It is good to see the elders doing good work. The service they do is valuable for both helping those in need and boosting their testimonies and spirit. Dallon sent the following email.
Cool, it sounds like everybody is having a great time. This week wasn't crazy like last week, but it was good and went by super fast. We taught Mark the 2nd and 3rd lessons, which went super well. He completely understands everything we teach him, and it all just makes perfect sense to him. He is just a perfect investigator. This week we are going to finish the lessons by teaching him the commandments and laws and ordinances. The spirit is just so strong when we teach him, and it brings us so much joy to teach him. I have come to know that when you teach others the gospel that you can really feel God's love for them very powerfully.
We have another investigator named Mark who we took to the visitors center on Tuesday. He is 24 and an atheist with a Jewish background. He had come to the missionaries just before I got here, asking for a Book of Mormon. He works a lot, so that was the first chance we have had to meet with him. He enjoyed the trip, and wanted to come again. We did the Christess room, the Jerusalem room, Modern day prophets, and then watched a really good Mormon message called The Hope of God's Light. He seems genuinely interested, and said that he would try to come to church this Sunday!
On Thursday and Saturday, we went and did service as you could tell from the picture. The person that takes the pictures is Yvonne, she is a non-member who lives at the apartment complex. The guy with the long hair is the apartment manager, he can't get the owner to approve and pay for the landscaping, which is why they asked for our help. They are all going to be out of town next week, so we won't go back for another 2 weeks, which means no pictures:(
On Friday we went on exchanges, since Elder Taylor is the district leader we went on exchanges with the zone leaders, who are Spanish speaking. SO for most of the day I just ate Spanish food, and listened to our zone leader, Elder Gillman, speak Spanish to people.
Sunday was enjoyable, I actually got to go to class this week. For the second week in a row, there was a homecoming talk from a missionary. He talked about how no matter how unqualified we think we are, if we have faith the lord will bless us and give us the power to do great things. I enjoyed his talk. The return missionary is also friends with the singer David Archuleta, so he came to hear the homecoming talk. I got a chance to shake his hand and talk to him for a minute about being a missionary, which was pretty cool. We also met a 12 year old girl named Aleia Rose who just signed a contract to sing with Disney, so it was pretty cool. In class we talked about how great the greatest gift is the gift of the holy ghost. Several convert shared their testimony about how it has changed their lives, so it was a good lesson.
I have a couple questions for you Dad. first is a question another missionary asked that I couldn't answer, If people can be healed by their faith alone why do we do priesthood blessings? Also I was wondering if you have a specific example of the blessing you have received from me going on my mission. ONe last one, Was this email descriptive enough? Hope you all have a good week, can't wait to hear from you.
Elder Burnside
I told him
"I have received several powerful witnesses of the spirit that the work is true when I was helping you to get on your mission and again when I am sharing in your experiences. How do you describe a powerful witness of the spirit. For me, it is a thrill that courses through out my body, accompanied by a mental assurance to the truth of what I have heard. It is probably that mental assurance that makes it so different from routine thrills, like a roller coaster. At that moment I can't imagine anything else beyond god's love and the truthfulness of the work. The point of this life is to try to get that way more often. That is the main way that I have been blessed by your missionary service. I have also been blessed to share some of the gospel with coworkers as I describe your experience in Hollywood. In fact I just paused and showed two coworkers, who just walked in, your last picture and described what I was doing. I bore a short testimony about how important it was to immerse yourself in the work and how that allowed you to feel the spirit in a way that was otherwise unachievable. I have also been blessed financially as we have paid for your mission.
Your other question. Yes, we can be healed by faith alone. If we have faith, however, won't we do what the Lord has asked and obtain priesthood blessings? The power in the priesthood is real, that power combined with the faith and prayers of MULTIPLE people involved in the performance of the blessing ordinance, can accomplish more and allow our father in heaven to bless us more. Certainly, if I could not get a priesthood blessing my faith may be sufficient, but if I can I will. "
I really believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives and brings us real happiness. Jesus Christ was truly the son of God and is the means by where we can return to live with a heavenly father as families in the eternities.
To conclude this weeks exchanges Elder Burnside did apologize for not sending more pictures and sent the following one as well.
So amazing to see blessings for both Dallon as a missionary and you guys! We love you guys!
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