Email June 8, 2015

Email June 8, 2015 – Elder Kenneth Wm. Burton

Bunch of Burtons

On Thursday we had our last zone conference with President Sederholm. I'm going to miss him so much! He is an incredible man, a disciple of Christ. He has taught me so much in the last year and a half of which I will be eternally grateful.

I'm sorry about the lack of video that I promised last week. The computer was having problems and wouldn't download it. I'll try to see if I can send it some other way.

Lets see.... On Monday we had a lot of fun at Lego Land. There is a definite difference though between Danish roller coasters and American roller coasters. I'd say only one of them really came close to comparing. All the Lego creations were fun to see though. I'll send some photos.

By the way the word Lego is a combination of two danish words "lege godt" which means "play well". So true!

We've began refocusing in the mission on the Book of Mormon. Why is it so pushed that we read and study it daily? In Preach My Gospel we learn that the Book of Mormon combined with the spirit is the greatest tool in conversion. Our conversion as well as that of others. 

Joseph Smith once said that the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth today and the key stone of our religion, and that a man would come closer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book. Because Jesus Christ is the it's central theme. He is the purpose of the Book of Mormon. He is the reason of the restoration. In our zone conference along the back of the room were three large paintings. One of the ship Nephi built with him and his family traveling to the promised land. One of Alma, baptizing saints in the waters of Mormon, and one of Moroni praying over the plates of gold before burring them up unto the Lord. President Sederholm pointed at these three paintings and stated, that those three events only happened because of that! And he pointed at a fourth painting in the front of the room of Christ appearing to the Nephites after his resurrection.

Where hosts of people saw Christ, felt of the prints in His hands and feet and witness  that He is the Savior of the world.

Our purpose as missionaries, and full time missionaries is to invite others to come unto Christ and receive his restored gospel through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. And we have been given the Book of Mormon as a tool, as an evidence of that faith.

Isn't it incredible? Christ called another prophet to the earth and restored His gospel, and has given us a way to find out for ourselves if it is true. We don't have to just believe the words of Joseph or that of our parents.

"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that e would ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost he may know the truth of all things."

This is not something that just happens once. I don't have to say "I did this a few years back" but I can say, and I do say "through my studies of the Book of Mormon this very morning I have come to a witness, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that the Book is true. It is the words of Christ, and I know Christ to be the son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world."

We can receive that revelation daily, as I have this morning. And that testimony will grow. Will become stronger. And you will fulfill prophecy as you come closer unto Christ by applying by its precepts.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."   -Marcel Proust

As we come unto Christ our eyes are changed and we are able to discover more.

I love you all! Thanks for all the great photos this week. It looks like you all had a lot of fun in New Mexico.

Meget Kærlighed!

Elder Kenneth Burton