Traditions...August 3, 2015

This week was very crazy but very inspired as we got to hear from our President in our Zone Conference!  We started off the week very normal and were able to work very hard in our area!  It is something we have gotten to do and focus on a couple of people who are progressing towards baptism and activation.  Wednesday we were able to work with one of the Assistants named Elder Black and he is from Arkansas.  It is pretty funny to see some of the faces on people as they watched three Gringos walking down the street talking a good amount of Spanglish!! (sometimes I laugh at me and my companion because we will start a conversation in English and by the end we are talking Spanish again!! :)

On Wednesday we had Zone Conference!  The assistants trained us on a new sheet that the First Presidency has come out with called Traditions of a Latter Day Saint!  It was very interesting as it explained how traditions (when taken from it's root in Latin) means deliver yourself and we know it means an action or habit.  Then he used the example of Nephi and how he was instructed by his parents (1 Nephi 1:1) and how the family then split (2 Nephi 4) and how his older brothers then destroyed the "Traditions" of Lehi.  It is kind of like a snowball effect from there...

Those traditions (Keep the Sabbath Day Holy, Tithing, Live the principles taught in the Proclamation of the Family, Prayer, Scripture Study, Family Home Evenings, and Go to the Temple) then kind of lead into what President Searle taught about which is always obedience!  He just kind of explained that the mission is a MTC for the rest of our life and we can be obedient because of fear, or we can be obedient for love of our Savior.  It kind of reminded me of a phrase that was said by Pte. Vega (Missions 1st Councilor) "We need to be Men and Women of God.  No longer children of God"  It has had an impact on what I do!  Reading in Preach My Gospel just affirms that saying that if the people don't recognize us as representatives of Christ right when they see us then we aren't doing what we should be doing!  It all starts with our obedience and then our conference was all tied together saying that if we can't start to live those 7 principles in the mission we won't be able to teach them to our kids in the future or be able to teach them with a good example and then turned back to the example of the Book of Mormon and Lehi's family. 

I am glad to say that I have been raised by goodly parents and I have been able to experience many wonderful things in the mission.  I feel the Lord has been able to do what he would do with me to this point and I am so glad that I have so much time left to learn so much more!  The mission truly is a time in our life to become completely converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know it is true and I know our Savior lives!!  I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!!!

Love, Elder Slack