An AMAZING Week!

My companion Sister Moore is to my right.

Hi everyone! It has been yet another great week here at Temple Square. The lights are on and the Christmas season is in full swing. We have met some interesting people. On Tuesday night we met Aaron with his 10 year-old son, Zach. They both live here in Utah now and they came to Temple Square because Zach wanted a tour. It was quite an interesting tour. Zach had investigated the church twice before but told us that he couldn't decide between being a Mormon or being a witch. It turns out that Aaron is a Pagan and told us right off the bat that he wasn't interested. Zach has a difficult time expressing himself so he talks really fast and it's difficult to understand, but he understands so much. You can tell that he knows a lot more than he can really tell you. Anyways, we took them to the Christus and the Tabernacle and finally the temple model. Zach asked me where Jesus was before He came to earth and Zach also wanted to know how Jesus could help everyone. So I read him Alma 7:11 while Sister Moore was talking with Aaron. Aaron and his children have gone through a rough time, but he felt like he should learn more so he referred for missionaries.

Aaron came back to Temple Square a few days later with his daughter, who is eight, because she wanted to go on a tour of Temple Square too. So we took them all around. Those kids have lots of energy. But we also learned that Aaron is actually a member of the church, just very inactive. His kids aren't members, though. So we got to teach them about Jesus Christ and how there is a prophet on the earth again today.

Sister Moore and I also had some great teaching experiences over the phone this week too. We talked with Ashley, who referred for missionaries when she called in for a Finding Faith in Christ DVD. She has three young children, all under that age of five, and she has great faith in Jesus Christ. Well, it turns out that the missionaries brought her the DVD the day after we sent the referral. That's AMAZING! That almost never happens. Not only that, but they came back the next week too. They talked with her about the Restoration and also about baptism. That is also incredible. Those Elders really know what they're doing. She wanted to go to church too, so hopefully those missionaries got her there this past Sunday. She is certainly ready for the restored gospel in her life.

This past Saturday Sister Moore and I got to do MTC contacting. That is where the Visitors' Center missionaries at the MTC come to Temple Square to practice being a Visitors' Center missionary. So Sister Moore and I each had a companion from the MTC for an evening. It was a lot of fun. I was with Sister Arnesen from Pleasant Grove, UT. She was on her way to the Kirtland, OH Visitors' Center. Let me just tell you that Sister Arnesen is pretty much amazing. We went right to work talking with people and inviting them to share the greatest gift with their friends. She was inviting people and teaching and testifying. We had a lot of number success that evening. Probably the best part was when we ran into Shannon. He was here for some kind of conference and he is from Minnesota. We found him outside by the Priesthood statues which show John the Baptist restoring the Aaronic priesthood and Peter, James, and John restoring the Melchizedek priesthood. He had just read the plaque about the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood so talked with him really briefly and explained a little about the history here at Temple Square and the sacrifice of the pioneers. I could feel right away that he would refer. Sometimes people have a spirit about them and you can tell that they're ready. Well, Shannon was ready and even though we didn't teach him hardly anything he said yes to missionaries. It was most definitely a miracle. So Sister Moore and I are going to call him on Thursday and get to know him and help him come closer to his Father in heaven. I'm excited.

AND we also got to go to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional yesterday evening. It was pretty great. I love hearing President Monson speak. Christmas is really a great time to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Christ. When we talk with people on Temple Square most of the time their favorite part about the holidays is getting to spend time with family. That is how Christmas all started--with a family. A baby boy was brought into the world so that we could return to our Heavenly Father as families.