This week here was a pretty good one! We were staying really busy the first 4 days of the week then it kinda slowed down. Friday was of course weekly planning day and that always gets us out later. But we had that then Saturday we had a lesson with D--. The lesson went pretty good. He was pretty emotionally beat up. We read in 1 Nephi 8 about Lehi's dream. It was a really good lesson. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ with it. He had a hard time with the idea of repenting and dropping your desires to sin and to be strengthened. We bore a lot of testimony to him of how it really does work and committed him to repent by reading the Book of Mormon every day and praying with the promise that that will bring more joy to him. That is what happens when you keep the commandments. Right after that we ate, then met up with a member and headed down to Hermiston. Elder Bowers taught a lady down there last transfer that got baptized so we were able to go back. It was cool to go back to Hermiston! it weird how many memories come back and how you can just get around everywhere. We came straight back after then had correlation with our ward mission leader, Sharing about all the people we taught this week and what we taught them. Then we had dinner with them then went right to Prosser! The Spanish elders in Prosser needed some baptismal interviews done. The Zone leaders dont speak Spanish and the only other Spanish leadership in the zone other then me is the person that taught the ones getting interviewed, so he couldn't do that. So i got to! it is always really cool to see how strong the soon to be converts testimony really can be. It is a great experience to be able to interview someone for baptism. There was 3 of them. 2 of them were in Spanish and the third was kinda Spanglish. We jumped back and for between the two. It was kinda fun. Then we came home and it was time to come in. Then Sunday is always weird. After church then studies it is pretty much dinner time and that doesn't leave to much time to proselyte. So the end of the week was weird.
We had a few lessons with R-- and L-- this week. She looked us up on facebook and i think these letters go on there so now i can only say nice things about them!! they might see it! No i hope i always say good things about people in these. But they seem to be doing pretty good. They didnt come to church though. We hope they will though, as soon as they do that they are going to see how great it is and that it is one of the reasons people in the church are always happy. We are really excited for them.
We are teaching a few more people. Some one else that we are working with that is progressing slowly. He has had some crazy experiences of people trying really hard to baptize him. They didnt even teach him anything! just tried to baptize him! So he is not so sure of the whole baptism thing. He is reading in the book of Mormon and we committed him to come to church. Getting people to come to church is for sure the hardest thing! It has been crazy for that here is Benton City.
this next week there is another District council. i was studying for it and asking for revelation and what i need to share with them. I really felt like what i came up with was from the Spirit! it was so great! I for sure was directed. There was a quote from Elder Bednar in a missionary Broadcast a few months ago. He said " There is no spiritual power in the Doctrine of Chirst if it becomes a checklist." In the mission we have been talking a lot about repentance and teaching repentance. The thoughts that came to me was how i can help the district not make it a checklist. There is some scriptures in Alma. Chapters 7 and 34 that talk about having faith unto repentance and being baptized unto repentance. Something that stood out to me was both sets of verses i found to teach how to not make it a checklist( 7:14-16, 34:15-18) both come after powerfully teaching and testifying about the Atonement of Christ. I learned for us to be able to keep the Doctrine of Christ from becoming a checklist we need to do what we can to understand the Atonement. IF you want a good study i would invite you to read at least those two chapters and ponder how to keep the Doctrine of Christ from being a checklist and how you can live it better. something else to remember, something else Elder Bednar said is a training he gave were something like " The most important things you will learn to day will not be spoken." the same goes for reading the scriptures. The most important things you will learn will not be read, but they will be given you by God and through the Spirit.
I am excited for this next week! Thanks for the update for the week! I hope dad gets feeling better. It sounds like it isnt too bad, but i am sure that doesnt mean it isnt causing a lot of pain. I will for sure be praying for you dad! you have more people praying for you then you probably think. 1. in the ward and 2. people that we pray with often pray for our families and God will hear those and help you by their faith. I hope you all have a great week this week!! i love you all!!
Elder Mortensen
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