awaiting Christ's second coming. There is not a visitor center built on that land because AOA is on standby and being upkept in preparation for that great and glorious day when Christ will come and hold a meeting with the dispensation heads. We don't need to worry about who will be invited to that meeting and whether it's us or not, but we need to be ready. There it comes back to the fact and truth that we need to be truly converted (like the prophets and apostles expressed to us so earnestly this past general conference) to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful for my ancestors and pioneers who surround me daily from beyond the vail and who I can feel. Their faith and strength is such an example to me. And a testimony that the church is true. Why would people give their lives for something that wasn't?

Far west was so peaceful. And Liberty jail was so powerful as well. All I could think about was the saviors example for us. And all he did. And surely "the son of god hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" We all go through our Liberty jail experiences. But I'm the darkest times and darkest moments - as I have expressed before - that's where God is near us the most. And where we can receive the most special of spiritual revelations.

Friday was also an amazing day! We had shift at the visitor center in the morning and sister Matagi and I took a nonmember through. It wasn't u till the end that he shared his story with us. Sam had been a member and had served a faithful mission but was excommunicated because he came out. He was a successful lawyer and hadn't been in the church for s long time. But he is currently in the process of writing a book (and traveling the world while doing it) about his struggle as being a Mormon queer. He has said that he has never felt far from Christ's reach. It is hard to find a place in the church as a gay person as much as we try to make room. He is on a committee to help find out how to work together. He is awesome! I expressed to him how thankful I was for his example because he is the first person who I have met who doesn't hate the church - that's struggling with being gay! We need more people like that. But we need to do like the savior did. He would love anyone and everyone right? So we need to. The spirit spoke this to me and I just was filled with the love that Christ has for him. So I'm going to read his book when I get home!!

After shift we had zone training. Which was amazing!!! I love zone training because our leaders in this mission are truly inspired. I was able to have a lot of prayers answered. What it was all kind of about was the power of the message we have. We have THE TRUTH. There are people who don't know that Christ has suffered and died for them and taken away the pain and punishment of their sins so they don't have to feel them. Isn't that terrible to know that a lot of people don't know that??

But we have the gospel too. Are we fully living it?? Are we completely aligned with gods will and with all truth? This is the only way we will truly become like Him. Are our desires what God would have us be? Are they truly righteous? Because our desires drive our actions.

"The greatest battle is in the silent chamber of your heart. With your will against gods will. The best thing to do is to lose. Lose yourself to gods will."

It's never too late to decide what type of disciple you are going to be.

And whenever something within you says that something's impossible, look deeper within yourself and see as to whether that's really your father in heaven saying that you can grow and stretch and rely on Him.

And whenever you feel far from hope, remember that "a loving God is as close as a prayer."

Saturday we had Scott come to the visitor center! We were very hopeful but we left with him feeling good but not knowing what he truly got out of it. He has become to be on this sort of spiritual plateau.

As missionaries I have realized that we are not to convince people into the gospel. We are here to find those who will willingly accept the gospel.

God knows who will and won't join his church and accept his word.

So Since Scott didn't show up to church and now won't answer our calls. We may drop him.

In order to find those who God will lead us to and will help us to find who we know that he knows is prepared.

One more word of advice (haha sorry I've just learned so much!)

I have realized so much that we HAVE to get out of our comfort zone to be members of the church. You can't just sit in your house and do nothing and help no one and think that you're still living the gospel. Living the gospel includes changing and growing and reaching out in love to those around us and GIVING ALL PF OURSELVES to His work.

I wasn't very good at this at all before I left. And I regret that. So I share with all of you that I hope you truly study the doctrine of Christ and apply it to your lives and reach out to those around you. Share your knowledge and love of the savior with others. Not everyone knows him. Pray what you can do to assist god in His work. In doing these things we gain more blessings than we can imagine and we an gain true happiness and exaltation with our father in heaven.

I hope you know how much I love and care and miss all of you.

You're the best.

Peace and blessings,