September 17

Happy Autumn Elder Williams,

I hope you have time to tell us about your new compaion: where's he from, how long he's been out, etc. Are you junior companion?

How is your tracting going? Is your teaching pool going well?

I've been listening to some conference talks and one that I especially love is by Elder Christofferson. He gave a thought provking talk about Zion and one thing that stood out to me was this:

"If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen. Zion will come only as they happen."

It is our reponsibility to create Zion here on Earth; not in some distant future, but right now beginning in our own hearts and homes.

President Kimball also talked about Zion and I love what he says about vision:

"The vision of what we are about and what should come of our labors must be kept uppermost in our minds as we learn and do our duty."

Zion in the scriptures: D&C 58  'Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory.'

It will take a lot of effort and hard work to achieve a Zion society, but it is the ideal society where I would like to live---I'm sick of jarrings and contentions at home, in our nation, and in the world, so I guess I'd better thrust in my sickle and go to work.

I'm grateful you are striving to do your part to help build Zion. I love you and am grateful that you are such an honorable man.

My prayers are with you.

Love,

Mom

 

Hi Mom,

Yup I'm the junior companion. My trainer, Elder Cartwright is known as my "dad" in the mission field, and Elder Volksen, my follow up trainer, is called a "mom". It's pretty funny. He has been out a little over a year. He is from the St. George area, a little community called Dammeron Valley. It was hard on me to see Elder Cartwright go, but I trust the Lord. I'll learn valuable things from and with Elder Volksen.

We don't tract too often. We mostly teach people that we run into in the street. The Lord places people in our path as we go from place to place. It is pretty sweet.

Our teaching pool is rather interesting. It changes from week to week. We are constantly sifting, trying to find the elect. It is a lot of work, but it is rewarding. The most frustrating thing is when people don't show up to church. There are a few things that helps us see who is repentant, and that is one of them.

I've got a new address. We upgraded apartments because we were clean.
3717 Sonoma Ave. Apt. #2 Santa Rosa, CA 95405.

I love the things you learned about Zion. It makes me feel excited to build and work. We are actors.

This week I learned about prayer. I am so grateful that God allows me, a finite and frail being, to pray to Him in His infinity. The love He has for His children is becoming more and more evident to me as time goes on.

I love you Mom. Give everyone my love.

Elder Williams