Here is Elder Talbot's letter from July 30th. I am a little behind in getting these posted. Enjoy!
Dear Family:
Alright, so here's what's happening in the Washington Seattle Mission.
Transfers were today and it was completely ordered insanity. On Sunday night we
were informed about which missionaries were to leave the area, and on Monday we
later learned about leadership calls (to be trainers, district leaders and zone
leaders) that would be extended to any of our missionaries. Elder Kimber and I
saw that we would both be staying here in Kirkland with no changes, save that
Elder Lutes would go back to Redmond with his new companion.
Today, we had to pick up missionaries from bike areas and bring them to the mission office in Bellevue at 2pm. We arrived and got parking arranged for our zone and then went in to get our information in the stake center gymnasium. I read my transfer letter and learned that I would be training a new missionary!! I was completely confused because it stated nothing of a release from being a zone leader. That means we'd be a companionship of three and that I would be training the third...?
So, we headed into the training meeting for the trainers, and got started. I conducted the hymns that we were singing while the President was still in interviews with the new missionaries, and I talked with some of the other missionaries too. As we were waiting for President, Elder Kimber stepped in and informed me that I actually would not be training, but that the Elder had just received his visa to go to the mission of his original call. SO. I will not be training a new Elder...yet :) Yes, it would have been so had he not received his visa, but maybe sometime in the future!! So that's what happened today and the reason I was totally confused out of my mind. There were 37 new missionaries that came into the mission today. Essentially ALL of the sister missionaries are training, some of them who've only been here for 6 weeks or less. It's unbelievable.
Oh, let's see what's going on here lately. We had a family home evening lesson last night with the Firpo family, and we taught about the great Apostasy and the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We taught that Jesus Christ established His church while on the earth with apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and more, and that He also gave them the priesthood authority. We used a stack of cups made into a pyramid to demonstrate the need for all these parts. We then demonstrated how the corruption entered the original church and how it fell after the life of Christ. From it formed other churches (here arranged with the fallen cups into diverse and varying forms and foundations), none of which possessed the critical authority of the priesthood of God. The people had rejected the prophets and apostles, and therefore revelations ceased.
Following this collapse, we showed how the original teachings and doctrines of Christ became corrupted and lost, using a game called the Broken Telephone. Starting with me, a simple doctrine or truth was whispered into the ear of the person next to me and went around the room to each individual. The phrase could only be said once, and whispered that others can't hear. After going through about a dozen people, we heard what the phrase had been changed to as a result of confusion and poor communication. The last person reported to have heard "la firma piedra angular" which means the "firm cornerstone" in Spanish.
I invited the group to try to establish their own church off of this one, unclear doctrine. Many questions would naturally arise as to what this church is and what would be its purpose. After they discovered this establishment to be in vain, I revealed to them the original phrase, or doctrine. Acting as the Lord or as His servants, the prophets, I had passed on the doctrinal principle "familias eternas en los templos" or "Eternal Families in the Temples," but I had then been rejected by the people who refused to hear the truths of God. How had this doctrine become so unclear and changed? How could such simple truth be lost? The answer: Without the Lord's servants on earth for continuing revelation, it is not possible to give clarity to doctrines, and they are lost or confused through time and corruption.
This truth led to the long awaited, and long needed Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truth would be restored! Clarity would be shed as light from the heavens! The Gospel could again be found in its complete simplicity and beauty! For this to happen, God called another prophet and unto him revealed both Himself, and His eternal truths. This prophet was Joseph Smith. With him were eventually called 12 apostles, all of whom possess the authority of the priesthood of God. Our model using the stacked pyramid was coming back together! Priesthood authority, true church leaders, the building of temples, the calling of missionaries, the restoration of eternal laws like tithing, and the desperately needed clarity to those such as the law of chastity, and the Word of Wisdom. And where are these found? In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on this very day, and I know this is true. I know this is the true Church of Jesus Christ.
I thought this was a great activity, and I suggest it for any family home evening or lesson, especially with kids! They love the collapse of the cups. It's super epic.
Anyhow, there's not much new going on, but I'm determined to work harder and more effectively. This ought to be fun, and I'm making it that way. There's all sorts of emotional controls that I'm learning, and deeper places I'm digging for motivation. These are great skills that make me appreciate and value the trials that abound. There ought to be a great deal more of baptizing, but I remember that effectiveness is measured by how much we invite. That's our true measure.
Anyhow, I'm about out of time. Thank you for the messages and the letters :) I really appreciate it. It's crazy that it's going to be a year!! That's unbelievable. I'll work harder and better.
Love,
Elder Talbot
Today, we had to pick up missionaries from bike areas and bring them to the mission office in Bellevue at 2pm. We arrived and got parking arranged for our zone and then went in to get our information in the stake center gymnasium. I read my transfer letter and learned that I would be training a new missionary!! I was completely confused because it stated nothing of a release from being a zone leader. That means we'd be a companionship of three and that I would be training the third...?
So, we headed into the training meeting for the trainers, and got started. I conducted the hymns that we were singing while the President was still in interviews with the new missionaries, and I talked with some of the other missionaries too. As we were waiting for President, Elder Kimber stepped in and informed me that I actually would not be training, but that the Elder had just received his visa to go to the mission of his original call. SO. I will not be training a new Elder...yet :) Yes, it would have been so had he not received his visa, but maybe sometime in the future!! So that's what happened today and the reason I was totally confused out of my mind. There were 37 new missionaries that came into the mission today. Essentially ALL of the sister missionaries are training, some of them who've only been here for 6 weeks or less. It's unbelievable.
Oh, let's see what's going on here lately. We had a family home evening lesson last night with the Firpo family, and we taught about the great Apostasy and the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We taught that Jesus Christ established His church while on the earth with apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and more, and that He also gave them the priesthood authority. We used a stack of cups made into a pyramid to demonstrate the need for all these parts. We then demonstrated how the corruption entered the original church and how it fell after the life of Christ. From it formed other churches (here arranged with the fallen cups into diverse and varying forms and foundations), none of which possessed the critical authority of the priesthood of God. The people had rejected the prophets and apostles, and therefore revelations ceased.
Following this collapse, we showed how the original teachings and doctrines of Christ became corrupted and lost, using a game called the Broken Telephone. Starting with me, a simple doctrine or truth was whispered into the ear of the person next to me and went around the room to each individual. The phrase could only be said once, and whispered that others can't hear. After going through about a dozen people, we heard what the phrase had been changed to as a result of confusion and poor communication. The last person reported to have heard "la firma piedra angular" which means the "firm cornerstone" in Spanish.
I invited the group to try to establish their own church off of this one, unclear doctrine. Many questions would naturally arise as to what this church is and what would be its purpose. After they discovered this establishment to be in vain, I revealed to them the original phrase, or doctrine. Acting as the Lord or as His servants, the prophets, I had passed on the doctrinal principle "familias eternas en los templos" or "Eternal Families in the Temples," but I had then been rejected by the people who refused to hear the truths of God. How had this doctrine become so unclear and changed? How could such simple truth be lost? The answer: Without the Lord's servants on earth for continuing revelation, it is not possible to give clarity to doctrines, and they are lost or confused through time and corruption.
This truth led to the long awaited, and long needed Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truth would be restored! Clarity would be shed as light from the heavens! The Gospel could again be found in its complete simplicity and beauty! For this to happen, God called another prophet and unto him revealed both Himself, and His eternal truths. This prophet was Joseph Smith. With him were eventually called 12 apostles, all of whom possess the authority of the priesthood of God. Our model using the stacked pyramid was coming back together! Priesthood authority, true church leaders, the building of temples, the calling of missionaries, the restoration of eternal laws like tithing, and the desperately needed clarity to those such as the law of chastity, and the Word of Wisdom. And where are these found? In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on this very day, and I know this is true. I know this is the true Church of Jesus Christ.
I thought this was a great activity, and I suggest it for any family home evening or lesson, especially with kids! They love the collapse of the cups. It's super epic.
Anyhow, there's not much new going on, but I'm determined to work harder and more effectively. This ought to be fun, and I'm making it that way. There's all sorts of emotional controls that I'm learning, and deeper places I'm digging for motivation. These are great skills that make me appreciate and value the trials that abound. There ought to be a great deal more of baptizing, but I remember that effectiveness is measured by how much we invite. That's our true measure.
Anyhow, I'm about out of time. Thank you for the messages and the letters :) I really appreciate it. It's crazy that it's going to be a year!! That's unbelievable. I'll work harder and better.
Love,
Elder Talbot
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