Just Another Day in Paradise.

 
 Wow, you should all be beyond impressed. Two whole weeks in a row. I might be slow but hopefully I'm getting there.
  The week before "Book of Mormon in Zion, " conference. We had a Zone Conference where Elder Dale G. Renlund of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy presided. He and his wife presented talks/workshops for the missionaries. They were so inspiring, and had such great ideas for the missionaries on how to teach people. His first message was from the First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, telling the missionaries how much they truly love them and how much they value their sacrifice and their dedicated time.
    He also said that every missionary has truly been called by revelation. He told us how they have a large map of the world and the stack of missionaries that have submitted their papers. Then one of  the Twelve Apostles assigns the missionary to their mission. He said is was an amazing process to witness. He told all of us that we had the right and obligation to know why we were sent where we are, and that when we know deep in our souls, we should write it down. I can't say that I know deep in my soul yet. I'm working on it.
   What was really special about Elder Renlund's visit was that after the first day of the conference he came back to the Mission Office and met with all of us in the office together. He spoke to each of us personally about our responsibilities. He answered any questions we had about the Gospel and about the Twelve Apostles. It was wonderful, he was so kind and genuine. It was really a great experience.

 

Thursday Elder Crow and I went to Leavenworth Kansas to visit the Elders and the Sisters in that area. We had great visits.

    After our visits, the elders told us that we had to see the Historic Mansions of Leavenworth. That was a great surprise. These amazing homes were built in the late 1800's and early 1900's by bankers, lumber barons, cattle barons, and railroad tycoons. This isn't all of the homes, but you get the idea.
   It was another great day in the mission field!!

The Book of Mormon in Zion Conference

     Last Friday and Saturday we had a very interesting experience. There was a Book of Mormon in Zion conference. On Friday it was held at the Old Stone Church in Independence, Missouri. Saturday, it was held at our Stake Center, between the Mission office and the Visitors Center.

Stone Church

Stone Church interior

     It was so interesting because everyone that was involved and invited, were our church, the Community of Christ, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ (yes, it still exists), and all of the Restoration Branches of the Reorganized Church. Wow it was a very diverse group.
     The speakers were professors from BYU, and a Seventy in a Restoration branch, an Apostle in the Community of Christ, and a member of the Restoration Seventy. It was interesting because everyone there believes in the Book of Mormon, but the interpretations can vary.
      There was definitely a difference in the Spirit with each of the speakers. You really could feel the difference. They were all knowledgeable, but knowledge without the Spirit of the Holy ghost, which all but the LDS scholars, called the holy spirit, is pretty flat.
      Camille Fronk Olson, was one of the BYU professors, as was Robert Millet. Bro. Millet was the concluding speaker, and he was amazing. I know that everyone in the room could feel the spirit as he spoke. His topic was Jesus Christ, the Eternal God. I loved it, because the Community of Christ now believes in the Trinity of the other Christian Churches. They have a stained glass window in their museum at their Temple that shows Joseph Smith's 1st Vision, showing only 1 God that appeared to him. I found that very interesting.
     Our Stake President here was a member of the Reorganized church most of his life, until they changed to the Community of Christ, and the more liberal faction of the church wanted to make all of the changes with the trinity and so much more. There had been such bad feelings between the Reorganized Church and the LDS church, that even when he left the Community of Christ, he could not come to our Church. He formed his own church, the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is till around but quite small. It is amazing to listen to his story.
      It was a one of a kind Conference that you could only have here in Independence, Missouri.
     We are still visiting apartments, and they have asked us to do the Mission history. They have also asked us to be responsible for the supply room, and all of the missionary supplies.
      The trees and flowers are beginning to blossom, we have said all winter, that it will be so pretty here when everything is green. I'm getting anxious to see that. We miss all of you, but....
WE LOVE OUR MISSION.