July 20, 2007
I wrote the attached epistle on our prep day. You don't have to read all of it. I hope you are all well! I can't believe the MTC is mostly over!
Elder Walters
Hello!
I have loved my first week at the Missionary Training Center! My favorite part is feeling the spirit so much. I feel it both when I learn from others and when my companion and I teach. I am most convinced of the truthfulness of Christ’s Gospel when the spirit testifies of it through a simple, peaceful feeling. It just feels right.
My least favorite part, and it is a small thing, is feeling tired. It’s mostly an obedience thing: if I try to get to bed by 10:30 pm, then 6:30 am doesn’t seem to come around so early. I love that I am totally focused on one thing-missionary work. My time here feels so productive! I am starting to see more of the importance of sharing the Gospel.
- Mosiah 28: 3
3 Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not abear that any human bsoul should cperish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure dendless torment did cause them to quake and etremble.
I would LOVE to share just a few of the stories and scriptures and lessons that have impressed me over the last week. Some are funny, some are serious. Enjoy!
Wednesday July 11th
1. This scripture focuses on the need for missionaries to focus solely on missionary work. This is when Christ calls Peter and his brother, Andrew to be His apostles.
Matt. 4 19 And he saith unto them, aFollow me, and I will make you bfishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets, and afollowed him.
I love the word straightway! They had no reservations! They realized the importance of the Savior’s message and gave it everything they had, forsaking, or putting on hold, everything else!
2. President Boone, the MTC President has a great sense of humor. He is serious most of the time-it makes his jokes even better. I’ll paraphrase his advice for missionaries with girlfriends waiting for them.
There is only one ay to know if your girlfriend will wait for two years while you’re on your mission. Take her to the temple, and holding her hand, circle the temple three times. Then, looking up at the angel Moroni, ask, “Will she be true?” If Moroni blows his trumpet, she’ll wait for you.
He also encouraged us to call each other Elders, not guys or dudes. “The guys are at home…dating your girlfriends.”
Thursday July 12th
- Brother Taylor taught us about having enthusiasm for the work. He encouraged us to smile as we served. Is there a simpler, more effective way to represent Jesus Christ? We learned that the word enthusiasm comes from the Greek word ethios, “God within us.”
Friday July 13th
- We learned from Brother Jarman that the reason we study isn’t for our benefit, it’s for the benefit of our investigators. Personal study, companion study and zone conferences are all meant to help answer our investigators’ questions and concerns. It really puts into perspective just how important my study time at the MTC is for those I teach.
Saturday July 14th
- Learning about the Restoration made me realize how awesome it is to be alive in these days, even greater to be a missionary! God gave Adam, the very first prophet, the Priesthood and Gospel. Over time, Adam’s posterity rejected the Gospel, and the Lord had to take the Priesthood from the wicked.
D&C 121: 36 The arights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and the powers of heaven cannot be bcontrolled nor handled only upon the cprinciples of righteousness.
Throughout time, Heavenly Father reached out to us in love! He gave us prophets and the priesthood again! When we had a prophet and the priesthood, it was a dispensation. When the world was to wicked, it was an apostasy. We are so blessed to live in the very last dispensation! We have had 15 consecutive prophets and the priesthood for over 150 years! We have the opportunity to learn more about Jesus Christ’s Gospel than most people on earth have ever known! What a blessing and responsibility to learn and share it!!!
Sunday July 15th
- Jacob 2:8 describes why I believe so many missionaries have come to the MTC, somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000.
8 And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing aword of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.
I love that scripture! There is one thing that can heal all wounds, physical and spiritual! It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
2. President Boone shared the importance of writing home. One of his sons wrote very little, on the back of one postcard he wrote, “All is well in Argentina. The Gospel’s true. Love, Elder Boone.” When his daughter served, she didn’t write letters… she wrote “epistles.” One was sixteen pages long. He shared one experience about his last son, who had been writing every week. One week he didn’t write, and Sister Boone got really worried. The next week, no letter, and Sister Boone was going to call the mission president. She was sure he was in a ditch or hospital or something. On the third week, finally an envelope came with three letters inside and a post-it-note. It read: “I saved two stamps!” Sister Boone wrote him a long letter that week.
Monday July 16th
- This was a great day. I felt the spirit strongly and often as I studied the scriptures and Preach My Gospel and as our teachers shared their insight, particularly on discouragement and how to overcome it. Brother Heileman converted at college and soon after, he served a mission. He pointed something out that really got me thinking. In the pre-existence we chose to accept Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s plan. We were to come to earth to be tested, to learn the Gospel again from scratch through the power of the Holy Ghost. We, the 2/3 part, put all of our trust in the Savior, that he would do as He had promised, that is to take upon Himself not only our sins and guilt, but our sicknesses, infirmities and troubles, that He would better know how to succor or help us. We knew that this plan meant that some of us would not make it back into God’s presence! How DAUNTING this plan must have been! We were willing to risk all for the chance that we might become like God! We had faith that the Jesus Chist would do His part, and we had confidence that we could do our part! That is what distinguishes us from the 1/3 that followed Satan! They lacked faith in Jesus Christ and confidence in themselves! As a result, they are trying to destroy in us the attributes that they never had-faith in Christ and confidence in ourselves! Knowing this truth puts difficult circumstances into perspective. Sure they’re hard, but what a great opportunity to prove ourselves to Heavenly Father! We each have the power within us to overcome, all it takes is faith and confidence!
Tuesday 17th
- President Hinckley said “Every investigator worthy of baptism becomes a convert worthy of saving.” I love that statement! We have such a responsibility not only to help others receive one of the first ordinances of the Gospel, but to also help new and old converts stay involved in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He also said each new member needs three things; a friend, a responsibility, and the nourishing word of God.
Wednesday 18th
I can’t believe that I’ve been here over a week! There’s a scripture in the Book of Mormon that says something like, even if you labor all of your days serving the Lord, you are still so indebted to Him. He has done so much for us, and asks so little in return! Well, I’ve got to roll! This Gospel is so, so true and wonderful!
Love,
Elder Walters
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