Amanzimtoti Area - Week 76

Elders LaHue, Jeri & Sala

I can see why everyone so highly praised General Conference this year. President Nelson is working hard. No more home teaching!! Elder's Quorums everywhere are singing for joy! Hahaha.

I learned some powerful insights about revelation from President Nelson. I also enjoyed talks from President Oaks, Lynn G. Robbins, and Devin G. Durrant. The big theme that I took from conference was "stay on the covenant path". Also I'm very excited that the church is placing an increased emphasis on ministering to others individual and reaching out. Sustaining Russell M. Nelson as a prophet was a spiritual highlight. Plus the Mormon Tabernacle Choir seems to get better each year. We are living in an exciting time in history!!

Bible Dictionary: "Prayer" - "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings."

This conference has inspired me to focus much on improving my prayers. They tend to become routine and less meaningful. I love how it says here that prayer is for securing blessings that Heavenly Father wants to give us. I'm sure it would be less valuable for God to give us things automatically. I hope that going forward I can improve my prayers and my ability to receive revelation.

Thank you all for your heartfelt emails. It is nice to know that you all care about me and are watching over me from back home. I am doing well and had a great week!

With love,

Elder LaHue