This week has been crazy!
General Conference was absolutely amazing! I learned so much. I think my favorite talk was Elder Villar's talk. It was so awesome. I was able to attend the Priesthood Session Saturday night, and the Sunday Afternoon Session. It was so awesome. The spirit was so strong and so pure. It was wonderful. Especially when President Nelson asked everyone to be quiet and reflective when the temples were announced. I think that this spoke to me especially strongly, because the work that I am mostly engaged in in this mission is to be able to help people do the temple work for the dead. I sat there and cried and cried. So much so that the lady sitting next to me, put her hand on my leg to show _____ (comfort/support/i have no idea). That was really weird. She was pretty though, so I guess there are worse things in life. But in all seriousness it was one of the best experiences I have had in a long time. I was very grateful for the spirit that I felt there, and for the spiritual confirmations and knowledge that i received.
On Wednesday our mission had an awesome meeting with Elders Anderson, and Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They came and spoke to the young missionaries of our mission, and we were able to do a little Q&A with them. I had the pleasure to sit on the front row. Pretty much the whole time, Elder Anderson and Elder Soares were looking at me, and talking almost directly to me. It was very powerful.
¡Fun notes this week!
I saw my dad at conference!
I Saw my mom the next day while I was walking on the street with a member of the district!
After the priesthood session of conference, I sent a "shaka" to Elder Gong, and he sent one back, and Elder Soares gave me a thumbs up!
During the meeting on Wednesday, Elder Soares winked at me, and I winked back, then he laughed a little while Elder Anderson was talking.
Thats pretty much it this week, but I want to end this email with my testimony,
as I don't have many opportunities to do so while here.
as I don't have many opportunities to do so while here.
I know that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's church upon the
earth today. I know that ALL of us have a loving Father in Heaven, who knows us all
individually, and who wants the absolute best for us in this life. I know that because of
this love for us, He prepared a plan and a way for us to be able to get back to Him. As
a focal point of that plan, He sent His Son, our elder brother, to come and live a perfect life,
so that He could take upon Himself the sins of all of mankind. He was the Jehovah of the
old testament, the messiah of the new, and He lives! I know that He performed the
Atonement out of love for us, and that if we chose to, we can access this atonement - this
gift given to us mortals out of love - to be able to become clean. To become whole. I know
this because I have experienced this cleansing in my life. In high school I struggled greatly
with many things, the foremost one being the absolute lack of desire to continue living. I
know that I am still alive and here today through the grave and mercy of God. He lifted me
out of the pit that I found myself in. He did this through other people, and through feelings
and "random" happen chances that occurred. I cannot begin to express the amazing
power that I felt. The absolute love and support that I felt out of what seemed like nowhere,
after I turned to Him. I know that in the spring of 1820, a boy in upstate New York went into
the woods to seek deity. To seek for answers. I know that this boy, Joseph Smith, became
a prophet of God. That through him, but not of him, the Book of Mormon was translated
from gold plates that were delivered to him by the angel Moroni. I know that the priesthood
was restored to the earth through him, and that the keys that he received have been passed
from one prophet to the next, in an unbroken line of succession, and that Russel M. Nelson
is the prophet of God on the earth today, and that by listening to him, and applying the
doctrine of Christ in ourselves, and our lives, that we will be able to return to our Heavenly
Father one day. I am so grateful to be where I am, at the time that I am here.
earth today. I know that ALL of us have a loving Father in Heaven, who knows us all
individually, and who wants the absolute best for us in this life. I know that because of
this love for us, He prepared a plan and a way for us to be able to get back to Him. As
a focal point of that plan, He sent His Son, our elder brother, to come and live a perfect life,
so that He could take upon Himself the sins of all of mankind. He was the Jehovah of the
old testament, the messiah of the new, and He lives! I know that He performed the
Atonement out of love for us, and that if we chose to, we can access this atonement - this
gift given to us mortals out of love - to be able to become clean. To become whole. I know
this because I have experienced this cleansing in my life. In high school I struggled greatly
with many things, the foremost one being the absolute lack of desire to continue living. I
know that I am still alive and here today through the grave and mercy of God. He lifted me
out of the pit that I found myself in. He did this through other people, and through feelings
and "random" happen chances that occurred. I cannot begin to express the amazing
power that I felt. The absolute love and support that I felt out of what seemed like nowhere,
after I turned to Him. I know that in the spring of 1820, a boy in upstate New York went into
the woods to seek deity. To seek for answers. I know that this boy, Joseph Smith, became
a prophet of God. That through him, but not of him, the Book of Mormon was translated
from gold plates that were delivered to him by the angel Moroni. I know that the priesthood
was restored to the earth through him, and that the keys that he received have been passed
from one prophet to the next, in an unbroken line of succession, and that Russel M. Nelson
is the prophet of God on the earth today, and that by listening to him, and applying the
doctrine of Christ in ourselves, and our lives, that we will be able to return to our Heavenly
Father one day. I am so grateful to be where I am, at the time that I am here.
In the name of our Savior, and Redeemer, Jesus the Christ, Amen.
Elder Bartholomew
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