Words of Living Prophets

Hola Todos,

 

The highlight of this week was Wednesday, when Elder Anderson of the 12 and Elder Callister of the presidency of the seventy, came to our mission.

 

It was a joint conference with the Dallas mission, so there were 560 missionaries present.  We filled the whole chapel, all the way to the back of the overflow and the stage at the Colleyville Stake Center.  It was wonderful to see so many missionaries and it was great to shake the hands of Elders Anderson and Callister.  Here are my notes from the conference:

 

Elder Callister

Jeremiah 20:9

God's gift for this generation is the power of the 1st vision, but if you don't also teach the aposty, the people won't understand the significance of it for them.

 

The apostles kept the doctrine pure, it started to change, so they would send an epistle or go back and reteach it.

 

Like a beautiful garden with 12 gardeners.  When all the gardeners were dead, the weeds overtook the garden.  Heresy overtook the doctrine of Christ.

 

Asking, "Ok, so when exactly did the apostasy occur?"  Is like asking a grandpa, "Ok, when exactly did your hair turn grey?" I don't know, but it got there.

 

God had a master plan to restore the gospel as soon as he safely could, so that it would nevre again be taken from the world. It is like an airplane, the soonist that you can get it to the ground is to go into a nose dive.  But if you want everyone to live through it, you are going to have to be a little bit slower.

-Moveable type

-Reformers

-Columbus

-Colonists & the constitution

 

Before his matyrdom, Joseph Smith did all that he was called to do as the prophet of the restoration.

-Book of Mormon

-Priesthood

-Missionary Work

-Ordinances

 

Elder Anderson

There is no corruption in the leadership of the church.

 

You have to be patient with yourself, you can't always know all the answers.

 

Never compare yourself to someone else.  Just work on yourself and on helping others.  Time takes care of itself.

 

Be great missionaries, but become great disciples of Christ.

 

Don't just be effective as a missionary, but prepare for the rest of your life.

 

On our mission we learn how to share the gospel, but more importantly, we should learn how to plant our souls in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

1- Firm testimony of Christ

• understand that He is the Son of God
• understand that He lives
• understand that He was resurrected
• all humanity is surrounded by His work

2- Understanding and unshakeable belief in the Book of Mormon

• Learn the importance of the Book of Mormon
• testifies of Jesus Christ
• The Book of Mormon is a "unique and singular testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Be patient.  The Lord's work in happening. It grows.

 

"Never, never judge the effect of your mission based solely on who you baptize."  This is important, but this shouldn't be the measure of your success.

 

Don't ever underestimate the power of your testimony.

 

If you don't know what to speak about, speak about Christ.  If you've spoken about Christ, then tell them about Joseph Smith and the Restoration.

 

Do it with a smile, and don't offend anyone. 

 

Thank all the good Christian people here for their testimony.  Be kind and gentle.  Speak of Christ and the restoration.  Give them a copy of the Book of Mormon.

 

A Missionary and the Atonement

"If you can spiritually learn these principles put them in your heart and review them on a constant basis, then you will be in the celestial kingdom."

PMG, page 2 "as your understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase."

 

How do you grow in your understanding of the atonement?

-repentance

Why does that help you grow?

The biggest way we learn about the atonement is to experience it.

Is there anyone here who has not had a need to repent?

As we plead to have our sins forgiven, we feel the peace.  The guilt gets swept away.

A lot of times, it is not just one act, one experience.  You keep moving and keep acting.  As you look back you can see the growth.

Just go to work and focus on others.

 

You have to move beyond yourself or you will never understand the atonement.  Cuz its about what everyone else.  It is about what Christ did.

Alma 5:13

2 Corintians 4:18

You are the deliverers of the Unseen.  You see the Unseen.  You talk about the Unseen.  The Atonement is Unseen.  You can see the manifestations of it. 

Everything speaks of Christ and his wonderful gifts.

Mosiah 3:5, 7-11, 13, 17

Be familiar with the new testament, especially here.

 

Memorize scriptures in the Book o Mormon and the New Testament

 

Pick out the great sermons of Christ.  Make them part of your soul and carry them in your heart for the rest of your life.

 

2 Nephi 2:6-8

Merits, mercy, grace

Don't you ever sell yourself short.

You cannot compare yourself with other people; that's not the way it works.

You set your course, and keep going.  And there will come a time when you will say, 'I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and I can do all things.'

The merits are give to us because of what Christ did.

He creat worlds without number.  He was the greatest of them all.

He lived a perfect life.  He was tempted but he did not yield.

Only a person with a divine soul could take the atonement without giving up his mortal life.

We don't know how he did it, but he did it.

 

(The atonement isn't a one-time event in our lives.  It is a process. -- Sister Anderson)

There will be times in your life when the atonement will come to play in a very real way.

There is a power in being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

John 11: 25-26

The atonement overcomes the world.   It gives us absolute certain vision of what is real and what is make-belief.

D&C 58:42

We teach faith and try to move people quickly into baptism that sometimes we move past repentance.

If you feel someone has not repented, then wait.

"If a person hasn't suffered, he hasn't repented." -- Pres. Kimball

Learn about the atonement.  Put it in practice.  Teach it.  Be honest with yourself.  Move yourself inch by inch to another level.  Don't worry if there is someone far ahead of you.  We all move at different rates.

Ether 12:27

Enos 1:5-6

Alma 27:32, 28:3

At the end of the conference, Elder Anderson bore an apostolic testimony of Jesus Christ.  It was very similiar to other testimonies from the apostles that I have heard before, like in General Conference. 

 

But it really struck me, and I thought:

It's true.  It's true.  I know it's true.  Listening to Elder Anderson testify as a special witness of Christ, I felt the Spirit strongly testify to me.  I felt waves of love, and this is true.  Jesus is the Christ.  Joseph Smith was his prophet and the Church that I represent is God's Kingdom on the earth today.  I know it!

Hurrah for Israel!

Hermana Julie Anna Sanchez

 

P. S.

 

It is transfers week, and I am ...

 

staying in Fort Worth!!!

 

Yippee!  I am so excited.

 

Hola

Hola Todos,

 

We have been working really hard and teaching lots of people, less actives, members and investigators.  We have been finding some really cool people to teach. 

 

We made a family mission plan outline for our members.  We want our members to make a plan for how they are going to do missionary work each month, and then to set specific goals and evaluate their efforts at the end of every month.  We know that as members reach out and invite their friends to learn about the gospel, God is going to bless them with specific people in their lives who are ready for the gospel. 

 

A common theme this week for our less actives and investigators has been lack of confidence.  Many of them are struggling with feeling that they are of worth, and feeling that they can't succeed in anything.  We are trying to help them to recognize their many talents and to see that in God's eyes they are a child of God, and they are a princess. 

 

We have also been reading the Book of Mormon in English with many of our members and investigators to help them learn english.  The Book of Mormon is a powerful resource to help someone learn a language.  And I love those lessons, because they focus so hard on a few verses, they always receive revelation while we are reading with them.  It is the best!

 

We have been working on learning to snap our fingers spanish style.  They make their fingers loose and kinda just wave their arm around.  Sometimes I feel so dumb when we are practicing, but when we make a sound, it is really exciting. 

 

And on Sunday, we finally had investigators come to church.  It was so exciting.  We had 4 investigators at church, and 5 less actives, and 1 potential investigator.  The joy that comes when you see poeple you love come unto Christ is so good! :D :D :D

 

Nos vemos,

Hermana Julie Anna Sanchez

3 Nephi 5:13

The Power of Members - Sept 3, 2013

Hola Todos!

 

Our Mission President has been encouraging us to visit more members, even the active members and help them become involved in the missionary process. 

 

We have many different ideas for mini-missionary lessons, and we visit lots of members.  One of our ideas is to teach the members one of the missionary lessons.  But before we start the lesson we ask them to think about all the people they know while we are teaching, and who could benefit from knowing what they know.

 

We were eating dinner with one family, the Lasoyas, and we were teaching them the Plan of Salvation.  I love teaching members the plan of salvation, because they already know all the principles, and we don't get stuck on some point because they don't understand.  When we were down, we asked them, who came to their mind while we were teaching, and Hermano Lasoya said, Samuel.  We then invited the Lasoyas to invite Samuel to their home and teach him the Plan of Salvation without us, and then we would join in for the second lesson (This has been something we have been trying recently.  To have the members have a Family Home Evening in the their and invite someone to come and teach them.  Then invite the missionaries for the second lesson.) They said that they would, and we were excited to teach Samuel.

 

Then when we get out of dinner, we had a voicemail on our phone from the Garcia family.  They said that there was a couple at their house right now, and that they had lots of questions about the church, and if we could please come over.  So we go to the Garcia family, and we meet Samuel and his wife Aracely.  And yes, it was the same Samuel.  :D

 

Both Hermano Garcia and Hermano Lasoya work with Samuel. 

 

Aracely was recently given a bible and she skipped to Revelations.  She realized that she needed to get saved real soon, but she was confused about which church.  She asked Samuel, who asked Hermano Garcia, who invited them to their home, and taught them the Plan of Salvation at the same time we were teaching the Lasoyas the Plan of Salvation.  Coincidence, I think not.

 

We taught them the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to answer Aracely's question about which church she should join.

 

Unfortunately Samuel and Aracely live outside of our area, but for now we have permission to continue teaching them because their member fellowship is here.  That means that all of our lessons with them are going to have to be in member homes. :D

 

They didn't make it to church this sunday, because it was Samuel's birthday, but Aracely has read all of the Plan of Salvation and the Restoration pamphlet and has done all of the questions in the back.  And she has read the first chapter in the Book of Mormon. 

 

We are going to meet with them again tonight, and they should progress fast!  We are super excited for them!

 

Really when members get involved with missionary work, the people are found who are ready for the gospel right now!  It is really cool!

 

Will you invite one of your friends to your home and teach them the plan of salvation or share a scripture with them?  You can make it a dinner if you'd like, sometimes it is easier to invite someone over for dinner instead of inviting them over to study the scriptures.  Then will you invite them to meet with the missionaries, while they are at your home?

 

If you do so, I promise you that God will place people in your paths who are ready for the gospel, and you will understand more about the atonement and you will feel a greater peace in your life and greater happiness in your family.

 

Nos vemos,

Hermana Julie Anna Sanchez

The 2nd Book of Julie Anna -- Chapter 11 - August 26, 2013

1. And it came to pass that Hermana Sanchez and Hermana Bush went out to teach in the fruitful lands of Zarahemla and Bountiful (These lands are known to some as Southside Fort Worth).

 

2. And behold, all the day long they did teach and exhort all to come unto Christ.   They were one in purpose and united by the power of God.  Yea, and they taught as ones having authority, yea, even a power, which did come from God. 

 

3. And, they did invite all to come unto Christ.  They did talk with the people in the streets and they did talk with the people in their homes, and they did preach in the homes of the members of the Church of Christ. 

 

4. And behold, they did meet many new people which had never before heard of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Yea, and they taught them of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and they did unfold all things unto their understanding.  And the people were astonished and the power of the spirit was upon them.

 

5. Yea, and behold, they did continue to teach beginning at the world that existed before time began, and they did continue through the Creation of Adam and Eve, and did preach from all the Holy Scriptures.  And they did teach all about the Savior and his atonement.  Yea, and they continued to teach even until they taught all, and taught all about the resurrection and the judgement and the kingdoms of glory.

 

6. And they did teach many about the doctrine of Christ.  Yea, they did exhort all to continue to strengthen their great faith in the Lord by learning more.  And they declared repentance unto them.  And they did invite them to be baptized in the name of the Holy One of Israel, so that they could be blessed from on high, by receiving the Holy Ghost.  Yea, and they did teach them to continue in the faith, yea, even until the end of their days.

 

7.  And once they had taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ, they did make known unto them the commandments of the Lord.

 

8.  Yea, and they did share many scriptures.

 

9.  And they fasted and prayed oft, so that the Holy Spirit could be with them, and they did study and search the holy scriptures diligently. 

 

10.  And behold they lived after the manner of happiness.

Birthright blessings - August 19, 2013

Hola Todos,

 

On Tuesday we had Zone Conference and it was super powerful.  We really focused on teaching the Plan of Salvation with power and authority.

 

How many members of the lost tribes have been gathered?  (see Article of Faith 1:1) 

 

Well in order to answer that question, you need to understand who the lost tribes are.  When the house of Israel split and the 10 tribes went north, only Judah and Benjamin stayed behind.  That makes all of the other tribes the lost ten tribes.  Which means that Ephraim and Manasseh are most definitely lost tribes.  So, about 14 million members of the lost 10 tribes of Israel have been found when they were baptized into the fold of God. 

 

Read this article in the Guide to the scriptures to learn more about the House of Israel and our role in the last days: Israel. Pay particular attention to the last paragraph underneath the Twelve Tribes of Israel.  This describes what the role of Ephraim is in the latter days.  If you read Deuteronomy 33:13-17, you will realize that this work is the work of the Tribes of Joseph, which means that it is not just Ephraim but also Manasseh.  As members of the Tribe of Joseph, we have the responisbility and the birthright to share the gospel with all of the world.

 

This is what we are trying to teach all of our members.  Let me know if you have any ideas or scriptures that we can share to help our members understand their birthright. 

Let me know if you have any stories or experiences sharing the gospel.

 

Now is the time of the hastening of the work and it is time to Wake the Sleeping Giant of the 14 million latter day saints.  Imagine how great the church would grow if every single member of the church brought one soul unto Christ.  Now imagine how great it would grow if every Latter Day saint brought many souls unto Christ.   Will you accept your birthright? 

 

Will you invite your friends to come unto Christ?

 

Hurrah for Israel!

Hermana Julie Anna Sanchez

Joke of the Week

Sorry, we do not have much time to email today, so here is the joke of the week:

 

Por que los lamanitas tenian ropa arrogada?

Por que los nefitas tenian las planchas. 

 

Why did the Lamanites have wrinkled clothes?

Because the Nephites had the (plates/irons). 

 

 

Quote of the week:

Tirale al cielo para que le des al cerro porque si no le das a un perro.

 

Throw it to the sky so that it will land on a hill, because if not you will give it to a dog.

 

This is an expression that has similiar connations as "Reach for the moon, for if you miss at least  you'll be among the stars."

 

 

My new companion, Hermana Bush, is wonderful.  She is from Boise, Idaho.  She is 19, and was one of the first 19 year olds to come out to the field.  She has a strong testimony and is a great missionary. 

 

Que les vayan bien,

Hermana Julie Anna Sanchez

Intercambios

Monday, we taught Yesenia.  She made us dinner, and she invited her fellowshipper over.  That was cool.  One of her fellowshippers is Randi.  She is friends with Brian and Jenae.  Small world.  Because Yesenia is 18 and unmarried, we have been trying to get her involved in the YSA ward a little as well.  So after dinner, Randi took Yesenia to the YSA family home evening. 

 

Tuesday I went on exchanges with the other Hermanas in our ward.  I went to the other area.  Their area is still the southside of Fort Worth, but farther north than our area.  (We cover everything from the 820 south and everything from the 35 west, more or less).  It was fun to go to their area and meet some of their investigators. 

 

We taught lots of people, and they are all progressing at some level or another, but we are still struggling to get people to come to church.  Just come to church!

 

On Saturday, I went with the other Hermanas again for a few hours, while Hermana Gomez went to Hurst for the new trainer meeting. 

 

I also bought some Cowboy boots at the Pulga when we went on Saturday, after Hermana Gomez got back.   :D

 

Que les vayan bien,

Hermana Julie Anna Sanchez