Family and Friends,

This week was so so good! I decided to do something different in my studies for the rest of my mission. I will be memorizing a scripture a day. I have heard from multiple sources that an Apostle said if you do this you will develop a photographic memory. I have taken the challenge. The scriptures I memorized this week was: Ether 12:41, 2 Nephi 4:35, Alma 7:22-24, Moroni 10:3-5, Mosiah 3:19, and Helaman 5:12. It has been a great experience doing this because it not only helps me to be able to teach better. But it also gives me more of a testimony on the scriptures and how important they are in my life.

Last Monday I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Miller. He attended Lone Peak and we kind of knew each other when we were there. He is pretty close with Keenan Kelshaw and Jonny Christensen. We had a blast haha. I love getting to know everyone that is in the mission. There is another Elder here in Modesto that went to Lone Peak and I knew of him and saw him in the halls every day. It is weird to see them out here.

I really got to talk to an Elder this week about feeling the spirit. It is something that I have struggled with my whole life. I didn't know if the spirit was trying to communicate with me or if it was just my own wants and thoughts. As I have thought about this on my mission it really brings me to Moroni 7. When he talks about anything good that comes to your mind is from God. When we do the right things it is from the spirit. "And by their fruits ye shall know them." When you are doing good and it causes things around you to get better, it is of God and of the Spirit. But, this still does not explain the feeling they talk about in the scriptures that we get if we do good. This feeling is very hard to recognize; at least for me. But as I have been on my mission I have been able to find the way that I feel it. When I do something that is good that comes to my mind...after I do it I ponder. And I pray about it that night. And a feeling of peace comes over me. It is different for everyone, but in D&C 6:22-23 the Lord tells Oliver Cowdery that to receive further witness he would need to pray and then the Lord would bring peace to his mind. Isn't that what the gospel is all about? I mean it is called the message of peace. Let us all pray for a "further witness" and let God give us peace. It might not be what we expect, but if we submit to God's time and his ways, we will be blessed.

Elder Payne and I got to go out with the 2nd counselor in the mission presidency this week. His name is President Brown. His daughter is married to a Doug Willden in Utah and they live in West Jordan. It sounded familiar. I thought maybe we would have some relation and  Bandises might know or something. But we had a couple lessons when we were out with him that went really well. The first one was with Andi. Andi is so awesome. Please pray for her as she struggles with familial support. She is going to keep progressing, but she definitely is having a rough time. We are going out to eat with her and her husband this week. That should be fun. Our other lesson with President Brown was with the Mezey's. I don't know if I have talked about them yet. Liliah Mezey is a 9 year old that wants to be baptized. The whole family is members besides Liliah. Her baptism will be on Easter.

Transfers are the end of this week. Pray that I stay in Stockton lol. I will do whatever the Lord wants me to do, but I really like Stockton.

I love the work!

-- 

Love,

Elder Willden

Basketball is still a love.

Asparagus is my favorite now haha my pee is always smelling like death.