Elder Stott in Australia, Thoughts on Conference

I would like to take the opportunity to share part of a letter that my son Dalton sent home from the Sydney South Australian mission. In Australia they watch conference a week later than we do so last week’s letter reflected Elder Stott’s thoughts on conference. --Brother Ryan Stott, High Council

"Conference is SO AMAZING as a missionary.  Every talk just seems to bring the spirit so strong and encourage you to keep going.  My favorite part about conference is that it is a "lift me up", not "bring me down." It helps us and motivates us to keep going.  It warns us of things that we need to be careful of and protect ourselves and our families against and it helps us in cleaning up things that we need to clean up.  But the purpose of conference is not to tear us down.  No matter where you are in life you are doing GREAT!!!  And I encourage you all to keep going.  Life is hard and it is meant to be hard.  One of my favorite quotes from Elder Holland this isn't exact but close, "why should it be easy for us when it was never easy for the best person to ever walk the face of this earth?"  I love this quote because it is talking about our Savior Jesus Christ.  It is so true!  When we look back on our Savior's life, He went through so much.  So much pain, so much rejection, so much let down.  His life was so hard, but He was able to do it.  Our lives will never come close to what our Master went through while He was here.  But we can follow His example.  One of my most favorite hymns is "Come Follow Me" He was that example to us, a perfect example and we have all the tools and things we need to follow Him.

"We can ALL do it and just imagine the reward at the end.  It will be better then a big bowl of ice cream with all the toppings or for me a big bowl of popcorn:) WE can do it and I encourage all of us to keep going.”

A Call to Action That Sparked a Life Changing Event

Smithfield 16th Ward shares a video from the Ward Mission leader about how a young member issued a call to action that sparked a life changing event for another. Amazing story!

Friends Make All the Difference

I love this time of year, as it provides more opportunities to be together with my family.

The other night we were having dinner with my son and his new wife. He was sharing stories about high school years and how he got to know one of his very close friends. They got to know each other in the back of math class where neither of them paid attention (not what a Dad wants to hear) but they found that they had similar interests and a friendship formed.

They both took their own paths to get through high school but, they did share other classes. Then after graduating from school they even worked at the same company for a time. Then it was time to really consider a mission; my son was able to make the commitment and go but, his friend was not sure.

Two years came and went. My son had a great mission experience then came home and began again working with this great friend. It made coming home so much easier to have him there. They began to do things together, as they did his friend's attitude changed about going on a mission. He could see the benefit and felt the Lord's call and he knew it was what he was to do. His time to serve had now come. It was now my son's turn to have a hard time seeing his friend leave.

His friend is now serving the Lord, he is older and wiser. We read his letters every week, pray for him each day, and it has become very obvious that he is a powerful and obedient missionary. While math will likely not be either of their focuses in later life, it appears that it was more than a coincidence that they got together there.

The Lord has called all young men to serve a mission, but not all need to go at 18. Sometimes the right time is a little later. I thank the Lord for the opportunity that I have had to watch the change in these two boys' lives and testify that missionary service can make all the difference.

-Karl Reid, Sunday School President, Smithfield 6th Ward

Stories from Sister Marielle Larsen's Mission

Sister Marielle Larsen from the 5th Ward has been serving in the France Lyon Mission for a little over 15 months. Her mother Anne shares some of her stories.

"Her mission covers the southern part of France and all of the French-speaking part of Switzerland, which is where I grew up. She served for 6 months in CH (short for Confoederatio Helvetica, the Latin name for Switzerland) where she got to see her relatives, and is now in Lyon, France.

"While in Switzerland, she taught a lady from India named S. S. had passed by the chapel and asked the sisters if they could tell her more about Jesus. They started teaching her and became close. One day she confided in them that she felt very lonely and depressed because she was far away from home, her husband worked a lot and she didn’t know anyone in CH or speak any French. Marielle said:

      Most days that we meet with her, she is bubbly and full of light and curiosity to learn more about Jesus Christ. This week, however, we had a really serious meeting with her. She was talking about how she has been full of anxiety recently and her head aches and she just can't stop feeling stressed. I testified of the power of prayer and of the comfort of the Holy Spirit. She said she has tried and she prays all the time, but she can't stop the anxiety. She expressed her despair because she has no one to share these things with but us, and she doesn't want to burden us. My companion and I were pretty lost. We had a rendezvous with a potential investigator so we had to leave, but we said we would come back. 

      Earlier that morning, before the meeting with S., we had missed our train. So I told my companion that we would take the bus, even though it would take longer. We got on the bus and a girl named T. sat down next to us with a beautiful scarf. I complimented her on it, but she didn't understand and replied in English. I excitedly started a conversation with her and it turned out she was from India and was looking for an apartment in town. We got off the bus before getting her number and I hoped we would see her again. 

       WELL, guess who we saw on our way back to S.’s house? T.! I practically ran after her and we got her number. As we were walking to S.'s home, a thought clicked in my head that Heavenly Father had totally put T. on our path so she could be friends with S.! We put them in contact with each other and T. is going to move into their apartment. Miracle! God loves S. and He loves us!

"Another experience that I want to share is the story of M. who is a 45-year-old man from Togo, Africa. I quote Marielle:

       M. has gone through some really tough things that he does not tell us about. He has no family left. One day he passed by the chapel and saw the sign saying The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The phrase Latter-Day Saints just kept running through his head, so he went to church one Sunday. This was the beginning of him learning about the Gospel.  

       He seemed to be very enthusiastic at first, but did not make any progress for a while. So one day, we taught one lesson where we really focused on the fact that God has commanded us to read the scriptures and that it's only in reading each day that we can come to understand them and gain a testimony. He committed to do it each day. We met with him 3 times this week and on Friday. He said that something had happened to him that had brought him a lot of joy. The night before, he had dreamed that he was dressed all in white. Then he woke up, got on his knees, and prayed to know what his dream meant. Immediately after he fell asleep and had another dream. It was a man telling him 'to leave the darkness.' He said that when he woke up, he wasn't sure what to think, so he opened the Book of Mormon and read a scripture that filled him with joy and he had been feeling joy all day. The change in him was so clear. He understands things we haven't even taught him or discussed. The Spirit is definitely a better teacher than I am. It's so cool to see the change that comes about in us when we apply the Gospel and follow the commandments of Christ in our lives.

"Marielle was transferred and M. was baptized shortly after.

"In her emails, Marielle often describes how grateful she is for her mission. She says:

       The best part of my mission is just being really close to Heavenly Father and the Spirit and feeling Him really near. 

       One thing that I feel like I am really learning on my mission is how the Lord truly does refine us in ways that we might not understand fully in the moment, but that in the process, he heals us above and beyond our expectations. It really fascinated me to learn about the skeletal system in my anatomy and physiology class at school. We learned about how our bones' cells are constantly breaking themselves down and building new bone behind. Thus, our bones continually renew the material there and we grow bigger and stronger. That's how conversion is. God doesn't just build over the old material and hope that the good things stick. That wouldn't work. He breaks us down and lets us feel around in the dark for a bit until we realize that we need His help. Then, with His help, we become 'new creatures' and our hearts are changed. He fills us in abundance. It's astounding and miraculous. He's so merciful and I can feel how my love for my Saviour has changed and deepened as I have had to lean on Him and put everything in His hands because I just. can't. do. it. alone. It's not possible. I can't do it without His love and His wisdom and I definitely can't do it without the Spirit. 

       The mission is really nothing at all like I imagined. I think I imagined us going door to door and being rejected all of the time and then finally one day having a huge miracle. It's not at all like that. Really, the thing we do the most is just serve people while testifying of Jesus Christ and of His Gospel. We try to show people Heavenly Father's love at all times, and I adore that. There's nothing as fulfilling as seeing the light in someone's eyes when they realize they're not alone with their problems, that they're not alone in this world. I love it. I love being a missionary and I love being here.

"I will just add that I have personally felt an added portion of the Spirit enter our home after Marielle was set apart as a missionary and I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings peace, comfort and joy into our life and I am thankful that Marielle can share it with others, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen"

A Message from Conference and the Mission Field

In years past I have usually listened to the Saturday morning and afternoon sessions of General Conference while I worked on some project in or around my home.  This year I decided I was going watch,  and  pay full attention to, all of the sessions. I was blessed for doing so.  One of the blessings that I received was the opportunity to sustain the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the other General Authorities.  As everyone knows, three new members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were called and then sustained Saturday afternoon. I don't personally know all of the three men called, but I do know that they are faithful, worthy men of God. I also know that they were called by the Lord through a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, President Thomas S. Monson.

In the Sunday morning session Elder Renlund touched my heart and helped me to feel the Spirit very, very strongly when he talked about how we can truly magnify our service to the Lord only when we forget ourselves and focus on what the Lord wants us to do.    Elder Renlund states: "To effectively serve others, we must see them through a parent’s eyes, through Heavenly Father’s eyes. Only then can we comprehend the true worth of a soul. Only then can we sense the love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children. Only then can we sense the Savior’s caring concern for them".

Our missionaries work hard to see people through God's eyes and know of our Heavenly Father's love for each of them.  My son, Elder Archibald is serving in a small town in Mexico.  He relates this example of the blessings that come when you forget yourself and try to see people through our Heavenly Father's eyes.  He says: "We continue to work hard here with little result.  We work hard because I know that there is someone here who needs God.  I have never worked so hard, or thought of so many ways to help people, and every time have everything thrown back in my face.  If I look at my situation, in reality, my life here should be horrible, but somehow I am always super happy.  I know that I am happy because I truly live the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We really have nothing else".

I have a testimony that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is led by our Savior through inspired men and women who love each of us and love God. I also know that God loves all of us more than we can ever imagine.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Brother Andy Archibald, Smithfield Utah South Stake High Councilor

Sister Justine Larsen serving in Cambodia, suffers illness, lives with ants and builds faith

Sister Anne Larsen of the 5th ward shared the following messages from her daughter Justine Larsen currently serving in the Cambodia Phnom Penh mission. She has been serving for 8 months.

"Two weeks after arriving in Cambodia Justine woke up one morning and couldn’t move one side of her face. After many tests to rule out tumors, she was misdiagnosed with Bell’s palsy for 2 months and last month, we found out she really had Ramsey Hunt syndrome, which happens when a shingle infection affects the facial nerve near the ear. What it meant for her was that the right side of her face was completely paralyzed; she had severe headaches and earaches, which made her exhausted. She also had to sleep with her eye-taped shut. Thankfully her condition improved drastically after 3 weeks. 

Here is what she wrote about her living conditions when she was struggling with her sickness and was confined to a cockroach and ant infested apartment. 

"I wipe ants off of everything. Every spoon/plate/cup I use; every shirt I put on; I find one in my retainer case almost every day; I pick them out of my rice sometimes.

We had the hottest night of my whole month here this week. It was so hot that none of us could sleep. At one point I just got up and walked around, because I couldn't handle just sitting and sweating. It's hot season right now, and everyone says it's one of the hottest they've ever experienced. I don't think I've ever prayed so hard in my life. And I feel awful that that's what I prayed about, but it was so hot. I couldn't even cry it was so hot.

I keep telling my companion that I have met my match in Cambodia. Cambodia has decimated and razed me to the floor. It's a harsh place to live."

Being in Cambodia has also been very hard emotionally.  She wrote: 

"On Tuesday we were at a member's house and she lost $20 (which is a lot of money in Cambodia) She had been saving it to pay off a debt that she inherited and the debt collector was coming to get the money that day. She just sat down and sobbed about how hard her life has been and that she would rather die than live. The whole time we were there I wanted to give her the $20 bill in my bag so badly, but our mission president has advised us to not give money or we would have to give to everyone. 

Yesterday we visited an 18-year-old boy with stomach cancer. The elders gave him a blessing and we just talked to him for a bit after that. His parents said that he's going to die because they don't have the money to pay the doctors anymore and there's nothing else to do for him. It's just so sad. These people have such hard lives. I'm having a hard time keeping it together just writing it out to you. The circumstances here are the stuff of nightmares. 

As rough as this mission is in some ways, it really is an incredible mission. Sister E. and I have started to try writing down all the miracles that happen every day. Cambodia is an incredible place for a lot of reasons.

One of our members stopped selling rice so she could start reading her scriptures more. She is the same lady who had lost her $20 and not once while searching her house did she even think to touch her tithing money, which would have covered at least some of the debt. 

Another member Om Sarouen is an incredible example of what it means to be a member missionary. She is the mother of both of our branch presidents. She has befriended and referred a number of our current investigators and she continually serves and loves them.

She also has gone through some really terrible things. She was 20 years old when Pol Pot took over. (Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge regime that killed between 1-3 million people in the late 70s) 

She told us that when Vietnam came into the country, she had just barely given birth to her first-born, who is now the branch president of Ta Khmau Branch 2. Because of the chaos during that time, she was separated from her husband and had to run with her ten-day-old baby to Vietnam to safety. 

Later on, the same child, was really sick to the point where he was slipping in and out of consciousness. He was given a priesthood blessing while the family was learning about the gospel and healed. From that point on their family has been an incredible strength for the church in Ta Khmau. 

Yesterday she went over to one of our investigators' house before church to give her a hug and invite her to church. Unbeknownst to her, our investigator had been really struggling that morning because of some difficult family problems. 

Our investigator told us later, Om Sarouen's hug made her start crying because she felt so loved and gave her the little push she needed to come to church. Our investigator even bore her testimony of her trust in God during fast and testimony meeting. Members are where the miracles happen."

This is how Justine describes a typical lesson:“ We walk through little walkways through fields of trash and debris to get to a little alley, which has a ton of doors on either side. Go in one of the doors and you find a little room with cement or tile floors, cement walls, and a tin roof. There's usually a rice cooker, somewhere to hang some clothes, a mattress or pad, and that's it.  We all sit on the floor for the lesson and drip with sweat and there are usually ants crawling around and someone's cell phone goes off in the middle of the lesson or a crowd of kids gathers at the door and they giggle and shriek every time you smile up at them.

Despite being so different from what I thought would be the "ideal lesson", we've had some really incredible lessons here. Some of the people we teach just seem to get it. They take everything we say so seriously and they apply what we teach them immediately. We have people asking us how long before they can get baptized. Their faith is so inspiring. One of our investigators is mad she's not baptized yet, because she wants to pay tithing. 

I'm so grateful for my mission. I could never have grown like I am now without this experience. I have had moments that were so difficult but now are so near to my heart. I still have moments that are so difficult, but it's a good difficult. 

As I write this email, I keep having to pick ants off my arms that are crawling all over the desk of this internet shop. It's just a part of life here. One of our members fed us a bowl of fried chicken innards with ants crawling all over it. It was actually pretty tasty. 

Every week is just that much better. It's still hot here. I still drip with sweat every night while making dinner. I still walk through trash and pick ants off my silverware before using it. I still have weird health things that are just part of living in a rough environment. 

The difference has been in me. I really have found myself changing and choosing to be happier.  In Philippians 4:11–13, Paul is stuck in a Roman prison after years of rough missionary service and he writes: 

“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
“I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” 

Is the Atonement real?

Yes. I testify from experience that it is a real power. When we think we can't go any further, we can find strength through Christ. 

It's really humbling to realize this isn't my work. I think I came in thinking I was going to be able to work hard and have success by relying on my abilities, but that belief got squashed real quickly. My job really is just to love, follow the Spirit, and trust in the Lord.

I have learned so much since I got here. I've learned that my best doesn't mean perfect and that's ok. I've learned that any effort is one step closer to your goal no matter how small. I've learned that the Atonement can change people. I've learned that God doesn't require us to be perfect- rather He asks us to try. I've learned that despite the incredibly difficult circumstances and trials some people have to endure in this life, there is hope for a better future and a better life in Christ. I've learned God is a forgiving and merciful Father who is always waiting for us to turn to Him. 

I know that God lives, that He is mindful of His children and I know that He loves each one of us. I've felt that to be true as I share that love with those around me."

- Sister Justine Larsen

Sister Lauren Boring is weeks away from completing a successful mission in the California Ventura Mission

My youngest child and daughter, Lauren, is about three weeks away from completing a successful mission in the California Ventura Mission.  Shortly after President Thomas S. Monson made his historic announcement reducing the missionary ages from 19 to 18 for elders and 21 to 19 for the sisters, I asked her what she thought and she said, "No, I prayed about it and the Lord said I am on track doing what I am doing now."  I hate to admit this, but I was relieved.  My son, Wade, had just returned from the Brazil Campinas Mission and I had wanted him to go, of course, but I never really expected (and truth be told, wanted) my daughters to go.  If they wanted to go, I would support them, but I was much more comfortable if they stayed home and got their educations.

A few weeks after our initial conversation, Lauren entered into the living room and announced in a loud voice, "I have an announcement!"  My first and immediate thought was she was getting married which really concerned me because I hadn't heard she was dating anyone.  Then she said, "I am going on a mission!"  Talk about mixed emotions.  Half of me was saying, "Yay!"  the other half of me was sobbing, "No!"  I asked her what happened to the answer to her prayer?  She said she was sitting in church and got this overpowering feeling she should go on a mission, so she prayed again, only this time the answer was yes, she should go.

I was concerned, all right, I was scared.  I could only imagine where the Lord would send her.  She was willing to go anywhere.  Then that fateful day came when the large white envelope from Salt Lake City arrived in the mail.  She opened it and began reading.  My heart was pounding in anticipation.  Then she read the words "California Ventura Mission."  I grew up in Southern California, and while it has its rough spots, generally she was going to a pretty nice part of California.

As Sister Boring wraps up her mission, I can't express enough how proud I am of her for her willingness to forget about herself and serve others for 18 months.  She has indicated in her letters how much she loves her mission, but she is ready and excited to see and be with her family, again.  She has had many amazing, spiritual experiences, experiences that will remain with her throughout her life.  She is not the same person she was when she left.  She has grown spiritually, mentally and emotionally.  She left home a 20 year old girl, but is returning home a strong, mature and independent 21 year old woman.

In a day and age when selfishness seems to run rampant, I am thankful for the young men and women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who literally put their lives on hold for 18 months to 2 years to serve God and their fellow human beings.  It is really an amazing feat when you think about it.  We have some pretty special young adults in our Church, and I thank God for them and pray for them each and every day.

Let me close with a quote from one of Sister Boring's recent letters:  "I love the Lord. . . .  I'm still focused, I'm excited to be home, but I desire to give my all and do my best.  That's what I will continue to do."

- Brother Michael Boring, Stake High Councilor

Missionary Letter: Elder Riley Archibald

This post is a portion of an email sent home from Elder Riley Archibald who is serving in a small town in Mexico. I thought it contained a great message for all of us.

Elder Archibald said:

We are working very hard to try to bring the less active and non active people to church. The town has 211 members, but only about 20 are active. We brought 6 less active/inactive members back to church on Sunday. I was super happy for that. One of these people is now one of my favorite people. His name is Miguel and he is about 80 years old. We went to visit another person at almost the farthest point that we go outside of town. We found Miguel sitting on a rock waiting for the man to pass with his tortillas for the day. He said that he was a Church member, but he hadn’t been to church in 10 years.  He would like to go to church but the tricycle taxis don’t go that far from the town center.  We told him that we would be by at 8:30 Sunday morning to pick him up in the car of a member. When we passed by, Miguel was all ready to go, just like he had never missed a day of church.

Through Miguel I learned that there really are lost sheep that are our brothers and sisters that really can’t get to our Heavenly Father, not because they don’t want to, but because they don’t know how. I challenge all of you to invite someone to an activity of whatever kind or just to make a new friend with someone at work.  Help them find the Lord. The Lord has time for everyone and I know that if we work hard, God will be there to help us.

With tons of love,

Elder Archibald

- Brother Andy Archibald, Stake High Councilor