Hello!So this week was solid. Lots of teaching and lots of exchanges. We had a decent number of lessons that were pretty good but nothing extraordinary or any lessons that I just thought really changed someone’s perspective which stinks. I really just love the feeling after a lesson feeling like they just had a whole change of perspective. Nothing feels better than just seeing someone change little by little. I guess some good specific lessons were when we had a lesson with our friend Gabriel for the first time in like a month. Another was with Adrian when he after the lesson wanted to read the Book of Mormon. Solid week though, getting weird just thinking about how since yesterday night I’ve started to have my lasts in the mission field. It doesn’t feel quite real yet and I don’t know if it will until the tag comes off or until I’m in the airport. It’s just interesting to be winding down in time, but at the same time I’m trying to look forward with hope and excitement for the next phase of life. Caleb at the beginning of the mission said this to me when I was going through a tough time “Keep up the hard work, embrace the changes, remember fondly and with soft sadness the things whose time have past and relish the things whose time has finally arrived.” I’ve been trying to apply this to my mission and life after and not trying to be so sad to be leaving. At this point I need to stop thinking about impossible what ifs like, “oh man how awesome would it be to extend for a while longer like this and this and this could happen in area and I could see it.” That’s not a possibility though so I’m working on letting go and trying to be ready for this next phase of life. Anyways returning to the missionary work of this week as I mentioned there were lot of exchanges. So the first was on Tuesday with Elder Gabor and it was a solid one. Elder Gabor is an awesome missionary and just a hard worker but also funny. We did a lot of service and then got to have a meeting with their bishop which was solid. The bishop and his family are awesome, just by the feeling of the Spirit in their home and their words you can tell that they’re truly converted. We also had interviews with President Auna and it was good. About half of it was him asking me who I would recommend to replace me as a zone leader here and then he asked me to describe my mission in one sentence so here’s what I said “An experience that has taught me how to be grounded and rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ and to submit my will to the Lord’s.” He said I could use that to start a talk so I’ll probably do that because it’s a solid idea haha. He then finished off with just a you’ve done well and a prayer… But then after the prayer he was in essence said “also Elder Tonkinson many missionaries in the mission get together after this mission…just a thought.” I then clarified sure President but only AFTER the next two weeks, just to be clear I’m planning on finishing strong. So that was funny but it was also comforting to hear from him that I had done well. Then Thursday I had an exchange with Elder Ciccarelo and it was just a busy day with a couple lesson, some coordination meetings and stuff. Elder Ciccarelo is a very solid missionary, just works hard and understands the gospel and he is very humble. He’s an awesome example. Okay so not too many exchanges its just hard when we really like our area and it’s easier to stay together haha. Luckily this last week we don’t have any so Elder Christensen and I are going to work hard and just do all we can to fill every second with good things. So yeah that’s about it. Oh Sunday we got a flat tire… So we had to switch that. At some point we ran over a screw, not sure when we just did. We saw that one tire was at 22 PSI Sunday morning and we were like nah it’s fine… Probably a fluke… Yeah then it started dropping more… So yeah we changed it in the Church parking lot after church so that was fun. Oh we also got stuff to make bracelets from Hobby Lobby because we had to get stuff for a gift for President and Sister Auna and Elder Christensen also went there before to buy stuff for his bracelet company last year… So yeah we’ve made some of those and that’s been a fun night time activity Questions -Top five of the past week? – In no particular order1. Exchanges2. Interviews 3. Lesson with Adrian 4. Personal Studies 5. Bracelets
How has you time as a full-time missionary changed you? – I just feel better. Different. Specifics are hard and I think more easily seen by outside auditors as Elder Maxwell called them. But I feel like I’ve just grown to be better all around Share a moment you were taught by the Spirit – Hmm good question I think I was taught most when there was a situation I could have gotten mad at and probably would have been furious at in the past and just let it go because it wasn’t worth getting mad. So I think over time it’s taught me charity and patience… Although slowly How have you been blessed by someone else in the past week? – I was blessed this week by being able to learn from all the exchanges.
So this week we good we taught a lot like normal, and we found a new person to teach (well he actually was brought to us) which is always good. Anyways, this week we had exchanges with Elder Morris and Elder Welsh. I stayed in area with Elder Welsh, and it was a good solid day. We got a lot done, had a decent number of lessons, and I got to see him teach in one of them where we spoke English. The best part was that our last lesson on Wednesday was with Silver (our recent convert), and he brought his friend Agustin with him which was great! So now we’re teaching Silver and Agustín English and the Gospel. Unfortunately, Agustín couldn’t make it to church this week but it was still awesome.
Then let’s see the rest of the week we just had some solid lessons with people. One of my favorites was with Adrian (the one we taught the Plan of Salvation to last week) where we taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He’s such a prepared person to receive the Gospel. So prepared. He told us of how he became Christian, like actually started to be converted to Christ. He shared how he read about baptism and how it had to be by someone in authority and how he had sought that out but hadn’t found it, but got baptized anyways and asked God to “correct [him] if he did wrong.” So then we shared with him about the Holy Ghost and how baptism is two fold and talked about the importance of that, and he recognized that he needed to be baptized again and that he needed it to be someone in authority and that he needed the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was so awesome. He is so prepared. We did try to set a baptismal date, but he said he wanted to learn more first about “who are you all again? Jehovah’s Witnesses?” hahaha. Yeah he thought we were Jehovah’s Witnesses, but yeah he wants to learn more first. We invited him to come to church, and he wants to. The problem is his wife works on Sundays and uses the car, and they live at the very bottom of the area, so not an easy way up or any easy way for a ride. Also, with his wife, she listens, but from what we gather, she doesn’t like organized religion so we’ll see if we can work with her. It’s just funny because Adrian, from what we know, was the one that missionaries thought didn’t seem interested, but it’s flipped for us now.
Alright then the best part of the week going back to Tuesday was that I went to the temple! It was an awesome experience. So good, I missed it so much. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get time to print the name that Hillary had sent (sorry!). It was great though. Our group (there are 3) was made up of just Elders and then a senior couple who is going home, and it was a lot of fun. But returning to the spiritual side, it was good to be in the House of the Lord again, to feel the peace and comfort that comes from being in the Sacred Home. I also loved getting to ponder anew the ordinances and think about there significance and meaning for the first time in a year and a half. Then finally in the Celestial Room I was able to pray and receive some revelation on some questions which was the most incredible. It really confirmed to me that the temple really is Holy, because never have I felt like I had just well as Joseph Smith says “pure intelligence” flow into my mind. Incredible experience. Also, fun fact, we had ice cream at the temple cafeteria… Yup an Elder had heard that the ice cream machine in the cafeteria worked and so we got out and he asked Elder Fiske (the senior missionary) if we could get some, and so Elder Fiske doubting the whole thing asked the temple worker and well 2 minutes later we were all scanning our reccomends and heading down to the cafeteria. Anyways, going to the temple again reaffirmed to me how much I want to make it a weekly part of my life, especially while I’ll live with so many temples near by. So at BYU (restrictions permitting) I plan to go every week. I’m so looking forward to it. So yeah that was the week!
Questions – Favorite teaching moment from your week? – Adrian
How has your understanding of the Plan of Salvation changed while serving a mission? – Its changed in that I now get more of the why of the Plan. I better understand what the aim is and what God wants each of us to become, which is like Him. I also more fully understand how Christ truly is the center of it all.
Something that made you laugh out Loud? – Hmmm I don’t remember anything in particular but there is a lot of laughing out loud
Share a strength that you admire in someone else. – I admire the humility of so many of the missionaries that surround me, how quick they are to listen to correction and to not be angry or bitter about things they can’t change.
The Editor: Elder Tonkinson returned to the mission field on Tuesday. He had been sent home at the beginning of the Covid pandemic because he has moderate (though very well controlled) asthma. He appealed twice to be able to go back, even enlisting his allergist in the effort to no avail. He then completed two terms at Brigham Young University (BYU) working online from home, here in Florida. He planned to start at BYU Provo in the fall, registered for class, paid tuition, signed a housing contract. On 1 August, we purchased his ticked to fly to Salt Lake City on 21 August, so that he could spend a week with his older brothers and their families before starting school.
On August 11, the Missionary Department announced changes for missionary service for “Higher-Risk Health Conditions.” Gideon contacted our stake president, who contacted the missionary department, to determine if he would be eligible to serve, and he waited. Still not having heard by 21 August, he took his flight with everything he need for school (and very little he needed for his mission). On 26 August, Gideon received word that he could return to his mission and that they wanted him there by September 8 if possible. He pondered, prayed, and agonized over what to do, and decided to return. We then arranged for me to fly to Utah with his missionary clothes, books and other materials, which I did last Saturday. His brother, Caleb, and I took Gideon to the airport Tuesday afternoon. Salt Lake was having high winds (they hit 110 MPH the night before), and his flight was delayed a few hours, but he finally arrived to the Seattle Airport and was set apart again as a missionary. Tomorrow will be his p-day, and we should get more information then.
Top two photos at Salt Lake International Airport, middle photos from arrival at Seattle Tacoma International Airport, and last two photos from when Gideon was set apart as a missionary and became Elder Tonkinson again.
So this week was pretty good. So let’s see, Tuesday we found two new people. One is named Antonio and one is named Sergio. Both opened the door with a smile and listened intently. We offered some pamphlets we have on the Restoration, but both wanted the Book of Mormon instead, which we gladly gave. It was awesome, because we had yet to find anyone like this, and it happened twice in one day. With Antonio we had just knocked a door for an old potential, and it was supposed to be the last one of the night, but I heard Spanish from the door above in the apartment complex. So I said to Elder Poncio, “Hey, just one more door.” And there was Antonio. It was really awesome. Both also said that they wanted to go to church. We called them the morning of, and Sergio said that he would and Antonio had work. Unfortunately, Sergio never showed.
We taught 9 lessons at the door this week which is good but no one is really progressing or is really that interested in us coming back some other time. We had a branch sport night, which was fun. We had more people there than I had seen at church the last couple sacrament meetings. Also, Sunday we had about 17 people rather than the usual 12 so that was also good. Felt a little more like a normal ward. Other than that, not much to report. Pretty chill nothing super crazy.
We got hair cuts today so there are some before and after, and as well as when he styled my hair.
Questions-
Did you get any of your packages? If so did they work?- Yes I did. Pillow is way better. I wake up way less, and my neck doesn’t hurt in the morning. I don’t know if the Reese’s work, but I would think so, you just eat them right? And I have not used the mixer yet.
Have you gotten any recommendations for a warm rain jacket?- Mostly just get one that really keeps out the water. Cold is not the biggest problem. Just stay dry. One elder recommended leather gloves.
Are you able to get your email each day now or not? Hmm? I always can read it every day just not respond. But yeah, I get them.
Tell me about a time you felt joy this week.- Uh, at the branch activity; it was just really fun.
A moment you felt the guidance or presence of the Holy Ghost and how it blessed your day?- When we knocked Antonio’s door, because we were about to go home. I don’t know how I heard the Spanish, cause no doors were open or anything and Elder Poncio didn’t hear anything, so seems like it was the Spirit.
What do you do for fun on your p-days?- Volleyball, chair soccer, eat, talk, just hang out with the zone.
How is teaching going???- When we do have it, I probably teach about 30% and am lost about 68% of the time. So alright I guess
What has been the most uplifting part of your mission so far? – The other missionaries, we just have a good time most of the time, and it’s a fun atmosphere when we’re all together.
What was one funny thing that happened???-
Elder Poncio has no clue what it means to be American food–See attached video, where he says that park city cashew chicken is Chinese food. He says America has no food cause we got it from everywhere else. Which, yes we did, but it becomes American when we alter it to fit our palate, and change it in some pretty big ways; he wasn’t having it.
Do you feel you are adapted to the cadence of missionary life?- Eh kinda, knocking doors sometimes makes my stomach turn because when tracting, you don’t know who is behind it. Most times, it’s not that bad but a couple times we’ve had some rude people. Like the other day one woman opened the door said, “I go to a bible believing church” and then shut the door. Like, “Hey so do we!” Or, one woman was interest and then her husband asked who we were, and she said “They want to share about Jesus” and he said “No con ellos” or “not with them.” UGH
What things have changed about your perspective on life and the gospel most?- Just seeing the amount of poverty, broken homes and how hard people are working to just sustain a living. But through that, I can see how the gospel will help those people. I just really realize how blessed I have been to be born into a family that loves me, that I have the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that I have never really had to worry about having a roof over my head or food on the table, or even close to it.
First questions from non-family members
What’s helped you grow the most this week? – My dad will send me an email every morning with insights and thoughts he has as he reads from the Book of Mormon, and it is really nice to see his perspective.
And how is Francisco doing?- Good, but he’s not really progressing. He is too busy to read; he says but he wants to. Hopefully, he will soon, but we’ll see. We met with him once this week and read about Samuel the Lamanite in the Book of Mormon with him and invited him to read 3rd Nephi 11, when Christ comes to visit the people in this hemisphere after His resurrection.
Tuesday Marked the full six weeks, and Elder Tonkinson traveled to Seattle without incident. He called his mom from the airport, a time honored tradition. The airport call used to be something that parents waited for anxiously as the first time they got to speak with their son or daughter and one of only six times you did for the entire mission (Airport at departure, two mother’s days, two Christmases, and sometimes to make sure everything was set for the trip home). Otherwise, it was just emails, and before that, it was just letters by snail mail. As of April, however, missionaries can call weekly. We had heard from Elder Tonkinson by video call twice already during his time in the MTC.
Yesterday, we received two emails with pictures that were sent at the mission president’s direction. The first said simply
Good Morning;
The Washington Everett Mission would like to let you know that your missionary arrived last night.
We can just feel their energy and are so excited to be working with such a great group. Thank You for all you did to help prepare for their mission.
Sister Parker
Washington Everett Mission Secretary
The second
More pictures from Sister Auna that were taken last night that you will enjoy.
They are here at the mission office now eating a continental breakfast, and then after a little training, they’ll meet their companion and begin their missionary work.
We are excited and blessed with these great missionaries and truly look forward to work with them.
Have a wonderful day. 😊
Sister Parker
I love this one. Such a classic look on Elder Tonkinson’s face as he hears from his mission president.
We will look forward to hearing from Elder Tonkinson on Monday, his first preparation day (P-day) in the field.
This week was pretty good but started out rough. Saturday night, I had a bad coughing fit and could not sleep. I can say during that time I was truly homesick for the first time on my mission. Even if mom could not have helped me or anything even if I was at home, just having her there would have been a comfort. None the less, I did get through the coughing fit and thankfully did not keep my district up from it.
It was Fast Sunday, so rather than lunch we had a mission conference on the Plan of Salvation. The Spirit was so strong during it and confirmed to me more than ever before the reality of the plan. I also realized it has been something I have just grown up knowing, but something that so few people know. We sang Oh My Father (Hymn #292), which is one of my new favorite hymns. We still also had the Sunday devotional, which emphasized the importance of communicating with the Spirit and the being one with your companion. They had a really good diagram that demonstrated that [inserted above]. It shows how the Holy Ghost is central to teaching. He will give us the message from Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and Himself, because they are one in purpose and message. Then the Spirit works with the companionship to help them be one and share the message that is needed. Then the last part is that the missionaries as one with the Holy Ghost testify of the gospel to those we teach. We deliver the message but the Holy Ghost is the one that confirms it and converts. The diagram will help clarify this. Sunday night was good though.
Monday we had a TRC again, and we taught her part of the Plan of Salvation. As we were going through she asked in Spanish obviously “How can we return to God?” She rarely asks questions, so we were so excited, and we jumped right into the Atonement of Jesus Christ and Baptism. We ran out of time to finish, but we helped to start answering that question.
Hermana Otuafi had her last day too which was sad. But we heard from her and she said she’s doing fine in Mexico, which I am thankful for.
Hermana Otuafi headed to Mexico
Tuesday mornings, we have service where we clean another residence hall. Usually my alarm is “A Child’s Prayer” because Elder Keeler and I both love that primary song. But on service mornings, it is “Called to Serve,” and on Tuesday night devotionals we always open with “Called to Serve.” I realized how many little truths are in that song that people just do not know. Such as how we “proclaim the Father’s story” which I take to be the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Plan of Salvation. Another big one is that we are “Sons and daughters, children of a King” and heirs to His kingdom and joint heirs with Christ. I have just taken these for granted and so few people know them. Very excited to be here and have the opportunity to share these basic truths with people.
The devotional was good. Elder [L. Whitney] Clayton spoke about how the Book of Mormon is a strong testifier of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on its own. And by gaining a testimony of it, the Book of Mormon can be the basis of a testimony that Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and that this is His Church on the Earth. At the end we sang “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” which was a requested change from Elder Clayton. So, so powerful because there were over 2000 missionaries in the gym, a literal Army of Helaman [This is a reference to a story in the Book of Mormon in the last few chapters of Alma about 2000 young men who were so well trained by their mothers in faith and devotion that despite being in many battles, none were killed]. After devotionals, we have a devotional and midway through our devotional, President Durrant comes in and says that after the devotional he needs to talk to Elder Durbano and I and then walks out. I was not in trouble which was good… well not in too much trouble. Elder Durbano, my companion, had been serving as district leader, and they like to change the district leader half way through as well as senior companions [one elder is the junior companion, and one the senior companion, so Elder Tonkinson is saying that it is common for each elder to spend time as the senior companion during the time they are together at the MTC]. Well, Elder Durbano was set to be released and both of us (even if not right) believed that one specific Elder would be called to be the next district leader. We were hoping [for the change] because even if it’s not all that much, we have to do about an hour of extra things (because we both have to go even if he is the district leader) and on Sundays it’s conducting and two extra meetings. Anyways, he got released, and I got called as district leader. So the only thing for us that changes is I now conduct and I am in the meetings instead of sitting outside studying. It’s not that much, as I said, but still. The trouble came when President Durrant called me out for writing my first email in Spanish and partly in English and then the next time being lazy and writing in only English [I’m guessing he has to write a daily report]. He said that he wants me to write only in Spanish… so I brought that on myself.
Wednesday was good. We got to host new missionaries as a district. We just help the new missionaries get to their rooms, classes, get their name tags and move their luggage. I helped only one Elder, Elder Hill, who is going to the Raleigh NC mission and is from Phoenix. We had another TRC which was on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We both felt like we did not do well. We usually get feedback, but this time it got lost in the great depths of the servers, and we never got it for Wednesday. Probably for the best. But we invited our TRC to read 3rd Nephi 11 [the chapter in the Book of Mormon where Christ comes to visit people in the Western Hemisphere after His resurrection].
Thursday was crazy. We got two new sisters, who, similar to Mark [Elder Tonkinson’s oldest brother who served his mission in the Ventura California Mission], were called to serve English but got transferred to Spanish speaking. But unlike Mark, they got the notice right before they left the MTC and are staying for training [Mark received his notice six weeks into his time in the field]. That brings our district up to 11 which is still smaller than most right now which is 14. Yeah, but they’re pretty nice. We are working to make sure they feel comfortable and welcome, as they are not only thrown into Spanish 3 weeks in, but they are also new companions to each other. I will let you know how that is going next week.
On top of that, Hermano Wright, one our teachers, got a new job that fits his major and will no longer be at the MTC. So Hermana Olivares taught us for the last couple days because we do not have two teachers right now even though you are only supposed to teach a single class a day. We will get a new teacher Monday and she is supposed to be a native speaker like Hermana Olivares. Exciting stuff. Also we had our last TRC with the person we have been teaching which was sad. However the last TRC was incredible. We had planned on teaching a lesson on commandments but she had done as we had invited to read 3rd Nephi 11 and had understood it but had a question come up as she was reading: how could she tell the difference between her thoughts and the Holy Ghost? It was tough, but with the help of the Spirit and some quick searches on Gospel Library [a mobile phone app that has the scriptures and many other church resources], we were able to explain in our own words about how all good things come from God, and if it is good, it does not matter so much if it is from our own thoughts or the Spirit. We then read Moroni 7:12 “Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God” and were able to answer the question. We looked at our time, and we had 3 minutes left and we finished with our testimonies. She was sad to hear we would no longer be teaching her anymore even though we were not leaving the MTC yet. We will teach a new TRC starting Monday for the next two weeks with 6 lessons. We got the report back and were going crazy about it. The Spirit was so power during the lesson. And apparently so was my voice…as it was a little too loud, cause I was so excited because, as I said, she rarely asked questions and apparently according to Elder Durbano, my eyes lit up when she asked us her question. Anyways Elder Willis was like “Elder Tonkinson you were a little loud,” when we got back to the residence.
Friday was very chill compared to the rest of the week. Elder McQuinn got three boxes of donuts and Elder Keeler got one, and so we walked back to our residence with four boxes. One of those boxes Elder McQuinn had was for our class for doing well at speaking Spanish during our days, but the other two were for his birthday which is today, Saturday. We also got some Oreos, Ritz and ice cream from the store to celebrate Elder McQuinn’s birthday last night and today. Elder Durbano and I also got him Milky Ways, his favorite candy for him. Last night we watched some of the safety videos that we have to watch for training and read some of the letter that Elder Keeler and Elder Boyle had gotten from their girlfriends as well as some of the letters I had been given. I also saw a little note from Hillary in the envelope with the names for the temple, because next preparation day we can go to the temple. Overall, loving the MTC but I am also excited to finally leave in less than three weeks and get out into the field.
Sister Anglin from the Lynchburg 3rd Ward with her art
Impressive!
Studying the gospel
Now questions from the week
What do you all do for Come Follow Me [Sunday School Manual to be used at home to learn about the New Testament with your family] in the MTC? – Nothing, at least we have not been told to do anything. I will let you know if that changes in the field, but I guess I should ask President Durrant if that is something we should be trying to do through out the week in personal and/or companion study.
How have you seen the hand of the Lord in your life this week? – It is more of a question of where have I not seen it. Especially in the TRCs, it is very apparent as we can some how communicate , although we stumble some, our lessons and have the Spirit do all the real testifying.
Do you have a favorite scripture for this week and if so what is it and why is it your favorite? – In personal study, I am in Alma and just reading about Ammon is a little wild. So all those chapters so Alma chapters 17-20.
How is your exercising going? – Good, finally started again so I am a little sore, but good.
How has life been for you?? – Well if you read above you’ll know 😉
Do you think of us often??? – Yes at least once every day. Love getting the pictures from everyone especially of the boys as they grow. Everyone else is nice too though, but you all grow a little slower.
Do you miss gum and music, real music??? – Gum some, but mints are alright haha. I have so much music from Caleb, it’s fine. Plus, in the Sacred Music app, we have all the Youth Music so we rock out to that music hard haha.
Do you miss the white car??? – I mean driving is nice but not really hard to miss a car when you do not even get to drive another one or see the inside of one.
Are the beds like cabin beds, terribly uncomfortable??? – I mean they’re no Purple Mattress or anything. They’re alright though, a little more comfortable than a hotel pull out sofa.
What was your best experience speaking in Spanish this week? – Elder Durbano and I have started a companionship goal to speak pretty much only Spanish all day and who ever does better that week gets something from the other. Surprised at how easy it can be to speak only Spanish when you remember… the hard part is the remembering.
What touched you that you read this week? – How the Spirit can soften the hearts of almost any one.
What was the most challenging thing this week? – Adjusting to having two new missionaries probably and being district leader.
Love reading all the emails and seeing those pictures. I will continue to remember you all in my prayers. Also Dad, thank the Mannings for their fast on my behalf that really touched me. [The story is quite touching. The Mannings attend another congregation in Lynchburg. They have a son, Dustin, who is a few years younger than Gideon. They were in the Boy Scout troop at Church together and friendly, but not necessarily close. Two Saturdays ago, when their family was getting ready to fast, Dustin said he felt like they needed to fast for Gideon. He had no idea why until I posted last week’s posting that talked about how ill Gideon had been. He had been inspired by the Lord.]
This time I remembered to take my journal with me so I can fill in more details about each day that I may have forgotten through out the week. Alright, so Sunday morning, I woke up and my throat hurt and my ears had pressure behind them, so I knew I actually had a real sickness. Anyways, at breakfast I saw Evan Hobson from Illinois [the Hobson’s attended the same congregation we did in Champaign/Urbana]. He left Wednesday for Philadelphia, PA while he waits for his visa to Portugal. I do not know how I had not seen him yet in the time I was already here but it was good to talk to him for a bit. Sunday night devotional was good. President Titinsor from the MTC Presidency spoke about how we learn more from our hard times than our easy ones. We also should not dwell on what we can not change.
Beautiful, if not somewhat confining, MTC Campus
Monday I went to the doctor, he told me I did not quite have an ear infection but that it was getting there. He told me antibiotics would waste my money and the side affects would not be worth it either. So he just told me to got the BYU health center (which is one of the places off the MTC campus we are allowed to go) and get some over the counter meds. So, Elder Durbano and I went to the gate and walked out–no questions asked. I guess I had not realized that they are not forcing you to stay or follow any of the rules. It is all based on your personal decision for how closely you will follow the rules. Anyways, it felt so good to be outside the MTC and walking somewhere new, even if it was less than half a mile walk and the campus was just on the other side of the road. We had our first TRC (lesson thingy I do not even remember what TRC stands for) [Teaching Resource Center]. Anyways, we were told it was going to be a 5 minute meet and greet thing with a bunch of different people, but nope, the TRC office messed up and thought we were there for a lesson. So after about 7 minutes, Elder Durbano and I were just looking at each other panicked. It’s okay though because we just went into asking more about who we were teaching and her relationship with God. The issue is she is not very talkative even with questions that are beyond yes and no. Yikes.
Tuesday “I felt like death”- that’s a quote from my journal. I could not breathe very well, ears hurt, and throat was sore. On top of that, about midday I started to loose my voice and by the devotional I could not talk. Devotional was good. But hard to pay attention when you’re in pain. Key points I learned–Not only are we learning Spanish in the MTC, we are learning the language of the Spirit. Similar to how you have to continue to speak Spanish to retain it, we have to continually be listening and looking for the language of the Spirit.
Wednesday was kinda bad. Elder Willis came in, looked at me as I was getting ready, and then pretended to be mad (quite convincing and intimidating when he’s made of mostly muscle) and said “You will go to breakfast, come back here, and sleep. THIS SICKNESS WILL NOT DEFINE YOU! YOU WILL OVERCOME IT!.” I was resolved to go to class; but during the morning we were trying to memorize the First Vision (which I did) but Elder Durbano said he looked over one minute, and I was working on it and then 30 seconds later I was slumped over it. Hermana Olivares (one of our teachers) told us to go back to the dorm. On the way back, I got three copies of the Book of Mormon and some small notebooks and marked them and wrote my testimony and a message to the people I was going to send them to in the notebooks. Then I napped for 3 hours. We had to cancel our TRC for that night given I was sick, and I still could not talk. Elder Durbano and I did not go to class that night either and just prepared our lesson for Thursday on the Restoration. Blessing that day was that Elder Durbano and I were looking at one of the large maps and a sister came up and pointed out her home, Pensacola Fl, to her companion. She said she loved it there and it’s wonderful. [In case you wonder why that was a blessing, Elder Tonkinson’s parents are in the process of moving from Lynchburg, Virginia to Pensacola, Florida. So, it was a comfort to him to hear someone who was excited to be from that area]. Also, [I am] blessed to have district and a companion who want what’s best for me.
Thursday was good. I was starting to be on the up and up and could talk decently again. Took another nap in the middle of the day between class and dinner. We had our TRC that night which went really well. We opened with a prayer and felt the Spirit the whole time, and we easily filled the 25 minutes we had. We were worried we might have planned too much, but the woman that we were teaching would always say she had no questions or if we asked a question she would be able to reply in like a minute. She seems to understand what we are saying and is so helpful as she helps us and corrects our Spanish. Elder Durbano and I both love teaching her. [Later], Elder Durbano wanted to wrestle and Elder Keeler and Elder Willis took up the challenge. Both got destroyed.
Book of Mormon Share
Friday was pretty standard. Still sick. Found out one of the Hermanas in our district is leaving on Tuesday to go to the Mexico MTC. She had just been waiting for her visa, and she got it. All the Elders and I are going to miss her. She’s Tongan, and she’s the nicest person ever. She’s just very friendly and a lot of fun. We had a Book of Mormon share, which was good; and we were able to share a scripture from our personal study. I shared Jacob 5:71 which I think perfectly relates to missionary work.
Today has been good. Pretty chill. Throat still sore, but I think that will be good in the next couple days. I got Elder McQuinn sick, which I feel bad about; but not much I could have done to prevent it because he is in my dorm room. We did not waste three hours in the morning doing laundry [this week] either which was good; we just popped in before lunch and dropped them off and switched them to drying after lunch. All is good here. Really excited to write home every Saturday. We were listening to the talks from my branch president, President Durrant , we could find on gospel library and here is a quote I like from a talk he gave in 1984, “Most obstacles we face are in our own minds.” The talk was on missions, and I just liked it because he was talking about how he was worried about things at home or whatever, and it was making it harder for him. But once he realized he did not have to focus on them, then his mood and attitude improved.
Questions of the week:
Are you buying candy at BYU Bookstore on the credit card :-)?– Uh, a couple times, but mostly I am buying medicine and pencils and a notebook for Spanish words I want to remember. Oh and some copies of the Book of Mormon to send to friends.
What has brought you joy this week? –Uh, being on the upside of my sickness and having some funny conversations with the Elders in my district.
Share a favorite gospel insight from the week. – Something I learned during the Tuesday night devotional from Sister Craig of the General Young Women’s Presidency was that the Holy Ghost rarely tells us to do nothing, but rather it impresses us to act and get going.
Were you able to exercise or were you under the weather all week?–No running or lifting this week, but I still played four square and spike ball which was pretty fun.
How did your practice teaching go? – Pretty good as you read.
How is your Spanish coming?- It’s coming, feels good to be able to have conversations and lessons in Spanish. I am far from fluent but it’s coming.
Is there anything you need? – Yes more athletic shorts I only have 3 pairs and I am going to buy another pair of sweatpants from the MTC store I think. As long as that’s alright.
Are the notes we send during the week distracting or helpful?- Helpful.
To explain some of the pictures, the drawing is from the word ojo which looks like eyes with a nose and during every break in class I would add a mouth and then a ears and then the body. The next morning Elder Durbano went on splits with another district leader from our zone to go to branch council and while we were waiting for him I drew a replacement Elder Durbano. He then drew me… but out of the word poop instead of ojo. I felt the love there for sure from him.
Hopefully this week my health will be better and I can get more work done and take less naps and study more Spanish. Love you all and miss you all. Love getting your updates and pictures. Keeping you all in my prayers.
Love,
Elder Tonkinson
[this was included in a separate note to his mom]
Oh funny thing I forgot to include in my email. They do random dorm cleanliness checks. My bed was the only one that was made and for my bed they checked it as commendable.
(THIS EMAIL IS ALL OVER THE PLACE) This week was pretty solid and flew by compared to last week. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely had it’s slow parts; but over all it seemed to go by in a blink of an eye. Sunday was good, even with Sacrament Meeting being in Spanish. During the meeting, we also had a new branch president called, President Durrant [small congregations in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are called Branches; larger congregations are called Wards]. He later spoke at the Sunday night devotional. During the devotional I recieved an impression to buy a Book of Mormon and send it to one of my friends (nope not saying who). So first thing I did after breakfast was go buy a Book of Mormon and mark my ten favorite verses and included a note with my testimony. I had been recieving this impression since I had gotten to the MTC and decided I liked not being struck dumb and acted. It was kinda scary in some ways because I don’t want the person to receive it to understand my good intentions. But I am glad I acted.
Tuesday night was also really good because of the Tuesday night devotion and Elder Allan Packer spoke [He is a recently released General Authority of the Church]. Wish I could give more details about what he said, but I am writing in the computer lab and forgot my journal (which I have been writing in every night) with all my notes. Learned lots of good things though and took some really good notes. One thing that stood out that I can remember from each talk: From Sunday night, we just need invite people, it can be that simple. People like to feel included and usually won’t immediately turn down an invitation to something. From Tuesday night, we have to trust in the Spirit on who to ask and act on it because the Spirit knows better than us who is ready to receive our message. One of the songs we sang on Tuesday night was Called to Serve which was so powerful given the number of missionaries singing it.
Classes are good and I’m learning more and more Spanish, which is coming along nicely. I just wish it would come along faster though. I have trouble pronouncing the rr sound which is just annoying me and frustrating me, especially because my companion does it with such ease.
Thursday morning one of the hermanas (sister missionaries) fell off the top bunk and hurt her ankle. They went to the hospital and everything just to make sure nothing was broken. It wasn’t, but the sister was still in a lot of pain. So she asked Elder Durbano (district leader [leader over three or four sets of missionaries] and my companion) to see about giving her a blessing. Our branch president gave Elder Durbano and I the authority to bless her. I anointed and Elder Durbano gave the blessing. I have only two other times felt the Spirit so strong that I have had to wipe water from my eyes. Now I can add a third. But the Spirit during blessing was so strong and powerful.
Friday morning I woke up feeling a little under, with a headache and stomach ache. I am still yet to be up to a hundred percent but it’s better now than yesterday. Also I saw Emmie Anglin [sister missionary who is headed to Houston, Texas to serve] from third ward [another congregation in Lynchburg; ours is the second ward], and I totally forgot she was going to be here! She got here Wednesday, and it was nice to see another person I knew.
This morning we got up at 5:45 AM hoping to beat the rush to do laundry . . . it backfired entirely. It was so packed in there. It took us 3 hours to do laundry and the loads are only 35 minutes for washer and 40 for dryer. It was crazy.
Now time for questions:
Share something that made you laugh this week. — So I was reading in 2 Nephi and Nephi write “And my people would that we should call the name of the place Nephi; wherefore, we did call it Nephi.” [2 Nephi 5:8] and I was like that’s such a subtle flex that he has a city named after him. Then we get talking about how he said he was large in stature too [1 Nephi 2:16]. And I was said you know what I say to people who say the Book of Mormon is a fictional thing written by Joseph Smith, I say look here why would he make a prophet slide that in? It just shows Nephi was real and like the rest of us can be kind of self righteous. Elder Boyle said “oh for sure Elder Tonkinson, just get up on fast testimony Sunday and say that, or during a lesson and they’ll definitely be converted and because of that testimony also know that the Book of Mormon is true. I was laughing so hard.
Also another one is Elder Durbano swears by this thing called super brain yoga, and he claims it makes you smarter. It just looks really stupid and funny. The [supposedly] reputable sources for it’s magical brain properties are from a YouTube video and a substitute math teacher.
An impression or inspiration you had this week while doing personal study. — I have been going through the Book of Mormon again, and I just noticed that almost every scripture some how ties to the missionary purpose and the core doctrine of the Gospel of Christ. So that was really cool to see.
Were the resistance bands what you were looking for?-Yurp 🙂 also this week I have gone to the gym three times. It’s painful but you feel good after and I actually lost some weight so that was good. Beating the MTC at its own game.
Are you speaking more Spanish or English? –Supposed to speak Spanish as much as possible. I say we do a pretty good job, but right now it’s about 60/40, with Spanish taking priority.
This coming week we are going to start TRC, where we teach a native speaker the lessons. Some are actual investigators [people interested in hearing the message that the missionaries are sharing] and others are just members who are acting as members of a different church. It’ll be challenging but Elder Durbano, and I work well together so I m not too worried about it.
Anyways lots of love; loved hearing about everyone’s week.
Laundry Day
Sister Anglin
A bad sewing job 🙂
The view out the window, looking southwest toward BYU Campus
Dear Friends and Family, So it’s finally here. After years of preparation and looking forward to it, I have started my time as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Am I still nervous? Definitely. Am I excited? Even more so than I am nervous. Alright, so Monday I flew into Salt Lake City. On the flight from Charlotte to Phoenix, I sat next to this older gentleman who was familiar with the Church and with what we did as missionaries. It was nice talking to someone I did not know but who reassured me this was the right thing to be doing and that missionaries do a lot of good in the world and that it would make me grow as a person. The other person next to us was a young woman who had lived in Everett for a couple years and had loved it. Talking with these two strangers help me calm my nerves at least a little.
Not having constant access to the internet and all the different forms of communication is weird. For most of the plane rides I just was sitting there unable to watch a movie like I normally would. I took the time to read the scriptures and some letters that I had been given which I greatly appreciated. I also was able to take the time to write some emails and scheduled them to be sent as I entered the MTC on Wednesday which was kinda cool. Still I feel weird not texting friends constantly and being up to date on what’s going on, even if I haven’t even been gone for a week yet. One of my biggest points of anxiety right now is that lack of communication. I worry about not being able to keep in touch with all my close friends and me being more interested in what’s up with them than they are in what’s up with me. So to all my friends in this email [or reading this blog], every once in a while just please send me a quick email updating me on how you’re doing. I do not need one every week or even every month, just enough to feel connected still. Maybe that’s a bit much to ask but it would definitely be a big help to me.
Monday night, we had a family dinner with who ever was in the area at Mark and Whitney’s [Elder Tonkinson’s oldest brother and his wife]. There, I got plenty of mission advice from my brothers Mark and Caleb and my cousin Ben. Everything from how I’ll probably make a fool of myself at some point by saying the wrong words in Spanish to why it’s important to communicate well with your companion. Either way, it helped some and made me aware of things that I will probably experience that the Church doesn’t put in any of the training packets.
Tuesday was pretty good. We had dinner with family friends and that was great. We also went to the aquarium and the temple. Both of which were great blessing. The aquarium was a great way to spend time with the four nephews because they were just there running around and having fun. The temple was a blessing because of the peace I was able to feel in it; that really helped calm my nerves.
Finally, Wednesday morning came, and we had some Kolaches which were delicious, then said goodbye to Mark, Whitney and Taryn. Caleb, Hillary and I then headed to sushi which is a good final meal before the next six weeks of cafeteria food. Caleb dropped me off quickly with a very short goodbye, nothing drawn out, which I was thankful for. Elder Noah Kitchen, my best friend from Ohio was there to greet me right as I left the parking garage which was pretty great. Our dorm rooms are also right across from each other so I see him at least twice a day. After getting all the materials from Preach My Gospel [a training manual for missionary work] to the name tag reading “Elder Tonkinson La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimas Días.” I then met my district (the other missionaries I will be learning Spanish with) and my companion, Elder Durbano. From Thursday to now it has felt like a dream. It still doesn’t feel real; like, I’m actually a missionary for the Church. That’s pretty much the tagline for our district. Spanish is coming along well; we try to speak as much as we can and only use English when we have to. Surprisingly, we’re probably speak about 1/3 of our time in Spanish. Its pretty incredible. We’ve learned how to introduce ourselves and pray in Spanish, and it kind of awesome to be able to do that already. Granted, spending 6 hours a day in class and then studying for an hour or more each day does help pick up the language more than in Spanish class. Anyway, I love my district. Already we’re laughing a ton and having fun all while learning Spanish and studying the scriptures. We’ve already had a “movie night” watching the required safety videos. Elder Durbano is also super fun, and we both want to stay in shape and not gain weight so we are pushing each other to exercise and run in the mornings. Overall, I’m loving it here, but sometimes I do miss it back home.
Spiritual moment of the week- During a people and purpose workshop we were constantly reminded of our purpose, which is to invite and to help bring people to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We do not convert people; the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His atonement does. We just facilitate getting that important message to them. Elder Boyle, one of the Elders in my district, put it like this: we are like a violin and we have all this musical potential to help spread the music (the gospel of Jesus Christ) and the Lord is the violinist. He is the one who creates the beautiful melody that people love. People love the musician not the instrument used to spread the music. Hopefully, that makes sense. Elder Boyle explained it much better than I.
Questions from my father: How did moving in go? -Besides not having hangers because the packing list said they would be provided in the MTC, fine. Was your companion there already?–Yes Elder Derbano was there. Where is he from?–North Ogden, Utah . . . typical. How many siblings does he have?–One older brother. How old is he?–18. Are you getting along well?–I’d like to think so, but he’s also maybe so nice he just acts like he tolerates me. Will you have time to go to the temple? Is that preparation day or another day?–Yes every p-day but currently the Provo temple is closed until the 12th of August, so I can not go to the temple until it is opened again.What are the classes like?–Gospel centered and more of an open conversation rather than a lecture. We do lots of practice speaking in Spanish and are encouraged to SYL (speak your language) as much as possible. How is your Spanish coming?–Spanish seems to be coming along alright. Until we finish basic core (first 10 days), we are going to be speaking Spanglish; and then after that, we are supposed to be trying to speak 100 percent Spanish. How are you feeling? Are you beginning to feel comfortable instead of anxious?–Since I got to Utah, I’ve felt fine. Spurts of missing home here or there though. But worst was Sunday morning when I had to speak in church.
In response to my wonderful mother, here are my top 10 things I enjoy about missionary life at the end the 3 things I don’t enjoy as much:
Good
Elder Durbano, he’s a great easy going companion. He also has a strong testimony of the Saviors love for him individually, which is powerful.
The district, we have so much fun it’s just like being with 5 close friends.
Personal study, studying my scriptures has never felt so easy and gone by so quickly and its wonderful.
Language study, this also goes by incredibly quickly and I feel like I’m learning a lot.
Teachers, both of my teachers are pretty fluent in Spanish and have good accents and have been really helpful in learning Spanish.
Schedule, we have two 3 hour classes each day one in the morning from 8:30-11:30 and then 6:15-9:15. The time in between is up to us on how to use it which is nice.
BYU Creamery, we can get mini 8 oz. ice creams from vending machines and it’s great.
Exercise time, forces me to exercise when I might have just chosen to sleep or something
Elder Willis, he’s in my district and totally ripped and has a ton of resistance bands and is helping us smaller Elders learn to use them effectively to build some muscle
The [Holy] Spirit, the Spirit here is so constant and strong and it’s incredible.
Not as Good
The food is pretty rough here.
Schedule, waking up at 6:30 is hard and so is going to bed at 10:30 because you have so much you want to get done.
The beds, I have to sleep top bunk and getting off in the mornings half asleep to shut off the alarms is kinda scary. And the beds are definitely not very comfortable but get the job done.
Anyways I look forward to this coming week and being able to share it with you all next Saturday. Also, here are the pictures for this week:
Elder Tonkinson with the Editor
Bennett
Collin & Owen
Collin
Bennett
Elliott
Caleb & Hillary
Elder Tonkinson with Mark
Elder Tonkinson with his two oldest nephews
With Elder Kitchen
The District
Someone who likes to fidget had too much time on his hands
Also, Dad please do not forget to update the blog and do not make fun of me in it just because I can not check it ;-). Love and miss you all.
Good morning brothers
and sisters. I would like to start by thanking everyone in this ward,
especially those who have taught and guided me in Sunday school, young men’s
and seminary. Without the support and the valuable lessons learned in those
classes, I would not be able to now feel prepared to serve a mission. I love
this ward and everyone in it and am so grateful for each of you.
“We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we
prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children
may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” 2nd Nephi
25:26
The full title of the Book of Mormon is “The Book of Mormon:
Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” This immediately makes clear that Christ is
the center and focus of the book. “Of more than 6,000 verses in the Book of
Mormon, far more than half refer directly to Him.” President Nelson
points out that it is “Another Testament” because “It is a companion scripture
to the Holy Bible.” We were living in Ohio for my freshman year of high school.
In seminary, we were learning about the Old Testament. My teacher, Brother
Hatch, drew a single point on the board and asked each of us to draw a line
through that point. Each of us drew a different line through it. It
looked like a compass. Brother Hatch
then drew another point on the board and asked us to again draw a straight
line, this time incorporating both points. All the lines were the same. This
simple exercise illustrated how the Bible works together with the Book of
Mormon to testify of Christ and His divinity as our Savior. Without both
witnesses either book could be interpreted in an infinite amount of ways.
But by having both, there can be only one interpretation of the gospel of Jesus
Christ. President Nelson also clarifies that the Book of Mormon “teaches the
doctrine of Christ. It expands and clarifies many of the ‘plain and precious’
truths that were lost through centuries of time and numerous translations of
the Bible.” I know that the Book of
Mormon is the word of God and agree with the prophet Joseph when he said “[It
is] the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion,
and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other
book.”
One of the many truths found and clarified in the Book of
Mormon is the Plan of Salvation, the need for a Savior and “an infinite and
eternal sacrifice,” that being the atonement of Jesus Christ. We lived with
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the premortal life and knew the plan before
we came to this earth. We knew of the need for the fall of Adam, for “behold,
if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have
remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have
remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they
must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no
children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no
joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold,
all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam
fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” The fall
of Adam was not a punishment but rather a necessity that allows us to progress
in ways we could not when in the presence of God premortally.
Because we are fallen and mortal and prone to mistakes we needed
an Atonement, which is central to the Creator’s plan. “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.” We have to put off the natural man and be willing
to humble ourselves and partake of the Atonement of Christ. Alma 34:9 reads
“For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the
great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all
mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and
are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is
expedient should be made.” Without the Atonement, the Plan of Salvation would
not work. Christ is the mediator between justice and mercy “the gate by which
ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission
of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.” At baptism, we covenant “to keep
his commandments” and “[take] upon [us] the name of Christ, having a
determination to serve him to the end.” We can take upon us the name of Christ
by standing as a witness of Him and living as an example to those around us.
Captain Moroni is one of my Book of Mormon heroes because
he is an example of constantly being a witness of Christ in any circumstance,
even during a war. Heleman writes of Moroni saying, “he was a man who was firm
in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his
rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood. Yea,
verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would
be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken
forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children
of men.” Moroni’s unshakeable faith in Christ allowed him to be able to lead
his armies and know that they would prevail against their enemies because of
their faith in Christ. Moroni understood the importance of a testimony in
Christ and began “preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the
Lord their God.” so that in the face of the Lamanites they might find strength
in Christ.
In Alma 42, the armies of Moroni and Lehi have surrounded the
Lamanite forces lead by Zerahemnah. Moroni has called for his armies to hold
their ground. Moroni, after stopping the fighting bears his testimony of
Christ, “But now, ye behold that the Lord is with us; and ye behold that he has
delivered you into our hands. And now I would that ye should understand that
this is done unto us because of our religion and our faith in Christ. And now
ye see that ye cannot destroy this our faith.” Moroni’s courage, in the face of
one of the greatest enemies of the Nephites, to bear his testimony has been a
strength to me. Even when it may seem futile to share my testimony, as I am
sure it may have seemed to Moroni there on that battlefield, I can open my
mouth and proclaim my beliefs. No matter the circumstances, whether we are
serving a full-time mission for two years or out in the world living our daily
lives we can share our testimony of Christ and the joy that comes with it to
all of those around us. While we may not be fighting in a physical war like
Moroni was, we are fighting a spiritual one. Our testimonies will be challenged
at some point, whether from someone around us or our own doubts, it is
inevitable. By reading and studying the scriptures and learning at church and
in our homes, we can strengthen our testimony and work towards being as strong
in our faith as Captain Moroni was.
Finally, the crowning event of the Book of Mormon occurs in
3rd Nephi when the resurrected Savior visits the descendants of Lehi on the
American continent. As Christ descended from the clouds above clothed in white
His Father proclaimed “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in
whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.” Christ, as he stood, reached out
his hands towards the believers, as he does towards us, and says “Behold, I am
Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold,
I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter
cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking
upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the
Father in all things from the beginning.” Christ then teaches the Nephites and
delivers a sermon similar to the Sermon on the Mount and gives the Beatitudes.
Christ also commands them to “be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in
heaven is perfect.” President Nelson points out that in Matthew 5:48 the
scripture is “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven
is perfect.” But “that Jesus attained eternal perfection following his
resurrection is confirmed in the Book of Mormon.” thus changing the statement
to “even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” Both of these are
examples of how the Bible and the Book of Mormon are companion scriptures.
Being commanded to be perfect is literally impossible; we all fail and come
short of perfection. Elder Holland beautifully reminds us “Our only hope for
true perfection is in receiving it as a gift from heaven—we can’t “earn” it.” We
can not be perfect without Christ but Elder Holland again reminds us “If we
admit that [we fall short of perfection] honestly and are trying to
improve, we are not hypocrites; we are human.” We should work towards being
more Christlike and perfect while realizing we can not do it on our own.
Christ then announced that the law of Moses had been fulfilled in
Him by being the last sacrifice of which all previous sacrifices had been in
the similitude of. He then instituted the sacrament among the Nephites, which
reminds us of His sacrifice through the symbolism of his body and blood through
the bread and water. He also commanded the Nephites to establish the Church in
His name because “if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’
church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man;
but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are
built upon my gospel.”
The importance of the Savior’s resurrected ministry to the
Nephites can not be understated as it parallels His ministry to the Jews half a
world away and fulfills in part His words in John 10:16 “And other sheep I
have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear
my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” The Church today is
the same as the Church established by Christ during his mortal ministry to both
the Jews in the Old World and the Jews in the New World. The Book of Mormon
testifies of the truthfulness of the Bible, the Church as the true Church here
upon the earth, and most importantly of the divinity and necessity of Jesus
Christ as our Savior and Redeemer.
I know that this is Christ’s Church here on the earth.
Russel M. Nelson is a living prophet of God, and God leads and directs this
church. I know of the truthfulness of the Restoration of the gospel through
Joseph Smith and the legitimacy of the translation of the Book of Mormon. I
know of the blessings that come from reading the Book of Mormon and following
the commandments given in it. I am excited to be able to go out into the world
and serve a mission and be able to spread the joy and the light that comes from
living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that Christ is my Savior and that
through repentance and obedience to His commandments I can return to live with
my loving Heavenly Father. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
Elder Gideon Tonkinson, Washington Everett Mission 