I don't know about you but I'm feeling 22!!‏

Dear Family and Friends,

      This week was so good, it went by way to fast... but it was a good week. We were able to teach our investigator his final lesson this week. He is amazing and it is so wonderful to watch someone full heartedly accept the gospel and the truths that are in it. Our new mission president has been talking a lot about how we are here as ward or branch builders. Meaning that our job is to help people be strengthened in the gospel. That can be non-members, members or less active  members. I love that , and I love being able to see the process of change that someone goes through as they accept the gospel more fully. It is apparent even in the most active members that we teach. This gospel changes people.

      This week I got to read my favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon which is in Alma chapter 36 and in verse 5 and it says "Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God had, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself." And in Mosiah 28:4 talking about the sons of Mosiah and Alma it says "4 And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever."

        Now, I bring up these scriptures because I have been thinking about it lately, people they knew who Alma was and they knew who the sons of Mosiah were. They saw them going about destroying the church and those very things that both of their fathers stood for. I'm sure that even the people that didn't know them knew of them. But, as it says in Mosiah by God's infinite mercy they were changed.

        One thing that the gospel has brought into my life that has affected me is the atonement. The atonement has so many wonderful aspects, and I'm sure so many more that I can't even begin to comprehend. But, the ability to change is one of my favorites. The scriptures talked about how they were the vilest or worst of sinners, and yet they became the best of missionaries. They changed lives for the better. In another scripture Alma is speaking and he says " 24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;"

        Alma, didn't just have this great experience and say 'well that nice' and never go past that. He changed not only who he was but who everyone saw him as. He went from the kid who was the troublemaker to the one who was influencing hundreds for good. One thing I have seen a lot of on my mission is change. I've seen it in those that I've taught, I've seen it in my companions, I've seen it in other missionaries, and I've seen it in myself. There is nothing that can and will bring us more joy than this gospel. I know that for a fact and I know that as we follow Christ we will change for good and others will see that change in us and more importantly we can and will see in ourselves.

       I will stop my rant now. But know that I love all of you so very much and I pray for each of you every night. I wish you all a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Bice