May 27, 2014 Welcome Home

 

Almost Home

Hey Elder T-T,

It's weird that your mission is over. It's gone by so fast. But it has been a great blessing to many people --- those who you have taught, those in your family and especially your own life. I think you've had a renaissance --in heart and soul. You seem like a different person. Well, actually you're the same, but better.

I'm so grateful that you've had the opportunity to serve. I know that it will bless your life forever.

I'm excited to say, "See you tomorrow". I know it's bitter-sweet to you, to end you life as an ordained servant, but I know you will continue to be a missionary.

I love you.

Well, done thou good and faithful servant.

Mom


Thank you mom. Your support has helped me become who I am now. I am so
happy with my mission. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Love,

Elder Williams

Ending Strong in Shiloh Park

Hello Elder TT,

Aubree had seminary graduation last night and it was a nice program. 

Everyone is ready for school to be done. Summer time is calling! I'm looking forward to it also. I want to do a lot of day trips and hiking. 

Tell me how your work is going. Let me know if I can do anything for you.

I love you.

Mom

Dear Mom,

I'm glad that Aubree had a good seminary graduation. School is over quick. 

The work is going well. We picked up 5 new investigators over the last couple of days, so the Lord is really blessing us. I'll be ending strong here in Shiloh Park. 

I got to go to the Oakland Temple last Thursday. I love the temple. I took another name for an endowment. I'm glad I figured out all that family history stuff. It will be something I really get into. 

My companion, Elder Waite, went home last Friday. He extended, so he went home on a day other than transfer day. He is in Colorado now. 

That journal in the most recent package isn't the journal that I was talking about. Sorry. I have two blue journals. If you want to dig through that other package with all the stamps then let me know whether or not you find it, I'd appreciate it. I've been asking around too to see if anyone I served with spots it. Thanks for letting me know about the other journal, though.

I love you, Mom. Thank you for everything.

Love,

Elder Williams

Newtons

Hello,
Your amazing son served in our ward at the start of his mission. We saw him at Stake Conference a few weeks ago and wanted to have him over for dinner to catch up on his past two years! He is a great young man with a strong testimony. Thank you for raising him so that he could come to Santa Rosa and touch the lives of my family. He has been a great missionary and I am sure you are looking forward to his return.
Thanks again,
Heidi, Stoney, Denver, and Logan Newton

Feeling Successful

Good Morning Elder Williams,

So nice to visit with you last night. Everyone was excited to see you and we're counting down the days until you come home. I know you are counting too...with sadness, but I know you will always be a missionary regardless of whether or not you wear a name tag. 

It sounds like you have a really great teaching pool. I hope you see a lot of good things happen with them. What is really awesome, is that you will be able to stay in touch via Facebook, email, etc. You've made a lot of friendships and connections with people that will have eternal significance. 

Let me know if you need anything or if we can do something for you. 

Love you!

Mom

Dear Mom,

I was glad to talk to all of you. It was good to hear how everyone is doing.

You are right. I can still be a missionary, and even more importantly a disciple of Christ. My calling will change, but I know I can still assist God in His work. I've learned so many things over the last  two years, and I still have time to learn more lessons that will bless me for the rest of my life.

I have made so many dear friends. Sharing the Gospel has made those spiritual connections. No matter what my people choose or how fast they progress, (I don't know if anyone will be baptized in the next couple of weeks) I will be happy and grateful that I was able to help them on their journey. I love a section called A Successful Missionary in Preach My Gospel Chapter 1. It says,"Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment to find, teach, baptize, and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost." I do feel committed. I haven't been perfect, but I have tried so hard.

I'm planning on sending stuff home today and next week. It'd be great if you could let me know if the packages arrive. Also, if you could let me know if you find my journal in that package, I would really appreciate it.

Love,

Elder Williams

Mother's Day

Hello Elder Williams,

Soon I'll be able to call you Talon again. How will that feel? Probably weird for awhile, like when you get your braces off and you tongue keeps running over and over your teeth because it feels so smooth. Well, you will be smooth - like Joseph Smith said: 

"I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force....all hell knocking off a corner here and a corner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty."

I hope you had a good Sabbath day. I love listening to conference talks before church. Elder Christofferson is such a man of wisdom. He addresses the modern belief that we as humans are inherently good and therefore don't need a savior; we must save ourselves, and will eventually accomplish this according to the forces of evolution. The Christian doctrine that man is a fallen being has fallen out of the collective conscience and so many are blinded to the true cause of societies problems. Like Thoreau said, many are hacking at the leaves but few strike the root. Well, anyways my point is, we have apostles and prophets who stand on the watchtower to warn and guide us. I am so grateful for an anchor of truth which tethers me to the earth, and a north star to keep me hoping for celestial beauty and the possibilities that await the faithful. 

I was able to attend the temple twice this week. I went over on Tuesday because dad took Brandt to his final soccer game in Ephriam, so I was dropped off. Then on Friday I drove over with the Young Women and Men for baptisms for the dead. I'm glad I got to go and watch Brandt participate in the work. He is such a good kid. I have such good kids and love you all so much. I'm so very blessed. 

God be with you 'til we meet again.

I love you.

Mom

Dear Mom,

I'll get to talk to you on Sunday cause it is Mother's Day. Let's plan on 7 my time, 8 your time. Email me if that doesn't work. I can check my email, but I can only reply on Monday, so I will be able to see if that works for you.

Yeah, it will be weird to be called Talon. I'm going to miss being called Elder.

I'm glad that you have such a strong testimony of our living prophets and apostles. I love Elder Christofferson too. 

I'm happy you were able to go to the temple a lot too. I get to go next week on Thursday. I love the Oakland Temple. I feel like it is my temple. It is the one I have gone to the most. 

I'm doing well, and the work is going well. I'm really trying to give my all. I talk to so many people every day. I've talked to thousands of God's children on my mission, and I plan on talking to a few hundred these next few weeks. 

God be with you.

Love,

Elder Williams

DOH! April 28

Haloo Elder Williams,

You have the weirdest mother in the whole breadth and depth of the church. On Tuesday for Young Women's, I was talking to my beehives and the discussion was centered on technology. We were talking about hand-held devices, i.e., phones, iPods, etc., and was trying to get out of my mouth the games that people are always playing. I said, "You know, like those little thingy's, uhh, game-time, boy-game, playboys...." A beehive quickly said, "my mom told me not to look at those." I realized my faux pas and was so embarrassed! I was corrected with the right name which is Game-Boy. Oh, brother. Needless to say, I begged pardon and tried to clarify my meaning, but I was so mortified that all I could do was laugh at myself. 

I can just imagine the conversation when they got home: 

"Hi honey. How was Young Women's and what did you learn about?"

"Playboys."

Dead silence. .....

Yes, I should be evicted and fired from my job. That would be okay with me. I would like to just sit back go on cruise control...just show up on Sunday's and enjoy conference talks during the week. But I guess I'll keep putting my shoulder to the wheel and stumble along, frequently falling on my face, but getting back up, nevertheless. :)

How are you getting along? I hope better than me. ;) Do you like your new responsibilities? Are you getting to know the ward pretty well? 

Brandt is counting down everyday until school gets out. He can hardly stand it. I think Aubree feels the same way...anxious to be done. I'm looking forward to summer also. I want to do lots of fun things like go to the zoo, hike, and just have picnics and such. Good times!

Let me know how your companions are and who you are teaching.

With love,

Mom

Dear Mom,

You're not that weird. You'd be weird if you said it on purpose. But, you didn't. :) You're making a real difference for your young women. 

How's the new job going?

I'm doing well. I can't say that I totally like my new responsibilities, but they are helping me learn. I'm not a huge fan of administrating. I like ministering better. The Lord is blessing me with lots of opportunities to do that, though. I can really see what the other missionaries need to do to be happier and more effective.

It is going to be hard to get super close to the ward. I am trying to step back and let my companion Elder Ashton be the front man since he will probably be here next transfer.

Michael is the investigator that I am most excited about. He is an alcoholic, but he wants the Savior to help him. He has been sober for the last week, and he came to Church with us the last 3 weeks. He already knows the Book of Mormon is the word of God. We shared a few verses with him, and he reads them over and over. I know that he is finding hope in Christ. Those who truly want help from Him will receive it.

Love,

Elder Williams

Miracle Steve

Salutations Elder Williams,

Happy Day of Resurrection Celebration. I hope you had a lovely Easter Service at church yesterday. 

I listened to a talk where the speaker referenced President Hinkley and how he said that the symbol of our church isn't the cross because we worship the living Christ and that correlates to the symbol of our church--- which is the people and how they live their lives. We are literally a living example of the church---like Paul said, we are the body of Christ.  

I also listened to an outstanding BYU Devotional by Lawrence Walters on Citizenship. It was so powerful and he outlined specific things we could do as stewards of our nation to improve our culture and society. It was so inspiring and helpful to me. I feel very concerned that our people in the U.S. don't realize how vital, valuable, and essential freedom is. I've read too many books on Mao, Stalin, Hitler, etc., and the effects of evil government on a country. It decimates the population, destroys resources, religion, families, and the soul of man. I want to be part of the goodness that will bring about Zion. Brother Walters gave me hope and outlined things I can do to help build the kingdom of God. You'll have to read or listen to his talk when you get home.

I got part of the garden planted so I'm excited about that. I love to watch things grow. Blossoms are awakening all around the yard. It's a beautiful sight. I'm sure California is lovely also. 

How is your area? Do you have a new mailing address? companion? What are your new responsibilities? 

He is Risen! For this I'm forever grateful! Thank you for sharing the good news with our brothers and sisters in California.

Love you,

Mom

Dear Mom,

I had such a wonderful Easter. It was the Santa Rosa Stake Conference so I got to see a lot of my favorite people from the Bennett Valley Ward. It was a wonderful reunion.

Elder Acosta of the 70 spoke to us, and the thing that really stuck with me is moral authority. Gotta walk the walk if I am going to have an impact on any level. I'm grateful that I have been obedient on my mission. It has helped me not only have the Spirit, but also it helps me to lead. I can ask people to do certain things because I am doing them. It helps so much.

That is key because I am a zone leader now. I feel like this calling is mostly for me to learn something, but I am still excited that I have the chance to serve other missionaries and share with them the lessons I have learned from my experiences. 

I have seen so many miracles here already in Shiloh Park. I ran into one of the investigators I had in Bennett Valley, Steve. He moved to Southern California when I taught him the first time, but he moved back and now lives in my area. I'm so excited to teach him again. 

We also have a baptism for a girl named Audrey. She is 11, and her mom is a returning member. Audrey's sister and dad were baptized just before I came into the area. Things are going well here.

My new companions are Elder Waite and Elder Ashton. Elder Waite is going home in a couple of weeks to Colorado. He goes home before the transfer ends because he extended a month. I'm learning so much from him. Elder Ashton is from Highland and he is a good missionary too. I'm really lucky to have hardworking companions.

In a nutshell, my new responsibilities are to get numbers to report and love my missionaries. I go to more meetings, and I will get to work closer with President Alba. It is going to be a great experience for me

The ward is really elect. Even though I won't be here long, I know I will have some great connections. The people here are awesome.

My new mailing address is

5201 Old Redwood Highway #60

Santa Rosa, California 95403 

I know that Jesus is the Risen Lord. One thing that struck me during Stake Conference is that families fulfill the Atonement. That's what it is all about. Also, the Atonement is an expression of God's faith in us. He knows we can be successful. That's why He sent Jesus Christ. 

Love,

Elder Williams

Goodbye Vacaville

Called to Santa Rosa

Verily, verily I say unto you Elder Williams, because of your recent day of birth, you are now an elder Elder. Now it comes to pass that you shall reckon the time of the conclusion of your mission. However, elder Elder, thy mission in life is still at hand; therefore I exhort you to set thy intentions and resolve in thy heart to choose the right.Why not the left? Because, socialism was never happiness. Do not give sway to the temptations of the world whether they come in the form of eating, drinking caffeinated beverages or being overly merry. Heed not the calling or text message of the wicked and make no reservation at the great and spacious building. Stand firm and steadfast on the straight and narrow path that leads to a graduate degree because you lack wisdom. Go and do the things that will make you a productive servant in the city of Zion. Wo, wo unto those who cast their swine before pearls. No woman shall desire a man with unclean hygiene habits and remember, cleanliness is next to awesomeness. 

Ok, ok...enough of the pseudo-biblical words of wisdom.  :)

Basically I'm saying, stay the person you are. Keep up your good habits and stay focused on the Savior. You've worked hard to become a disciplined person and a disciple of Christ. I hope you will continue to do the things that have made you happy. I know the feeling of joy that comes from obedience. I felt like, "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me", and I wanted to serve everyone I knew. I'm trying to do better and gain that confidence back, but I'm lacking. But I know God sees my efforts and knows my heart. 

Brandt is 13 years old now. I'm officially a mom to young adults - aka, teenagers. No more little kiddo's in my household. Guess it's time to look towards grand-babies in 5 or 10 years. I'm going to be an awesome grandma. I'll let them make dinosaur shirts and sew them matching shorts. :) You were so stylish in the little creations we made with fabric paint and t-shirts. Fun times.   

I've been working on my new job a lot. I've visited elementary schools, preschool, Head Start, Library story times, been interviewed on the radio and will have a feature article in the Reaper. Cool beans. I'm trying to reach out to all the 4 year old's in Sevier County and help them get enrolled in the program. Waterford Institute developed the software and it's really good. It's very enriching, engaging, and a fun way to learn. I feel good about it. My online classes end this week, so I'll be able to focus on the other job more. 

God be with you 'til we meet again. 

Love you,

Mom

Dear Mom, 

I will take your pseudo biblical advice to heart. :) Scripture says to harken unto thy parents, right?

I am going to keep all of my good parts and strengthen them. God has also given me the opportunity to gain some more experience. Turns out that I have been called to serve as a zone leader in Santa Rosa. I will be serving in the Shiloh Park Ward. It is sad to leave all of my people, but I know that God has everything figured out for me. I will be with an Elder Ashton and Elder Waite. It will be a good time. I am going to forget myself more than ever. 

I am grateful for your example, Mom. You can do all things The Lord wants you to.    Even wrangle 3 teenagers at the same time. 

Sounds like you are really finding a lot of joy in in your new job. I am happy that you are doing so well. You will make a big difference for those kids and their parents. 

Love,

Elder Williams

Birthday boy!

Dear Elder T-T,

Gosh! I can't believe that you're 21 years old on Tuesday. I can't believe that I'm old enough to be a mother to a 21 year old man. Crazy!!....but it's crazy good. Happy birthday to you on April 8th! You were such a cute little baby boy with lots of black hair. What a special day it was when you came into my life. I'm grateful for you. 

Wasn't conference wonderful? I always look forward to it and come away refreshed and full of bright hope. I love our leaders and admire them so much. My respect and gratitude grows with every talk they give. I always look forward to my favorites, but am just as inspired by the other speakers. Elder Holland's talk was so powerful. I love Elder Bednar and his gentle way of encouragement. Elder Christofferson speaks to my need to hear of immutable truth and objective reality. I loved Elder Oaks talk on priesthood authority. Oh, it was all so good! I loved it. I want to be a better disciple. 

What were your impressions? Were there any talks that stood out to you? I hope some of your investigators were able to listen to conference and feel the spirit bearing witness to them of the truth. 

I love to listen to the Christian Radio Station because they - the pastors and preachers-  are so knowledgeable about the Bible. What they say deepens my testimony of Christ. But listening to modern day apostles and prophets and the words they speak is a direct communication from God. I know it and I feel it. I truly "stand all amazed" when I think of how blessed we are as a family to have the gospel in our lives. I'm grateful for the restoration of the truth and the fullness that we have. I pray that Bella, Sophia, Jacob and Rich will join the church. I hope Megan can stay strong and her testimony will fully bloom and that she can help Denise. I love your people even though I don't know them. 

I hope you have a fun day and that your package and card arrives on time. Happy, happy birthday Elder dear!!

Love you so much!

Mom

Dear Mom,

I can't believe it is my birthday already. Thank you for bringing me into this life, and not taking me out early, ha ha. Thanks for putting up with me. I'm blessed that you are my mom.

I loved Conference too. One thing that I am grateful for is that I have learned better how I can receive specific guidance for my life as I listen to the messages. I have some things that I am going to change and improve. One thing that I noticed is how all of the talks are built on other talks given before. The apostles use one another's words. I think that is wonderful because it shows me how unified they are, even though their personalities are so different, just like you pointed out.

One thing I read in Preach My Gospel today that really stood out to me is the definition of a dispensation.

It says,"A period of time in which the Lord has at least one authorized servant on the earth who bears the keys of the holy priesthood. In addition to Jesus Christ, prophets such as Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Joseph Smith have each started a new gospel dispensation. When the Lord organizes a dispensation, the gospel is revealed anew so that the people of that dispensation do not have to depend on past dispensations for knowledge of the plan of salvation. The dispensation begun by Joseph Smith is known as the 'dispensation of the fulness of times.' "

I am so grateful that we have modern prophets and apostles. Even if all of our scriptures were destroyed, we would be okay so long as we had prophets to continue revealing new scripture.

One thing that really stood out to me was how we as members need to be ready to "give an answer to any man that asketh". We can be courageous and faithful, but still love like Christ. The times that lie ahead will give us more opportunity than ever to be Christlike. 

I loved what a speaker in the priesthood session said about the "choice generation". We are choice because we have so many choices. I see that as God giving us more agency. 

Thank you for praying for my people. Sophia and Ashley were able to watch conference at some members homes. I'm glad they got the chance. Sophia's mom is filing for full custody, so she may be able to be baptized sooner.

Thank you for the birthday wishes. Tell everyone thanks for me. I got the package today. :)

Love,

Elder Williams

Teaching Families

Dear Elder T-T,

We've had a busy week. I went up to my training on Wednesday and got home Friday. Then I went right back up Saturday morning and took Raina and her friend to a BYU production of Pride and Prejudice. It was such a cute play and we enjoyed it. Raina also got a guitar and is learning to play. It will be fun to hear her when she learns how to use it. 

I taught the lesson in Young Women's today and it went well. I try to engage everyone in a conversation instead of me just talking. I like it better that way. We talked about the ten virgins and the parable of the wedding feast. It's so sad that the Lord has given us the opportunity to have everything, but we trade it for trifles. It's that human nature we need to change so we have the correct perspective on life and will spend our time wisely. 

I've been listening to an audio book that I really like. Have you ever read or listened to Moby Dick? I love the author, Herman Melville. He's humorous and witty. This book is so powerful because of the metaphors and symbolism. I'm not very far into it yet, but it's very intriguing the way the narrator, Ishmael, tells the story...so many biblical allusions and parallel's, especially to the Old Testament God. I'm so grateful that our view of God is of a benevolent, kind, loving being whom we can call Father. What a blessing to know that he is infinitely merciful and full of grace instead of being a vengeful God bent on punishment and justice. 

We've been praying for Bella and that she can stop smoking. I hope Sophia and Jacob will be touched by the spirit and choose to be baptized. 

I think that's neat that your former bishop from Cloverdale spoke so highly of you. You have a compassionate spirit and kind heart. I'm so grateful that you are working hard and making your mission of such value. That is the mission of life....to love God and help others along the way. 

Stay well and always remember we love you.

God bless you 'til we meet again.

Love,

Mom

Dear Mom,

I'm glad that you had a good week. What did you think of the training? Did it make you excited, or is it more of the conveyor-belt style?

I'm glad Raina had a good birthday too.

I try to do the same thing in district meeting as you do in your classes. I think it is so important to involve everyone. That is how the teacher and student are edified. I'm glad that you were able to teach them about using time wisely. I'm glad that I've learned about that on my mission. I'm not going to waste nearly as much time as I used to.

I do love Moby Dick. It is a very gripping story. I'll have to read it again someday. I'm sure I will have more insights then I did when I was little. 

Thank you for praying for Bella, Sophia, and Jacob. We are teaching some more people too. Megan is a recent convert, and her husband Rich is a nonmember. We are also teaching her friend Denise. They are really excited about the gospel, but they have a lot of struggles. They just need to have more faith in themselves.

We also are teaching a new couple named Manuel and Veronica. They have a couple of little kids, and they have a Catholic background. They want to try something new for their family.

Thank you for your support and love.

Love,

Elder Williams

March 24

Greetings Elder Williams,

We've been praying for your families. I hope that you can teach them the gospel and they will respond. Are you liking your new area? It sounds like you have a fantastic ward. I'm glad you have so much support.

I applied for a job as a liaison between the Waterford Institute and the school district. I am now an employee! It's a computer based program to help prepare preschool children with the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy. I'll be running the program and helping to get it into homes. I'm really excited about it and go to SLC for training on Thursday and Friday. I still want to teach some of my online classes with LEA, but will have to cut back to one day a week.

Have you read Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics? I just finished the portion titled "On Happiness". I agree with him on so many points, like how many people mistake means for ends and pursue pleasure, honor, or wealth only to find it is a mirage. What we really need to pursue for happiness-sake is virtue. Living a life of purpose is the highest good. I love this quote: "We should try to become immortal...and do our utmost to live in accordance with what is highest in us."
We are mortal, but in dealing with truth, we touch the heavens and earn a larger portion of that divinity that lights our mind.

I also read Plato's "Apology". Socrates had such courage and heart in spite of his detractors. If in the eternities I get a chance, I'd sure like to meet him and have a Socratic discussion. How fun would that be?

We hiked in Kolob Canyon and it was gloriously beautiful. Leo Tolstoy captures my thought when he says in Anna Karenina: "What doubt can you have of the Creator when you behold His creation?... Who has decked the heavenly firmament with its stars? Who has clothed the earth in its beauty?" I love to create whether it's a quilt, a garden, a dinner, or most importantly a home. I want to create for my Creator. I love Him.

I love you Elder Williams. I'm proud of you.

God be with you 'til we meet again.

Mom


Dear Mom,

Thank you for keeping my people in your prayers. I have a couple of more people for you to pray for. Bella is our new baptismal date. She wants to be baptized at the end of April, but she needs to quit smoking. That'll be a challenge because her husband smokes. If you could pray that they could work something out that'd be wonderful.

We are also teaching a girl named Sophia and her brother Jacob. Their mom was investigating the church, but she stopped because she moved in with her boyfriend and he doesn't like religion, but she is letting her kids take the lessons and wants them to be baptized. The only thing holding them back is that we need written permission from their father, who lives in Chilli. I'd appreciate if you could pray for them too.

I love the new area so much. I'm grateful that I get to be here in Vacaville.

One thing that really touched me this week was something President Alba said. We had interviews with him last Wednesday, and he told me that he ran into the bishop in Cloverdale. He said that the bishop really misses me and got teary eyed. President Alba said that I have made a great impact on my areas. That made me feel good. I guess people still talk about me.

I'm so happy that you got your new job. That sounds like it is a perfect job for you. You'll have to tell me more about how it goes.

I've read bits and peices of Aristotle's Ethics, but I'll have to dig into them more thoroughly with you. I love that quote. It puts words to my drive to continually improve. We are immortal, eternal beings. It is now that we determine what state we want to exist in for the rest of eternity.

I talked to some atheists the other night, and that is ultimately the piece that they are missing. They don't understand that the don't just exist now. For me it makes total sense that if I exist now, that I will exist in the future, and I existed before this life. The Gospel truly gives us a perspective that is not bound solely to this world.

I had a question. Is the family still planning on coming to tour the mission with me this summer? I'd like more details.

Thank you for your example and support.

Love,

Elder Williams

St.Patrick's Day

Dear Elder Williams,

How was your week? Are you meeting any new folks? I hope your new area is good and you find it a nice place to be.

I just finished reading Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Talk about outraged! It helped me understand the rise of the Socialist party back at the turn of the century and the reason that unions became so influential. I can really see how important it is to have a balanced perspective and not to be myopic in your views. There is such an imbalance in government and politics. People view each other as enemies which is counterproductive. If we could see each other as people and listen and understand, then we could have a civil dialogue and solve the problems that are raging around us. Unfortunately the discourse breaks down and people fight for opinion and bias rather than for solutions and truth. It's like battling a hydra--- one head is lopped off only to grow three more which prove to be more violent and have sharper teeth.

I also listened to a book called You Are Now Less Dumb. I loved it and it was hilarious because it pointed out how skewed our thinking frequently is. We believe that we're rational and governed by reason, but humans are truly emotional beings. Not that feelings are bad, but sometimes they override logic and get us into tangles and knots. It was a funny, entertaining, eye-opening book. I think you would like it.

I have a question and was wondering if you know the answer. Why did Jesus come through the lineage of the Jews? Judah was a sinful man. Why didn't Christ come through Joesph's line? He was the chosen one and a type and shadow of the savior. I was thinking about this and couldn't find anything to clarify it.

Dad and I are reading the Doctrine and Covenants together. I truly love that book of scripture. I think it's so thought provoking and inspiring. I think if you are looking then many mysteries are unfolded to you in this book.

You are in our prayers. We think about you and the people you are teaching. God be with you 'till we meet again.

With love,
Mom


Dear Mom,

I have had a great week. I love the way the members magnify their callings here in Vacaville. We had a ward blitz, and all of the missionaries in the zone split with one of the members from my ward. We went and visited a lot of people, so now we have a lot of work to do these coming weeks.

We have seen a lot of miracles contacting. We have been guided to people who are really elect. We found a part member family, and it turns out that they were already planning on coming to church. Alyssa is the member, and Brandon is her husband. They are going to have a baby here in the next few months, so they wanted to go to church and start working on a foundation for their family. I am excited to see the progress.

There is also a lady named Ashley who has been taught for a number of months, but she hasn't been baptized because her husband Adam hasn't been 100% on board. We were able to have a great lesson with them and I think this was the first time Adam had actually been taught. I'd really appreciate if you could keep them in your prayers.

I remember The Jungle. I guess you could say that was part of a "turning point' in many ways. It is interesting to see the increasing polarization in nearly all aspects of life. It will be interesting to see how these closing scenes play out. We have to be those examples of love and understanding.

I do have an answer for you. Christ was born through the line of Judah on the merits of King David. You are right, Judah wasn't exactly a stand up guy. God covenanted with David that Christ would be born through his line.

"There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed." Psalms 132:17

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper,and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth." Jeremiah 23:5

"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:" Isaiah 11:1/ 2 Nephi 21:1

That's what I know about it. I don't really know of any prophesies about Christ necessitating him being born of Judah.

I'm happy to hear that you and dad are reading the scriptures together. That's something I want to do with my spouse.

Love,

Elder Williams

Hi Talon,

So how are things in your new area. If I'm not mistaken you aren't too far from Benicia. How's the new companion? Will he be your last you think?

I'm taking today off work to get a few things done around the house that have been neglected.

We are all well here. Grandpa Val has had some heart concerns the past couple of weeks but the docs can't find any problems. Getting old stinks.

Played 2 games over the weekend and won both of them. Brandt continues to play well. Friday and Saturday we play in a tournament. I think we stand a good chance of being challenged by a couple of teams that will be there.

In 2 weeks I speak at stake priesthood leadership meeting on hastening the work through home teaching. Do you have any words of wisdom from the mission field to share?

It's great your are getting into BYU without losing too much credit. I was surprised. Still planning to join the air guard this summer?

How's your mood been lately? Let me know.

Be well and have a great week
Love Dad


Hey Dad,

I am really loving the new area. The members are some of the most solid I have ever met in my life. This will be a great place for me to end my mission strong. I'm still on bike, so I am glad I bought a new wheel for my bike. It will be well used. Benicia is really close. Vacaville is pretty much half way between Sacramento and San Fran. One nice thing about it is that Vacaville has its own Stake, so it is a really close knit community of members. The ward I am in, 3rd, is as big as our ward home. Most of the time I have been in really small congregations.

Elder Blackhurst is my new companion. He is from Grantsville, UT. I don't think he will be my last companion. I think they will bring in someone new next transfer. I might be surprised, though. He is a good guy, and our personalities click alright. We have differing priorities, though. I am a little more hardcore.

It's good that you are taking some time to do some projects. What have you been working on recently?

I hope Grandpa's health holds up. I hope he can retire sometime soon.

I'm proud of Brandt. He seems to be the foundation of the team. MVP.

That is really awesome that you have the chance to speak in Stake Conference. Here is my all time favorite quote on home teaching. This is in Preach my Gospel chapter 1.You can find it in the quote part in the back of chapter one.
“Missionary work is but home teaching to those who are not now members of the Church, and home teaching is nothing more or less than missionary work to Church members” .-President Harold B. Lee
Ultimately, we are all still in the process of conversion, and home teaching gives us the opportunity to become more converted ourselves as we seek to strengthen our brothers and sisters. In a very real way, we are helping God "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

Home teaching is ministering. Ministering is meeting needs. Ministering is taking care of someone. Ministering means we show and express love. People can feel it. Ministering is loving like Christ.

So, the way we hasten our work is by getting better at the basic things. It is learning our duty, and doing it better every day. Our job as priesthood holders is to preach the gospel. That means we teach our friend who aren't members of the church, as well as our less active friends. When we work with less actives we baptize more. Less actives know more nonmembers than active members do, typically. You reactivate someone, and you bring many more people in closer contact with the gospel.

So much of my work as a missionary would be done already if members were dutiful in there home teaching. We would be light years ahead of where we are now if people did their duty. Of course, it isn't a robotic visit every month. Home teachers need to seek revelation for the people they are assigned. They need to meet their needs.

That's just a few things off the top of my head. Hope that helps.

I am pretty happy that BYU accepted my credits too. I think it will still take me 3 years to graduate, but that is fine. It would be the same story at SUU, unless I stuck with philosophy.

The Air Guard recruiter said that the Air Guard would pay for my schooling. I am planning on joining this summer. One super awesome thing is that Vacaville is super close to Travis AFB, so tons of the members I have met are in the AF. I will be able to pick their brains. Tender mercy for me, you could say.

My mood has been pretty good. I feel a lot of peace about everything. I was excited to get transferred. I am glad to be here. One thing I am grateful for is I am not anxious to get home. Trunkieness isn't a problem. I've learned a lot about living in the moment on my mission, and I am going to soak in as much as I can while I am here. I'm going to work as hard as I can and serve the best I can. At the same time, I feel confident that everything is going to be okay when I board the plane. God is going to still take care of me, even when I take off my tag.

Love you Dad. Thanks for everything.

Love,

Elder Williams

March 10

Dear Elder T-T,

I listened to a conference talk by Elder Bednar yesterday and what he said really struck me: " A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment." It made me think about myself and where the desires of my heart are. It is difficult in our commercial society to constrain those feelings of wanting more and thinking, "I have to have it! I need it if I'm going to look good. Besides, I deserve it." I think that's why Thoreau really resonates with me is because he was a minimalist. I need to heed the words of "Simplify, simplify, simplify." I'll contrast it to Saturday and going up north with Raina and her friend Bekah and the Wagner's and prom dress shopping. It was fun to watch the them try on dresses and they looked so pretty. I think it's important to enjoy an evening to feel like a beautiful girl once in awhile; however, we spend so much energy and focus on one night of fun at the expense of what really matters. Entertainment, fashion, money, success---these become our gods. We worship at the alter of consumerism. Listening to Elder Oaks' conference talk confirms this to me.

I really like "stuff" and I know I'll never live like an ascetic, but it makes me realize that I need to be careful and watch the intentions of my heart.

Did you make your transfer? Will you please confirm your mailing address? Do you have a firm date on your arrival home? How is Vacaville? David said it was the hood. Is that true? If so, please remember your karate skills. Use them in a nice way though, if you have to. Don't go all Chuck Norris on the bad guys because they might not want a Book of Mormon after you kick their booty. :)

All is well on the home front. We pray for you.

With love,

Mom - who has Ninja skills and can whip out a quilt in less time than it takes to thread a sewing needle. :)



Dear Mom,

Thank you for sharing that quote. One thing I am continually learning about is gratitude. A little bit goes a long way.

I like Thoreau's philosophy. I have seen so many people trapped by their stuff. Hoarders, rich people, they become entangled in Satan's web. There is definitely a difference between things that improve the quality of your life (thank goodness for washers and cars), and useless junk or overboard opulence. God wants us to enjoy the good things in life, but not get trapped in them.

I was right about my address. 999 Marshall Rd # 22, Vacaville, CA 95687

Yup, 27th of May is when I am scheduled to fly home. I put Cedar City as the place I wanted to fly to. I should be getting my fight plans sometime soon. I think they might send you a copy too.

The only gangsters I have met in Vacaville so far are wanna be teenagers. It is really a nice place. Kind of reminds me of St. George. I'm more worried about me doing something dumb than getting jumped, ha ha. I promise I will be safe and smart.

We had a miracle a couple of days ago. We were working on Saturday evening after dinner, and we went to find some people to teach. I saw a girl waiting on her porch for a ride, and we went and talked to her. Her name is Jessica and she is Raina's age. Turns out that she has been receiving some wonderful fellowshipping from some members in another ward. She went to church with them, and she started reading the Book of Mormon. Within a week, she had almost finished 1 Nephi. She already knows it is true. I challenged her to be baptized in April, and she said she would.

One of the people I have been taking to online got baptized yesterday. Vinicius is his name, and he is from Brazil. This picture is of him.

I didn't really do too much, but I am glad that I was able to be with him on part of his journey.

I love you Mom. Thanks for all you do.

Love,

Elder Williams

Marching Forward

Dear Elder Williams,

I watched a CES broadcast by Elder T. Callister yesterday which was really, really good. He talked about how the church is patterned after the New Testament church of Christ. It helped reinforce the reason we needed the restoration by Joesph Smith. I'm so grateful for the restoration because it makes so much sense and so many questions are answered. It makes sense to the rational mind yet it also touches the emotional life. The restored gospel speaks to the dual nature of man---heart and mind---the seat of the soul. Philosophy, religion, science---they have cut the head from the heart or vice-versa. When that happens we get the dark ages, or martial societies, or tyranny, or anarchy, etc, etc.....The church of Jesus Christ is the answer to the questions of humanity. I'm glad to know that I'm not just a housing-unit for a few trillion atoms for a mere 75 years or so. I'm glad there's more to this mortal life. But I'm glad to know that I am composed of atoms, and sub-atomic particles, and leptons, gluons, quarks, and all that other cool quantum physics stuff. Truth is everywhere if we are willing to seek it out. Like Alma said, everything in the universe points to God. 

Anyhooo......

Remember the questions I had about monotheism, randomness, and what constitutes reality/truth?

Well, I found some answers that I'd like to share with you.

"Monotheism does not limit its claim to there being only on God. Biblical monotheism teaches that everything is an expression of this Unity." D&C 50:43 And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.

"The solid world is really 99.9999999999999 percent empty space made solid by force-carrying massless particles." (photons which are light) D&C 50:24 That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

"It's our choice as to where we, as individuals, fall within that spectrum of behavior that stretches from intimate Divine direction to total random chance." Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

The quotes come from Gerald L. Schroeder author of the book The Hidden Face of God

Thanks for listening to my "deep thoughts". No one else likes to. :(   I hope you don't mind my personal pondering when I write my weekly emails. 

I don't know if Dad or I told you but Abby Chesley got married to Scott Hutchinson. She came home early from her mission. We went to the reception (Randy Chesley works with dad) and they looked super happy. 

Sister Verdell Dowell, Robert and Jerrelle's mom died. She was very old and feeble, so I think it was a blessing. 

The couple missionaries in our ward are dropping like flies. The Neilson's, Chaston's, and now the Johnson's are home. Health and family problems. That would be a bummer. 

Andria and Travis' son, Devan, was baptized on Saturday. It was fun to see lots of  family. Everyone is doing well. 

Your dog is still alive.

Can't think of any other news. 

Love you little, love you big, love you like a little pig. 

My grandma used to say that. :)

Love,

Mom

Dear Mom,

Elder Tad Callister is one of my all time favorite General Authorities. He knows so much about the primitive Church. I have been studying more Hugh Nibley articles, and it is confirming my testimony that everything in the Church stems back to God, and that He has revealed the same truths from the beginning. 

Thank you for sharing your deep thoughts with me. I learn a lot from you every time you share. 

What you shared about the dual nature of the soul reminds me about several of the people we are in contact with. Steve, one of our investigators, and a few JWs that we have talked to don't believe in an immortal soul. Instead, they believe that all we are is a body and "the breath of life". In other words, we have no life of our own. So, they don't believe in a premortal life, and they don't believe that there is a spirit that goes on after we pass on. Instead, they believe that you lie in the grave, and if you aren't resurrected, there is nothing after. It is a hollow and shallow doctrine.

I'm grateful for the knowledge I have of the Plan of Salvation, because it gives so much more meaning and purpose. Knowing that I am a son of God and that I can inherit all He has after this life is so much more meaningful than the idea that we are merely made out of clay, puppets that can never truly progress. 

I have learned so much while I have been here in Cloverdale. It is like God tailors my experiences to help me grow.

I'm getting transferred to a town called Vacaville. That is probably where I am going to end my mission. My new address is : 999 Marshall Road #22, Vacaville, CA 95687. I am pretty sure about the Apartment #. I will double confirm with you next week. 

Abby sent me an invitation. I'm happy for them. 

I got accepted to BYU. They transferred almost all of my credits. All but 3, so just one class, I think. 

Was that Grandma Wilson's saying? I like that. )

Love you,

Elder Williams

Dear Elder T-T,

I hope you have been having a successful and inspired week. How are your people? I'm glad you were able to attend the temple. We'll make sure to finish up the work and do the sealing for the names you found. How exciting to do the work of your ancestors!

I've been sick this week, so it's been 'blah'. The sad thing is that we have had such nice, beautiful days, but I haven't been outside much to enjoy them. I think I'm on the mend though. Sore throats and coughs seem to hang on for a long time unfortunately. Brandt's been sick too. :(

A quote from Emerson: "Place yourself in the middle of the stream of power and wisdom which flows into you as life; place yourself in the full center of that flood, then you are without effort impelled to truth, to right, and a perfect contentment." 

Reading this made me think of missionary work and your immersion in the gospel. You are radiant with the light of Christ and are fulfilling this scripture: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Life only comes from life. You are alive in the work of salvation and are giving that spark of joy to others. I'm grateful that you are an ambassador of truth. 

I hope you are well. We are counting down the weeks now! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. We're getting that little bedroom with the bathroom ready for you. I've been putting together a quilt and cleaning stuff out. It's going to be great! Can't wait! But I can wait because I know how much you love your mission and love to serve. I'm still looking forward to getting you home though. :)

I love you and send you my prayers.

Love,

Mom

Dear Mom,

We had a great week. Sue, a new investigator, wants to get baptized next month. She called the Bishop and had an interview with him. She told him that she wanted to get baptized, so we got on that quick. We've been having intense lessons with a guy named Steve. He knows the Bible really well. The truth of everything we teach is in the Bible, even though the Bible is incomplete. We also are teaching an awesome couple named Scott and Andrea. They are super intellectual and home school their kids. I'm teaching people in Pennsylvania, England, Poland, Germany, and the Philippines. It is pretty cool.

I'm excited for you and Dad to take those people to the temple! I'm looking forward to taking the people that you've found through the endowment. 

I'm sorry to hear that you have been under the weather. That's no fun. 

I love that quote from Emerson. I've been studying some of Hugh Nibley's articles about the scriptures, and it has opened my mind to how entrenched the influence of the Gospel is in history. So many things have been lost from mainstream Christianity, but it has all truly been restored. Everything we do in the Church has been done in past dispensations. Specifically, I have been studying Enoch. Most people discredit him and his writings as fables, but it has confirmed my testimony of the Pearl of Great Price and Joseph Smith's call as a prophet. Here is the first article in the series. I've found them gripping. http://www.lds.org/ensign/1975/10/a-strange-thing-in-the-land-the-return-of-the-book-of-enoch-part-1?lang=eng

Thanks for getting everything ready for me. I'm looking forward to seeing you and the family. 

Love,

Elder Williams

February 17

Dear Elder T-T,

For Valentines Day, Dad took me to the temple. It was lovely. He's my eternal sweetheart. I'm one lucky girl because I have such a wonderful man by my side. I also have such kind, courageous, and valiant sons and beautiful, virtuous daughters. I feel so blessed. I love my family!!!!

I've been listening to some interesting pod-casts lately. One I found is called "On Being". It's about science, faith, and religion. I've listened to a rabbi who lives in Jerusalem and he talked about how important it is to understand your heritage and identity. He believes that God is the giver of all that is good and we need to look to him to find the goodness and light in others. It reminded me of Natan Sharansky and his message. (Did I ever tell you about Sharansky? Amazing man.) There was also an interview with Brian Greene, the quantum physicist who posits the idea of parallel universes and string theory. Do you remember him from Radio Lab? He suggests that there are muliti-verses and somewhere out there is an exact pattern of our earth with an exact pattern of people, etc.,because of the infinite patterns of numbers. He says that on the quantum level there is basically patterns of energy whether you're talking about the Higgs-Boson, neutrino's, lepton's, or the other sub-atomic particles. He also firmly believes that there is no free will. Interesting, huh? Then I listened to a man from Haiti who grew up with privilege and became an intellectual and teaches at university. Of course he was secular until he had a dream that his grandma came to him and told him to return to the origin. So he became a voodoo priest. He's still a professor, but also a priest. He does believe in free will and in a disembodied god which is basically energy. So many interesting lives and stories that are out there in the world. Anyways, the pattern I found that wove these stories together was that as human beings, we want joy. We find that joy in light. The light we seek comes from God. The God we seek is in different places, i.e., science, religion, but he reveals himself in all of these areas. 

I'm glad I've found my God and my faith. I'm grateful for the possibility he gives us to become like him. 

God bless you and your endeavors.

I love you.

Mom

Elder McKay and Elder Williams

Dear Mom,

I'm glad that you had a great Valentines Day. Dad is just as lucky to have you as you are to have him! I'm grateful that I have such wonderful folks.

Those podcasts sound like they are really interesting. I'm glad that you have found all of this stuff for me to look into when I get back. I'm excited to learn a lot. I like Brian Greene, but I am glad that I don't believe everything he does. I like what this scientist says. Tell me what you think.

http://www.lds.org/pages/we-lived-with-god?lang=eng

I had a special experience in the temple last Thursday. I took a name through the temple I found on FamilySearch. His name is Frank McInnis, and he is a great uncle. He was born in 1881 in Alabama. Taking him through the temple made me excited to take the names you and the family are preparing. I later found his wife, and now they can be sealed. Maybe you and dad could take them to be sealed. 

You should be able to find them pretty easily.

I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting yesterday, and I titled it "Sharing the Gospel through Family History". It went well, and it has been good working with the members and getting them started on their own family history. That is what the new ward mission plan is centered on, and we have been helping the Bishop by visiting the members. 

Love,

Elder Williams