Hey y'all.
Did you like that southern accent? Anyways this week has been pretty
good. We have been really focusing on trying to re-activate people.
There are lots of people for whatever reason just dont want to come to
church and it can be really frustrating because they tell us they know
they should go and things like that.. Its really sad. Another sad
thing is one of the youth yesterday was like hey E. Anderson I wanna
talk to you so we went and talked and he just expressed how he doesn't
know if the church is really true and whatnot and it was sad because
this kid is 1 out of 2 active teachers and has been a member his whole
life. It made me sad because  we struggle with the youth programs and
then when they have problems like that its sad. We talked and he
seemed to be looking for more factual things that the church is true.
After talking for 45 min I realized that nothing I said was going to
change him, not that I was even telling him facts or anything but
really he needs to get that spiritual confirmation. As we talked he
told me he has never prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true and
so I invited him to read it and do that. I was so frustrated after
because I want so bad to just help these people see the truth. I have
realized that our testimonies come from bearing them. Every time we
bear our testimony to someone it grows so much stronger. I really dont
believe its enough to bear it just on fast sunday. We dont have to go
up to our friends and say Hey I want to take this opportunity to bear
you my testimony but just as you talk you can bear testimony of simple
truths like man I know that everytime I pray I feel better. I know
when I read the book of mormon I feel happier. Bear testimony in
questions. Like do you think that tithing really works? I think it
does cuz everytime I have paid mine I always somehow have enough.
Anyways.. you get the point. Thats kinda what I have been thinking out
lately. We need to help our less actives come back!!! Whats the point
of getting new members if they go inactive ya know? ok another cool
thing this is an email I got from an elder who was in Mexico and
talked about when e. Bednar came and talked to them I am sorry I dont
write emails like this.. I wish I could..

The first thing he talked about was note taking. We just write down
what the speakers say. A false tradition. Thats the differnence
between the large plates and small plates of nephi. We need small
plates not large plates. A place to write our spirtiual experiences
and impressions. He also talked about that oh so famous game in the
church ¨Guess whats in my head¨. I know it as ´´fishing for an
answer´´. He explained how fishing for an answer, or in otherwords,
trying to get the student to say what youre thinking, destroys agency
and the spirit in a lesson. It was way cool how he described it all,
but for lack of detailed notes, and lack of time, Ill stick to the
basics.´ About 3 weeks ago, we were given 2 talks from Elder Bednar,
one is called something like Learning by Faith, and the other sincere
prayer or maybe prayer of faith. I dont really remember their names
that well. but the 2 talks are way awesome. And so the whole
conference was like a review of what we learned from those talks. The
guy lives Preach My Gospel. In the way that he taught, I could see
every major principle from Preach My Gospel. The whole
lesson/talk/discussion was a review of our commitment that we had been
given of those 2 talks. He called on missionarys to share what they
learned, and then he explained more and amplified what they said. Hes
a master at teaching.  One of the things that stuck out to me is a
prayer that he one day hopes to hear in church. In place of ¨Bless
those that arent here that they can come next week´ something more
like ´Father, there are many not here today. And everyone here knows
at least one person that should be here, help us to go get them. I
know its fast sunday and were all hungry, but before we go home, were
going to go visit these people. I know I dont have the authority to
commit the whole ward to do this, so if the bishop has a problem with
what Im saying, he can stop me in any moment. But If he doesnt stop
me, Im just gonna keep on going.´ There was a lot more to his prayer,
But I dont remember all of it. But he asked us ´Who has the faith to
make that prayer?´ And I gotta say, very few. But thats what a prayer
of faith is. When Nephi was bound in ropes by his brothers, he didnt
ask God to send angels to free him. He said ´give me strength, and ill
break these freaking ropes´ Well...more or less that what he said. I
seem to have forgotten the english translation. We pray, study and go
to the church and temple as as if were objects. That was pretty much
the theme of his talk. And its very true. ¨God, change this situation¨
´God, here im reading my scriptures, give me my blessings.´ ¨God, I
went to the temple today, where my magical package?¨ He explained how
it is that we are free agents and given power to act for ourselves,
and not to be acted upon. We also had a Q&A with him. It was pretty
cool. Sometimes he would call on his wife or one of the 70s that was
there to answer a question. but all the answers were way awesome. The
first question was about revelation and how to recognize the spirit.
He told us he doesnt why everyone about fusses about recognizing the
spirit. What we have to recognize is when the spirit leaves. When you
see a bad movie and then go home, you cant have much confidence in
your revelation. But if your living worthily and taking the sacrament,
then you have the promise to have the spirit with you always. Just
pray and act. Thats the formula. More than not youll never recognize
the revelation that comes into your lfie. You just make a decision,
and have that faith that God is behind you helping you to make that
decision. Doubt and fear are opposites of faith. D&C 80 says It
mattereth not where ye shall go, you cannot go amiss. Or something
like that He also said 2 things thatll stay with me. The guys blunt.
The first thing was actually a quote from one of the prophets, I dont
remember which. But it went something like this ´You foolish youth who
ask for faith. You have no idea what youre asking for.´ Bednar gave us
a huge warning on asking for more faith. You recieve no testimony
until after the trial of your faith. He said that if we ask for faith,
God well send us a trial that will make or break our faith He also
said that in all the world he sees mormon parents who cripple their
children. He said it in a way that would offend many, but with
missionarys, we love it when apostles talk like that. He told us that
the best thing that a convert can ever say to us is this ¨I dont need
you. You have a responsability to preach. Go do it. I have the
scriptures, the words of modern day prophets, and I have friends and a
bishop in the church that can help me. Go away.¨ And basically that is
oru purpose as missionarys. We have to help our investigators be self
suffiecent. Its the same responsability of parents. There are parents
who dont let their children act. ´Sit down and listen to me talk´ Is
the famous model of teaching in all the world. And it destroys agency.
Kids who hate family home evening and only go for the cookies and ice
cream afterwards. Hes says that a better model is to talk with them.
Let your kids/investigators ask questions. And if you dont know the
answer, how freaking awesome is that. What an opportunity to teach
them how to study and find out answers for themselves.  At the end of
this conference I came to a very real conclusion that I still dont
understand agency. Before the conference I had been thinking about a
few things. About victims and creators. Are we victims or creators of
our circumstances. And Im starting to realize what that really means.
Another interesting thing. He told us that he doesn’t know if hes ever
been discouraged. But he has felt overwhelmed. And that its neccesary.
The dangerous months for a missionary are the last 4. When the
missionary already thinks he knows what hes doing. For a Bishop, the
last year or 2. Same with stake presidents. And the dangerous year is
the last year for mission presidents. We should be the most
overwhelmed at the end than in the beggining. We have to always rely
on our creator. He, as an apostle, feels more and more overwhelmed the
more time that he has been an apostle.  All in all, it was a cool
experience. Has mastered the gospel. I cant find another way to
explain it. Hes beyond competent. Divenly guided. Hes an apostle, what
need I say more?
Anyways I love you all!!! Keep it real!
E. Anderson