Tuesday, March 24, 2015

In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives and our children...

[Received 23 March 2015]

Howdy everyone!

I hope everyone had a FANTASTIC week this past week! I know I did, as well as my two different companions! Elder Ales was a bit disappointed, I think, to be transferred, but turns out that he's now in Heber City, and he's also a district leader now! :D Crazy, huh?? As for my new companion, his name is Elder Kalamafoni, and he's from Portland, Oregon, but his parents are both from Tonga. :D We also got a new addition to the sisters' area in the non-elder companionship in our district! Sis. Wagner started training a new sister, named Sis. Selk, and she's from Canada! :) Fun stuff, right?? :D The new elder that replaced Elder TerrĂ³n is Elder Rodriguez, who is originally from Mexico, but came onto his mission from the great state of Texas!

Anyways, on other news, I wonder how many people got pinched this last week on St. Patty's Day.. :D Not me! Blessings of being a missionary. :) People seem to think they will be struck down by lightning if they even THINK of hurting a missionary. It's quite funny, actually. :) But, I hoped everyone had fun making sure they were creative with how they wore their green for the day! :)

Something I'd like to share from some of my studies this last week is from the Book of Mormon. In the book of Alma, chapter 46, verses 12 and 13. It's talking about a righteous Nephite military commander, and in this particular section, he's trying to rally the Nephite people around a righteous cause to help them defeat the rebels and the not-so-righteous Lamanite people that are being stirred up in anger against the Nephites. In the Book of Mormon, those verses read:

12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it --In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children-- and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
13 And he fastened on his headplate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth and he prayed mightily unto his god for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land--

I really love these verses, because in the timeframe that Moroni is doing this, he's giving his people hope, he's giving them something to fight for, he's giving them a reason to want to defend themselves. The same is true today, and I feel like Moroni's Title of Liberty is something to defend nowadays as well. Am I willing to defend my God? Am I? Am I willing to defend my religion, even when (many) others criticize my beliefs? (Sad, but true. At least once or twice a day, someone makes fun of me because I'm a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...) Am I willing to defend my freedom, such as my freedom of religion, and my freedom to speak what I know? Are each of us willing to defend that? Are we willing to defend the peace we may feel in our lives? This world is in chaos, but yet, we can still feel peace in our homes if we want it there. Are we willing to defend that peace? Am I willing to defend not just MY family, but THE family? In a world that increasingly makes it easier to obtain a divorce, that claims that individual parent's needs are above that of the collective family, that continuously proclaims things are "good" that actually drive the family apart, am I willing to defend the family?? Am I willing to defend my family??

I'd honestly love to hear your thoughts. Please email them to me at conrad.hamilton@myldsmail.net and tell me what some of your thoughts are of what I've put out for your consideration. I love y'all!

Till next week, enjoy the pictures! :D

Love,
Elder Conrad Hamilton

Me and Elder Ales


Transfer day - Elder De Leon and ? with Conrad

Elder Kalamafoni

Flaming Gorge Reservoir - which is in our area



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