Week 45

April 4, 2016

Conference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was incredible!!!!! I felt so bad for each person who wasn't able to make it but so happy for those that were.

Samuel came Saturday night and Sunday night (the morning sessions) and loved it. Going through the gospel of Jesus Christ this week went really well until he told us how he has already been baptized and feels really good about it.  His brother taught him from the Bible and stuff and convinced him to change his life. He also saw when he was young his father raise a lame man to make him walk. So the priesthood authority thing was a bit of a stumbling block, but I got blown back in my chair, sitting right next to Samuel, when President Eyring said "this is the only true church". It hit with special power. Also, the moment Elder Stevenson mentioned reaching into his pocket, I thought "priesthood keys talk!!!!! Perfect!!" We haven't mentioned that topic since then to him, but Samuel loved it all, especially President Uchtdorf's talk Sunday morning. You know who else did? Mario! I was on an exchange when they taught him Friday but Elder Chugg had counseled him to bring a question to conference, and he said he got an answer to the question during President Uchtdorf's talk! Yes! 

I was busy sitting next to Ernesto. Ernesto is this older Italian man. The sisters were doing a spiritual thought on scriptures last Tuesday; they asked "if you could ask God one question, what would it be?" He responded, "Why am I alive?" I talked to him a bit afterward, but wasn't able to set up an appointment. However, he showed up to the Sunday morning session! At the end I tried to find out whether he had slept through it or not by asking him a question or two, and holy cow he blew me away. "How can I possibly do things in the temple to help my parents and brother who are dead?" Ok, so he understood. He also loves reading, and it seems that recently he has studied a bit online about our church. Anyway I finally convinced him that all his questions could be answered if we taught him something tomorrow called the plan of salvation! 

Also, it was a little hard to understand the Italian translator, but I think Elder DeFeo is a new 70! FORZA ITALIA! His son was in my ward in Rome. And my friend and former stake president Dini Ciacci who came to teach Mauro with us is taking his place as an area 70.  

One part I loved is when we watched the session in Italian and they sang one hymn with the congregation. At first I started singing in English, but the sisters passed out Italian hymnals, and bit by bit we started singing louder and louder until the Italian singing drowned out the English. That was pretty cool. 

Cool thing that happened is the morning of conference.  I read and was just kind of blown away by that first point that we so often undervalue, "God is our loving Heavenly Father". Read that three times. How crazy, how cool is that doctrine?!! It was awesome to then hear about it from my favorite, Elder Hallstrom. Please just because we're used to these doctrines, let's never take them for granted.  This is especially true around our nonmember friends, for whom learning about these truths should be the most important and life changing things that will ever happen to them! 

Love, 

Anziano Cannon 

At the caves today