The Time Is Far Spent

Good Morning!

Elders, Sisters, and Brothers; my missionary service is far spent, but it has been well spent. Tomorrow marks the beginning of my final transfer as a missionary, and it will be a 5 week transfer on top of that. I am staying in Minersville with Elder Dale, so nothing much is changing over here. We have some good momentum, hopefully we can capitalize on some of that over the next few weeks! 

We had the baptisms of Journie & Tyne, as well as Joshua this last Saturday. They were all confirmed on Sunday, at the same time, in completely different towns! So we definitely were late to Journie & Tyne's confirmations, but that's okay. I had the privilege of performing them, so they couldn't start without me. I'll be honest, the joy of helping them prepare for and be baptized was completely overshadowed by what happened later that day . . . 

We had a Mission Conference with Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He visited our mission briefly, accompanied by Elder Kevin W. Pearson, Area President of Utah. It was a joy to sit at his feet and learn from the Holy Ghost as Elder Bednar endeavored to instruct us after the manner of righteousness. Fun fact, I was wearing the same color tie as him (it was yellow). I'm super proud of that fact. 

I learned so much from Elder Bednar. He taught us how to receive revelation. Before he came, we were assigned to study five different talks of his on the following topics; prayer, learning by faith, repentance, conversion, and obedience. I've gained so many powerful insights from those talks over the past 10 days. It was truly a unique and powerful experience to witness Elder Bednar utilize these skills as he instructed us. Instead of a typical lecture, he turned our 3 hours into a question and answer session. Sometimes he was asking questions, sometimes we were, but his ability to sense the Spirit and teach by the Spirit is astounding. Many of the things he would do I have attempted in my own teaching. His example helped me see how I could improve in my own efforts. 

At the end he invited us to ponder on one, perhaps two, five word phrases that would be constant reminders for us moving forward in life. These phrases would be actions or ideals we can strive for moving forward in life. Here's my primary one:

Learn to become an agent.

The difference between an agent and an object is that an agent seeks opportunities to act. They act in faith and trust in God. Agents are proactive and seek the influence of the Spirit. Agents change the lives of those around them, by internalizing and reflecting the Savior's love and grace. On the other hand, objects are passive. They are inert unless forced to move, and they primarily react to situations they are found in. They cannot truly experience faith, because faith requires action. 

As I become an agent and act for myself, consciously choosing to follow Christ, I can then seek learning by faith. This involves being receptive to the Spirit, and retaining a focus on Jesus Christ. Learning by faith takes action, and sincere questions and thought. When we study the scriptures, an object simply reads the verses. Agents ponder how these verses apply to their life, what they learned about Christ, and most importantly, how they are going to act because of what they learned. The most crucial role here is the influence of the Holy Ghost. Without his guiding influence, we never will truly realize our full, divine potential. 

I've learned a lot about the Holy Ghost over the past 2 1/2 years. Perhaps the most crucial thing to note is that without the influence of the Holy Ghost, we can not and will not survive spiritually. This world is full of chaos, confusion, and disorder. None of these are from our loving Heavenly Father. Only by the influence of the Holy Ghost can we recognize truth, act on spiritual promptings, and keep ourselves and our family spiritually safer. This life will not be easy, but through acting on the gospel of Jesus Christ, it will be easier. 

I'll share one more thing Elder Bednar taught; he told us not to write down any of the quotes he or those who accompanied him say. Instead, he asked us to seek revelation and strive to understand what the Holy Ghost is telling us to do. That will be infinitely more valuable than a collection of words and sentences he could say. 

Truly, March 9th has been a day to remember. I will ponder on this experience for the rest of my life, and beyond. There are so many powerful, unique opportunities I have as a missionary. The more notable ones are often featured in my emails. Yet some of the deeply personal and impactful experiences are individual and subtle by nature. They come through the constant influence of the Holy Ghost, and his edifying power. I've learned so much as a missionary. At the feet of Elder Bednar, an Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, I received answers to all the questions I'd been carrying. These answers came by the Holy Ghost and into my heart. I'm thankful for the preparation I did to better become an agent that day, and every day. 

On a lighter subject, we've seen quite a few bald eagles and golden eagles on our drives between Beaver, Minersville, and Milford. It's pretty cool to witness. Also, I'm excited but nervous for my final transfer. This moment has been so far away for so long, and I have a little bit of time left. However, that time will fly, and I'll be home one day. I pray I may always remember the lessons and experiences I have in the Utah, St. George Mission. 

- Elder Williams

Pictures: 

1. Joshua at his baptism!

2. Elder Dunford.

3. Elder Wing! I trained his trainer. 

4. Aaliyah Cruz, my (probably) favorite convert! 

5. It's another chicken.

6. Elder Dale and I walking. In Greenville. If you can't find it then I'm not surprised, it almost doesn't exist. 

7. District Council!

8. Taos in the Enoch Stake passed his baptismal interview!

9. Journie & Tyne at their baptism!

10. The mission picture with Elder Bednar! I'm towards the back, in the middle right.