Week 4 at the MTC

Hola Familia!!

Thanks for the pictures! I really love seeing them and knowing kind of what going on back at home. Kip, I always knew you were a Flower Child :) So Sunday and Tuesday we had some really good devotionals. Brock talked about one of them in his letter but since my friends don't receive his letters, I guess I'll talk a little bit about it. Sunday, we heard from the Directing Manager of Proselyting Missions around the World. Brother W. Tracy Watson. He talked about how important the Book of Mormon is and how much it affects us. He showed us part of the opening act of The Book of Mormon Broadway Show and talked about how hard the church worked to counteract the effects the show was going to have on the world and their views on the Book of Mormon. That is how all of the "I'm a Mormon" commercials and ads started. It just shows you how hard the church works to "fight against Babylon". On Tuesday, we heard from Elder Koelliker of the Seventy. He talked about a lot of things but mostly about distractions. It reminded me of the analogy of the Frog in a Hot Pot of Water Mom would always share with me to describe the way Satan works. Elder Koelliker shared a story of 2 missionaries that got distracted. Distraction: They got persuaded to go outside their zone to see the beach (can't remember what mission it was). Distraction: They really wanted to see the water. Distraction: They wanted to feel the water on their feet and it felt so good!! Distraction: They wanted to see how the water would feel at their waists. Distraction: Well… might as well go swimming since we're in this deep. These Missionaries shouldn't have even gone out of their zone to start with because one of the missionaries got caught in an undertow and was pulled out too far. When they got him back on to the shore, they couldn't get the water out of him and he died. His companion was the Zone Leader. This teaches us that not only should we not get distracted, but that we have companions for a reason. They are there for us to protect us from temptations and distractions. My companion and I have hit some rough spots but we have worked them all out! It strengthens us as a companionship and helps us to feel the spirit more. Having 4 younger siblings really did help out because I'm able to deal with all the stupid stuff that goes on with my companion and with my District. The weekly temple trips really help too. I was listening really carefully to the endowment session and looking for things that were important. As to keep the temple ordinances sacred, I won't talk about exactly what was said in the session. But in the scriptures, when Satan talks about going after those that break their covenants, it just doesn't say that for the heck of it. It's a warning to all those that make covenants with the Lord. Satan WILL go after you because he sees a chance to pull you further away from the truth. This kind of goes with those distractions, they may not even be bad distractions but Satan will still go after you, no matter what. That is why we have so many rules here at the MTC. Even when they are dumb rules that don't make any sense, they are there for a reason. They keep us safe and make it so we can feel the spirit better and clearer.

I love you all and I love receiving letters from you! Keep them coming!

Les Amo!!!

Love, Elder Daugherty