Good day to you all!
I cannot believe that it is already February! Time passes so quickly in the field. This week has been pretty interesting with Zone Conference, the snow that we received on Saturday and the Winter Devotional we held on Sunday due to the other meetings being canceled. This past Zone Conference was, by far, one of the most spiritual ones I have attended during my mission. The Conference was focused around member missionary work and how we could get the members more involved. One of the members of the Raleigh Stake Presidency spoke and explained about how bad of a member missionary he was. He recounted a couple of experiences where the missionaries had extended an invitation to him to engage in missionary work and he accepted and was edified therefrom. However, once the missionaries were transferred out and the next missionaries who were transferred in did not invite him, he ceased to do the work. This highlighted how needful direct invitations are, because people are not likely to work unless they are invited to. Another interesting point he brought up was while he was sharing a spiritual thought within a role play with President Cotterell. He started sharing the vision of Lehi and focused primarily on the tree of life. He talked about how it is the love of God and further explained that it is the most desirable and precious of all fruits. He then explained that when we feel that love we find a balm that heals all wounds and we come to understand the Atonement and that we can always repent and turn our lives toward God once more. We feel how much He loves us and that becomes what we strive to feel each and every day of our lives. Everyone has the right to feel that love. It is our job as members to share with them the ways to help them fully experience that love. I know that as you share the gospel you will bless the lives of others and receive great blessings in your own life.
On Saturday we woke up to snow. We tried to get our car out but ended up having our Ward Mission Leader take us to the church to clean the church for the following Sunday. However, the icy weather caused the meetings to be canceled that Sunday. Undeterred, my companion and I put together a Winter Devotional and had the missionaries from our area attend. It was mainly a joke when we were first putting it together, but in the end it fell into place so well and each and every piece was inspired, from the order of the people sharing spiritual experiences to the special musical number. :D I am so thankful that we were able to put something together. That afternoon I was able to go over to the Walkers and make monkey bread for them and then have dinner at the Bishop's house. To close out the night my companion and I gave a blessing to an investigator to prepare her for her surgery this week. All in all it was a pretty amazing week.
I know this church is the true church of Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost bears record each time I attend, whether it be a ward of 100, a branch of 40 or a group of missionaries seeking to be edified one to another. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I have come closer to God by reading that book and following the doctrine and principles therein than by any other book. I know that the Bible is the word of God and it truly testifies of Christ and His ministry. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer and Savior of all mankind. I know that He lives and guides this church today. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he did see our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God and the only man authorized to receive revelation for the world. These things I know. I leave them with you in the name of our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ. Amen
With love,
Elder Roberts
I cannot believe that it is already February! Time passes so quickly in the field. This week has been pretty interesting with Zone Conference, the snow that we received on Saturday and the Winter Devotional we held on Sunday due to the other meetings being canceled. This past Zone Conference was, by far, one of the most spiritual ones I have attended during my mission. The Conference was focused around member missionary work and how we could get the members more involved. One of the members of the Raleigh Stake Presidency spoke and explained about how bad of a member missionary he was. He recounted a couple of experiences where the missionaries had extended an invitation to him to engage in missionary work and he accepted and was edified therefrom. However, once the missionaries were transferred out and the next missionaries who were transferred in did not invite him, he ceased to do the work. This highlighted how needful direct invitations are, because people are not likely to work unless they are invited to. Another interesting point he brought up was while he was sharing a spiritual thought within a role play with President Cotterell. He started sharing the vision of Lehi and focused primarily on the tree of life. He talked about how it is the love of God and further explained that it is the most desirable and precious of all fruits. He then explained that when we feel that love we find a balm that heals all wounds and we come to understand the Atonement and that we can always repent and turn our lives toward God once more. We feel how much He loves us and that becomes what we strive to feel each and every day of our lives. Everyone has the right to feel that love. It is our job as members to share with them the ways to help them fully experience that love. I know that as you share the gospel you will bless the lives of others and receive great blessings in your own life.
On Saturday we woke up to snow. We tried to get our car out but ended up having our Ward Mission Leader take us to the church to clean the church for the following Sunday. However, the icy weather caused the meetings to be canceled that Sunday. Undeterred, my companion and I put together a Winter Devotional and had the missionaries from our area attend. It was mainly a joke when we were first putting it together, but in the end it fell into place so well and each and every piece was inspired, from the order of the people sharing spiritual experiences to the special musical number. :D I am so thankful that we were able to put something together. That afternoon I was able to go over to the Walkers and make monkey bread for them and then have dinner at the Bishop's house. To close out the night my companion and I gave a blessing to an investigator to prepare her for her surgery this week. All in all it was a pretty amazing week.
I know this church is the true church of Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost bears record each time I attend, whether it be a ward of 100, a branch of 40 or a group of missionaries seeking to be edified one to another. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I have come closer to God by reading that book and following the doctrine and principles therein than by any other book. I know that the Bible is the word of God and it truly testifies of Christ and His ministry. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer and Savior of all mankind. I know that He lives and guides this church today. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he did see our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God and the only man authorized to receive revelation for the world. These things I know. I leave them with you in the name of our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ. Amen
With love,
Elder Roberts
