Iowa City Week #4: Spiritual Fulfillment Galore

General Conference weekend has come and gone again, and I can honestly say that I have left feeling edified, rebuked, strengthened and inspired by the messages that were given by the modern prophets, seers and revelators. As us Latter-day Saints tend to do, after the sessions were all over, I analyzed all of the proceedings and came to realize that there was one common thread that appeared in literally every talk: strengthening one's personal testimony. Things are simply going to continue to worsen in our society, so if anything, the best thing we can ever do to resist the mighty winds of Satan's growing power is to build our testimony upon the teachings of Jesus Christ (Helaman 5:12). The World will continue to argue true doctrine with reason, relativism and logical inquiry, which is to be expected - don't we all consider divine truths in such ways from time to time? - but nevertheless, we need to take the leap of faith, act and gain a testimony for ourselves, for that will help sustain us in the hard times. I know that has definitely rang true in my own life, and the talks given by Elder Gibbons, President Uchtdorf (both of his were incredible), Elder Anderson and Elder Holland and Elder Klebingat all hit those principles home for me most profoundly. I recommend all to watch the October 2014 General Conference if you haven't already, for as always, it was inspired of God, and I promise you in the name of Jesus Christ that at least one message that was offered will be specifically given for you. Trust that Christ's living servants have been called to deliver His Word to us in these the latter-days.

What better way to prepare for General Conference on Saturday morning than to race in a 5K? These members of the ward invited Elder Scott and me to race and paid for our registration fees, so we had a lot of fun. It felt good to relive the glory days of Cross Country that morning.

On another note, here is a great surprise: President Jensen received a copy of Meet the Mormons from Church Headquarters earlier last week, and as a result, he let the entire mission watch it! The missionaries in the Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Iowa City Stakes all met up on Thursday afternoon to view the film, and I think all of us were satisfied with it. I won't give a full review as I normally would, but I will say this: even though it is nowhere near a great film, if it is playing in a theater near you, go watch it. 

The Church has produced this entertaining, uplifting and multi-faceted documentary with the opportunity of dispelling common misconceptions people associate with members of the Church, and if we do all that we can to publicize it, that will give more people an opportunity to see this film and understand more about the lives we actually lead. One way you can publicize it is seeing it this opening weekend, for high box office numbers will certainly lead the World to take notice. Secondly, share something related to it on the Internet, whether it be the trailer or your personal feelings on what you experienced in the film. Thirdly, if Meet the Mormons is not playing in a theater near you, you can do something that will ensure that it will. All you need to do is go onto meetthemormons.com, request it for the city you live in, and then encourage all of your friends to do the same. This film must be shared, for not only is it entertaining, it will help a lot with fostering understanding between all people, not just others towards our faith. Keep in mind that this film is not meant for proselyting though, so no need to worry about going into it thinking that religion will be shoved down your friends' throats.

A view from downtown Iowa City.

In terms of everything else that occurred this week, Elder Scott and I have been continuing to build up our teaching pool while gaining trust with the members. Even though this is a process that requires hard work and patience, we are beginning to see some fruits of it. We are obtaining some solid referrals from the ward, we are finding more prepared to receive the Gospel, and we have also found a new very prepared investigator! Tim, one of the three people we miraculously found from knocking doors, is very curious about the message of the Restored Gospel and has said that he will be baptized if he discovers that it is true! We actually have another lesson with him tonight, so I hope that all will go well when we share some more truths with him. Otherwise, we will continue to find, teach and strengthen more people in the upcoming week.

Elder Marte and me after an exchange on Friday night. He is a Spanish-speaking missionary from Puerto Rico, but he did well when we were teaching in English. I also went on an exchange with Elder Coy, one of the Zone Leaders, this week. I just forgot to get a picture with him.

I think Elder Styles, one of the Zone Leaders, had to kill a fox for that particular scripture case to be made.

I hope you all enjoyed General Conference this weekend, for I certainly did! May you continue to ponder on the thoughts and feelings you experienced, and also apply them into your life so that we may continue to improve each day, as President Monson invited us to do. I love you all!

Scripture of the Week: James 1:27 (What is being a pure Christian? Not just being a believer in Christ, but one who does what he can to strengthen, support and serve others who are in need. This General Conference talk emphasizes this principle perfectly.)

Missionary Advice: For those who are bogged down by the stresses of life and how busy it can be, the latest Mormon Message titled "You Never Know" is made just for you. I would encourage sharing it with others as well.