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