This was one of the best weeks ever. I am growing more and more fond of my mission every day and it's because of times like this! Thank you everyone for your letters and emails. I miss you all so much! I can honestly say this mission is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. But I have grown to see changes in myself I never thought would happen, or at least not this soon and at such a fast pace! I will be at three months on Wednesday (that is, if you consider 1 month=4 weeks. It's been 12 weeks)! Can you believe it? Mission time is so weird. But I have to tell you about the awesome things that have happened to me this week.
Elder Ballard came this weekend and it was SUCH an amazing experience. The spirit that was felt at every single event was tremendous. Greater than I have ever felt at any other meetings. But it was the busiest weekend of my mission. Not only was Elder Ballard coming, but it's been one of the busiest weekends at sites. And it wasn't even because of what was going on. They were all just here visiting like any other day, it just happened to be super busy when we were preparing for Elder Ballard. We had at least 5 bus tours this weekend and most weekends we might have one or two, if any at all. Usually we sit down and plan our week out on Thursdays, and it takes a few hours. But this week weekly planning has been an ongoing process for the last 4 days. When we weren't taking tours we were shoving food in our mouths really fast since we didn't really have normal meal breaks, or else we were helping set up/clean up for Elder Ballard. He came on Friday, and there was a beautiful dinner all set up in the visitor's center that we got to help with. They initially told us we couldn't have any of it, nor could we mingle with the guests. We were told we had to stay upstairs until we were called down one companionship at a time to get in line to shake his hand. But then about halfway through they told us there was plenty of food and they wanted us to come down and mingle. So it was a pretty fancy event where the mayor, city council, leaders from Community of Christ church (AKA the reorganized church who owns the temple), and lots of other official people were there. In fact, we sat down and talked with Mary Ellen Smoot (https://www.lds.org/callings/relief-society/relief-society-presidents/mary-ellen-smoot maybe you'll recognize her better than me...I was 8 when she was released) before anyone else arrived. She was there first with her family and we were setting up all around her while she sat on the couch. I had no idea who she was until someone said "isn't that a former general relief society president?" So we went over and introduced ourselves and she was so nice. We had just a quick conversation because we had a tour group who was watching the film and we were only able to talk while it was on, then we had to go get them and take them out on site. But we also said hi to Sister Ballard and didn't realize who she was. We just saw her sitting on the couch after we shook Elder Ballard's hand and we waved to her as we walked back upstairs. Then found out later who she was and I was sad we didn't get to talk to her! But I shook Elder Ballard's hand and that was pretty cool. He just asked how I was liking my mission, and I said I was loving it! But he asked sister Johnson if she brought long underwear for winter since she's from California. Haha.
Then after the dinner (which was DELICIOUS by the way...words cannot describe) we went to the commemoration fireside at the stake center, and we were so special that we got reserved parking and reserved seats for missionaries. Then they asked us to stand during the program to recognize us for our service at sites. Karl Anderson (our stake patriarch AKA "Mr. Kirtland") spoke, then Elder Sorensen our sites director, then testimonies from the Columbus temple president and his wife, then President Vellinga, then Elder Ballard spoke. It was amazing! I wish I could describe in words the feelings at that meeting but I honestly can't. It was just an amazing spirit-filled day. we had some excellent tour groups that day including a bus tour of local high school students learning about the second great awakening. There were 80 of them plus a teacher, and he encouraged us to talk about our faith since that was why they were there. Usually tour groups like that request history-only tours. But this one was great! He asked us about our missions and why we serve, to which we were able to bear testimony and talk about what we were called to do. They asked such good questions and they were very respectful for the most part. There were a couple bad eggs who were giggling and what-not but who cares! 16 Books of Mormon were requested at the end of that tour! So some of them for sure were listening. Then we had Elder Ballard come and then the fireside and it was just amazing!!! Ah! I wish you all could be here with me to experience these things. It's really unfair and I feel too spoiled.
Then the next day we took some other great tours. So not only was this the busiest weekend at sites, but we took some of the best tours I have ever taken. Sometimes you just get a group of people who are all so prepared that you really don't have to do much as a missionary. You just ask the right questions and then THEY bring the spirit with their testimonies. So we had the pancake breakfast and temple walk on Saturday and then the adult session of conference that night. I thought it couldn't get better than the night before, but we heard some of the most inspired talks and the most powerful testimonies in that meeting that I felt I was hearing from Christ Himself. I have never received more personal revelation and more outpouring of the spirit than I have this stake conference weekend. Sunday's session was just as powerful. Both sessions we heard from our stake presidency and from Elder Seldon and Elder Gaye (who is one of the most heartfelt speakers I have ever heard) from the 70, then Elder Ballard. Elder Ballard himself said he had never felt the spirit more strongly at any other stake conference, and he's been to a lot of 'em!
One talk in particular stuck out to me, and that was from one of the counselors in the stake presidency. It was about temple attendance and keeping covenants. He talked about the stripling warriors from the Book of Mormon and how their fathers had made a covenant to never take up their weapons of war. Rather than break that covenant in defense of their people, their young sons took up arms and went to battle. Because of the covenant keeping of their fathers, and the teachings of their mothers, not a single one of these young men were killed. He talked about not simply MAKING covenants, but keeping them, and the difference between being temple-sealed/temple-worthy people versus being temple-attending people. It is so important that we make it to the temple frequently, and that we make it to church every Sunday to partake of the sacrament. It made me think...are we taking our covenants seriously? We made a promise to God when we were baptized. Do we strive to keep our promise? Do we repent often? Do we attend the temple often and remember our covenants that we made there? I certainly am not perfect and I don't claim to be. Something I have a strong testimony of is that the Atonement of Jesus Christ enables us to change. So I would encourage all of you at home to strive to be covenant keepers, and if you struggle with that - repent! That's the purpose of the Atonement, and that is absolutely our purpose here on this earth. And in his talk he reminded us of the promises our stake president made to us if we made the effort to keep our covenants: Unseen angels would watch over you and your family, there will be no empty chairs in the celestial kingdom, and your children will serve missions and marry in the temple.
I could go on and on into much more detail, but for the sake of time I will wrap things up. I love and pray for all of you and wish you the best! Until next week... :)
Tayler
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