Dear Family,
Things have been going great here this last week. I am staying with Elder Ashton and will be killing him off since he goes home on June 1st. I am also now going to be the district leader for our district so that should prove to be interesting. The zone leaders are going to come train me on how to do it well later this week, but i'm not too worried. It mostly just consists of calling and collecting the numbers at the end of the week :). This last week we have been getting in with quite a few of the members here. Recently President Jergensen reminded us that 75% of our time should be spent with the members seeking referrals and strengthening them. We still aren't quite up to that percentage yet here in Rock Island. We did eat dinner with a family, the Davidsons, who have never fed the missionaries before since they lived here which has been several years. They said it's because none of the other missionaries had ever really bothered to get to know them or ask if they could come over. You never know how striking up a conversation with a young man can effect you and their family i guess haha.
We had another ward missionary called this last week as well and he is 17. So we get lots of opportunities to work with some of the young men in the ward and encourage them to serve missions. All of their parents are super supportive as well and want us to take them with us everywhere pretty much, even if its just finding. (We aren't allowed to use the term tracting anymore. It has a negative connotation.) Also, I can't remember if I already told you this or not, but we are only using the Book of Mormon for this next transfer. This mission as a whole is doing this so all the missionaries are asked to leave their bibles at home... unless you have a quad obviously. Even in studies it's just the book of mormon and PMG. It has really been fun for me to have to find answers to every single question in the Book of Mormon instead of resorting to the bible for some of them. Our mission did this last year around this time and their was a huge jump in baptisms. I've already noticed a greater portion of the spirit with us. Especially being so close to a place that has a rich background and history with the book of mormon (Nauvoo).
My allergies are doing fine. I'm more stuffed up than anything right now. I haven't been sneezing a whole lot. I've been taking the allergy pill though so maybe that is helping i hope.
Recently I was reading in Helaman 5 about Nephi and Lehi. In the story where they get thrown into prison and then the lamanites come to kill them, but Nephi and Lehi are surrounded by fire and the lamanites are afraid to touch them for the fear that they themselves would die. This has always been one of my favorite stories, but I had never thought of it more than they were just literally surrounded by fire. A connection in my brain clicked this last time though. Fire is pretty constantly compared to the Holy Ghost. Nephi and Lehi were encircled about by the Holy Ghost as well as literal fire. Then later in the story when the cloud of darkness comes and surrounds all the people in the prison and they are overcome with fear, Nephi and Lehi are still surrounded with the Holy Ghost and aren't afraid, but they are talking with the angels in heaven. And eventually that fire is spread so that it encircles everybody in the prison and nobody is afraid, but a soft whisper of a voice is telling them all peace, peace be unto you because of your faith. Pertaining to member missionary work and life in general, if we have the Holy Ghost with us, first we will be protected from the cloud of darkness that will surely come, or is already here. And Second we can spread that fire/holy ghost with those around us who are trapped in the cloud of darkness. And if we feel like we are the ones trapped in that cloud and are too afraid to move, God tells us how to get out. He tells the people in the prison, and us, to repent. He might even have to tell us 3 times before we catch on. But when we do repent that fire is spread to encircle us and we feel of His love and we feel of that fire and the holy ghost burning within us. I have definitely seen the fruits of repentance in my own life and in the lives of others. Having the Holy Ghost with us is so important and such a blessing!! This church is true.
Love, Elder Peterson
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