SERMON FROM BOOK OF MORMON

Hello Mother and Family!!!

Sounds like everything is going very well in Minnesota! Sounds like quite the weather rollercoaster there. Here it's a little strange as well. Apparently there is a really famous cherry blossom event throughout Korea where the cherry blossoms bloom and they are very beautiful. This year apparently the cherry blossoms bloomed almost 3 weeks early, which is why it was no surprise when it cooled off here as well.. Haha, so conference in Korea is not shown until the following week...so I will be sure to listen carefully to Elder Holland, Elder Bednar, and Elder Uchtdorf's talks. I am so excited to hear the words that they will share!  Charlotte got to see conference!!! That's exciting. I remember last year when I went. The best part was Elder Perry's booming sermon about obedience! I absolutely loved it!

Our investigators are doing well! The English investigator is slowing making his way to baptism...very slowly, but steadily. He really likes church, but at the same time his belief is really lacking. In Elder's quorum the teacher asked for his opinion and he seemed very happy to have the privilege to participate. He is not sure that everything is truth, but he has started to ask himself some deeper questions. He is also thinking about God quite a bit more, which is good.

Oh, quick news. Today was transfer calls. I am staying in Gong Ju, but I am getting a new companion named Elder Peterson. I don't know anything about him, but I am excited to work with him here in Gong Ju.

Let's see. The Gwang Ju investigator seems to be doing well. He had a test this week and so, as is pretty standard in Korea, we couldn't contact him. However, last week he was able to get with some of the young single adults in the mission and go to a young single adult activity which he seemed to really enjoy. He made good friendships with some of the members of our ward and will hopefully be able to come to General Conference this weekend!

The new family was not able to meet this past week. However, we did stop in at the workplace of the father and talk to him and they seem to be doing very well. I am excited to continue to meet with them and to help them see the light of the Gospel.

We still are meeting the 28 year old who is preparing for a test. He is doing very well and we had a good meeting with him the other night. He said that he would live all of the commandments, but that he needed time. So, we are going to help him build his faith so that he can keep the commandments. He is so wonderful and such a funny person. He will be a great member.

Other than that we have met a lot of foreigners recently who always are willing to meet. Hopefully we will be able to meet some of them and help them to come to church! Time goes well. I am excited for next week and the opportunity that we will have to help God's children.

A fun story. President told us this story this morning on our telephone conference call (we have one every P-day with the whole mission). Apparently there was a pastor in Korea that gave a sermon at his church. Everyone was astounded at how good the sermon was. His higher up authority pulled him aside later and said to him "Where did you get that sermon? It's not in the Bible." After pulling and prying, the pastor finally admitted that he got the sermon from the Book of Mormon. The higher up authority got a Book of Mormon, read it, and told the pastor, "it looks like we need to join the Mormon church". The pastor had good income from the job and so couldn't leave his post, but the higher up authority joined the church!

This week I have had the opportunity to learn a lot about a lot of different things. I think the one that is foremost in my mind comes from the Korean translation of a verse in Doctrine and Covenants. It is D&C Section 1 verse 28 which in English says "And inasmuch as they were ^ahumble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive ^bknowledge from time to time." The Korean translation renders inasmuch, in this case, as "to the extent that". I find that inspiring. To the extent (which doesn't quite have the feeling that the Korean does...but it's close) that we are humble, we are made strong, and blessed on high and receive knowledge from time to time. It's not about us. It's about God's power. The more that we rely on Him in His work, the more that He will make us strong and bless us from on high (according to His will) to accomplish His work.

My companion also taught me a great lesson this week from his personal study which was in Jesus the Christ. When Christ goes to heal Lazarus, Elder Talmage makes the comment that (to this effect) "Everything that could be done through the power of the agency of man was done." Christ did not use His Godly powers to remove the stone, He told the people to remove the stone. He did not in any case in His earthly life use His Godly powers for something that could be done through the exerise of God-given agency.

Humility, then, is the gateway through which we are able to exercise faith and tap into the powers from heaven. Without humility, we would simply try to do everything through our own means. However, through humility, we reach to other sources of power, beyond our own means. Through the exercise of faith those powers flow to us. Thus to the extent that we are humble, the extent that we rely on God and realize our need and desire to exercise faith. I know that God loves us and that through our humility and our faith we can receive help from Him that will enable us to do His will (Moroni 7:33).

I love you all so much and am very grateful for this wonderful opportunity that I have been given to serve the Lord. The Lord is at the head of this work. I have seen that over and over and over again as I have served Him in Korea. He loves all of His children so much.

Remember the words of the Prophets, they are written for us and for our day. I know that is true.

You are the best! I love you!