Elder Michael Milius: 12 September 2016

Friends, Family, and Other People I Love,

How are y’all?! This week wasn’t too eventful and even though it was a day less than usual because of Labor Day it felt like the longest week ever. But most of that was because of the driving we had to do from Florence, the NW corner of AL is furthest from everything I swear.

This past week we had to say goodbye to some Elders and Sisters who were getting transferred out of our District which is a sad thing. The good thing though is that we got new missionaries and now I know some Elders and Sisters around the mission that aren’t just in my Zone so that’s a plus! We started to set up Basketball at the church to hopefully get some of our investigators to see us without a shirt and tie so that they know we are normal people, which honestly really helps them soften their hearts towards us and towards the church.

We also got to go back and see Precious, it’s been forever. She seemed super solid but now we have our doubts...I think she is kind of nervous of change and she’s just been through a lot, but we got back in her home and her sister, Paige, was there. The discussion was really focused on the Book of Mormon and how the answers to our questions and problems can be found by reading the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon. Paige started to go off with questions like “If there was a God then why this or why that and why do we have to go through so much? Why do I have to suffer more than you? Etc., etc.” I made an attempt at closing the lesson with testimony of the Book of Mormon so that we could at least leave with the Spirit there. We weren’t able to make the appointment we set with them for yesterday but I’m not sure what’s going to happen. That experience was good though for me because it put in perspective the necessity of the Book of Mormon, of reading the Book of Mormon, and for later reasons I will discuss in paragraphs below.

Our District is awesome! We have one new Zone Leader and there are also two brand new Sister Missionaries who are ready to go. The MTC really helps jump start you as a new missionary. Other than that Thursday was a really long and slow day. I felt like nothing got done and like we taught no one. But, as the night was closing we managed to somehow teach a few people and get closer to the goal we had set for that day. It’s been a testimony to me that as you make plans, even though they may fall through or not work out, the Lord will bless you for that effort and by following the Spirit we can have the success God wants to give us; the success He wants to have.

On Friday, we had to drive down to Gardendale which isn’t quite in Birmingham but that’s the closest place y’all know. We had a “Follow-up Trainers/Trainee” meeting and so I got to see all the missionaries I came out with which was really cool. It’s interesting to see what six weeks in the mission field does to brand new 18-20 year olds. The Lord’s Missionary Work is a miracle in it of itself. The discussion was mainly about the basics: The Gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Nep 31) and the Atonement. Sister Sainsbury lead the Atonement discussion and it really opened my eyes about what the Atonement really means to us, not only as missionaries but as children of God and as Christ’s siblings. She pointed out that we are all going to have hard days, long days, slow days, terrible awful horrendous days. But, as we go through those tough times and as we experience trial, tribulation, and affliction we come closer to the Savior. We get to experience a little of what the Savior felt not only in the Garden of Gethsemane but throughout His ministry. When we suffer through our pains, we will inevitably come closer to Jesus Christ. (Alma 36:16-21 and 1 Nephi 19:9).

Along with that amazingly spiritual meeting and learning opportunity, Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Twelve came and spoke to the Tupelo Stake on Sunday. The focus of the meeting was about covenants. And, as we remember and keep the sacred covenants we make with our Heavenly Father, they should CHANGE us. We should and ought to be better, simply because of our covenants with our Father in Heaven. Something else that stuck out to me as a missionary is everything we do as members of the church can tie back the the Restoration of the gospel. And you think about how powerful and how real the one experience a young boy had in the spring of 1820, and it blows me away. Elder Renlund talked about some questions he and his wife had been asked in the past. These questions ranged from simple “Why do you not drink coffee?” to “What is significant about Adam-ondi-ahman?” He said his answer was always: “Well, the short answer is in the spring of 1820, a young boy named Joseph Smith…” The Restoration is true. It happened and because it happened everything we do is based somewhat on the fact that Joseph Smith restored Christ’s original church on the earth, that is it the only true and living church, and that he was a prophet called of God.

This week was awesome, and Missions are awesome! I love the church, I love the scriptures, I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and I love all y’all! Stay safe, and if anyone needs anything let me know! You have my email!

Godspeed,

Elder Milius

P.S.: The pictures are from an Original Southern cotton field. #yeagerginco