Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

Dear Family and Friends,

I love the Christmas season! I am very excited for the upcoming Holiday not only to share the message of the restoration, but to more fully remember our Savior, Jesus Christ and His birth. What a wonderful time of the year to remember one of the greatest gifts that our Heavenly Father has given us. He truly loves us so much and desires us to look to His son and to embrace His love, light and gospel. The mission truly is an amazing blessing to be able to share with others the knowledge of our Heavenly Fathers priceless gift.

I would love to share a few scriptures that have been on my mind lately as we have been approaching Christmas this year. They are in 3 Nephi 11:10-11 and Matthew 5: 14-16

3 Nephi 11
10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

11 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.

Matthew 5
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.


I know as we follow the example of our Savior and share the light which is in us, we truly are disciples of Jesus Christ and will lift the burdens of those we know and love. What a wonderful blessing we have to lift others burdens and to help others draw closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This past week, we had the opportunity to visit with one of our investigators, John where we read 2 Nephi 31 with him in the Book of Mormon and discussed the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has been a neat experience in visiting with him and not only in seeing him grow in the knowledge of the Book of Mormon and the gospel, but also in the unity of our companionship in the teaching process. Elder Mertens is a wonderful teacher and teaches the doctrines of the gospel simply and clearly. We also had the opportunity in our same visit to share with him the LIGHT the WORLD video on Lds.org. It depicted scenes from the life of the savior as well as things in which we can all do to radiate our light and the light of the Savior and His gospel. He really enjoyed the message of the video and at the end, we left him with a Book of Mormon to share with a friend so that they too can experience the blessings of the gospel. It has been a great joy for me to have visited with him this past month.

We also had the opportunity to have visited with the Carter family where we discussed the importance in anchoring our lives to our Savior and His gospel and how we can continuously develop and strengthen our faith in Him. They have been continuing to read from the scriptures and in making it a gospel habit in their lives. I have seen them all grow and it has been a blessing for me to see the light of the gospel enter into their family. I am so very thankful for how the gospel can influence us to be better and to become more like Christ.

I would like to invite you all to watch the video LIGHT the WORLD on lds.org and to look for ways in which you can help others come unto Christ. I know as you do so, a greater light will come into your life and a greater love for your Redeemer, Jesus Christ. As we do so, we will come to realize that we are true disciples and followers of Jesus Christ.

I hope you all have a great week!

With Love,

Elder Munro

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world...

Dear Family and Friends,

What a marvelous work! This mission has been such a blessing for me to serve in and I am so very thankful for the things that I am learning. I am thankful for the enabling power of Christ's Atonement so that I can become a better missionary and servant of the Lord. It has been a great opportunity for me to continue training Elder Mertens and to see his excitement and love for the work grow. He is a great example of diligence and devoted discipleship and I am thankful for his example to me.

I would love to share a scripture that I read this morning in my studies. It is in Ether 12:4 "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

I love this scripture because it describes our faith as being an anchor to our souls and would make us sure and steadfast. I know as we have unshakable faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can overcome any trial and any struggle that we face. Later in the chapter it talks about Him preparing a place for us in the mansions of His Father. He is preparing each of us to return to live with him again through the tender mercies and blessings that he bestows upon us. He desires so much to have us back in his presence again.

We had a wonderful lesson with our investigator Estevan where we discussed the importance of prayer and reading from the scriptures. We emphasized the importance in writing down spiritual impressions that he receives and to continue praying for added knowledge as he reads. As we write down impressions as we read, we recognize how the spirit speaks with us and to go back in times of need to learn of the answers that we have received. I know as he reads with real intent with a desire to live according to the teachings of the Book of Mormon, he will find a greater light come into his life and a greater conversion to Jesus Christ and His gospel.

We had a great visit with the Slaughter family who are returning to activity where we discussed how we can overcome life's burdens and trials through our hope and faith in Jesus Christ. We watched a video by Elder David A. Bednar and talked about how we can develop faith in Jesus Christ as we pass through life's difficulties and how they can help us learn and grow. It has been a blessing to see them at church and to experience the many blessings found in the gospel.

I know that my Savior and Redeemer lives. He is our ultimate hope for peace in this life and eternal life in the life to come. I am so very thankful for His Atoning sacrifice so that I can not only become a better missionary day to day but to overcome trials and challenges. This gospel is true and has been restored by the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that the priesthood has been restored to the earth and through the ordinances of gospel we can return to our loving Heavenly Father with our families for eternity. This gospel truly is amazing!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
With Love,

Elder Munro

Elder Munro & Elder Mertens at dinner with a member family

And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.

Dear Family and Friends,

Another wonderful week has gone by! It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to serve here in this mission along with my companion Elder Mertens. I have seen him grow and progress at a great pace and it has been neat for me to see his skills and strengths as a missionary grow. He is an amazing missionary and I am truly thankful for this chance to train him this transfer.

I would love to share a scripture that has impacted me much on my mission. It is in D&C 84:88 "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

This scripture has given me great comfort as I have taught and served others throughout my mission, I have had our Savior's help and guidance throughout that time. At times I have felt heavenly help and support, bearing me up in times of need. I know that that support and direction can be for you as well. In your opportunities to teach others about the gospel and in those moments of trial and hardship, Heavenly help is there to encourage us, support us and bear us up. What an amazing comfort it is to know that our Savior is always there to lift us in time of need.

We had a great week with inspiring visits and lessons. We had the chance to visit with Rene and taught more about the plan of salvation. We focused on the spirit world and how we must live the gospel the best that we can so that we can receive peace in this life and a fulness of joy in the life to come. He has really enjoyed reading the Book of Mormon and we answered a lot of the questions that he had. We hope to include more scriptures from the Book of Mormon in our lessons so that he can feel of the Spirit in greater abundance and learn and grow as well.

We had a neat visit with President Johnson from the Elders Quorum in 3rd Ward where we visited with Bro. Medina who was one of his families for home teaching. We had a small lesson on the importance of families but I could tell that his family really enjoyed the visit and were thankful for us stopping by. I know that home and visiting teaching are wonderful and great blessings for us to engage in here in this church. We have a great opportunity to visit and support our fellow members in this church. I know as we do so with charity which is the pure love of Christ, we will see the divine potential of those we visit with and see them as children of our Heavenly Father.

Yesterday, we had the chance to visit with a less active sister in the Ward and we were able to bring Bro. Karagich who recently got baptized a few months previously. We discussed the importance of gratitude and to look for the many blessings that we have received throughout this year. Bro. Karagich shared many wonderful comments and it was neat for me to see his ability and desire to share the gospel and to share his testimony of what he knew to be true. I know that no matter how great or small our knowledge of the gospel may be, as we share our testimony and love for the gospel, others around us will feel of the light of the gospel and the light of our Savior Jesus Christ.

I give thanks for this wonderful gospel. It has brought so much happiness and joy to my life. It has provided me answers to the questions of the soul and has given me guidance and direction. I truly desire to more fully recognize all of the blessings that I have received because of our Savior's everlasting gospel.

I hope you all have a great week!

With love,

Elder Munro

Service Project with YSA Ward

"... let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail."

Dear Family and Friends,

How grateful I am for this gospel! We have a great opportunity this month as Thanksgiving is coming to think back on the past year for the many wonderful blessings that we have received. It has been such a wonderful blessing for me to be able to serve here in this mission and I am grateful for the many lessons and experiences that I have had. I am eternally grateful for this gospel and for the opportunity to share it with others.

I would love to share a few scriptures in D&C 6:34,36-37: "(34) Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.  (36) Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. (37) Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen."

My companion Elder Mertens and I read these scriptures in our studies together and they all stood out to us in profound ways. If we are built upon the rock of our Savior by living His gospel, nothing can lead us astray. We can always look to our Savior and overcome our own personal fears, doubts and hardships. Knowing that He died and suffered for us individually gives us the great realization that He truly loves us so much. He asks us to keep His commandments and to be faithful in the gospel, we will then have the amazing promise of eternal life in His presence.

We had some great visits with a few less active members in the wards that we have been serving in. We had the opportunity to visit with a less active sister, Esther who we shared a message about the importance of prayer and how we can draw closer to our Heavenly Father. It is such a blessing to know that we have a loving Father in Heaven who wants to hear from us and desires to bless us, at times we only need to ask him. We can go to our Heavenly Father with any trouble, trial, or any struggle. He is always there. We visited with the Carter family again and talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how we can overcome our shortcomings and constantly strive to be better. It gives me great comfort to know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I can overcome my shortcomings and become more like our Savior, it can be the very same for you as well.

Elder Mertens and I had the great opportunity to go to a Trainer/Trainee meeting in Kyle, Texas and it was a pretty great experience. We were able to be instructed by President Polley as well as his assistants. The meeting brought back many great memories from when I was being trained when I began my mission. Much of the discussion involved the importance in how to baptize and in learning our duties and responsibilities as missionaries. We also talked about using the technology that we have been given to move the work forward in the mission and how to be safe and productive. I know as we use technology to share the gospel with others, we will better help them know of the great blessings that we experience as members of the Lord's restored church. We are so blessed to have such great access to the scriptures and words of Latter-Day prophets.

I know that my Savior and Redeemer lives. I know that His gospel has been restored in these Latter-Days. I am so very thankful to have His truth in my life so that I can find peace through the challenges that I face. He is the source of our greatest help and will always be there to lift us back up. He truly is there to bless in time of need.

Have another wonderful week!


With Love,

Elder Munro

Zone Conference - West Zone

I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Halloween! Hope everyone is enjoying the festivities and great family time. It has again been another great week here in the Texas, San Antonio Mission. I admire the missionaries that we serve with here and for their great faith in the promises of the Lord to His servants in His work. I know that this is indeed His work. How grateful I am to see it role forth in these Latter-Days.

I would love to share a scripture found in Mosiah 2:4:  "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

We truly are happier people as we keep the commandments of God. As we continue faithfully in the gospel, we experience true, enduring joy. I am so very thankful for Gods commandments which are like a road map for us here in this life which leads us on a straight course back to our Heavenly Father.

This has been a wonderful week full of inspiration and revelation. On Friday, we had the opportunity to have our Zone Conference for the transfer as well as our mission tour in which General authorities are able to visit and see the mission. Elder Benjamin De Hoyos and his wife were able to meet with us and taught us many great things. Elder De Hoyos emphasized the importance in seeking those who are prepared in every opportunity that we find, especially through the members of the church. Active members truly work miracles in the work and are the greatest support to those who are learning about the gospel. Sister De Hoyos mentioned the importance in reading and studying the Book of Mormon with our investigators so that they have a strong, converting gospel experience. As we truly study our scriptures with real intent, desiring to live and abide by their teachings, we will have a greater conversion to our Savior and His gospel. I am so very thankful for the servants of the Lord who instruct us and help us become better missionaries.

We were able to have some great visits with a few less active families in the Ward this past week. We had the opportunity to visit with the Ruiz family and emphasized the importance of serving others and helping those in need. We have many opportunities as members of the church to help others who are struggling and lift them up to the light of the gospel. We were able to have her home teacher there, Bro. Cantu and it was neat to see their friendship and fellowship grow between their family. We also had a great lesson with the Martin family where we discussed the importance of the scriptures and how they help us to become more like Christ. We are truly blessed to have the scriptures so accessible and be able to share them with others. We are so blessed to live in these Latter-Days.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Gods kingdom once again established upon the earth. We are being lead by living prophets and apostles who hold the priesthood restored by Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. God loves us so much and desires us to partake of His word and His Gospel. I know that my Savior lives. May we more fully embrace and live His gospel.

Hope you have a blessed week!

Love,

Elder Munro

"When you share the love of the Savior with another, your grade is always an A+".

Dear Family and Friends,

What a great start to transfers! It has been a great blessing for me to serve along side my trainee Elder Mertens. He is an amazing Elder who has great desires to serve and bring others unto Christ. I admire his love for the work and his devotion to his calling. He is a wonderful teacher and I am excited to see him grow this transfer.

I would like to share a quote by Elder Anderson from this most recent General Conference relating to missionary work:

"When you share the love of the Savior with another, your grade is always an A+".

We can take great comfort that no matter what the results of us sharing the gospel, not matter what we say, as long as we share the love of our Savior, we are always successful and A+ missionaries.  I know as we learn more of our Savior and embrace His gospel, sharing the gospel will flow naturally because it is who we are. What a joy it is to share the gospel and to be true disciples of Jesus Christ.

On Thursday we had the opportunity to share the Plan of Salvation with Reyes and we discussed more about our purpose here in this life. We read from 2 Nephi 2 which outlines the Plan of salvation pretty well. We are hoping to meet with him more often to help in his progress towards baptism. I hope that he can continue strengthening his knowledge of the gospel and his desires to be baptized into the church.

We also had a great lesson with John where we talked about the Plan of Salvation as well. It was neat being able to have Bro. Johnson from the bishopric come with us. He gave an amazing testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how it has blessed him in his life. How amazing it is that we have our Savior's Atonement to comfort and heal us in this life.

We also had a wonderful lesson with the Mutter family who are recent converts. We talked about the importance of the temple as well as the significance that family history plays in the plan of salvation. Temples are amazing! We are so blessed to have the opportunity to go to the house of the Lord and partake of His spirit there. As we go to the temple, we better learn of the purpose of our life here on earth. We also learn of the significance that the gospel plays in our daily lives. I know as we go to the temple often, we will have the ability and power to face every trial and to overcome every temptation. How blessed we are to have temples here on earth.

I am so very thankful for living Prophets and Apostles who lead and direct us in these Latter-Days. I am often filled with peace and hope as I listen to their words. Greater happiness and joy comes as we live their teachings and more fully follow our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that this gospel has been restored again on the earth. We are truly blessed to know where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going. As we obey our Savior's gospel, we will find greater meaning and purpose in our lives. We will become better prepared to live with our Heavenly Father again someday.

Have a blessed week!

With Love,

Elder Munro

"....working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith."

Dear Family and Friends,

Today is Transfers! It turns out that I will be staying here in the Braun Heights and SA 3rd Ward areas for the next six weeks. Elder Williams will be transferred over to the Timber Ridge Ward which is right next to our current area so we will see each other pretty often. I will have the opportunity to train a new missionary this next transfer! I am excited for the chance to help a new missionary adjust to missionary life and to experience the joys in laboring among God's children in His work. I am excited for the things that I will learn and the miracles that we will see this upcoming transfer. What an amazing opportunity it is to serve in the mission field at this time.

This past week, I had the opportunity of studying faith and one scripture really stood out to me in 2 Nephi 26:13 "And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith."

Even those not of our faith experience miracles and wonders according to their faith in Christ. I know as we exercise faith in Jesus Christ and believe in the promises that He has made to us, we will see miracles and wonders in our lives. Our Heavenly Father desires to bless us and to strengthen us, we then must extend our faith and our love for Him to receive of His blessings. How amazing it is that as we have faith, He can do wonders and miracles through us.

We had a great week full of wonderful visits with less actives and investigators. Earlier in the week, we had the chance to visit with Rene along with our Ward mission leader Bro. Ipson and we discussed the plan of salvation and the significance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He really enjoyed talking about the resurrection and being able to overcome physical trials through Christ's Atonement. He has a sincere desire to learn more about the gospel and we are excited to have the members involved in his progress in the gospel. I can't wait to see him progress and experience the great blessings of the gospel.

We had a great visit with Reyes where we talked about the Fall as well as our purpose in this life. We discussed how opposition in life is necessary for us to grow and to become who our Heavenly Father desires us to become. He has been attending the Wild Horse Ward close by and we hope to help him adjust to the members in Braun Heights so that he can have fellowship from the Ward here. It will be neat to see his progress in helping to prepare him for baptism.

Elder Williams and I had a pretty neat experience the other day. After visiting a few less actives in an area we headed back to our bikes to make a few calls. Elder Williams saw that a former investigator was right next to us and we decided to make a visit. We ended up talking to a Michael who lives there with the former investigator and we had a great restoration lesson and gave him a Book of Mormon. The comments that he made and the background of his life that he gave made it clear that he was being prepared by the Lord to receive His gospel. I know that God is preparing His children to receive His gospel and to experience the peace that is in His restored church.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Redeemer. He has shown the way and the path that we should follow. He is our true example and He invites all of us to become like Him. His gospel is the path of peace and happiness which will bring us everlasting joy in the world to come. We are so blessed to have His gospel in our lives.

Have a blessed week!
With Love,

Elder Munro

The Rodriguez family took Elder Munro and Elder Williams to lunch at Kneaders and were kind enough to send a few pictures. :)

Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

Dear Family and Friends,

The gospel is amazing! I am so very thankful for this mission and for the experiences that I have been having here. It is truly a blessing to labor among God's children in the mission field. I can't express how blessed we truly are to have the gospel in its fulness here upon the earth. During my studies this morning, I had the opportunity to read in 3 Nephi 11. It is truly amazing to read of Christ's teachings in the Americas. I love his words in verses 10 and 11:  "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."

It brings me great comfort to know that He is the light and the life of the world. Through His atoning sacrifice, we can be made clean, pure, and holy. It is through Him that we can overcome sicknesses and pains of every kind. It is through Him that we are able to receive of the greatest gift of God; eternal life in His presence. I truly hope that we all can live in such a way that we can give thanks to the precious gift of His Atonement.

We had some great visits this past week and had a wonderful time with the less actives and investigators of our areas. Earlier this week we had the chance to visit with Hector who had recently been less active but has shown interest in coming back to church. We had a great lesson where we talked about our anchor of faith in the gospel and how we can use our faith to overcome the daily trials and challenges that we face in the last days.

We also were able to contact a referral who requested a church movie online. We went by their home and it turned out that they just moved to San Antonio from Laredo, Texas and that they are members. They wanted to see the 'Finding Faith in Christ' DVD and requested help from the missionaries in moving some belongings in their house. Moises and Maria both have amazing testimonies of the gospel and desire to come to church but unfortunately have to work on Sundays. It was a neat experience being able to get to know them and their sincere desires to be an eternal family. We hope to visit with them again in the near future to help and support them in the gospel.

We had a great visit with John this past Saturday and we were able to give him a church tour of the chapel. He asked a lot of good questions and as we showed him the baptismal font and the pictures around the building, we taught of the importance and significance of baptism. As we are baptized, we make promises or covenants with our Heavenly Father. As we keep our promises that we have made, our Heavenly Father will bless us throughout our lives and to eventually receive eternal life. It was neat to have a church tour with John and I hope to see him coming to church these next few weeks so that he can experience the spirit and light of the gospel.

I am so very thankful for this gospel and for the many eternal blessings that I have received in being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I can't express how thankful I am for the knowledge that we are sons and daughters of God with a divine destiny to become like him. I truly hope that we all can live to our true potential to who we can become. Our Heavenly Father desires all of us to become like him, to have joy and to live in His presence for eternity.

Have a wonderful week!

With love,

Elder Munro

...all those from the beginning,... who truly testified of him in all things, should have eternal life.

Dear Family and Friends,

What a glorious week we have had! What a wonderful opportunity that we had to listen to prophets and apostles of the Lord speak to us and have inspired us to live and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. How blessed we are to receive guidance and direction from our Father in Heaven.

I love the scripture found in D&C 20:26 "....all those from the beginning, even as many as were before he came, who believed in the words of the holy prophets, who spake as they were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, who truly testified of him in all things, should have eternal life."

As we listen to and follow the council and direction given by our Prophet Thomas S. Monson and all of the General authorities of the church, we will experience a greater joy and light come into our lives. We will have a greater ability to overcome the trials and afflictions that we face and be even more prepared for eternal life with our Father in Heaven.

Elder Williams and I had a great chance to visit with many less active and active members through out this past week and talked about the importance in preparing for General Conference. One visit in particular that was neat was when we visited Lambert who is a recent convert. We showed him President Monson's priesthood talk 'A sacred Trust' from last conference about the importance in honoring our priesthood. He seemed very uplifted from the visit as he has been going through daily life struggles. We also mentioned as we gather sincere questions and concerns that we have and listen intently to conference that we would be able to receive answers and guidance through the Holy Ghost. I hope you all have received answers to your questions and prayers as you have pondered upon the messages that were given. I am excited to continue studying and learning from them and to seek greater understanding from my Heavenly Father.

On Friday we were able to have a quick visit with John where we talked about Conference and he brought up a few questions that he had about the temple. We talked with him about eternal families and how we can have happy families in this life and experience joy in the life to come. Though it has been a bit difficult trying to meet with him recently, he has a lot of interest and we are excited to continue helping him progress in the gospel.

Towards the beginning of last week we had the opportunity in visiting with Amanda and Andrew who wanted to investigate and learn more about the restored gospel. The Frei's who are members introduced us to them and they have been a great fellowship and have been helping to answer their questions and concerns. We plan to visit them today and invite them to be baptized into the church. We hope that they will be able to feel of the spirit and the importance of the gospel. I know as they are baptized and join the fold of our Heavenly Father, they will experience greater peace and comfort in their lives. I am excited for the future of this area!

I know that this gospel is true. The message of the gospel is God's truth. There is a God in heaven, our Eternal Father. He has sent His son to redeem us and to bring us back into Gods presence again. I testify that His atonement is infinite, eternal and real. God knows you, God loves you. Go often to Him in prayer, he is always there. How blessed we are for his mercy and love.

Have a wonderful week!

With love,

Elder Munro

R to L:  Elder Nebeker , Elder Toone , Elder Munro , Elder Williams , Elder Christensen , Elder Jacobs , Sister Gillespie , Sister Redd , Sister Nate , Sister Judd

"Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you..."

Dear Family and Friends,

What a great week! It has been such a blessing to serve here in this mission among the great people of San Antonio. I continue to find so many blessings in serving here and for the wonderful people that we have been teaching.  It has been a tender mercy to experience the influence of the Spirit in great abundance  I can't express how grateful I am for this gospel and for missionary work.

I would love to share a scripture that I found in my studies in preparation for General conference. It is in 3 Nephi 12:1 "...Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am."

We have such an amazing opportunity to hear from prophets and apostles this coming weekend. We are able to receive divine council and guidance from our Heavenly Father  through His chosen servants. It brings me great peace and comfort to know that we are being lead and guided by our Heavenly Father through His servants in these Latter-Days. I am always spiritually filled as I listen to their council and embrace their teachings. I would invite you to write down questions and concerns that you may have as you prepare for General conference. I know as you watch General conference with a sincere desire to follow our Heavenly Father and to obey His gospel, you will receive answers to your questions and concerns through the power of the Holy Ghost. How exciting it is to hear from a living prophet!

This past week, we have been doing many different less active visits through out both the SA 3rd and Braun Heights wards. We were able to visit with John Slaughter and discussed the importance in staying anchored in the Gospel of Christ. We become anchored as we keep His commandments and follow the example of our Savior. We also had a wonderful lesson with JR Martin where we discussed the importance in making right choices and in following the gospel path. JR was recently baptized but has become busy with work and hasn't been able to come to church as often. We hope to continue visits with him in the future so that he can become more active in the gospel.

On Wednesday, I was able to go on exchanges with our Zone Leaders, Elder Christensen and Elder Jacobs. We had a pretty enjoyable time as we helped each other with the goals that we have made and we all learned a lot. It was fun being able to catch up with Elder Christensen, he being my first trainer when I came into the mission. It turns out that he will be going home this transfer. It is crazy to me how fast time has gone by. Throughout the exchange, I learned a lot about the importance in being unified with our companions and ways in which we can better apply gospel principles to those that we are teaching. It has been a great blessing for me to learn from my leaders and to be strengthened by their council.

Yesterday, we were able to see Stevan at church and he had a very great time. He said that he learned a lot and wants to come back next Sunday to watch General Conference! We are excited to help him in his journey in learning more about the gospel. I feel as he continues keeping his commitments to pray, read from the Book of Mormon and go to church, he will have a stronger ability to keep greater invitations that we extend and eventually be baptized. We are excited to see him progress and grow!

I know that this gospel is true! Our Savior lives and is our rock and our salvation. His church is once again restored upon the earth and is being lead by a living prophet today. How amazing it is to have the fulness of the gospel upon the earth today! I know as we follow our Savior through the trials that we face, we will become stronger and better prepared to return with our families to our Heavenly Father's presence.
Hope you all have a wonderful week!

With love,

Elder Munro

"...there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah..."

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been yet another great and hot week here in San Antonio, Texas. I can't express how thankful I am to be a missionary and to have this opportunity to serve God and His children. It brings me great comfort to live the gospel and to feel of the influence of the Spirit on a daily basis. The Spirit is truly one of the greatest gifts that we can have here on this earth. I would like to share one scripture that I thought was neat in my studies. It is in 2 Nephi 2:8 "8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise."

How truly important it is to help others know of the gospel and to help them feel of the peace and comfort that comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can better help others as we ourselves strengthen our love for our Savior and gain a greater understanding of His Atonement. What a great opportunity we have as members of the church to help others find and follow the path that leads back to our Heavenly Father.

This week was a very spiritual week for me. On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to have our Zone Conference and there were many wonderful insights and teachings shared. One of the themes for the conference was the importance of prayer in receiving revelation. We went through many different practices and role plays on how we can better help our investigators pray and help them in their conversion process. We practiced how we can not only say a prayer at the beginning and the end of a lesson, but to prayer in the middle of the lesson to help those that we teach know of spiritual truths. We also practiced how to help others resolve their concerns about praying and how we can better help them realize that they are praying to their Father in Heaven who desires to hear from them. I always love these Zone conferences because of the spirit that I feel as I learn more skills and strengthen my testimony of the gospel.

We were able to have a great lesson with John who has been investigating the church and we had a wonderful time talking about principles from the restoration as well as Lehi's vision of the tree of life. It was neat to see his desire to learn more and for his knowledge already of gospel principles. We were able to have his
lesson in the Johnson home and it was neat seeing the interaction and the fellowship from the members in sharing their testimonies and love for the gospel. We have been making a big focus in helping him come to church so we hope to see him come this next Sunday. I am excited to see the member support and to see him grow these next few weeks.

We also have been teaching Stevan who has shown desire to be baptized and to learn more about the church. On Sunday, we had a great lesson about strengthening our faith and the wonderful blessings that we receive as we go to church. His work schedule has been crazy so he has been having a difficult time coming to church. Luckily he has been getting Sunday's off so we hope that he can start coming to church on a consistent basis. We are excited to help him feel of the blessings of the gospel and the peace that it will bring to him in his life as he faces trials and challenges.

We weren't able to meet with Reyes this week because of his busy schedule but we hope to get in contact with him soon and to see him progressing in the gospel.

The District has been doing great! It is Elder Williams and I, Sister Redd and Sister Gillespie who cover the Alamo 2nd YSA ward, and Sister Nate and Sister Judd who cover Helotes and Sonoma Ranch where I previously served. It has been neat following up with Helotes and Sonoma ranch on a few investigators that I once taught and are progressing. This upcoming week for district meeting we will be focusing on the Importance in conversion through reading the Book of Mormon and attending church. As we help our investigators live these basic gospel habits, they will be able to become truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I still have a lot to learn but I am grateful for this opportunity to serve.

At church this past Sunday, Elder Williams and I were able to sing 'Nearer My God to Thee' in sacrament meeting. It was a neat experience to feel of the power of music and for its ability to invite the Spirit in great measures. I love music and its ability to invite the spirit into our lives and for its ability to draw us closer to our Savior.  D&C 25:12 "For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads."

Thank you for the prayers! I truly feel of your love everyday. Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Munro

"...search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil;"

Dear Family and Friends,

What a great week! It has been a wonderful start to the transfer and it is such a blessing to be working here in the Braun Heights and San Antonio 3rd Wards. I am so very thankful for the chance to work alongside my companion, Elder Williams. I have learned a lot already from his teaching skills and his ability to testify with the spirit.

The members here in this area have a great desire to do missionary work and to help other come unto Christ. Their support has been a great help thus far. It is truly amazing to be a missionary.

I would like to share a scripture that I read this morning that I thought was pretty neat. It is in Moroni 7:19 "Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ."  I know as we search diligently for truth and light, we will know and understand good from evil and be able to choose the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will become better disciples of Jesus Christ as we live the gospel and keep the covenants that we have made with Him.

Throughout this past week, we have been able to meet with many of the recent converts that they have had over the past few months. It has been such a blessing for me to see so many wonderful people coming into the fold of God through repentance and baptism. It is so neat to see people changing their lives and coming closer to our Savior through diligent prayer and scripture study as well as through Sunday worship. It brings me great joy to see others living the gospel and hungering for knowledge and a desire to embrace it. We met with the Mutter family a few times this past week and discussed the importance in attending church and how we can strengthen our understanding of God's love for us. We also met with Brother and Sister Karagich and had a more in depth lesson of the plan of salvation focusing on the blessings of going to the temple and receiving the fullness of the blessings of the gospel. It will be amazing to see them preparing for temple marriage and for their progress in the gospel.

Recently, we received a referral from our Zone Leaders this past week and we had a wonderful lesson with him. Reyes Villegas was taught a few times by them and came to church multiple times. He even accepted an invitation to be baptized. When we visited him this past week, we talked about the importance of the Book of Mormon and the Bible in how they support and clarify each other. We also talked about how the Holy Ghost can help us receive answers to our sincere questions. It will be exciting to visit with him in the future and to see his interest in
the gospel grow.

We also had the chance to visit with Yliana Gamez's family and read from the Book of Mormon with them. Yliana recently was baptized so their family has had an interest in the church and we are striving to help them feel of the blessings of the gospel for themselves. We read from 1 Nephi 1 and talked about the tender mercies that we have felt and found in our lives. It is truly a blessing to see so many examples of the lLord's hand in our lives. He desires so much for us to know that He is there and is our Lord and Savior.

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to have our Stake Conference and many of us were spiritually edified and filled. Many of the talks were about the importance of the temple and our need to attend often to partake of the peace and comfort through worshiping our Heavenly Father. I would like to invite you to visit the temple as often as you can to partake of the immeasurable blessings that he desires to give you. It truly is such a tender mercy to have temples where we can draw closer to our Savior and feel of heavens light. What a blessing it is to help those on the other side partake of the joys of the gospel and to feel of the redeeming power of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Lord, our Savior lives. He is the head of this church and will always be by our side. He is the Only Begotten Son of our Father in Heaven and is our Redeemer who has saved us from sin and death. I know as we look to Him we will feel of his peace and light and triumph over our difficulties and struggles. He will always carry us and lead us to our heavenly home.

Thank you for the support and prayers! Hope you all have a wonderful week.

With love,

Elder Munro

"...the Lord God hath given us a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love."

New Mailing Address:  8711 Bowens Crossing, #13306, San Antonio, TX 78250

Dear Friends and Family,

Today is Transfers! It turns out that I will be heading to my new area in the Braun Heights and San Antonio 3rd Wards. I also got a call from President Polley and am assigned to be the new District Leader for the area. I am thankful and excited for this new opportunity to help and serve among the missionaries in our District and to labor among the members and people of the Braun Heights and San Antonio 3rd Wards. My new companion will be Elder Williams. It's pretty neat to because we know each other pretty well when we served near each other when I was in Helotes. I can't wait to be able to see many miracles in the work and to grow and strengthen my faith in the Lord and in His Gospel. The future is bright!

I love the scripture in 2 Nephi 26:30: "...the Lord God hath given us a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing..." I love this scripture because as we help those around us with their needs and concerns, we are reaching out in love and showing our support for those who are going through trials and tough times. I know as we pray for the gift of charity, we will have a greater capacity to love those who we socialize with and come in contact. As we love as Christ loves, we will see all of Gods children as who they truly are and who they can become.

Our last District meeting for the transfer went very well! We were able to have Elder and Sister Gubler from the YSA wards come and give us a few trainings and teachings. They discussed the importance of the spirit in conversion. The spirit is the greatest teacher and as we teach and are guided by the Spirit, we will more fully help those around us develop faith in Christ unto repentance. Sister Scott gave a great training on strengthening our foundations upon the gospel and in making it a part of who we are. I know as we make the gospel a part of who we are, we will better overcome the trials that we face in life. We will be better prepared to be guided by the Spirit and develop an unshakable testimony of the gospel.

We had some great lessons this week. We had the chance in visiting with Brother and Sister Falcon and discussed the importance in feeding ourselves spiritually and the basics in which we can fortify and strengthen our families. I know as we do the basic gospel habits such as reading from the scriptures and praying as a family, our families will be more unified and protected. We will strengthen and increase our love for each other and prepare for eternal families in the future. The home truly is the greatest refuge from the temptations of the world as we help each other live gospel principles.

We also had a great lesson with the Jon family where we talked about the same things but building upon our foundation on Christ and His gospel. As part of our lesson, we used a great scripture in Helaman 5:12: "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which we are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is our ultimate and sure foundation where we can always look to for support and guidance. He will always be by our side through the toughest and hardest trials. I know as we go to Him in prayer, we can feel of the peace and comfort that comes through His infinite Atonement.

Saturday night we had a wonderful lesson with the Padron family and we showed a video about the importance in keeping the commandments and in praying daily to our Father in Heaven. The commandments are given to us like a road map to show us what to do and where to go so that we can have happiness here in this life and to receive eternal joy in the world to come. Prayer is such a powerful tool and is a blessing to know that miracles come through the prayer of faith. Prayer links our will with our Heavenly Father and helps us draw nearer to Him and gives us a greater ability to see the blessings that He desires to give us. Even a prayer in our hearts throughout the day gives us added strength and a constant connection with our Heavenly Father. It is a great tender mercy for me to see that Bro. Padron's family is doing better from the trials that they were experiencing and the light of the gospel entering their lives. The gospel makes all of the difference!

Yesterday we were able to see the Hill family at church again and they had a very great time. It has been neat to see them grow in their testimonies and desires to learn more about the gospel. I know as Tristan and Landon are baptized in the near future, they will strengthen their parents as well and they will become more unified as a family. I hope to stay in contact and see how they will progress. It has been awesome working with them!

Attending church yesterday was very powerful as I partook of the sacrament and remembered the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a great blessing every week to renew our covenants and to be spiritually rejuvenated for the coming week. I testify that our Redeemer, Jesus Christ lives. His Atonement covers all of our shortcomings and our mistakes. We can always look to our Savior for peace and solace. He will always be there. He will always love us. I know that we are being led today by a living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. We can be comforted to know that as we follow his council and the direction we receive from the Apostles and general authorities, we will never be led astray. This Gospel is amazing! How truly blessed we are to have it in its fulness here upon the Earth.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Munro

I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

Dear Family and Friends,

The gospel is amazing! It is such a blessing to serve here among the people of San Antonio and it is truly amazing to see the Lord's hand in his work. His tender mercies are real and they are evidence of His love for us and His desire to lead and guide us. I am so very thankful for the gospel and the peace that enters the lives of those who embrace it. I love the scripture in 1 Nephi 1:20 ".... But Behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."  I know that our Heavenly Father gives each of us tender mercies through out our lives to give us added strength and guidance. As we exercise our faith in Heavenly Father, we will be able to recognize the evidence of His hand in our lives. He will give us the power to overcome the trials of life and the challenges we face. He desires us to look to Him and to go to Him often in humble prayer. Prayer opens the door for us in feeling of His love as we communicate the desires of our hearts and our thankfulness for the blessings that He has given us. As we open our hearts to Him, He is ready to shower upon us the blessings that he desires to give us.

We had a wonderful week! We had the great opportunity in being able to go on exchanges with the zone leaders and we had a very great time. Elder Dunford was able to visit our area and my companion, Elder Giddens went to the Bulverde Ward for the day. We experienced so many miracles! We had a great visit with Bro. Dalrymple where we talked about the importance of Prayer and how it enhances our gospel study and gives us that straight connection and communication with our Heavenly Father. He is growing in the gospel and it has been neat seeing his interest in learning more and in studying different topics on the Gospel Library app. It is such a blessing to have these amazing tools to learn and study and to strengthen our testimony of the Savior. It has been neat as well hearing his sincere questions about the gospel. In a later visit we answered a few that he had regarding the Articles of Faith and specifics on our freedoms to worship. It is truly comforting to know that we can worship our Heavenly Father freely and experience the many blessings that we do here in our country. It is a tremendous blessing to know that God prepared a way for the Restoration to happen and for the fulness of His gospel to come forth in these Latter-Days. During our exchange, we also were able to have a quick visit with Bro. Falcon who we were trying to visit for over the past month and a 1/2. He was home! We had a great time talking about the importance of the Sacrament and the blessings we receive as we go to church. It is such a special opportunity to partake of the emblems of the Sacrament each week and to renew the covenants that we have made and to remember the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We hope to see him and his family come to church in the future and to see his son in the scouting program. We plan to visit them again this coming week and we hope all goes well!

We had a wonderful lesson with the Hill family on Thursday. We talked about The Plan of Salvation and how through the restored gospel, we can have eternal families. Our Ward Mission Leader, Bro. Garner was a major help and he shared many great insights as to how much peace and comfort he has felt as he attends the temple and the blessings that his family has received as they embrace the gospel. We invited both Landon and Tristen to baptism and they both accepted! Both Bro. Hill and his wife Jessica were excited for them and were happy that they are making this great step in their lives. We extended a baptismal invitation to Jessica as well but she expressed that she was already baptized. We hope as she continues to see the change in her husband as well as her children as they live the gospel that she will have a desire to be baptized and receive the fulness of the blessings of the gospel. It is truly exciting to see the future ahead and I am so very thankful for those that we are finding and who are willing to hear the message of the Restoration. It is such a tender mercy to me to see people change and come to love the gospel and to love their Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know that my Savior lives. He is the source of all hope and peace. He is our Redeemer who has saved us from sin and death. He knows and has felt it all and will always be by our side, to comfort and lead us back to our Heavenly Father. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God who through the power of God translated the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and as we read and ponder its pages, we can come to know our Savior personally and we will feel of His love in greater abundance. I know that the priesthood is real and has been restored by the prophet Joseph Smith. I have felt of the power of the priesthood and the eternal blessings that has come from the gospel. It brings me great comfort to know that through faithfully living the gospel and receiving sacred ordinances here on earth can we be made worthy to return to Gods presence again someday.

Thank you for all that you do! Hope you have a great week!

With Love,

Elder Munro

Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been a very great week for us here and I continue to find many tender mercies and blessings from the Lord as I labor here in His work in the Texas San Antonio Mission. I can't express how thankful I am to serve among God's children and for the many things that He has been teaching me. Throughout his past week, I have pondered a lot on the importance in being firm and strong in the faith of the gospel. I love the scripture in Colossians 1:23 "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister."

I also love the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 87:8 "Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen."

Are we grounded and settled in the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Are we doing all that we can to invite the Lord into our lives and embracing His Gospel? I know as we continuously build upon our gospel foundation by daily scripture study and prayer, we will truly be grounded and settled, immovable against the temptations and trials of the world. We will have the added strength from our Savior to endure to the end with faith in Him. We will feel of His peace and comfort as we remember our covenant to always remember Him.

This has been a pretty wet week! It has been such a blessing to have so much rain and to see the physical renewal around us. It sure has been a nice change from all of the hot weather that we have been getting. Though we hadn't ridden on the bikes too much because of it, we still found success and it has been a blessing for me to see the tender mercies and blessings of the Lord. We met again with the Poole family this past Wednesday and they seem to be doing better with their gospel habits. For our visit we read from Alma 46 and talked about the Title of Liberty and how we should continuously hold fast to the values and beliefs that we know to be true. We were also able to have Sister Lange who is the Relief Society President come and shared many great insights as to how we can live the gospel that we read and learn from in the scriptures. I hope that they continue to strengthen these gospel habits and seek the peace and comfort that comes through pondering the scriptures.

We also had the opportunity in meeting with Bro. Dalrymple and discussed the importance in receiving guidance and direction from the Holy Ghost and receiving answers through sincere prayer. How amazing it is that we can receive constant guidance and direction from our Heavenly Father on a daily basis because of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Many times we receive answers overtime and greater light and knowledge is revealed to us as we read from the scriptures which open the door way to revelation. It is such a blessing to have the gift of the Holy Ghost so that we can ultimately be lead back to our Heavenly Father along with our families for eternity.

We had a very special visit with the Jon family this past week where their family has been experiencing health problems and trials and we felt prompted to give them a visit. We shared our testimonies and a few scriptures about the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ and how He has overcome all things and invites us to come unto Him. I love the scripture in Mosiah 15:9 "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

It is truly comforting to know that our Savior has overcome all things and desires us to partake and use His Atonement so that we can have peace and solace in this life. It brings me great comfort to know that He is the light of the world and as we look to Him and draw closer to Him, our lives will be illuminated with the hope of eternal life. It was such a blessing to see the Jon family lifted spiritually and gain greater strength to face their challenges and trials.

Through out the week, we have been sharing the Ward Mission Plans with most of the members in both of the wards that we have been covering and we have been seeing great receptivity in the members wanting to do missionary work and finding those who are searching for the Gospel. Both Mission plans include having the members find small opportunities such as family home evenings to invite their family members or friends over to have a social get together. As the missionaries, we stop by to share short spiritual messages so that they can get introduced to the gospel and to the church. As part of the Ward Mission Plans, we have also been inviting families to make their own family mission plans so that they can invite specific family member and friends and develop missionary goals to achieve. We also extended an idea to the leaders in the wards to emphasize member firesides where we can talk about simple gospel principles in a social environment. We hope to see many great successes in these efforts and we hope to find more people and investigators to teach as we involve and be united with the members of the church.

Bro. Hill will be available this Wednesday for us to visit him and his family. We're excited to continue meeting with them and seeing their family grow in the gospel. I know that the gospel will give them the help that they need as they are returning to activity in going to church.

I know that this gospel is true! It is the ultimate source of our peace and happiness in this world and gives us the strength to endure faithfully to the end. I know that my Savior and Redeemer lives. We have such an amazing opportunity every Sunday to more fully remember his infinite and eternal sacrifice. I know as we constantly have Him in our hearts, we will always have His spirit to be with us. I know that we are lead and guided by a living prophet today, President Thomas S. Monson. It is such a blessing to know that we have the fulness of the gospel here upon the Earth. How grateful I am for eternal families and for the knowledge of The Plan of Salvation that we have. It is truly an amazing blessing to serve among God's children.

Hope you all have an amazing week!

With Love,

Elder Munro

And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face.

Dear Family and Friends,

This has again been another great week and it has been such a blessing to work here among the members of the Indian Springs and Evans Ranch wards. I am truly grateful for the many things that I have been learning and for the memorable experiences that we have had. One scripture that has been on my mind recently and that I enjoy to study is in Doctrine and Covenants 84:88: "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

Not only do I love this scripture as I ponder about the importance of the Spirit in finding and teaching those who are prepared to receive the restored gospel, I also think of the divine help that we receive when we face the trials and challenges of life. It is such a blessing to have His promise that angels will be with us and we can receive his divine help and comfort in our lives. I know that His blessings and tender mercies will be more evident in our lives as we live the gospel and strengthen our foundation of testimony upon our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This week has been a very spiritual week for us since we had our zone meeting this past Tuesday. Our Zone leaders gave great training on the importance of the Spirit in missionary work and how the Book of Mormon answers the great questions of the soul. As we listen to the Spirit and stay worthy of his council, we can trust in his ability to show us where to go, what to do, and what to say. It is truly amazing that we have such a precious gift that we can have everyday of our lives to guide us on our journey in mortality. The Holy Ghost will ultimately lead us back to our Heavenly Fathers presence with our families for eternity. The Spirit is also helpful in our learning of the gospel and in studying the scriptures. It is neat to think that some of the greatest questions of life and even the simplest can be answered by reading and pondering the scriptures. I know as we turn to the scriptures for our greatest and personal questions, we will receive answers and added light and knowledge through the power of the Holy Ghost. How blessed we are to have this precious gift.

On Wednesday, we had another great lesson with the Doegey family where we read form 3 Nephi 11 when Christ personally visits the people of the Americas and establishes His gospel and church. It was really neat where it talks about all the people being able to feel the nail prints in His hands and His feet, one by one. It is remarkable to know that He personally knows us, one by one. We too can know our Heavenly Father and Savior as we study the scriptures and strengthen our relationship with them. They truly love us so much and desire us to learn of them and to grow in the knowledge of the gospel.

We visited the Poole family again and they seemed to be progressing in reading from the scriptures as a family. We read from 1 Nephi 8 where it talked about the Tree of life. It was pretty interesting where it talked about 'pressing forward' and 'clinging to the rod of iron' which was on the strait and narrow path leading to the tree of life. The rod of iron being the word of God is one of our greatest sources and strengths to overcoming the temptations and the 'mists of darkness' that we face in our lives. As we 'hold fast' to the scriptures and to the words of latter-day prophets, we can travel safely on our journey leading to eternal life in our Heavenly Fathers presence. I know that the greatest source of peace and comfort in this life is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we live and embrace Him and His gospel, we will make it back to our heavenly home.

We had a great lesson with Bro. Dalrymple as well where he brought up a few concerns on the importance of tithing and as well as following a living prophet. We discussed how God gives us commandments not as restrictions but as spiritual guidelines where we not only can be protected but that our Heavenly Father can give us the blessings that he desires to give us. We talked about how our prophet today, President Thomas S. Monson, is the one who is guided by our Heavenly Father to lead and guide the church today. With a knowledge of a living prophet today, we realize that our Heavenly Father continues to speak to us and is continuing to reveal His will to us. It is truly comforting to know that we will never be lead astray from the gospel path as we heed the prophets and apostles of the Lord's church. They will help us remain strong and faithful as we obey their council.

This week we weren't able to get in contact with the Hill family because Bro. Hill works crazy hours at his job but we hope to meet with him and his family in the near future, hopefully this coming week. It will be exciting to continue seeing the ward wrap their arms around them in welcoming them into the ward family.

It has been such a blessing to labor here in the mission field. I can't express how much my love for the gospel has grown. It is such a blessing for me to see others blessed by living the gospel and embracing the truths that they know to be true. I am so very thankful for this specific mission that I am in and I know that I am supposed to be here serving among the people of San Antonio. It has been amazing working with such faithful and great members of the church who boost and strengthen my testimony and faith as we join together in teaching the gospel. How grateful I am for this wonderful work.

Hope you all have a wonderful Week!

With Love,

Elder Munro

Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; ...we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.

Dear Family and Friends,

What a great week! It has been such a fun and enjoyable time being able to serve here in this area and in meeting those who desire to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so very thankful for the great examples of missionaries around me who have helped the work move forward and progress. It is such a blessing to labor here in this mission and to have this experience in serving among God's children. Recently this morning, I have been studying about the Spirit and its importance in Conversion. I love the scripture in Mosiah 5:2 where King Benjamin is speaking with his people about the gospel and they experience a change of heart and a conversion to the Lord: "And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually."

I know as we turn our hearts to our Heavenly Father and our Savior, we will develop a mighty change in ourselves. We will gain a greater desire to resist the temptations around us and to become more like our Savior. The Atonement of Jesus Christ gives us the ability to have a continuous conversion as we live His gospel and become better each day. I know as we use His Atonement, we will become pure and worthy to be His disciples.

This past week we had a lot of great visits with the less actives in our area. We were able to visit with the Doegy family and shared Alma 32 with them and discussed the seed of faith that grows in us as we read from the scriptures and develop gospel habits. It will be neat to see the Ward reach out to them and support them in returning back to church. Bro. Doegy shared a powerful testimony on the importance of prayer and how it has blessed his life. Prayer is such a powerful tool in our lives and gives us a direct connection to our Heavenly Father. We always have the ability to go to him for the problems and challenges that we have.

The same day, we visited with Bro. Pritters and discussed the importance of accepting the will of the Lord in our lives and in so doing, fortifying our faith and trust in him. As we have faith, we trust in His promises to be fulfilled. He desires us to experience the blessings that he has for us as we exercise faith in him and live His gospel. We met with the Poole family again and talked about their progress in reading as a family and we showed a video by Elder Holland about the peace and comfort that comes to us as we read from the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon truly gives us the safety for the soul and the ability to find peace and happiness in this life. We can be strengthened and guided through life as we hold fast to the iron rod which is the Book of Mormon.

Friday, we met with the Owens family who were recent converts that just moved into the ward and were having a few family troubles and difficulties. We talked about how as we embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, the blessings of the Lord will come into our lives. We can put our trust in our Heavenly Father that though blessings may not come as fast or as soon as we would hope for, we can know that he will always fulfill His promises and we will all experience the fulness of His blessings, whether in this life or in the life to come. How truly blessed we are to know that our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy and successful and has given us His Plan of Salvation to accomplish his ultimate goal in having us return to His presence.

We were able to meet an awesome family this week! We were able to visit with the Hill family. Bro. Hill was a less-active and his sons Landon and Tristan as well as his wife Jessica were non-members. When we went by to visit him for the first time, Bro. Hill welcomed us right in and we had a wonderful lesson on the Restoration. Their whole family enjoyed the video about the First Vision and Josephs Smiths experience in the sacred grove. We returned back for another visit and Tristan had a whole bunch of questions written down that he had as he read from the Book of Mormon! Pretty neat to see from a 14 year old! We invited them to church this past week and we were able to see them all there. It was Bro. Hills first time coming in over 20 years! The ward was such a great help in fellow-shipping them and in helping them feel welcome and comfortable. In the lesson that we had last night I could see a greater light coming into his life and in the lives of his family. We're excited in the near future to be able to extend a baptismal invitation to his family and to see their thoughts in being united as a family in the gospel. The future is bright for this family and I am thankful for this opportunity to help them feel of the joys that are found in the restored gospel.

I continue to find so many blessings serving here in this mission. It brings me so much joy to see others embrace the gospel and feel and know of its importance in their lives. It has brought me countless times, an abundance of peace and comfort in the challenges and trials that I have had. I know as we embrace the gospel and help others do the same, a greater joy and happiness will come into our lives and all of us together can be united as children of God.

Thank you for the support and prayers. You all mean so much to me. Have a great week!

With Love,

Elder Munro

Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been a great start to transfers! It has been exciting working with Elder Giddens and I look forward to how we will grow in this area and help others come to the knowledge of the restored gospel. I admire my companions ability in the Spanish language and I have been influenced greatly by his teaching abilities. I am thankful for his knowledge of missionary work and for his desire to serve the Lord and to labor in His vineyard. I can't wait to see the miracles and tender mercies of the Lord in these next 6 weeks. I know as we work diligently and with faith, those miracles will take place and we will be instruments in the Lord's hands to further his work. A few scriptures that I enjoyed reading in my studies this past week was in 2 Nephi 2:6-7: "Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered."

As we go before our Heavenly Father through humble prayer with a sincere desire to change and repent of our mistakes, we will feel of his love in our lives and a greater resolve to do what is right. As we repent with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, we will gain peace of conscience and develop a greater love and understanding of our Savior and His Atonement. How amazing it is that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be cleansed from sin and be made worthy to return to His presence for eternity.

Earlier this week, we had the opportunity in visiting with Keila Yamamoto who requested a Book of Mormon online. We delivered it to her and shared a brief message about the restoration and the importance of the Book of Mormon. It was great being able to have our Ward Mission leader there, Bro. Garner. He has a way of really connecting with those that we are teaching and is a great fellowship to those that we come in contact with. We talked about the fulness of the gospel being restored through the Book of Mormon and the personal ministry of the Savior among the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. She was very interested and asked many different questions which we enjoyed answering. It brings me great joy to see others embrace the gospel and I hope that as Keila reads from the Book of Mormon that she will receive a witness of its truthfulness by the power of the Holy Ghost. I know as she ponders its message with a sincere and honest heart, she will also come to know that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet of God and that Christ's kingdom is here upon the earth. We are excited to visit her again this coming week to see how she is growing in her knowledge of the gospel.

The same day that we met with Keila we had a great lesson with Tiffany where we also talked about the importance of the Book of Mormon. Her understanding of the gospel has been increasing and it is neat seeing a greater light come into her life. We talked about how as we not only read and study the Book of Mormon but as we live by its principles, we will receive many blessings from living the gospel and in becoming followers of Jesus Christ. We invited her to be baptized as she comes to know that these things are true and she accepted! We hope when we have another lesson this next week that we can set a firm date that we can progress towards so that she can experience the full blessings of the gospel. I truly hope that she will feel that this is the right path for her and that she will desire the peace and comfort that comes through living the gospel. It will be neat to see how she will progress!

We had a great lesson with the Poole family this week who have been semi-less active. We talked about the blessings that we receive from daily scripture study in our personal time and along with our families. Reading from the scriptures is a lot like nourishing our physical bodies, if we don't feed and nourish ourselves, our bodies suffer. The same is with our spiritual life. As we read from the scriptures, we strengthen our connection with our Heavenly Father and grow in our love and understanding of the gospel. We have a greater view of our relationship with our Father in Heaven and our purpose here on Earth. We begin to realize how much we truly depend on him and in his tender mercies in our lives. I know as we read the scriptures personally and as families, we will be fortified and strengthened through the trials that we face. The answers to our personal questions can be found as we search and feast upon Christ's word. We will see that the scriptures are more than paper bound in leather, but principles to live by that will help us become better followers and disciples of Jesus Christ. I know as we allow these words to sink deep into our hearts, we will feel our Savior's love in greater abundance and a greater resolve to help others in their progress on the Gospel path.

It has been a tender mercy for me to see the growth that I have made in nearly the year that I have been on my mission. I can't express how thankful I am for the Gospel and the strength that I have received as I have applied the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Its enabling power is such a blessing in our lives and it is truly amazing to think of the help and comfort that we receive as we turn to our Heavenly Father for his guidance. He is always there to help us through the trials and challenges that we face.

Thank you for all the support! I hope you are having a wonderful summer!

With love,

Elder Munro

What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

Dear Family Friends,

It's Transfer week! It has been exciting working here in this area with Elder Markman and I'm truly blessed to have had such a great companion. I have learned many great teaching skills and all around how to be a more fully consecrated servant of the Lord. We got transfer calls this morning and I will be staying here in this area fro another 6 Weeks. Elder Markman will be heading up to Austin so it will be exciting for him to see the mission from up at the capital. I will be getting my new companion, Elder Giddens tomorrow morning. I can't wait for this transfer and for the miracles that are ahead of us. It will be fun working with Elder Giddens as I have been able to work around him in the past. I can't wait for the people we will teach and for the opportunities ahead to hasten the work and to beautify our area. I am truly thankful for the opportunity to serve here in the Texas San Antonio mission.

Very recently I have been thinking a lot about the Prophet Joseph Smith and the role that he played in the restoration of the gospel. I have also thought about the importance of latter-day prophets who lead and guide us today. We read in Doctrine and Covenants 1:37-38:  "Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.  What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."

We can have full confidence in the words of ancient and latter-day prophets. We can trust in what they are counseling us to do. We can know that they are God's mouthpiece here on the earth and as we follow Him as well as the prophet, we will not be lead astray but remain on the strait and narrow path that leads back to our Heavenly Father. We are so blessed to have his constant guidance and direction in our lives.

Earlier this week we had a lesson with Bro. Dalrymple and talked about his experience being baptized and the importance in renewing our covenants through the ordinance of the sacrament. It is a blessing that we can feel just as clean as when we were baptized as we partake of the sacrament and as we repent with a humble heart and a contrite spirit. We also discussed many of the basic principles that we live that help us on the path such as having continual faith in Jesus Christ and in repenting on a daily basis. The gospel truly is simple and is essential for our happiness and peace in this life and our eternal progression.

Later in the week we also had the opportunity to teach his daughters boyfriend, Jared, which when very well. It was neat being able to show him how both the Bible and the Book of Mormon go hand in hand and help us draw closer to our Savior and learn of Him and His gospel. As we read from the Book of Mormon and develop our testimony of it, we begin to crystallize our testimony and love for the bible as well. The Book of Mormon provides so many amazing insights that help broaden our view and understanding of our purpose in life and how we can achieve eternal happiness.

We were able to meet with Tiffany who has recently been investigating the church and we had a wonderful lesson with her at the beginning of last week. We discussed how the restoration has blessed our lives and will give her the unity that she desires with her family. She expressed that her brother is a member and it has brought her a lot of joy to see how happy he is to be a Latter-day Saint. Family has always meant a lot to her and we talked about the blessings that we receive as we live the gospel and continue learning more about our Savior. We hope to continue visiting with her and helping her see the blessings that she can receive through baptism. I hope that she will feel of her Savior's love for her and she will feel of the peace that comes through the restored gospel.

We had a wonderful lesson with a less-active member Bro. Watson. We talked about the peace that we receive as we repent and forgive ourselves from our past mistakes. I know that the Atonement is infinite and eternal and is our escape from pain and sin. How truly blessed we are to feel of the enabling powers of the Atonement and the love of our Savior. He loves us so much and desires us to use His Atonement so that we don't have to suffer. On a day to day basis we can feel of His power and influence in our lives as we go to Him in prayer and as we study His word through the scriptures. As we learn of our Savior and feel of His love for us, we will grow in our desire to help others feel of His love and mercy in their lives.

The gospel means so much to me. I do not know where I would be with out it in my life. It has given me a strong foundation and a secure anchor so that when the winds and the hail of trials come before me, I am not moved. How grateful I am for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for His tender mercies in my life. I continue to see so many improvements that I can make but I know that through His help I can grow into who my Heavenly Father needs me to become. I know as you all embrace the gospel and hold fast to the faith, you will not be lead astray but be lead safely home to our Heavenly Father.

Thank you so much for the prayers of support and protection. They are truly appreciated! I love you all so much!

With love,

Elder Munro

Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

Dear Family and Friends,

It's such a blessing being a missionary! I am so very thankful for the opportunity to share the gospel with others and to help others feel of the peace and joy that comes through our Savior. I have really been reflecting upon our callings as missionaries and for the responsibility that we have to represent the church as well as our Savior, Jesus Christ. I strive constantly to change and to realign my desires with the will and desires of the Lord for me. I love the scripture in the Old Testament found in Joshua 3:5 "And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." And among the teachings that Christ gave in his personal ministry among the Nephites in 3 Nephi 20:41 "And then shall a cry go forth: Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch not that which is unclean; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." I know as we continuously realign our will with our Savior's will, we will find immeasurable blessings. We will find added strength in our every day lives as we continuously change and grow to become better disciples of Jesus Christ. I know as we repent daily and use the enabling powers of the Atonement, we will be clean vessels so that we can help others come unto Christ and continue on the path that leads us back to our Heavenly Father. How truly amazing it is that we are able to be clean and sanctified through the Atonement of Christ so that we can return to our Father's presence.

We have had some great visits this week and we are very thankful for our Heavenly Father's help in guiding us to those who are ready to receive the restored gospel. On Tuesday, on our way to a member visit we visited with Laura who was outside playing with her daughters. We had a great conversation about her beliefs and the strength that she has received from reading in the bible and in learning more about our Savior. She was very interested in our new church building that was just built and was interested in having a lesson and a church tour next week! She seems pretty receptive and we hope that as we show her the chapel and share our beliefs that she will feel of the truthfulness of the gospel. It is very neat to see many people with interest in the gospel and in our beliefs as Latter-Day Saints. It will be great to see how she will progress.

On Thursday, we had a great visit with a returning less-active Bro. Dalrymple. He has been coming consistently to church and we have been visiting with him pretty frequently. He was baptized only four years ago so we have been helping him learn more about the gospel and in strengthening his testimony. We shared a message about our purpose in this life and how we should prepare to live with our Heavenly Father along with our families. We discussed how scripture reading, prayer, and attending church are essential in our progress in this life. As we do these things, I know we will draw closer to our Father in Heaven and have His guidance and direction in our lives as well. I am so very thankful for the chance to see others progress in the gospel and to learn and grow in the church. It is truly a blessing to see others change and come unto Christ.

We were able to visit the Nassari family on Friday and we shared a message about the importance and relevance that the Restoration has for us personally. We also discussed how they can gain a greater understanding of our beliefs through going to church. As we go to church, we are able to feel of the guidance of the Holy Ghost and we are able to receive added light and revelation in our lives. We also are unified and strengthened as we join together in worship and help each other in our growth in the gospel. Salvador is gaining more light in reading from the Book of Mormon and we have been striving to help him see the evidences of the Spirit that he has felt to the truthfulness of the Restoration. Unfortunately, Salvador will be gone for work until October so we will have to postpone visiting for right now, but we got in contact with our Ward mission leader and invited him to reach out to Silvi so that she has support as Salvador is gone. I hope as we are able to meet together again in the future that we will continue to help build up their faith in the gospel and in our Savior.

We had a great visit with the Hernandez family this week as well. We have lunch in their home every Saturday and we always have a great time visiting with them. For our message we shared a few scriptures from 1 Nephi 2 and we discussed how as we keep the commandments, we will prosper in the land and will be blessed for living the gospel. As we are diligent in living the gospel and keeping the commandments, we will stand firm, steadfast, and unwavering as we face the trials and challenges of this life. Bro. Hernandez made a great comment to their family about the necessity in reading from the scriptures and in being involved in good gospel habits that will fortify and strengthen our families. I hope to see them coming to church more often and in seeing how they will change as they read and pray as a family.

I am so very thankful for the scriptures and for the light and revelation that we receive as we feast upon the word of Christ and apply and abide by the principles and precepts that we learn. How amazing it is to read of those who had strong faith in Jesus Christ and in reading their testimonies and the things they knew to be true. I know as we remember the words of ancient prophets as found in the scriptures, we will grow in our knowledge of the gospel and we will have an increased desire to share it with others. The scriptures were truly meant for our day and are such a blessing for us to be built on a strong foundation upon our Savior and his teachings.

Thank you all for the support and prayers. Hope you have an amazing summer!

With Love,

Elder Munro

Elder Munro with new Mission Pres & Sister Polley