This last week was beautiful. The work is going well. The Lord is doing miracles, and we are being molded in His hands. I spoke with my companion on service, and then for two days in a row we received trainings on it - proof that the Lord truly does answer prayers. We need only to ask Him. Singing in the square was incredible as well, and we are planning an awesome activity in Church.
Yesterday was my last Zone Conference and, with it, came the tradition of bearing testimony and giving advice to the rest of the missionaries as a departing testimony. I had been thinking about what to say, and I'll give you an insight to my thoughts.
I've seen a lot of miracles here in Italy. Real miracles. I've seen the Hand of the Lord and His children found and gathered to the fold. I've learned that this really is an incredible experience in life, and I know just as much that the Lord didn't send me to Italy or Elder Peterson to Nicaragua or anyone anywhere on a mission to have the best experience of their lives, just to end like running into a brick wall. The Lord doesn't want it to end. We don't go to school to stop learning and using the knowledge we have gained. We don't study all day to then not go and take a test. The Catholics have huge divinity schools to which they send potential priests and leaders of their church. They don't educate them only to leave them on the streets as beggars - and just as much, the Lord doesn't invest two years of His time to leave us as we were before. The mission never ends. It only changes. Our Church had no divinity school to train its ministers. It only has a mission field. Every man serves a mission, and instead of learning Theology, Theogony, Doxology, and the other unutterables, we learn how to recognize the spirit, the principles of the Gospel, the importance of the Book of Mormon, teaching skills, how to study, our calling, and how to speak in the language of the Spirit. It is like the image of Zion's Camp - the Lord wanted to prove His people, hence He called them to march with the Prophet. Speaking of Zion's Camp, a later member of the 12 said something like, "What days were those! We walked with the Prophet 1000 miles and heard his voice. We received revelations at his hand, and we saw prophecies given and come to pass!" We, too have a similar experience. For 2 years we are sent away, out of the world, with the Spirit as our constant companion. For 2 years and thousands of miles we walk with the Spirit, hear His voice, receive revelations at His hand, and see prophecies come to pass. We feel the still small voice that tells us to knock this street and we find a son of God waiting for us. We speak to one more person and we lift a suffering life. We have the gift and guidance of the Spirit - the angels stand round about us to bear us up! And then...? Zion's Camp was disbanded. Some felt it was a failure. Others understood its true importance. From that small band the Lord chose His leaders - the people that would guide the Church through the most difficult persecution it had ever before seen. We return home. We take our nametag off our clean white shirt, but there is still another one - the impression that has been written upon our hearts. All of us at baptism promised to take upon us the name of Christ. His name will always be written upon our hearts. We walk with Christ for thousands of miles, to engrave his image in our countenances. Our eyes will shine with the Light of Christ, and suddenly, we won't need a nametag anymore... because the people around us will see. Our actions, our words, our very faces will show Him whom we serve - that we are missionaries of the Lord Jesus Christ! The walls will melt away as our radiance helps us become the true missionary force in the world - a member-missionary! Never again will someone say, "I'm not interested." before even looking at our faces. Instead, they will ask, "Why are you so happy? Who are you?" So, we undo the training wheels on our bicycle, and we begin to fly. That is why we are missionaries. The Lord is teaching us to become missionaries, and to remain missionaries, for the rest of all eternity. The mission never ends. This is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. This is the mission. I know that this work is true. I know it. I know that the Almighty God listens and answers our prayers! I know that He has sent His Son to show us the way. He called a Prophet - Joseph Smith - in our day, and today there is a living prophet of the Lord upon the Earth. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that we are truly His children. That He may mold us into to become perfect is my prayer. I love you all!
Anziano Peterson
(a self-service automatic pasta machine) (awful, isn't it?)
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