First let me remind you that because today is a holiday many families are home so it is a great Harvesting day for the missionaries. Also all the libraries are closed so many missionaries can not get to a computer. For those reasons missionaries will not be writing today…they will have more great experiences to share with their families tomorrow.

I usually only post the missionary experiences that President Anderson puts in his weekly letter but the counsel that is in this week’s letter seem to me to speak to all member of the Kingdom and not just missionaries. Our willingness to pledge to the Lord and then ask Him for a blessing is something that we all can do. “If I take a pass-along card with me today will you show me who you have prepared to receive it.”

Enjoy these great experiences…

As I have reflected on our Zone Conference, I have been reading in parts of Alma concerning the great missionary miracles of Alma and the four sons of Mosiah. Sometime after, Alma and his brethren had a wonderful reunion and shared their missionary experiences and successes (like we do at transfer meetings), he takes them all, including Amulek, Zezrom, and his two sons Shiblon and Corianton to preach and teach the Zoramites. Now this is probably one of the greatest “Districts” of missionaries in the history of the world.  Alma knew that reclaiming the Zoramites would be no small task so I am sure that is why he picked the best missionaries who he trusted, loved and was united with. He knew that the Spirit would be so much better in reclaiming them than going to war because of their gross iniquities:

 â€œÂ And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God. “ (Alma 31:5)

When they came upon the Zoramites, he was disappointed because of their pride and their corruption of the Gospel:

 â€œNow when Alma saw this his heart was grieved; for he saw that they were a wicked and a perverse people; yea, he saw that their hearts were set upon gold, and upon silver, and upon all manner of fine goods. Yea, and he also saw that their hearts were lifted up unto great boasting, in their pride.” (Alma 31:24-25)

He began a prayer that starts off seemingly angry with the Zoramites (Alma 31:26-29), but then his prayer and heart begin to soften and he prays for them, instead of against them. In the prayer he gives God promises (if we), and then pleads for the blessings from it (then, wilt thou):

If â€œI may bear with mine infirmities”; If â€œI may have strength”; If â€œI may suffer with patience these afflictions” (Alma 31:30-31). Along with these “if” promises, I am sure that Alma filled in the specifics that would show the Lord what he and his brethren would do. Promises of action (faith), sacrifice, obedience and diligence. Subsequently  Alma prays for then “wilt thou bless us”:

Then â€œwilt thou comfort my soul”; Then â€œwilt thou comfort their souls”; Then â€œwilt thou grant unto them that they may have strength”; Then â€œwilt thou grant unto us that we may have success… bringing them… unto Christ”. Then wilt thou â€œgive unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring… our brethren… unto thee”. (Alma 31:32-35)

What amazing blessings, what selfless blessings to ask for in return of their promises to earn, work and sacrifice for them. After his prayer the Spirit bore to his Soul that he prayed for what was right and that God accepted it:

 â€œNow it came to pass that when Alma had said these words, that he clapped his hands upon all them who were with him. And behold, as he clapped his hands upon them, they were filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Alma 31:36)

And God blessed them according to his prayer and faith:

“And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.” (Alma 31:38)

I love the blessings that are coming with your own “wilt thou” experiences:

“Then we said a prayer and talked with God and we asked him ‘if we will do this……, then wilt thou bless us with a family that has been prepared and are ready to get baptized?’ And the spirit was so strong and we all knew…  that there was a family and so we got out of the car and my companion saw someone across the street and literally ran to him… we had to run right after him and talk to him but from that point on we ran from door to door, person to person, for that hour and a half and we were there backing each other up on whatever they felt we should go or do and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have had on my mission and the last people we talked to were a couple that knew about the church and they accepted to prepare to be baptized! We talked about it after and one of the greatest lessons I learned is first that there is nothing that brings greater happiness or greater joy than doing the will of the Lord and that as a missionary there is no reason I should not be making every hour of my mission and also life of only doing the lords will. His will is to bring joy and happiness and salvation to all of his children!! Who doesn’t want that?!!”

We testify to everyone, we are bold like Alma and his district “according to the prayer” of our faith, and they will be prepared for us:

“We went to the last door on the floor- a door that we almost didn’t go to, as we had just received a referral from the door before and we were planning on chasing the referral down immediately- and a guy with a goatee opened up, holding a can of Budweiser in his hand.  He wasn’t remotely interested, barely responded to our invitation, and began to shut the door in our faces when a voice called from out back and said ‘Who is that at the door?’.  The man with the beer yelled back ‘Church people!’.  The voice from within said ‘Well I wanna talk to them!’.  A lady in her late 20’s came up to the door, took a look at us, and her face was just filled with light.  ‘Elders!!’  she said happily.  Turns out her aunt was taught in another ward, and she had been praying for someone to come to her, as she had been wanting a way to repair her relationship with God and the Elders she had met years ago were the only ones who had ever been able to help her out with that.  When we had knocked on the door, she had been in the backyard and had the feeling she had to come inside.  When her husband was about to shut the door, all she saw were our ties, and she knew she had to talk to us.  We went inside, blessed the entire family, husband included (who softened right up when he found out we weren’t Jehovah’s Witnesses or soliciting), and every last one of them committed to baptism!  It was truly incredible!!  We also took down the aunt’s info and passed it to the other ward, who have since contacted her and are working with her too.  Miracles will abound, as long as we have the faith to make them!”

God will bless us (wilt thou) with our vision of baptisms as we commit to him that we will do whatever it takes (if we):

 â€œWe talked about setting visions and then through ‘if’, ‘then’ statements relying on the Lord and trusting in him to help us accomplish our vision. It was awesome! Our vision was to find someone in the hour we had that was going to come to church the next day then prepare for baptizm the following week. So we then took it up in prayer and told the Lord, ‘IF’ we do these things ‘THEN’ will you bless us and help us find this family that will come to church with one days notice and then be baptized. WELL GUESS WHAT!!!! We found a FAMILY. The mom is from Honduras and all of her extended family are members there. She’s the only one that isn’t a member. She misses the church and wants to go. She told us her husband needs it as well and the kids need to learn about Christ. So we had all 7 members of this big family at church. They are amazing. 5 of them are baptism age. We are going to work with them this week and try and put forth other visions to help them into the waters of baptism this Sunday. It’ll be an 8 day FAMILY baptism.”

In the Book of Luke, Christ went into a ship with his disciples to travel to the other side of the lake. A great storm commenced and the disciples went and woke the Savior saying “Master, master, we parish”. The Savior rebuked the Storm and said to them:

“Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”

Missionaries, â€œWhere is your faith?” Just as the Savior knew that his disciples had the power to do what he did, God knows and I know you missionaries have the power to accomplish your vision to bring souls to Christ. Let us increase that faith to bring these souls.

“God has given us the capacity to exercise faith, that we may find peace, joy, and purpose in life. However, to employ its power, faith must be founded on something. There is no more solid foundation than faith in the love Heavenly Father has for you, faith in His plan of happiness, and faith in the capacity and willingness of Jesus Christ to fulfill all of His promises.”(Richard G. Scott, Gen. Conf., April 2003)

I know that all of you missionaries have the potential of this faith.