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
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Monday, August 22, 2016
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
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
Monday, August 15, 2016
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
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
Monday, August 8, 2016
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
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
Monday, August 1, 2016
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
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
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