June 6th–June 12th: Elder Dallin H. Oaks

These last few pdays have been nuts and I've not got to really write much to anyone. Thank you so much for your prayers and the emails I've gotten, they are great and I love each of you. So as far as me, I'm not sure where to start so I will just give a general update and hopefully next week get back to writing proper emails.

Maggy is progressing pretty well, we are just waiting for her baptism to be set up. She will have to be baptized in the spinal clinic swimming pool because she can't walk and they have hoists. Most of the week has just been trying to find new people to teach. We've not had a great deal of success but we have made some contact with some less actives which is good.

The highlight of the week is that on Saturday morning we got to hear from Elder Dallin H. Oaks from the Quorum of the Twelve. That was pretty great. He talked about the worldwide goal for missionaries this year, "Teach Repentance, Baptize Converts."  He broke down each of the four words. He talked about how everything that we share with people is inviting them to change and repent. Repentance is the pathway back to God. Converts are "infants" in the gospel, "we baptize infants.....and we don't just sprinkle them" (best quote ever).  The people that we teach are still young and spiritually immature, but they have that desire. He then talked about Ammon and Aaron. Two of the most talked about missionaries in the Book of Mormon. Aaron was beaten, spit upon and cast into prison with no food or water.  Ammon had massive success and was able to bring thousands to a knowledge of their God. Who was the better missionary? They were both good but both were dependent upon the agency of others. They did what they have been called to do. They taught the gospel with love and boldness.  After that, the choice is the people who listen or don't listen. We can only do what we have been called to do. Elder Oaks also talked about how he wants us as missionaries to teach repentance and if all that does is make someone a better Catholic then we have done our job. We have freed those souls from the pains of Hell (Telestial Kingdom) and brought them to the Terrestrial Kingdom. That doesn't mean that we lay back and don't boldly invite to baptism, but if we can bring people to a knowledge of God then we have made a huge difference. It will also make the case of religious freedom easier to argue, Atheists couldn't care less about religious freedom, which is a huge thing to the Church. While Elder Oaks was here he actually met with the House of Lords to discuss religious freedom.

The other highlight was that both Gill and Hetty were at church yesterday, that made me really happy.

Anyways that's about what my week has been like. Hope that you all have a good week and will talk to you soon.

Love ya

Elder Tarbet