Week Two

Hola everyone!

This week at the MTC has been great! It's been challenging, but it's been great! There hasn't much that has been going on this week. Just more scripture and language study! I feel my desire to learn more about the scriptures everyday. Sometimes I get so caught up in it, that I mark every important thing I see in every verse. Preach my Gospel says that's bad so I better stop doing it. But, I get so much more out of it! First off, I would just like to say thank you so much for the cookies and the food and laundry stuff! You definitely spoil me. And it's great that Springville is so close because I get the mail the next day! 

Last night was probably the most eventful night I have had here. I was going to punch my companion in the shoulder (not to hurt him of course), but then my hand slipped off his shoulder and totally knocked him right in the face! He started bleeding and I freaked out! I got some paper towels and tried to help him out as much as I can. He is such a good guy and told me that it was okay, mistakes happen. I am so blessed to have such a good companion!

 So...yeah...pretty eventful...on a lighter note! 

We had our second devotional in the Marriot Center and had Robert C. Gay of the Seventy spoke to the missionaries. I forgot to mention this in my last email, but my district is in the choir! Our experience is so great being with the choir! It's just so great to get thousands of us together and sing songs about missionary work. We sang "Hark, All Ye Nations" on Tuesday's devotional. It sounds really cool! The tenor part is kinda hard because it goes really high. But, I like challenges so bring it!

Elder Gay talked about how we need to feel the spirit to be good missionaries. And one thing he said was that our missions will reach our full potential if members will help. So I invite everyone to go tomormon.org and send referrals to the missionaries. I don't how that works, but it does. One story he said to us was that he went over to a house before he was going to speak in a stake conference and in the house was a man who was inactive in the church. He asked the stake president who came with him, out of all the houses that you have in your stake, why this one? The president said he would find out. They then when into the house of the inactive member and talked to him and asked him how he was doing. The man had a family and they were all active, but he wasn't. Elder Gay then said to him, after getting to know him, "Why did you invite us to come into your house?" "What made you want us to come in?" They got to talking about baptism and what he thought about the church. Elder Gay then asked him, "Have you ever read the Book of Mormon?" The man answered, "No." "How many missionary lessons have you had? The man answered, I've had 4 sets of missionaries come over to my house." Elder Gay then said, "You have had 4 sets of missionaries come over and they never committed you to reading the Book of Mormon?" Of course, the man's answer was no. Elder Gay asked him if he would read the Book of Mormon and pray to know that it is true. This man was inactive for 22 years, just because he didn't know if the church was true. And no one invited him to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. This man is now active because of what Elder Gay said to him.

Following the spirit is cruicial in anyone's life. Elder Gay said that you NEED to follow the spirit even if it is a weird request. Even Nephi, when he left to get the brass plates, he was unsure if that was what the spirit was telling him. And Nephi, being the best person ever and just being obedient, did it. And we needed those plates for today.

Again, I can't leave without an Avatar example. I'm a nerd, I know. But, this has nothing to do with Elder Gay's talk or anything that I've mentioned before, well kinda maybe. I have been thinking about what I need to do to have people feel the spirit when I teach them. I was thinking about what the lionturtle said, yes a lionturtle, look it up. Before he gave Aang the ability to take someone's bending away and before that cool light battle he says, "In order to bend another's energy, you must become unbendable or you will be corrupted and destroyed." Such a cool quote! So, when we are teaching someone, we must stand firm in our testimony. We need to build our foundation upon a rock! We need to know that this gospel is true! Or like I said, we will be corrupted and destroyed.

I love you all very much! I pray for you every night that we may be converted to the gospel. I would love to hear from everyone! Please send letters!

I want to leave an bear my testimony that I know this church is true. I know that we need to have a firm testimony and become worthy to help people come unto Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and that it is the word of God. I love all of you very much! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Con amor,

Elder Grant Benjamin Evans