Hey Everybody!

We had an awesome baptism!! Two great people were baptized this Saturday and confirmed this Sunday. The spirit was so strong at the service, it filled the room. They have come a long way and shown ALOT of faith to get to where they are now. The Lord works in mysterious ways! It has been a great week, lots of renewel at the Zone Conference we had, lots of rekindling fire. Our testimonies are what I believe to be our #1 motivator. Why do we go to church? Our testimony of the Atonement, The Sacrament and Obedience. Why do we do missionary work? Our testimony of the Atonement and how the gospel blesses families. Why do we pursue school or marriage? They are both great things, it could be to get a better paying job to make more money, or marriage because we just fall in love. I believe a better motivator is our testimony of the prophet, and also the eternal signifigance of marriage in the temples. I find this personally meaningful because as I "remember" the little things, the basics of the gospel, like prayer, reading the book of Mormon, what happened in the Sacred Grove to the prophet Joseph Smith it rekindles in me a new desire, to achieve, to work, to study and to obey. I have a testimony that my mission president is called of God, I am here to learn from him, and he truly does receive direction from the Lord. I have a testimony of Thomas S. Monson. In our zone conference a missionary going home bore his testimony in a peculiar manner, he grabbed a chalkboard and estimated the deaths of a disaster and drew circles correlating to the number of fatalities, the first being the titanic he estimated I think like a thousand, then pearl harbor, then 9/11 then he made one about smoking(biggest circle) and said, when people ask me what the prophet teaches he replies, " How to be a HERO" He explained that a bigger killer is smoking, and that the prophet is a HERO he has taught not to smoke so we don't die, etc. It was a remarkable way to bear testimony and teach. We have a prophet. He teaches us the will of God. He is a hero! Inviting others to come to know this is the most heroic task we can be engaged in. Following the prophet's(heros) counsel is brave. President Monson taught us to stand alone if called upon to do so. Let's be brave! Stand up, and regardless of how we feel, or what others are doing. Follow the prophet! He is truly under the direction of the greatest HERO of all, Jesus Christ. This email is thanks to Elder Chiddister who will be going home soon. His testimony brought me knowledge and resolve. Thank you each so much for your examples. You are great I love yall! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder West