Testimony vs Conversion

Family and Friends-

It sounds like Utah is actually a LOT colder than Boston-our lowest temperature (granted, without windchill) has been 15 degrees.  And I'm hearing reports of as cold as -6 in Utah?! WHA....?!  As of today, it's warm enough that I'm not even wearing a jacket.  The weather has been quite pleasant lately, with the exception of one BITTERLY cold day.  Maybe I'm just getting a little more used to the cold cuz of the fact that it's ALWAYS cold here, but it sounds like all of y'all in Utah are getting rocked by the cold!!  Sorry, folks :P  (I can just hear Elder Quackenbush in the background, yelling, "Sucks to suck!" haha)

I'm excited about the new Stake Presidency we got, too.  Knowing Brother Brinton and Brother McAllister personally, they're going to do WONDERFULLY.  Please let them know that I said that, too.  And please thank them for their examples to me through the years, if you have the time.

It's truly wonderful to hear about all of these people who are going on Missions-the work is truly being pushed forward.  (And I bet money that Mom and Sister Sullivan BARELY make it to the end of their musical number, choking on tears.  And that's if they even make it through cuz of their crying so hard.  Any takers?)  Either this next transfer or the one after, the Massachusetts Boston Mission is going to get something like 20 more Elders and 40 more Sisters.  Can you believe that?!  Baptisms in this area will EXPLODE!!!  

Speaking of baptisms, could I ask all of you to pray for our investigators working for baptism?  Technically, I'm not supposed to mention them by name, but if you could pray for them to basically have the faith to go forward with baptism, that would be WONDERFUL.  They're all right there, so close-some even say that they know the Church is true, but they "want to learn more."  They just need that little bit of a push, so any help we could get would be much appreciated!! :)

Elder Kilgore and I have been lucky to have gotten two referrals this last week, and possibly a third upcoming.  One potential investigator flaked on coming to Church (bummer, right?), we can't quite get a hold of another man who's expressed interest, and there's another man who may or may not want to be taught by the Haitianaries (Haitian-Creole speaking Missionaries) or Single's Ward Elders.  So things are still working wonderfully and we're hoping to change some lives along the way.  

It's funny how one little nametag suddenly makes you famous. As I sit down on the bus or train, or even just walking through the store, people are ALWAYS looking at the nametag.  It's funny-you say hi to someone and they're all friendly until they read that little tag.  Suddenly, they're on their toes, not giving out any personal information, and CERTAINLY not willing to talk about God or their families or anything of the sort.  I was talking to one lady who asked why us Mormons are so nice.  I couldn't really give her an answer, so I just told her it's because we're representatives of Christ, and as such, we should treat others the way He would.  She just looked at me kinda funny and turned away.  I've had another lady who, upon my asking how her day had been, glared at me in a way that scared me ALMOST as much as one of Grandma Cross' glares and spat out the word, "Tired."  I asked her why that was, and got a similar response, but this time, with the word being, "Work."  "Well that's OK!" I said.  "Tomorrow's Saturday-a weekend."  "I gotta work tomorrow," says the lady.  I empathized and asked her where she worked at.  She simply rolled her eyes, muttered, "None of your business," and then before I could ask another question, she spat a vehement, "Now SHUT UP!!" and an angry growl.  (And it was seriously a legitimate growl-it kinda scared me)  But this is what I'm called to do-open my mouth and talk to whoever will listen.  Or not.  It's kinda like Russian Roulette, only this time, the stakes are someone's eternal soul.  No pressure, right? :P haha-but in all legitimate honesty, I love these people.  Even the ones who really don't like me all that much.

Tonight after P-Day, I'm going to be doing Exchanges with Elder Leonard, one of our Zone Leaders-he's a British kid from Alabama (his accent is AWESOME!!!)  This will be an adventure-I'm going to go to Arlington to meet new people, work in a new area, and try not to weigh down the stud that is Elder Leonard.  (He's getting Emergency Transferred next week to an area to shotgun train AND speak a new language-Creole.  Which, by the way, he taught himself.  Yeah.  Stud.)  We'll find out who our new Zone Leader will be on Friday at District Meeting.  Next week, I'll let ya know who will be accompanying Elder Munson as our second Zone Leader.  ***For those of you who don't know, Shotgun Training is where two Missionaries who have NEVER been to an Area, one of whom is still being trained, go to that Area, so they're both brand spanking new and have pretty much no idea where they're going.  That's a lot of faith in some Missionaries, huh?***

Lastly, but CERTAINLY not leastly, the Spiritual "AHA!!!" moment of the week.  In Elder's Quorum on Sunday, we had a lesson on Testimony versus Conversion, and how the two are and should be intertwined.  While that in and of itself was AWESOME, there was one comment that Brother Theobald, who's got a PhD in Theology from Harvard, made that I totally agree with.  He said something to the effect of, "We shouldn't be converted to this Church."  And I totally agree.  Now, before you freak out and think I've read some anti-Mormon literature and have gone apostate, let me explain.  Our duty is to God.  We are supposed to be converted to God.  The LDS Church is just the way to get back-the only organization with the authority to perform the saving ordinances to successfully get us back to God.  We learn God's will through the Prophets, General Authorities, and General Auxiliary Leaders of the Church.  What is the stated purpose for every single Missionary in the world?  "To invite others to come unto Christ..."  Not to come to the LDS Church, per se, but to come to Christ through the ordinances that only the LDS Church can provide.  That is why this Church is different; why it's necessary for the salvation of the human family.  If God is our destination, then this Church is simply the vehicle to get us there-the only vehicle that makes a stop at our ultimate destination.  So seek to convert yourself to God and His ideals.  Yes, our Church teaches them, but what is the first great commandment?  "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37)  The call for ALL of our heart, ALL of our soul, and ALL of our mind is clear-and to whom is ALL, 100%, the entirety (etc, etc) due?  God.  That is the conversion we're looking for.  To be converted to the Lord Jesus Christ, and through Him, God.  Keep in mind that this Church, for all of the wonderful things that it provides, is simply the vehicle, and that our conversion must needs be to God.  If not, what else separates us from the "apostles-turned-again-fishermen," as Elder Holland puts it.  Think of Elder Holland's talk, "The First Great" that he gave this last General Conference.  Christ finds the Apostles fishing again, and similar to their initial calling, He guides their nets to where a multitude of fishes are.  Once reunited, Christ asks Peter the same question-"Lovest thou me?"-THREE TIMES.  Each time, Peter replies, "Yea Lord-thou knowest that Iove thee."  Elder Holland's depiction then explains the conversion that we must have-“[INSERT YOUR NAME HERE], why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE], are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE], for...presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally... Were you as foolhardy as the scribes and Pharisees? As Herod and Pilate? Did you, like they, think that this work could be killed simply by killing me? Did you, like they, think the cross and the nails and the tomb were the end of it all and each could blissfully go back to being whatever you were before? Children, did not my life and my love touch your hearts more deeply than this?”  These were men who, prior to this experience, were converted to the Church.  The difference in conversion is perfectly illustrated.  "May we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith...at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in" (Jeffrey R. Holland).  This is my goal and my prayer for each and every member of His Church, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.