Hey sorry again that I wasn’t able to email on Monday. My companion Elder Wiscombe (pronounced Wisk 'em, like scrambling eggs) got transferred and I got a new companion Elder Lougee (it is pronounced Lou as in loud, and then the letter G). And no he is not from Mount Wannahockaloogie from Finding Nemo. He is from Oregon. He’s been out about 8 months. I don’t know much more about him than that.
This week, a lot of different things happened. I can’t seem to shake this cold away from me. The weather here is being tricky. It goes from really nice and warm to “oh my goodness gets me out of this weather before I hurt someone." Anyway here is the highlight of this week:
My camera got stolen. I accidentally left my bag in the gym overnight. I didn’t realize it until I went to get my scriptures to do my studies in the morning. My heart dropped when I remembered where it was. I went to the gym and I couldn’t find it. Then I went to the office and asked if anyone had turned it in. At first they said that they didn’t have it. And then a lady in the back spoke up brought out my bag. My scriptures were still in it but my camera was gone. Along with my memory cards and the pics I had. But I still have them all because I backed them up on my flash drive so no worries there. But surprisingly I didn’t care about that. I was more worried about my scriptures. They were untouched. I was relieved. The camera is a worldly possession that can be replaced. My scriptures however are priceless. I don’t know what I would do without them.
After that incident occurred I thought "What would I do if I found the person who stole my camera?" It has to be someone in the complex because no one else could get in our gym. Then I read in the scriptures in D&C sec 64. And I learned about forgiveness. We are required to forgive everyone. I said to myself "let the Lord judge that person. I won’t let it fester within me. I don’t want to hold a grudge. A camera is not worth it." Then I thought of other instances in my life where someone did something to deliberately hurt me or offend me. Those things are long past and I have forgiven those persons a long time ago. But I realized the damage it could cause to a person’s soul if one were to hold bitterness and anger for that long. Even if the offender does not repent and come to you to fix it, you are still required to forgive them. Or in you lies the greater sin.
So if I caught the person who took my camera I would kindly ask for it back, shake their hand and then give them a Book of Mormon.
Love,
Elder Richards
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
ooo rah!
Hey,
We went to the Temple today. That’s why I didn’t get to email on Monday. I got the names from last time done so I’ll be sending those shortly. It was a good experience as always. It was a good time to clear my head and recommit myself to the work and help the family in the process. I also got permission to attend the sealing session for the Spilsburys. It was a wonderful experience and one that I won’t forget. That was the first live sealing session I’ve ever been to. Before the sealing of the Spilsburys, we also got permission to participate in the sealing of Sister Spilsburys Father to his parents. That was something new that I haven’t been able to do on my mission before. We are allowed to stand in proxy for the children but we cannot stand in proxy as husband and wife. So Bro and Sis Spilsbury sealed her grandparents together then i was given the honor to stand in proxy as her dad. I felt very privileged to be a part of that wonderful event and like I said before its one experience that I won’t forget. Sis Spilsbury won’t let me forget it either because she kept calling me Dad. Ha-ha that’s Sis Spilsbury for ya.
Here is something new that the Church is doing. The Brethren have instructed us to study mormon.org 1 hour a week during ineffective proselyting time. We have been asked to make a profile on mormon.org and share our testimony and experiences. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to speak out and declare our witness of what we know to be true. So if it’s so important for missionaries to create a profile then it brings a great responsibility for you as well. I strongly encourage you to go to mormon.org and surf around. See what the website has to offer, read the testimonies of others and then create your own profile. You can attach your profile to Facebook. It’s so easy to get out there and let everyone know what you believe and why you believe it.
So in the words of Elder Rice "Make it happen."
Transfers coming up and I'm probably staying. We will see though. You never know.
Love, Elder Richards
PS Cool story. Remember back a long long time ago when was in the MTC for the first time? I know it’s hard to remember back that far. Anyway I told you about the first Elder I talked to there. His name was Elder McClellan. He is from Vegas going to Ohio on his mission. Well I met his parents a couple weeks ago. Ha-ha. I saw them at the temple today too and they told me how he wrote home about me when he went to the MTC. His parents were excited that i had met him. Anyway it is a really small world.
We went to the Temple today. That’s why I didn’t get to email on Monday. I got the names from last time done so I’ll be sending those shortly. It was a good experience as always. It was a good time to clear my head and recommit myself to the work and help the family in the process. I also got permission to attend the sealing session for the Spilsburys. It was a wonderful experience and one that I won’t forget. That was the first live sealing session I’ve ever been to. Before the sealing of the Spilsburys, we also got permission to participate in the sealing of Sister Spilsburys Father to his parents. That was something new that I haven’t been able to do on my mission before. We are allowed to stand in proxy for the children but we cannot stand in proxy as husband and wife. So Bro and Sis Spilsbury sealed her grandparents together then i was given the honor to stand in proxy as her dad. I felt very privileged to be a part of that wonderful event and like I said before its one experience that I won’t forget. Sis Spilsbury won’t let me forget it either because she kept calling me Dad. Ha-ha that’s Sis Spilsbury for ya.
Here is something new that the Church is doing. The Brethren have instructed us to study mormon.org 1 hour a week during ineffective proselyting time. We have been asked to make a profile on mormon.org and share our testimony and experiences. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to speak out and declare our witness of what we know to be true. So if it’s so important for missionaries to create a profile then it brings a great responsibility for you as well. I strongly encourage you to go to mormon.org and surf around. See what the website has to offer, read the testimonies of others and then create your own profile. You can attach your profile to Facebook. It’s so easy to get out there and let everyone know what you believe and why you believe it.
So in the words of Elder Rice "Make it happen."
Transfers coming up and I'm probably staying. We will see though. You never know.
Love, Elder Richards
PS Cool story. Remember back a long long time ago when was in the MTC for the first time? I know it’s hard to remember back that far. Anyway I told you about the first Elder I talked to there. His name was Elder McClellan. He is from Vegas going to Ohio on his mission. Well I met his parents a couple weeks ago. Ha-ha. I saw them at the temple today too and they told me how he wrote home about me when he went to the MTC. His parents were excited that i had met him. Anyway it is a really small world.
Monday, January 24, 2011
I would like to buy a hambwurger
Hey sorry I wasn't able to email last week. The library was closed.
So funny story.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday night, if we have no one to visit, we teach an English class at the Church. There are a lot of Hispanics who show up. We pair up with different people and go over some worksheets. I was going over how to pronounce some basic English words with the person I was paired with. He was doing good until we got to the word "fast." He couldn't pronounce the "s" so he kept saying "fat." I chuckled a little bit and then we worked on the pronunciation. He kept calling me "fat." So I broke it up. First say "fas" then say "t" right after that. Nope didn't work. He was still calling me "fat." I said your calling me "gordo" not "rapido". I could not stop laughing. This guy was hilarious. He would bulge out his eyes, look at me and say "FAT! " We spent half an hour on the word "fast." Then when I thought he got it down, I had to take a potty break. As I was walking away he yelled "FAT!" He really was trying to say "FAST!" epic fail. I almost pee'd my pants right there. I thought you might like to know that. It reminded me of the movie the Pink Panther. I'm totally going to get him to say "I would like to buy a hamburger"
Our investigator Sister Izzy has accepted to be baptized! She has a baptismal date for March 5. She works a lot so hopefully it can go through. She is such a great example to me. Listen to this. She works as a manager for a casino. She only gets Thursdays and Fridays off. She has to go into work on Sundays at noon and because of the time change, our sacrament meeting starts at 12:15. The Spanish ward meets right before us. Their sacrament meeting begins at 9 am. So she goes to Sacrament meeting in the Spanish branch (with someone translating for her) and then goes to our Gospel Principles class right after that. Then its off to work. How cool is that? She is not even a member yet and even she understands the importance of the Sacrament. She knows that she needs to be there no matter what, even if it means going to a Sacrament meeting in a different language. Such faith and devotion. I'm blown away. The members of our ward are very impressed with her as well. She will fit right in. But if you think about it, everyone has a place in the true church of God. Everyone "fits in." We are all God's Children. He is not a respecter of persons. Each soul is precious to Him. I know it. Sister Izzy knows it.
In other news, I've been sick all week this week. I'm starting to overcome it now. I'm so tired but the work must go on. I love you all.
Elder Richards
So funny story.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday night, if we have no one to visit, we teach an English class at the Church. There are a lot of Hispanics who show up. We pair up with different people and go over some worksheets. I was going over how to pronounce some basic English words with the person I was paired with. He was doing good until we got to the word "fast." He couldn't pronounce the "s" so he kept saying "fat." I chuckled a little bit and then we worked on the pronunciation. He kept calling me "fat." So I broke it up. First say "fas" then say "t" right after that. Nope didn't work. He was still calling me "fat." I said your calling me "gordo" not "rapido". I could not stop laughing. This guy was hilarious. He would bulge out his eyes, look at me and say "FAT! " We spent half an hour on the word "fast." Then when I thought he got it down, I had to take a potty break. As I was walking away he yelled "FAT!" He really was trying to say "FAST!" epic fail. I almost pee'd my pants right there. I thought you might like to know that. It reminded me of the movie the Pink Panther. I'm totally going to get him to say "I would like to buy a hamburger"
Our investigator Sister Izzy has accepted to be baptized! She has a baptismal date for March 5. She works a lot so hopefully it can go through. She is such a great example to me. Listen to this. She works as a manager for a casino. She only gets Thursdays and Fridays off. She has to go into work on Sundays at noon and because of the time change, our sacrament meeting starts at 12:15. The Spanish ward meets right before us. Their sacrament meeting begins at 9 am. So she goes to Sacrament meeting in the Spanish branch (with someone translating for her) and then goes to our Gospel Principles class right after that. Then its off to work. How cool is that? She is not even a member yet and even she understands the importance of the Sacrament. She knows that she needs to be there no matter what, even if it means going to a Sacrament meeting in a different language. Such faith and devotion. I'm blown away. The members of our ward are very impressed with her as well. She will fit right in. But if you think about it, everyone has a place in the true church of God. Everyone "fits in." We are all God's Children. He is not a respecter of persons. Each soul is precious to Him. I know it. Sister Izzy knows it.
In other news, I've been sick all week this week. I'm starting to overcome it now. I'm so tired but the work must go on. I love you all.
Elder Richards
Monday, January 10, 2011
Totally sick with it week!
Hey
That's really weird seeing the house like that. It's really cool though
and you did a nice job with it. Cool beans. Sali con tu Mujer! lol
This last week was amazing. Totally Legit! One of our investigators
got baptized on Saturday. His name is Micheal and he has been waiting
a year for this event. He wasn't able to be baptized before because
of some legal issues. He has worked really hard over the last year to
get himself to this point in his life. His wife also has been waiting
and praying for this. It was a very spiritual experience for all who
attended this beautiful moment. He was confirmed on Sunday then he
received the Aaronic Priesthood that same day. He looks forward to
when he can go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity
to his wife. He is a stud. Also on Sunday our Recent Convert Ruben
received the priesthood as well.
Yesterday was the best Sunday I've had since I've been here. Micheal
and Ruben received the Priesthood and we had 2 new investigators come
to Church. one of them, totally out of nowhere, just showed up at our
Gospel Principles class the week before. Her name is Isabelle. She
prefers Sister Izzy. She is great. She came to Church yesterday
completely prepared and participated in the class. We taught her the
first lesson and it went really well.
Our Second new investigator is Crystal. She referred herself through
Mormon.org. She received a Book of Mormon from a client over a year ago. She told us that she has been "hiding and waiting" for the right moment to
contact the Church. I wish she would have made contact sooner because
that is a long time to wait and sit in the dark without the light of
the Gospel in her life.
We taught her the first lesson and invited her to the baptism of
Micheal. She came and she really loved it. She said he looked like a
new born kid when he came up out of the water. She is really
interested in the Church and wants to learn. Her husband is
"Presbyterian and will die a Presbyterian" he says. But he is really
supportive of her. He won't sit in on the lessons but he is letting
her make her own choice. Her brother on the other hand does not like
us and is doing everything he can to keep her from learning the
Gospel. But she says that this is her choice and she wants to learn
more. She came to Church and loved it. The members here are very
good at fellowshipping. Crystal had a lot of questions and they were
able to answer them for her.
So Crystal and Sis Izzy look very promising. We have another
investigator named James that we will be seeing today. He is very
intellectual and kinda hard to teach sometimes. But he loves having us
come over and I enjoy the lessons we have with him. We are working
hard on him. We are trying to tap into that heart of his and get the
Spirit in there. I've only had one lesson with him but they say that
he has toned down quite a bit. So he is coming slowly but surely.
So that was my awesome week and I hope things get better for us.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support. I know that it helps
us out a lot. Onward Christian Soldiers!
Elder Richards
That's really weird seeing the house like that. It's really cool though
and you did a nice job with it. Cool beans. Sali con tu Mujer! lol
This last week was amazing. Totally Legit! One of our investigators
got baptized on Saturday. His name is Micheal and he has been waiting
a year for this event. He wasn't able to be baptized before because
of some legal issues. He has worked really hard over the last year to
get himself to this point in his life. His wife also has been waiting
and praying for this. It was a very spiritual experience for all who
attended this beautiful moment. He was confirmed on Sunday then he
received the Aaronic Priesthood that same day. He looks forward to
when he can go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity
to his wife. He is a stud. Also on Sunday our Recent Convert Ruben
received the priesthood as well.
Yesterday was the best Sunday I've had since I've been here. Micheal
and Ruben received the Priesthood and we had 2 new investigators come
to Church. one of them, totally out of nowhere, just showed up at our
Gospel Principles class the week before. Her name is Isabelle. She
prefers Sister Izzy. She is great. She came to Church yesterday
completely prepared and participated in the class. We taught her the
first lesson and it went really well.
Our Second new investigator is Crystal. She referred herself through
Mormon.org. She received a Book of Mormon from a client over a year ago. She told us that she has been "hiding and waiting" for the right moment to
contact the Church. I wish she would have made contact sooner because
that is a long time to wait and sit in the dark without the light of
the Gospel in her life.
We taught her the first lesson and invited her to the baptism of
Micheal. She came and she really loved it. She said he looked like a
new born kid when he came up out of the water. She is really
interested in the Church and wants to learn. Her husband is
"Presbyterian and will die a Presbyterian" he says. But he is really
supportive of her. He won't sit in on the lessons but he is letting
her make her own choice. Her brother on the other hand does not like
us and is doing everything he can to keep her from learning the
Gospel. But she says that this is her choice and she wants to learn
more. She came to Church and loved it. The members here are very
good at fellowshipping. Crystal had a lot of questions and they were
able to answer them for her.
So Crystal and Sis Izzy look very promising. We have another
investigator named James that we will be seeing today. He is very
intellectual and kinda hard to teach sometimes. But he loves having us
come over and I enjoy the lessons we have with him. We are working
hard on him. We are trying to tap into that heart of his and get the
Spirit in there. I've only had one lesson with him but they say that
he has toned down quite a bit. So he is coming slowly but surely.
So that was my awesome week and I hope things get better for us.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support. I know that it helps
us out a lot. Onward Christian Soldiers!
Elder Richards
Monday, January 3, 2011
My prayers were answered!
It totally snowed this morning. That's right snow in Vegas! le... git!
That's a bummer to hear about Keith. I say don't worry about it. Who cares. It was their choice to get offended. I know that I have offended plenty of people here on the mission. I don't ever try to, but members choose to be offended because they think missionaries should be perfect. I actually got transferred from Lone Mountain because of it. It was the Stake President who wanted me out tho because I was there for 6 months already. He told President Black that I "burned bridges" with some of the members. Which i didn't. A few incidences occurred with some of the other missionaries in my district but we took care of all of those. Everything was fine, but I think the Stake President thought I was burnt out of the area. It was quite the opposite.
Anyway, what I am getting at is that I was really upset to be transferred. But President told me something. He said that anyone who falsely accused me, the condemnation would be on their heads. And they will have to answer for that. So I say don't sweat it Keith. It's on them. That may sound kinda harsh but I've dealt with this kind of crap a lot. And it's a waste of time to dwell over it. Love those that hate you. And they will come around. And if they don't then again it's on them. Everything will turn out fine. Great even!
This week was good. I feel a lot better this week than I have in a long time. The ward is great! Our Ward Mission Leader is awesome and we have some awesome ward missionaries as well.
Now that the holidays are over and our investigators are back in town, now it's time to go get them. I'm really excited about this upcoming week. We had a random person walk into Church yesterday. She has been trying to find our Church for a month now and finally found it. We are meeting with her later in the week and I really look forward to it. Her name is Isabelle and she is awesome.
I've been pondering about being a missionary--there are about 52,000 full- time missionaries out in the world. And there are about 6 billion people in the world. That's a lot of people to cover. We are vastly outnumbered. We need more missionaries! We need member missionaries. If all the members could be missionary minded that would help us out a lot. There is so much work to be done. I love this work. He lives. Shall we not go on in so great a cause?
Elder Richards
That's a bummer to hear about Keith. I say don't worry about it. Who cares. It was their choice to get offended. I know that I have offended plenty of people here on the mission. I don't ever try to, but members choose to be offended because they think missionaries should be perfect. I actually got transferred from Lone Mountain because of it. It was the Stake President who wanted me out tho because I was there for 6 months already. He told President Black that I "burned bridges" with some of the members. Which i didn't. A few incidences occurred with some of the other missionaries in my district but we took care of all of those. Everything was fine, but I think the Stake President thought I was burnt out of the area. It was quite the opposite.
Anyway, what I am getting at is that I was really upset to be transferred. But President told me something. He said that anyone who falsely accused me, the condemnation would be on their heads. And they will have to answer for that. So I say don't sweat it Keith. It's on them. That may sound kinda harsh but I've dealt with this kind of crap a lot. And it's a waste of time to dwell over it. Love those that hate you. And they will come around. And if they don't then again it's on them. Everything will turn out fine. Great even!
This week was good. I feel a lot better this week than I have in a long time. The ward is great! Our Ward Mission Leader is awesome and we have some awesome ward missionaries as well.
Now that the holidays are over and our investigators are back in town, now it's time to go get them. I'm really excited about this upcoming week. We had a random person walk into Church yesterday. She has been trying to find our Church for a month now and finally found it. We are meeting with her later in the week and I really look forward to it. Her name is Isabelle and she is awesome.
I've been pondering about being a missionary--there are about 52,000 full- time missionaries out in the world. And there are about 6 billion people in the world. That's a lot of people to cover. We are vastly outnumbered. We need more missionaries! We need member missionaries. If all the members could be missionary minded that would help us out a lot. There is so much work to be done. I love this work. He lives. Shall we not go on in so great a cause?
Elder Richards
Monday, December 27, 2010
Happy New Year!
Hey
I don't know what to write honestly. There is a lot of stuff going trough my head at the moment. I've just been sitting here for awhile trying to figure out something to write....
There seems to be a reoccurring theme that's been coming up in my studies. It started in sacrament with a talk titled the pitfalls of pride..... darn... here we go again! I swear I feel like the Nephites. So again I'm trying to work on my humility and patience. It just goes to show how imperfect we are. There needs to be a constant change and repentance. One day I'll learn. But that's only through my Savior Jesus Christ.
My time's up. I've been sitting here for awhile now. Sorry my email is kinda lame this week. Next week's letter should be much better. Just know that I am OK and I'm livin the dream.
He is Risen!
Elder Richards
I don't know what to write honestly. There is a lot of stuff going trough my head at the moment. I've just been sitting here for awhile trying to figure out something to write....
There seems to be a reoccurring theme that's been coming up in my studies. It started in sacrament with a talk titled the pitfalls of pride..... darn... here we go again! I swear I feel like the Nephites. So again I'm trying to work on my humility and patience. It just goes to show how imperfect we are. There needs to be a constant change and repentance. One day I'll learn. But that's only through my Savior Jesus Christ.
My time's up. I've been sitting here for awhile now. Sorry my email is kinda lame this week. Next week's letter should be much better. Just know that I am OK and I'm livin the dream.
He is Risen!
Elder Richards
Monday, December 20, 2010
Livin the Dream
Hey
I don't know what time I'm going to be calling on Christmas. We haven't set it up with a member yet. I will probably just call whenever. If you don't pick up then, oh well, I'll see you in May. I don't really care. No offense but I think emails every week are all I really need. I guess the phone calls are more for you.
We had a cool experience this week over Facebook. Now I didn't get on my facebook, a member got on for us. She has a friend in Wyoming who is interested in the Church. We got on her Facebook Chat and threw down the first lesson. It's amazing how we felt the Spirit while teaching over a long distance. It was really neat. We even committed him to baptism over Facebook. We got ahold of the missionaries over there and they went over and set him on Jan 31. Now how legit is that? If we can spread the Gospel over Facebook then anyone can. That was our highlight of last week. Things are kinda slow because all of our investigators are out of town for Christmas.
Have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Love,
Elder Richards
I don't know what time I'm going to be calling on Christmas. We haven't set it up with a member yet. I will probably just call whenever. If you don't pick up then, oh well, I'll see you in May. I don't really care. No offense but I think emails every week are all I really need. I guess the phone calls are more for you.
We had a cool experience this week over Facebook. Now I didn't get on my facebook, a member got on for us. She has a friend in Wyoming who is interested in the Church. We got on her Facebook Chat and threw down the first lesson. It's amazing how we felt the Spirit while teaching over a long distance. It was really neat. We even committed him to baptism over Facebook. We got ahold of the missionaries over there and they went over and set him on Jan 31. Now how legit is that? If we can spread the Gospel over Facebook then anyone can. That was our highlight of last week. Things are kinda slow because all of our investigators are out of town for Christmas.
Have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Love,
Elder Richards
Monday, December 13, 2010
I, Elder Richards, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was
taught somewhat in all the learning of my father, Bob Richards; and
having seen many afflictions in the course of my mission,
nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my
mission, yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the
mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in the
week.
And I know that the record which I make is true because I was there.
Ruben is still a stud. He was confirmed yesterday in Sacrament
meeting. he is now an official member of the true Church of God. It's
really awesome to see the change in his countenance. He has done a
complete 180. First he didn't want to keep commitments and now he is
baptized. Such Faith. You never know whats going to happen with some
people.
We also have another investigator named Micheal who is set for Jan
8th. He's been waiting for this for a long time. And now it is here
finally. I'm excited for him. His wife is already a member. They are
looking forward to the day when they can be sealed together as a
eternal family with their son Ryan.
Also this week our Stake put on a live nativity. It was legit. They
had live animals and authentic looking clothing. Even the baby who
played Jesus was a real baby. It really made me reflect and think.
Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, came into this world in
the most humblest of forms--a little baby in a manger. I mean it's
the Son of God, this is a BIG deal. Yet He came into this world like
everyone else, as an innocent baby.
Then it made me reflect on His ministry on the earth. He didn't go
around to everyone saying 'Hey look at me I'm Jesus Christ. I'm going
to be your Savior worship me." That was Lucifer's problem. Jesus
Christ was about His Fathers business. "Come unto me and I will lead
you to our Father in Heaven." "Not my will but thine be done."
A selfless act of love that none of us can comprehend. The Atonement
of Jesus Christ. He being perfect and Holy who never touched an
unclean thing, paid the price to make it possible for us to return to
our Father in Heaven.
He is Risen.
And now I make an end of my proceedings in the week. And now my
beloved brethren, let us go forth with a steadfastness in Christ. I
bid you Adieu, until we meet again before the judgement seat of Christ
(but hopefully I see you all before then.)
Elder Richards
taught somewhat in all the learning of my father, Bob Richards; and
having seen many afflictions in the course of my mission,
nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my
mission, yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the
mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in the
week.
And I know that the record which I make is true because I was there.
Ruben is still a stud. He was confirmed yesterday in Sacrament
meeting. he is now an official member of the true Church of God. It's
really awesome to see the change in his countenance. He has done a
complete 180. First he didn't want to keep commitments and now he is
baptized. Such Faith. You never know whats going to happen with some
people.
We also have another investigator named Micheal who is set for Jan
8th. He's been waiting for this for a long time. And now it is here
finally. I'm excited for him. His wife is already a member. They are
looking forward to the day when they can be sealed together as a
eternal family with their son Ryan.
Also this week our Stake put on a live nativity. It was legit. They
had live animals and authentic looking clothing. Even the baby who
played Jesus was a real baby. It really made me reflect and think.
Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, came into this world in
the most humblest of forms--a little baby in a manger. I mean it's
the Son of God, this is a BIG deal. Yet He came into this world like
everyone else, as an innocent baby.
Then it made me reflect on His ministry on the earth. He didn't go
around to everyone saying 'Hey look at me I'm Jesus Christ. I'm going
to be your Savior worship me." That was Lucifer's problem. Jesus
Christ was about His Fathers business. "Come unto me and I will lead
you to our Father in Heaven." "Not my will but thine be done."
A selfless act of love that none of us can comprehend. The Atonement
of Jesus Christ. He being perfect and Holy who never touched an
unclean thing, paid the price to make it possible for us to return to
our Father in Heaven.
He is Risen.
And now I make an end of my proceedings in the week. And now my
beloved brethren, let us go forth with a steadfastness in Christ. I
bid you Adieu, until we meet again before the judgement seat of Christ
(but hopefully I see you all before then.)
Elder Richards
Monday, December 6, 2010
Cowabunga!
Loved the Christmas Devotional. How can anyone who has heard the
Prophet speak not know that he truly is a Prophet? I've really grown
to love the First Presidency and I know they are Prophets, Seers and
Revelators.
Good things are happening here in the Cimarron ward. They are really
missionary minded. I think its because the members of the ward are
really old and retired. They have nothing better to do, so why not do
missionary work? There is so much joy that comes from doing missionary
work and bringing souls unto Christ.
We had a baptism yesterday. Ruben. He is a stud. It was really funny
because the day that I got into the ward we got a call from our Ward
Mission leader and he said that Ruben called him and asked to be
baptized ASAP. It was really cool. I was like Whaaat?!? Elder Wiscombe
said to get used to it because the Ward is legit.
Like I said Ruben is a stud. Apparently before I got there Ruben was
struggling with gaining a testimony. The missionaries committed him to
read the Book of Mormon and to pray. Then the next day he calls up
our WML and said that he had a heart-changing experience and knew it
was true. We went over to his place and finished up the lessons. He
knew that everything we were telling him was true.
The baptism went very smoothly. Great songs, great talks and
skadoosh! dunkage of Ruben by our WML. Now Let us Rejoice! Booyah!
He is Risen!
Love,
Elder Richards
Prophet speak not know that he truly is a Prophet? I've really grown
to love the First Presidency and I know they are Prophets, Seers and
Revelators.
Good things are happening here in the Cimarron ward. They are really
missionary minded. I think its because the members of the ward are
really old and retired. They have nothing better to do, so why not do
missionary work? There is so much joy that comes from doing missionary
work and bringing souls unto Christ.
We had a baptism yesterday. Ruben. He is a stud. It was really funny
because the day that I got into the ward we got a call from our Ward
Mission leader and he said that Ruben called him and asked to be
baptized ASAP. It was really cool. I was like Whaaat?!? Elder Wiscombe
said to get used to it because the Ward is legit.
Like I said Ruben is a stud. Apparently before I got there Ruben was
struggling with gaining a testimony. The missionaries committed him to
read the Book of Mormon and to pray. Then the next day he calls up
our WML and said that he had a heart-changing experience and knew it
was true. We went over to his place and finished up the lessons. He
knew that everything we were telling him was true.
The baptism went very smoothly. Great songs, great talks and
skadoosh! dunkage of Ruben by our WML. Now Let us Rejoice! Booyah!
He is Risen!
Love,
Elder Richards
Monday, November 29, 2010
Winner! Red Rock!
I found out what I wanted for Christmas. I want a electronic whoopee cushion and the "bop it" game. haha.
Whats this balderdash about me getting transferred on the 15th? Transfers aren't until the 28th. Anyway my address now is 9424 Quail Ridge Dr. Las Vegas NV 89134.
I will include Aunt Joyce in my fast.
And since Keith isn't coming home for Christmas, I will need his number so I can call him. And yes, I can do that.
This week was both good and bad. We were even more sick all week. I got my companion sick too, hehe. It was not on purpose but it's only fair. Companions need to be unified right? He was very grumpy though. hehe.
Thanksgiving was really cool. Really cool. Cold that is. We had the mission turkey bowl again. I was still recovering from being sick and I hurt my knee pretty good during practice so I only played a little bit. The field was wet because some one had the sprinklers running when we pulled up. It iced over so I was trippin all over myself. It was a lot of fun though. The Red Rock zone won the turkey bowl. yay.
I've learned to love this zone now. I'm grateful for this zone. The spirit of Thanksgiving taught me that. I won't lie, I was VERY upset when I heard I was getting transferred. I felt like I didn't belong in Red Rock right now. I felt like I did when i was transferred from Reno to Sparks. It just didn't feel right. But now I know that this is where the Lord needs me. I'm in the right place and I know that whatever happens to me, whether I finish here or I get transferred somewhere else... it's what the Lord wants for me. I'm very grateful for that knowledge. It's comforting to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are aware of me and are guiding me with the Holy Ghost. They know me by name and love me. and you.
I wanted to share something else that i came across in my studies. I
looked up prayer in the Bible Dictionary and it said that "many prayers remain unanswered because they are not of the mind of Christ. Some prayers spring from the selfishness of man's heart." It made me think and ponder " what would Christ pray for?" He would pray for all of us. We read in 3 nephi when Christ appears to the Nephite people and is about to leave them, the people are very sad. They didn't want Him to leave. He felt their love and he sets aside his divine agenda to tarry with them and bless their children. He prays with them and for them. It says that they could not write the words which he spake but that the multitude bore witness of it. The perfect prayer. whoa. That's legit. I'm striving for that perfection in all that I do. I'm doing my best and I'm coming along very, very slowly but I know that through Christ that I can achieve it someday.
I truly do love you all. Truly. I hope you all had a spectacular Thanksgiving. booyah.
love,
Elder Richards
Whats this balderdash about me getting transferred on the 15th? Transfers aren't until the 28th. Anyway my address now is 9424 Quail Ridge Dr. Las Vegas NV 89134.
I will include Aunt Joyce in my fast.
And since Keith isn't coming home for Christmas, I will need his number so I can call him. And yes, I can do that.
This week was both good and bad. We were even more sick all week. I got my companion sick too, hehe. It was not on purpose but it's only fair. Companions need to be unified right? He was very grumpy though. hehe.
Thanksgiving was really cool. Really cool. Cold that is. We had the mission turkey bowl again. I was still recovering from being sick and I hurt my knee pretty good during practice so I only played a little bit. The field was wet because some one had the sprinklers running when we pulled up. It iced over so I was trippin all over myself. It was a lot of fun though. The Red Rock zone won the turkey bowl. yay.
I've learned to love this zone now. I'm grateful for this zone. The spirit of Thanksgiving taught me that. I won't lie, I was VERY upset when I heard I was getting transferred. I felt like I didn't belong in Red Rock right now. I felt like I did when i was transferred from Reno to Sparks. It just didn't feel right. But now I know that this is where the Lord needs me. I'm in the right place and I know that whatever happens to me, whether I finish here or I get transferred somewhere else... it's what the Lord wants for me. I'm very grateful for that knowledge. It's comforting to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are aware of me and are guiding me with the Holy Ghost. They know me by name and love me. and you.
I wanted to share something else that i came across in my studies. I
looked up prayer in the Bible Dictionary and it said that "many prayers remain unanswered because they are not of the mind of Christ. Some prayers spring from the selfishness of man's heart." It made me think and ponder " what would Christ pray for?" He would pray for all of us. We read in 3 nephi when Christ appears to the Nephite people and is about to leave them, the people are very sad. They didn't want Him to leave. He felt their love and he sets aside his divine agenda to tarry with them and bless their children. He prays with them and for them. It says that they could not write the words which he spake but that the multitude bore witness of it. The perfect prayer. whoa. That's legit. I'm striving for that perfection in all that I do. I'm doing my best and I'm coming along very, very slowly but I know that through Christ that I can achieve it someday.
I truly do love you all. Truly. I hope you all had a spectacular Thanksgiving. booyah.
love,
Elder Richards
Monday, November 22, 2010
This is the Christ!
OK so first thing. Don't send me any shirts or pants. A member here noticed my tight pants and shirts and went and bought me some new ones. The members here are really too nice.
My first week here has been kinda rough. I've been sick all week. I'm still recovering right now. It's been really cold out and my jacket doesn't fit me anymore. I have a sweater but I'm going to get a jacket
today.
I finished the Book of Mormon again and guess what... it's still true.
I followed the counsel of Moroni and asked God the Eternal Father in the Name of Christ if this book is true. And by the power of the Holy Ghost I received my answer. It is true. It truly is another Testament of Jesus Christ. And because the Book of Mormon is true, I know that Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith is a prophet, and the work I'm doing here in Las Vegas is the work of the Lord. How great is my calling!
The area is doing quite well. We have a couple of baptisms coming up in the next couple of weeks. I'm lovin the area. I'm lovin my companion. and I'm lovin the bike haha. I'm pretty much livin the dream. He is risen!
Elder Richards
PS My companion's name is Elder Wiscombe by the way.
My first week here has been kinda rough. I've been sick all week. I'm still recovering right now. It's been really cold out and my jacket doesn't fit me anymore. I have a sweater but I'm going to get a jacket
today.
I finished the Book of Mormon again and guess what... it's still true.
I followed the counsel of Moroni and asked God the Eternal Father in the Name of Christ if this book is true. And by the power of the Holy Ghost I received my answer. It is true. It truly is another Testament of Jesus Christ. And because the Book of Mormon is true, I know that Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith is a prophet, and the work I'm doing here in Las Vegas is the work of the Lord. How great is my calling!
The area is doing quite well. We have a couple of baptisms coming up in the next couple of weeks. I'm lovin the area. I'm lovin my companion. and I'm lovin the bike haha. I'm pretty much livin the dream. He is risen!
Elder Richards
PS My companion's name is Elder Wiscombe by the way.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Not again
I'm getting transferred back on bike to the Red Rock Stake. I was really bummed at first when I found out. I thought for sure I was staying because Elder Johnson doesn't know the area quite well enough. But I'm sure he will do fine. I guess the Lord has other plans for me. I still could not fight back the tears. I feel like I'm leaving home.
This week I was reading in the new Ensign Conference issue. I read over my favorite talk by President Utchdorf on Pride. The whole time I was reading it I was imagining him speaking at the pulpit. He said that everyone deals with pride. Very few overcome it. Then I imagined President Utchdorf raising his hands in the double chop position like he usually does during his talks. He was talking straight to me in that German accent of his saying with a big smile of course "Elder Richards, you are prideful" .....aw crap, not again.
So I continued reading the talk and in Doctrine & Covenants 12:8 it says that "no one can assist in this great work except he be full of love." President Utchdorf said that if we are full of Charity we cannot have pride. That's when I started focusing my studies on Charity. I learned a great deal about charity. I remember that was the first thing I learned on the mission. The first thing my trainer taught me was to Love the people. That has stuck with me my whole mission. Love the people. I learned that without love we are nothing. If we don't truly love the people we teach then why should they want to change and come closer to Christ? We need to pray with full energy of heart for Charity. And something else that is important is to express it. That's a goal that I have made, to express Love for everyone. That doesn't mean I'm going to go up to complete strangers and give them hugs and tell them I love them. That works for some people I guess ;) but that's not my style. Being kind, extending service, just a warm smile can go a long way.
We are representatives of Jesus Christ. Christ loves everyone and so should we. Have I done any good in the world today? I'm out of time. Love the people and live the dream. I love you all.
Elder Richards
This week I was reading in the new Ensign Conference issue. I read over my favorite talk by President Utchdorf on Pride. The whole time I was reading it I was imagining him speaking at the pulpit. He said that everyone deals with pride. Very few overcome it. Then I imagined President Utchdorf raising his hands in the double chop position like he usually does during his talks. He was talking straight to me in that German accent of his saying with a big smile of course "Elder Richards, you are prideful" .....aw crap, not again.
So I continued reading the talk and in Doctrine & Covenants 12:8 it says that "no one can assist in this great work except he be full of love." President Utchdorf said that if we are full of Charity we cannot have pride. That's when I started focusing my studies on Charity. I learned a great deal about charity. I remember that was the first thing I learned on the mission. The first thing my trainer taught me was to Love the people. That has stuck with me my whole mission. Love the people. I learned that without love we are nothing. If we don't truly love the people we teach then why should they want to change and come closer to Christ? We need to pray with full energy of heart for Charity. And something else that is important is to express it. That's a goal that I have made, to express Love for everyone. That doesn't mean I'm going to go up to complete strangers and give them hugs and tell them I love them. That works for some people I guess ;) but that's not my style. Being kind, extending service, just a warm smile can go a long way.
We are representatives of Jesus Christ. Christ loves everyone and so should we. Have I done any good in the world today? I'm out of time. Love the people and live the dream. I love you all.
Elder Richards
Monday, November 8, 2010
Now Let Us Rejoice, It's P Day
This week seemed really long. Its seems like months ago that Elder Kraft left. I'm doing well though. I really like my new companion Elder Johnson. Apparently i'ts only temporary so I'm kinda bummed about that.
First I want to thank you all for your prayers and support. They really helped me out a alot this week. This week I've been studying a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and applying it to my life. There's a great story that I would like to share with you called "The Room."
The Room
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room.
There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with
small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list
titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which
stretched from floor to ceiling and right to left as far as the eye could
see, had very different headings.
As I walked up to the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read, "People I Have Liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then, without being told, I knew exactly where I was.
This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my
entire life. The actions of my every moment, big and small, were written in
a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, mixed
with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and
exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories, others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.
A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I have betrayed". The titles ranged from common, everyday things to the not-so-common-"Books I Have Read", "Lies I Have Told", "Comfort I Have Given", "Jokes I Have
Laughed At". Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I Have
Yelled At My Brothers and Sisters." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I
Have Done in Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents". I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes less than I had hoped.
The sheer volume of the life I had lived overwhelmed me. Could it be
possible that I had time in my 17 years to write each of these thousands or
millions of cards? But each card confirmed the truth. Each card was written
in my own handwriting. Each card was signed with my signature. When I pulled out the file marked "Songs I Have Listened To", I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented. When I came to the file marked "Lustful
Thoughts"; I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think such a moment had been recorded.
A feeling of humiliation and anger ran through my body. One thought
dominated my mind: "No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see
this room! I have to destroy them!" In an insane frenzy, I yanked the file
out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But
as I took the file at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could
not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only
to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly
helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the
wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.
That was when I saw it. The file bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel
With". The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than 3 inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand. And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my
stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of
shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves
swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I
must lock it up and hide the key.
Then as I looked up through my tears, I saw Him enter the room. No, please
not Him. Not here. Anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to
open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response.
The few times I looked at His face I saw such sadness that it tore at my
heart. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did he have to
read every one?
Finally, He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me
with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped
my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked
over and put his arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He
didn't say a word. He just cried with me.
Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of
the room, He took out a file, and, one by one began to sign His name over
mine on each card. "No!" I shouted, rushing to Him. All I could find to say
was "No, no", as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these
cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written in blood.
He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the
cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the
next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my
side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished." I stood
up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on the door. There were still cards to be written.
As I have done my best to fill up that file titled " People I have shared the Gospel with" I have felt my Savior's love. I know that through His Atonement I can overcome anything and everything. The Atonement is for everyone. Everyone needs it and it is our responsibility to share it. Because I have been given much I too must give. He is Risen!
Love,
Elder Richards
First I want to thank you all for your prayers and support. They really helped me out a alot this week. This week I've been studying a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and applying it to my life. There's a great story that I would like to share with you called "The Room."
The Room
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room.
There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with
small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list
titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which
stretched from floor to ceiling and right to left as far as the eye could
see, had very different headings.
As I walked up to the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read, "People I Have Liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then, without being told, I knew exactly where I was.
This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my
entire life. The actions of my every moment, big and small, were written in
a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, mixed
with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and
exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories, others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.
A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I have betrayed". The titles ranged from common, everyday things to the not-so-common-"Books I Have Read", "Lies I Have Told", "Comfort I Have Given", "Jokes I Have
Laughed At". Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I Have
Yelled At My Brothers and Sisters." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I
Have Done in Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents". I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes less than I had hoped.
The sheer volume of the life I had lived overwhelmed me. Could it be
possible that I had time in my 17 years to write each of these thousands or
millions of cards? But each card confirmed the truth. Each card was written
in my own handwriting. Each card was signed with my signature. When I pulled out the file marked "Songs I Have Listened To", I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented. When I came to the file marked "Lustful
Thoughts"; I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think such a moment had been recorded.
A feeling of humiliation and anger ran through my body. One thought
dominated my mind: "No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see
this room! I have to destroy them!" In an insane frenzy, I yanked the file
out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But
as I took the file at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could
not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only
to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly
helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the
wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.
That was when I saw it. The file bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel
With". The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than 3 inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand. And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my
stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of
shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves
swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I
must lock it up and hide the key.
Then as I looked up through my tears, I saw Him enter the room. No, please
not Him. Not here. Anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to
open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response.
The few times I looked at His face I saw such sadness that it tore at my
heart. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did he have to
read every one?
Finally, He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me
with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped
my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked
over and put his arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He
didn't say a word. He just cried with me.
Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of
the room, He took out a file, and, one by one began to sign His name over
mine on each card. "No!" I shouted, rushing to Him. All I could find to say
was "No, no", as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these
cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written in blood.
He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the
cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the
next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my
side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished." I stood
up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on the door. There were still cards to be written.
As I have done my best to fill up that file titled " People I have shared the Gospel with" I have felt my Savior's love. I know that through His Atonement I can overcome anything and everything. The Atonement is for everyone. Everyone needs it and it is our responsibility to share it. Because I have been given much I too must give. He is Risen!
Love,
Elder Richards
Monday, November 1, 2010
Love
This past week has been particularly hard on me. My companion Elder Kraft is going home. I don't know all of the details. All I know is that there have been some problems at home. That really isn't any of my business though. I love Elder Kraft so much. This was really unexpected. I want you all to know that Elder Kraft is a great man. He is probably one of the most spiritual people I have ever met. He has a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He will be returning back to the mission in 6 months and that is proof of his faithful testimony. He just needs to clear some things up back home so that he can serve the Lord with all of his heart, might, mind and strength. He will make a great missionary. he already is a great missionary. He has taught me so much. I am so grateful that I had a chance to serve with him, to be his trainer. But more importantly, to be his friend. I will miss him dearly.
Don't worry about me though. I will be fine. This is probably one of the hardest experiences that I will have to go through on my mission but I can depend on my Savior. I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives. He Lives!
Elder Richards
Don't worry about me though. I will be fine. This is probably one of the hardest experiences that I will have to go through on my mission but I can depend on my Savior. I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives. He Lives!
Elder Richards
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Agency
Funny thing about that toy you found. I think i buried it there. So you've found it! and Ive decided that I'm never coming home. I'm going to be one of the 3 Nephites of the mission. Sorry to disappoint Charmander.
We went to the Temple today. I don't know if I mentioned that to you or not. and I messed up. I completely forgot the Temple cards you sent me. Sorry. I feel kinda bad about it because those people will have to wait a little bit longer. I hope they will forgive me someday.
I got the package thank you.
The Temple was very inspirational of course. It's still amazing and I've learned a lot.
I've been learning a lot about Agency, the freedom to choose between good and evil. It's a subject that keeps coming back to the front of my mind. I think I finally understand the importance of it. I always understood what agency was and it's role in the great Plan of Salvation. But now it goes deeper than that. The ability to choose is such a sacred blessing to me. We have a loving Heavenly Father who has given it to us. That is why He could not choose Satan's plan. If we all were forced into Heaven then we wouldn't be as happy. When I choose the right, it brings the Spirit into me and I become happier. And I choose the right because I love God. That's the biggest thing I've learned this week. That there is a direct correlation between agency and happiness. When we choose the right we feel happy because we are following the example of the Savior. When we are disobedient, we lose the companionship of the Holy Ghost and thus become unhappy and miserable like Satan.
I hope and pray that I can continue on the straight and narrow path. We cannot afford to take detours wherein there may be no return. We must hold fast to the iron rod and exercise our great gift of agency. And I know that as we exercise our gift of agency for good, that we can receive an even greater gift which is eternal life, which gift is the greatest gift of God. Press forward saints with steadfast faith in Christ!
Elder Richards
We went to the Temple today. I don't know if I mentioned that to you or not. and I messed up. I completely forgot the Temple cards you sent me. Sorry. I feel kinda bad about it because those people will have to wait a little bit longer. I hope they will forgive me someday.
I got the package thank you.
The Temple was very inspirational of course. It's still amazing and I've learned a lot.
I've been learning a lot about Agency, the freedom to choose between good and evil. It's a subject that keeps coming back to the front of my mind. I think I finally understand the importance of it. I always understood what agency was and it's role in the great Plan of Salvation. But now it goes deeper than that. The ability to choose is such a sacred blessing to me. We have a loving Heavenly Father who has given it to us. That is why He could not choose Satan's plan. If we all were forced into Heaven then we wouldn't be as happy. When I choose the right, it brings the Spirit into me and I become happier. And I choose the right because I love God. That's the biggest thing I've learned this week. That there is a direct correlation between agency and happiness. When we choose the right we feel happy because we are following the example of the Savior. When we are disobedient, we lose the companionship of the Holy Ghost and thus become unhappy and miserable like Satan.
I hope and pray that I can continue on the straight and narrow path. We cannot afford to take detours wherein there may be no return. We must hold fast to the iron rod and exercise our great gift of agency. And I know that as we exercise our gift of agency for good, that we can receive an even greater gift which is eternal life, which gift is the greatest gift of God. Press forward saints with steadfast faith in Christ!
Elder Richards
Monday, October 18, 2010
Soylent Green is People!
Areas I have covered:
West Oquendo Ward in South Stake
Meadows 1st and 3rd in Meadows Stake
then to Reno stake Mount Rose and South meadows
then to Sparks Stake for only 6 weeks.
now I'm in Lone Mountain Stake, Providence, Valley Vista and Mountain Crest Wards
So South, Meadows and Lone Mountain Stakes are here in Vegas. I know some families here who have sons in the Ohio mission but I don't recognize Larsen.
and the triangle with our hands... think about it, I'm in the Lone Mountain zone. There really is a lone mountain here. It's this little mountain apart from the all the other ridiculous ginormous mountains that surround us. And of course I flash my cards. I'm known throughout the mission as the magician. I'll send some more pics today. That was our whole zone picture that we took right before transfers. That was awhile ago so I'll send a recent one.
So this week things have been picking up. We got another new investigator! Her name is Christina. She is 9 years old. Her parents have been putting off getting her baptized because her father wants to baptize her. He has some things he needs to take care of with the Bishop first, but in the meantime we have starting teaching her. We had a great first lesson with her. It amazes me how much these kids understand all of this--and accept it. We are teaching 3 investigators now. Jackie, Michaela and now Christina. They are all 9-10 years old and I'm amazed how much they are grasping all of this. Sometimes when we are teaching it looks like they tend to zone out. But when we ask them questions they give great answers. I've learned a lot from these wonderful children. The spirit of Christ shines forth from them.
We may have to push back Jackie's baptism because she may need some additional preparation. We need to make sure that she is fully ready to make this sacred covenant. We've planned a great FHE for them tonight that I'm really looking forward to.
Thank you for your support and prayers. I definitely need them. I love you.
Love
Elder Richards
P.S. 38 lol
West Oquendo Ward in South Stake
Meadows 1st and 3rd in Meadows Stake
then to Reno stake Mount Rose and South meadows
then to Sparks Stake for only 6 weeks.
now I'm in Lone Mountain Stake, Providence, Valley Vista and Mountain Crest Wards
So South, Meadows and Lone Mountain Stakes are here in Vegas. I know some families here who have sons in the Ohio mission but I don't recognize Larsen.
and the triangle with our hands... think about it, I'm in the Lone Mountain zone. There really is a lone mountain here. It's this little mountain apart from the all the other ridiculous ginormous mountains that surround us. And of course I flash my cards. I'm known throughout the mission as the magician. I'll send some more pics today. That was our whole zone picture that we took right before transfers. That was awhile ago so I'll send a recent one.
So this week things have been picking up. We got another new investigator! Her name is Christina. She is 9 years old. Her parents have been putting off getting her baptized because her father wants to baptize her. He has some things he needs to take care of with the Bishop first, but in the meantime we have starting teaching her. We had a great first lesson with her. It amazes me how much these kids understand all of this--and accept it. We are teaching 3 investigators now. Jackie, Michaela and now Christina. They are all 9-10 years old and I'm amazed how much they are grasping all of this. Sometimes when we are teaching it looks like they tend to zone out. But when we ask them questions they give great answers. I've learned a lot from these wonderful children. The spirit of Christ shines forth from them.
We may have to push back Jackie's baptism because she may need some additional preparation. We need to make sure that she is fully ready to make this sacred covenant. We've planned a great FHE for them tonight that I'm really looking forward to.
Thank you for your support and prayers. I definitely need them. I love you.
Love
Elder Richards
P.S. 38 lol
Friday, October 15, 2010
HOLIDAY MAIL FOR ELDER RICHARDS
October 15, 2010
TO: Missionary Families
SUBJECT: Holiday Mail
With the holiday season at our doorstep, you may be planning to send mail and packages to your missionaries who are here in the field. If you will follow the suggestions offered, you will help us in the office immensely during this busy time of year. Also you will have the best assurance that your mailings will get to their desired destination in time.
a. Mail early. Plan to shop and ship in a timely manner.
b. Letters should continue to come to the mission office (address above). We faithfully forward the mail within 24 hours.
c. Packages (USPS, UPS, or FedEx) should be sent DIRECTLY to your missionary after Nov. 16th transfers but before December 15th. Ask your missionary to email you their addresses after November transfers. If you have not sent a package to arrive before December 15th, please email your Missionary asking where to send any packages.
d. Please pass this information along to your extended family and friends.
e. After January 1st, please resume sending all packages and mail to the mission office.
f. Direct any questions to the mission office.
We wish you a wonderful and safe holiday season!
Sincerely,
Kathy Wright
Sister Kathy Wright
Nevada Las Vegas West Mission secretary
TO: Missionary Families
SUBJECT: Holiday Mail
With the holiday season at our doorstep, you may be planning to send mail and packages to your missionaries who are here in the field. If you will follow the suggestions offered, you will help us in the office immensely during this busy time of year. Also you will have the best assurance that your mailings will get to their desired destination in time.
a. Mail early. Plan to shop and ship in a timely manner.
b. Letters should continue to come to the mission office (address above). We faithfully forward the mail within 24 hours.
c. Packages (USPS, UPS, or FedEx) should be sent DIRECTLY to your missionary after Nov. 16th transfers but before December 15th. Ask your missionary to email you their addresses after November transfers. If you have not sent a package to arrive before December 15th, please email your Missionary asking where to send any packages.
d. Please pass this information along to your extended family and friends.
e. After January 1st, please resume sending all packages and mail to the mission office.
f. Direct any questions to the mission office.
We wish you a wonderful and safe holiday season!
Sincerely,
Kathy Wright
Sister Kathy Wright
Nevada Las Vegas West Mission secretary
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Do or Do Not, There is No Try
I got the Temple cards. Thank you. But we don't go to the Temple till later in the transfer.
I didn't write a letter on Monday because Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the Seventy came to the mission. He gave some very inspiring and powerful talks on a lot of things, mostly obedience, of course. It's the price we pay but I don't really thinks it's a price. Elder Pearson said that it is easier to be 100% obedient than it is to be 80% obedient. It was overall a great experience and really comforting too. He talked a lot about being an average missionary. He kept going back to that throughout his training. We should strive to be the extraordinary missionary and not the average missionary. He said that average people do not inherit the Celestial Kingdom. We need to be living the Celestial law to make it. Do or do not, there is no try. He said that a lot too. It was funny but it's true. We need to do our best, not try to do our best. A lot of things he said really struck me hard. I am recommitted to the work now and I am going to Do, not try.
Another great experience that happened to us: Remember the Cumorah cakes we made? We made one for a recent convert/part member family named the Williams. Something amazing happened with that simple act of kindness. Sister Williams had a friend who invited her and her family over for dinner. Sis Williams' friend has expressed some "anti" feelings toward the Church before, but she still is Sister Williams friend. Anyway, Sis Williams brought over the cake for desert. They cut the cake and found the note. Her friend was confused and Sis Williams explained that the missionaries made the cake for her family, but she didn't read the note we put in the cake. Well her friend wanted to see the note, but Sis Williams was a little hesitant about sharing it with her. But she let her read it. I don't remember what I wrote on the note but it really touched Sister Williams friend that night. Sis Williams said her friend got teary eyed and emotional about it. You never know what a little act of kindness will do for people. It also inspired Sister Williams as well. It was such an amazing story and I'm so glad we did it.
Elder Kraft and I came up with another idea that we will be putting in effect starting November 1st. We prayed about it and we are going to stop the dinner calendar. We feel strongly that it will help the area. I love the members and I am so grateful for all that they do but I don't need any more food. I need people to teach. Sometimes members tend to think that by feeding the missionaries they are doing missionary work. But again we need people to teach not food. We are kind of desperate. We have run into opposition with this plan but we have talked it over with our Bishops and Ward Mission Leaders and they have agreed to support us in our decision. We are not punishing the members and leaving them out to dry. We are going to visit them in their homes and teach them the first discussion then ask for referrals. We don't dislike any of our members, we love them, but we want them to realize the gravity of our situation. We need people to teach.
I hope and pray that everything goes well. I love you.
Elder Richards
I didn't write a letter on Monday because Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the Seventy came to the mission. He gave some very inspiring and powerful talks on a lot of things, mostly obedience, of course. It's the price we pay but I don't really thinks it's a price. Elder Pearson said that it is easier to be 100% obedient than it is to be 80% obedient. It was overall a great experience and really comforting too. He talked a lot about being an average missionary. He kept going back to that throughout his training. We should strive to be the extraordinary missionary and not the average missionary. He said that average people do not inherit the Celestial Kingdom. We need to be living the Celestial law to make it. Do or do not, there is no try. He said that a lot too. It was funny but it's true. We need to do our best, not try to do our best. A lot of things he said really struck me hard. I am recommitted to the work now and I am going to Do, not try.
Another great experience that happened to us: Remember the Cumorah cakes we made? We made one for a recent convert/part member family named the Williams. Something amazing happened with that simple act of kindness. Sister Williams had a friend who invited her and her family over for dinner. Sis Williams' friend has expressed some "anti" feelings toward the Church before, but she still is Sister Williams friend. Anyway, Sis Williams brought over the cake for desert. They cut the cake and found the note. Her friend was confused and Sis Williams explained that the missionaries made the cake for her family, but she didn't read the note we put in the cake. Well her friend wanted to see the note, but Sis Williams was a little hesitant about sharing it with her. But she let her read it. I don't remember what I wrote on the note but it really touched Sister Williams friend that night. Sis Williams said her friend got teary eyed and emotional about it. You never know what a little act of kindness will do for people. It also inspired Sister Williams as well. It was such an amazing story and I'm so glad we did it.
Elder Kraft and I came up with another idea that we will be putting in effect starting November 1st. We prayed about it and we are going to stop the dinner calendar. We feel strongly that it will help the area. I love the members and I am so grateful for all that they do but I don't need any more food. I need people to teach. Sometimes members tend to think that by feeding the missionaries they are doing missionary work. But again we need people to teach not food. We are kind of desperate. We have run into opposition with this plan but we have talked it over with our Bishops and Ward Mission Leaders and they have agreed to support us in our decision. We are not punishing the members and leaving them out to dry. We are going to visit them in their homes and teach them the first discussion then ask for referrals. We don't dislike any of our members, we love them, but we want them to realize the gravity of our situation. We need people to teach.
I hope and pray that everything goes well. I love you.
Elder Richards
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sick with it
I got the shirts. They are nice. I'm going to burn the nasty gray ones. I didn't get the cards yet.
The house looks good. I miss that tree a little bit though.
Here is my favorite quote [from General Conference] by Elder Arnold. "You stupid Cow!" that was by far the funniest line I have ever heard over the pulpit at General Conference.
My favorite talk was about Pride by President Utchdorf. Man, it was legit. I also liked the talk about the Right, Responsibility and Results of Choice by President Monson. It got me pondering. I loved all of the talks though. They all made me ponder.
Jackie is doing well and still progressing towards her baptismal date. We may have to push the date for her baptism back a week because of some building conflicts. I'm not too worried about it. Like you said, there is no reason to worry about something before it happens.
We also have a new investigator McKayla. She is the niece of our Ward Mission Leader. She is 9 years old and VERY smart. It's mind boggling how much she understands and accepts. There is an interesting background on McKayla and how she was introduced into the Church. Her father is in Florida right now for school. Our Ward Mission Leader called him one day and asked him if it was alright if he brought his daughter to Church with him. He was strongly against it. But then a week later he called our Ward Mission Leader again and told him it was ok. McKaylas father had run into some missionaries in Florida. He started taking the lessons and he was baptized in 3 weeks. He has been reading the Book of Mormon every night and he is encouraging his daughter to go now. It's so amazing how the Lord prepares his children to hear the Gospel.
We got transfer calls. Elder Kraft and I are both staying for another 6 weeks. I'm pretty excited about this upcoming transfer. The BoM challenge went pretty well. Rice's zone passed out more but our ratio is better. we had about 7 BoMs per missionary. They had about 2 per missionary. Oh well. it was a great experience for Elder Kraft and I. We didn't win but that's not what matters. It's about the people who received the Book of Mormon. The Church is true.
Elder Richards
The house looks good. I miss that tree a little bit though.
Here is my favorite quote [from General Conference] by Elder Arnold. "You stupid Cow!" that was by far the funniest line I have ever heard over the pulpit at General Conference.
My favorite talk was about Pride by President Utchdorf. Man, it was legit. I also liked the talk about the Right, Responsibility and Results of Choice by President Monson. It got me pondering. I loved all of the talks though. They all made me ponder.
Jackie is doing well and still progressing towards her baptismal date. We may have to push the date for her baptism back a week because of some building conflicts. I'm not too worried about it. Like you said, there is no reason to worry about something before it happens.
We also have a new investigator McKayla. She is the niece of our Ward Mission Leader. She is 9 years old and VERY smart. It's mind boggling how much she understands and accepts. There is an interesting background on McKayla and how she was introduced into the Church. Her father is in Florida right now for school. Our Ward Mission Leader called him one day and asked him if it was alright if he brought his daughter to Church with him. He was strongly against it. But then a week later he called our Ward Mission Leader again and told him it was ok. McKaylas father had run into some missionaries in Florida. He started taking the lessons and he was baptized in 3 weeks. He has been reading the Book of Mormon every night and he is encouraging his daughter to go now. It's so amazing how the Lord prepares his children to hear the Gospel.
We got transfer calls. Elder Kraft and I are both staying for another 6 weeks. I'm pretty excited about this upcoming transfer. The BoM challenge went pretty well. Rice's zone passed out more but our ratio is better. we had about 7 BoMs per missionary. They had about 2 per missionary. Oh well. it was a great experience for Elder Kraft and I. We didn't win but that's not what matters. It's about the people who received the Book of Mormon. The Church is true.
Elder Richards
Monday, September 27, 2010
I'm Hungry
Hey thanks for sending the shirts. I haven't gotten them yet.
We should be going to the Temple in a couple of weeks. So you can send the cards.
That is a bummer for Dad. Yikes. I'm actually going to go into the dentist sometime this week. My crown is loose again. Don't worry, a member who is a dentist is going to take care of it. It's still balderdash tho.
So the Book of Mormon challenge went pretty well. We were able to pass out about 30 Books of Mormon this week. It was hard though because we have been sick this week. It might be allergies but I don't think it was. My whole district has been sick. Something has been going around. We drove to Mt. Charleston this week to do some tracting. That was a bad idea. We got there and meh. We were so sick but we went anyway. We didn't drive all the way up there for nothing. We talked to Walt, our only investigator up there, but he was busy and couldn't meet with us. balderdash. But that didn't stop us. We said a prayer and went forth. I am all tracted out. We have a lot of people to follow up with. This coming week should be pretty good.
Now for the highlight the week. Jacklyn Monje had committed to baptism on Oct 16. We've grown really close with the Monje's. They are awesome. We baked them a Cumorah cake a couple of weeks ago and they loved it. A Cumorah cake is when you bake a cake and cut a hole in the middle of it. Then you make a box out of chocolate bars and put a note in it. Then you put icing all over the cake to hide the hidden message and when they cut the cake they find a surprise. Cool huh? It was Elder Kraft's idea. legit. too legit. too legit to quit.
We've been seeing a change in this area. Yesterday during our 9 hours of Church, I remember just sitting there thinking " I love this Gospel. I love being a missionary. I love my companion. I love this area. I love the people. I love my God." I was so peaceful and I felt my Saviors love. This area has taught me many great things. The work is starting to pick up and I'm excited. I am so blessed. I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives.
Love
Elder Richards
We should be going to the Temple in a couple of weeks. So you can send the cards.
That is a bummer for Dad. Yikes. I'm actually going to go into the dentist sometime this week. My crown is loose again. Don't worry, a member who is a dentist is going to take care of it. It's still balderdash tho.
So the Book of Mormon challenge went pretty well. We were able to pass out about 30 Books of Mormon this week. It was hard though because we have been sick this week. It might be allergies but I don't think it was. My whole district has been sick. Something has been going around. We drove to Mt. Charleston this week to do some tracting. That was a bad idea. We got there and meh. We were so sick but we went anyway. We didn't drive all the way up there for nothing. We talked to Walt, our only investigator up there, but he was busy and couldn't meet with us. balderdash. But that didn't stop us. We said a prayer and went forth. I am all tracted out. We have a lot of people to follow up with. This coming week should be pretty good.
Now for the highlight the week. Jacklyn Monje had committed to baptism on Oct 16. We've grown really close with the Monje's. They are awesome. We baked them a Cumorah cake a couple of weeks ago and they loved it. A Cumorah cake is when you bake a cake and cut a hole in the middle of it. Then you make a box out of chocolate bars and put a note in it. Then you put icing all over the cake to hide the hidden message and when they cut the cake they find a surprise. Cool huh? It was Elder Kraft's idea. legit. too legit. too legit to quit.
We've been seeing a change in this area. Yesterday during our 9 hours of Church, I remember just sitting there thinking " I love this Gospel. I love being a missionary. I love my companion. I love this area. I love the people. I love my God." I was so peaceful and I felt my Saviors love. This area has taught me many great things. The work is starting to pick up and I'm excited. I am so blessed. I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives.
Love
Elder Richards
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