Sept 30, 2013  Posted by Travis's Mom. 

Here is a letter from Travis sent on Sep 30, 2013.  This was the week before General Conference.  Check out his favorite experience from the week.  It's great!

We're doing good here. Fall has finally hit and the clouds are seemingly back for good! That's all good, though. I'm alright with it.

There have been plenty of awesome things that happened this week! We are finding new people to teach all over the place. Our bishop and his wife were able to make visits with us last night! We were SO thankful for that. They are a grrrreat family and we appreciate all their efforts.

We have been referred to visit a number of people lately. There is one family that we are SOOO EXCITED to teach that the English missionaries told us about. We believe that as they are converted they will be significant contributors because they have sufficient means and a good sized family. They have three children between 10 and 15 and they're going to be great!

When originally contacted, the wife expressed interest in hearing about The Plan of Salvation which God had for her family. We will come prepared to teach about it!! I'm SO HAPPY for them!! I just feel peaceful about it. Not nervous, just thankful, as though they've already accepted. I know that this is right, and true.

We challenged a younger man to baptism this past week! He feels that he's not quite prepared, but we are always going to be there to help him prepare for that day. We will actually be teaching him again tonight, presenting the Plan of Salvation.

The ward fast yesterday was fantastic. All of the member families fasted for those investigators which had been assigned to them. The bond is already growing, even though they haven't attended church yet. By the way, we basically invite everybody we see to come to church!! It's a bigger commitment, but we know that if they do it they get spiritual power to survive their week.

We're focusing on promising blessings and being smarter about how we work with members for referrals. I was on exchanges with Elder Webb (he's from AZ), and we focused on talking all day about how the Gospel has blessed our lives. Our goal was to simplify those blessings so we could explain them to other people. We DEFINITELY take many blessings for granted, so it was a really instructive exercise.

We found another young couple who we will be teaching tonight who we are really excited to share the Gospel with!! We believe that they are prepared, and we will do everything we can to make the message clear and simple for them to feel that it's right.

We are inviting people to General Conference ALL OVER THE PLACE, and many will come!! There is no greater event so anticipated by the body of missionaries that cover this earth as a General Conference of the Church. Moses pleaded with the children of Israel that they would only cast their eyes to the raised serpent and be healed (Numbers 21). Likewise do we as "swift messengers" call to the nations that they would only look to the ensign which is in this very day raised up upon the mountains as so prophesied (Isaiah 18:2-3; 31:9).

I declare that a General Conference of the Church is nothing short of prophetic fulfillment as seen by Isaiah, as cried by the psalmist, and yet taught by the modern day prophets. Indeed we must be "firm as the mountains around us" (hymn 255) in declaring that each year we are the recipients of nothing less than direct revelation from God to his oracles. The prophets do know. They do speak with God. I know that to be true and for that I anticipate General Conference with awe, and curiosity. It is marvelous.

Here's my favorite experience of the week to share. Our Area Book has had information for many years about a man who lives here in Kirkland. He started investigating the Church about twenty years ago. He attended this ward when it was still a branch. He was challenged to baptism (rather abruptly by his judgement), didn't accept, and was confused to see the missionaries' behavior towards him change. They stopped visiting him and he was sort of frustrated by it. He's a very open man and chose not to be offended. He simply knew that if he was to be baptized, it wouldn't be something of whim; it would need to come from his heart. 

I visited him months ago and met him for the first time, and decided to stop by again a few weeks ago. We learned that he had lost a sister a few years before, and was working to recover from such a loss. Just as he was readjusting to that death, his brother died. We found him depressed and weighed down terribly. We shared our testimonies of God's plan and prayed with him. We called down God's blessings upon him and his family and plead relief for him. He offered a kneeling prayer and asked God's strength to be able to overcome his trial.

We visited again this week. A few minutes into the conversation he related to us that a young niece of just over a year had passed away unexpectedly a few days before. He could only ask why, but had the faith and understanding to confess that God knows, that God understands. He is confident of that, but still shakes his head in disbelief.

He said that his father had always taught him that it's not worth it to turn away anybody who teaches about God, that there is only one God, and that we could access Him through any church. We listened carefully to what he said and then shared the truth that has changed our lives. We explained that God still speaks to man and does so through His servants.

We taught that the scriptures contain God's word to the ancients and that they are for our benefit. "However," we said, "to really be in connection with our Father we have to come straight to the source, where He has again opened the heavens. Revelation is given to ordained servants for the whole world. The heavens are open."

And here is the important thing we did. We spoke, and then said no more. He was an open recipient of the doctrine, so we kept quiet. Those words rang through his head, touched his spirit, and then sprang into questions. He thought out loud and said, "those must be very good men. God doesn't just speak to anybody. Who are these people?"

Our good friend heard our answers and testimonies and quietly expressed to us, "What you have just told me, I never knew before. I have not heard this all my life. That is absolutely astounding. That's MARVELOUS." His DVD player wasn't connected, but he said, "The next time you come we'll watch this. I'll get this thing connected so we can."

Surely he'll watch General Conference as well!! Mom and dad the Spirit was so strong there and I'm so happy that his heart now knows the truth that prophets live!! The Spirit spake and he was ready. Now as Amulek says:

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.  28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
 29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.
 30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.
 31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness.
 32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.
 33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.
 34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.
 35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good..."

I know that if we yield to the workings of the Spirit and do not reject that which will work within us, we can grow up spiritually like unto the tree of life. That is what our testimonies can become. There is a fullness of joy available for the faithful. Please grow your faith. The Book of Mormon is the tool for it. Claim the blessings of following living prophets and revelation. They are yours if you desire.

I know that all the truths we teach are from God through prophets and testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,

Elder Talbot