To All I Love,
Describing this week and all that occurred would take an eternity! However, it was such an enriching and fulfilling week! There really isn't a whole lot of stuff to begin with so I'm just going to jump right on into the meat of things! Understanding the Book of Mormon through an Apostles Voice:
In my previous email home I introduced to you a little bit about how President Poulsen has invited the mission to make this transfer our Keystone Transfer. President and Sister Poulsen have done a lot to really emphasize to us the importance of this being a Keystone Transfer. Last week I mentioned a little bit about what we were doing as a mission in order to really make it a keystone transfer and to learn all that we can about the Book of Mormon. Well, one of the things that happened was Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, was invited to address the mission this past Wednesday, Oct. 21st. Sitting here right now, I can't describe to you what happened during the hour and 15 minutes we had with him. But it was moments that have forever impacted my view of the scriptures and my testimony of this restored Gospel. Without a shadow of a doubt, this Gospel is true and it HAS been restored. What occurred in that room, the encounter we individually had with a disciple of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and his testimony of this Book that shapes the Restoration is a living witness that this is true and the hour is nigh.
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| Meeting Elder Holland |
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| With Elder Holland |
Before Elder Holland addressed the mission he asked that he shake every sisters hand, we tell him our name, and where we are from. This was a moment that has changed me and for certain reasons I will never forget. It isn't at all because I met an apostle but it is because of what happened in the short 20 second "one on one interview" I had with my Savior Jesus Christ. When it became my turn to speak with him there are only 2 things that I can remember, that has left a mark on my spirit. When I shook Elder Holland's hand and looked at him directly into his eyes something different occurred in that moment. His eyes changed and had this different glow about him and I remember this distinct feeling immediately come through my body and the only thing I remember thinking is who stands in front of me is my Savior, Jesus Christ. Of course it wasn't physically him, but through him the Savior was able to be there. I have never seen eyes like that before. Honestly, it is just impossible to describe at this point. When you looked into his eyes that is all you could see. As I walked away the only thought I had was "he just read my soul". I distinctly remember looking in his eyes seeing my Savior in the center of his eyes and having this overwhelming feeling come through me and this feeling and thought that my spirit was just read by an Apostle of the Lord. After he shook each of our hands he said, "Sisters, that moment with you means more to me than it will ever mean to you. But shaking your hands, I don't care where you are from, and I don't care what your name is but it gave me time to interview you. By those simple questions it gave me a short time to have a personal interview with you to see how you are doing." Reflecting on that moment how can he have a personal interview with us in a short 20 seconds to know how we are doing? It is impossible for the natural man to do so. But he has been set apart and ordained with the power to represent the Savior, Jesus Christ.
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| Shaking Elder Holland's hand, an apostle of the Lord |
Let us take 1 Nephi 1:9-12:
"9. And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.
10. And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.
11. And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.
12. And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord."
It is interesting how Lehi had the same experience Joseph Smith did and how he was given a book to read just like Joseph Smith was given the Gold plates to translate which of course then came to be the Book of Mormon. Hmm interesting right?...
Let us take Mosiah 21:17
"17. Now there was a great number of women, more than there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded that every man should impart to the support of the widows and their children, that they might not perish with hunger; and this they did because of the greatness of their number that had been slain."
Polygamy occurred back in the Book of Mormon time frame. Then didn't occur in our dispensation.
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| At the Pioneer Museum with my comp, Sis. Gomes |
Being here on Temple Square we learn more as to why polygamy occurred in the mid to late 1800's and a big part was because of this exact verse. Many women lost their husbands traveling out west due to war, etc. And so this verse is a big reason as well.
Being here on Temple Square we learn more as to why polygamy occurred in the mid to late 1800's and a big part was because of this exact verse. Many women lost their husbands traveling out west due to war, etc. And so this verse is a big reason as well.
And then we read of another parallel in Mosiah Chapter 22 about people being driven out due to persecution... Didn't that happen with the early pioneers?? One of my favorite things to do is finding the parallels in the Book of Mormon to our day and age. It really allows us to stop at the same time to ponder over how these verses apply to our own life at this time. Today I came across Mosiah 23:7-10 and was able to find how this personally applies to my own life now, in different moments. These past couple of weeks I have a deepened love for the Book of Mormon. It truly is our instruction book for life. Haha who needs those books like "Cooking for Dummies, or Sewing for Dummies, or How to raise a family for Dummies" when we have the ultimate book in our hands!?!?! The Book of Life!!!
Fit For the Kingdom:
15 1/2 months later.... And I survived!!!! Hahaha yah so your probably really confused right now by that. Well as a mission we did the 5k Challenge! Haha the Atonement is real even for a 5K! Family - remember when I used to do Cross Country? Gotta love the good ole days and how I had to train really hard everyday for 3 hours to be able to do like a 24 minute 5K? Well, try only having 30 minutes to prepare for a mission 5K! I never seemed to be able to physically these past 6 weeks get past a mile and a half. It seemed near impossible to do. Then with 2 weeks left, my body decided to get sick which meant I was unable to workout for a week and then the week before the 5K I was so out of shape, tired, lots of meetings and still in recovery mode. Which scared me for the 5k (which is 3.1 miles if you're not aware). Well guess what? I was able to run 90% of the way, did it in 32 minutes and with only about 15 sisters coming in in front of me! We started in different groups I was in the second group which was the Jogger/Walkers group. The Atonement is real even for a 5K. We ran behind the Capitol and then down through the canyon, through Memory Grove Park, and the finish line was Brigham Young Park. Can I say I'm sore? Haha - ohhh yah! Beyond belief. Some sisters yesterday said, "Hey Sister Skaggs, you walk like my Grandma now!" Good thing I thought it was funny and laughed with them. As a matter of fact, we all walk like that right now in the mission. It was a really fun event that was put on!
We had former Temple Square Sisters come and cover the square from about 9 AM to 12 PM on Saturday morning while we did it. We all want to do it more often but I don't know if we will be able to do so. We are aiming at having it every April and October, we will see though.
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| Sunset pictures with Sister Gomes |
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| Beautiful sunset! |
Witnessing Miracles:
In regards to the Missionary Work - things haven't really happened. Somehow we teach about 8 lessons a week but a lot of them are our Brazilian investigators. Life is busy. District leader life is busy and so I never seem to be able to call our investigators. A big thing I believe though now is I need to be more effective with my missionary work. That is something I have really thought about these past couple of days.
Anyways, I want to share with you a miracle we had on the Square the other day. I believe it was on Wednesday. I grabbed a Book of Mormon and prepared it to give it away to a guest that day. The opportunity never arose for me to give it away. On Thursday we met this lady who said, "I will pray for you Sisters that someone will walk up to you and refer." We were like, "That would be really nice." On Saturday I was standing at EF Desk and this Gentleman walks up to me and says, "Can I have a Book of Mormon?" Haha!! Well of course I'm not going to say no!! That is any missionary's dream! I was like, "Of course." I go over start talking to him and asked my companion to please get me a Book of Mormon (totally forgetting I had one already to go). She responds by saying we are all out. I'm like "great". Then I realized I had that one Book of Mormon right next to me that I marked and had already to go. I gave it to him and then asked if we could send local missionaries to where he lives in Johannesburg, South Africa to explain to him more about the Book of Mormon and how it applies to him. He gladly accepted and then I said, "In the meantime, could we call you until they are able to show up? Either myself or another South African sister?" He gladly and willingly accepted that as well. He just so happened, about an hour later, to meet a South African sister from his same tribe! The tribe with the clicking language. I have since given her all of his information and she will help him progress towards baptism. Over the past 2 days this couple has met just about every South African sister that serves on Temple Square - all 8 of them! The Lord works in mysterious ways!
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| Beautiful!! |
Well I have talked a lot already! This past week was just a remarkable week filled with incredible blessings and simple
miracles from the Lord. I want to bear to you my witness that I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in it's fullness for our time. That the Book of Mormon is true. It is a set of scripture that contains the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the only way we can truly draw even closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. When we take the time to ponder over what is written we see more clearly what our Father in Heaven needs us as his children to know. My personal testimony of who I am as a Daughter of God and of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is solidified and confirmed each time I take the time to ponder over the messages that are contained within.
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| Enjoying the sunset |
miracles from the Lord. I want to bear to you my witness that I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in it's fullness for our time. That the Book of Mormon is true. It is a set of scripture that contains the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the only way we can truly draw even closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. When we take the time to ponder over what is written we see more clearly what our Father in Heaven needs us as his children to know. My personal testimony of who I am as a Daughter of God and of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is solidified and confirmed each time I take the time to ponder over the messages that are contained within.
I love you each so much! And feel blessed to know each of you. I may not know you each personally who reads this but know that I love you! The Gospel is true. I hope you personally know that as well!
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| The Gardo House - by Brigham Young |
Love Always,
Sister Skaggs
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| Going through the car wash |
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