A CONFERENCE BOMB!!!

General Conference

Good Day Brothers and Sister and family and friends.  Haha here we are another week gone just like that and we have a lot in store for this upcoming week.  This past week has been great once again haha every week is great and everyday is amazing because it can all be used as a learning experience and it's just awesome to go through everyday to have the knowledge that I have and that so many of us have and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that we are all Sons and Daughters of God. HOW AMAZING WAS CONFERENCE?!?!?!?!  OH MY GOSH!!!!!!  Just the best ever and I didn't want it to end.  Haha one thought that I had is so in the Quorum of the Seventy there are Seventy set-apart called of God Apostles.  Why not have all 70 of them speak and all of the Primary Presidency and Sunday School Presidency and all of them talk.  Haha man I just never want it to end.  But sadly is does come to an end but it rejuvenates us and gets us going and recharges our batteries for the next 6 months until we meet again.  How awesome it is to hear from the Lord's living day Prophets and Apostles and to hear there words and council to us and how they warn us of things to come and help lift us up and help us physically and help us Spiritually and just help us in our lives because of the amazing message that they share which is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I could go on and on and on an talk about each every individual talk and to be honest I have no idea which talk was my favorite but I do remember the Spirit that I felt while I was listening to Conference and every question that I went into Conference was answered but not the way I was expecting it to be answered.  Mum, dad my main question that I had going into Conference this time is that I wanted one talk to hit me like a ton of bricks and change my life forever.  One that would teach me and expand my knowledge to where it would help me overcome my weaknesses and my trials.  I quickly learned that this was not what God had in store for me and I was very quickly humbled and disciplined.  I went through Conference having my question answered through little parts of different talks and the Spirit told me that I am not suppose to receive just one talk that will change my life.  To remember that this life is all about Eternal Progression and to just keep putting your head down and working hard and you will make it through life happily.  I also thought to myself you know in my life I have never really had any big Spiritual experience or anything extraordinary happen to me but I thought that is okay.  I know what to be true in my heart and I don't need some big experience to help me.  I know what I need to do and I know that I need to just keep trying my best to be the best that I can be.  I will continue to live my life the way God wants me to live my life continue my life in His service whatever that may be continue to read my scriptures say my prayers go to church fulfil my Priesthood responsibilities and repent when I mess up and continue to "Hold to the Rod" and help as many people as I can.  That Brothers and Sisters is what I believe Faith to be.  A continual, gradual process and growth and not just a one time thing that we get our faith and it stays that way forever if it was like that life would be to easy and life is not easy.  Remember that this life is a test.  I always think of so many examples in the Book of Mormon and Bible and Doctrine and Covenants of Faith.  I think of Christ's Disciples, wouldn't you think that would strengthen your Faith enough to where you would never fall away.  Walking, talking, learning, and witnessing the things Christ did.  But no, some of His disciples fell away and betrayed Him.  I think Laman and Lemuel in the Book of Mormon who saw angles and where the mercy of God was wrought upon them so much in there life but yet they still did not believe and they fell away.  I think of some of the special witnesses of the time of Joseph Smith of who actually saw  the Gold Plates and saw Angles yet that was still not enough for there Faith and they fell away.  I think to myself Brothers and Sisters why can't we all just have one event in our life that let's us know God is real and then we will never fall away from the Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Because that is not how it works.  I love this quote by one of our Apostles sorry I don't know exactly who it is from, "your faith is either increasing or decreasing it is never staying the same." That is why we keep reading the Book of Mormon over and over again.  That is why we go to Church each Sunday to learn and to grow and that is why we list to the Prophets and Apostles in these the Latter-days and WOW how amazing there messages to us they were.  They were so focused on the basics of the Gospel and I loved it.  I think it was so cool because the world is in chaos and things are becoming so complex and crazy but yet when we listen to conference we are reassured and we are taught about the basics of the Gospel and what is really important in this life.  We received talks about the Restoration, The Plan of Happiness (from our Prophet wow what a great message he shared) The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Book of Mormon, The Atonement, what great messages we heard and we can apply to our lives and learn and grow from.  One of my favorite talks was from President Russell M. Nelson about JOY.  "This Gospel is Joy" he taught us and, "Each and everyday should be a day of JOY focused on Christ and His Gospel."  So true and what a great talk!!!  One of my other favorite talks was from Elder Robert D. Hales and his question that he asked us.  If we love the Savior more will we suffer less?  What a great profound question.  What I got out of that talk is what truly drives us in our day to day things.  And the answer I got for myself is that what should drive me is the LOVE I have for God and Jesus Christ and the LOVE I have for others.  I love how Elder Hales taught us that, "we come unto God by loving and serving others." Also, "this will not take away trials but help and give us strength to overcome them."  The pure love of Christ and that is the thing that Christ and our Father in Heaven have taught us so much about and that is "Love One Another as I have Loved you."  What awesomeness this Gospel is and how amazing it was to hear from General Conference.  Cant' wait to get time to review my notes and for next month when the Ensign comes out and we can read the talks again!!!!:)

Gearing up for the baptism!

Mum, Dad this past week has been great we have been busy again haha just like every week and we are so excited for this week and for D_____'s baptism.  What an awesome time it has been to be able to teach and work with D_____!!!:)  His baptism is going to be this Saturday at noon and it is going to be in one of the members swimming pools.  We are just excited for him and what an awesome quote from President Nelson and thanks mom for sharing it again.  That is so true why we are missionaries do what we do it is not because of the numbers and growing the Church but bringing JOY into others peoples lives.  I also loved Elder Holland's talk in the Priesthood Session about home teaching and that "THE NUMBERS DON'T COUNT, THEY DON'T MATTER" how awesome that was because it is so true!  This week is gonna be heaps crazy cuz we are going up to Canberra for a meeting later this week and we have trade-offs as well and the baptism is on Saturday haha so heaps to do but I love it!!!:)  This week has been good doing a lot of service again and just keep helping D_____!:) 

Another 5K?!

Hey also guess what we ran the 5k again and I got 28:10 almost a whole minute from last week which was 29:06!:)  Haha who knew I was a runner.:) 

Questions from family:

So dad haha nope I still have my ukelele but I don't play it to much I know like 7-8 songs that I learned up in MacArthur but I haven't really been playing it much I don't know yet if I will bring it home we will see.  Mum so we watched the Sunday morning session with the whole branch on Sunday morning and that was our Church.  We downloaded all of the sessions on a USB and we watched the Saturday morning session and Priesthood session on Saturday just me and Elder Newman.  We didn't have enough time on Saturday to watch the Saturday afternoon session but on Sunday after church we finished watching the sessions and watched the Saturday afternoon session and the Sunday afternoon session and it was really cool cuz D____ stayed after church and watched them with us he loved it!!!:)  The name of our Branch is Merimbula Branch.  I hope you guys have an awesome vacation up in Oregon and have a great time but be safe.  Love you heaps. 

Final thoughts!

I want to end this week with our amazing words from our frail but yet still powerful Prophet President Thomas S. Monson.  In his two addresses to us one in the Priesthood session and then other in the Sunday morning session but he taught us and reminded us of the key doctrines.  First the Word of Wisdom and second the Plan of Happiness.  Even though his messages were not long how powerful and amazing they were and I thought why did he talk to us about these two things.  I believe to remind us of one who we are, where we came from, and where we are going and also of something that the world shows is okay but we know is not.  Remember that it really is a word of wisdom.  Love all of you guys have a great week and pray for our dear Prophet and Apostles and all of the General Authorities.  Love yous all. :)

Love Elder Stott