Email from Elder Lofthouse 6/25/13

t's a great day to be a Mormon missionary!

 

Isn't this a wonderful church?  Don't we have wonderful leaders?  If you didn't get a chance to watch the broadcast on Sunday, go to lds.org right now and watch it.  I'll talk more about that later in my e-mail.  Transfer calls are on Saturday!  I can't believe it's almost been 6 weeks already.  And the reason I'm e-mailing slightly earlier today is because we're going on exchanges this afternoon.  Woohoo! 

 

We've had ups and downs this week.  Ever since I got here to Lindsay, we've struggled getting people to church.  We invite everyone to go to church, we remind them, we teach the importance of it, we go to their houses the morning of and half an hour before church they'll say that they are coming.  And then they never show up!  It's frustrating.  For that reason, we lost 3 baptismal dates.  One of the reasons that one investigator didn't come was because his step-dad asked us to never talk to his son again.  It makes me so sad when people won't even give us a chance to talk to them!  They already assume they know what we're all about and they close the door.

 

We did have 9 lessons with a member present though, which is huge, huge, huge improvement over the past few weeks.  We have wonderful ward missionaries, and a wonderful ward mission leader.  They are so anxious to help out, and we've finally started really using them.  I hope we can soon get the entire ward as excited about missionary work as they are.  The ward has been struggling here with people going inactive and moving out.  We need some growth.  On Sunday in Sacrament Meeting, I said a prayer, played the piano, and gave a talk.  Part of that is because there's a Spanish meeting and an English meeting.  I prayed in the English one, and spoke and played in the Spanish one.  We need more members who can do those things!   And the broadcast on Sunday, "The Work of Salvation" got me so excited about making that happen.

 

If you didn't get to watch that inspiring seminar, I strongly urge you to go online and watch it at lds.org.  The MTC choir was HUGE!!  There are more than 70,000 full-time missionaries right now.  I can't remember the number, but they called more than 120 new Mission Presidents this year, more than ever before.  And there are going to be some changes coming in how missionary work is done to adapt to this changing world.  But what was mostly emphasized in that seminar was member missionary work.  Elder Nelson said that the members should be heading the work and that the full-time missionaries are there to assist them.  Not the other way around!  In an ideal situation, the members should be giving the missionaries so many names to go see, that there is no time for tracting.  I mentioned last week about the Essentialist training that we received from Greg Mckeown.  We need to focus on what is most essential.  And what is?  Why are we here?  We are at war!  How much of your time is spent focused on bringing salvation to your brothers and sisters?

 

Read Alma 60:7-8, 22-23 and think about how that applies to ourselves.  Once again I say, WE ARE AT WAR!  So often we are told that we have the gospel because we were among the Noble and Great Ones in the pre-mortal world.  President Gelwix often talks about how when it was detrmined that we would have the gospel in the last dispensation our friends begged us to bring it to them in mortality.  "But what if you say no, that you're not interested?"  "Then try again!"  "What if you still don't want to listen?"  "Then try again!!"  No one is going to mad at you for trying to share the gospel with them.  On the contrary, I'm sure that they will thank you forever.  And in this day, we have so many ways to share the gospel, even from our own home.  Facebook, blogs, e-mail, etc.  All those things are going to be approved for missionaries to use, because the Brethren realize that God does not cause things to be invented without reason.  They are to move His work forward.  There are thousands and thousands of our brothers and sisters who are prepared to be baptized this very day!  The Apostles have said so.  They might be your neighbor or they might be your internet friend who lives in another part of the country.  Reach out in love and you will change lives.  Follow the Spirit.  He knows what they need.  The missionaries need your help!  They cannot find all these people on their own!  Pray for opportunites to bring people to salvation.  Maybe they're already members and just less active.  But as you desire to help other people, God will of course give you opportunites.  

 

I love you all so much!  We are so blessed to be members of this church.  I know that it is Christ's church.  I know that the Book of Mormon is His word.  I know that this work is His work, and that He wants us to participate.  I know that He never leaves us helpless, and that when we are trying our best the Lord will not let us fail (which Elder Anderson taught on Sunday).  

 

Go forth with faith!

Elder Lofthouse 

 

Email from Elder Lofthouse 6/18/13

I can't believe how quickly the weeks go by!  And they all blur together, so it's sometimes difficult to remember what has happened.

 

We had an amazing conference in Fresno on Friday.  Greg McKeown gave us a training on Essentalism.  If you don't know who he is, you can probably look him up and find out more.  He's from England, served a mission in Toronto, graduated from BYU and Stanford, and is a powerful speaker, let me tell you.  I can't do the conference justice in an e-mail, but it was basically about cutting out all the non-essential things in our lives, though they may be good.  As we progress in life, we first prune all the bad things out of our life.  But we're not done there.  Then we must prune the good, and then the better, until we are only left with the best.  Applying this concept to missionary work, it might be a good thing to visit another person across town when an appointment comes through, but maybe it would be better to knock some doors or street contact in the area you're in.  For missionaries, our essential purpose is to baptize, to bring people to the gate.  We can't do that unless we are finding and teaching.  Anything that does not help us to acheive that is something we need to consider letting go of.  This principle has application all throughout life.  It's already started changing mine.

 

The main point he made at the very end of the conference was that we must give our lives to the Lord.  Completely, totally, and fully.  We will never regret the day we choose to do that.  When we decide that we will do whatever God asks of us, that opens the way for Him to show us how He works miracles.  We must give up every desire, hope, fear, dream, or weakness that we have, the good things as well as the bad, and let them be replaced by what God wants for us.  This is something that has been repeated to me throughout my mission, and I am understanding more and more every time what it truly means to consecrate yourself to the Lord.  It's hard, and it takes a ton of mental effort, but when you really make up your mind to do it, it really makes life so much easier. 

 

Well, I don't have much more time.  I have plenty I could write about, but I guess I'll have to leave it for another day.  I know that God lives and that He loves us.  WE have nothing to be afraid of if we put our trust in HIm.  D&C 68:6; 98:1; and 38:15,30 are all great scriptures about that.  Listen to that inner voice you have inside of you.  You all know what God wants from you.  Each of us have a unique mission, a unique purpose, that only we can fulfill.  Ask yourself moment to moment what it is that God wants you to do NOW.  Don't worry about the past or future.  Focus on what God needs from you in this moment, don't fight it, and put your trust in Him.  I promise that you will see miracles.

 

I love you all!!  Oh and just F.Y.I., I just found out that D has been called to be an Activity Days leader.  How exciting is that!  I love this work!

 

Love,

Elder Lofthouse 

Email from Elder Lofthouse 6/11/13

I love hot weather!  It's a million times better than cold.  I'm not sure why I like sweating so much, but it's great!  I know for a fact that it was at least 110 on Saturday and I'm sure it heated up more after I saw that sign (it was only about 2:30pm).  It's cooled down since then (it's probably only in the 90's now) but I'm sure it will heat up again in the coming weeks and months.  Woohoo!!  And it's so humid here.  I love it!

 

M was baptized on Saturday.  And he went to scout camp this week and is going to youth conference on Friday.  He's going to be such a great member!  Hopefully his family will be following soon. 

 

We had Zone Conference on Friday.  As always, it was great.  We talked about how we were foreordained to be missionaries here, had a wonderful presentation by a senior missionary/institute teacher, Elder Brinley, on gospel dispensations and the Priesthood (it was super deep), improving communication skills, and working better with members.  Elder Brinley talked about how every other gospel dispensation was pretty miserable and ended in failure (except for Enoch's).  Some prophets went 50 years without a convert!  How did they keep going?  God showed them our day, the dispensation of the fullness of times, and that gave the strength to keep going and know that one day it would all be worth it, one day their descendants would have the fullness of the gospel, one day righteousness would finally and completely prevail.  That is the day we live in!  This time, there will be no apostasy.  This time, the gospel will go to ALL the earth.  This time, all blessings that were ever possible to receive in mortality are here for us to partake of.  This time, Christ will come in power and glory!  Isn't that wonderful? 

 

So quit sitting around!  Help make it happen!  There are thousands and thousands of people who are prepared and ready to be baptized today (both President Eyering and Elder Scott have said that about separate stakes here in my mission)!  This is God's work and He will labor with us.  But first, we have to labor.  We have to open our mouths.  If you are prepared to share the gospel, your mouth will be filled with the right words to say.  We have the unique privilege of building the Kingdom of God here on the earth.  Isn't that amazing?

 

Anyway, I'm just so grateful to have been born into this church.  I'm so grateful for the love and support of my family and friends.  I'm so happy that I get to be a missionary in this day and age!  Read D&C 45:62.  Great things are coming!  Are you ready?

 

I love you all so much!  Keep pressing forward!

 

Love,

Elder Lofthouse  

Email from Elder Lofthouse 6/5/13 (with pictures!)

Hello everyone!  Yet another week has gone by.  What did you do with
it?  Are you closer to God now than you were a week ago?  I hope so.
I've learned so much in this last week.  And we have Zone Conference
on Friday and I know that I'm going to learn so much more there!
Nothing compares to the mission.  I'm so thankful that I am here!

We have a baptism this Saturday.  His name is M.  He is 14 and
really good friends with two of our members.  Oh, I think I already
told you that last week.  His Grandma is actually a member and though
his mom isn't, she has read the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and
Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and she loved going to mutual
when she was younger.  I'm not sure why she wasn't baptized, but I'm
sure she will be here in the future.  We just need to work on her
husband (M's step-dad) first.  He's really friendly, and he just
switched churches not too long ago, so hopefully we can get him to try
ours out before he gets to strong in his.
A lot of our investigators here are youth.  The branch in Atwater
didn't really have any youth in it, so it's really different.  We have
a great ward here, and I'm starting to learn a lot about how to work
with members.  It really is the best way to find people.  Don't be
afraid to share the gospel with people you know!

I know that this church is true.  I know that there is a reason the
leaders of the church keep saying that the Lord is hastening His work.
 He is.  Take Elder Nelson's counsel and "catch the wave!"  Prepare to
serve a mission.  Invite others to "come and see."  Study the many
talks from this last conference that were about missionary work.  Pray
for missionary opportunities.  Pray for specific people to be prepared
to receive the gospel.  Pray to know who is ready for you to share the
gospel with them.  "The Lord puts prepared people in the way of His
prepared servants who want to share His gospel." -Elder Henry B.
Eyering.  I know that is true.  If you have "treasure[d] up
continually the words of life" and you want to share the gospel with
someone, of course God will put someone in your path!  Don't be afraid
to open you mouth and, with love, testify of the blessings the gospel
brings.  Be bold, but don't be overbearing.  If your motivation is to
help other people, not to gain personal recognition or even just to do
your duty, I promise that you will find success.

I love you all!  Keep pressing forward!

Love,
Elder Lofthouse

The four of us who lived in the apartment in Atwater for four months.

The habanero I ate

My last district (the best district ever!!) including Sister Postonn who
you may recognize from my MTC district.