February 26, 2018 -- Elder Holland Shook My Hand
So!
This week has been one of the most influential weeks of my life up to this point! The highlight was certainly this Saturday, which will take up most of my email. :D
So on Friday night we drove down to Fort Walton Beach, and then on Saturday morning we got up at about 5 in the morning to drive all the way to Panama City Beach for the full-mission conference with Elder Parker of the Quorum of the 70, Elder Costa of the Quorum of the 70, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. There were so many amazing things said, but I will share a few highlights.
Elder Parker talked a lot about what we are doing, and that as missionaries, we do the work that Peter and Paul were killed for. He told us that when he was called as a mission president, he brought all of his family together and explained that he was going to be gone for three years. Many of his family members were not members of the church, and they asked him if he was, perhaps, taking this whole Mormon thing "too far". He testified to us that when we give our lives to the Savior, we are not taking things too far.
Elder Costa told us his conversion story, and how he read Joesph Smith History and prayed to know if Joesph Smith was a prophet, and then two days later he was baptized. He taught us about drinking from the fountain of pure water, Jesus Christ, and that we should look to Him for our answers.
Then we heard from Elder Holland. Earlier that day he had shaken each and every one of our hands. He told us that when he shook our hands and looked into our eyes, it was like a personal interview. That every single one of us had had a 6 second interview with an Apostle of God, and that he knew our hearts. It was so powerful, and I KNEW that he truly is an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He told us about the importance of our missions and the work that we do. He told us that when we go home, we should have nothing at all left inside of us to give. He said that we are the Shepards, and though God may lose a few sheep because they choose not to follow Him, He cannot afford to lose a Shepard. He told us that our entire missions, though we are teaching others, are for our own conversion. He said that if our church had a symbol, it would be two missionaries. He said so much, oh my goodness. I wish you all could have been there.
I was sitting on an aisle seat right near the back of the room, and as Elder Holland was leaving he reached out, shook my hand again, looked me in the eyes and said "Be good." I don't think he was meaning to talk to me specifically, but those words entered into my soul and lodged onto something there. His last words to us all, and to me, were about being and becoming something. He didn't say "Do good" or "Baptize the Nation", what he said was "Be good". My soul tells me that that means to strive for more. To become the person that God wants us to be. It means not just to do good things because you know you should, but to actively want to change the world because that is just who you are. I didn't come on a mission to do good, I came on a mission to be good. And that is what Elder Holland, a prophet and Apostle of the Lord, reminded me of. I still have a long way to go until I get there, but through the Grace of God I know I can.
I also got to see a lot of my friends again! Sister Burnham, Sister Hulstine, Elder Morgan, Elder Calvin, and Elder Hirz were all there. It honestly felt like seeing my family again. God is so good. I am so grateful to Him for leading me to these people that have just completely changed my life, and I know I'll be friends with them for a long long time. The only sad part was that I really really wished that Sister Adams could have been there.
Besides the wonderfulness that was this Saturday, the work continues to move forward! Autumn is doing very very well and I love her to infinity. I have been crocheting her a scarf, and hopefully it will be done soon so I can give it to her at her baptism. I am so grateful to God for letting me stay in this area long enough to meet Autumn. I think I came when I did for my Burton girls, and I think I stayed this long for Autumn Herndon.
Seriously y'all, God is wonderful. I hope you all get to know Him a bit better this week. Have a great week everyone—talk to you next Monday! And hey, in the meantime, read The Book of Mormon, K?
This week has been one of the most influential weeks of my life up to this point! The highlight was certainly this Saturday, which will take up most of my email. :D
So on Friday night we drove down to Fort Walton Beach, and then on Saturday morning we got up at about 5 in the morning to drive all the way to Panama City Beach for the full-mission conference with Elder Parker of the Quorum of the 70, Elder Costa of the Quorum of the 70, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. There were so many amazing things said, but I will share a few highlights.
Elder Parker talked a lot about what we are doing, and that as missionaries, we do the work that Peter and Paul were killed for. He told us that when he was called as a mission president, he brought all of his family together and explained that he was going to be gone for three years. Many of his family members were not members of the church, and they asked him if he was, perhaps, taking this whole Mormon thing "too far". He testified to us that when we give our lives to the Savior, we are not taking things too far.
Elder Costa told us his conversion story, and how he read Joesph Smith History and prayed to know if Joesph Smith was a prophet, and then two days later he was baptized. He taught us about drinking from the fountain of pure water, Jesus Christ, and that we should look to Him for our answers.
Then we heard from Elder Holland. Earlier that day he had shaken each and every one of our hands. He told us that when he shook our hands and looked into our eyes, it was like a personal interview. That every single one of us had had a 6 second interview with an Apostle of God, and that he knew our hearts. It was so powerful, and I KNEW that he truly is an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He told us about the importance of our missions and the work that we do. He told us that when we go home, we should have nothing at all left inside of us to give. He said that we are the Shepards, and though God may lose a few sheep because they choose not to follow Him, He cannot afford to lose a Shepard. He told us that our entire missions, though we are teaching others, are for our own conversion. He said that if our church had a symbol, it would be two missionaries. He said so much, oh my goodness. I wish you all could have been there.
I was sitting on an aisle seat right near the back of the room, and as Elder Holland was leaving he reached out, shook my hand again, looked me in the eyes and said "Be good." I don't think he was meaning to talk to me specifically, but those words entered into my soul and lodged onto something there. His last words to us all, and to me, were about being and becoming something. He didn't say "Do good" or "Baptize the Nation", what he said was "Be good". My soul tells me that that means to strive for more. To become the person that God wants us to be. It means not just to do good things because you know you should, but to actively want to change the world because that is just who you are. I didn't come on a mission to do good, I came on a mission to be good. And that is what Elder Holland, a prophet and Apostle of the Lord, reminded me of. I still have a long way to go until I get there, but through the Grace of God I know I can.
I also got to see a lot of my friends again! Sister Burnham, Sister Hulstine, Elder Morgan, Elder Calvin, and Elder Hirz were all there. It honestly felt like seeing my family again. God is so good. I am so grateful to Him for leading me to these people that have just completely changed my life, and I know I'll be friends with them for a long long time. The only sad part was that I really really wished that Sister Adams could have been there.
Besides the wonderfulness that was this Saturday, the work continues to move forward! Autumn is doing very very well and I love her to infinity. I have been crocheting her a scarf, and hopefully it will be done soon so I can give it to her at her baptism. I am so grateful to God for letting me stay in this area long enough to meet Autumn. I think I came when I did for my Burton girls, and I think I stayed this long for Autumn Herndon.
Seriously y'all, God is wonderful. I hope you all get to know Him a bit better this week. Have a great week everyone—talk to you next Monday! And hey, in the meantime, read The Book of Mormon, K?
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