Elder Calvin B. Smith email written 09/21/09

Hey Family,

How is it going? I am so glad to hear that Mom and Dad have jobs again. I had been praying for you all every day for the last few months.

Yesterday was probably one of the coolest church meetings I have ever attended. Elder Richard G. Scott, yes the well known Apostle, spoke at Stake Conference. It was way cool. Before I get into exactly what was so cool I need to give some background information.

A few weeks prior to Elder Scott's visit President McConkie talked about what it means to "know" some one. He gave the following demonstration paraphrased:

He asked the missionaries sitting before him,
"Do you know me?"
-"Yes, President McConkie."
"You know me? You do not KNOW me, you do not know what I am thinking right now, you do not know what it means to stand in my shoes, you do not know me."

President McConkie explained what it means to know some one, and then explained that the 12 Apostles knew Jesus Christ, they walked with Him, they were taught by Him and ministered with Him. He explained what it means to be an apostle.

So in Stake conference, Elder Scott was the last person to speak. He first called up two young women from the audience and asked them about their families and what they mean to them, asking specific questions like "What does your father do to support your mother?" "Do you read your scriptures daily?" "Do you pray daily?" "Why is prayer important?" "Do you have family home evening?" "Why is that important?" After he was through asking those questions he asked them both to bear their testimonies. After the two young women sat down he explained that he could have taken 20 minutes to explain the importance of raising and teaching children in the gospel, but those two young women did it for him. He explained that they were excelent examples of why and how parents should raise their children, teaching them the gospel. He then talked about the main reason people fall away from the church, people being offended, then the healing power of the Atonement for victims of abuse. His last major topic was the importance of the scriptures. He then bore his awesome testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ, ending with the mind blowing statement, (paraphrased) "To some it is given to know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and to others to believe and lean on their words..." -He then testified of the Savior, then ended with the statement- "I KNOW HIM." Then he closed in the name of Jesus Christ and sat back down.

I was sitting on the 5th bench back from the pulpit, in the middle. When he said "I know Him." He was looking right at Elder Wall, my companion, and I. My jaw almost dropped as I was hit the testimony of the Holy Ghost, almost like a tidal wave as he testified. After having had President McConkie explain exactly what it means to "know" some one, and know that an Apostle of God is a "special witness" of Jesus Christ, that testimony totally blew me away. It was one of the most spirital moments of my life.

I was really bummed out that we didn't have any investigators with us at that Stake Conference. We had invited and arranged for two of our progressing investigators to come to that Stake Conference, we explained that an Apostle of the Lord was going to be there and be speaking. We arranged for members to come and pick them up at their homes. Saturday night we recieved a phone call at 11pm - while we were sleeping. We were told in that phone call that one of our investigators was not going to be able to make it. The second person we had arranged for to come was not at home when the member came by to pick her up.

I am coming to find that in Greenwood, the hardest aspect of missionary work here is getting people to church. People just flake out a lot. We teach people the importance of church attendance, the blessings that come from it, the spirit that is felt there, we talk them through the meetings and explain everything that will happen there, we even try to arrange for church tours. Still after all that, people just don't come.

We still don't have any baptisms yet this transfere, but I think we have a few people that might be potential canditates. We meet and teach a lot of people, but a lot of people just are not interested enough to keep their appointments we set up with them. We even leave people with a colorful note / reminder. This week we contacted 202 people, taught 25 lessons, and picked up 17 new investigators, but only 2 of those investigators are progressing. It is pretty frustrating to work so hard and meet only a few genuine people.

I will answer to your questions sent in the letters in my letter home.

Love,
Elder Calvin Smith