March 9, 2010
I just finished my email to you guys and decided I would write some more. I didn’t get to it in the email but I have really liked the General Authority and MTC devotionals we have had so far. The General Authority devotionals are on Tuesday nights and the MTC devotionals (where MTC missionaries/leaders speak) are on Sunday nights. So far, Elder Spencer V. Jones, Elder Jay E. Jensen, and Bishop Richard C. Edgley have spoken. I’m hoping for an apostle soon! I sing in the choir on Sunday and on Tuesday night at the devotional. I’m kind of hoping I get the chance to sing in General Conference if they have an MTC choir. That would be exciting! Anyway, the General Authorities’ messages are all unique and yet all very similar. It’s interesting how certain things are repeated in all of the messages we hear. This past Saturday night our district watched a DVD of Elder Holland’s MTC message that he gave a number of years ago. It was by far the most powerful message I have probably ever witnessed and only rivals the address he gave last conference about the Book of Mormon (click here for text or click here for video). It changed my life and has profoundly altered the path of my mission. He spoke about how his mission meant everything to him and counseled us to not miss anything that we can experience. One line has been going through my mind over and over and that is to “enhance every hour that you are given because a mission is god’s greatest gift to nineteen year old boys.” He spoke about so many things, but the greatest and most sacred thing of which he spoke was Christ’s atonement and how it applies to our missions. Christ endured all pain and suffering. Our missions are supposed to be hard, but we should rely on the Lord because he knows how we feel. He also said that salvation is not a cheap expense. Thus, we should not mock the Savior’s atoning sacrifice by taking the easy way out. We should push on through our minute trials and grow from our hard experiences, and He will be there to help us. Afterward, Brother Beck (one of my teachers) shared a scripture, Matthew 11:28-30. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” I took it to heart. He told us about one day on his mission. He and his companion had a full schedule that night, but as the night went on, all of their appointments fell through. Yet, they sang as they walked because they were doing the Lord’s work. They had come unto Him because they labored and were heavy laden, and through Christ’s atonement, they were able to find peace and rest despite the fact that they were halfway around the world, away from family, friends, and sports, and it was -20 degrees. That added to their burden, but it didn’t matter, because they applied that scripture. So anyway, that was a great night for me, and I thought I’d share it with you all.
I love each of you so much!!! Let me know how things are going at home!
Love,
Elder Spencer Bush
