Elder Holt's in Chile: Semana 91: La Ultima Semana

Well, I don't really know where to start. For those of you who don't know this past week has been crazy... I honestly have no idea what my thoughts are here, because at this moment. I am not in Chile anymore... :/ I am back in Utah. I had to come home early for this dang sickness, and I just don't even know what to think.

This past 21 months have been the Greatest in my entire life. I really have no idea how to explain them. I mean, I have had so many hardships and trials and everything, but wow... How do I even start?

I can start by saying, wow. A lot has changed, I have thought after the first two days, that everything was going to be the same, except that my nieces and nephews now talk A LOT, and all the neighborhood boys are now HUGE with beards and everything, but I have realized that in my time gone, people have also changed. Not that it is a bad thing, its just that people are not always the same, the world will always be changing whether we like it or not, that is something I learned while being on my mission reading the talk of "The 4th Missionary" (If you have never read it, you should.)

I could of sworn I wasn't gonna be all weird after FINALLY escaping the walls of the house that I had been staying in for 3 and a half weeks, that I would get here and everything would be awesome, and I would be the same! Although, looks like that is different too. I guess I have changed out there in the passed two years and all (Whether my family likes it or not) I sure have.

In the past two years, I have seen so many miracles, I honestly can not say "The church is not true." Because I know that if I would say that, that I would be lying. I have learned over the space of 21 months that Heavenly Father needs all of us so that we can help him in his work! Not JUST the Missionaries, we are given the chance to go on a mission for two years, but something one of my favorite seminary teachers told me today was "The Mission isn't our last mission, but more like the MTC for Life!" I took that as a good thing, I am now back here in Utah, to help the missionaries with their work!! Especially because the mission boundaries are going to be changing here real soon. I have learned that Missionary Work is so important, because Heavenly Father Loves each and everyone of His children which would be us, and that through US He shows this Love to everyone. (Not through just the Missionaries, but through everyone of us who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) that way we can show this Love to everyone, and that everyone will want to learn more about how they can live FOREVER with their families in Eternal Life with our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ.

I personally have gained such a testimony of Joseph Smith. I can recite the First Vision in Spanish (Don't even ask for it in English) and I Know its something that REALLY happened! I have had the wonderful chance for the past 8 months to be a District Leader, and something I did was always start by having one of the missionaries get up in front of the District and to recite this Beautiful passage by memory, because it really does bring such a sweet Spirit. I KNOW that it has to be true, because there is NOTHING in this world that brings such a sweet spirit, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is something that God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, brought and talked about with Joseph Smith during the first vision.

Because I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, I also know that he was called by them to be a Prophet, the first one of this last dispensation, and that he was given the Priesthood or the power of God by the hands of Peter, James, and John, which is a power that I, Connor Holt, hold now and today. This power is used to Bless the lives of everyone, so that they can one day live Together Forever, and be Blessed in this life as well!

I have learned in a VERY personal way, that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior. That he sacrificed EVERYTHING for ME personally, and that through this Great sacrifice, I can be cleaned of my sins, but this isn't only for me. Its for Anyone and Everyone. Jesus Sacrificed in a Garden for all of our Sins, Pains, Sicknesses, and through him, we can find Relief, if we will just follow the 5 simple steps of his Holy Gospel. Faith in Him, Repentance, Baptism by His Authority, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost by His Authority, and Enduring to the End. Then he was Crucified and died for us, that he could loose the bands of Death, and we can know that he did so, because three days later, he was resurrected, and he did all of that for us, that way we can achieve the highest happiness with our families in the Eternal Life and return to live with our Heavenly Father.

Now, the best part? Our Dear so Kind and Loving Heavenly Father has given us PROOF that all of these things are True. He has given this proof to the prophet Joseph Smith. It is very Special, it is something that compliments the Holy Bible, and it is a Book of Sacred Scripture that is called "The Book of Mormon." Before my mission, I wasn't the most fond of reading, the Holy Scriptures or normal books. Although here in my mission, something I learned from a Special Blessing, is that the scriptures are gonna be very important to me in my life. On my mission for 21 months, I have learned to LOVE the Book of Mormon, although I only got to 3rd Nephi in English, I had the opportunity to also finish it 1 and a half times in Spanish! I just love it so much, it brings so much happiness to my life, and the best part? I can feel the Spirit of Christ every single time when I am reading it!! Really?? My mission has been to share this book with everyone that I could!! I want EVERYONE in the ENTIRE WORLD just to read, ponder, and then pray about this book, so that way they too can receive this magnificent Holy Spirit that is just so Amazing.

I Love this Gospel, I will Always share it, and I will Never leave it. It honestly brings us the most Blessings that we could ever receive if we will only Live it.

I am Mormon. I Know it, I Live it, I Love it. It is something that I am going to raise my family in one day here soon, so that they as well, can have the wonderful Chance, if they accept it as well, to feel these wonderful feelings that I have felt these past two years, and that I still feel today.

I Love you all, and I thank you for all the many prayers that I have received in the past 21 months in my behalf, and for all the thoughts, letters, emails, packages, and really?? All the Love that I have received! I hope you can see the blessings that the Lord has blessed you with, for helping and blessing me in my life.

I Love you all, and I have tried so hard to make you all so proud of me, and I sure hope I did so. I leave these wonderful words and my Testimony, that I too know that these things are TRUE, in the Wonderful Sacred name or our Dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.