September 2, 2013
Hello,
So, I wasn't able to email last week because I didn't have
time with our temple trip and shopping and all that good stuff. We got to go to
Deseret Book before the temple session and I got some good reads.
The trip to the temple was incredible. I forgot my
camera today but I'll send pictures next week! Sorry :P The sun came out for us
while we were there, and the whole experience was incredible. Is the Gilbert
Temple open? What is the progress on those temples? Actually I just looked it
up and they're all under construction apparently. If you've been by them
lately, how do they look?
The temple is turning out to be a larger part of missionary
work than imaginable. Its symbolism is powerful. It stands as an ensign, and
people notice. We have a very special situation going on presently. There's a
young man who joined the Church several years ago. His parents say that prior
to joining the Church he had a bad attitude and disposition, and was hard to
deal with at home. He joined the Church and is now attending school in Utah
I made a picture for them of the temple and showed the steps
of The Gospel of Jesus Christ to arrive there; faith, repentance, baptism by
immersion, receiving the Gift of the Holy Spirit, and enduring to the...temple
[and to the end]!! I haven't been able to give it to them yet, and I'm super
sorry I can't send pictures this week, but it's great. I'll send it next week.
I also included copies of The Living Christ (http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/testimonies-of-him/articles/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints.html),
and The Family: A Proclamation to the World (http://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation)
for them. We will be teaching them about how to prepared to enter the temple,
and go there with their son some day. Pray for them!
We're having transfers again a week from tomorrow. We'll see
what happens! I really want to train a new missionary. Maybe it'll happen. Oh
yea, so here's a pretty miraculous experience I had last week. I was on
exchanges with one of our district leaders and we went to teach a new
investigator who is a friend of a member (that's the key! I'm tellin ya!!
It brings color and life to our teaching and longevity to their activity!!). We
arrived and she had prepared a longgggg list of questions about the Church doctrines
and the members, starting with this, "Why exactly would I need to be
baptized, again?" She had been baptized on three other occasions into
different churches and couldn't possibly see the need to do so again.
You know how we answered? We slowly started into the
Restoration and moved straight into The Book of Mormon. We coincidently
discovered that for some reason or another, she had always had strong feelings
and convictions that Jesus Christ must have
manifested Himself to more than just those in the old world. She had
asked a number of people about it and received mixed answers and was never
satisfied by what she heard. So, we ended up visiting her and
discovering this odd question she had about the life of Christ! Who would
have considered such a thing had they not been deliberately prepared
by Heavenly Father to receive The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of
Jesus Christ. This ancient record possessed by the Church is sure to answer her
questions and fill her with more knowledge of the Son of God than imaginable.
We explained that it answered her question perfectly, and also contained
the fullness of The Gospel of Jesus Christ; His teachings and the
doctrines necessary for salvation.
She was astounded at this discovery and received the
message of The Restoration with understanding. "Now do you see why we
encourage you to be baptized again?" we asked. She did :) And
she expressed desires to do so as she increases in understanding. Her
search for forgiveness, her doubts, her fears, are slowly being answered as
she keeps her strong committment to study. We told her that if she
didn't read the first chapters that we assigned, we weren't going to
answer her othe questions or cover new material. She committed that she
would study, of course!! She'll feel the converting power of the Spirit,
guaranteed. I have FARRRR more confidence in The Book of Mormon than
anything I could ever say.
So, just some other random experiences from the mission.
During the summer, millions of spiders come out and make their webs to
get all the bugs. THANK YOU TO THE SPIDERS!!! Elder Kimber and I were outside
of our apartment and saw this spider who was just starting to make his web on
the car-port. He had a line strung from the edge of the carport roof down to
the curb and had secured one other web to the ceiling and had a y-shaped thing
going on. We watched him string all of the structural parts of the web. Each
string was laid with perfect geometry and precision spacing, and they were
perfectly tight and holding in the wind. After all those were done he moved to
the center of the web and moved outward in a circular motion to string more of
the structural type of web. After moving to the outside of the circle he strung
the sticky type of web in the opposite circular motion and moved back to
the center of the web so that he would not get stuck on what he was laying
down. From that point on, if bugs got stuck on the web he could count every
other strand and walk on those to not get stuck on his own web! It was really
neat to watch and demonstrated the sophistication of the creation. There can be
no chance that this was without design; this spider was designing something
right in front of us. He certainly was designed as well. Very cool.
Well. Yesterday was thirteen months of full-time missionary
service for me. That also means that half of my time in the field is done...but
who's counting [cough cough, dad]. It goes very, very fast, and my transfer
planners get cycled through at a greater rate than ever before!! I'll finish
strong and be back soon enough.
I'll share my testimony that I know I am working for a true
and righteous cause, directed from heaven to servants on earth. These servants
are the living prophets. I can't imagine life without the guide of living
revelation. I know it comes through them as authorized and ordained servants. I
know that the Prophet Joseph Smith was likewise called of God for the greatest
work and undertaking that has occurred since the Atonement of Christ, and that
we as members of the Church rightfully regard him with great importance and
respect. We do not worship him, but with all confidence we praise him as a
worthy servant of Christ. I know that the work of Christ is true, and real. I
know these prophets undertake that work with faith and power from God.
I know that Jesus Christ is the living Savior. He could as
well walk through your door today as He could on Easter morning. He is a living
Being with a perfected body of flesh and bone. He goes about doing good and
progressing the purposes of the Father throughout all of the creation. He
serves this human family through His servants, and has and does
manifest Himself unto them. His eternal rendering of sacrifice is consummated
in the Atonement, undertaken over 2ooo years ago in the peace and quiet of the Garden of Gethsemane
You asked if we're using facebook yet for missionary
service? We are not yet, but it may be so in the coming months. What a great
way to share the Gospel!! I'm really enjoying things here. The rain is almost
back. I'm excited!!! I'll see if I can't send some snail mail today. We are
SOOOO BUSY it's unbelievable!!! I love you so much. Miracles happen. I'm
praying for them, and that the blessings keep coming to you ;)
Love, Elder Talbot
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