Hey Fam! We already started zone conferences this transfer, which is fun and busy! The subject is... the Restoration!! So I have been seeking to strengthen my own testimony on the Restoration. The mission is an awesome time to strengthen your testimony, but to speak frankly, my testimony has also never been tested more in my whole life! So preparing for zone conference was a time to increase my knowledge and personal conviction about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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| Zone Conference! |
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| On the way back from Zone Conference, haha! |
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| This is a sweet couple from my training area in Gyeoungju, President Lee and his wife. I saw them in Ulsan. |
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| We went on a cool hike on Wednesday with the Elders Quorum, and had 3 investigators come! |
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| I got to skype with my friend Matt!!!! AWESOME! |
"Help people recognize that the Church is not just another religion, nor is it an American church. Rather, it is a restoration of the "fulness of [the] Gospel" (D&C 1:23), the same as was revealed and taught from the beginning... Through a modern prophet, God has restored knowledge about the plan of salvation, which is centered on Christ's Atonement and fulfilled by living the first principles and ordinances of the gospel."
That is so important! The restored Gospel teaches us more about Christ and God's plan for me than anywhere else. I love the Bible because it teaches me about Christ's life, His example, and has many prophecies about Him. That is irreplaceable. And I love the Book of Mormon because it teaches me of Christ's Atonement, His sacrifice for me, and gives me a more full perspective of His role in the Plan of Salvation as our Savior.
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| Me and SH! |
I also had the opportunity to read some of Joseph Smith History once more this week, and, if you haven't read that recently, I encourage you to do so! There is nothing like reading about his experience and how the church was organized in his own words-- it strengthened my testimony.
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| Me with 2 of my favorite things! |
We also had a couple really cool blessings/ times when we saw God's hand in our lives the last couple days!! For background details, last week on Sunday I was supposed to fast, but I was coming down with a bit of a cold, so I fasted Saturday to Sunday (yesterday) instead. I love fasting! Actually honestly sometimes because I really love food, especially ice cream ;), sometimes fasting is not the easiest thing, but as I fasted the past couple days I really felt the power of fasting! Small sacrifice for amazing blessings. I felt happier and spiritually in tune! Here are two ways I felt God's hand:
1) On Saturday night we got back from a choir performance in Ulsan (a city about 1 1/2 hours away), and were by the office when we heard a phone ring. The office hours are supposed to end at 5, and we were all tired, so we sometimes just let calls go in the evening. But I felt like I should grab this one, Elder B and I rushed to grab the phone, but it only rang a couple times then stopped. We spent a few minutes figuring out how to call the guy back, and it ended up being a man who has been really struggling with stress and depression raising his family. President Jeong gave him some great counsel, then connected him with the missionaries in his area, as well as encouraged him to seek any necessary medical help. I was really grateful God helped me feel like I should answer that call, as well as call him back, which I have never done before on the office phone at night.
2) We have an investigator who works for the police, SH. We haven't been able to teach him much Gospel actually, but he has come to church a couple times! Elder B invited him again on Saturday, then he came yesterday! One member here, Brother IW, gave a great talk on repentance that our investigator really liked. We were talking with SH afterwards in a separate room, and he suddenly asked (this is a translation from Korean so it might sound a bit weird), "What is that thing that you receive in other churches? 세례? (Like sprinkling baptism) Do you have something like that here? I think it is destiny that we keep meeting and I want to keep coming to church."
We were pretty surprised and said, "Yeah, we have baptism here!" Then we showed him a picture of Jesus getting baptized, and he accepted a baptismal date! Right now it is set for 3 weeks from now, July 1st, because he has already come to church 3 times. But he will need to make some changes in his life regarding the word of wisdom, so please pray for him to gain a testimony of the Gospel and be converted!
I know that God's hand is in our lives! I hope we all keep looking for it.
Love you all so much!
Elder Beckett
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