The Doctrine and Covenants is the Capstone
President and Sister Nilsen
We are off and reading! Our Doctrine and Covenants Challenge is underway and are all soaking up the strength and power of modern day revelation. With the wonderful writing and knowledge of Brother Scott Facer Proctor, we wish to share some insights. You may have noticed that something is different about this course of study-different from the other three books of scriptures that we use. These
revelations were given in English directly from the Lord, through the mouth of the Prophets, and written down and published as they are given. They were never translated documents.
Here are some other interesting facts:
*The revelations are generally answers to specific questions offered by specific individuals or which came as a result of specific situations.
*The Doctrine and Covenants were given in very near history, the oldest recorded revelation of which is only 179 years old. The last recorded words of the Book of Mormon, the next youngest scripture, dates to approximately 1,580 years ago.
*The Doctrine and Covenants is modern scripture, a living proof of continuing revelation.
*The Doctrine and Covenants is a living scripture, being added upon as recently as twenty-three years ago with Official Declaration 2, the extending of the Priesthood to all worthy male members of the church.
The Doctrine and Covenants is about a Dispensation that will not end in apostasy but it will usher in the great Dispensation when the Lord will come and rule and reign personally upon the earth for a thousand years. The teachings and instructions of the Doctrine and Covenants are for a people preparing to meet the Lord, and they will meet Him. "For the great Millennium, of which I have spoken by the mouth of my servants, shall come." (D&C 43:30)
The Doctrine and Covenants is a powerful and underestimated book of scripture for our time. "In the revelations," states the explanatory introduction, "the doctrines of the gospel are set forth with explanations about such fundamental matters as the nature of the Godhead, the origin of man, the reality of Satan, the purpose of mortality, the necessity for obedience, the need for repentance, the work-
ings of the Holy Spirit, the ordinances and performances that pertain to salvation, the destiny of the earth, the future conditions of man after the resurrection and the judgment, the eternity of the marriage relationship, and the eternal nature of the family.”
The setting for the compilation began when a conference was called in the late fall of 1831 to convene at the home of Brother John Johnson in the township of Hiram, Ohio. Eight conferences of the Church would be held at the Johnson Farm. However, this conference was the most significant. These conferences were generally small with anywhere from six to twelve brethren in attendance, some-
times a few more. At this particular conference it was decided that the many revelations that had already been received by the Prophet Joseph (approximately 65 to that time) should be compiled and published so that the people could have easier access to read them and that the missionaries could use them in their preaching.
To that time, brethren or sisters might have been with the Prophet or with someone who had been with him and received a hand-written copy of one of the revelations that was copied from a copy of Oliver Cowdery's or John Whitmer's record. That single revelation would be carefully folded and kept as a treasure in the pocket of the person obtaining it. But having one revelation and only hearing of the
others in second, third and fourth-hand recounting was not conducive to harmony and accuracy in the building of the Lord's little kingdom.
At this conference it was decided that the sixty-five revelations should be taken to Missouri by Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer and there Brother W.W. Phelps would compile, print and publish them as the Book of Commandments. Of course, this book needed an introduction or a preface, and the Lord saw fit to reveal the preface to the Prophet Joseph on November 1, 1831.
In this preface the Lord sends a warning voice to all the people of the earth, declares that apostasy and wickedness will precede His Second Coming, declares to the inhabitants of the earth that He has called Joseph Smith to restore to the earth the Lord's truths and powers, declares the Book of Mormon to have been directed and given of Him and testifies that this Church is the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth; He declares that peace shall be taken from the earth and that the inhabitants of the earth should search these commandments and His words, because they will all be fulfilled. This is a powerful preface in the Lord’s own words.
And here we are today, again in The Ohio, bringing His warning voice to all the inhabitants of this great land. Let us love those we find, teach and baptize and do as we are commanded in Doctrine and Covenants 42:6, “And ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices, as with the sound of a trump, declaring my word like unto angels
of God.” You are our angels! You are the messengers the Lord has set you apart to be. Have faith and let the miracles rain from the windows of Heaven.
Just Ask?
Elder David W. Martin
The Ohio Columbus Mission is in the midst of reading the Doctrine and Covenants in an attempt to learn more about the Lord’s dealings with the early restored Church. One of the singular pleas of the Lord to His restored church, both to individual members and to the Church as a whole, was to ask Him questions. Through Joseph Smith Jr. to his father, the Lord said, “Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” 1 Importantly, the Lord instructed His latter-day church no less than 19
times to ask Him questions.2 When Jesus Christ personally ministered on the earth, He admonished His followers to “[a]sk, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” 3 My question to you is: Is that really what is required of you, to simply ask and you will find (i.e. receive the answer)?
The short answer is yes. The two more difficult questions to answer are: Is there any kind of preparation I need to attend to before I ask, and, for what do I ask?
Is there preparation needed before I ask? Moroni states that when we ask anything of the Lord, we need to ask in full faith, having a desire to receive.4 Other phrases associated with asking the Lord for something include asking in faith,5 asking for that which is right,6 diligently keeping the commandments,7 believing you will receive the answer,8 seeking early (not delaying),9
searching with all your heart, repenting before asking, 10 and being patient.11
Amos Hayden, a restorationist preacher and historian who was not a member of the Church, described an event that related to “asking in faith.” Hayden writes:
Ezra Booth, of Mantua, a Methodist preacher of much more than ordinary culture, and with strong natural abilities, in company with his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, 12 and some other citizens of this place [Hiram], visited Smith at his home in Kirtland, in 1831. Mrs. Johnson had been afflicted for some time with a lame arm, and was not at the time of the visit able to lift her hand to her head. The party visited Smith partly out of curiosity, and partly to see for themselves what there might be in the new doctrine. During the interview the conversation fumed on the subject of supernatural gifts, such as were conferred in the days of the apostles. Someone said, ‘Here is Mrs. Johnson with a lame
arm; has God given any power to man now on the earth to cure her?’
Philo Dibble described details of the setting of this miracle and events that occurred at the time of the healing of Elsa Johnson:
There was a woman living in the town of Hiram . . . who had a crooked arm, which she had not been able to use for a long period. She persuaded her husband, whose name was Johnson, to take her to Kirtland to get her arm healed. I saw them as they passed my house on their way. She went to Joseph and requested him to heal her. Joseph asked her if she believed the Lord was able to make him an instrument in healing her arm. She said she believed the Lord was able to heal her arm.
Joseph put her off till the next morning, when he met her at Brother [Newel K.] Whitney’s house. There were eight persons present, one a Methodist preacher, and one a doctor. Joseph took her by the hand, prayed in silence a moment, pronounced her arm whole, in the name of Jesus Christ, and turned and left the room.
The preacher asked her if her arm was whole, and she straightened it out and replied: ‘It is as good as the other.’ 13
Elsa Johnson exhibited great faith in traveling from Hiram to Kirtland Ohio, and then in having the courage to ask Joseph Smith to heal her. According to Philo Dibble, Joseph delayed pronouncing the blessing. Why the delay? I don’t know of any recorded reason why the Prophet waited until the next morning. But, my feeling is that he wanted to know the Lord’s will regarding Sister Johnson.
If this is the reason, it would be in perfect harmony with a revelation Joseph received a few months later (May 1831) at Kirtland. “And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done. But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask” (Italics added). 14
As we seek to purify our lives, and we seek to know the Lord’s will by asking questions through prayer, we will know what to ask, because the Spirit will whisper to our heart and mind what to ask for. And, since it will be the will of the Lord, it will be done. The Savior’s tender plea and promise recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants is sure:
Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you. 15
I know this to be true. I have experienced the Lord’s promptings and His will being made known to me. I testify that the Savior desires us to ask Him questions so that He can speak His mind and will to us. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
D&C 4:7.
The Lord’s admonition to ask questions can be found in the following verses of the Doctrine and Covenants: D&C 4:7; 6:5; 8:1,11; 11:5; 12:5; 14:5,8; 18:18; 29:6; 35:9; 42:61; 49:26; 50:29-31; 66:9; 75:27; 88:63-64; 103:31,35. For additional references in the Book of Mormon, see 1 Nephi 15:11; Enos 1:15; Mosiah 4:21; 3 Nephi 14:7; 18:20; 27:29; Moroni 7:26; 10:4. For references in the Bible, see Jeremiah 29:11-13; Matthew 7:7-8; 21:22; Luke 11:9; John 16:24; James 4:3; 1 John 3:22; Revelation 3:20. For references in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, see JST Genesis 6:53; JST Proverbs 8:17; JST Jeremiah 29:13; JST Matthew 7:12; 21:20; JST Mark 9:45; 11:26; JST Luke 11:10; JST John 16:24; JST James 4:3; JST 1 John 3:22; JST Revelation 3:20. The reference in the Pearl of Great Price is Moses 6:52.
3
Matthew 7:7-8.
4
See Moroni 10:3-4.
5
1 Nephi 15:11.
6
Mosiah 4:21.
7
1 Nephi 15:11.
8
Enos 1:15.
9
JST Proverbs 8:17.
10
D&C 49:26.
11
D&C 66:9.
12
This was John Johnson and his wife Elsa. The Johnson Family moved to Hiram, Portage County, Ohio, in February 1818 and eventually purchased at least 160 acres. In February, 1831, as soon as they heard that Joseph Smith had arrived in Kirtland, Ohio, the Johnson family immediately went to see him. They were convinced and baptized before they returned. They invited the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon to accompany them home, which they did. The following fall (12 Sep 1831) Joseph came with
his family to live at the John Johnson farm. It was at the Johnson farm that the Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon were tarred and feathered by a mob (24 Mar 1832).
13
Faith Promoting Classics, p.79, and Milton V. Backman, Jr. and Richard O. Cowan, Joseph Smith and the Doctrine and Covenants, p.64.
14
D&C 50:29-30
15
D&C 88:63-64
“No Se Den Por Vencidos, Sino
Procuren La Esperanza”
Pregúntense: ¿Tengo confianza en que tendré una misión feliz y de éxito? ¿Me siento en paz y soy optimista con respecto al futuro? Juntos con ustedes estamos al tanto de que la obra misional nos desaníma a veces, aun al grado de que perdemos la esperanza. Miremos al ejemplo perfecto de alguien que nunca perdió la esperanza, Jesucristo mismo. A pesar de que muchos lo rechazaban y escupían sobre Él, se mantenía fiel y seguía adelante en la misión a la cual había sido llamado. Jesucristo entendía la importancia de la Expiación, y debido a ese entendimiento perfecto podía evitar el desánimo cuando las personas decidían rechazar el evangelio. ¿Entonces, cómo podemos desarrollar éste atributo y aplicarlo en la obra misional? Al purificar y santificarnos por medio de la Expiación y fortalecer nuestro testimonio de que Jesucristo cumplirá con las promesas que nos ha hecho, podemos lograrlo.
Queremos terminar compartiendo una escritura en D y C 31:3: “Alza tu corazón y regocíjate, porque la hora de tu misión ha llegado; y será desatada tu lengua y declararás buenas nuevas de gran gozo a esta generación.” Ninguna vez dijó Él que iba a ser fácil, sino que valería la pena. Les testificamos a ustedes de la veracidad de la Expiación de Jesucristo. Testificamos que están donde el Señor quiere que estén. Apliqúemos la Expiación en nuestras vidas para que no perdamos la esperanza y seamos instrumentos en las manos del Señor. Éstas cosas se las compartimos en el nombre de Jesucristo, amen.
Elderes Homewood, Neilson y Larson
Urgent Bits and Pieces!
Ahem...What we don’t like: When members call to complain about Missionary’s manners. No bueno!
What we do like: When missionaries, that means you, use great manners and remember that YOU REPRESENT THE LORD and EACH OTHER and that YOU ARE GUESTS IN MEMBER’S HOMES, NOT FAMILY.
Therefore…
Cover your mouth when you yawn, cough or sneeze.
Use serving utensils, not your own fork, knife and spoon to take food from serving dishes…..that
includes the butter.
Leave a thank you card or sticky note every time!
Keep pace with the meal, if you are slow, take less. Many families are on tight schedules and you are
too!
Never take seconds unless invited to do so.
Clear the table and offer to help with the dishes.
Never start eating until the host and hostess are seated and they begin first.
Let the members know what time you have to leave and leave at that time. You will
create huge amounts of trust and respect and you will be blessed for it.
Use meal-time conversation productively to build the family, your area and to coach them as
member missionaries.
Other FYI’s
* LOCK YOUR HEARTS! More Sisters and Elders are coming. Enough said!
* KEEP YOUR WALLET IN YOUR POCKET if possible. Lost or stolen backpacks can mean lots of problems if wallets are in them.
* GOOD GRAMMAR, works like this: “I was” “They were” and “We were” - Never say “They was” or “We was” even if that’s the way people speak back home. It’s still wrong and remember, you represent the Lord. Let’s improve.
* GOOD GRAMMAR: When talking about yourself and others, say their names first and end with “I”
for yourself. For example: “President Nilsen, Elder Bednar and I were talking…”
* DENTAL AND EYE CARE ARE NOT COVERED at all by missionary medical unless it is due to
an accident while on your mission.
* You must have your FAMILY INSURANCE CARD and MISSION MEDICAL CARD with you at all times, in your wallet! If you don’t have that information, please write to your family and get it. If you have private family insurance and you don’t have the information when you go to the doctor or hospital, it can become a big headache for your parents later, not to mention the mission and mission medical. Any MEDICAL BILLS that you receive (not dental or eye care) should be sent to Sister Nilsen at 5467 Sheffield Ave, Powell, Ohio, 43065.
* YOU SHOULD BE WRITING TO PRESIDENT NILSEN EVERY MONDAY. This should be a
short summary of your spiritual progress, an accounting of the work in your area and a short description of any tender mercies or experiences. If there is a problem that you wish to discuss in your letter, include it in your first sentence.
* IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING or need help, please do not wait. Call President or Sister Nilsen
ASAP before small problems turn into bigger ones.
* We love you and know you are the greatest missionaries on the planet! Show your
love and kindness to each other in abundance!
JANUARY 2013 HARVEST
Missionaries
Elders Mudrow, Stewart, Foster, & Benavides Gary
Elders Rasmussen, Lamm, Peters, Mallory David
G. Brown, Patterson, & Osieczanek
Elders Paterson & Mallory Angelina
Elders Jacobson & A. Brown Fernando
Elders Jacobson & A. Brown Jessica
Elders Kujanpaa, Jones, Moore, & Pali Jennifer
Elders Kujanpaa, Jones, Moore, & Pail Jimmy
Elders Loosli, McMichael, & Housari Millicent
Elders Durnall, Shields, & Horsley Hunter
Elders Kujanpaa, Nitz, & Prettyman Marc
Elders Smuin, Whiting, & Ottley Renee
Elders Rawlings, Larsen, & Evans Brandi
Elders Floyd, K. Turner, & Wilson Bernard
Elders Floyd, K. Turner, & Wilson Hilda
Elders Floyd & K. Turner Zachery
Elders Lamm, Beverley, & Fullmer Shirley
Elders Lamm & Beverley Diane
Elders Lamm & Beverley Reine
Elders Harris & Laird Graham
Elders Ogden, Welch, Epperson, & Richards Marc
Elders Nikolaus & Campbell Pam
Elders Nikolaus & Campbell Brittney
Elders Nikolaus & Campbell Jesse
Elders Nikolaus & Campbell Thomas
Elders Welch, Richards,Epperson, & Reddish Rhonda
Sisters Kay, Ward, & Whitecar Bodhi
Sisters Kimball, Weedon, & Floyd Corey
Elders J. Saunders & S. Robinson Paul
Elders J. Smith, Hein, & Brooks Caitlin
Elders Cook & Tolley Nathan
Elders Cook & Tolley Heidi
Elders K. Turner & Clark Dusten
Lorenzo Snow was a great early missionary. He had been a
member of the Church for less than a year when he set out
on his first mission in 1837. He tells about his first experi-
ences preaching the gospel in the following words:
“I...traveled about thirty miles, and just as the sun was set-
ting I made my first call for a night’s lodging, as a
“Mormon” Elder, and was refused; then another, and so on,
until the eighth call, when I was admitted to a night’s lodg-
ing—going to bed supperless, and leaving in the morning,
minus a breakfast. The first meeting I held was in the
neighborhood of my uncle, by the name of Goddard, near
the county seat of Medina County, Ohio. The people were
notified and a respectable congregation assembled. It was a
sore trial to face that audience in the capacity of a preacher,
but I believed and felt an assurance that a Spirit of inspira-
tion would prompt and give me utterance…[it did, for he]
baptized and confirmed into the Church my uncle, aunt, and
several of my cousins” (Quoted in Eliza R. Snow Smith,
Biography and Family Records of Lorenzo Snow, Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book Co., 1884, p. 16.) Brothers & Sisters,
we need to learn that early members of the Church suc-
ceeded in the face of all opposition because they had the
unwavering faith to open their mouths and declare the truth
and because they took with them the mighty sword of the
Lord’s Spirit (D&C 27:16-18). They remembered their
baptismal covenant ‘to stand as witnesses of God at all time
and in all things, and in all places…”(Mosiah 18:9)
M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, July 1995, pg. 16
REMEMBER
the
OHIO COLUMBUS MISSION
STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Areas of Focus
1. We are 100% obedient all the time.
2. We are ALWAYS FINDING.
3. We SERVE the members and EARN their
referrals.
4. We INVITE all new investigators during the first lesson
to pray, read the Book of Mormon, attend church, and be
baptized. (We strongly encourage informal chapel tours.)
5. We ACHIEVE our goals through faith, prayer, fasting
and exceptionally hard and smart work.
Weekly Companionship Goals
1. We have 80% + “member present” for lessons after the
first discussion.
2. We find 2 or more new investigators each week. We
always have 15-20 part-member or less-active families/
individuals we are serving.
3. We have at least two investigators at church each week
focused on the Ordinance of the Sacrament.
4. We teach 20+ lessons a week.
5. We complete at least one short service project per week,
preferably serving our Bishops and Ward Mission Lead-
ers and others under their direction. We build trust and
earn their referrals.
6. We achieve all of our morning schedules —- 100% per
week—the foundation of our day. This includes role
playing for the members and investigators that we teach.
Weekly/Monthly Companionship Goal
Baptize one person or family every week/month!
Baptized & Confirmed— by Zone
Zone
November December January
Cincinnati 5 8 2
Cincinnati -East 2 4 3
Cincinnati North 5 6 6
Columbus 2 7 3
Columbus East 10 14 4
Columbus North 4 2 1
Columbus South 2 10 8
Dayton 5 0 2
Dayton East 3 5 3
Totals 38 50 32
New Missionairies in The Ohio, Columbus Mission!
Elder Brock Kristian Arveseth
Perry, Utah
Elder Jared Paul Bunker
Delta, Utah
Elder Nathan Allen Burden
Huntington Beach, California
Elder John Allan Crawford
Avondale, Arizona
Elder Brayden Rex Cutler
Pleasant Grove, Utah
Elder Jackson Tyler Day
Sandy, Utah
Sister Kaitlynn Abigail Floyd
Encinitas, California
Elder Zachary Mika’ele Grubbe
Sherwood, Oregon
Sister Katie Marie Hughes
Battle Ground, Washington
Elder Diego Francisco Ibarra
Leona Valley, California
Sister Chloe Monette Johnson
San Marcos, California
Sister Dustyn Jade Shelley
Murray, Utah
Elder Joseph Garrett Spaulding
Easley, South Carolina
Testimonies of Departing Missionaries
499 Elders and Sisters 499!!!! I want to say two years
ago this was a dream. Two new investigators a week
was UNIMAGINABLE and look at what has happened,
what is happening!! I bear testimony that this is the
Lord's work. I am proud to have played part in just the
start of the unimaginable things that the GREAT OCM
will accomplish. Elders and Sisters 650 is more than pos-
sible...it's EXPECTED and I bear testimony that the
Lord will be there every step of the way for
you. He loves you in a way that you will only begin to
understand as you are in His service. I love you OCM!
-Elder Derek Galliher
Wow! I can't believe how fast the mission has passed. I
am so thankful that I have been given the chance to serve
the Lord here in the Great Ohio. Before my mission I
thought that serving a mission would, in some way,
make up for all that the Lord has done for me. Now I
realize that I am more in his debt than before. He has
truly changed me through the experiences and trials I
have experienced during my mission. I am so grateful for
the companions that I was blessed with. I love them all
and learned many things from each one of them. I am
eternally grateful for the opportunity I had to teach the
many people I have here in Ohio and Kentucky. I know
that the message which we bring is true. It is the only
way to true happiness. I know that as a missionary the
only way to be truly happy is to love those you serve and
love the work! I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet
of God and that through him God revealed the things we
needed to know to achieve true happiness. I know the
Lord loves us and helps His work progress! También
quiero dar gracias a los hispanos en Ohio, me han en-
señado mucho acerca del amor. Les amo hijos mios. Tra-
bajen duros! En el nombre de Jesucristo Amen.
Elder Devin G. Hales
Elders & Sisters of the Great OCM! I KNOW that this
gospel is TRUE! It is as true and living as any of us.
The Book of Mormon is evidence of it. I love the Book
of Mormon and how powerful it is. It is the biggest
weapon we have in our arsenal. The Book of Mormon +
the Spirit = true conversion. I am so grateful for the
Atonement. I know it is true and there for us because I
have felt it work in my own life. There is no greater
feeling than knowing you have been forgiven, and to
know you have someone there that has been there before,
and knows how to comfort you. This mission has been
the best experience in my life. I’ve had the world’s best
companions and the two best sons any trainer could ask
for. I love them all! In the end, Christ never said it was
going to be easy but he did say it will be worth it! As
long as we trust in His strength, we can do ALL Things!
(Alma 26:12) Give ‘em Heaven OCM! I say these things
in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder Chase Owen Hombs
Elders and Sisters of the amazing Ohio Columbus Mis-
sion, "Big Gulps huh? Whelp seya later" "We'd only just
begun". I am humbled and grateful to leave you this testi-
mony, This mission has seemed to me "as if it were a
dream". Throughout my mission I have had
many experiences that have left an indelible impression
on my heart and soul whether it was being on three dif-
ferent college campus', teaching amazing Amish people,
or even being in the slums of Cincinnati. I have loved my
mission like I'm sure not many have before me or will
after me. Live the Law and receive the blessings, its so
worth it. I have had the best companions, and truly have
been surrounded by greatness. Nothing can stop this
work. For it is His and not ours. Get out of the way and
work miracles. Christ lives. Joesph Smith restored His
church. I know this independent of any human under-
standing. You want success and happiness? Live the gos-
pel. I look forward to that day in the future that I may
proclaim as Alma: "Therefore, Elder Iverson re-
joiced exceedingly in seeing his Elders and Sisters, And
what added more to his joy was that they were still his
Friends in the Lord." Teach with power and authority
"doubt not, fear not"
In his name, even Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder Trevor Fielding Iverson
Elders and Sisters, I know that this work is the work of
the Lord. I have felt His spirit testify to my heart and also
to the hearts of others that this is Christ's church, restored
in its fullness. I know that God answers all sincere
prayers. Everyone in this life is searching for peace and
joy. I can truly witness that the fruit desirable to make
one happy, is the Gospel that we bring to others. That's
what true happiness is! “ I must go till He comes, give
till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me.
And when He returns for His own, He will have no prob-
lem recognizing me. My banner will be clear. “
Elder Preston Price
G'day Sisters and Elders of the OCM!
For the worth of souls is great....EVERY SOUL IS
GREAT. My favorite part of this work has been with our
members. Seeing their conversion deepen and their hearts
change right along side their friends who are learning of
the Restored Gospel. I love seeing the members exercise
faith to invite others to come unto Christ. I love enabling
them to run along side us. We are on the same team! Let
us cast the net together! Let us fish together! As our mem-
bers fish along side us, the Doctrine of Christ will be alive
in ALL of our lives. I know this is the Lord's work. I
know this is His truth. I have come to know in a very real
way the beauty of faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is
His work, this I know. This I feel. This I have come to
trust. Our Savior lives. He loves us. He is my Rock! He is
my Redeemer! The Book of Mormon is His holy word.
Covenants are real. Revelation is current. I know this! I
feel this! In God I trust.
All my love, Sister Weedon, the Ohio Aussie
During the past 18 months our testimony has grown in many ways. We have seen and felt our Heavenly Father's love for us. We know that our Heavenly Father lives and His Son is Jesus Christ, our Savior. We have seen the power of the Priesthood work miracles for us and others. We know that our Savior has atoned for our sins and is our Advocate with the Father. As we obey His commandments, do His will and repent, we know we can live with Him again. We have been truly blessed as we have served on this mission. We have gained many friends both in the mission and in Ohio. It has been a privilege to serve here in the great Ohio mission with all of you. We will always be grateful to President and Sister Nilsen for their love and concern for us. We have served in the Coshocton area for the entire year and a half we have been here and love the members here. We enjoy going to the temple and taking members with us to serve. We have a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration. Our knowledge and regard for the scriptures has deepened and grown. We leave with an increased desire to continue our conversion and growth in the gospel of our Savior.
Love, Elder & Sister Stoddard
O REMEMBER REMEMBER!!!!!
Because a large number of new missionaries are coming this transfer (24), we probably can expect
that a lot of you will be transferred next week. That means that you need to CLEAN YOUR APART-
MENT very well. If you find a large amount of Commissary buried in your apartment, please return it to the Office. We can easily, and happily, recycle it. Also, please remember to leave your pink Medical
Handbook in your apartment. Do not take it with you!
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