MTC District and teacher…it’s wonderful to have new friends!

In another class, we learned how to use our iPhones to share the gospel…by tagging scriptures, pictures, videos and sharing them with others.

On Wednesday, we taught the couple we had been assigned on Monday to get to know. We felt like we should talk to them about God’s love (and showed them a video about a woman who was guided to the missionaries and joined the Church) and about families (we invited them to read from the Family Proclamation[i] and acknowledge how the Lord had helped them to strengthen their family).

The other couple then taught us. They invited us to read and discuss a lesson from The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley: “Losing Ourselves in the Service of Others.”[ii] We did that and it was a powerful experience. I pray for the Lord’s help in doing that during my mission…and for the rest of my life. It’s not a coincidence that that is the same thing that another friend invited me to do several months ago.

The next day, we taught the other couple again. We followed up on our invitation from the day before and then felt impressed to invite them to continue to read in The Book of Mormon. Not coincidentally, they had already made a goal to invite their family to read The Book of Mormon with them while they were on their mission. Wow! How humbling to be an instrument in the Lord’s hand in being a second witness to the promptings He had already sent them!

On Friday, we practiced getting to know and teaching two volunteers who were local members of the Church and who were facing challenges in their lives. We felt like we should talk about God’s love for them and the peace that comes only from God. The Holy Spirit was present; it was a wonderful experience!

Friday afternoon, a couple in their 80’s talked about how they and their family have been blessed as they have served multiple senior missions. What an inspiration! I want to be like them!

Saturday, a childhood friend (and his wife) who live in Utah picked us up at the MTC and took us to breakfast at an amazing restaurant in Salt Lake City (SLC). Then we met up with another high school buddy (and wife). We had a nice visit. Our friends then dropped us off at our hotel in SLC. That evening, we attended part of The Mormon Tabernacle Choir Easter Concert. We sat by the mother of one of the choir members; she had given us tickets when we came to the “stand-by” line. I had a nice visit with her before the concert. The choir and orchestra were amazing!

Today, another couple drove us back to the MTC for sacrament meeting. Then we attended an Easter Devotional where Dallin H. Oaks[iii] (another living apostle) and his wife, Kristin, spoke about Christ. They spoke about “The Living Christ,”[iv] a proclamation from the living apostles of what we believe about Jesus Christ. They also testified of Christ’s resurrection, which makes our resurrection possible. How foundational that doctrine is! What hope that gives me! I am grateful beyond expression for Christ, who gave us that great gift! I’m grateful for the certainty that I will see Ashton again and that he will not suffer from the mental illness which took his mortal life!

[i] https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng&old=true

[ii] https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-gordon-b-hinckley/chapter-14-losing-ourselves-in-the-service-of-others?lang=eng

[iii] https://www.lds.org/church/leader/dallin-h-oaks?lang=eng

[iv] http://jesuschrist.lds.org/testimonies-of-him/articles/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints?lang=eng&_r=1