Doctrine & Covenants 93:1

"Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am."

Sunday, June 27, 2010

June 27, 2010

Dearest Mom and beautiful family

This past week was quite fun. We had our district meeting with President Brown during which we had our interviews! Every interview is precious. One on one time with President Brown. Just a little background President Brown has taught seminary his whole life, bishop, and was a stake president. He knows how to teach and I watch him closely. Every time he just amazes me with how natural teaching is to him. Even when we are eating together he is teaching whether through personal experiences or just through example. I love him with all my heart just like all of you:) Actually he shared a story about the importance of focusing on the doctrine and teaching by the spirit. He said that there was once a problem in a certain reservation where the deer were not able to get enough food because a lot of it was still frozen. So some of the rangers put out alfafa hay thinking this would solve the problem and all the deer would survive. However after a few weeks they found hundreds of deer dead with huge bloated stomachs. They ate plenty of hay but they could not digest it. They literally starved to death while as it seemed to them feasting. President Brown emphasized how when we teach by the Spirit and focus on the doctrine there in lies the true nourishment. That is just a sample of President Brown's excellent teaching.

This week M., our almost 18 year old investigator who's mother says no, is back in Oulu. Please pray that her mom will be softened to the message. We have been keeping in contact with her this past month through texting, phone calls, and sending letters (for example Liahona General Conference issue).

Also this week is Mission Tour where Elder Causse of the Europe Area Presidency is visiting and in Oulu the north zone is holding a conference. For Elder Henderson and I it will begin on Friday at 9am and end 9pm same day because of councils and meetings after the missionary conference. I am so excited for this. Please pray that the missioanaries here, including I, will hear what we need to hear and apply it.

Receiving personal revelation and applying it so that we accomplish what the Lord asks is one of the toughest challenges all Latter-Day Saints face including missionaries. President Brown would say, ''That's the whole shooting match''. It's true, following through when the Lord speaks to us and making sure you fulfill is tough, but so rewarding. That is one thing I am working on: focusing on one thing at a time which the Lord reveals and make sure I do it thoroughly. I have already felt the peace and the blessings that come from it. I wish I could give more stories and examples but my time is soon to expire. I love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers and being specific in them.

Rakkaudella,
Vanhin Hamner


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Helaman 5:12

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.