Written by Elder Dallin Remond
HOLA!
Como estan ustedes?
This week was AWESOME. The best week in the MTC so far. The fastest, most spiritual and exciting week yet. The MTC is the beeest. Some things get repetitive, like the second 3-hour block of class and eating dinner a couple hours after lunch, but the Spirit here and all the lessons make it worth living.
I love my district so much. I feel like it took us a little bit to get used to each other, but now we're like family! We've had a ton of growing experiences together and all of our testimonies have grown together. Last night during our testimony meeting after the Devotional, Hermana Lawrence from NC going to Ogden, UT said: "I know all of us want to get together and have a big party after our missions, but here's something even more important I want all of you to commit to do. I want every single one of you to be true to the Gospel your whole lives, and I want us all to reunite in the Celestial Kingdom." The Spirit was so strong. We are not just friends here for this Earth life. We are spiritual brothers and sisters with a divine future ahead of us. I want to carry that thought that she had to my investigators! I don't want to leave anyone behind.
With that thought, the theme this week has seemed to be following the Spirit and using the Book of Mormon as a conversion tool! The Book of Mormon is truly inspired by God. It IS another testament of Jesus Christ. In the introduction it says that if you read its words, ponder them in your hearts, and pray to God to know if they are true, you will receive an answer. Once you receive that answer, then we know that Jesus Christ lives and he is our Savior, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church in this world today. It's so profoundly simple and beautiful. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the help I get each day as I study its words. It is a guide and a comfort for me!
This has been a fun week for me to see people. I saw Sister Staci Adams from Snow College, Elder Breinholt from Herriman, Sister Hone from Bingham, and then I saw my cousin, LaLoni and our family friend, Christina working at the MTC. So fun. It's really hard not to hug here. I see some girl I know and I can only put out my hand and give them a handshake! What am I going to do when I see Samm or Kylie next week? Handshakes bring blessings.
This flood of missionaries has been making history here at the MTC. Not only are we going to the Marriott Center for Tuesday Devotionals, but for the first time, they broadcasted the Sunday Devotional from the Wyview Chapel at the West Campus. Crazy!
Okay, so for the choir stuff: The big MTC choir that I'm in will be singing for the "Hastening the Work of Salvation" broadcast this Sunday at around 4 PM. I'm not exactly sure if it will be broadcasted live, but I'm sure they'll be bringing it up in Sacrament Meeting. They're supposedly making a big announcement.... There's been some buzz around the whole MTC campus about what it's going to be. Some people think it's going to be iPads for missionaries, some people think it's going to be opening up China... I don't know anything! The most realistic one that I've heard that I think it might be is some sort of announcement that strengthens missionary work through the members. I've heard some people talk about getting rid of tracting and focusing on referrals and service opportunities... Can't be sure! But it's going to be awesome. President Monson and Boyd K. Packer and some other Apostles will be sharing stories and giving addresses. So we'll be there singing for that broadcast in the Marriott Center at 4 on Sunday! If you watch the broadcast, look for me! It's going to be a choir of 1300 missionaries and 1000 members from the area. <------- Foreshadowing?? I dunno. But yesterday, Elder Robert C. Gay from the Seventy came and spoke about stories of improving missionary work. A lot of them were about working with the members. Prepare to serve from your homes if this is the announcement! :-) Anyways, I'll try to wear a purple tie. It might be hard to find me in such a gigantic choir!
Okay! So I think last week I talked about putting in my information to be selected into the small MTC choir. Anyways, I made it in! It's a choir of 32 other missionaries. I got asked to be the tenor section leader, so that's been bringing back good memories! :-) We have to memorize 5 songs. We're singing Wilberg's arrangement of Lead Kindly, Light and then we're also singing a gorgeous arrangement of Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer. All they told us in the letter at first was that we would be singing for the New Mission President Seminar. Little did we know that that would include singing for the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles' sacrament meeting and then for President Monson, Uchtdorf, Eyring, and Elder Hales, and Scott's addresses all throughout the week for the New Mission President Seminar. I'm freaking out a little bit. They say that the apostles will come in from time to time to hear the practices before and shake hands with the choir members. !!! I'm so excited! They said that this will be a historic time. 170 mission presidents will be there. Crazy! I hope I get to see President Baker next week before I get out to Virginia!
I love this place. I keep thinking about what a great time it is to be at the MTC! I get to learn Spanish, come closer to Christ, have fun with all the missionaries, and have some incredible experiences with singing.
I wish I had more time to tell you about everything. The Spanish is going great! Yo estoy muy agradecido por la oportunidad para aprender el evangelio en Español! Keep sending out those letters! They make my day. I love hearing about how life is out there in the real world!
Mucho amor,
Elder Remund
