The Power of Kindness

Hello my amazingly, stupendously, awesomely, incredible family :)

I love you all! This week has been amazing and hard all at the same time. We have some great goals for this next week in meeting with many different Less-Active members of the church and striving to help them progress on their way back to a knowledge of Christ and the Restoration of His gospel to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that Joseph Smith truly was called of God to restore the fulness of the gospel again to the earth.

For my fast this week one of the things I fasted for was a greater knowledge of the Book of Mormon, of Joseph Smith, of Jesus Christ's role as our Savior, of the love of God, and His calling a prophet for us today. As I stood up to bear my testimony I felt the Spirit of the Lord fill my soul with an answer to my prayer. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, Jesus Christ was chosen before the foundations of this earth to be our Savior and Redeemer, we do have a prophet on the earth today who receives revelation and guidance from our Heavenly Father, and I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father.

Also, as I was sitting in Priesthood meeting for the YSA ward, I had a cool train of thought that carried me to a greater understanding of opposition in all things. Elder Thackeray was looking through the manual and my eyes caught hold of one of the titles that read, "The Power of Kindness." As I thought of this I remembered the story of Joseph Smith, when he was kidnapped by men who wanted to take him back to Missouri. As they were running away with him they were headed off by other members and stopped before they could accomplish their goal. Joseph then invited those men to be guests of honor at his home. Through this I thought of the opposites of bitter and sweet and thought, "To overcome bitter you must be sweet! Fighting anger with anger, anger builds. Fighting anger with love, anger dissapates." As in adding lemons to lemonade it does nothing to take away the bitterness of the drink but by adding sugar to the drink the sour lessens. In my reading of the Book of Mormon today I found a quote from the Savior that also emphasizes this point. "And behold, it is written, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; But I say unto you, that ye shall not resist evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also; And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also; And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away. And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy; But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Therefore those things which were of old time, which were under the law, in me are all fulfilled. Old things are done away, and all things have become new. Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." (3 Nephi 12:38-48) Jesus Christ teaches us to fight against evil with good for that is the only way we can truly rid the world of evil. If we try to fight evil with evil we only add to it. Thus to truly fight against Satan we must do so in the name of Jesus Christ. Moses commanded Satan in the name of Christ to depart, and he did. Joseph Smith called upon the Lord to save him from the grasp of the devil, and he was set free. Christ also tells us that this is the way to be perfect. To fight against evil with good is the only way to rid ourselves of all ungodliness. Let us keep the Holy Ghost with us at all times to have Him sanctify us with good in order for evil to disperse. I know that God lives and that we can be made perfect as we choose the right. There is great power in choosing to do good and be good. I know this to be true and testify of the truth in the verses I have shared, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

P.S. I should be receiving new glasses this week :) I'm excited!

P.S.S. Sage won't be baptized this weekend :( But he has made great progress during our past two lessons. We will be meeting with him again soon ad helping him to grow in his desire to follow the example of Christ and be baptized by someone with the priesthood authority of God. It will happen in the Lords time! Sage wants to be a true follower of Christ and there are a few misconceptions that need to be broken down before he is completely ready. It is happening through his reading the Book of Mormon. What great power there is in that book. Sage has been reading a page or so each day :) As he started that he became much more open to learning. He and Derrick are great! Also, Pan invited us over to his house yesterday just to have us pray with him about whether or not he should change his major. It is incredible to see the faith that he has developed in Jesus Christ. He has come to church early the past couple of Sunday so that he would not miss partaking of the Sacrament and renewing his covenants. I love him and I know that God loves him as well. J. Hao took us out to lunch this past week because he found out I was leaving. He has also grown a lot. He hasn't been going to church for a little while, but I am sure that his attending the outgoing fireside and feeling the spirit there will help him grow in a desire to go back to church. I love this work! I love these people! Do all you can to serve others and bring them to Christ for it is the best use of our time in these the Latter-days! I love you all!

Grand Performance

Hello my wonderful family,

Thank you so much for helping me to get everything I needed done for my passport. It is in the works and hopefully all goes well. All I know is that all will go according to plan. Well, you remember how on Monday I said that anything and everything happened wrong. One of those things is that my glasses broke. Yup We have tried a few things to fix them but not much is working and I look kind of nerdy walking around with tape on my glasses. The tape and glue only holds them for about two days. So, while we were at Walmart on Tuesday I checked out how much the cheapest glasses will cost at Walmart. As I was there I found out that my prescription had also expired and so I will need to get a new one if I want to buy new glasses. What do I do? I don't know how long it will take for them to make new glasses for me either. I will go to Walmart today and ask about the time necessary for making a new pair of glasses for me. If it will be too close to the time when I leave then I won't bother but if they can get them done a few days ahead of time I would like to get some new glasses. Meanwhile I have a couple more ideas of how to hold these glasses on my face ;) I love you all.

It is easy to get frustrated when nothing seems to be going right but that is when we need to take a step back and look for the diamond in the rough. This week we had a great lesson with Sage which we both felt helped open his heart a little more to the gospel and to us. Derrick was also there which I am sure made for a much better lesson. Derrick seems to be struggling a little bit and I ask that you pray for him. Pray that he will continue to hold fast to the rod of iron. We were also able to teach the Shi Family this week. They are a good family. Their interest level doesn't seem that high right now and so we have decided to help them read through the Book of Mormon. We will read a little from that and the bible each week that we meet them until they show a little more interest. Another great thing that happened was that we were able to attend a cultural event for Chinese New Year. It was an amazing performance with a few really good chinese singers from the bay area, an incredible magician, and some great dancers. It was a lot of fun to attend a performance again and walk out of the theater. I haven't done that in a while.

As we we sitting there we saw a few of our english class students whose grandchildren were a part of the dancing groups. The ending performance was a Chinese Baritone who sang a song entitled, "我是中國人" as he sang I could feel and hear his passion for being chinese. It was a grand performance and it even made me feel proud to be chinese, eventhough I am not. That is just how well he infused the song with his pride for China. I love being a missionary. I know that God lives. I know that He has blessed us with a Savior and that all He does for us works towards His goal of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and today we have access to His Atonement through the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can learn more of Christ through scripture such as the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that it was translated by a modern day prophet named Joseph Smith. I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

How to Trust in the Lord

Hello my incredible family,

Wow! What a week and what a day yesterday! I think if there was anything that could have happened wrong it did and I am grateful for it. Why? As I was talking with Elder Thackeray yesterday on our long drive back from San Jose I knew that there was something I needed to learn. I think the biggest thing I have learned is how to trust in the Lord.

We were asked to give the lesson in priesthood on Sunday and it was about President Monsons talk entitled, "Stand in Holy Places". As I studied a scripture came to mind, in 1 Nephi 2:20 we read, "And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise..." President Monson shares ways in which his experiences have proven this promise to be true. He prayed to still have his dollar bill and because of his following the commandment of prayer it was granted. He was inspired to call upon Peter Mourik to bear his testimony and because President Monson followed this inspiration and kept the commandment of God, he and the people were all blessed.

I know that there have been trials, but I know that as I maintain faith in the Lord and follow His commandments I will be able to "stand still and see the salvation of God." I have been praying and fasting over the past couple of days and my thoughts have turned from finding the passport to allowing the will of God to prevail. As the will of God goes forward I know that I will be able to learn what I need to learn and become what I need to become. I know the gospel is true. Heavenly Father is deeply involved in our lives and I know that His plan is a plan of happiness. Let us all be happy! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

Goal setting

Hello my stupendous family,

I love you all. I hope I don't sound at all like a broken record when I say that. I work night and day for the Lord but I know that the work I do also leads to blessings for each of your lives. I work not only for God, but also for you. That is how much I love you. It is incredible being on a mission. We just had another message with Sage , Schuyler's Brother, and we invited him to be baptized on February 11th 2012. He has accepted the day as a time to prepare himself for and we will be meeting with him on Thursday in order to help us set up a schedule which will help him see how to accomplish his goal of Baptism. This is a big step for him, at least it seems that way, because Derrick said that he has trouble making commitments. I am very excited for him to progress down the path that will eventually bring him eternal life. It will be fun to see his progression.

I am loving my mission. As I was sitting in our YSA Ward Council this week the Executive Secretary (a man who graduated from MIT) shared with us an idea of creating a vision of what we as leaders desire to do with our callings. As I thought of it I remembered that our mission had made a vision statement a little while back and I felt that it really inspired me to move forward in my work as a missionary. I decided that I would ponder about a vision statement that I could make with my companion for our area. I thought about it all throughout church that day. I couldn't really keep my mind off of it. At the end of priesthood my brain hurt from my straining to think. But what I was able to write really excited me. I thought of ways in which we as missionaries could help the active members to increase in their desire for missionary work, how we could help Less-active members grow in their desire to come to church and obey the commandments, and how to help investigators strengthen their faith and grow in their desire to attend our regular meetings. I shared this information with Elder Thackeray and we decided that we will be discussing the ideas with our Ward Mission Leader this Wednesday. Hopefully from there we will be able to build excitement in the ward for missionary work and helping the members see how feasible it really is to invite others unto Christ.

There are a few other ideas that have come to mind such as a motto for us to say and a theme scripture. Our motto could be one of two things
1) Be the light or
2) Do it yourself, meaning that we need to be examples of the things we teach first before others will choose to follow.
As I talk about this I get excited! Why? Because I know this is what I truly want. I want to be able to be the person I invite others to be and do the things I invite them to do. A little while ago there was an area seventy who came to our stake and shared 5 ways in which we could be better missionaries. I hope that we will be weighing heavily on these points to help the members better include the Lord in the work they do. But, of course, it all starts with us doing them first. Everything that you want to get done starts with you. There is nothing holding us back but our own procrastination. Do you want to be happy? Start now. Choose to be happy and make that a vision. Then set goals to accomplish that vision. Sing a song that brings joy to your life each day, eat your favorite food, get good exercise, look yourself in the mirror and point out all the good that you see... As you do these things and work to set goals with Heavenly Father, He will bless you to be happy. You will be happier day by day. Do you want to build the strength of your family? Create a vision statement and set goals upon it. For example:

Vision:

Our Family is strong in the gospel, we know that we are all children of God and we love each other. We help each other through trials. We praise one another and celebrate the accomplishments we make. We love our Father in Heaven and understand His plan for us. We have faith in Jesus Christ and will never falter. We are a family!

Goals:

1) We will read the scriptures each day to increase our understanding of God and Jesus Christ.

2) We will have Family Home Evening once a week to grow in love for one another.

3) We will eat dinner together every night in order to help us understand each others' needs.

4) We will go to the temple once a week (or month) to help our children understand it's importance.

This is just a quick example, but as we are able to accomplish these tasks and use the guidance of the Holy Ghost in creating goals for us to achieve, we will be able to attain our vision and become what we desire to become. As time goes on we can read over and alter our goals and vision according to circumstances but through this process we will find true progression. I know that goal setting is important. I love to set goals and see myself accomplishing tasks I give myself. I know that Heavenly Father lives. His vision statement is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. His goals for that are to give us families where we can learn of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to give us prophets who will teach us how to fully receive the gospel in our lives, to send us His Son as a redeeming sacrifice for all, and work night and day to build our understanding through giving us personal revelation, angels, friends, etc. to help us along the way. God is perfect. God's plan is perfect. I know this to be true and I know that as we make plans for ourselves He can help us accomplish those plans and enable us to find joy therein. I testify that the gospel is true. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. As we serve Him with all our hearts, mights, minds, and strength we will find true and lasting joy. Endure to the End and you will find the pearl of great price. I love you all.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

Tears of Joy

Dear loving and beautiful family :)

This has been a great week. From a numbers perspective it doesn't seem to have been very productive except for the fact that we found 3 NEW INVESTIGATORS. They are people who we have been hoping to start lessons with for a while, but do to circumstances we have only been able to meet this them officially this week. The other great thing is that they are investigators for the mandarin branch. They need to have investigators and we have a few now. We should be able to work with 4 or 5 different investigators soon and help them on their path towards learning about the gospel. It is great to have more people to teach.

The singles ward is doing well also.Pan feels prepared to receive the priesthood and has accepted a calling as Ward Greeter :) It is amazing to see the knowledge that he has gained in such a short amount of time. I love him. Derrick was able to come with us to Tai Chi today (Monday) and he brought a friend of his who seems like a really cool guy. We might be able to help him also start learning about the gospel. We are excited for his also preparing to receive the priesthood.

There are quite a few people that are preparing to go on their missions. We had a sister, Heather Jacobs, just get set apart to go to sweden on her mission. There was a brother, Ben Lee, this past Fast Sunday who stood up and said that he received his mission call to South Korea. Another brother that stood up shared that he was about to go through the temple and receive his endowment. Andy Black, and awesome recent convert, is preparing to be able to go on a mission soon. We are now teaching a couple of brothers who will also be preparing their mission papers soon. It is awesome to see all of these people going on missions. I am so happy for them. One of the sisters in the Ward, Sister Raneiri, said that when Ben Lee announced that he was going to South Korea my face just lit up. I knew that because joy filled my soul as I realized the great work Ben was being called to. This is the work of the Lord. I know that God is involved in the work. Our job is just to see how we can be more involved with Him.

I received the applications and I have to admit that it is very hard to keep my mind on the work. I can say that I am working hard though. I have set some goals and ways to achieve them over the next 5 weeks. I am excited to see my faith in Christ build and feel of His guidance. I know that if I do not achieve my goals now, I will achieve them eventually. I know that God answers prayers as we work to receive the blessings asked for.

The new investigators that we received this week were the Shi Family and Ricky. I think I have told you about them before, but now we will be having weekly visits with them. The Shi Family has a very open attitude to learning about the Book of Mormon and how it helps to answer our questions. When we meet with them this coming Sunday we will be sharing the message of the Restoration and help them understand the need for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be restored. Ricky is also very willing to learn. He enjoys our branch and has attended many of the activities we have had. We will be teaching him a little more about the restoration as well and the possibly moving on to the plan of salvation. I can already feel my excitement building as I talk about them. I invite you to do all you can to invite others to Christ and see the faith that they build in their lives. It brings greater joy than we can ever imagine.

I love this gospel and I know that it is true. Read the Scriptures and help others understand them. Pray to Heavenly Father and ask for people to be placed in your path whom you can share the gospel with. Attend church each week and invite all of your friends to share in the blessings of church attendance. It is through service to others that our lives are filled with eternal joy. Read of the Savior's visit to the America's and see that He wept as He saw others accepting Him and changing their lives. His tears were tears of joy. Schuyler's mother also wept tears of joy when he made the decision to be baptized. I know that service is what builds us to become like our Heavenly Father. His work and His glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."(Moses 1:39) He serves us! Let us serves even as He does. Every day. In Every way we can. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

Lehi's observations

Hello my loving, great family,

I love you all. It is incredible to have a new year! Time is a ticking and I feel more and more that I need to accomplish all that I can with what little time I have left. I need to be out talking to more people. We just ran into a couple of chinese people on the street as we were walking to the library. It was great fun to talk to them and learn more about them. They knew a little about us since they knew that we taught english class at their complex. We had our entire conversation in mandarin!! It was great to be able to speak with them. We shared a little about the restoration and left them a pamphlet with our name and number. We also invited them out to english class this Saturday. They were impressed. What fun it is to meet new people and get to know a little of their experiences and background.

This week we started attending a Tai Chi group :D!! I know! It is great, we wake up in the morning and bike up to the park around 8:30 and the group does Tai Chi until 10:00. It's a lot of fun and the people seem happy and excited to see that there are two Americans who would like to learn about chinese culture. Just yesterday, Monday, the group decided to bring out their swords and gave us a couple to follow along with. It was cool! We are hoping that through our attending the group we will be able to reach the hearts of the chinese people and then be able to share with them what makes us so happy. We are in constant search for ways to be more involved with the chinese community. It is difficult since a lot of the people have enough money to constantly go and attend activities in San Francisco that there aren't very many cultural events out here. We have goals for this month and I know that as we work hard to achieve them Heavenly Father will bless us greatly.

I need to write to Jeff now since I promised him a letter last week.

Hey Jeff,

I am sorry again that I didn't get to write you last week. You are a awesome kid :) You are my favorite boy your age. You have a great joy in your life that I know others look up to. The light in your eyes and face gives others reassurance that there is a possibility for them to be full of joy. You always have a smile on your face. I would invite you to continue to share that light with your friends and help them to go to church with you. As you do, they will be happier and you will be able to help them grow in their self-confidence. You are a great young man with great potential to become even better. Your friends look up to you for guidance and council. Remember to keep the commandments for they will always lead you in the right way. I love you.

There you go my wonderful family. I love you all and I know that each of you are children of God. I would like to share some things that I have learned this week too. I was studying in 1 Nephi 8 and came across verses 10-12 which share Lehi's observations about the tree of life and it's fruit.

"And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit." Here Lehi, expresses to his sons that the fruit was
(1) sweet above all that was sweet,
(2) white, to exceed all whiteness, and
(3) desirable above all else. Also,
(4) Lehi shared that it filled his soul with exceedingly great joy.

(1) I think there are two types of sweet. One is a flavor, such as being sweet to the taste. The other is a feeling, sweet as in gratifying or pleasing.

(2) White stands as a symbol of purity. The fruit was pure thus is gave Lehi pure joy, pure sweetness, a pure desire for more, and a pure desire to share it.

(3) The fruit was desirable above all else. Because Lehi tasted of the fruit he wanted to taste it again and again. It took top priority in his life because everything else paled in comparison to the blessings the fruit gave to Lehi.

(4) Lehi knew that this fruit was not only for him, he knew that it was not only able to make him happy, but it was also able to fill others with the same joy and he knew that everyone else was looking for the same pure joy that came from the fruit on the tree of life.

These 4 observations are blessings that the gospel brings into our lives. Later, in 1 Nephi, Nephi shares his own experience of seeing the vision of the tree of life. Nephi then learns of the meaning behind the symbolism. He learns in 1 Nephi 11:22 that the tree is a symbol of God's love. "And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things... [and the angel says] Yea, and the most joyous to the soul." Feeling the love of God fills our lives with joy. How is the love of God expressed? I refer again to the simple and sweet words of a children's hymn, "How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness? He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness. How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go? He sent his Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know. How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death? He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath. What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say? Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way. What does he ask? Live like his Son." (He Sent His Son, Children's songbook #34)

We can only feel the presence of the Father through first accepting Christ as our Savior. We need to have faith in Him and believe that He truly did die for us. I know that Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself for us in a great expression of love. We must then choose to repent of our sins or transgressions and become perfect "even as [Christ] or your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Scriptures) Then make a promise to God that you will continually do this throughout your life. In return He promises the companionship of the Holy Ghost, one of the greatest gifts He can give us. I know that the Holy Ghost leads us and guides us. He testifies of the Father and Son and helps us feel the love of God. After this we must endure to the end. Through doing this we enable ourselves to partake of the fruit, the love of God, and receive the sweet, pure, joyful, desirable feelings Lehi felt. I know that the gospel is the key to opening the blessings of the Atonement. Those blessings are complete cleansing of our sins and our becoming perfect, even as God is. I invite you to continue studying the gospel and I know that it is true. Have Faith, Repent, be baptized and partake of the sacrament each week, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. As you do this you will be filled with the love of God. I testify that the authority to baptize and bestow the Holy Ghost was restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. That authority is only found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that God lives. I now that Christ did perform the Atonement. Let us receive of it's blessings. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. I love you all.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

Hello my wonderful family,

I would like to take some time to speak to each of your individually today. We'll see how this goes ;)

Mom and Dad,

I recently started a study of the Book of Mormon where I only highlight those things which stand out to me about the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I may have told you about it earlier, but I would like to share some of the things I have already learned in only reading the first three chapters of 1 Nephi. It has been a wonderful experience. The first thing I have learned is that we are blessed according to our faith. Our faith is not measured by he blessings we receive. There are many men and women who had to endure great hardships and yet had tremendous faith. Look at Joseph of Egypt. He was given trial after trial, but still maintained a firm faith in Christ. That faith eventually led to Joseph's being blessed to become Pharaoh and save his family, and many others, from starvation. Even though Joseph did not see the end of his trials he endured to the end in righteousness. The second thing I have learned is, no matter what keep the commandments. When times are hard, keep the commandments. When times look bleak, keep the commandments. Only through 100% obedience to God's commandments are we able to receive 100% of the blessings. It is a very simple math equation 100 = 100; 98 = 98; 50 = 50. Nothing less than the best for the Lord. Third, I have learned more deeply the great importance of bringing this gospel to all the world. In 1 Nephi 2:12 it states, "And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them." Later in verse 1 Nephi 3:31 we read, "And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even slay fifty; then why not us?" Laman and Lemuel had just seen an angel. They later on they hear the voice of God. They knew that there was a God and acknowledged His existence, but they had no idea who He was and what He could do. In 1 Nephi 4:1-2 Nephi takes time to educate them by using a scripture story, "And it came to pss that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea,or even his tens of thousands/ Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea." Many people have no clue where to turn for the truth. They desire to know that there is someone who can deliver them from their pain, guilt, grief, and shame, but they don't know. They need the gospel of Christ and it is found in the Book of Mormon and other Holy Scriptures. The Book of Mormon is used most because it is the "most correct of any book on the earth... and a man [will] get nearer to God by abiding its precepts, than by any other book." (Introduction to the Book of Mormon) The Book of Mormon explains doctrines so clearly that there is no mistaking the power of God and His Son's Atonement. I know that the gospel of Christ, faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, is the only way back to our Heavenly Father. Thank you for being such great examples to me of these principles and helping to teach me the way to grow in my understanding throughout my life. I love you.

Matt, Anne, David and Robert,

I love you all! I testify to you that the gospel is true. As you read the Book of Mormon I would encourage you to take time looking for the promised blessings and testing their reality. Through this your testimonies will grow and strengthen. As I have studied the blessings of the gospel, I have found that they are everything I have ever wanted and all I have to do to receive them is obey the commandments. It is that simple. Obey the commandments of Heavenly Father and He, in His own time, will give us all the blessings we stand in need of. It takes a lot of patience to endure to the end, but it is certainly worth every minute, hour, or day. I know that God lives. I know that Jesus Christ is His son and it is only through Christ that we can be saved.

Tanner and Ali,

It fills me with joy to know that you have been able to enter into the covenant of Marriage. I do not pretend to understand all that is entailed in that covenant, but I know the blessings of honoring that covenant. It leads to our eventual exaltation, life with God and our families forever! What a grand blessing. I love you both and am happy to hear you are doing well. I would like to hear more ;), but I know time is crunched. You are both great examples to me. Thank you for all you do.

Sarah,

You look gorgeous! I was in awe as we talked on Skype :) I love you. If you don't remember anything else I say, remember that I love you and God, your Heavenly Father, love you. The trials in your life are small and fade way eventually, but the blessings of keeping God's commandments through them remain with us our entire existence. The spirit is a grand gift with many gifts connected to it. I know that you are doing all you can to have the spirit with you. A word of advice, see how you can help others receive of that spirit as well. Not just missionary work to non-members, but enabling all of God's children to receive this incredible gift of the Spirit and all the blessings that come from it. As you do so, your life will be filled with an even deeper spirit than you can imagine and you will feel God using you to bless the lives of many through your small actions. This is what brings true happiness. It is the nature of all young women to give and to please others (Elder Richard G. Scott). You will be blessed as you remember not only that you are a daughter of God, but all others as well. I love you.

Audrey,

You are amazing! I cannot believe the incredible talents you have. Your natural abilities are many. I love you dearly. I am excited to see more of who you have become over the time I have been gone. You have grown in many more ways than one ;) Remember that light shines into everyone we have a choice to either share that light and reflect it to others or to hold the light. Who are we to hold inside of us the love our Father has for each of His children and not share it. You do a marvelous job at being a window. Others can see the light coming from your face and eyes as you stand as a witness of God at all times, in all things, and in all places (Young Women Theme). You are a great young woman. Continue reading the scriptures! They will bless you with an understanding of God which will help you to stand against the lies of the devil. He tries to make sure no one feels hope, but with the scriptures we know that hope cometh in and through the Holy Messiah, who is mighty to save (Mosiah). I know the scriptures are true. I know that we have a prophet alive on the earth today. Sharing is caring. Caring for others makes us happy.

Rebecca,

I love your hair! :) You look beautiful and I can't believe you are in eighth grade already :S. Just remember that your older brother prays for you always. I hope you're finding friends and feeling comfortable where you are. I know it can be hard at times to fit in, I have been there. Others have relationships that they have had since they were little. You and I have had to start relationships from square one, but it is a great gift and blessing to know how to talk to others and build relationships with strangers. I have found it easier on my mission to go and talk to everyone because of my being in your situation now. Remember that God loves you. He knows who you are and He knows who to bring into your life to help you be happy. I love YOU!

Jeffrey,

I love you kiddo. You are my best friend and little brother. I look up to you. You have great gifts and talents. You are a funny kid and I love you. I would write more but I ran out of time a little while ago. I will write more to you next week buddy.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

Faith Starts Us Down the Path

Hello my wonderfully amazing family!

I am excited to be able to talk with you this week :) I love you all so much. Thank you for all the gifts. For the past little while I had been telling all of the elders that I never received mail since I had only received one letter in the past 7 months. I then was asked to help with collecting some packages for elders in the area and I said, "okay, but if anyone forgets I think I will just keep them." Well, when I got out to the truck and we started collecting the boxes all of the ones handed to me had my name on them. I was quite amazed! :) It was a great surprise. Except now I can't tell anyone that I don't get mail ;) Thank you very much. I have to confess that I opened the packaging for the pens and then found the note to wait until christmas. Sorry.

I love being on a mission. Derrick's baptism was great. We had a wonderful evening. He was baptized by one of his best friends Paul who is a returned missionary, but never had a baptism. He served in Germany. Now that he has come home, he has brought a couple of his friends to church and Derrick ended up wanting to be baptized. He was confirmed a member on Sunday and again I could not stop smiling. Derrick's grandpa confirmed him a member. There is great joy brought to our lives as we help others to receive the ordinances of Salvation and I know that the choices Derrick has made will bring him great joy. I learned that David , another recent convert is having a hard time right now. He has been moved into a homeless shelter a little ways from here and isn't familiar with anyone in the ward. He told the other Elder Christensen that it was difficult and he doesn't know anyone. I ask that you keep him in your prayers and help him to have a special christmas this year which he can remember throughout his life.

Schuyler is doing well preparing for baptism. We are excited for him and hope that we can make the timing of the baptism okay for many people to attend. Schuyler will be baptized on December 30th at 6:00pm. Pan is doing well also in coming to church and maintaining his faith in Christ.

I am now starting a new study in the Book of Mormon with a couple of questions in mind. The study will be highlighting all of the passages of scripture that stand out to me of faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. The questions are, How can I become a better missionary through living the principles of the Gospel? and How can I grow in my knowledge of God through the principles of the Gospel?

The gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing. It is the Doctrine of Christ and the only and true doctrine of the Father. I know that only by making these principles of faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end a part of us, are we able to return to our Heavenly Father's presence. We must become like our Father in Heaven in order to feel comfortable living with Him again and it is these principles alone that help us to become like God. I have grown in my understanding of how important these principles are through being on a mission. Through teaching others my testimony of these things has been able to strengthen more than ever before. I know that the gospel is a great tool for us to use. Faith in Christ leads us to starting down the path of becoming like our Father. We start to do something that we believe will bring us the desired outcome. Faith in Christ then helps us see where we fall short as well which leads to repentance. Through repentance we forsake the natural man and are able to become more holy. We stop doing what is wrong and continue to do that which is good. The things that are wrong stunt our growth in the gospel. That which is good guides us down the path of our desires. Repentance then fills us with such joy that we desire to make a covenant or promise with God that we will never do wrong again. As we do so we qualify ourselves for the companionship of the Holy Ghost which brings with it innumerable gifts which we are promised through our hard work. Thus, we see that there is much more we can change and adapt through diligent work which leads to our Enduring to the End. Enduring to the End means that we are anxiously engaged in the good cause of applying faith and repentance in our lives each day. They work together and lead to our receiving baptism and the Holy Ghost for the remission of sins. I know the gospel is the key to unlocking our ability to become even as God is. "Be ye therefore perfect even as I or your Father in Heaven is perfect." I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

P.S. I am not sure about what time to call since I don't know when you are going to church. I will call you at 4:00pm my time (8:00am for Taiwan) to confirm a time when you would like to have it. If 8 works well then we can just talk then. If later would work better then let me know and I will call back later. Thanks.

Only by Faith

Hello my awesome family,

This week has been great. We finished teaching the lessons to Derrick and he is very excited for his baptism this Saturday. He expressed a concern about the Word of Wisdom and we shared with him that we are willing to help him in anyway he needs. We invited him to fast this Sunday for strength and he was very fast in his reply that it was something he wanted to do. We let him know that we would fast with him too. It was a great Sabbath day and I learned a lot from the incredible talks that were given.

Derrick really enjoyed the meetings as well and had his interview for baptism :D I am very excited for him and I love being able to share my testimony with him so often. We will be meeting with Derrick Monday- Wednesday to see how he's doing and then calling him on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Saturday he will then be baptized!!! Keep him in your prayers this is a very important week and Satan knows it. Thank you for all the prayers that you have already said. You are such an awesome family and I love you all very much. Schuyler is doing well. This week we talked about who he would like to baptize him and how he would like the proceedings to be. He shared a few names and then asked if we could help with the rest. We said of course and are also very excited for him. We are also happy that Schuyler's brother is friends with Derrick as well. Schuyler's brother's name is Sage who is going to be attending both of their baptisms. We hope to be able to start teaching him the lessons as well.

It is really amazing how things are playing out. I am amazed at how involved Heavenly Father is in the work. We were also able to meet with Pan this week. He is doing very well. For black friday his aunt bought him as suit and he was very happy. We are waiting for him to feel comfortable in receiving the Priesthood. He is very shy. Please pray that the Spirit will help him to understand the importance of the Priesthood and how it can truly bless his life. I know you will. Keeler is still not coming to church and I have tried to call him a couple of times. It hurts to see him turn away so quickly. I hope and pray that he will be blessed to grow in a true testimony of the restoration of the gospel today. I know that there is a prophet on the earth and I know this because of the testimony of the Book of Mormon which I have. Pray that Keeler may also grow in his testimony.

It is great to see the pictures of the Pageant. What a great way to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. There is no better way than through song. I love Christmas time. As I was saying about the talks yesterday, one was about why we need to have faith in Jesus Christ. This led me to study about faith this morning and I learned that faith is the beginning of our being able to grow in a knowledge of the promised blessings of God. Only by our faith (action) in keeping the Word of Wisdom are we able to see that God's promises are true. Only by faith in prayer are we able to see that it is truly possible for us to communicate with our Father in Heavenly and learn of His great love for us. Only by having faith (action) as Christ and studying His life are we able to see an example of someone who truly received all of the promised blessings of God and know that it truly happened. Only by being faithful scripture readers are we able to grow in our knowledge of the commandments of God and see how to build and grow in our obedience which leads to a building of our faith. As Nephi said about obtaining the plates of brass, "And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise. Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law. And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass." (1Nephi 4:14-16) Nephi knew that the only way to remember the commandments was to faithfully read them. This week I will be committing myself to work harder at faithfully studying the scripture, to praying with greater faith, to growing in my obedience to God's commandments that my faith may increase and I may be a better tool in the hands of the Lord. This work is His work. If we make our life His life then His greatness and glory will eventually become our glory. We must press forward with an eye single to the glory of God (Doctrine and Covenants 4) that through our faith and good works we may be blessed and receive everlasting life (Alma 7:27). I know that this is possible if only we choose to have the faith of a grain of mustard seed, the faith to move mountains. I know that God lives and that His promises are sure. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

The Gift of a Child

Hello my wonderful family,

It was great to receive the photos of Robert. Just about a little while ago I thought to myself that mom had said the baby should be due any day now and that was a few weeks previous. I hadn't heard anything more and so today I was going to ask if Anne had the baby or not ;) Well he is really cute. Hello my dear nephew! :D Congratulations Matt and Anne. Sorry it's a little late.

This was a great week. We started off with great momentum and were able to keep it going through Sunday. We taught many lessons. Derrick came back from his vacation and we taught him the rest of the Plan of Salvation and continued on to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He said it was a lot to take in but in a good way. He is just like a sponge pulling in all that he can take. We met with him twice this week and taught him a little more about the commandments. This Sunday was his sister's birthday down in Oakley, CA and he attended church while out there celebrating with her. Derrick is such a great example of one who knows what he wants and is willing to give up everything else to make sure he attains it. He has learned of the truth found in the gospel and has placed it in the top priority of his life. Schuyler is also doing well. We taught him a few of the commandments this week and he committed to following them. He is also one who has felt the truth in the gospel. When asked why he wanted to be baptized, he said he wanted to make a change in his life for the better and knew that this would help him take the next step.

I enjoyed our Fast and Testimony meetings this Sunday. They were meetings infused with the Spirit and I grew in my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of His infinite Atonement. This weekend I pondered upon the words of one of my favorite hymns during this christmas season, What Child is This?

"What child is this who lay to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping? whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherd watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the king whom shepherd gaurd and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring him laud the babe the son of Mary."

I am grateful for the gift of a Child on Christmas. I know that He truly was the Son of God. I know that Christ was born of a virgin and that she was chosen by God for this great purpose. I know that Heavenly Father loves us, "God loved us so He sent His Son." I testify that the Atonement of Christ has power to heal me and you and if we only follow the Gospel preached by Christ we will be able to share in the blessings promised to those who endure to the end. "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." (2 Nephi 31:15) I love the Christmas season. Ponder the hymns that are sung during this time. They are filled with truth and as you ponder I testify that the spirit will share with you "great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures." (Doctrine and Covenants 89) I know that God lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

The Hand of The Lord

Hello my amazing family,

That is so crazy that you met Elder C's parents :) Well, I saw someone too. Guess who ;) The Goo family came and spoke at our little Chinese branch this Sunday. You remember them I'm sure. They were the Temple President/Matron in Hong Kong. Well they say hello and send their regards. I walked over to them after their talk and I said, "I lived in Hong Kong while you were temple President there." Sister Goo looked at my name tag and then her eyes went wide and here face lit up. She said, "You're the Christensen's son... Nadine and Brian." I said yes. After talking a little while I also told her that Sarah was in Hawaii and Sister Goo said that if Sarah will be in town they would love to have her over for Christmas.

This past week Elder Egbert finished his mission and I received a new companion named Elder Thackeray. He is a great missionary and we are already having a lot of fun together. We are putting our minds to the work and striving towards some worthy goals that will push us to our limits. It has been a wonderful week. This week, we sat down with Schuyler and he said that his father will be in town the week of new years and so we set a baptismal date for December 30, 2011. We haven't been able to meet with Derrick this week, but from what his friend has said he is doing well and is excited to continue meeting with us. We are very happy. Also on Sunday, I was able to go back to Fremont to accompany Elder Thackeray to the baptism of an investigator he was teaching before he left. It was great to see everyone again.

I also wanted to share a couple of things the families in that area said to me from when I served with them previously. I share these because I know that mom has been praying that I see the hand of the Lord and ways in which I have affected those I have served and I wanted her to see how those prayers have been answered. A sister, whose family I would often eat dinners with, came in a little later during the baptismal service and sat down in front of me. She saw me as she was sitting down and a smile came across her face. After the wonderful baptismal service she stood up and said, "Elder Christensen I have to tell you something..." She proceeded to tell me that as one of her sons named Joseph was preparing his baptismal program he told her that he wanted me to be a part of the program. She then had to explain to him that I had been transferred and what that entailed. After he understood, the sister said that he broke down crying. She said that she just wanted to thank me for connecting so well with her children.

After that I was cleaning up the chairs and ran into two brothers who also remembered me. It was great to see them again and when I talked to their parents later they said that the whole family heard a voice over the crowd and said, "We know that voice." It was Sister Hansen who sent the picture of me on Santa's lap last year. They were also an amazing family and I admired their children and their family greatly. I was smiling all night long just being able to see the growth that had come among the members of the Ward I had grown to know and love. They are all incredible!

Elder Thackeray and I were both extra excited to come back to Pleasanton and work our tails off. I am excited for this transfer. I know that the Lord will bless us and we will go far through our exact obedience and hard work. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and I know that it is the key to our Salvation. I know that God lives. I know that He is our Heavenly Father. I know that Jesus Christ died for us and paid the price of our sins that we might be freed from the bands of justice. I know the Book of Mormon is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

Miracles Continue to Happen Today!

Miracles continue to happen today!!

Hello my special family :) (In a good way ;) )

I love you all. This week was amazing. We were out and about doing our work. We have been teaching many of the Singles Ward members and striving to help them gain even greater trust in us and our abilities in teaching. I have had many powerful experiences this week which helped me to grow in my testimony of the gospel and of Jesus Christ and His mission here on earth. But most importantly.......... this week we found a NEW INVESTIGATOR! It has been a while but we have done our best to work hard and use our time wisely. We can always improve but let me tell you the story.

On Thursday we went on exchanges and I was in a different area. That night I went back together with Elder Egbert and he said he had a meeting set up with one of the members, Paul, to meet with the member's friend. I was excited to study and learn what we needed to share with Paul's friend. The appointment needed to change, but it was moved to a time when we could meet in another member's home. We got there and taught Derrick. During the lesson Derrick seemed to be at the edged of his seat. He was intrigued and in awe at what was being told to him. We taught him of the Restoration and Paul really helped everything "click". As we shared the experience of Joseph Smith there was a strong spirit and we invited Derrick to be baptized after our lesson. As we were inviting him to be baptized his head was nodding and he said yes. We had talked about an experience when he had felt the spirit and after he accepted baptism he said that he knew this was true ever since the night of his experience. We set a date for his baptism on December 17th. This past Sunday we met with him again and taught a part of the Plan of Salvation. He said that it was all "clicking" and he was excited for baptism. We had prepared a calendar for him to set days in which we could meet. As he looked, he said, "I will put this as top priority, how about we meet monday, wednesday, and friday." He will be gone this week but when he comes back we will be teaching him everything in about two weeks and he will have a bit of extra time.

I was very, very excited. I still am! We might even be able to move the baptism up a little bit. Please pray for Derrick. I know you will. Pray that he may really know the truth found in this gospel. Please pray that Keeler will be able to gain a knowledge of the gospel. Pray that he may be led to know that God is real and that there is nothing more important that following the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pan is also having a few struggles and it is difficult to really understand him. We try to help him feel comfortable sharing his concerns with us but haven't had much success. Please pray for him to make strong relationships with the members. I know that as this happens Pan will be able to hold strong and be ready to receieve the priesthood.

I love missionary work and I know that it will bring us the greatest joy we can imagine. I know that the gospel is true. On Sunday we taught gospel principles and I looked at the picture of Christ breaking the bread for the sacrament. I think it was painted by Simon Dewey. As I looked at it I pondered the expression on Jesus' face and His attitude. As our perfect example, Christ looked as though he would give up everything He had to accomplish the will of the Father. If we are to be truly happy, this is what we must do as well. I know that the power of the Atonement changes lives. As we repent we are granted grace (or strength) to press forward and become a new creature. The only way we can do this is because of the sacrifice of Christ and our Heavenly Father. A talk on Sunday explained the origin of the word sacrifice and it's meaning. Sacri - meaning sacred. Ficio - meaning make. When we sacrifice we make sacred that which we give up. Christ was made sacred, or perfect, after His crucifixion. Our will's can be made sacred, or perfect, through sacrificing our will to the will of the Lord. I know this is true and I know it because I have taken my whole life to study the gospel and the spirit has witnessed of the truth of these things to my heart multiple times. I am grateful for the many miracles which have come over the past week and over my whole life. I love the Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

I've Got So Much to be Thankful For...

My dear family,

I enjoy being in the service of the Lord. There is so much that happens throughout each day to keep us busy. We are working hard to find those who need us and I know that through our efforts and prayers Heavenly Father will grant unto us those which we can teach and bring closer to Christ.

I love you all and I know that the gospel is true. I know that the Atonement of Christ is real and I am grateful for the many blessings that are given to me each day. I am grateful for having such a great family. I am grateful for having friends in each ward who watch and care after the missionaries. I am grateful for how much they feed us ;) I am grateful for my being able to wake up each morning with energy to have yet another full day in the work of the Lord. I am grateful for each day I have to devote my life to the service of God. I am grateful for each of those who have blessed my life with learning and correction. I am grateful for the sacrifice of others for my sake namely, mom and dad, my teachers, my friends, Matt, Tanner, Sarah, Audrey, Rebecca, Jeffrey, and most of all my Savior. I am grateful for the plan of salvation which blesses our lives. I am grateful for the Restoration of the Gospel. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend each day on this earth prepared especially for me. I am grateful for music which touches our souls. I am grateful for the life that I have lived. I know that these are all blessings from a loving Heavenly Father. As Bing Crosby sings in "Holiday Inn," "I've got so much to be thankful for..."
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

Seeing what we and others CAN be

My dear family,

I love being able to write to you each week. The weeks simply get better and better. I find that each month I tend to focus on a different aspect of the gospel for my testimony. This month I was really able to learn a lot more about the love our Heavenly Father has and in turn I have found that my love for others has grown dramatically. As I have heard others talk about struggles and trials in their life I find myself hurting with them. As others share experiences of joy and gladness I find myself praising God. It is difficult to explain to others the feelings that I have had.

This past week was amazing. We taught 15 lessons (around 2 a day). Though all of out lessons were for the members we asked each of them to think of friends that they could invite to hear about the gospel. During each lesson there were people sharing names of family, friends, and acquaintances they could help. We shared what we could to let them see how to proceed. I felt the spirit directing my thoughts and actions and I knew that what we were sharing was what we needed to say. Whenever I felt that I wasn't sharing what was necessary, I would take some time to really think and search for a question or comment I could make that would help them. After that point the lesson seemed to guide itself. It was an incredible experience. Missionaries truly need to teach every day of their mission. They are called to teach. I would invite you to do all you can to find someone who the missionaries can help. They need the people and the experience. It will boost their confidence and make them better.

This Sunday I heard a great quote that I can't remember but it baisically said, "If you treat a person how they are, that is all that they will be; if you treat a person for who they can become, that is who they will become." I thought that was so true. If we ever find that a person isn't kind or caring, treat them as if they are. That gives them the opportunity to fill the shoes of your expectations and step up to become a better person. From the many sports videos I have seen there is usually a young man who is found by a coach and the coach sees something great inside of him. The coach then works to make that potential come out. The young man doesn't always see why the coach pushes him so hard and chastises him but in the end that young man achieves greatness. In Miracle, the goalie is chosen because of who he can be, not who he is. The coach knew that the goalie had great potential and worked to bring it out. In the end, the team was led to victory and the goalie was strong.

Look for the good in other people. Only then can they achieve their true potential. I know that to be true. It is like the artist looking at a stone and seeing what sculpture it can be. It is as the architect looking over the San Francisco Bay and seeing a bridge crossing it. Michael Angelo saw that the Sistine Chapel ceiling would be covered in a beautiful painting before he did it. Heavenly Father saw the creation of the earth before it happened. All things were created spiritually before they were created physically. (Moses 3:5-7) If we have a vision of what we and others can become that is what we will be. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

Service Brings Great Joy

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

I love you!

Hello my amazing family :)

How are you this week? I guess I will find out when I read your letter ;) I love being in the service of the Lord. This past Sunday was amazing. There were some really great talks and we had a fun time serving at a Stake Halloween party. It was lots of fun to see all of the different costumes people had.

This week we were able to teach quite a few more people than usual. Unfortunately, I wasn't there for most of them because I was on exchanges. But, I heard they went well. Keeler is doing much better, thank you for your prayers on his behalf. He is an awesome guy and I know that he will do great things in the future. Pan would like to wait a little bit before receiving the priesthood. Please pray that he will be given the desire to truly understand the things which we have taught him. When he understands the gospel he will want all of the blessings that are promised to him.

Though the week was difficult I feel that we were able to get a bit done. We taught lessons, attended meetings, taught english, and visited quite a few people. I thank you for your continued prayers on my behalf. In your prayers this week I would ask that you pray for us to find ways in which we can work even more effectively. We have done a lot of work and yet our efforts aren't yeilding the results we would like. I hope we can see where we need to improve and find ways to see more of the miracles in our lives this week. I love being able to serve.

At the Halloween Party we helped pass out Nachos and clean up afterwards. While we served I found joy in talking to others and seeing their excitement. It was great to talk and joke with those we met. I also thought of a great costume :) So, Matt since you have a kid young enough to do this with ;) You can dress up David like a squirrel and you dress up like a tree. Then if David is ever scared he will run to you and be like a squirrel climbing a tree. Haha. It just cam to mind as I saw a man with his son dressed in a dog suit. I love you all.

I testify that the gospel which we have been taught is true. I know that as we are in the service of our fellow beings we are only in the service of our God which service brings great joy to our hearts and peace to our minds. I know that through a prophet the Lord reveals His will for us and I know that President Thomas S. Monson is the prophet called for our day.

I know that Book of Mormon is true. I recently wanted to help teach others more of the significance the Book of Mormon has in our lives and religion. So, we made an arch with a picture of the Book of Mormon on the keystone. This way we have something that will give others a mental image of what happens when the keystone is removed. The arch falls. We need the Book of Mormon! It was Joseph Smith that testified of the Book of Mormon being the Keystone of our religion. That is why Satan works so hard to prove it is false and keep us from reading it's pages. I know that as we read the Book of Mormon it can give us power to overcome the trials in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

The Love of God Filled My Heart

Hello my wonderful family :)

I love you all. It is exciting to hear about how you are doing. Mom and Dad, I hope your time in Thailand is amazing and I am sure it will be :)

This week has been really cool. We were able to teach more lessons this week than in the past five which was great. We are back to teaching Keeler, the young man whom I was privileged to meet and help accept a baptismal date before I left the YSA Ward. He has had quite a few struggles recently and I hope that you will pray for him to feel the love of Heavenly Father and the testimony of the spirit in his life.

We are now teaching an investigator named Schuyler and he is excited to be baptized in December. He is a great man and I ask for your prayers on his behalf too. Pray that he will feel the spirit testify of the truth to him and that he will know the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. We have also taught Pan who will be receiving the Priesthood soon. He is doing very well and I can't help but smile big whenever I hear of his successes and progression.

This week I caught another glimpse into the love which Heavenly Father has for His children. As I told you, Keeler is going through hard times. As he expressed his trials to me I could literally feel my heart breaking. I wished I had the power to keep him safe. I wished I had the ability to take away his trials and pain. I was crying inside and out. As we continued to teach him I testified with all of my heart of the truth found in the gospel. I prayed fervently that the spirit would touch Keeler's heart. I knew that he is a precious son and I could feel that his Father did not want to lose him. I can take this experience and strive to apply it even more to each of God's children around the world. God sees His children falling away, not understanding or knowing that there is a way out of grief and pain. This breaks His heart and yet because of the Plan of Salvation, He too can feel comforted that each of His children will be given the opportunity to understand and accept the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Atonement and repentance process are the only way we can find true happiness that lasts for eternity. Also, they are the only way we can return to our Heavenly Father. I know that there is a true saving power found in the Atonement of Christ. I think of when Enoch saw God crying. And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?...The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; ... And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of men; wherefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook." (Moses 7:28, 32, 41) I know that we are all children of God. I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us deeply. I testify that His love is evidenced in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died that the sons and daughters of God could be redeemed. I love my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I know that He is the only way back to the Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

You CAN do it with the Help of the Lord

Hello my wonderful family,

I love you all so much. Thank you for your constant prayers on my behalf, they really make a difference. This week has been an interesting one. We were just put back into the Tri-Valley YSA Ward over the Pleasanton Stake area. There are now four elders serving the Ward and we really have great potential and I am excited to see the work in this Ward boom! It will be awesome as we are able to work with each of the Wards individually in bringing their YSAs into the fellowship of the Tri-Valley Ward. Sunday was great to see all of the people I worked with only 3 months ago. There had been no changes to the leadership other than the Bishopric. Which is great because the Elders Quorum and Relief Society Presidents are awesome. Also, this week we had a woman from Dublin walk into our Sunday meetings. She had never been to our church before and she said that a friend referred her to this church. She seemed to have a great time and will hopefully continue coming. Unfortunately, we didn't have an opportunity to speak with her one on one and ask if she would like to take the lessons, but next time for sure.

I simply wish to share with you the testimony I have of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how it can help us in our lives. I know that there is power in the Atonement to heal us both physically and spiritually. I know that Jesus Christ suffered the Atonement for you and for me as individuals. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true and the only way it points is to our Heavenly Father. Do not trust for a minute the lies of Satan and his followers. You are all children of your Heavenly Father and as you take the time to study and learn from Him you will be shown a greater you than the world could ever offer. I just realized this Sunday how often others of the world try to put it into our hearts that we cannot attain the promised blessings of our Heavenly Father. Satan works long and hard to sow seeds of lies. But remember that the only seed we need to plant in our hearts is the Word of God (the Gospel of Jesus Christ). As we do this Heavenly Father shares with us our true potential and we are privileged to see that we truly can become like God as we do what He asks. As we keep the commandments we feel the companionship of the spirit in our lives which bring us joy and reassures us that our goals are worthwhile. You can be perfect. You can be patient. You can be loving. You can be a great friend. You can have no fear. All you need to do is spend the day in council with your Father in Heaven. As you do this, you are as His apprentice and He teaches you to become even as He is. I love you all. Take the time to study. I learned something else from General Conference by listening to how the prayers were said. There was a pause after every sentence showing that each word was well thought out. As I have applied this to my prayers I have felt a new spirit enter my life. I know that this is a better way to commune with our Father in Heaven. Take the time to pray. I promise that as you do so you will feel the spirit more strongly. I love you dearly and pray for you as well. Thank you again for all of your kind service in my behalf. I thank you for your sacrifices. It is not easy to take time out of your busy schedules, but you do. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

How Great Shall Be Your Joy

Hello my incredible family,

I love you all. This past weekend was the Family History Seminar and it went great! We had a total of 60-70 people show up of which around 2/3 was non-members. We had set up a booth with many gospel DVDs, booklets, and copies of the Book of Mormon. As people were able to walk through the cultural hall and eat refreshments there were many who went to the table and took from the abundance of gospel literature. It was incredible to see so many people and how well they responded to the seminar. It is very different to be a part of the background crew rather than those just coming to enjoy the event. We were constantly running around hoping that things would work out for the best. Overall I was very satisfied with how the seminar turned out. There were members that came from my previous areas and I was able to renew friendships with them. It was great to see them again and remember the times of service in their branches. I love serving the Lord. He blesses us as we do our best and is so dependable. His blessings continually fill us with joy. I decided to fast that we would be able to find a new investigator because of this seminar. The day of the seminar we received a call that there was a chinese man living in Pleasanton wanting who had many questions about our religion. He was supposed to come to church the next day, but unfortunately wasn't there. But, as another great blessing there was a family, the Shi family, who we had tried to teach before who ended up coming to church. They had been attending another church for a little while because her sons liked it a little better, but after she came this past Sunday she decided that she really liked ours and wanted to come next week. I know that these two experiences are blessings from Heavenly Father. We were also able to meet with Pan this past week and start working with him again. He is doing well and still has a strong testimony of the gospel, but the missionaries serving with him are uncertain of how much he truly understands and how to teach him according to his needs. So we were asked to help out. I am excited and very happy to work with him again. He is such a great man with incredible potential. Please pray that we may know what to say and how to say it in a way that Pan will take part in the goal of Eternal Life and searching for the will of God. We have great potential from this Seminar with many people asking for help in beginning their search for family history. I ask that you pray for revelation to be given to our branch to know how best to enable these potential investigators to desire the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives.

Next, a blessing from Heavenly Father. During the seminar I was able to see the Li family whom I had served with in Cupertino. They are an incredible family as well. I love them greatly. They asked me if I remembered a Justin. (Do you remember that name? He was the young man from Boston who was very close to being baptized and then chose not to and return back to MIT. After being at MIT for about a week I called him to give his information to the Elders there. Two days later he called back and said he wanted to be baptized and about two weeks later I called him and he said he was in a baptismal interview.) Anyway, what they told me is that Justin came back to California and is looking for a job. Also, he went to church and looked so great in a suit and tie. I am sure that my smile stretched literally to my ears. I was so happy to hear about his progression in the gospel and to know that he is now a faithful member of Jesus Christ's true Church. He is now working towards salvation :) I know that Heavenly Father loves him and me. I know, because, out of all the millions of people in the world, Heavenly Father decided to let me catch a small glimpse of the effect my actions have made on one soul. "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" (Doctrine and Covenants 18:15-16) I have been blessed to see the promises in this scripture fulfilled to some degree in only the short two years I have been on a mission. I am ever so grateful to my Father in Heaven for these blessings. I know that God lives and I know that He loves His children. Thank you for your letters. Thanks dad for your sharing the special things that stood out to you from conference. Thanks mom as well for your sharing the precious truths that you have seen in listening to General Conference. I loved it as well. You are two of the best parents in the world. I am happy and proud to say that I am who I am because of you. As I listened to Sister Elaine S. Dalton's talk I also thought of how well she described the attributes of my father. I love you both. Also, from last General Conference as I listened to Elder Quentin L. Cook's talk about mothers and the great women of the church I thought of how I had been blessed with a mother of great values who has taught me well to keep the commandments. I thank you both for your examples to me.

I love you all. Matt, Anne, David, Tanner, Ali, Sarah, Audrey, Rebecca, and Jeffrey, you are also examples of greatness that I look up to. Your bright smiles in the pictures that I have remind me of the testimonies burning in your hearts. I love each one of you. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

Choose this Day to Stand a Little Taller

Hello my stupendous family,

You are all awesome. I love you :) I have thoroughly enjoyed this week! We didn't find the new investigators but, we went to the temple and attended General Conference. It has been a powerful experience. I loved this General Conference as it was filled with simple doctrine about the Book of Mormon, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and how we can share these important truths to our friends. Also it taught me something very special about the importance of personal revelation.

I have always known that we have the right to receive revelation for our friends and family, but this general conference I thought of how we can better invite the spirit of the Lord to be with us always when we consistently seek out and apply revelation. We are entitled to receiving revelation right now to what we need to do in order to push the work of God forward today. As long as we are diligently keeping the commandments with 100% effort, we are promised to have the Spirit of the Lord with us always along with all of His gifts. One of these precious gifts of the spirit is the spirit of revelation.

As I was speaking with Elder Egbert about this yesterday I thought of how wonderful a blessing it is that we can receive revelation like a to-do list from our Heavenly Father. Then as we go out and accomplish the things that He has revealed to us, He blesses us for accomplishing His will. As missionaries we follow a tight schedule. Wake up at 6:25. Prepare for the day from 6:30 to 7:30. Eat Breakfast. 8:00 Personal Study. 9:00 Companionship Study. And so on until 9:00 when we take time to plan for our next day and prepare for bed from 9:30-10:30. It is a hard schedule, but it is a commandment from Heavenly Father which is accepted by every missionary who receives a call. During this whole day we can receive revelation to do God's will and confirmation as we act that we are doing the will of the Lord. When we wake up at 6:25 we are entitled to the blessings that come from obeying this commandment, namely an added measure of the spirit. Then as we study personally we start with prayer and ask to know the will of God for us. After asking we search diligently for the answer in the scriptures because "the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3). After learning our purpose for the day we take time to study as companions. During companionship study we have the blessing of learning how to accomplish our purposes together and bring the Holy Ghost into our companionship. We then take what we learn from these to study times and apply them throughout the day. In doing so we are showing Heavenly Father how much we value the revelation we receive which leads to His blessing us with even more. Then at the end of the day we start our planning by seeing what we were able to accomplish and how the hand of the Lord worked in our lives that day. We continue planning by studying the information of those we have met and searching for what we can do the next day to help them come closer to Christ. Because of our faithfulness in accomplishing the will of God, He takes the opportunity to place in our path those who have been prepared for us and showing us how to find them. With gratitude in our hearts and an inspired plan for the next day we lay down exhausted at the end of the day only to wake up and start the process all over again.

Receiving revelation is a process that if made a part of our lives will bless us to grow at an exponential rate. We will be able to see progression because we take the time each day to see how far we have come. We will be baffled at how true to His word Heavenly Father truly is. Also, our joy will be made full because we are becoming the very people we desire to be. That is Heavenly Father's plan for us. He want's to fulfill every desire of our hearts. If we truly take the time to sit and ponder what our desires are, we will find that they are infused in the gospel of Jesus Christ and desire to do everything within our power to make and keep sacred covenants at baptism and in the temple, because that is what it takes to become like our Heavenly Father is. In the grand council of heaven that is what we all wanted. We all desired to become like our Heavenly Father was, is, and ever will be. That is the purpose of the plan of salvation with Jesus Christ at it's center. We are eternally indebted to Jesus Christ because only through Him are we perfected, "there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." (Mosiah 3:17)

All that we need to do to be able to receive our dreams is to accept the atonement of Christ. Thus I invite each of us to choose this day to stand a little taller and stretch a little further to come unto Christ. "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." (Moroni 10:32) I know that the grace of God can work to give us the strength to change. I know that God lives. I know that Jesus Christ is His Son. I know that the Book of Mormon will draw us closer to God than any other book. Read from it's pages and study the messages it contains, then do as Enos did, "Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart. And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens." (Enos 1:3-4)

I testify that as we do this Heavenly Father will open the windows of heaven and testify to us through the Holy Spirit that He is there and that His plan of salvation is for everyone who has faith, repents, is baptized by immersion, receives the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endures to the end. I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God to restore the true church once again upon the earth. That church is led by a prophet today and twelve apostles as in the days of Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen

Better Than We Ever Dreamed

September 28, 2011 8:25 AM

Hello my dear family,

I love you all. Today I was able to go to the Temple :) What a wonderful experience. I have learned to appreciate the temple a great deal as I have been out on a mission for the Lord. We can only go twice a year to receive the blessings found inside of it. As I walked in I could feel a difference in my heart. I knew that I felt the presence of the Lord and that I was walking on holy ground. I enjoyed the great blessing of renewing my covenants with Heavenly Father and I learned a few things too, of course :).

I have learned a lot about how to access the power of the Atonement in our lives. As we do our best in living the commandments then we are promised that the power of the atonement will work in our lives. For "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise" (Doctrine and Covenants 82:10). What I learned specifically is the meaning of "doing our best." As we move forward and gain greater light and knowledge we need to apply it immediately and never again live to a lower standard. As we do this the Lord is able to bless us with greater strength to accomplish His will and we are able to progress. We grow line upon line and precept upon precept and the quality of our lives progresses as our ability to act on revelation increases as well. Acting upon revelation as it comes draws us closer and closer to our Heavenly Father and in turn we are better able to accept the Atonement in our lives. I know that the atonement of Jesus Christ has true power to heal us and bring us closer to God. As we continually study the scriptures, pray, attend church, and follow the prophet we will be ae to feel Heavenly Father's presence more strongly in our lives.

I am excited for General Conference. I am excited to see what I can work on to grow in my abilities and better put on Christ. We haven't found any investigators this week but we do have an appointment with a woman who said that she would like to learn about the Book of Mormon. The woman's name is Eva and she was introduced to us a little while ago by a member. Recently Eva told the member that she would like to learn more about the Book of Mormon. We are excited to meet with her. We should see her on Thursday. I have decided to pray for two new investigators this week and I trust that the Lord will answer my prayer in His own time. I know that investigators will come I just don't know exactly when. I only hope that I can be prepared to teach them and bring them to Christ. I know that the gospel is true.

I met a sister from Taiwan today at the Temple visitor's center. It was great to be able to speak with her in Mandarin. I love being able to communicate with a culture that I have grown to love. I know that Heavenly Father has plans for each one of us. Let us be worthy to receive all of the blessings He desires to give us. They will be better than we ever dreamed. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Christensen