We go to Portugal tomorrow!!

Sister Lacey's MTC District and teacher

Sister Lacey and Sister Brown (from last week's running story)

It was freezing in their room one night!

Ola Familia!!

I cannot believe I am leaving the MTC tomorrow! I am so excited! This has seriously been an amazing week! I just love this gospel so much! Wow that is a lot of exclamation points.

Last night after the devotional they showed Elder Bednar's talk that he gave at the MTC a couple Christmas's ago. It is called the Character of Christ. It seriously felt like he was speaking directly to me. He was very blunt which you all know I enjoy. He said, "If you are upset things in your mission are not going the way you think you they should go... Get over yourself! It is not about you. It is about Christ." In the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 3:19 it says, "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be,  forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord,and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict  upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." Elder Bednar went on to say that when we think of ourselves that is the natural man. 

So, now I'll share some notes and what I learned from his talk.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said,"There would have been no atoning sacrifice without the character of Christ." So what is the character of Christ? His character is his moral qualities which he consistently showed. Christ always turned outwards, away from himself and turned to lift others. One example of this happened right after the Atonement in Luke 22 it says,"47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? 49 When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? 50 ¶And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right  ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him."

I just love this scripture. Christ just atoned for all of mankind's sins and one of his apostles just betrayed him and he heals a guard's ear. He turns outward and does not think of himself. Another example is one of my favorites. It is when Christ is on the cross in John 

John 19:26-27 "26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."

Christ was on the cross and he again turned away from himself and took care of another. 

Elder Bednar went on to share the difference between having a testimony and being converted. He said a testimony is not enough. We must be converted. And being converted is when you consistently live and are being true to what you know. It is not enough to be converted to the church or to a certain church program or even an apostle. We must be converted unto The Lord. It just finally made me realize why there are some who fall away from the truth of the gospel. They are not being true to their testimonies and they are thinking of themselves. Sorry I am being so blunt. I just love this gospel. And I know that no one is perfect and I am far from it but I know that through the Atonement we can not only be cleansed form sin but be strengthend and become more like him. I know I cannot do this but with The Lords help I can. I feel like Ammom when in Alma 26:12 he says," 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things... for which we will praise his name forever."

 I have learned so much while in the MTC. I learned that I cannot expect my investigators to come unto Christ or turn towards him if I am turned inward and thinking of myself. I am ready to go to Portugal! I am already begining to feel a love for the people. I love you all so much! I know this gospel is true because Christ himself leads it. This is his work. Eu amo voces!!

Love, Sister Lacey