Skipping Stones

Good Morning! 

This week was fairly decent! It also flew by, so that means the transfer is just about over. Next week we hear who leaves and everything else! It's exciting. 

I began the week by snagging Elder Dickey and dragging him to my area for a day. Not literally, it was actually really cool. We found two new friends to teach together, despite 5 hours at the Tabernacle display in Monroe! That was a straight up miracle. 

Then we jumped straight to exchanges with Elder Ioane! I just stayed in Richfield to make things easier. He's a wonderful Elder, I learned a couple things from him and respect his skills a lot more. Exchanges are always a good time to understand the other missionaries, but also pass off or demonstrate skills better. I want to improve how I run exchanges, but that's a skill I'll have to continue to work on. I'll get more practice this week! It should be fun. 

Spring Break for the Richfield people is next week. Turns out half our friends are out of town and the people who we want to start teaching this week might be as well. That will be an adventure to stay productive, but the Lord always provides. He understands our needs to help move His work forward, and our spiritual needs at the same time. How grateful I am to have a Father in Heaven who loves me and knows me! I know Jesus is the Christ, the only means whereby salvation can come to the children of men. 

General Conference, for me, was a really fantastic experience! I've had an interesting spiritual journey these past few weeks, but the Lord provides. The speakers discussed exactly what I needed. Aside from the 3 large meals I received for no reason, I loved everything about it. 

Here's a brief glimpse of my experience. During a lesson on Friday, I testified of my experience coming to know the gospel is true, and receiving a firm, spiritual desire to proclaim the gospel to the world. That was when I knew I needed to return to the Utah St. George Mission. The family I shared my testimony with felt the Spirit. I know that, because I felt a glimmer of fire in my soul. And when the teacher feels the Spirit testify of truth, the hearer will as well. 

Jump from this to the Saturday Morning session of General Conference. Everything the speakers testified of pointed me to the Savior. Everything they discussed taught me how I can more fully rely on Him. There are many tender lessons I learned from that experience, but let me draw on one that will bless your life as well. 

Sister Bonnie H. Cordon described the art of skipping stones across a lake. She highlighted that, too often we are the stone, just skipping across the surface of a vast expanse of knowledge. We start from Point A; the bank, and if we only skip across the surface we find ourselves back where we started: resting on the opposite bank, barely even wet. 

She expressed that we need to dive DEEP into the gospel. Sink into this Conference weekend and absorb all you can, and then keep going. Just like stones don't stop sinking until they hit the bottom, we should never stop sinking into the gospel because you'll never learn all there is to find. 

I want to dive into the gospel, and cease skipping across the surface. Too often it's easy to bounce, moving in a direction and mistaking the sound of rushing wind for progress. It's only when you take the gospel, take Christ, and take the Atonement seriously, that we can find true joy, peace, and direction in our life. Be intentional in your study of the doctrines of Christ, and you will find these promised blessings to be true. 

I have a witness of this. After the Saturday sessions of General Conference, we taught our only lesson that day to a recent convert, Chandlee! She was wonderful to teach as always, but we weren't 100% set on a plan for the lesson. We decided to teach the Plan of Salvation, and it went really well! Chandlee was ready for more knowledge, and the Spirit was ready to convey that knowledge. Elder Mason did a wonderful job, but what I needed was the Spirit to witness to me that the gospel was true, the eternal principles we were teaching were infinitely significant, and that everything would be okay. I left that visit on a spiritual mountain top. 

Remember your Savior. He is the source of true, eternal peace. Follow the counsel of living prophets and apostles, and keep your faith. In fact, do more than keep it. Nurture it, inspire growth, and dive deep into the true gospel of your Savior. 

- Elder Williams

Mailing Address(?):

797 W 50 N #311

Richfield, UT, 84701

Pictures:

1. The beginnings of a haircut . . . Taken two weeks ago. 

2. This is literally the friendliest cat ever. He just climbed up there! 

3. Elder Mason makes really good salads.

4. Sunday sunset!

5. Preparation Day sunrise!

6. General Conference brunch party!