Week 5 - England MTC

Guten Tag alle meine Familie und Freuden!

How are you all? Hopefully all is well! This is now my 5th week in the MTC.  After next Wednesday, my P-day will change to Monday.

Well, it's getting much colder here. I love it. I can't wait to get into the Alps and live in the snow for my first German Christmas.

This week has been a little rough, but still a good experience. I'm learning, and I can't wait to leave the MTC. The past week we've started speaking strictly in German and it's not too bad. It's a little weird speaking a foreign language, especially thinking in a different language. I guess it's pretty neat that I can do it. On Thursday last week, a new group came in. There's a Sister Nelson from Lehi who knows Candance and Derek so I thought that was cool. Next week, a group of about 100 missionaries will come right at the time we're leaving and it will be crowded. This week I heard the story of poor old Jake Severe, who was here about 6 weeks ago. He ripped his suit pants to shreds one morning hahahaha I thought it sounded just like Jake. He was trying to scare his companion and in the process got his pants caught and tore them like crazy. HAHAHAH tell me that is not Jake. I think it's hilarious. (:

Anyway, onto a more serious note. I thought a lot this week about how people in the Book of Mormon felt when Christ came. I read 3 Nephi 11 and it is extremely powerful. I really like it. For the past 3 days the people had been living in darkness and seeing cities fall into the sea, set fire, or be buried in mountains and seeing their friends and family perish. Then they heard the voice of the Lord for the past 2 chapters, which was a 'small voice which did pierce them that did hear to the center of their soul and did cause their hearts to burn'. Imagine that. They've already had 3 days of suffering and all of a sudden every person is 'quaking from the voice of the Lord.' Then, the voice says, 'Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name- hear ye him.' Notice the similarity between that event and the First Vision account from Joseph Smith. I see the similarity that when the Nephites and Joseph Smith were in the midst of darkness and about to perish they are delivered by the Voice of the Lord. I know that when we are in the midst of trials, we can be delivered from the darkness by pleading with our Heavenly Father, and He will say, 'Behold, my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' Then, we will be able to see the hand of the Lord and His everlasting involvement in each of our lives. Then, in verse 8, they see a man descending out of the heaven. And they think it's an angel. That whole thing makes them look stupid. Honestly. God said, "Here's my Son, hear Him." Then, they still didn't understand! But, I can see the comparison to our lives today. Just as Laman and Lemuel saw an angel and didn't believe, most of us struggle to recognize the Spirit. Elder Bednar said, "I see too many members of the Church who sit still until they're absolutely sure it's the Spirit talking to them, and not themselves.Quit worrying about it. If you're good, every good thought comes from God. You won't receive a spiritual prompting sitting down and not doing anything. God increasingly trusts us to act as He would, so let Him guide your footsteps. Don't be paralyzed by indecision when you don't know if it's the Spirit or you.' Then, in verse 10, He says, "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world." What a powerful, powerful statement. Then, a few verses later, the people come one by one to feel the nail prints in His hands, and to thrust their hands into His side. I love when the Prophet's turn comes. In verse 19 it says, "Nephi went before the Lord, and bowed himself before him, and did kiss his feet." I think that is such a special relationship between the prophet and the Savior of the world. I can't imagine that it would be any different in our day. I'm grateful for all of you and your example to me. I'd challenge you all to read 3 Nephi 11. It's incredible. I love you all and miss you!

Love,
Elder Hadfield

Arriving October 27, 2014

Elder Samuel Phillip Hadfield
Alpine German-Speaking Mission
Lommelstrasse 7
81479 Munchen
Germany