Email October 4, 2017

Email October 4, 2017 – Elder Jackson Kunzler Burton

General Conference!

Hey everyone!

      This week was amazing! Isn't general conference so great? Having it at the MTC was so awesome! Except for not getting to sit on a couch while watching it, although that's probably why I got so much out of it. It's easier to pay attention when you're on a hard chair in a suit and tie. Anyway, it was awesome. If anyone missed any sessions, go back and watch them, they were all amazing. I still can't quite decide which talk was my favorite, but just a few that stuck out to me were the talks by Elder Holland, President Nelson, Elder Maynes, Elder Bednar, and Elder Ellis. And there were so many more amazing talks! I was so sad when it ended. One of the main things I got out of conference overall was the importance of the Book of Mormon. That was made clear by multiple speakers. It is so important to study from the Book of Mormon every day. Follow the prophet's counsel. We need to come to love the Book of Mormon so much that we can't go a day without it. I've already read it a few times, but here in the MTC I've studied it more than I ever have and I continue to learn new things and feel strengthened each time I read it. It's such a powerful book and it is true!

     On Sunday after conference we had a devotional by John Munoa, who was one of the people in charge of filming the Bible videos about the life of Jesus Christ. He showed us pictures of the sets and told us a lot about how the videos were made and it was way cool! He is a part of the Book of Mormon videos that they're in the process of making right now, and he showed us a sneak peak of the Liahona, the sword of Laban, and the brass plates that they're going to use in the videos. It was so cool! The Bible Videos are really cool and I'm so excited for the Book of Mormon ones to come out. We also had Bonnie L. Oscarson speak at our Tuesday devotional. She's the general young women's president, and she spoke at conference so that was cool. She talked about how we need to trust in the Lord's plan for us. She showed a video that told the story of the gardener and the currant bush that was told in conference a little while ago.  Sometimes we feel like God is cutting us down, and we don't understand why, but he's really helping us grow into what he wants us to be. He's the gardener, and he knows what's best for us. As long as we are living right and doing what we know we should, God will make sure we end up where we need to be. I know that's true. We need to trust in the Lord's plan for us.

      On Friday I'll have been here for a month! That's crazy! I'm sorry I don't give many details about what happens throughout the week, it just that it's mostly the same each week. Japanese is going well, I feel like I'm learning so much! But I'm glad I still have a month left in the MTC,  because I definitely don't know enough yet to go to Japan. Oh, by the way, during one of the talks in general conference, a pair of glasses came up on screen with the temple visible through them. That was the Sapporo temple! Just thought that was kinda cool. It's such a beautiful temple, I'm so excited to go to it. Anyway, I've got to get going. I love you all! 

Love,

バートン長老

Elder Burton

P.S. I found this picture in the electronic version of the Plan of Salvation pamphlet. Thought it was cool.