Visiting authority Elder Johnson

August 15, 2011

Well, so we sure had a pretty exciting week here in the offices with the visit of Elder Johnson and all that it entailed.  He arrived here in Leon Tuesday but we didn’t meet him until Wednesday morning when my companion and I went and ate breakfast with him and his wife.  That was a little nerve racking to be sitting at the same table as a general authority eating Honey Bunches of Oats but he and his wife are really nice people actually.  He was born in the Mormon colonies in Mexico and his wife is actually from Sugar City, Idaho haha.  But they asked us for our opinions about the mission about what we are doing good with and what we needed to improve on.  It was really cool to be able to be there with them in such a personal conversation. Then a few hours later we had a zone conference with the zones here in Leon and the zones from Aguascalientes.  He talked about the importance of focusing our efforts on the "elect" which are basically the people that accept the gospel easily because he said that sometimes we spend our time focusing on people that really aren’t ready to accept the gospel and that when we do that we are pretty much wasting our time because here in Mexico we were called to "harvest not to sow."  It really changed how we thought about alot of  things because sometimes I feel really bad when I can’t help someone, but Elder Johnson told us that if we trust in the Lord that the people we aren’t able to help now will someday be ready and will be able to accept the gospel.  He also talked alot about how as missionaries we have to be 100% missionaries so that we can always have the spirit because if we don’t have the Spirit even a person that is elect will not accept the gospel because they won’t feel the difference.  Then in the afternoon there was a special meeting especially for investigators and less active members.  it was in the stake center which is on the other side of the city so as a district we rented a bus and were able to fill it will all the recent converts and investigators which was pretty awesome.  It was a really powerful message and all the investigators that we brought really liked it alot.  We didn’t get to tour the mission with him though so we were able to focus on our investigators a little more this week which I’ll talk about a little later on.  Saturday in the morning we also had a meeting with Elder Johnson with all the zone leaders in the mission.  It was another really awesome meeting and the Spirit was felt really strongly.  He talked about the tree of life and the difference in the people that made it to the tree and those who didn’t.  He said the people who didn’t make it to the tree didn’t hold fast to rod or the Book of Mormon.  But all in all we really felt a special spirit whenever we were with Elder Johnson and we edified by the Spirit.  

As far as our investigators, we had some good things happen and some disappointing things happen.  I don’t know if I told you about Cesar and Lucia, but they are two teenagers we are teaching that absolutely love the church.  They went to church like 4 times and went on a youth camping trip and absolutely loved it.  Well anyways a long story short, we can no longer teach them and they can’t come to church anymore because their mom won’t let them.  We went and talked to her and I know without a doubt that she felt the Spirit but she says that her home is Catholic and that we were no longer welcome.  It was a super sad goodbye but then two days later they went to the meeting with Elder Johnson secretly haha.  I guess they now know what the Spirit feels like and don’t want to stop feeling it.  Hopefully someday their mom will understand.  Also, last Sunday was fast and testimony Sunday and a sister in the ward brought her nonmember brother and he went in front and bore his testimony about how he knows the power of Christ because he was an alcoholic drug addict but found God in a Christian rehabilitation center and he said that he was looking for a church to join. We started teaching him to week and he is absolutely golden.  He accepted his baptismal date for the 27 and also went to the meeting with Elder Johnson.  Also the daughter that is 9 in the Canchola family is getting baptized this week and her dad is going to baptize her.  Another family of gold.  Also we have been teaching this guy named Jorge and he used to drink alcohol every single day before we met him but he hasn’t drunk since we met him.  He is almost through 1st Nephi and we met him only like a week and a half ago. He was going to get baptized this week but he moved to a different area on Saturday so we are going to give the reference the Elders where he is going to be.  But the work is definitely going forward here.  Alot of good things are happening.  This church is definitely true...

Alma 29:4 I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.

Elder Johnson shared this scripture and said that if we really want something that we can have it because God grants us our will according to our desire.  If we really want something, we’ll do what’s necessary to achieve that goal.  This works for the good and also the bad.  So choose your desires well.

Love ya all

Elder Price