2-11-13

Family,

This week was another one of those "meh" weeks. We got a couple new investigators (one of which seems very promising) and we have a baptism scheduled for this Saturday. I hope it holds because we still have a few things to do with her before she can be baptized. She got sick over the weekend so didn't make it to church yesterday. Hopefully she can hold her appointment with us for tomorrow. Thursday and Friday were really tough days for me although it was fun to go on exchanges with Elder Warner. He was in my MTC district and is super funny. I'm so happy to hear that Spencer got his mission call to Billings, Montana. That will be like Colin's mission, I'm sure because of the cold and terrain. Also last week, I conducted my first district meeting with President Keyes giving interviews at the same time. I don't mind giving trainings but I know that I'm not the most entertaining district leader. I gave it on chapter 8 of Preach my Gospel How to Use time wisely and talked about the importance of planning backups to your backups and having something productive to do every hour of the day. Elder Burden, my district leader in Wamego, described it a lot better than I did but I hope they got something out of my training that they could use and be motivated to change in their work. My interviews with President Keyes (the best mission president EVER) went well and I look forward to the opportunity to serving my district. I have now realized the importance of personal revelation now that I am praying for the members in my district. My zone leaders are really good at reminding me how to be a district leader and what care I need to give to each of the persons needs. Hopefully I can grow from this experience and be able to be an example of how to be a missionary to not only the new ones but those that have been out longer than I have. I hit my 8 month mark this week meaning I have completed one-third of the whole thing. That just blows my mind. Pretty soon It'll be a year. (Dang it! I forgot what I wanted to say!) Anyways, I hope to continue to work hard this week and leave no regrets (not like I have any regrets now). Oh, in case you are wondering, Spring training should be starting up in about 2 weeks. I would be excited but don't really care now that I'm out here. 

Okay, I have a couple of things to ask Dad/Mom/anybody who might know the answer. Did Joseph Smith have multiple wives? I have met several RLDS people (community of Christ, same thing) and every one of them say that he never did. Then again, they believe in everything Joseph Smith says but don't believe in several key revelations given to him like the Word of Wisdom and Eternal marriage. My opinion is that that church makes no sense to me. They keep changing their doctrine over and over (like now gays and lesbians are allowed to be married and how you don't need to be baptized to join the church). We talked to a lady yesterday who said that there isn't a true church on the Earth right now even though she's RLDS. Their doctrine just seems so sad. I'm not dissing on them (okay, I am) but I just think that church has become so worldly over the past 30 years. It's just like other churches how people wander from one church to another seeking which pastor they like best. Ephesians 4:5 says: "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." There's also another scripture in Ephesians that I do not like at all because it talks about "By grace are ye saved. Not of works..." Or something like that. People have become so lazy these days it's not even funny. And yet they say "Oh, I don't care about now. In the end, God will tell me which way was right and that is the way that is right." Are you kidding me people?! Alma 34:34 says otherwise: "Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent; that I will return to my God. Nay ye cannot say this. For that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the same time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world." Sorry, I think I just needed to vent a little bit. But I'm sure you see it in San Diego too where people have everything they need and don't want something hard like the gospel in their life. Whatever.

I'm excited for Jayson to begin baseball again and Cody pole vaulting. I expect pictures. By the way, is there anything you would like me to take a picture of? Dad, thanks for telling me about your week. I hope you had a good one. In my prayers last week (both morning and night) I have been struggling with paying attention. I guess that's the kind of spiritual tiredness that makes me come home on a stretcher that you always talk about. Hopefully I will be able to make my prayers meaningful enough so that the people I pray for can feel the blessings pour out upon them. Could I make a suggestion to do for you or the ward? Get a 3x5 card and write 5 names of people that are out of the gospel or less active and pray for those people by name that they will experience a mighty change of heart. It's worked in the whole stake here so maybe it can work for the ward. I know I shouldn't say that I will direct the ward because that's your job. I just wanted to suggest it because I know the blessings that come from this system that the stake here has been doing. OH! I remembered what I was going to say. On Saturday, we went and did our normal single Saturdays where we try and bring back those less active singles that should be coming to the branch. Anyways, we went near downtown Kansas City to the Missouri/Kansas state line and went to these super ghetto houses. It looked dangerous but it was fun at the same time. I have never seen so many black people in all my life. We did our best to bring people back but sometimes agency just takes over and people say no. So that's a bummer. We also drove by what looked like downtown San Diego where the super nice restaurants are. It was fun and hopefully will go back next week or in the future to find more people that will heed our message. Sunday yesterday in the singles branch was super spiritual and I loved the talks. It felt like I was hearing from a general authority during general conference or something. Well, I think that's it for me. I can't wait to hear how your week is and especially your Valentine's day! Love,

Elder Sutherland  

PS: Dad check out Psalm 37:37. I'm sure you're familiar with it.

PPS: "I HATE squirrels!"

PPPS: "First you were like 'woah!' then we were like 'WOAH!' and then you were like 'woaaaah.'"
[Sorry, I forgot the rest. Being on a mission does that to you.]