4/8/19: General Conference Strikes Again!

Hey all!

Man what a week! Not only did we have tons of meetings with other missionaries in which we were able to give some trainings and receive some awesome guidance on the work, but General Conference as well! 

I'm mostly going to focus this email on the thoughts and impressions I had while listening to the ordained servants of our Savior.

3 Main Take-Aways I Got:

1: Repentance is a daily, eternal process of progress.

2: Our homes should be literal "heaven on earth."

3: Christ is at the center of all we do.

1. If you didn't hear the word "repentance" during the 5 sessions, you might want to clean your ears out with some hydrogen peroxide and go give them another listen. There were so many talks given on it, but so many different ways to think about it. One over-arching theme I caught on to was that they were all talking to ALL people. Not just non-members of the church, less-actives, or those who have made serious mistakes, but all of us. 

      Repentance is not a single act of us saying we will change, it is a life-long process that begins with us being willing to turn our lives over to God's will and let Christ play his role as our Savior. It was interesting how many times His Second Coming was mentioned, and how these different steps we make each day towards being more like Him are preparing us and the World for that day. Our potential through Christ is eternal, just as He and the Father are eternal. Daily repentance leads to daily change, which then leads to daily progress and eventual exaltation. 

2. Quentin L Cook said, "Homes filled with love are a joy, a delight, a literal heaven on earth."

As we strive to create a spiritually uplifting environment in our homes, we quite literally create a piece of the temple. It is so crazy how much more revelation we can receive for our own lives as we are in the correct places.

3. Over and over again, Christ was mentioned as the one who makes this all possible. Without his infinite Atonement, none of this would ever be applicable. His is not a "Finite Atonement." It is Infinite. It covers, cleans, and heals us. That atoning power is one that brings hope to the weary, joy to the down-trodden, and love into the lives of those who have lost. It's been so awesome to see the amount of people changed by that power out here in New York.

As you all probably already know, it's slowly but surely coming to a close for me out here in NY. I'm approaching my final 6 weeks in the field, and it's weird. I most likely won't be writing huge emails like this for the next few weeks, but on my last P-day i'll make sure to throw down the hammer with a good one. I'm more than ready to make these last weeks the best yet, and can't wait to tell you all about it when I get back. 

P.S. My new favorite hymn is Come Unto Jesus. So Fire!

Love Y'all :) 

Elder Allen