Conference is Killer!

I want to start off by saying... I didn't fall asleep for even a wink during ALL of conference! WOOO! haha My notebook is pretty much filled after all that I was trying to capture and put on paper!  Thank goodness I can't put into word's how I felt, or I would have filled every notebook I've ever owned! haha

I've been asked several times who my favorite speaker at conference was... I've decided that is an impossible question to answer.  I'll share some of the things that stuck out to me.

James B. Martino... "God doesn't answer questions of curiosity, but rather questions of intent and sincerity."

Several times I heard that if the Holy Ghost whispers something for you to do... then DO IT!  The more we heed the whisperings of the spirit, the more he will whisper to us!  When we have the Holy Ghost... We are able to see as God sees.

Fransico Vinas..."Repentance is a process not and event."

Allen D. Haiyne spoke familiar words as he described playing in the mud and then not being let inside.  I could picture myself doing the same thing when playing at lake powell.  Who knew why I would go and dig random holes... it's a boy thing. haha  This talk had a such a unique analogy that I connected to perfectly.

Devin Durrant.... "PONDERIZE"

Gregory A. Switzer... True disciples desire to inspire the hearts of men.... Stand up and Testify!!

D. Todd Christofferson made it quite clear why church is necessary.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say "I don't need to go to church to have a relationship with God." well people... According to God... You definitely do! ha

Elder Holland reminded me that the only thing comparable to the Savior's love for us... is our mother's love for us.  For those of you who don't know... My mom makes sure she tells me how much she loves me in every single email:) You're the best mom!  

Lastly... I felt the spirit the strongest while listening to the testimonies of the 3 new apostles.  I've already had my own confirmation that the Lord called them and that they are special witness's of Him. 

I found myself wanting to jump for joy several times during the conference because of the amazing feeling I had while I listened.  Many memories of family and overwhelming gratitude filled my soul.  

The Gospel is real.

I went to the temple on Friday with all the departing missionaries.  After the session ended... while still inside the temple I caught eyes with a man who was in our session.  He looked sooo familiar but i had no idea why.  He came over to me and we started talking.  He said he loves missionaries and can't wait for his son to get home in 2 weeks.  Come to find out, His son is Elder Lehr.  Elder Lehr and I were in the same apartment in Sierra Leone in my first area! He has been in the Louisana baton rouge mission since the evacuation.  This was just another tender mercy that Heavenly Father knows who I am personally and out of all the people I could run into it was one of the parents of a favorite missionary friend.  Elder Barrick and I took a picture with him and it felt like a little slice of Salone.

Love Elder Crandall

Tempted to Cliff Jump but realized it wasn't a great idea.

Study Mode.

What an awesome day.  These are wonderful people.

Family Photo.

Aaaaahhhh. What????

Hardest Part of my Week = Figuring out the Title of my Email.

KJ and M** were baptized this week!  Baptisms will never get old.  They stress you out and can be hectic at times... but I would do anything and everything to put myself through more "baptism stress."  haha  I was asked to baptize **K and Elder Horan was asked to baptized M**.  It was neat for all of us to be dressed in white together.  The white we wear at baptism is such a perfect symbol of cleanliness. No one likes to feel sticky or yucky... and no one ever has to.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ cleans any gunk or mess we get ourselves into.  We can have the confidence in Jesus Christ to be clean every single day as we repent and partake of the sacrament weekly.

They both shared their testimonies after they were baptized.  K** talked about how before meeting with us... she felt like she was at the point of not believing there even was a God.  She saw so many problems without any solutions.  She had been hurt many times as she tried to fight her way through life and couldn't see why God would let that happen.  She has felt a change of heart and knows what the Savior's love feels like now.  M** is very shy and not very social.  His mom got up and stood by him as he gave his testimony.  Wow. That might be the only words to describe his testimony.  He didn't look scared or nervous in the slightest and spoke very clearly.  He said the past 2 months that he has been going to church and mutual his nature has changed.  He doesn't get angry as easily as he use to.  He has friends at church that he loves to be with.  He has done many activities he never thought he would be able to do like boating and roller skating.  Lastly, he shared an experience he had one night as he lay in bed praying.  He felt the Holy Ghost touch his heart and then his head.  He felt so warm and happy and knew that God was real.  He testified that the Book of Mormon is true and that he knew this is what he was suppose to be doing. 

We went on 2 more exchanges this week!  I was able to go with a missionary that lived in the same ward as Tanner back in Boston.  We laughed and talked about Milo for quite some time.  Milo must be dang cute if a missionary who has been out for 10 months still remembers his name! haha

Anyways, we saw miracles after miracles and found investigators after investigators.  I almost got to the point of not wanting to find any more people because it is already so hard to keep track of the people we are already working with!  Then I thought... what in the world am I thinking!? The Field is white already to harvest... So you know what I'm gonna do! I'm gonna double cut the field baby!!! wooooooh!!!! (I know you'll like that dad;)) haha

There was a concern that came up this week with our stance on Homosexuality.  One of the people we are teaching has very close friends that are gay and thought that if she joined the church she would have to stop being friends with them or treat them differently! This is not the case!  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love EVERYONE! Whether they be gay, straight, black, blue, a murderer, a rapist, a Christian, or a Buddhist! Their love is so intense and so deep it is almost too complicated for our minds to understand! Their question they brought up to us was..."If God loves us unconditionally, then why can't he love people the way they are?"  Well, that is just it.  God loves us so much and in the "way that we are" but he knows we can be better!  We have unlimited potential and it is only through living and loving the Gospel of Jesus Christ that those limits are unleashed!  As far as homosexuality goes... it is not a sin or an illness to have gay tendencies.  There are several people I know and love that struggle with these temptations... and that's just the thing... it is a temptation.  Just like any other temptation Satan tries to persuade us with... we must learn to overcome them with self control and the Atonement.  God gives some of his toughest battles to his bravest warriors.

So... If you truly love someone... then how can you show it?!  First, you must love them for who they are at the moment. Then, you learn to learn, grow, and change alongside them!  Repentance or change takes some real effort and time.  We can't expect others to change their natures in one night.  However, we can walk the path alongside them helping them every step of the way!  Jesus Christ asks us to do some tough things... but he doesn't ask us to do impossible things.

John 6:67-68

 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Where else can we turn for peace in this life?  Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Love Elder Crandall the Vandal