Dear Friends and Family,

 

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas!!! I first would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a special thanks to all those who sent cards, packages, prayers, thoughts of sending stuff and those who didn't get to it. I am very grateful for your goodwill. It is a wonderful season to remember Christ and His sacrifice for us.

 

We had a few cool experiences, but the best came last night. There is a family from Columbia who doesn't speak English and who is staying with a Hispanic family from the ward. They invited us over and since no hablo espanol, we showed the Restoration video in Spanish. The Spirit was there, even though we had no idea what was going on. The members talked to them for a while and bore their testimonies to them. I then asked for an opportunity to bear mine and I could feel the Spirit testify through me of the truthfulness of the Gospel. I don't claim some Gift of Tongues experience, but the Holy Ghost "speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding" (2 Nep 31:3). The Spirit was there and it touched their hearts. We're bringing the Spanish Elders next time though.

 

Lately, I've been reading the Gospels in preparation for Christmas. I've noticed a few cool things relating to missionary work but the cool one is located at the end of all 4 gospels. In the last chapter of all of them, the Savior tells us to preach the Gospel to all the world. I love preaching the Gospel and it has blessed my life immensely and I would never trade this experience for anything. I'll keep this short so you can go back to your festivities but have a very Merry Christmas!

 

Love,

Elder Spencer Coleman

Dear Friends and Family,

 

Well, transfer calls were yesterday, and guess what...I'm staying in Selah for another transfer with Elder Maughan! It's great that I'll be spending Christmas with people I have known for a couple three months! So, more good news, Barbara was baptized Saturday and it was great. It's like the culmination of your efforts into one great experience.

 

We also taught Betty again and we went over with Brother Beck on exchanges. It was a great lesson and we testified of the plan of salvation and the Priesthood. The Spirit was very strong and we think we'll invite her to be baptized on a certain date this week, she just needs to come to church.

 

Some cool things that happened this week: first, we had Christmas zone conference where talked about our gift to Christ this Christmas season. I put my gift down is My Will. I know that this will help the Savior because as we are more obedient, the Spirit will be with us and we'll be able to bring more people to the gospel. After, President Ware also gave us the book Believing Christ, by Stephen Robinson. It was an incredible book about members of the Church and how we oftentimes believe that Christ was the Son of God and so forth, but we don't believe Christ and the things He said like that we are saved by grace and that we can obtain forgiveness. It was really inspiring to see how much we really need the Savior and how I can help others qualify for eternal life by inviting them to build their faith, repent, be baptized and confirmed, and try their best to keep the commandments. I highly recommend it to everyone! One really cool thing I also saw this week. We were at Barbara's fellowshippers house (The Blomgren's) and I was looking around and saw this quote, "We are not humans having a spiritual experience, but spirits having a human experience." This really unfolded the purpose of life to me and helped me realize that God does love each of His children. I know that we are ALL spirit children of our Father in Heaven who loves us and sent His Only Begotten Son to the world so that if we believe on Him, we will not perish, but be able to return and live forever with our heavenly parents. I love this gospel and the happiness it brings into my life as I live the commandments. I love you all and have a wonderful almost Christmas!!!

 

Love,

Elder Coleman

Dear Friends and family,

 

We had an incredible week this week!!!! We received a referral from temple square to a lady who had met with missionaries when she was 16 and wanted to meet again. It sounded like a solid referral from the text, but sometimes it's just a prank. So we called the number, and she answered and said she would love to meet with us! We set up an appointment and went two days later. We took a member with us and taught the Restoration to her, her husband, their niece and nephew, and their 3 and 1 year old kids. We felt the Spirit testify to them as we and [a lady from the ward] bore our testimonies to them. We then invited them to church, and then [the lady from the ward]invited them to the Christmas party, mutual, church, and every other activity until the millennium. It was a great lesson, even though they didn't come to church yesterday. It all goes to show that we plant seeds, and who knows what will turn out. The missionaries who taught her years ago and even the temple square missionaries don't even know their impact on her life.

 

Also, the part member family we are teaching had a really cool experience. It was like an Alma experience and the father knows what he know must do. He said he needs more time so that he can be completely ready for baptism, so he can be sealed to his family! It was really cool to see conversion taking place in him!

 

We also taught a lady we've been teaching for about 2 months now. We took a member with us this time and showed the Restoration video. I thought I heard her sobbing too:) [The brother from the ward] then testified to her of the truth of our message and Joseph Smith, and she said that she believes he was a prophet! The Spirit was very strong when we all testified of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of its restoration.

 

So, it was an incredible week and we have a baptism this Saturday, which should be awesome! Well, missionary work is the best and I love it so much! Have a great Christmas season everyone and remember the true Spirit of Christmas, which is charity towards all men!

 

Charitably,

Elder Spencer Coleman

November 18, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

 

We had a wonderful week here in Selah. Lately, we've been teaching members about the Atonement and how it relates to missionary work, and we are now starting to see the fruits of our labors. Yesterday, a family brought another family to Church that they had invited. The ward fellowshipped them and made them have an awesome experience. We then had dinner with them and shared the First Vision and bore our testimonies of its truthfulness. They didn't accept a Book of Mormon, but they came closer to Christ and maybe they will eventually.

 

We also had a great lesson with a part member family we are working with. They have struggled with Word of Wisdom and Chastity issues, but in September, they were married and yesterday, he called us and told us that he had smoked for the last time! All he needs to do is fully repent and become active in the church. So, last night we shared about faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghosting, and Enduring to the end. We stressed church attendance and repentance. We were very bold, which is unusual for both of us, and we promised them that if they followed the commandments and repented, they could find rest. We committed them to baptism on December 21st IF they will come to church every week and meet with the bishop. Repentance is a tough process, but its designed to change us.

 

Repentance is a very cool concept. Though the Atonement of Christ, we can be cleansed from our sins as we recognize our faults, confess our sins, make restitution, and then forsake our sins. After these steps we can be cleansed from sin and feel the joy and peace that comes. Repentance is often thought of as something bad and looked down upon when actually, no one is perfect and it is one of the greatest things God has allowed us to do. It allows us to put off the natural man and become the son or daughter of God that we are. This is the scripture we shared with him in Alma 13:27-29:

 

 27 And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;
 28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;
 29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.

As we develop Christlike attributes, we can know that we have repented. I'm not perfect, but I know that repentance has changed me so that I can be a more worthy servant of the Master. This is my greatest desire: to be led by the Spirit so that I can make an impact on someones life. I love my mission so much and the opportunity it has given me to invite others to repent and see the same joy in the gospel that I have. I know that this is the Lord's church and that He leads it directly. I love the Savior and try my best to serve Him. I love you all and go and sin no more;)
Love,
Elder Spencer Coleman

November 11, 2013

Dear Friends and family,

We had an AMAZING week in Selah. This week was transfer week, which means the week is a little slower than normal. But not for the Selah missionaries! We found 4 new investigators and all of them have really cool experiences with them.

The first one was a couple that we tracted into about 2 weeks ago. We taught them on Tuesday and learned something really cool. We asked them why they let us in, and they said that the wife was going through a really hard time in her life and that missionaries always seemed to knock on her door in those times (coincidence...I think not). Even more amazing was that her husband, who is not normally religious, prayed for the first time in a very long time to find answers and almost immediately after, we knocked on their door. Later, we taught the Restoration of the Gospel and the Spirit testified to them that our message was true. Incredible experience.

Also, we had knocked into an old woman's house (she is actually old, not just compared to me) and we taught her the Restoration and a little of the plan of salvation, and she said that made sense because if God loves us so much, why would he let us suffer? She really appreciated and accepted our message. 

So, moral of the story, miracles do happen in our lives, even when they seem impossible. We have been praying earnestly and working diligently that we could find these people, and lo and behold, God has answered our prayers. 2 Nephi 27:23 says,

"For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith."

We exercised faith, which is an action word. It led us to work harder and talk to more people. With faith, all things are possible. I know that as we act on our faith, we can change our lives and the lives of others. I love you all and thank you for the many prayers which are said on my behalf!

Love,

Elder Spencer Coleman

November 4, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, it appears that I will be staying in Selah so I will finally have a three transfer area!!! Elder Maughan and I get along really well so I'm glad that we're doing it together. So, this week, we mostly tracted. Elder Ballard told us last Saturday that if we talked to 10 people a day (70/week) we would teach and baptize more. We took that challenge to heart and have almost tracted out our area now. We haven't really started teaching new people (and our old people are falling off), but we have the faith that something good will happen. Needless to say, we are a tracting mission still.

Speaking of tracting, one mission tradition is that we decorate our planner covers with gospel pictures. The front cover of this new transfer is the picture of the Savior knocking on the door without the handle. I guess that could be related to missionary work because we are representatives of Him and we invite others to choose to follow the example of Jesus Christ. My back picture is a picture of Jesus teaching so that is what we are hoping to see from the tracting:)

This week, I just finished the D&C and it was a really good experience. There was a lot in there that I had no idea about and little treasures of knowledge. I then restarted the BoM and was reading Lehi's dream (actually reading and not just dreaming about it;) and the chapters following when a cool thing hit me. I know almost everyone has sung "The Iron Rod is the Word of God" in Primary, but I noticed something different about it this time. In 1 Nephi 8:30 it says,

"But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree."

So we get that the word of God leads us to eternal life right? Now, 1 Nephi 13:5 says,

"And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity."

So iron here is bad because it puts us in bondage. So I got out of this that as we read the scriptures, we will be free from bondage. So we just want to get rid of all the yokes I guess. As a childhood mentor would tell me, "Absolutely incorrect!" Jesus said, "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." (Matt 11:29-30) As we cling to the iron rod and come unto Christ, we can find freedom and personal peace. I love the scriptures and my heart pondereth them. Never forget to study the scriptures! They will lead you by the hand to return to your Father in Heaven. I love you all and have a merry November 4th!

Love,

Elder Coleman

October 28, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

 

This week we had a lot of cool experiences with our investigators. Funny story: there is a less-active member in our ward that hasn't come to church in forever. It actually turns out that she isn't a member so her and her daughter are two potential baptisms. Another cool experience this week was with an investigator that is married to a member. We taught him the restoration and he wants to change. He still has issues, but we can sense in him the desire to repent and come closer to the Savior.

 

So we had the amazing oppurtunity to hear from Elder Maynes of the Presidency of the Seventy and Elder Ballard this week and it was sweet! We all got to shake his hand and we took a mission picture with him. They talked a lot about praying for missionary oppurtunities, which was interesting that we as missionaries should still be doing that. They also counseled us to be more diligent in our efforts to find, teach, and baptize. The Spirit that resided in that building was incredible! They are actually really cool guys according to Elder Ballard:) They are pretty funny too according to Elder Coleman.

 

Their thoughts were amazing, but the thing that sruck me most was how they spoke to us. It reminded me of a scripture in D&C 121:41-43 which I actually read today and it says:

 

41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;  42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
 43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
These men showed me how this was done. Their words pierced me to the very soul, and honesty, it hurt a little bit. The part that really counted though was that they complimented us afterward on the great job we were doing and the love they and the Savior had for us. They were also great examples of the attributes of great priesthood bearers as spoken of in the verses above. I want to be just like these men and the other great examples of missionaries around me, so that I may be an example to others who struggle. I know that we are all here for a reason. We may not have the ability to see what that purpose may be or why bad things happen to us, but there is One who does. If nothing else, know this: that God loves you and He needs you to help accomplish His work. Whether you are an apostle, a full-time missionary, a primary teacher, or a mother, the Lord needs you. I can testify of His plan for us and that as we have the faith to follow a little longer, He will bless us with His Spirit and the assurance that He loves us. I love you all and Hope a little harder!
Love,
Elder Spencer Coleman

Dear Friends and Family,

 

Another awesone week in Selah. We had the oppurtunity to attend the temple last tuesday and the Spirit that was felt there was overwelming. I love the temple and the blessing it brings into my life.

 

I had a life changing experience on Thursday though. We had a zone conference on how to work with members in finding people to teach, which was very uplifting and informative. Lately, I have been struggling because I haven't had the success that I have desired to have. I was very discouraged and prayed to know what I should do so that I could be an effective minister of the truth. I felt that I should call President Ware and seek his counsel and he asked to meet with me following zone conference. I wondered anxiously about what he would say. Finally we met in one of the rooms in the stake center. I told him my concerns and he answered in a way that will change my life forever. He let me know that the Lord trusts me and that I am here to lift others up and show them the path of righteousness. He said that I needed to not view myself using the measuring stick of others, but the Lord's measuring stick. I need to be the best missionary I can and that is what success is. He told me of the time when he was a missionary that he had been going through the exact same things as I did and how he worked through them. He then gave me a priesthood blessing in which I felt the Spirit like I have only once before (in a role play of all places praying to know the truthfulness of the church). I am so grateful for a mission president who cares about me and not about the numbers of people that I talk to or teach. I know that Jesus Christ lives. He has died so that we may live again. I know that He has restored His church again to the earth and that Joseph Smith is His prophet. I can promise you all that when you are discouraged, when you think there is no where to turn, that when you have given up hope in yourself, that there is One who hasn't. He loves you enough to lay down His life for YOU. I know that He is guiding your footsteps and that with faith and humility to accept His plan for you He will help you conquer discouragement. I love my Savior and covenanted to devote my life to Him. I am going to recommit myself to living as He would have me live, and I would invite all of you to do the same. Since then, I have been far more happy and have felt the Spirit more then ever before. I love you all and I hope you all will serve those around you, just as He has served you!

 

Love,

Elder Spencer Coleman

Week of October 7, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope all of you loved conference as much as I did. It was truly a blessing to hear from our inspired leaders. I'm grateful for the talks on missionary work and how the work is hastening. I especially loved both of President Uchtdorf's, Elder Ballard's, and Elder Scott's (and of course President Monson but that's a given) talks. I love how missionary work is being emphasized and how the Apostles know how important the Atonement is in our lives. This conference has inspired me to be a better missionary and to further His work here in Selah.

This week was also incredible for teaching. There is a less active family that has been visited by the missionaries for years now. They haven't ever come to church, but they love having us over. We prepared a lesson from last General Conference and gave it like we always have. Then, something really special happened. I actually can’t remember what we were talking about, but the subject of Infant baptism was brought up. Elder Maughan, like a boss, taught that all children are saved through the Atonement and are automatically admitted to the Celestial Kingdom. Apparently, the father had lost a child when she was only 2. We promised him that his child was saved. And he began to cry, which I didn't think he was capable of doing. I couldn't help but smile that his heart was being softened. There was a long period of silence, where the Spirit testified to them that what we were saying was true. I guess the next step is to get them to start living the commandments and be sealed to her in the temple, so he can live with his daughter forever. 

We also gave a church tour with an investigator. The tour went normally, and then we got to the baptismal font. We sat down and talked about her concerns. We promised her that if she would read and pray about the Book of Mormon, she would know that our message was true. I don't know why people don't do it! Maybe because they don't want to be happy or change their lives. Anyway, the Spirit was there and witnessed to her that the Church of Jesus Christ IS restored through a living prophet. It was a pretty rad lesson.

Another powerful lessoned I learned this week was repentance. It may be hard to believe, but I am not perfect. Shocking I know but I definitely need repentance. I am the type of person to not forgive myself, even though God has already done so. I have learned that we need to let go of our sins and trust in the Atonement to make us clean. I read this scripture the other day and it is in Hebrews 8:12, "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." God will not remember our sins, but we may. We must strive to have faith that we can be forgiven and then "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." (Heb 12:1) It will be hard, but through righteous living, we can overcome spiritual death to live with our families forever. I love you all and have a lovely week!

Love,

Elder Spencer Coleman

September 30, 2013

Dear friends and family,

This week was transfer week. I received Elder Maughan (pronounced Mon), who came from the MTC with me. He seems like an awesome guy and I'm really excited to serve with him.

We had a really good week this week. We saw a lot of less actives and did a lot of tracting. The big thing this week came in the form of a new member visit that Elder Maughan and I came up with this week. During weekly planning, we thought that there had to be some way to help the members of our ward do missionary work. Usually, they are informational visits that teach a principle and invite them to do something. We wanted this one to be different. We wanted to go into their homes, and bring the Spirit so that they would be changed. So, change comes through the Atonement so we decided to focus on that. We role played and thought and the program we came up with is one of the most powerful lessons I have ever taught. What we do is first, play "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul" by vocal point to bring the Spirit and invite them to think about what the Savior has done for them. Then, we shared a video that the Mission made that is a combination of talks given by President Eyring at a priesthood session, Elder Holland at a mission president training fireside, and clips from the "Lamb of God." Last we share D&C 18:10-18, bear our testimonies of the Atonement, and invite them to participate in a challenge that I have used in the past to read, study, and work for missionary experiences. We tested it out on our ward mission leader and his wife and it was incredible. There was sniffling from the wife and "something is stuck in my eye" from the men. We felt the Spirit testify to us and them that Jesus Christ made salvation possible to all of us. It wasn't easy for Him, and it is not easy for us. Most members, I have found, don't do missionary work not because they don't want to, but because they are scared of rejection. As I was pondering this, a scripture came to my mind. "For perfect love casteth out all fear" (Moroni 8:16) and is not the Savior's Atonement a testimony of His perfect love? The Atonement heals our wounds and lifts our burdens. THIS is the work of salvation! THIS is why we are here! I testify that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is enough. I know that as we exercise faith in Him, repent, keep our covenants, and endure to the end, we will become missionaries who have no fear in sharing the gospel. I love you all and hope your next week is as good as mine will be!

Love,
Elder Spencer Coleman