-I got the box with the razor charger!!! Thank you so much!!
-Can you send my Tanya and Tai's address?
-Thanks so much for those great pictures!
It was a busy week, and I don't have time to talk about everything! The meeting with Elder Bednar was of course the highlight. Leading up to it, I was really curious about what Elder Bednar would talk about! We got on a bus at 6:45 in the morning to make sure we wouldn't be late. Before us, Elder Bednar, Elder Teh, and Bishop Davies met with all the Stake and District President, Bishops, and Branch Presidents in the whole mission. Our meeting started at 2:00, and we had to be seated in the chapel by 1:30. It's really hard to describe the feeling to have an apostle or General Authority walk into a room. As I thought about it, almost exactly a year ago I heard Elder Holland speak in the MTC, and I still remeber exactly how I felt when he walked in. The first speaker Sister Bednar, and she spoke for about 5 minutes. And then they turned the remaining 2 hours and 45 minutes over to Elder Bednar. I think everyone was sitting there thinking what in the world he would do with that much time. One thing that really struck me about Elder Bednar is how incredible human he was, and I don't mean that in a bad way at all. He told us that he would not be speaking to us, but that we were going to work. He told us to get our scriptures, notepad, and pen ready. He then told us something that surprised me. He told us to not write down anything that he or someone else said. He called it one of the "foolish and false traditions of our fathers", that anytime we hear a General Authority speak we write down every single thing they say. He siad, "Don't do that, that's just goofy!!" Only write down what the Spirit tells you because that is what's personal to you.
The first half of his time was spent on us sharing what we learned from reading the two talks. It was a really interesting the pattern that he used. He would ask for volunteers, they'd share what they learned, and he would ask "May I ask you a question?", then he would ask a question that would make us think. He would occassionaly interject and talk, but it was really just like a socratic seminar! Then the second half. was where we had the opportunity to ask him questions. He prefaced it bying saying, "Don't ask me where the sword of Laban is, who really cares?" I really wanted to ask him a question, but I wasn't sure what. As the meeting went on, I wasn't sure at all! I finally worked up the guts to ask him what we needed to do to help Less-Active members to return and become fully active. When I asked my question he said, "Elder, I think you know what they need to feel." I said "Yes, the Spirit." He then asked if he could ask me a question and said "What have you been doing to help them?" If Elder Bednar wasn't staring into my soul I might have been able to answer a bit faster, but I just stood there and thought quietly for about 20 long seconds. I honestly wasn't sure, but then I just had the Book of Mormon come to mind. I explained that we needed to use the Book of Mormon better to really help them feel the Spirit. He shared some additional thoughts, and thanked me for my question. It wasn't until later as I thought about this experience, when I really realized how important the Book of Mormon is in our work. As I thought about it, I asked myself, "Who answered my question?" I did. That's what great teachers do, and that's what Elder Bednar did with us. He could have just spoken, and we would have learned some important things, but because we learned through the Spirit, the things I learned and felt will stay with me forever. That's really what teaching in the church should be. Helping people find their own answers, and really learn through the only real teacher the Spirit.
Just in closing, I'll explain what the Lacrosse ring ( Mary Ann: We just recieved Alex's 2011 LAX National Championship ring and took pictures of it to send to him. We inquired about an inscription on the side of the ring) means by, "This was not all". That was our team theme, and comes from Alma 53:20-21 (in the book of Mormon) about the Stripling Warriors. It says:
20"And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.
21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him."
They were strong, they were courageous, but this was not all. They were valiant in the Gospel, they were obedient and kept the commandments. We may be talented, good looking, or charming, but is that all? Let us strive to be as the Stripling Warriors, strong, brave, and courageous. However, this is not all, let us be true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Love,
Elder Yost
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