Gain your own testimony

Hello!

Elder Merrell and I have been really busy. He's the man. The first day we were teaching together, we went to an appointment, and the family we wanted to teach wasn't there. There was a girl babysitting,and while we were still out on the doorstep, Elder Merrell took a picture
out of his backpack of Jesus being baptized, and said, "We help people do this! Do you want to get baptized like Jesus did?" He has a lot of faith and courage. There's a lot of evidence that President Cantú chooses the changes by revelation; I've learned loads from each companion.

We continued in inviting investigators to be baptized all week. It really was a week of finding, and we have lots of new investigators preparing themselves. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I trained Elder Gleave for his first days in Mexico. It was so fun. It made me realize that I can put a lot more
effort into being a Junior Companion. I'm working on being an equal part of my companionship; before, I certainly relied on my companion a lot. Now, I'm striving to rely on the Spirit.

The scriptures are so dang cool. I've been reading in the beginning of 2 Nephi, and I'm really gaining a better understanding of what the Book of Mormon is and what purpose it serves for us. Lehi exhorts his sons to fulfill their end of the covenant with God: Keep the commandments, and prosper in the land. Fall away, and be swept off. It's a promise that Heavenly Father will keep. In a bigger picture, Lehi is speaking prophetically to all of his posterity. They failed to do their part, and the Book of Mormon is a record of their fall. And so, in a bigger picture, Lehi is speaking to everyone who reads the Book of Mormon and to all of the Earth. The same promise applies to
us: Keep the commandments or be swept off. We have a knowledge of what happened to the Nephites and the Lamanites so we can learn from their mistake. All we have to do is liken the scriptures unto ourselves and really strive to be faithful and obedient.

To those who are preparing to serve missions: One of the most important things that you can do - something that is actually necessary - is gaining your own testimony. I know that I heard it a

lot, but I didn't put into practice until it was almost too late. The simplest and greatest requesite in my mission has been a knowledge that the Gospel is true: that God exists, loves us, and blesses us with a church and scriptures and prophets. But you have to physically kneel down and pray to know. It's strange how answers really don't come in the manner that you would expect, but if you are listening, God will definitely give an answer in a manner that you will understand. Every day, I promise people that they can recieve an answer that the Book of Mormon is true if the pray with faith. I'm really glad that I did so first so that I can promise them with my own testimony and as a representative of Jesus Christ. Gain a testimony of every principle of the Gospel. Fast on Fast Sunday with a specific purpose and gain a testimony of fasting. Study the words of the
prophets in order to help you with a specific challenge in your life. Gain a testimony of a principle by living that principle. And afterwards, serve a mission and help others to recieve the blessings
that come from living the principles of the Gospel.

Love,

Elder Tingey