Hello!

Glad you all are doing super well! it's always exciting to see Brycen drain treys! man, i'm so excited to play basketball today for p-day. Last week we played and I was doing pretty good. i'm a little uncoordinated, but still good. When I get home Brycen, you'll probably be able to beat me. Your shot looks really, really good! Keep it up! Don't quit like I did. If you want to take it to the next level, you can.

On Tuesday this week we met with a recent convert named Damon. Things aren't looking too great with him right now. He got into drugs again and he is not acting like himself at all. to make matters worse, his uncle George, also a recent convert, wants to leave the church. Damon did come to church this Sunday though, but he still isn't himself. He's doubting his testimony and such and says he never really had one, and feels bad that he was baptized without a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith and the book of Mormon. I think he just doesn't understand that he did have a testimony, he just didn't know it. The Lamanites in 3 Nephi 9:30 were baptized with fire and the holy ghost and they "knew it not." I think we all have those doubts sometimes, and it's key to go back to how we receive an answer from the spirit. A great talk I like to turn to, in fact I did this week, is "Have I Received an Answer From the Spirit" by Jay E. Jensen. It basically breaks down many of the ways we can feel the spirit because many people have a hard time understanding the spirit. I've started to categorize spiritual promptings according to the different ways they come in a little notebook I keep in my pocket. I highly encourage you all to read the talk, especially if you have doubts about your testimony ever.  And thanks Dad for sending me what you did this week in the email because it was an answer to my prayer. 

Also on Tuesday we taught the U family. Sister Giraud-Carrier (pronounced jzo-cally-ay) came to fellowships. She did an awesome job. have the missionaries ever had you guys help them fellowship in a lesson before? If not, you should. Even missionaries in utah are looking for fellowshippers, truuuuust me I know. Just call the missionaries up (should be on lds tools) and say "I want to help you guys out." Because our family is too good not to help out with missionary work. But anyway, R  weaned himself off coffee without us telling him to. We taught the word of wisdom and they are all living it. I got to learn a little bit more of there story this week. So they go to DV a lot. At DV they talked to a young woman who attended BYU who was catholic. They were really impressed with her and so they went to visit BYU campus. They really want I to go there (she is 15. in fact she is going there this summer for an art camp. G wants her to attend BYU for college because they have connections in Utah and it's a safer place to send your kid obviously. The U also told us that they are inviting their member friend and two other family friends who are members from California. They are all going to fly in to the baptism on march 5th! 

On Wednesday I listened to a talk that is now one of my favorites. it is called "His Grace is Sufficient by Brad Wilcox. BTW before I forget, MOM, can you find my notes from his class I took at BYU and perhaps email me the notes when you get a chance? It doesn't have to be that soon or anything. I really like that talk he gave though because in my prayers a couple of times I asked if I could understand the atonement better. Well in this talk it relates the atonement to taking piano lessons and it makes a lot of sense to me, so I was grateful for that. Grace is something that more people need to understand. That talk is just full of great lines. Here is one of them:

I have born-again Christian friends who say to me, “You Mormons are trying to earn your way to

heaven.”

I say, “No, we are not earning heaven. We are learning heaven. We are preparing for it (see

D&C 78:7). We are practicing for it.”

 He has many others that I wrote on sticky notes and put all over my wall. I'm going to print them out and laminate them or something I think they're so great!

I think Brad, in his spare time, just sits there and thinks to himself what is something profound I can come up with today. Haha. He's the greatest. i'm so glad I got to learn from him at BYU. 

Speaking of being profound, Elder Petersen said something really nice to me the other day. He said that he enjoys being around me because of the spirit that emanates from me-that I reek with the spirit. He says that though I don't really say anything profound, it is powerful. During dinner, Sister Giraud Carrier just call her Sister G.C. if you have a hard time) said how much she enjoy the spirit that I brought to the lessson the other day at the U's. She went to visit the U's on their own time to give them herbal tea (as a joke kind of because apparently it's not against the word of wisdom) and to have a chat. She told me that Sister U said that she really enjoys having me--"he's quiet, but peaceful." So later that night I was talking to Elder Petersen about how it is possible that other people can feel the spirit from me, but I haver a hard time feeling it myself because of depression. How is it possible to have depression and not feel the spirit yourself, yet others can feel it? it never occurred to me that was possible. I always thought that if I'm not feeling the spirit then others wouldn't be able to, but I suppose that is not the case.

Well I think I've said to much. I'll close by saying that i'm very grateful that God is aware of me and is answering my prayers. As I seek to understand the role he plays in my life, it strengthens my testimony that he lives. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and his Grace is sufficient for all of us. Grace is only able to work in our lives if we excercise faith, repent, keep our covenants, and follow the spirit. "The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can be cleansed and consoled but that we can 

be transformed (see Romans 8). Scriptures make it clear that no unclean thing can dwell with 

God (see Alma 40:26), but, brothers and sisters, no unchanged thing will even want to. Being 

on a mission is hard but really great. I wouldn't trade it for the world (cliche intended). The Book 

of Mormon is true. Why? Because it leads us to do good and all good comes from God. By the 

spirit  leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly,to walk humbly, to judge righteously...which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy---by these things I know the book of mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that Jesus is the Christ. When we have feelings and actions the opposites of these then we will surely know that we are being led by the Devil who only brings misery. He sucks. Jesus Rocks. 

Have a good week! Happy Valentines Day in 6 days xxxoo

Elder Soutas