I had a few people ask me, so here's me notes on my favorite talks
from General conference!
Uchdorf:
* sometimes the the truth may seem to simple and plain for us to
appreciate its full value
* when we chase after shadows we are pursuing matter that have little
to no value
* we, as church members, should ask the same questions that
investigators ask as they come to the church
* the fruits of the gospel of Jesus Christ can turn a life from
ordinary and dreary into extraordinary and exasperated
* are we making our discipleship TOO complicated?
* we need to make and effort to dedicate our time to the simple things
that ACTUALLY MATTER
* living the gospel doesn't need to be complicated
* hear-listen-love-follow-walk-desire to learn-hear (cycle of discipleship)
* we need to start where we are- use your weakness to help you learn
* we don't need to be more of anything to start becoming the man God
wants us to be
* god sees us as we can be and as we will be, not how we think we currently are
* if we look at ourselves only through our mortal eyes, we can only
see what we can do better- God sees us as we truly are, and as we can
be
* because of the grace of Christ, we all can be in the tellestial
kingdom. But we need to stove for more
* exaltation is our goal, discipleship is our journey
Ballard:
* the old ship Zion is outfitted with eternal truths that will help us
hold on and pass safely through mortality
* Prophets and Apostles
- The lord has ALWAYS done his work through the apostles and prophets
- Without prophets and apostles we would have any witness of Christ
- In order to fully understand the atonement, we MUST follow our leaders
- Even as called prophets of God, church leaders still make mistakes
- Focusing on how the lord inspires his leaders despite their humanity
Is holding on!
* Plan of Salvation
- Provides us with a unique eternal perspective
- Our charge is to creat bodies for god's children so that they can learn
- Prophets are duty-bond to watch, warn, and seek
- The proclamation- the family and honesty within it will help us feel
more comfortable in God's presence
* Sabah day
- Setting aside the sabbath as the lords day will help us hold on
- The message of the savior should permeate through fast and testimony
- The sabbath should be a delight
- Sunday should be filled wi love for Christ at home and at church
- Spiritual uplifting can happen every Sunday, no matter what
* .use these things to stay on the old ship Zion, from here to the
kingdom of heaven
* no one can get to the destination by swimming on their own, everyone
needs the ship
* the church powered by the priesthood is used to propel us through
the rough waters of mortal life
Maynes (presidency of the 70):
* centering our lives on Christ and his teachings will center and
balance our lives
* we must be in the EXACT center of the wheel
* our core must be Christ and his gospel
* the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure in a field- we must sell
all we have to be able to buy the field and find the treasure
* Alma 22:15- he earlier was willing to give half his kingdom for his
life... But now would be willing to give it all for the joy of the
gospel
* despite all of Nephi and his people's hardships, their
Christ-centered life helped them live "in the manner of happiness"
Lawrence (of the 70):
* we are all here to eternally progress and become like our father,
but we can only do it through Christ
* If we are humble and teachable, the lord will lead us along the way
* we must be willing to act on the things that we are told from the lord
* the Holy Ghost really gives customized council- the things he tells
us are the things we NEED to do!
* the Holy Ghost doesn't tell us everything we need all at once, but
in little pieces only in the things we can handle
* we need to take the promptings of the spirit more more serious and to heart
* the atonement isn't only for those who have sinned. All those who
want to grow closer to Christ need to use the atonement
* to the lord, our direction is ever more important than our speed
Viñas (of the 70):
* our joy in his life cannot be full, but through Christ our joy can be full
* only if we endure our afflictions well will we be exalted on high
* a punishment was fixed, and a Judgment was set. Now we have to work
for the kingdom
* .repentance is a process, and not something that happens at a moment in time
* with the influence of the Holy Ghost in us, we will not offend nor be offended
Cook:
* If there be no righteousness, there be no happiness
* as missionaries, we must be temple worthy in good times, and in bad times
* we must be determined to stay temple worthy no matter what befalls us
* to have happiness in this life and the life to come, we must follow
the things Jesus taught us
* self-control is like a muscle; the more you use it the stronger it gets
* if we resist temptation once, is becomes easier to do again
* all of us, missionaries or not, need to act as if we are always
disciples of Jesus Christ
* the Sabath symbolizes the end of the creator's work. We need to
worship him for what he has done
* truly keeping the Sabath day holy is a refuge from the worldly
shafts and whirlwinds
* the spirit will help us AVOID temptations, as well as SUPPORT us
through times of trials
* life is not easy, nor was it meant to be
* we may hit the bottom and even be tipped on our sides, but living a
worthy life will help us keep everything together until the tide comes
back in
Hales:
* if I make this choice, what is the worse thing that could happen?
* just like the prophets of old, let God tell us whether we need to
fight, flee, or go with the flow of our current life situations
* If you love him, he will always lead and guid you
* In knowledge, there is power
* As we date, learn everything about each other. Make sure your
opinions about the lord and his teaching ps are similar
* Hold a personal council- what can I do in my life to better the life
of another?
* Go forward,Minot backward
* As we follow him, he will push us forward toward ur end goal
Holland:
* Jesus came into the world to bear the sins of world (hold them,
carry them, born with, deliver us from)
* The savior only provides help and hope that we can be better than we
currently are
* Just as Jesus came to love us, and he always will, the love mothers
feel is the closest that we might ever be able to feel
* What mothers do is an essential piece of Christ's love for us
* If a child breaks their mother's heart, she still welcomes them with
loving arms. The same as with Christ
* One of the best examples of the pure love of Christ is found within
our mothers
Foster (of the 70):
* Do we realize that children are the largest group of investigators
worldwide? We need to being their path to full conversion to a running
start in their early years
* Hearing words may not always be learning words- you are a broken
record! Dad, what's a record
* The power of the Holy Ghost will carry truth unto the children
* We need to help people not only hear, but to understand
* Jesus will say- I've been where you are, here's what you'll
encounter. when you do, I want you to come talk to me
Montoya (of the 70)
* How to bear our burdens
1. We MUST help each other.
2. Smile- we will feel better and we can help others feel better
3. Express feelings of compassion to others
4. The atonement- meditate once a week on the blessings of the atonement
Stanfill (of the 70):
* If we do nothing about our weaknesses, doubt, pride, and and
eventual apostasy will begin to break us
* Peter didn't question the lord's ability to help him, he just cried
out for help
* Our choice to heed those who mock the choice impede our ability to
grow closer to the lord
* We must trust in the lord to be able to find our path in life
* We cannot rely on borrowed light
* The adversary will try to convince us that we have never felt the
influence of the spirit
* Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith
* There is no darkness so dense nor difficult that it cannot be
overcome by light
Martino (of the 70):
* God only answers our prayers if we prey with a sincere heart and real intent
* Do I let my experiences help my faith grow like Nephi, or do they
make me more cynical like Laman and Lemuel?
* We will all face trials and have questions, but we need to make sure
we hold fast to the iron rod
* Am I as close to living like Christ as I can be, and as I have been
* Not only is faith without works dead, but work without faith is dead
Oaks:
* In the savior's atonement, he suffered all pains, torments,
humiliations, griefs, and temptations of all kind. EVERY ONE
* Since the savior has experienced everything, he can help any would
progress through any and every thing
* His atonement empowers him so succor and support us throughout our whole lives
* We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us
* Not only can Christ help us, he can help us help others
* MANY are the afflictions of the righteous, but the lord will deliver
them of them ALL
* God and Christ answer all prayers that are faithfully given to them
* When Christ find ps us wounded by the wayside, we will reach out to
us and give us meal and sustenance for us to receive him fully
********************************************
Transfer calls were this week!
I'm gonna be mean and make you read it to find out!
I'm fine, just some minor scrapes left. My leg actually feels better than it has for a while. Prolly a combination of blessings from the lord and the fact that I am actually taking my pills most morning now. XD
No, that lady still leaves us alone, but she spends most of her time in her backyard gardening. Only reason she came up that day was to tell us where to find the moose.
And thus- because of the events that occurred afterwards, we did not even see the moose really, just something that looked like one, but didn't really get to see it that close!
That family we visited is always super busy, mom dealing with the issues that present themselves, and dad is a truck driver, so it's hard to schedule something cause mom doesn't want to have a lesson unless dad is there, and whenever dad is there they're dealing with the family... So we're praying for something!
We try to work with the youth, but there is 2 active young men and a single active young woman, so working with the youth in Ennis is hard. As it comes to Three Forks, we are trying to take a "Peter and Sean" approach- taking the youth out with us as much as possible! We have a few really cool priests that love coming with us, and we love to have them!
Yes Elder Pino did [pull me aside and talk to me personally], no I don't have pictures.
I'm super happy, it's rained at least once a week for the whole time I've been up here, and for one week a while ago it was raining basically all week!! Definitely different than what I come from, but (at least at the moment) it's something I could get used to!
I have a piece of advice for a few things for ya, so listen up! ;)
1. for study each day, we think about what might be able to help us in the coming week/day. Whether that be studying for a specific person or for something that can uplift us, as we pray for guidance we always seem to have something to study. So my advice to you is this: find something that you might be having a hard time with during the week, and ask God to help you find things to study about it. I hope that'll help!
2. If that doesn't help, turn to PMG ch.2. The whole chapter is about studying effectively and teaching. If I'm ever at a day without something to study I just turn to there, pick something, and work with it!
3. If all else fails.... PONDERIZE. Lol, try to PONDERIZE each week anyway, as well as your studies. Something that our zone leaders said was that if you've picked a scripture for the week, put it somewhere (I have it as the background of my iPad) and as you think about it throughout the week, study scriptures that are similar in theme or message during the week!
4. For hastening the work- in the stake here, the stake prescient has issued a challenge to the stake- President Rupture's House of Hastening:
And the whole stake loves it! My favorite one that I invite you guys as a family to do, is set a date 4x a year to have a non-member family come over to be taught by the missionaries. SET A DATE. Even if that date isn't the day you can have the lesson on, set a "deadline" per say by which you will have a family to teach. We have invited every member in our ward to do it, so I've heard every excuse... And I know no matter what excuse you can think of, If you PRAY about both the date and the family (or person) as a family, I know that that tremendous amount of faith in the Lord will bless you. But, just like the brother of Jared, you can't expect to have someone thrown in your face. You have to try to solve the issue on your own, then the Lord will bless you. The Lord has/will prepare someone in your life to receive the gospel. As it says in Alma 13:24, someone is ready. They may not know it. You'll probably not know it at first, but someone is/will be ready. No matter how busy you think you are, no matter how little nonmember friends you think you have, if you pray earnestly as a family and with real intent, not just cuz I told you to, the Lord will bless you. Invite them over for dinner, over for an FHE one Monday (or Sunday, cuz I know sometimes that works better), have a game night one day. Invite the Mills too! But most importantly, tell the missionaries about your efforts. They will support you. There is a statistic that I read from President Hinckley- 1/4 doors that missionaries knock on end in baptism. 1/3 found through members and taught through their home end in baptism. Share that. Get everyone excited about missionary work!!!
5. Last piece, and I this one is easy. As the second councilor in the bishopric, you have power and authority to help direct the ward. As such, you actually do have some stewardship (not a lot, most of it falls under the bishop, but even the prophet relies on his councilors all the time!). With this, the Lord will give you revelation, but not always as you are ready for it. I invite you to begin to think about people throughout the day, active, inactive, nonmember, whatever, that would benefit specifically from the missionaries visiting them. Then, as you get some point free during the day, call or text the missionaries. Tell them the people they should visit, and if possible give them a why. I know at times it will seem inconvenient, but as you do it, not only will you be blessed, not only will the missionaries be blessed, but the ward that I know you love so much!
I know that is a lot to do, but I also know that these things have been able to bless me as a missionary, and I've seen it bless members. If you work hard at these, "hastening the work" not longer becomes some abstract thing ("I don't know what it means, I don't know what to do, but I know that I need to hasten the work!" -Elder Pino") but it becomes a very, very real, and very accomplishable thing!
Now that my "little" rant is over, I'll actually answer your questions!!!!
Yes, voice male and eclipse are fine, as long as it's hymns, or arrangements of hymns.
It sounds like both you and mom are saving my emails for me, so man don't worry about making me another email, just make sure those emails don't go anywhere!!!!!
I'm doing my best to write, but I seem to always be short on time, so expect type-os and grammatical mistakes, as I am typing this VERY quickly!
Last full week before transfers!!! D:
10/5/2015
Preparation day, fun stuff! We got to go play golf today, and I remembered that I really am not good at sports... Even golf. It's cool thought, I had fun, lost prolly a dozen balls among the foliage and the water. As the person I am, I was slightly sad after we go done, but anytime I'm done with being bad at something I get upset. I get to blame my parents for that, right? Haha no, but I do know that that is something I need to work on, making sure that I know that I can't be good at everything, but I finally think I starting to realize that the Lord will help me with all I need!
After that we went to Bozeman to play around with our zone, and to go shopping at the one Walmart in the zone.... Not as many as we had thought!! We got to play some kickball, and then we did a tie trade cause there was an elder who was on his last transfer in his mission! I got a few ties, and actually walked out with more ties than I walked in with! Fun stuff I guess!
After we were done in Bozeman (I bought a new watch, $8 at Walmart. But unfortunately, it is now broken. Going to Walmart today to see if anything can get fixed!) we went to Ennis, and really all we had time for was dinner and one visit. So that's what we did. We went with the old branch mission leader to go visit someone in the branch. We did that, then we went home and planned!
10/6/2015
Lots of fun on Tuesday! We got to do service, basically all day. Best kind of service though, DEMOLITION. We went to a part member family, who needed some help in taking down a wall. 
That building (inside and out), is no longer there.
We spent basically all day there, and the. We tried to tract a bit, with no success :(
10/7/2015
District meeting! It was a great meeting, lots of focus on planning and training. We took a picture at the end-
And then there's my companion, fruity as ever. Everyone tryin to be serious, and then does that.
After the meeting we got to go teach A, an 8-year old dude who wants to learn the gospel! Fun, fun stuff goin on!
10/8/2015
More service!!! We got to do our weekly "shift" at the food bank, and again we got to go hang out at the bomb shelter. It's always great to be able to go and spend a few terrifying moments in the zombie cave, as my companion has most recently called it. Oh man, this mission thing is gettin fun.
We got to teach both D and K, and they are both SUPER excited for their baptisms coming up. K's is coming up this Thursday, and D is coming up on Halloween. We can't wait to see them move forward!
10/9/2015
More service!!! We got to go help a member paint her house and finish some repairs so they could sell the home, I think she sent you pictures. I dunno. Didn't do much else, we got to teach A again. Besides that it was a pretty boring day, Tracting and attempting to find an whatnot. Dad's birthday, I was a little sad, but attempted to keep busy so I couldn't think about it.
10/10/2015
Fun weekend day, even more service!
There was a less active in our ward who needed some help moving, so we were able to help him move stuff around and getting things from his storage unit to his new home. We actually spent most of the day with him, everything but planning at night and studies in the morning. We got to "accidentally" watch a little bit of college football, and even though I am very lost when compared to my companion, I enjoyed the little bit I got. Another boring day besides that though...
10/11/2015
Church, as normal. Nothing too exciting, except fer transfer calls! Lol nothing exciting tho, both Elder Potter and I are staying in Three Forks/Ennis, so I get to finish my training with Potter! Super excited and I can't wait to get another 6 weeks in! Besides that, nothing super exciting happened, just a few lessons with members, and I started to make some things for the family. I don't know how long it's gonna take to make them, so I might make them Christmas presents.... I dunno.
And then it's today! :D
My PONDERIZE scripture last week was Abraham 3:24-25, my one for this week is Mosiah 3:19
For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
Definitely invite all of you to pick a scripture to read this week!!
Elder Braden R Wallgren
Montana Billings Mission
2015-2017
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
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