Hermana Madelyn Smith goes on a Mission....: Letter to Dad, Dad's response, Letter to Mom (this is a long post!)

Hi Dad!!!!

Hope all is going well at work for you this week! I suppose I should have clarified, but our "investigators" are really just MTC teachers, but the lessons seem so real. I'm doing very well here, and the food isn't bad at all. I'm in no risk of malnutrition while at the MTC. It's difficult to summarize the events of the MTC, so I guess I'll just do a re-cap of my week. Here's the rundown!

-The Holidays are absolutely incredible! On Thanksgiving we were privileged to have Russel M. Nelson as our devotional speaker. The missionaries also participated in a service project for the children in Utah who go home hungry on the weekends. Our goal was to compose, seal, and package 350,00 meals to be shipped out by the end of the day. We were able to reach 350,282 meals!! Something really great from Elder Nelson's talk was a point he brought up about putting away childish ways. He shared the scripture 1 Corinthians 13:11 and reminded us of our purpose as missionaries. We are hastening the work of the Lord. In order to put Christ first, we must out ourselves second. So after that, I looked in 1 Corinthians 13 and it is the most bomb chapter about service and charity!! (can you say that about the scriptures??) So at the very end of the chapter, Peter tells us to put away childish things, and I think it's pretty perfect, right? In order to fully immerse ourselves in the service of others, we need to forget our childish, selfish way and think about what we need to do to have the work go forth.

-On December 1st we had a mission Christmas devotional. I wish I could tell you all about it because it was such a special day centered on Christ. Seeing as I only have an hour, I'll just tell you my favorite point. Sister Nally, the wife of our MTC president said, "That very first Christmas, Joseph and Mary were very young, very poor, and very alone. Today, we have decorations, Christmas programs, presents, and Santa Claus. But that first Christmas there was just a baby in a manger." The gifts we have inherited from the Savior's birth bless us each and every day. His perfect example, His Gospel (the priesthood, prophets, knowledge, love, etc. etc.) and His Atonement. Sister Nally closed with saying, "May each of us be willing to give unto Him the gifts of our hearts, as He has given us His everything." Perhaps our family can consider the gifts we can give the Lord. I'm not sure if I can get to the point in my life when I can say, "I'll give my everything. All I own, all I have, all I am." But the only way any of us can get to that point, I think, is living through Him and by Him.

-The next really awesome thing (yes, there's more!) happened just last night at our Tuesday night devotional. There was such an energy going around the MTC as everyone knew we were expecting a general authority! we were sitting in the Lorenzo Snow building when an elder came up to the stand to remind everyone of the protocol for when a G.A. arrives. Stand up when he enters and leaves, etc. Our eyes were glued to the projections screen where they show the name of the speaker. A couple minutes went by and the name appeared! After about 5 seconds of silence, thousands of missionaries just said, "WHO?". The speaker was Bruce C. Hafen, a very accomplished man who has been in the 70, Dean of BYU law school, and President of BYU-I, said that at 4:30 that afternoon he received a call from DAVID A. BEDNAR asking him to fill in for him as he was unable to attend due to weather (it was barely a blizzard...). I felt so bad for him! Can you imagine having to fill in for Elder BEDNAR as a speaker?! But it was great, Brother Hafen's message was just what I needed to hear. He talked a lot about why we go to the temple before our missions, the power of the endowments we take out, and also about our trials we are promised to have. He brought up Alma 28:8 which recalls of Ammon and his brother's "sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy". Brother Hafen told us not to "faint in the day of trouble. Don't blame yourselves, don't blame the area you are in, or the people around you. There will be joy if your hearts are kept open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit." I know there is a work to do, Dad. Heavenly Father has told us this, but it is also preceded by "You are my son". Especially during this very sad, difficult time, I know that we have the incredible opportunity to know our Father on such a deeper, personal level. And the price we pay to know Him will be a privilege. Thanks to you and mom, I have grown up with the knowledge that living a worthy, righteous life is sometimes all we can do. I know that it's the best thing we can do right now so we can call upon our Father in Heaven and ask for strength and blessings only He can deliver. I know some people ask, during times of pain and sorrow, "where is my God? There can be no God if I'm feeling such pain". I know that it is ONLY through Him and our Savior that we can overcome these hardships. When we feel as though we can't put one foot in front of the other, that's when we can see the outstretched hand of the Lord, beckoning us to come unto Him for support. I love you all and think about you, mom, the kiddos, and especially Gram, Grandpa, Les, Mark, and sweet Paige. Every time I kneel by my bed morning and night and plead with my Father, I feel such comfort. I know everything will be alright, no matter what happens, and that's one of the beautiful things about the Gospel.

Thank you for your "Dear-Elders" I can't express how I love hearing from you! Especially the one where you were just sitting in the airport, waiting for your flight :) Thanks for thinking of me and being the best example to me and my siblings.

I love you, Dad!!

Great timing. I just finished a phone interview and was about to eat lunch when your e-mail arrived. It is great hearing from you.

I am so happy that you are enjoying your MTC experience. The service aspect is something new (compared to when I was there) and it sounds like a very positive and meaningful activity that will prepare you for continuing compassionate service when you get to CA.

The MTC is a very special place; probably the only place where someone can be “disappointed” that they didn’t get to hear from your preferred General Authority J. Service of any type is an aspect of “putting away childish ways”. One aspect of the Savior’s Plan of Happiness is that most of us get to experience a wide variety of phases and aspects of life. One fundamental and utterly unique phase of life is childhood; it is the only time when it is OK to focus exclusively on ourselves and when others don’t mind us crying when we don’t get what we want or become frustrated when our needs aren’t being immediately met. It is special and innocent, but ultimately has to come to an end. We experience it so we can provide the same to our children; asking a child to grow up too soon and take upon them adult or adolescent cares, worries and responsibilities is a sin. So, any time we serve we are putting others first and, by definition, putting away childish ways because the way of a child is to put themselves first, foremost and even exclusively. To render the type of service that you are doing as a Missionary is to further distance yourself from the child phase of life and thoroughly embrace an adult phase. Many people associate adulthood with self-sufficiency. I think the Lord would have us define adulthood as being able to care for ourselves so that we can also care for others. An adult that only cares for themself is no different than a child. That is why some people who adults by virtue of their age are still children in their attitude; they put themselves first.

I think that Sister Nally’s comments are excellent. However, don’t allow yourself to doubt or question your ability to live a consecrated life. You’ve made covenants to do so when called upon but too often people associate that with an event or timeframe that will be announced and defined. I think what fulfills Sis. Nally’s admonition to give our everything to the Lord is when we fast, tithe, keep the Sabbath and serve. When we do these things we forego worldly opportunities in exchange for Celestial ones. Your time spent as a fulltime Missionary is, in essence, a tithe of your life. You are essentially giving 10% of all your current life and giving it all to the Lord.

I think that a fundamental gospel concept that compliments Elder Hafen’s remarks is that there is most certainly going to be difficulties in life; in the context of a Missionary it is my sincere belief that when you successfully share the gospel with someone and have that message attended and confirmed by the Holy Ghost that is inevitable that Satan will attempt to counteract that experience. You’ll go from having the most spiritual experience in your life to learning within 24 hours of your visit that your investigator has encountered some profound setback or experience (financial set back that questions his ability to tithe; introduction to an old habit that questions his ability to live the Word of Wisdom, family pressure that questions his ability to join the Church, sexual temptation that questions his ability to live the law of Chastity, etc., etc., etc.). That is an aspect of what Hafen said will cause people to “faint in the day of trouble”. However, knowing that this “counter attack” will come allows you to prepare people for it; to strengthen them before they even know they need the assistance. Just as you pointed out, the remedy is The Lord. I am not suggesting that you follow up each discussion with a Debbie Downer warning, but teaching people to pray, to anticipate difficulties, to recognize what the Spirit feels like so that they can compare it to other feelings, are ways of preparing them. The principle Hafen shared is correct and applicable in your direct efforts as a Missionary. It is great for us to know personally to help us overcome our difficulties, but it is an essential for someone that is just being introduced to the gospel and gospel living.

I love you and I love getting your letters (even if it is address “Dear Mom”). Keep them coming. Let us know who you are teaching so that we can pray for them too. Share with us your concerns so we can provide encouragement. Tell what you’ve learned so that we can grow with you.

Dad

Hi Momma!!!

Sooooo I don't have a lot of time left, so this will be quick! Thank you thank you for your letters and your package!! Really, I'm in no risk of malnutrition while at the MTC!! I love you so much and think about you every day! I just sent a newsletter of sorts to dad, so ask to see that when he gets home! It's a bit personal, but it's an update of the incredible week I've had!! You're more than welcome to share it. So the record to date is 2 packages and 5 letters in ONE day!!!! hahaha I know what it feels like to get so many goodies from everyone so now when I only get one letter a day I'm just like "aaaaaaw". Where everyone else just tells me to shut up because they get one letter a week ;) If I had time I would e-mail Gram and Gramps right now, but I'm honestly over my time limit already... Next time you talk to them please express my love for them!! And thank them so much for me for their gift! I'm always praying for them and Les and Paigey!! (You're sort of my messenger, sorry) And to Nana, I thank her for all of her letters and her card! Her testimony is a constant source of strength for me!! Em and Erin are just funny :) I love love love my letters!!! Kay and Kim also wrote which was very sweet!! Manda and Paulo write me regularly both with dear elder and through e-mail :) Now who the heck sent me the most adorable little water bottle from shutterfly?!?! I LOOOOOVE it!!! I think it may have been Mimi, but whoever sent it is just the sweetest!!!

And YOU'RE the sweetest for your packages!! I love you so much, mom!!