6/3/18 - Family Letter to Emma

YO-YO-YO-YO-YO-YO-YO-YO-YO-YO-YO-YO-YO!

Emma!!!! Did you you watch the youth fireside? If not, this is what it was like.

 

It was really cool!  We've been told to "take a week long fast from social media"

which won't be hard for me. A lot of other revelations came with it, but it was all just so cool.

Mom cried.

HYRUM

Hey twin,

Was up .The spirit has been so strong lately.

Nothing has really changed  sense I last wrought. Every thing  is good.

The devotional was awesome .The devotional answered  all of my challenges that I had .

Love you ,Miss you

               Mari

Dear Emma,

What a GREAT time to be a missionary!  Tonight in the Worldwide Devotional for Youth, President Nelson said that you are doing THE most important work on the earth right now:  Assisting in the Gathering of Israel- Bringing the message of the gospel to all the people of the earth (on both sides of the veil) to help prepare the earth for the 2nd Coming of the Savior. (Emma, don't let any distraction get in your way of doing this work...give it your whole heart!)  President Nelson said that the people of the House of Israel will recognize and accept the message of the gospel when it is presented to them and they will want to be gathered.  Sister Nelson prefaced President Nelson's talk by sharing an experience she had while meeting with 100 Russian Sisters.  She felt inspired to get to know them by Spiritual Lineage.  She asked each of them to stand when their Tribe of Israel was mentioned.  Reuben, Dan, Naphtali, Ephriam, etc...

Within those 100 Russian sisters ALL of the tribes except Levi were represented! Later, the next country they visited they were greeted by the Mission President and his wife.  One of the first things the wife said to Sister Nelson was, "We have Levi!"  The tribes of Israel are being gathered!

President Nelson gave a powerful presentation and call to arms.  He invited all the youth to "Enlist in the Youth Battalion"- THE most important work on the earth right now.  To be prepared to Enlist he challenged the youth to:

1. Seven day social media fast "take a seven day break from fake"
2. Make a weekly sacrifice of time (for 3 weeks in a row) replace something you like to do with something you can do to help gather Israel...on both sides of the veil.
3. Keep on the Covenant Path
   
4. Pray daily for all God's Children to receive the blessings of the Gospel
5. Stand Out, Be Different, Be a Light

He then invited all of us to stand and sing "Hope of Israel" because that song is about you...this Royal Generation of Youth!

This was so powerful.  I KNOW this is what the Lord wants for his youth right now.  I'm so proud of you for serving a mission at this very important time.  You were born to do this.  With His help you will succeed.  You've got this!!!!  Give it your all and trust Him!

News from home:  Jaren Kump leaves for the CTM tomorrow!  Jill Maples wants me to tell you that she is proud of you.  Jillian Koon also. Today Jillian told me that Grace was asking if girls could serve missions (little Grace really wants to be a missionary but she has only been around Elders).  Jillian showed Grace my Facebook posts with your pictures and videos with you as a missionary.  Gracie was so excited that Mari's sister is a missionary! She wants to be a missionary so bad!

Hyrum goes to EFY tomorrow.  He's excited! He had a great party last night.  More girls than guys came.  They played the "Awkward Game", roasted marshmallows and hot dogs, played basketball and hung out in hammocks. Now he is getting friends asking for advise in throwing parties.  They are asking him to help plan them.

Eve's party was fun too!  She had a good representation of many different crowds.  She went on a date with cousin Erik's friend.  She was at the Broadcast tonight with Madi Cook.  She will find out tomorrow if she got the job at Olive Garden. She goes to Youth Conference this week.  While she is there, Parker Wright is going to come decorate her room to ask her to "Prom" (the fake prom that is being thrown for a girl who was in the hospital for Riverton's prom)

Dad and I have been enjoying the Spirit of these amazing broadcasts and modern revelation.  We also watched the broadcast of the Celebration of the  Priesthood being extended to ALL worthy males.  There was a strong representation of Brazil within that broadcast.  Both broadcasts can be seen on LDS.org if you get a chance to watch them.  We are so overwhelmed with the incredible Spirit of the Hastening of the Work that is over all the earth.  We LOVE President Nelson and all the revelation he is receiving!  What a great time to be on the Earth!!!!

Answers to your questions:

Father's Day is June 17

Donut and Brownie Recipes (I will take a picture of them and send them to you)

Baptism Pictures- coming right up!

Advice about baptism/retention.... those mission goals that are inspired and in place for a reason.  Trust your leaders.  The missionaries teach, and the members help strengthen.  It's a beautiful partnership.  We all have the duty to invite ALL to hear the gospel and teach them how to stay strong (read their scriptures, pray, prepare to enter the temple).  Those basics are so important!  If they are converted to the Lord, not to the missionaries who taught them, they will be fine. 

I love you so much!  Keep up the good work!

Hoorah for Israel!

Mom

M,

We have had a crazy few days.  This is the weekend of parties.  Eve had her party on Friday and Hyrum on Saturday.  We spent the week preparing.  The yard needed a lot of work and Tiffany and the kids got it together in time.  Eve had around 50-60 kids show.  Hyrum had about 25, mostly girls.  he did pretty well.  He found out that one of the neighborhood girls was not aware of the party and felt bad about not being invited.  He made her some cookies and took them over to her.  We bought a new speaker for the parties.  It is loud enough to upset the neighbors.  While Eve was having her party we watched the "Be One" celebration for the 40 yr anniversary of the Priesthood being available to all worth men.  It was an event.  I don't know what your pdays are like but if you can watch it I would recommend it.  It is available on Youtube or the Mormon channel.  I assume you have access to those.  If not you can watch it when you get home.  The Be One celebration had a choir lead by Gladys Knight and was very different from what we are normally accustomed to.  The shared some experiences of early saints from African decent.  Some of the experiences where from Brazil.  They had a family, the Bonner family, sing a medley of Primary songs.  It was amazing.  Your mom and I cried through the whole thing.  I sent out a family text suggesting everyone watch it and found we had a few family members at the event.  I want to know how to join the Baptist like Mormon choir.  We had friends of Eve's running in and out of the house to use the restroom while we where blubbering.

Tonight we watched the Youth Devotional from President Nelson.  He is the first President I have heard who turned some time over to his wife.  Sister Nelson spoke to us for a few minutes and then President Nelson spoke to the youth and called them to action.  He challenged them be enlisted into the Youth Battalion in bring others to the gospel.  he challenged them to take a fast from social media, take 3 weeks and dedicate time each week to the lord, do a life assessment to keep on the covenant path, pray daily that others will be prepared to receive the gospel, and be prepared to stand out and be different.  Then we all stood and sang "Hope of Israel" and your Mom and I again bawled through the whole thing.  Later President Oaks tweeted out that the song choice was very significant for the occasion.  Eve got home and told us how she and the rest of the stake took out their phones while President Nelson was talking and started to delete the social media apps off their phones.  We think that some of them where waiting for an excuse to do so.  I'm excited to see how this will change some of these kids.

Keep trying kid.  Sorry to hear about the investigators not completing their commitments.  Remember that it is your task to invite people to come unto Christ, not to beg.  The field is white, you need to recognize that some people are ready and some are not.  Do your part and live right and the Lord will take care of the rest.  We went over and said goodbye to Jaron as he leaves tomorrow.  Your Mom and I gave him a loud Hurrah for Israel on his front lawn.  It was very loud and felt great.  I hope we can make this a new tradition with the new missionaries.  Hurrah for Israel Emma. HURRAH!!!

Love ya kid,

Dad