Season 3: Glacier Wilderness. Episode 6: Enduring to the End Part 3‏

Something isn't right with this photo...The Steering wheel bolt is loose and there is a less active in the ward who loves to help us, so we will be going by this week.

Elder Lee-Wen is an office Elder and they live just across the street from us, so last week we made him a "Birthday King" crown and gave it to him. Its was great :D He is awesome.

So I finally had some legit seafood! Two days ago we went to a members house and had an "amuse bouche" of a variety of fish stuffs. I had lobster, crab, giant shrimp, muscles and a couple of other things for the first time!

Transfers are today! Elder Wagstaff and I are both staying in Maple Valley! Elder Wagstaff has had a new companion every transfer (7 companions, and this is his 8th) of his mission until now! He also hasn't stayed in an area for 3 transfers, so he is breaking a whole bunch of records this transfer.

This week I had some more great experiences that I really wanted to share that go along with enduring to the end.

We hadn't had any good contact with the new investigator we found, so we stopped by to drop off some Tupperware she gave us with cookies and had a good conversation there. She was really super kind and very friendly, but essentially she dropped us. She said she wouldn't convert and that she didn't really need our help with service anymore. We testified of the restoration and of the Book of Mormon. We left the conversation with us still being able to come by and teach her the lessons and understanding a whole lot more of her situation. So for now we wont be able to go by for the next couple of weeks because her work is super busy, but afterwards we will be able to come by and share the rest of what we know. We pray that when we do, the spirit will touch her heart even more and she will come to know that the things that we teach are true through the same way we have.

Our areas are still progressing and will continue. We are so excited for the miracles we see. We already have a potential family we are going to teach this weekend and some more potentials.

My last thoughts on enduring to the end and applying it is that even though disappointments happen in missionary work, school, life, work, etc. it does not mean that you are destined for failure. Disappointments are inevitable, it is only bad if you get discouraged by it. Don't be discouraged in what happens, because of Jesus Christ and what He did for us there are always good things to come in the future. I am so excited to see what comes in the next 6 weeks. I know that as we faithfully continue onward this coming transfer, things will work out. I leave with you a challenge to endure to the end. Elder Pearson of the Seventy gave an amazing talk last conference about enduring to the end. Any one of us (meaning me, you, your parents, President Monson, or anybody else) is not immune to satans buffets. We have to stay strong and vigilant in holding onto the iron rod. If we hold fast, we will all make it to the glorious tree of life and partake of the fruit of Eternal life. The decisions you make today, determine your destiny in the future (see Thomas S. Monson "Decisions Determine Destiny" BYU Speech). I give my heed and challenge for you to hold on to the Iron rod which is the Word of God. The Book of Mormon is His word and you should read it daily. I challenge you if you are not currently to read it every single day. Elder Pearson in his talk put it this way, "Search the Book of Mormon and the words of the living prophets every day, every day, every day!" I add my witness that if you do that, you will be able to stand strong against the fiery darts of the adversary that so often are thrown at you and me. Set a time for it, and do it. Make reading the scriptures a priority in your life. It can be done and accomplished no matter how busy you are (see 1 Nephi 3:7). I love you all and I know that this gospel is the best thing for everyone. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Sumsion

Additional Study:

Nephi and his brothers going back to get the plates

Why did Nephi sacrifice so much to get the scriptures?

How can you sacrifice like Nephi did to more value your scriptures?

Season 3: Glacier Wilderness. Episode 5: Enduring to the End Part 2‏

Yes. Sometimes I forget to name my episodes.... or do I give you the opportunity to name them?

 

Something that I came up with recently that I love is

 

"When you change your perspective, your perspective changes you."

 

There is that thought.

 

I hope you did try those questions and evaluate yourself. Its definitely important. From President Uchtdorf talk "Of things that Matter Most" he talks about how it is important to spend time getting to know yourself and who you are. So I would encourage you to do it, because an Prophet, Seer, and Revelator suggests you to do it. And also Elder Sumsion, a representative of Jesus Christ.

 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/of-things-that-matter-most?lang=eng

 

You know how I told you about our progression of our area? How it was moving slowly but surely?

Well something amazing happened and it continued to progress and miracles happened!!!

 

Yesterday we committed Shela to baptism on June 20th! We found Shela about a week ago contacting on the trail next to Lake Wilderness. We asked her if we could do any service for her and she accepted. We went by with Elder Cook and Elder Gonzalez on Friday and did that service and it went well. She was very friendly and accepted our invitation for us to teach her. We went by on Saturday and taught her the restoration. She accepted the invitation and we are preparing for that. She seems very prepared and ready to receive the gospel. She had one concern about being baptized before, so we re-explained the priesthood authority and bore testimony and it was resolved. We are so excited and happy that we were blessed with someone who was prepared to receive the gospel. Now of course this is the beginning stages, but it is so hopeful for us and so great to see progression!

 

Now here is my progressing thought from last time about enduring to the end. Think about what Elder Wagstaff and I were doing for the past 4 weeks? We had been faithfully contacting and talking to everyone. When we had encountered that resistance and discouragement during that first week and if we had just given up on contacting saying "this stuff is way to hard! Lets just go sleep." What we found 4 weeks later would have not happened. I believe that it was because Elder Wagstaff and I (and other reasons including prayers from those of you at home) had been faithfully enduring our contacting experience. We were blessed because we stayed faithful and didn't give up. If we continue faithfully trying to find, then we will find.

If you continue to faithfully live the gospel, you will be ready for those hard experiences that come. You will also be ready for those blessings that will come. So don't give up on reading your scriptures or going to church. If you do, you may miss what will come 4 weeks later. Continue holding fast. I promise you that if you faithfully continue on and living the gospel, you will be prepared for any storm or fiery dart that may come your way.

 

Here are some references for additional study.

 

-"The Wise Man and the Foolish Man Primary Hymn

https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/the-wise-man-and-the-foolish-man?lang=eng

-Helaman 5:12

-1 Nephi 15:24 (as well as the vision of the tree of life)

 

 

Love you all! That talk from President Uchtdorf was really great and I would recommend you read it.

Elder Sumsion

Season 3: Glacier Wilderness. Episode 4:‏

Elder Graham and I at choir practice today :D I am wearing his posterity tie and
 he is wearing the tie I gifted him.

I like to call this outfit "Elder Sunshine."

Hey do you want to hear some great news, as far as missionary work progress in our area?

Last Monday, the 4th, a good thing happened. Elder Wagstaff and I have been praying for opportunities to find and teach a new investigator. We have been talking to almost everyone and do our best to testify of the truths of the restoration and invite them to learn more. As we were leaving a lesson and walking home at about 8:45pm there was a man who pulled up in his truck with a table and chairs. We offered to help him take them in but he told us he had his son coming to help him. So we got talking to him and asked him again in a different way if we could help him ("Hey would could save you a couple trips") and he accepted. So we skillfully carried the table in (without puncturing or scraping the walls if you were wondering or curious) and set it in and helped them with it. We then started talking with his wife as well and bore testimony and invited and they said YES! We are going back tonight and I pray that they are prepared to receive the gospel. Its a family which is awesome. I am grateful that we have this opportunity. Even if they end up not investigating or listening to us that will be okay, because them accepting shows us that the area is progressing.

When I first got here people wouldn't listen to us.

The next week people were talking to us.

The week after we were almost getting potentials (potential potential investigators :D haha).

This last week there are people accepting our invitations to meet with them and we are getting potentials.

Its not like we are getting tons and tons of potential investigators or people accepting our invitations, but we are getting more than when I got here. That is progress and that is what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are pleased with. Like in the parable of the talents, some are given 10, others 5, and we were given 1. Starting with 1 and turning it to 2 is a pretty big thing and that's what Elder Wagstaff and I are trying to do. It probably wont be a 10 when we leave, but it will be progressing to that point :D

Missionary work and being on a mission is so amazing! I love it! It is LITERALLY the best thing I have done in my life. Better than video games or Disneyland. I definitely know that this church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one true church. I know Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer even thought I have never met Him personally. I have felt His influence in my life and I know that you can feel it to. No matter who you are, where your from, or what you have done. That's a fact. And I bear that testimony of Him, an authorized representative of Him, in His name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Lastly, here are some thoughts I had to write about, but I wasn't sure how to insert them in. So here they are plugged in at the end.

A question I often ask my self is "What is the thing to most likely cause me to go less active after my mission?" I am definitely not invincible and satan has already plotted what he will do to get me to let go of the Iron Rod. It is my job to hold onto the iron rod once I grab on and to press foreword until I reach the tree that has the fruit that is most desirable above all other fruit. (1 Nephi 8 and 11).

 

I leave you with these questions to think about and answer.

 

Why is Enduring to the End a part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End)?

 

 

Why do you need to keep the covenants you make for the rest of your life instead of just a couple of days/weeks/years after you make them?

 

 

What is one thing that could cause you to not endure to the end?

 

 

What are two things you can do today and will continue doing to best prevent that from causing you to not endure to the end?

 

 

 Love Y'all much!

Elder Sumsion

Mothers Day

Season 3: Glacier Wilderness. Episode 3: The "Ether 12:27" Moment

I am going to name this season "Glacier Wilderness" so I don't have to type "Lake Wilderness/Glacier Park."

 

Elder Sumsion,

 Cutting small corners so he doesn't have to work as hard.

 

:D

 

This week we had exchanges with Elder Bennet (our district leader) and Elder Odell. Elder Odell was in my district at the MTC.

Elder Odell came over to Glacier Wilderness (Cutting those corners :D) with me and Elder Wagstaff left to their area. Exchanges were super great! This was the first time I got to lead an area and go solo. It wasn't that tough, I didn't even break a mental sweat.

I loved it so much! It was so great to be with Elder Odell and seeing how he has progressed since the MTC. During the exchange I definitely learned that I am not perfect and how much I need to rely on the spirit to be successful. I had, as I like to call, an "Ether 12:27" moment or time of recognition.

What helps me understand is I think of it like this.

In life we are all like plates or bowls with cracks in it. Those cracks are imperfection and sin. Jesus has been the only completely perfect dish with no cracks. We all have cracks some larger than others. Our goal is to eventually become like Jesus Christ and so we go through the process of correcting and filling in our dishes. You take care of the big cracks first and then work on the smaller ones.

Sometimes you get to the point where you think you have gotten all of the big cracks and are now working on the tinier ones thinking you are going to be done pretty quick with having no cracks left. But then you lean up closer and see all of these cracks you hadn't even seen before! You recognize you are much MUCH farther from being whole than you thought.

Similarly, I was working on some cracks or bad things in my life and character. I had gotten most of the big ones and was working on the small ones. Then exchanges happened and I took a closer look and saw that I had way much more to work on.

 

That process of looking closer and seeing what more you have to work on is what I call the "Ether 12:27" moment.

 

Those moments happen many many times throughout life to various degrees and levels. The one on exchanges was a pretty big one in my eyes and I now see lots of cracks in my dish. Its always a great moment to have these because they increase the rate of progression to becoming more like Christ. I have goals and things I am working on now on becoming better.

 

In other news, WE GOT OUR FIRST POTENTIAL FROM CONTACTING THIS WEEK!!!! It was such a happy moment :D I was so shocked, surprised and happy that it happened. When we asked if we could come back by and talk about a video we invited her to watch, she accepted. Her name is Laura and we should be going by on Tuesday. I am super excited. After talking and inviting a significant amount of people, this is the first one to say yes.

We also usually ask everyone we talk to if they know anyone we could do service for or help them and for the past 3 weeks they have all said no... until this week! In the same day, two different non-member contacts we did gave us a referral of someone who could use service! (We contacted them and they were not interested, but it was still super awesome!)

After laboring and planting for the past little while Elder Wagstaff and I are starting to see just a little bit of fruit. Things are happening slowly, but surely.

 

Love Y'all! Happy Mothers Day this coming Sunday!

 

Elder Sumsion