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

For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God

Dear Family and Friends,

What a great week! It has been such a blessing working here in this area especially with my companion Elder Markman. The more that I strengthen my knowledge of the gospel, the more my desires have been to share it with others. It is such a blessing in helping others feel of the light of the Gospel and in the peace that comes through our Savior's mercy. One scripture that I enjoyed in my studies is in Alma 34:32  "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." 

How do we prepare in this life to meet our Heavenly Father and to return to His presence? For me I have found that the simple things that we do everyday such as praying personally and with our families and scripture study builds upon our gospel foundation and strengthens our ability to endure to the end, and in many cases we should 'Enjoy' the gospel to the end. Attending church, going to the temple, family history work and fulfilling and magnifying our callings also brings us added power into our lives. As we do these things, we will truly be prepared to live in God's presence with a fulness of happiness and joy.

Monday, we had a great lesson with Salvador Nassari where we discussed the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has been such a blessing for me to see his interest in the Book of Mormon grow and for the light and understanding that he has been receiving. We extended  a baptismal invitation to him but he said that he wants to pray about his decision and continue meeting with us in learning more about the restoration. I know as he prays sincerely with real intent, he will know of the truthfulness of the gospel. I am truly amazed for the love that he has for his faith and for his desire to grow in his love for the Lord and in his teachings.

On Tuesday, Elder White, one of our zone leaders and I were able to go on exchanges and we had a great time biking in our area and in contacting a few potential investigators. I was surprised at how much we biked that day. The weather has been cool but it has been starting to get hotter again. It was pretty hilarious the next morning we both had a tough time getting out of bed because of our bike ride. I am starting to love the bikes more and more and it is a very neat experience being able to converse more with others here in our area. It has been a great blessing for us to have such great leaders who are mindful of our areas and in helping us reach our potential and in achieving our goals.

Wednesday was amazing! We had our Zone conference and we were able to hear more council from President and Sister Polley as well as the assistants and lead sister training leaders. The Spirit was very strong and I continue to reflect on the great blessing of being a missionary and in the importance in sharing the gospel to those who will receive it. President Polley gave a wonderful training on our areas being similar to a garden. We should look for areas where we could beautify and nourish the activity and progress of our individual areas of missionary work. He further invited us to 'Walk the Garden' and find ways in which we can help those in our areas come to a better understanding of the gospel and of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Elder McDonald, one of the assistants, talked about how we can strengthen our vision of the gospel as we study from the resources of the church, emphasizing the inspiring manual, Preach My Gospel. I know as we utilize Preach My Gospel in our studies as well as in our callings, we will grow in our knowledge of the gospel and will strengthen our testimonies immensely. Sister Waite gave a great training as well about 'Seeing with new eyes' in the scriptures and in Preach My Gospel. We can always gain new insights and knowledge as we prayerfully study with the spirit. Throughout the whole conference, I truly thought about our purpose in missionary work and the great importance that it is to remain worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost and to always heed his council. As we do so in our own lives, we will have the ability to endure trials at greater ease and with the help of our Heavenly Father.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the importance of the Book of Mormon and its purpose in our lives. How amazing it is that we have more of God's word in our lives and that we have it so accessible in our world today. Book of Mormon prophets truly wrote to persuade us to believe in Christ and to live and apply his gospel. I love the spirit that comes through reading the title page and the introduction of the Book of Mormon. In the introduction, Joseph Smith said, "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." I know not only as we read from the Book of Mormon, but as we incorporate its teachings into our lives, we will see great changes in our lives and we will grow in our testimonies of our Savior and in His Atoning sacrifice. I would like to invite you all to ponder in your hearts the purpose of the Book of Mormon for you personally and for its impact that it has had on your life. I know that it is true. It was translated by a prophet of God and was given as a road map for us here on earth, to learn of our Heavenly Father and His ways and how we can return to His presence after this life. I know as you read, ponder, and pray about its message, you too will know that it is true.

Thank you for all of the prayers. I can't express how thankful I am for the great family and friends that I have. Hope you have an amazing summer!

With Love,

Elder Munro

But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week has been great for Elder Markman and I here in our area. Its been pretty hot! The weather has cooled down much but we have been enjoying the summer and we are very thankful for the progress we have been making. I cannot express how much joy I feel in sharing the gospel with others and in helping others feel of the importance in eternal families and in being guided and directed by our Heavenly Father and our Savior. Very recently, I have thought much about the importance of the sacrament and in always remembering our Savior and His infinite and eternal sacrifice. It is such an amazing opportunity to go every Sunday to partake of the sacrament and to renew the covenants that we have made. One of the greatest blessings that we can have in this life is being able to always have His spirit to be with us. It is through Him that we are cleansed from sin and by His spirit, we are able to be guided and directed back to the presence of our Heavenly Father and receive eternal life. How important it is to remain true to our covenants so we can receive this amazing blessing in our lives.

On Tuesday, we had the amazing opportunity to meet our new President and his wife, President and Sister Polley. It was such an amazing experience being able to meet them and in seeing their excitement to serve here in the Texas San Antonio mission. It was neat seeing the humility that they have and there great desires to serve the Lord and to help us fulfill our duties and callings as missionaries. Each of us had the opportunity to meet them personally and to talk a little about ourselves. They invited us to discuss how Preach My Gospel has helped us become better missionaries and for how it has shaped us in being disciples of Jesus Christ. Preach My Gospel has truly helped me in developing Christ-like attributes and in strengthening the necessary skills of missionary work. I think it is amazing as well how much we depend on the written word and trust in the promises of the Lord and the promises that he has given in His work. Afterwards, Sister Polley gave a great training about what makes a successful missionary. I truly believe that this applies to all missionaries, both in the field and member-missionaries in our own wards. Our success as missionaries comes from our desires to find those who are prepared to receive the restored gospel. Success does not come from a ton of baptisms, it comes from our own hearts and our own desires to serve God and to give our 100% what ever it may be. She also talked about the importance in not comparing ourselves to others and base our success in working our hardest and giving our hearts to the Lord and to His work.

President Polley gave some wonderful insights as well. He shared a few scriptures from Moroni 7:47-48 that he invited us to read a few weeks previously. They are:  "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." 

President Polley went on to talk about how we are all followers of Jesus Christ and as we accept and live His gospel, we become His Sons and his Daughters. As we continue to live the gospel and develop and strengthen the attribute of charity in our own lives, we will become better prepared to live with our Heavenly Father after this life. He went on to say that we all should recognize that we are his followers and that we should continue on the gospel path and in helping others come unto the Savior. He concluded with a great thought on the Atonement. As we repent and turn to our Savior, we show our thankfulness for what He has done for us. The enabling power of the Atonement helps to reach above our mortal capacities here on earth. Not only can we be free from sin but we can enjoy peace of conscience and His enabling power to overcome the daily trials and challenges that we have. I can't wait to be able to see how the mission will grow and for how much I will grow because of their influence and direction. It truly has been a blessing already to have them as our leaders.

It has been such a great time being able to work with the ward members here in this area and for seeing the fire that they have to do missionary work. On Sunday, our ward mission leader, Bro. Garner was able to bring a great family that he met a few days previously who wanted to come to church and to see what it was like. We gave them a church tour and Marcus, the father really loved priesthood meeting. It was neat seeing the interest that they had and for the desire they have to learn more. We hope to visit them soon with Bro. Garner to share more about the message of the Restoration and to help them grow in the gospel.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to visit with the Nassari family this week but we hope to meet with them tonight to share more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and extend a baptismal invitation to them both. I hope that we may teach with the spirit and they may feel of the importance in baptism and in being united together in the gospel. It will be exciting to see how they will progress and grow and to see them develop their faith in Christ.

 It has been such a tender mercy for me in being able to partake of the sacrament and in feeling of the peace and joy that comes through the Atonement of Christ. Sacrament meeting this week was very powerful and it is such a blessing to be able to come together weekly to worship our Heavenly Father and to be filled and fed spiritually and become rejuvenated for the coming week. I have gained a great love for the Sabbath and for going to church. It continues to provide me aided support, relief and rest from the cares of the week previously. I know as we develop a love for the Sabbath day, we will grow closer to our families and our love for our Savior and our Heavenly Father will deepen as well.

Thank you all for the support and the prayers. I cannot express how much you all mean to me. Hope you have an awesome summer!

Love,

Elder Munro

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

Dear Family and Friends,

This has week has been great! I am coming to love my new area more and more as the days go by and I am thankful for this opportunity to learn new things and to serve all that I can here. It is always a joy to share the gospel with others and to help them feel of the peace that comes through the gospel and our Savior. It is always neat to share with investigators the personal ministry of Christ among the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.

I love the scriptures found in 3 Nephi 11:9-11,14:  And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:  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.  Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

We, in a similar way, can come to know Christ personally as we read and ponder the scriptures. We will come to know that Jesus is the Christ. We will come to feel of His peace and the light of His Atonement. I know that He is real and that His love is infinite. It is such a blessing as we partake of the sacrament each week that we are able to have His spirit to be with us always. How blessed we are to remember the infinite and eternal sacrifice of our Savior.

Elder Markman and I had a great week teaching the Nassari family. They have been progressing pretty well! This week we talked about the strength and peace that receive from the Savior as we pass through challenges and trials. We have been seeing a light come into their lives and it is amazing seeing Salvadors interest in the Book of Mormon and in seeing how it is strengthening his faith in the Savior. Silvi is doing well also and they are very interested in going to church and investigating more into what our worship services are. It will be exciting to see our ward mission leader fellowship them so that they can feel comfortable and continue learning more.

It has been a blessing as well to start riding bikes. It has opened up a lot of new ways for us to find and teach others the gospel. There are a lot of really great people here in Texas who have strong Christian beliefs. The gospel and its fulness will complete the Faiths of many here in Texas as they embrace it and keep the commitments that we extend. We had a great lesson with Bro. Pritter this past week and we talked about the blessings that we receive as we go to church and keep the Sabbath day holy. Being able to go to church helps us receive added revelation and the strength and rest to carry on the duties that we have the following week. It is amazing to know that the Lord has given us the Sabbath for our benefit to draw closer to Him and to strengthen our love for the gospel.

On Saturday we were able to have an open house for our new church building in the Ward. It was a great experience being able to meet people who were invited by the members to come and learn more about our beliefs. It was a great turn out seeing how many people were interested and wanted to learn more. As I was there, the spirit was very strong and I felt of the truthfulness of the gospel and how blessed we truly are to have its knowledge in our lives. We have so much peace as we know that the gospel has been restored in its fulness once again upon the earth.

Today we got our new mission President, President Polley. We are very excited to see how the work will progress and for the counsel that we will receive from him. He is from Arizona and is retired from the FBI. Interviews will be pretty fun! It will be exciting to see the mission come together as we see the hand of the Lord in his work. I know that we will see miracles as we are diligent and faithful. The promises of the lord are always fulfilled as we do our part and live the gospel.

Thank you for all of the support. It is such an amazing blessing to have family and friends who live and embrace the gospel. Hope you all have a great summer!

Love,

Elder Munro

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been a pretty great start to transfers! The Wards that Elder Markman and I are covering are a full-bike area! It has been a great time for me to have a change from the car to the bike. I am very excited to see how the transfer will go and for the miracles that we will see as we converse with the people of San Antonio. One scripture that I found in my studies that really spoke to me is in Isaiah 40:31: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." I know as we wait upon the promises of the Lord and keep the covenants that we have made, we will be able to receive strength and guidance in all that we do. His promises will always be fulfilled as we keep our promises to Him.

This week went by very fast! Time seems to go by a lot faster as we have been riding on bikes from lesson to lesson. Our area is pretty hilly too so there is a lot of great hills to climb and fast valleys to fly through. Sometimes it can get pretty tough but there is always growth to be made both spiritually and physically. I am thankful for the challenges that my Heavenly Father gives to me so that I can grow and become who He needs me to become. I know He is always with us through every trial and challenge that we face and we can always call on Him through prayer for help and guidance. I am excited for the things that I will learn and for the miracles that we will see in this area.

We were able to do a lot of great visits this week for both active members, less actives, and high potentials. We visited with the Falcons who are a less active family and had a great lesson about the restoration of the gospel and how important it was that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ. That single moment revealed so much to us of the true nature of our Heavenly Father and His love and care for us. Bro. Falcon knew quite a lot about the church and shared many great insights. I hope we can continue meeting with and help them be able to attend church so they can increase in their faith in the Savior and His gospel. We also met with a part member family, the Kirtlands and visited with Bro. Kirtland's wife, Elaine and read with them about the Atonement of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon. It was pretty hilarious for them to find out that I was from Idaho because they too were from the "Promised Land". It was a great time visiting with them and we hope to continue fellow-shipping Elaine and helping her receive a witness of the truthfulness of the gospel.

On Friday we had a great visit with Salvador and Silvi Nassari who have been interested in the church and in the Book of Mormon. It has been very amazing to see how prepared they are and for the sincere interest that they have to learn and understand truth. It was very neat to see Salvador talk about the comparison from the Bible to the Book of Mormon and how they both testify of Jesus Christ and witness of Him. I can't wait to be able to extend a baptismal invitation to them this next week and hope that the Spirit will testify to them that these things are true and that the gospel will help them through their trials and challenges. Next week will be exciting!

Next Saturday, Indian Springs will have their new church open house and many of the members families and friends are planning on coming so we are very excited for all that will come to learn more about the church and Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I can't wait to see the miracles of the next transfer. I am very excited for the people that I will meet and for the amazing opportunities that are ahead. I know that as we extend and exercise our faith, we will see the work move forward in great measures. I love the quote by Pres. Thomas S. Monson "The future is as bright as your faith".  I hope that we may continue to exercise our faith in the Savior's healing powers and His ability to change and mold us to be true disciples of Jesus Christ.

Thank you all for the support and love! I hope you all are enjoying the summer. Have an awesome week!

Love,

Elder Munro

And moreover, 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,

Transfers are here! It turns out I will be leaving for a new area! I will be going to the Hill Country Zone and I will be serving in the Evans Ranch and Indian Springs wards. I will be getting my new companion, Elder Markman tomorrow and I can't wait to start a new journey again and to find those who are prepared to receive the restored gospel. I cannot express how much of a blessing it has been to serve along side Elder Gardner and to be companions. I have really enjoyed the way that he teaches and how he is able to truly teach people according to their needs. Many memories have been made and I am excited for him to go on another journey as well.

The scripture I would like to share this week is in Mosiah 2:41: "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." I love how it says the blessed and happy state of hose who keep the commandments of God. The commandments are there to protect us and will always make us happier and free from guilt and sorrow. Our Heavenly Father desires to bless us both temporally and spiritually. I know as we hold out faithful till the end, we truly will receive an eternal reward in our Heavenly Father's presence.

This past week we were able to have a lot of great visits with our current investigators as well as the less actives that we have been working with. On Saturday we were able to visit with Lemoey and talked with him about repentance and the Atonement and discussed how it can truly become personal to each of us what Christ went through. I am forever grateful for the price our Savior paid and for His sufferings for us. I am so very thankful for His infinite Atonement and that we are able to experience peace and comfort and an escape from our sins and mistakes. We were also able to visit with Bro. Gauvearu, a less active and discussed the peace that can come through our Savior's Atonement as we pass through trials and as we look forward to the future. We need to look to the future and to the blessings that our Heavenly Father desires to give us.

Sacrament meeting on Sunday was very spiritual for me in being able to partake of the sacrament in remembrance of our Savior and His sacrifice. Throughout my mission, I have gained a greater love for the Sabbath day and especially in partaking of the sacrament. How amazing it is that we can consistently renew our covenants and have a fresh start to every week. I know as we truly partake worthily and keep our thoughts and desires focused and centered during sacrament meeting, the spirit and love of our Savior will enter into our lives not only during sacrament meeting but for the whole week. The blessing of the constant companionship of his spirit is truly an amazing gift and we should strive constantly to keep Him always with us as well.

Tomorrow, our mission president, President Slaughter will be ending his mission and will be leaving for home. Time has gone by so fast and it is crazy to me that he is already going home. I cannot express how great of a mission president he is. He truly is a disciple of the Lord, Jesus Christ and it has been an immense blessing being able to learn from him and receive his guidance. He has truly inspired me to be a more consecrated and dedicated missionary of the Lord. I know with out a doubt that I am supposed to be here in the Texas San Antonio mission. The many things that I have been learning here, the people I meet, and the knowledge of the gospel continues to testify to me that I have been sent here by divine revelation. How thankful I am to be able to serve here and to learn how I can be a better disciple of Jesus Christ.

This gospel is true! I know it with all of my heart. I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ lives. He is the Way. He is our hope to returning back home to our Heavenly Father's presence. I know that Joseph Smith saw them in glory and was able to restore Christ's church again upon the earth. By the power of God, Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. The priesthood is once again upon the earth and with its power is used by our prophet Thomas S. Monson to lead and guide it today. How grateful I am that we are able to have the restored gospel here upon the earth. Our Heavenly Father truly loves us so much and wants us back home. I know as we do our best, grow our testimonies and remain faithful to the covenants we make, we will return to his presence with a fulness of joy.

Thank you for all that you have done for me. I am so very thankful for my wonderful family and friends. Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Munro

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness;

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a truly amazing week for us here in our area. I am so very thankful for all of the many blessings that we experience as we are missionaries in the Lord's work. I strive to constantly look for improvement in all that I do and I am thankful for the patience that my Heavenly Father has in me in laboring in His work. How amazing is it that the work is moving bold and nobly throughout the world. This truly is a marvelous work and it is amazing that all of us have the opportunity to embark in His work to help his children come unto him.

I would like to share a thought that I have been thinking about over this past week. It is remarkable to think about the sacrifice that many believers put into preserving and even bringing forth scripture for us to enjoy and to strengthen our love and knowledge for the savior and His gospel. I would like to talk about the closing remarks of the Book of Mormon written by Moroni in Moroni Chapter 10. Towards the beginning of the chapter, Moroni seals up the records and writes words of his own. It is amazing to read the end of the Book of Mormon and to see the amazing invitation given to us all. He says: "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.  And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot."

I know as we come unto Christ and strive to become like Him, we will receive His grace and a remission of our sins more abundantly in our lives. Through our Savior, Jesus Christ and His atonement we can become perfected. How amazing it is that through Him and through His gospel we can enjoy peace, happiness, and growth in this life and salvation in the world to come.

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with our District leader Elder Hutchings. It was such a great time being able to learn new things from him in teaching and in contacting others. It was very fun being able to share memories from the MTC as well. We were able to visit with many less active families and recent converts that they had in their area. He truly is a great example in being dedicated and consecrated in the work of the Lord. We have an amazing district!

We were also able to do many member visits through out the week which are an amazing opportunity to get to know the members and to see where we can help out in the Ward. It has been such a blessing visiting with the members and seeing their strong faith in the gospel. We have been making a major emphasis on working with members and we were able to visit with the Stevens family and were referred to their good friend Roger across from their house. Afterwards we visited with Roger and had an amazing lesson about the Book of Mormon and the Atonement. We're excited to continue going back and in meeting with him and having the Stevens uplift and support him in learning more about the gospel. I love being able to work with the members of the Ward in building up the church in this area.

We met with James Nixon this week and we talked about the Ten Commandments and their importance in our lives. We have been striving to help him see the influence of the Holy Ghost in his life and in helping him receive an answer that the Church is true. I know as we share with him the blessings of going to church and in being baptized, the spirit will testify to him of the truthfulness of the gospel. We were able to meet with Lemeoy Wiebush this week and shared with him the Word of Wisdom and talked about the many blessings that we receive both temporally and spiritually as we obey this law. It is always a great time being able to visit with Lemeoy and in talking with him about the gospel. It is pretty amazing to see his knowledge of the gospel grow and in seeing his testimony strengthened as well. We hope that his wife's heart will be softened so that she will be able to learn more about the gospel and in having Lemoey baptized.

I want you all to know that the gospel is true! It has been restored to the earth by the prophet Joseph smith. He saw our Father in heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ and was lead and guided to bring forth the fulness of the gospel once again on the earth. I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God and was given for us to bring peace, hope, and happiness to our lives. I know that my Savior lives. He is real and loves each and everyone of us. I know as we follow Him and choose His gospel, we will have a greater abundance of peace, love, and joy come into our lives. If you are going through a trial or a challenge that is hard to bear, look to Him who has carried our sorrows and who has felt our pain. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Isaiah 41:10). He truly will carry us through our trials and hardships as we embrace Him and His gospel.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes and for the letters. I love you all so much! I am so very thankful for my family and friends and for all that you do for me. I hope you all have an amazing week.

Love,

Elder Munro