Hey mom
Just checking in from another week of work in the Vineyard of the
Lord. It is good to know that you enjoyed your trip to DC and now you
are going to Germany again for the 100th time. It is also good to
hear that Ben and Olivia are doing good and enjoying the East coast.
Is their house nice? Still haven't gotten pictures of it or of them for
a while. How is the rest of the family? It has been a while since I
have gotten a package. Like 6 weeks but they are probably in the
offices. I hope to get them soon. I said that about the changes
because this is the last week of the changes and a missionary usually
doesn't stay in the same area for more than 4 changes so I am thinking
they are going to change me. We will find out on sunday. I have grown
to love this ward though and many of the members. I have come to
understand them and have gained a greater desire to serve them and to
love them. There are several families here that I love and have
learned many things from them. It turns out that in my mission the
people that I have learned to love and admire aren't the ones that have
a lot of money and a nice house. They are the families that have
hardly anything but are willing to give everything they have to make
us happy. They are always willing to work with us and are always
helping us and giving us references. They are the ones that have
relied on the Lord for everything and for me they are great examples.
I couldn't imagine what it would be like living on the money you make
in the flea market every day and trying to sustain a family but here
there are members that do it and I admire them greatly. This week for
us was terrible. We had tons of lessons that fell through and the
people that we find were not exactly prepared for this message. It
cause me a lot of grief and pain seeing all of our work from the past
week go to the garbage but I find comfort in knowing that I am working
for the Lord and he is aware of everything that happens. In this week
I will just have to rely on Him and keep on looking for people. I have
come to realize that on the mission there are many trials and
obstacles that are always present. Just like in real life we have to
learn how to deal with all the things that front us. I have learned
that to trust in the Lord and do His will is always the best option.
That is what we will try to do this week.
As for my testimony of Jesus Christ and missionary work I wouldn't even
know where to start. One thing that I have learned in this past year
is that He loves us. He loves us so much that he was willing to die
for us. He died for all of us and as a missionary I have to
opportunity to testify of this love that He has and share it with
everybody. I get to invite others to come unto Him and "drink from the
waters of life freely". I get to invite people to live a life centered
on Him and His sacrifice. I have the opportunity to wear His name over
my heart every day and be a living example of His work and His gospel.
As it has been promised, I know that he is working alongside me. In
the times when I think I can't move on He inspires me to work harder.
He is the only one that offers us salvation. This gospel that has been
restored by a living prophet is the exact gospel that He established
here on this earth over 2000 years ago. In 3 Nephi 20 He talks about
this work. He testifies that all mankind will be brought to the
knowledge of our Savior, the Mesias. This is the message I get to
proclaim every day of my life. That He lives and He made it possible
for us to return to our Heavenly Father. They love us and have given
us everything so we can return. I will do all I can so that my family
and I can all return to His presence. I know this is true. I know this
is His church and He guides us through our beloved prophet Thomas S.
Monson. He is a man of God and by following his teachings we will be
lead towards the truth. It is a privilege and an honor that I have to
be able to witness miracles and fulfill this amazing prophecy. I love
it will all of my heart.
Well family I am out. I hope you all enjoy your week.
Elder Burr
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Matt's email 11/26/2011
I know it's really early to be writitng today but I have to tell you that this week was absolutely nuts. We started last Friday with training meetings with the zone leaders and the district leaders. We had a few days break and on Tuesday we started back up again. We were teaching for 8 hours per day and then we got in the car and drove for 3 hours to the next destination and woke up the next day to do the same thing. In the week we taught for over 40 hours and drove more than 1200 kilometers. Needless to say, I'm more tired than I ever have been. Then last night on the way home President asked me to help him drive again to San Luis today and accompany him with Hermana Avila to the stake conference. It was hard for me to decline knowing that tomorrow Wilson will be receiving the Melchezidek Priesthood. So to make a long story short, within the next 15 minutes we are parting again from Mendoza and heading on out to San Luis for travel trip round two! It has been absolutely amazing being able to spend time traveling with president. We spent many of the travel hours talking about the blessings that come from living the Gospel in every aspect of life. He shared a bunch of stories of when he was starting out with his company and how he overcame the difficulties by simply living the principles of the Gospel. I came to a new resolution in life that I am never going to let the Gospel take a back seat role in my life. It is the most important thing that I have and I feel so blessed to be able to share it with the other people here in this mission. President is an amazing man and has taught me so many things that are going to be huge benefits for when I start getting things going.
I'm glad that all is well at home. I hope you enjoy the weekend in Virginia. Tell all the family that I say what's good. I will send that testimony hopefully on Monday because right now I have no time because we are headed out. I love you all. You are the greatest. Sorry for the short email but the next one will be better and filled with details so don't worry!!
Elder Burr
I'm glad that all is well at home. I hope you enjoy the weekend in Virginia. Tell all the family that I say what's good. I will send that testimony hopefully on Monday because right now I have no time because we are headed out. I love you all. You are the greatest. Sorry for the short email but the next one will be better and filled with details so don't worry!!
Elder Burr
Marc's email 11/22/2011
So apparently it is Thanksgiving this week and I completely forgot about it. I guess that after so much time of eating beans, tacos, and tortillas you kind of forget about the huge roasted turkeys and parties with the family. I cant believe that is was a year ago that I was in the MTC listening to Elder Holland talk to us on Thanksgiving day. It seems like it was yesterday. Alot of things have happened in the past year that I am so grateful for.
Anyway since you guys hardly did anything this week I will tell you a little bit about my week. It was a normal week here in Estancia. We started off doing divisions with the assistants which was pretty good. Elder Banks and I worked all day and found several people. They couldnt make it to the church though so we will be going with them this week to see if they are baptizable. We also had an activity on sat. name the trip to hawaii. I focused on the Plan of Salvation and had to do with an airplane crash and the people learning about the life after death. They all ended up in the Celestial kingdom where all of us were dressed up in white and we had a baptismal service. So it was a really espiritual experience. Today we had the opportunity to go to the temple so that is why I am writing on tuesday. It was awesome to be able to go into the Sacred place and feel the spirit so strong. Sometimes as missionaries that is what we need. A little break to be able to meditate and think about what we have learned and experienced and how we have grown. That is what I was able to do in the temple and I think this time I learned more than any other time I have gone. I loved it. I was also able to do divisions with one of the areas in my district and that was also very good. It was good to work in a different area and help some of the missionaries. The only downfall was that I left the house in the hands of 4 mexican missionaries all under the age of 20. I came home to a house completely hammered. I had to have a talk with my companion cause the kid just doesnt want to grow up. He teaches well and works well as a missionary but when we are home he acts like a little 4 year old. He always pulls his pranks while we are showering and takes peoples stuff without asking and when I tell him that all he needs to do is ask permission he says stupid comments. I was about to strangle him in the morning. I still dont know why the mexicans can leave on the mission at 18. O h well 2 weeks left. The good thing though that I loved about the week is that once again it hit me how grateful I am to be able to testify the truthfulness of this Gospel. Whether or not the people accept me I know this message is true. I know this church is the only true church on the earth today and that Jesus Christ is at the head. He loves us. Heavenly Father loves us. I know that we have all taken a true baptism and that the Lord is willing to take away our sins. I know that this is all true. I know that we need to serve the people. That is another thing I love about being here. I love serving the people. I love the feeling I get when I see someone smile because we helped them. I love seeing the lives of the people change. I love it all. I love you all and am so grateful for you. I am grateful for everything I have and most importantly for Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I love them both. I love Joseph Smith and the things he suffered so we could have this church. I love it all! Well yeah now I am bouncin. Have a great thanksgiving!
Elder Burr
Anyway since you guys hardly did anything this week I will tell you a little bit about my week. It was a normal week here in Estancia. We started off doing divisions with the assistants which was pretty good. Elder Banks and I worked all day and found several people. They couldnt make it to the church though so we will be going with them this week to see if they are baptizable. We also had an activity on sat. name the trip to hawaii. I focused on the Plan of Salvation and had to do with an airplane crash and the people learning about the life after death. They all ended up in the Celestial kingdom where all of us were dressed up in white and we had a baptismal service. So it was a really espiritual experience. Today we had the opportunity to go to the temple so that is why I am writing on tuesday. It was awesome to be able to go into the Sacred place and feel the spirit so strong. Sometimes as missionaries that is what we need. A little break to be able to meditate and think about what we have learned and experienced and how we have grown. That is what I was able to do in the temple and I think this time I learned more than any other time I have gone. I loved it. I was also able to do divisions with one of the areas in my district and that was also very good. It was good to work in a different area and help some of the missionaries. The only downfall was that I left the house in the hands of 4 mexican missionaries all under the age of 20. I came home to a house completely hammered. I had to have a talk with my companion cause the kid just doesnt want to grow up. He teaches well and works well as a missionary but when we are home he acts like a little 4 year old. He always pulls his pranks while we are showering and takes peoples stuff without asking and when I tell him that all he needs to do is ask permission he says stupid comments. I was about to strangle him in the morning. I still dont know why the mexicans can leave on the mission at 18. O h well 2 weeks left. The good thing though that I loved about the week is that once again it hit me how grateful I am to be able to testify the truthfulness of this Gospel. Whether or not the people accept me I know this message is true. I know this church is the only true church on the earth today and that Jesus Christ is at the head. He loves us. Heavenly Father loves us. I know that we have all taken a true baptism and that the Lord is willing to take away our sins. I know that this is all true. I know that we need to serve the people. That is another thing I love about being here. I love serving the people. I love the feeling I get when I see someone smile because we helped them. I love seeing the lives of the people change. I love it all. I love you all and am so grateful for you. I am grateful for everything I have and most importantly for Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I love them both. I love Joseph Smith and the things he suffered so we could have this church. I love it all! Well yeah now I am bouncin. Have a great thanksgiving!
Elder Burr
Monday, November 21, 2011
Matt's email 11/19/2011
Hey mom how are you doing?? Don't be scared that I am emailing you
> right now, I'm just trying to be disobedient... ha ha no I'm just
> kidding. I just wanted to tell you that I love you and you are the
> greatest mom ever!!! I also wanted you to know that I will be
> emailing home tomorrow instead of Monday. Our p-day has been changed
> here in the offices to saturday so I would love a quick update if
> you have some time for tomorrow! If not I can just wait until next
> saturday. I love you mom!
> Elder Burr
This means that Matt's p-day is Saturday so if you want to write, you
need to do it Friday night.
So I´m going to be honest, I don´t know how I feel about this whole
emailing home thing on Saturday, but I guess it is what it is. The
thing is that life gets so busy around here at the first of the week
that it was just impossible to have a p day on monday so after about 2
months of not having a real p day, President decided to change the day
to saturday. I was really happy to read the weekly update and it
really does surprise me how much you can fit in to such a tiny week. It
´s like a Longaburger basket... somehow you can just never fill them
completely up. I am thoroughly surprised that dad allowed you to buy
two new Christmas trees. I am guessing he wants double the Christmas
cheer now that nobody is home or maybe he wants double the presents
for himself. By any means, I can see an advantage to the buy.
The miracle of the week happened on Thursday right as we got here to
the offices. I was figuring out a few things with the nurse when a
member from another ward walked in and told us to go with her because
there was a man that she didn´t know who wanted to see the family
history center. Let me tell you that a more than a year and a half has
passed by since someone has ever mentioned anything about family
history centers here in mendoza. But anyway this man said that when he
was about 5 his dad left him and a short time later his mom left him
as well. He was forced to live on his own and make do with what he
had. He made himself a living off of whatever he could find and many
times went without. A little while ago he was in Chile and he walked
past the temple and saw on the gate a flyer that talked about tracking
you ancestors. He said that it really caught his attention, but after
reading it, he forgot completely all about that service that the
church provides. He never lost, however, the need and the desire to
know who his parents and brother are. As we bore testimony of the
miracle of family history, the sister from the other ward worked
diligently on trying to find the records of his dad who was born in a
tiny city in the southern part of Chile in the region Bío-Bío. As she
was searching these family names I noticed the changed look on this man
´s face as the spirit of Elijah filled his soul. He read every name
that appeared on the screen and asked if that was his dad. Although we
couldn´t stay around long enough to find the exact records of his dad,
we are sure that this man will be coming back to continue doing family
history work. I was completely taken away and gained a huge testimony
of the reality of doing family history work. There is no doubt in my
mind that this church is true. It is just too perfect and fills any
hole in any heart if we are just humble. I love being able to share a
message that I know that God is not quiet. He is very much involved in
my life. He has spoken to me and I have been able to hear. I love my
life!
Love you
Elder Burr
> right now, I'm just trying to be disobedient... ha ha no I'm just
> kidding. I just wanted to tell you that I love you and you are the
> greatest mom ever!!! I also wanted you to know that I will be
> emailing home tomorrow instead of Monday. Our p-day has been changed
> here in the offices to saturday so I would love a quick update if
> you have some time for tomorrow! If not I can just wait until next
> saturday. I love you mom!
> Elder Burr
This means that Matt's p-day is Saturday so if you want to write, you
need to do it Friday night.
So I´m going to be honest, I don´t know how I feel about this whole
emailing home thing on Saturday, but I guess it is what it is. The
thing is that life gets so busy around here at the first of the week
that it was just impossible to have a p day on monday so after about 2
months of not having a real p day, President decided to change the day
to saturday. I was really happy to read the weekly update and it
really does surprise me how much you can fit in to such a tiny week. It
´s like a Longaburger basket... somehow you can just never fill them
completely up. I am thoroughly surprised that dad allowed you to buy
two new Christmas trees. I am guessing he wants double the Christmas
cheer now that nobody is home or maybe he wants double the presents
for himself. By any means, I can see an advantage to the buy.
The miracle of the week happened on Thursday right as we got here to
the offices. I was figuring out a few things with the nurse when a
member from another ward walked in and told us to go with her because
there was a man that she didn´t know who wanted to see the family
history center. Let me tell you that a more than a year and a half has
passed by since someone has ever mentioned anything about family
history centers here in mendoza. But anyway this man said that when he
was about 5 his dad left him and a short time later his mom left him
as well. He was forced to live on his own and make do with what he
had. He made himself a living off of whatever he could find and many
times went without. A little while ago he was in Chile and he walked
past the temple and saw on the gate a flyer that talked about tracking
you ancestors. He said that it really caught his attention, but after
reading it, he forgot completely all about that service that the
church provides. He never lost, however, the need and the desire to
know who his parents and brother are. As we bore testimony of the
miracle of family history, the sister from the other ward worked
diligently on trying to find the records of his dad who was born in a
tiny city in the southern part of Chile in the region Bío-Bío. As she
was searching these family names I noticed the changed look on this man
´s face as the spirit of Elijah filled his soul. He read every name
that appeared on the screen and asked if that was his dad. Although we
couldn´t stay around long enough to find the exact records of his dad,
we are sure that this man will be coming back to continue doing family
history work. I was completely taken away and gained a huge testimony
of the reality of doing family history work. There is no doubt in my
mind that this church is true. It is just too perfect and fills any
hole in any heart if we are just humble. I love being able to share a
message that I know that God is not quiet. He is very much involved in
my life. He has spoken to me and I have been able to hear. I love my
life!
Love you
Elder Burr
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Marc's email 11/14/2011
It sounds like you are all running out of stuff to do. Mom no longer watches TV, dad is probably just chillin, the snow is falling and you are probably just bored out of your minds. That is good though, I would give anything for a good snowfall here in Guady. I dont understand the weather here. In the morning it is freezing cold but in the afternoon it is burning hot. It stays hot for about three hours then it turns cold again. It is a bit much but what can you do? That is good that Quade and Tommy went up to the house. I hope Tommy decides to go back on the mission and not be like other people I know who just throw in the towel and stay home. I know the mission changes lives and that is what all young men need. Also it is exciting that Cam and Ashley are going to have a boy. I swear tae was just born yesterday.. It is sickening how fast time goes by. Also I find it weird to hear that all of the girls from my grade are all getting married and stuff... That thought makes me want to vomit. I still have some living the dream to do. I am sure that Living the Dream has always been part of the Plan of Salvation. Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy. Sounds like living the dream to me. Anyway about this week. It was a crazy week with crazy people. On tuesday we were contacting in the metropolitan park and we came up on some americans. Turns out they were christians and started ripping us apart. So me, being as I am, starting ripping them apart with scriptures and testimony and turned around every part of doctrine they brought up. The wife got all sorts of mad and went and talked to the plice man who came and kicked us out of the park. It was pretty funny and made me remember the prophets who were thrown out of cities for preaching the truth. It helped me strengthen my testimony. Also on wednesday we did some contacting and it was all normal. Thursday we sang in the busses. Yeah my comp carried his guitar around and we got on the busses and sang and contacted the people. Never thought I would have seen that day but it happened. Friday we contacted a street and taught a family with a son that was skitzofrenic, daughter that was handicap, and dad that was deaf. We just sang and bounced cause the family was crazy. We then contacted a lady that said if she came downstairs she would have had a heart attack. To top it all off a handicap guy came by and told us his name was pepe and just walked off. Needless to say that day was full of interesting people. Saturday was just a normal day and Sunday Victor got confirmed. It was a great week full of spiritual experiences and learning moments. Now this week we will be doing the same thing. Looking, knocking doors, talking with people, and hopefully baptizing a Sister named Veronica. I hope it all goes well. Anyway that is about all that happened. Just out here working hard and learing about my Lord and God. I love this work and Jesus Christ. I am grateful for Him and His sacrifice. I am grateful for the scriptures and the prophet. I am grateful for everything. I love you all and hope you have a great week
Matt's email 11/14/2011
Hello my dear family! I am glad to hear that all is going well and that you are all enjoying yourselves being pregnant and going on vacations and "working" and all that good stuff. It makes me happy to know that you are all happy. I'm also pleased to find out that Cameron and Ashley are having a boy! That should be really fun for them. I swear they just had a child, but hey, when the prophets command, we have to obey right? I love the story in first Nephi when Nephi and his brothers have to return AGAIN to Jerusalem searching for Ishmael and his family so that Lehi's lineage could continue. I especially like the part when they are in the desert on the return trip and Laman, Lemuel, a few daughters of Ishmael and the two sons begin complaining against Nephi and he begins to drop the cane on them in a very loving way. Many times we find ourselves like Laman and Lemuel, questioning the words of the prophets, but I love what Nephi said in chapter 7 verse 15. He basically says that if they want to go back to Jerusalem, they could do so, but he also promised them definite destruction. He promises them that they will perish. I love that theory. It is up to us to decide if we are going to follow the prophets or not, but if we choose not to follow them and "return to Jerusalem" we are for sure going to perish.
Things are going really well here on the mission. Elder Menocal and I are keeping our heads above the water and we are having a fantastic time. This weekend I was surprised with some awesome news. I found out that 2 families that the Lord had guided me and my companion to were baptized! It made me so happy to find out that amongst many planted seeds, at least two have begun to sprout. I was such a happy man on Saturday night when I found that out! There is nothing that brings me greater joy than finding out that people that I love and care for decide to follow Jesus Christ.
I love you all. I thank you for your support and your prayers!
Love,
Elder Burr
Things are going really well here on the mission. Elder Menocal and I are keeping our heads above the water and we are having a fantastic time. This weekend I was surprised with some awesome news. I found out that 2 families that the Lord had guided me and my companion to were baptized! It made me so happy to find out that amongst many planted seeds, at least two have begun to sprout. I was such a happy man on Saturday night when I found that out! There is nothing that brings me greater joy than finding out that people that I love and care for decide to follow Jesus Christ.
I love you all. I thank you for your support and your prayers!
Love,
Elder Burr
Friday, November 11, 2011
Marc's email 11/7/2011
I honestly can not believe that I am already writing again. I can not
fathom how fast time is going. Anyway what can we do? Just sit and
watch it go by. Mom and Dad thank you for your thoughts to my
question. Mom I know you know more than us men what it is like to love
somebody with an unconditional love like you love your children.
Unfortunately for us boys we will never know what that feels like. I
have learned more about my Heavenly Father this week and His love.
Everything about Him focuses on the Atonement of Christ. For 4
milleniums people were looking forward to that event by sacrificing
their best firstlings. After the event every week we partake of the
sacrament to remind us of what Christ did for us. I have learned that
God loves us so much that he sent us here to become like Him. He sent
us here with the Plan of Salvation so we all returned to His presence.
He risked sending us down here though cause the moment He sent us, He
lost us to sin. He has no power to bring us back. We can bring
ourselves back through His Son Jesus Christ. With our Agency and the
Atonement we can all become like our Father in Heaven and that is what
we are all striving for. That is what we learned before this life and
that is what we will be after. It sounds like it was a good week with
Adam and Eli at the house. He is really almost 5? That is unreal. Cam
and Coop are like 15 already it seems like. That means you mom and dad
are...... lets leave it at that shall we? Anyway about this week. It
was a good week. Not too great. We received many doors in the face and
many no´s but I am positive it was a week that the Lord wanted us to
learn and trust in Him. This week will be better I know it. We did an
activity this last week and Jeny was the main role. It is awesome to
see converts strengthen themselves and continue learning. The only
thing I love more than baptizing is seeing these people convert into
members. Many missionaries baptize just to baptize but that is not
what the Lord wants. He wants His children to come back to Him. I
figure that I can have swimming parties in my own pool not here in the
baptismal font. Anyway this week will be a week full of work. I love
it though and I love what I am doing and learning and becoming. I know
that this church is true and I am grateful to be a member. As for me I
am doing good. This last week I bought a tight belt made out of iguana
skin and it has the head of the iguana as a belt buckle. It is pretty
legit. The dude also threw in a wallet made out of cobra skin. Mom you
will love the things I am buying here. I am trying to become as much
mexican as I can. For christmas I cant think of much. Some jerky,
sunflower seeds, cow tails and whatever else you can think of. Well I
am about to go eat some Carls Jr. then off to the streets. I love you
mom and dad and family. I hope you are all doing well. Keep it real
and stuff cause I am out!
Elder Burr
fathom how fast time is going. Anyway what can we do? Just sit and
watch it go by. Mom and Dad thank you for your thoughts to my
question. Mom I know you know more than us men what it is like to love
somebody with an unconditional love like you love your children.
Unfortunately for us boys we will never know what that feels like. I
have learned more about my Heavenly Father this week and His love.
Everything about Him focuses on the Atonement of Christ. For 4
milleniums people were looking forward to that event by sacrificing
their best firstlings. After the event every week we partake of the
sacrament to remind us of what Christ did for us. I have learned that
God loves us so much that he sent us here to become like Him. He sent
us here with the Plan of Salvation so we all returned to His presence.
He risked sending us down here though cause the moment He sent us, He
lost us to sin. He has no power to bring us back. We can bring
ourselves back through His Son Jesus Christ. With our Agency and the
Atonement we can all become like our Father in Heaven and that is what
we are all striving for. That is what we learned before this life and
that is what we will be after. It sounds like it was a good week with
Adam and Eli at the house. He is really almost 5? That is unreal. Cam
and Coop are like 15 already it seems like. That means you mom and dad
are...... lets leave it at that shall we? Anyway about this week. It
was a good week. Not too great. We received many doors in the face and
many no´s but I am positive it was a week that the Lord wanted us to
learn and trust in Him. This week will be better I know it. We did an
activity this last week and Jeny was the main role. It is awesome to
see converts strengthen themselves and continue learning. The only
thing I love more than baptizing is seeing these people convert into
members. Many missionaries baptize just to baptize but that is not
what the Lord wants. He wants His children to come back to Him. I
figure that I can have swimming parties in my own pool not here in the
baptismal font. Anyway this week will be a week full of work. I love
it though and I love what I am doing and learning and becoming. I know
that this church is true and I am grateful to be a member. As for me I
am doing good. This last week I bought a tight belt made out of iguana
skin and it has the head of the iguana as a belt buckle. It is pretty
legit. The dude also threw in a wallet made out of cobra skin. Mom you
will love the things I am buying here. I am trying to become as much
mexican as I can. For christmas I cant think of much. Some jerky,
sunflower seeds, cow tails and whatever else you can think of. Well I
am about to go eat some Carls Jr. then off to the streets. I love you
mom and dad and family. I hope you are all doing well. Keep it real
and stuff cause I am out!
Elder Burr
Matt's email 11/7/2011
So I have decided that I am going to make a drastic change to the way that I am writing these emails home. I have been writing about the events that are going on in my life. I have been duplicating what I am putting in the daily agenda, but what I need to be doing is "sharing." I apologize for that misunderstanding on my part, but we'll give it another shot!
The other day, I had the chance to go on divisions with Elder Ostler to the house of one of the investigators in our ward. Her name is Virginia and she is the wife of a very inactive member. Her husband, at around the age of 20, had the opportunity to be baptized in the church. After being baptized he decided to go on a mission and serve the people of Buenos Aires. From the sounds of it, he served a very successful and honorable mission. He had many pictures of baptisms and had certificates congratulating him on various callings that he has had in the church and advancements in the Priesthood. that was all 30 years ago. Now he is a man that has everything with respects to the world, but nothing with respects to God. He let himself be carried on the waves of uncertainty and doubt. His big claim now is that if he would have known that Joseph Smith practiced polygamy at the time he was baptized he never would have taken the step of being baptized or serving a mission. He has let a little stupid doubt ruin his whole life. He now supports the idea of Solomon Spaulding and his made up theory of the Book of Mormon, and just as Korihor did in the olden days, he is a current anti christ. He is walking around trying to destroy the church and he has done so in the life of his wife. Virginia, who was so happy about the step she was taking by being baptized, was convinced otherwise by her oh so "loving" husband. Her husband has literally ripped out this little seed that was planted in her heart and replaced it with a rock. It really is one of the saddest cases that I have seen thus far on the mission. I have dealt with many antimormons and people studying antimormon websites and all that, but never have a met a returned missionary so twisted and turned around. It really did break my heart to hear him say that he never wanted us to return to his house. I hope that one day he will open up the door to God just to get a little bit of His light back. I hope that one day he can excercise just a tiny drop of faith so that he can come to understand the reality of God and His son Jesus Christ. I have been reminded various times of the teaching of King Benjamin in Mosiah 4 when he said, " 9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." All we have to do is BELIEVE, but there are just so many people who can't even do that. It seems so simple, but in a carnal mind it is impossible and as we know, to be carnally minded is to be dead to things spiritual. I have come to love the Book of Mormon and its teachings. I have come to have a great appreciation for Joseph Smith and the amount of dedication that he had for bringing about this work of God. I know he entered the grove not knowing much of anything, but he left it knowing more than any other man on the earth at that time.
I love you all. I love this Gospel. It is true and DONT DOUBT IT!!!
Elder Burr
The other day, I had the chance to go on divisions with Elder Ostler to the house of one of the investigators in our ward. Her name is Virginia and she is the wife of a very inactive member. Her husband, at around the age of 20, had the opportunity to be baptized in the church. After being baptized he decided to go on a mission and serve the people of Buenos Aires. From the sounds of it, he served a very successful and honorable mission. He had many pictures of baptisms and had certificates congratulating him on various callings that he has had in the church and advancements in the Priesthood. that was all 30 years ago. Now he is a man that has everything with respects to the world, but nothing with respects to God. He let himself be carried on the waves of uncertainty and doubt. His big claim now is that if he would have known that Joseph Smith practiced polygamy at the time he was baptized he never would have taken the step of being baptized or serving a mission. He has let a little stupid doubt ruin his whole life. He now supports the idea of Solomon Spaulding and his made up theory of the Book of Mormon, and just as Korihor did in the olden days, he is a current anti christ. He is walking around trying to destroy the church and he has done so in the life of his wife. Virginia, who was so happy about the step she was taking by being baptized, was convinced otherwise by her oh so "loving" husband. Her husband has literally ripped out this little seed that was planted in her heart and replaced it with a rock. It really is one of the saddest cases that I have seen thus far on the mission. I have dealt with many antimormons and people studying antimormon websites and all that, but never have a met a returned missionary so twisted and turned around. It really did break my heart to hear him say that he never wanted us to return to his house. I hope that one day he will open up the door to God just to get a little bit of His light back. I hope that one day he can excercise just a tiny drop of faith so that he can come to understand the reality of God and His son Jesus Christ. I have been reminded various times of the teaching of King Benjamin in Mosiah 4 when he said, " 9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." All we have to do is BELIEVE, but there are just so many people who can't even do that. It seems so simple, but in a carnal mind it is impossible and as we know, to be carnally minded is to be dead to things spiritual. I have come to love the Book of Mormon and its teachings. I have come to have a great appreciation for Joseph Smith and the amount of dedication that he had for bringing about this work of God. I know he entered the grove not knowing much of anything, but he left it knowing more than any other man on the earth at that time.
I love you all. I love this Gospel. It is true and DONT DOUBT IT!!!
Elder Burr
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