This last week was amazing. Very spiritually uplifting and just inspiring. For the past month I would say we have been studying from 4 talks from David A Bednar in preparation for his visit that happened last thursday. We studying about conversion, asking in faith, learning by faith, retaining a remission of our sins. So Elder Bednar specifically chose these talks for us to read. We had a great experience with Russell M Nelson last year and I was expecting kind of the same thing with Elder Bednar that we would just show up and that he would talk to us for about 45 minutes. But what our whole mission got was much better. Our whole mission showed up the chapel and we all got to take a photo with Elder Bednar as a whole mission then we went into the sacrament hall to have the meeting. To start off of course we had a prayer and a hymn then a member of the 70 and his wife got up and spoke for like 5 minutes each then Elder Bednars wife for like 3 minutes and then Elder Bednar got up and I was surprised because we still had about 2 and a half hours of the meeting left and I thought to myself "is he really going to speak for like 2 hours??" But as he got up he looked at all of us and said "Elders and Sisters are you ready to get to work?" I thought we were gunna break up into groups or something and do practice teaching but he explained to us that he was not just going to stand up there and pick one topic and talk to us but he explained that he would talk WITH us. He completely changed the way of learning in a class room setting. I had always thought Elder Bednar was so serious and strict but he is the opposite, he is way funny and energetic. He said "Elders and Sisters our church is the true church and it is amazing but we talk way too much, we try to solve things but just making talks and lessons about things but nothing seems to happen. Then he said " We might as well be called the Church of Jesus Christ of Too Many Talkers" Hahah it was funny. He explained to us very clearly that we would all learn by the Holy Ghost. His whole theme was based on 3 things. 1- Prepare to learn 2- Interact and Edify 3- Invite to act. Elder Bednar just stood at the pulpit and invited us to interact with him to help make a great meeting. So he said "Okay, I gave you all 4 talks to read so right now raise your hands and tell me things that you learned." So people began to raise their hands and they would share then he would ask some amazing follow up questions and in just created an amazing learning experience for the whole mission. Then after about an hour of that (an awesome hour) he said that anyone could ask him questions (good questions he said not stupid ones) So he would look in the audience and he wouldnt just call on the first person he saw you could tell he would choose them by the Holy Ghost. Then after a while I raised my hand to ask a question, and he called on me. I started to get kinda nervous haha, but I stood up and I asked him a question about forgiveness and repentance and he said it was an excellent question and he told everyone to listen because it was very important then for about 5 to 10 minutes Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the 12 apostles looked directly at me and talked to me about my question and he made sure that everything was said to satisfy my question. It is hard to explain over typing but it was so cool to have that type of an experience with an Apostle of the Lord. Then the meeting continued and it was just amazing, completley run by the holy ghost, something that I had never seen. I am so grateful to have experienced that with Elder Bednar.
At the conclusion of the meeting he invited everyone of us to act and find something that we were going to do to change in our lives. After some thought and prayer I have decided that I am going to work more on understanding the Holy Ghost more in my life and how I can better serve others and help them in their lives. My mission is quickly coming to an end and I have a lot I need to accomplish. I have a lot of good I need to do for others. I have to continue to strengthen my testimony so I cannot mistake when trying to strengthen others testimony.
I learned something great about faith this past week. Faith is the principal of POWER and ACTION. Faith is much, much, much more than just believing something. Faith is the opposite of fear. Faith is the principal of action and power in all intelligent beings. We are agents, not objects. We are to act and not to be acted upon. That truth has helped me this week. Is that, nothing will happen unless we act. We have to act in all that we do.
I love you all! Thanks for all the awesome love and support:)
Stay steeeeezzzin
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