Oct 7, 2013  Posted by Travis's Mom.

 

This letter came the day after General Conference.  It is full of wonderful miracles.  Enjoy! 

Dear Family :),

Holy moly, General Conference was SO spectacular for me, and for so many!! What a wonderful opportunity to drink from the living fountain!!

We worked SO hard to invite as many people as possible to come. When describing it we used words like, "una fuente viviente desde los cielos a la que venimos para alimento" meaning, "a living source, or fountain, from the heavens to which we go for nourishment." We referred to General Conference as "una declaracion de que Dios todavia habla al hombre," or "a declaration that God STILL speaks to man."

We seriously must have invited 40 or 50 people to come, and would you believe that two of them came!! We were SO THRILLED!! Our friend who has suffered the recent loss of several relatives came to the Sunday morning session. Remember that last week the doctrine of living prophets sunk into his mind and heart like never before. And would you believe that the very talk tailored for him was by President Thomas S. Monson, who only four months ago lost his own eternal companion. I was so thrilled and watched our friend closely as that marvelous revelation poured forth. After the conference session closed, he was heard to say:

"One arrives here [to conference], and hears things which could not be known to him any other way. Surely these men are prophets of God."

He then committed to watch the DVD of Special Witnesses of Christ with his family this week before we return to teach them. What a marvelous conversion is underway within him.

The second surprise we had on Sunday was when a good friend of ours from Brazil walked in the doors of the church, all dressed up in his suit, ready to hear the prophets of God! Now, this man speaks good English, but his first language is Portuguese.

The Church sends General Conference broadcasts in pairs of two languages at a time. Our Stake Center was equipped for English and Spanish at the time of the Conference. We thought we would ask if the interpretation for Portuguese could be obtained, and our technologies coordinator, Brother Thompson, called Salt Lake.

He was throwing down data like the Stake ID number, the building location, the satellite identification, and talking with the technologies experts in Utah, who apparently had to move a satellite in order to send the transmission to Kirkland for us!! The opening hymn was sung, the prayer had ended, and Elder Cook was walking towards the stand as Elder Riesterer placed the headphones in our friends hand so that he could hear the Gospel in his own language. He was SO THRILLED and had THE BIGGEST smile on his face to see that he could hear the prophets of God in his native tongue. He took extensive notes about the conference and we will be teaching him and his sons on Wednesday :) What a marvelous miracle that was for us.

Another miracle occurred for us on Saturday between the two sessions of Conference. Elder Foster had a prompting to go to Taco Bell (whether from the heart or stomach, I couldn't tell, but it doesn't really matter). As we were waiting in line to order a man walked up to us and bought our lunch for us! He was a member of one of the English wards, taking a break from his classes. He then proceeded to sit us down with him and his Spanish speaking non-member friend from class so that we could share what happened during conference, share our testimonies, and give him a Book of Mormon!! We literally walked into a lesson that the Lord had set up for us.

We also found out that a friend of ours has read most of 1 Nephi and has questions about TONS of things. Another family was planning on coming but had things come up, BUT will come to church next week. Man, there have been SO many things happening, so miraculous for us. I love it.

I'm short on time, but I'm really enjoying things. Elder Foster is a champion and a great companion to have. I really appreciate him a lot. We are working with about 50 people, making visits and inviting and trying to teach as often as possible. Our ward's unity through fasting has brought a TON of success for us. We are total believers in that.

I have a strong testimony that General Conferences of the church are as much an evidence of God's divinity as any other restored doctrine found within this church. Conferences have been held since the beginning of time. Adam gathered his posterity at Adam-Ondi-Ahman and blessed them; he rose up and prophesied the destiny of the human family, and most certainly exhorted them to faith in the awaited Son of God, whose advent lay many thousands of years ahead.

Christ's whole mission was underscored by the invitation to come and follow Him, and in His Church both then and now he established a Quorum of Twelve Apostles, as well as the Quorums of Seventy, whose formation has been realized again in this dispensation. For a moment after one of this weekend's sessions, I was particularly moved to see the procession of the Seventy Elders from those Conference Center stands. We will have the privilege to hear from one of them this week, as well as an Apostle and a President of the Seventy the end of this month. I look forward to that experience!

I know that General Conferences of the Church are as strong of an evidence as any other that Jesus Christ lives. They profess His mission of redemption and forgiveness. They reestablish His laws and ordinances as His servants are moved upon to declare them. They are the ultimate symbol of His love. I know that He lives and desire the attendance of all. By way of His servants He spoke to me personally this Conference. I know He can to all. I share this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I love missionary service and desire that all men come unto Jesus Christ.

Love,

Elder Talbot