Conference Was Amazing

Dear Mother,

Well this week was awesome! We worked stinkin’ hard and did a ton! I went on an exchange with Elder Waugh (From MV). We had a ton of fun, too! D. V. is getting baptized this Saturday. I'm so stoked!

Conference was amazing. It's way different watching it as a missionary. The things I hear and take notes on are totally different now than ever before. I was amazed when we were talking to D. V. afterwards and she said something like, "All they really said was repeats of what you told me already." That made me realize how simple and easy the Doctrine of Christ is, and how important it is that the Apostles even teach about it! I mean, they could teach about all the deep doctrine in the world, but they choose to speak on simple, basic principles.

By the way, we watch conference at the church. We aren't allowed to watch it at members' houses. But we did go to our ward missionaries' house (The Detwilers) for dinner with D. V. in between Sunday sessions.

So I found a kid, Braydon Astol (I think that's his last name), from my choir class last year singing in the missionary choir during conference. That was cool!

I found in my studies the following interesting fact- James is the English form of the Hebrew name Jacob. Coincidence? I think not.

I was reading this reallllly old pamphlet missionaries used to give out (now we have way better stuff) and I found the following story:

A Catholic Utterance

Many years ago a learned man, a member of the Roman Catholic Church, came to Utah and spoke from the stand of the Salt Lake Tabernacle. I became well acquainted with him, and we conversed freely and frankly. A great scholar, with perhaps a dozen languages at his tongue's end, he seemed to know all about theology, law, literature, science, and philosophy. One day he said to me: "You Mormons are all ignoramuses. You don't even know the strength of your own position. It is so strong that there is only one other tenable in the whole Christian world, and that is the position of the Catholic Church. The issue is between Catholicism and Mormonism. If we are right, you are wrong; if you are right, we are wrong; and that's all there is to it. The Protestants haven't a leg to stand on. For if we are wrong, they are wrong with us, since they were a part of us and went out from us; while if we are right, they are apostates whom we cut off long ago. If we have the apostolic succession from St. Peter, as we claim, there was no need of Joseph Smith and Mormonism; but if we have not that succession, then such a man as Joseph Smith was necessary, and Mormonism's attitude is the only consistent one. It is either the perpetuation of the Gospel from ancient times, or the restoration of the Gospel in latter days."  My reply was substantially as follows: "I agree with you, Doctor, in nearly all that you have said. But don't deceive yourself with the notion that we 'Mormons' are not aware of the strength of our position. We are better aware of it than anyone else. We have not all been to college; we cannot all speak the dead languages; we may be 'ignoramuses,' as you say; but we know that we are right, and we know that you are wrong." I was just as frank with him as he had been with me. 

That story is so stinking awesome!

So anyways - In closing, I'd like some Tea Olive perfume. Our apartment sometimes stinks a lot. Like someone put a torch to my nostrils. Yuk.

I love y'all so much!

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Seaver

P.S. That 17 fast Sundays comment was so trunky mom! Sheesh.. You're trunkier than I am! There is only one cure for that.

WORK.

:D