Week 68

Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 10:12 AM

Well family and friends, Good morning to y'all,

Glad to be here today.  what to say, what to say,

...I loved conference!!!!!!!  Hurrah for Israel to say the least.

Where to begin, let's see, my favorite apostle...Elder Bednar...didn't mess around as usual.  I've decided I'm just going to let him teach all the hefty commandments lessons to investigators from now on.  We've got chastity and tithing down, now all we need is word of wisdom and we're set.  

I had an inspirational thought come to me during one of the talks at the end.  I don't think he said this exactly but I think this could be a quote that becomes famous so if you use it, cite me and I'll cite the spirit :) I feel like it was a core theme of conference.

You can't legalize sin.

That's good, eh.  I'm going to become a quote author, I think.

What else, well...it's safe to say you can never guess what angle Elder Holland is going to strike at.  They hands down told us "Woman, you are fantastic, incredible, irreplaceable, divine, magnificent, . . . (a million other positive adjectives) . . . but you're not MEN, so stop trying to be one.  We need women fulfilling the divine and empowering role of women and we need men fulfilling their own separate, yet equally important role.  Not a mix and match mentality."  That's definitely not a direct quote, shoot, it's not even an indirect quote, but it's the gist of like half of the messages. :)   SOOO good though.  It's exactly what our world needs, and the church. 

 Wo unto them that are at ease in Zion.

So, what else...oh, yes I got letters from grams, mom number something between 1 and 500 and the package of the Book of Mormon book.  Mom, you're the best.  Thanks so much :)  I'm glad I received it before I transferred.  I hope it really helps this recent convert family to start making reading the Book of Mormon with their kids a daily habit.  Seriously, out of a lot of things, I have a ridiculously strong testimony and personal witness of the importance of and imperative nature behind reading the scriptures and praying daily as a family, and doing weekly family home evening, alongside personal reading and praying.  I still wonder how you all did it, mom and dad.  Seriously . . . it's not something that happens even in families that one would consider solid and active.  

So, we watched conference for all the sessions except the priesthood session at the church.  The Priesthood session we watched at a member’s home.  One of our investigators watched all 10 hours of conference!!!  It was great :)  like...ridiculously so.  After President Uchtdorf's Saturday morning talk, he jokingly asked us if Pres Uchtdorf had been talking to him!  :) :) :)  So good.  We're excited for him.  

So, I've got mixed feelings as usual in regards to being transferred.  I'm excited for the new experience, where I can put my faults and mistakes behind me and begin anew, but I'm going to miss the members here a lot.  They are so good.  This ward is ridiculously strong.  It's great.  Also, as the time ticks to a close in Wake Forest, I semi-scramble because I'm worried I wasn't able to accomplish all that the Lord needed me accomplish, that I didn't invite everyone I needed to invite.  

Overall, things are going pretty well.  

I love this gospel.  I know it's true.  I know that this church is truly the only true and LIVING church on the earth today.  I absolutely love the fact that it gives us so many opportunities to serve.  I love how perfect it is.  I love that I can have absolute trust and faith in my Father.  I love that we can cast out all fear.  I wish that everyone would just embrace this Gospel, the full Gospel of our Master Jesus Christ.  It's the best thing they would ever do. And I guarantee that no one would ever regret it.  Ever.  Thanks for being so strong family.  Y'all are the best.

Love,

Elder Patty