45 Yamaguchi-Ken, Shimonoseki-Shi
Akineshin-Machi 7-4-#1101
Japan 751-0874
Monday, December 24, 2007
17 December 2007
Dear Family,
How goes it? I'm in Japan. I arrived in my "bean" area: Shimonoseki, last Thursday. My trainer lived in Southern California and moved to Southern Oregon in middle school. His name is Elder McClure (Makura) and he also went to BYU for a year before coming out. He has been out here for about a year and a half, and it was a big surprise for him to turn trainer again.
So it's been fun jumping in. Shimonoseki is a very special place. We have lessons basically every night, which is way awesome for Japan. My first Sunday here, two men were baptized. It's pretty crazy! We have a very special situation here. A man named Nakamura Kyodai (Brother Nakamura) here was baptized just a couple months ago. He has taken a special interest in helping the homeless around the city. He is building a place called Samaria Home, and he invites homeless men to come and stay until they get on their feet and find a job. That's where we have been getting most of our referrals.
It's sooo awesome seeing the repentance process truly in action. The men who were just baptized were both members of Yakuza way back in the day. The kind of thing where you bring in the mission president for the baptismal interview. But knowing they have been through a lot makes the flipside here that much better!
Well, I haven't been able to get a bike here yet, so I have been riding a mamachari bike around. It's a 3-gear bike that is pretty much straight from the 80's. Hills are doing a lot to build my character!
Saturday, we rode a ton. If you pull up a map of the Shimonoseki area, we started in the middle of the peninsula in Shin-Shimonoseki, went pretty straight east to Chofu and went all the way around the peninsula with a strong ocean wind to the city west of Shin-Shimonoseki to Yasuoka. Pretty much a full afternoon.
We are doing fine here. Lots of lessons, tons of food from the members (big branch of almost 50!), no central heating, and nato that looks and tastes like boogers, and a sweet 11th story view of Shin-Shimonoseki with the Shinkansen bulleting by. I am very lucky and ready to go to work.
Always, Elder Hogge
083-257-1074
How goes it? I'm in Japan. I arrived in my "bean" area: Shimonoseki, last Thursday. My trainer lived in Southern California and moved to Southern Oregon in middle school. His name is Elder McClure (Makura) and he also went to BYU for a year before coming out. He has been out here for about a year and a half, and it was a big surprise for him to turn trainer again.
So it's been fun jumping in. Shimonoseki is a very special place. We have lessons basically every night, which is way awesome for Japan. My first Sunday here, two men were baptized. It's pretty crazy! We have a very special situation here. A man named Nakamura Kyodai (Brother Nakamura) here was baptized just a couple months ago. He has taken a special interest in helping the homeless around the city. He is building a place called Samaria Home, and he invites homeless men to come and stay until they get on their feet and find a job. That's where we have been getting most of our referrals.
It's sooo awesome seeing the repentance process truly in action. The men who were just baptized were both members of Yakuza way back in the day. The kind of thing where you bring in the mission president for the baptismal interview. But knowing they have been through a lot makes the flipside here that much better!
Well, I haven't been able to get a bike here yet, so I have been riding a mamachari bike around. It's a 3-gear bike that is pretty much straight from the 80's. Hills are doing a lot to build my character!
Saturday, we rode a ton. If you pull up a map of the Shimonoseki area, we started in the middle of the peninsula in Shin-Shimonoseki, went pretty straight east to Chofu and went all the way around the peninsula with a strong ocean wind to the city west of Shin-Shimonoseki to Yasuoka. Pretty much a full afternoon.
We are doing fine here. Lots of lessons, tons of food from the members (big branch of almost 50!), no central heating, and nato that looks and tastes like boogers, and a sweet 11th story view of Shin-Shimonoseki with the Shinkansen bulleting by. I am very lucky and ready to go to work.
Always, Elder Hogge
083-257-1074
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
13 December 2007
received via postal service
Dear Family:
I am really, really, really, really, really, really, really in Japan. I made it! I have really been pampered here with American food (Pizza Hut, Beef Stew, Chicken-Broccoli). And I just got my first transfer information. I'm headed to Shimonoseki. It is as far west as you can go on Honshu. I hear it has been a place of many miracles as of late. Maybe I will be able to teach . . . ?
Oh yeah, no email anywhere in Japan. Sorry! Don't worry. I will write every week. Just the snail way. And I will have 30 minutes for Christmas, your Christmas. So call after I call from 083-257-1074. Also, I got a chance to proselyte and I absolutely loved it!
Sincerely, Elder Hogge
P.S. My trainer is Elder McClure.
P.S.S. What time is good for you 12/25?
Dear Family:
I am really, really, really, really, really, really, really in Japan. I made it! I have really been pampered here with American food (Pizza Hut, Beef Stew, Chicken-Broccoli). And I just got my first transfer information. I'm headed to Shimonoseki. It is as far west as you can go on Honshu. I hear it has been a place of many miracles as of late. Maybe I will be able to teach . . . ?
Oh yeah, no email anywhere in Japan. Sorry! Don't worry. I will write every week. Just the snail way. And I will have 30 minutes for Christmas, your Christmas. So call after I call from 083-257-1074. Also, I got a chance to proselyte and I absolutely loved it!
Sincerely, Elder Hogge
P.S. My trainer is Elder McClure.
P.S.S. What time is good for you 12/25?
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
4 December 2007
Well, I have a foot out the door. I am very much ready to leave the nation. :-) This is my last week here at the MTC, and I am rearin to go out into the field!
So Friday, I finished 1st Nephi in Japanese. I didn't quite understand 100% of it, but I could definitely tell a big improvement in my reading pace and comprehension from the beginning. It truly is amazing how much progress all of us have made here in the MTC.
And even better news, I got my flight plans on Friday! I am way super way super way excited. My flight leaves from SLC at 6 AM next Monday. So I am getting a jump on the world! We get to report to the travel office at 3 AM. So we will see how that goes! I have a bit of a layover in Los Angeles from around 7 to 10 MST I think...I hope to get rid of a couple Book of Mormons
while I am at it!
So, in celebration of our receiving our flight plans, God decided to grace Provo with 2 inches of snow over Friday night, so we woke up to all white! It's a shame that I have really come to like snow. Odds are, I won't see any for the next two years. :-)
Well, I am thankful for everyone's thoughts and concerns, but this marks the last week I will receive Dear Elder, so say goodbye to that convenience! Haha, yeah, the last time I will receive any mail here in the MTC is around lunch on Saturday, so I am definitely headed out.
It is amazing how quickly time flew here at the MTC. If there is one thing I have learned here, (besides patience) it is how to plan and get myself in gear to work full time. I really like planning now. I have a testimony of it. When we plan, I know we are putting clay in the Lord's hands, so that He can know how to inspire us away to other things if need be. So, I am packing a lot today, so I don't know what I will be able to do in terms of letter writing. Just a caution to all...I don't know if I will send anything back, so we will see!
I liked the First Presidency devotional Sunday. It was a good treat. I can definitely feel Christmas, but surprisingly, I haven't missed being home to the max. It is odd to think that I am almost to the first of only two Christmases I will see on my mission! Time has absolutely flown. Well, I don't know quite what else to say for now, so I will say
TTFN, Ta Ta For Now!
~Elder Hogge
So Friday, I finished 1st Nephi in Japanese. I didn't quite understand 100% of it, but I could definitely tell a big improvement in my reading pace and comprehension from the beginning. It truly is amazing how much progress all of us have made here in the MTC.
And even better news, I got my flight plans on Friday! I am way super way super way excited. My flight leaves from SLC at 6 AM next Monday. So I am getting a jump on the world! We get to report to the travel office at 3 AM. So we will see how that goes! I have a bit of a layover in Los Angeles from around 7 to 10 MST I think...I hope to get rid of a couple Book of Mormons
while I am at it!
So, in celebration of our receiving our flight plans, God decided to grace Provo with 2 inches of snow over Friday night, so we woke up to all white! It's a shame that I have really come to like snow. Odds are, I won't see any for the next two years. :-)
Well, I am thankful for everyone's thoughts and concerns, but this marks the last week I will receive Dear Elder, so say goodbye to that convenience! Haha, yeah, the last time I will receive any mail here in the MTC is around lunch on Saturday, so I am definitely headed out.
It is amazing how quickly time flew here at the MTC. If there is one thing I have learned here, (besides patience) it is how to plan and get myself in gear to work full time. I really like planning now. I have a testimony of it. When we plan, I know we are putting clay in the Lord's hands, so that He can know how to inspire us away to other things if need be. So, I am packing a lot today, so I don't know what I will be able to do in terms of letter writing. Just a caution to all...I don't know if I will send anything back, so we will see!
I liked the First Presidency devotional Sunday. It was a good treat. I can definitely feel Christmas, but surprisingly, I haven't missed being home to the max. It is odd to think that I am almost to the first of only two Christmases I will see on my mission! Time has absolutely flown. Well, I don't know quite what else to say for now, so I will say
TTFN, Ta Ta For Now!
~Elder Hogge
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Joey's Japan Address
As we understand it, Joey will be leaving for Japan on December 10. His mailing address there will be:
Elder Joseph Wallace Hogge
1-11-26 Hikari-Machi
Higashi-Ku
Hiroshima-Shi
732-0052
Japan
Merry Christmas to everyone! Jeff
Elder Joseph Wallace Hogge
1-11-26 Hikari-Machi
Higashi-Ku
Hiroshima-Shi
732-0052
Japan
Merry Christmas to everyone! Jeff
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
27 November 2007
Oh, I am such a goofball! :-) Over the past little while, I have seen the "Dad" come out in me, and things couldn't be better! I'm glad you got that letter, it truly was one of the most memorable Thanksgivings I will have in a while.
Well, I would like to share a little thought from Brother Coleman, who came and spoke last Tuesday. One of the things that really struck me is that WE NEED MESSENGERS TO MATCH THE MESSAGE! You know, I am starting to realize that maybe all that help I have needed to try and look good all my life is starting to pay off as I am a messenger for the most glorious message on the face of the earth! It is funny how simply parting my hair helps me feel much better throughout the day. Yes, I do look very much like a dork, but a missionary dork! :-) Brother Coleman talked about being a Priesthood Man. And I hope that all of us Priesthood holders can carry that emblem in the way we appear to others. We need to "radiate" good continually. My hope in preparing here in the MTC is to get to the point where I radiate goodness and happiness so that people can see that and be uplifted themselves when I speak to them. The Japanese is just a side note right now, really.
Last night, me and my companion shared a lesson with one of the teachers in our building and it went soooo well! This teacher is one of the more strict Japanese teachers I know, but he is always, always happy! We had the chance to discuss the first lesson as church members, no role playing. I absolutely loved it. I am so thankful for my companion. Out of all the companionships in our district, we are closest to the same level in Japanese, and we can both communicate pretty well now. So the Japanese is the easy part. What we have focused on as a district is speaking "seirei-go" or, "the language of the Spirit." How effective it has been! When we speak with the Spirit, words come to our mouths in Japanese that flow and bring the Spirit even stronger. The Gift of Tongues is a very, very real thing.
I am so glad Paul spoke! I hope he is doing alright. I heard it was an amazing talk, and I totally believe it! Wow!
Today, me and my companion are going to do the initiatories and endowments for two of Grandpa Joe's ancestors. Oh, Spirit of Elijah, here we come! :-)
Okay, so I have to throw in a couple quotes from Elder Holland on Thanksgiving: (try to imagine him saying these things with emphasis!)
THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVERT YOU WILL EVER MAKE ON YOUR MISSION HAS TO BE YOURSELF.
DON'T ACT OR LOOK STUPID. Stupid is a very strong word, but ITS WHAT I'M FEELING!
If you don't know it in your heart, then you don't know it.
You MUST come home and be devoted to this your whole life!
Before you open your mouth, you MUST preach the gospel.
Live the life you need to live so you can inspire your children.
Get it OFF THE PAGE, and INTO YOUR HEART.
GROW UP. This is Mature Discipleship.
Salvation is NOT A CHEAP EXPERIENCE.
Oh man, that was the best rebuking I have ever had in my entire life! I felt like a million bucks afterwards. It was sooo awesome.
Well, I have two weeks minus a day left here in the MTC, and things are absolutely flying. I can't wait to be lambasted by the language when I get there and humbled to my knees.
Well, friends, and family, I know this church is true. It IS being led by a man inspired of God. It TRULY was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. We REALLY CAN KNOW the truth of these things through prayer. We ARE blessed in times of need. Its just a matter of whether we look for those blessings or not. :-) Jesus Christ IS our Savior. He died for you, and He died for me. It is my hope that all of us may one day become as Elder Bruce R. McConkie who said weeks before his death: "When I see Him, my tears will wet His feet. But I won't know then any more than I know now, that He is my Savior." Keep up the good work, everybody! My prayers are with you. In our Savior's name I end my testimony. Amen.
Always,
~Elder Hogge
Well, I would like to share a little thought from Brother Coleman, who came and spoke last Tuesday. One of the things that really struck me is that WE NEED MESSENGERS TO MATCH THE MESSAGE! You know, I am starting to realize that maybe all that help I have needed to try and look good all my life is starting to pay off as I am a messenger for the most glorious message on the face of the earth! It is funny how simply parting my hair helps me feel much better throughout the day. Yes, I do look very much like a dork, but a missionary dork! :-) Brother Coleman talked about being a Priesthood Man. And I hope that all of us Priesthood holders can carry that emblem in the way we appear to others. We need to "radiate" good continually. My hope in preparing here in the MTC is to get to the point where I radiate goodness and happiness so that people can see that and be uplifted themselves when I speak to them. The Japanese is just a side note right now, really.
Last night, me and my companion shared a lesson with one of the teachers in our building and it went soooo well! This teacher is one of the more strict Japanese teachers I know, but he is always, always happy! We had the chance to discuss the first lesson as church members, no role playing. I absolutely loved it. I am so thankful for my companion. Out of all the companionships in our district, we are closest to the same level in Japanese, and we can both communicate pretty well now. So the Japanese is the easy part. What we have focused on as a district is speaking "seirei-go" or, "the language of the Spirit." How effective it has been! When we speak with the Spirit, words come to our mouths in Japanese that flow and bring the Spirit even stronger. The Gift of Tongues is a very, very real thing.
I am so glad Paul spoke! I hope he is doing alright. I heard it was an amazing talk, and I totally believe it! Wow!
Today, me and my companion are going to do the initiatories and endowments for two of Grandpa Joe's ancestors. Oh, Spirit of Elijah, here we come! :-)
Okay, so I have to throw in a couple quotes from Elder Holland on Thanksgiving: (try to imagine him saying these things with emphasis!)
THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVERT YOU WILL EVER MAKE ON YOUR MISSION HAS TO BE YOURSELF.
DON'T ACT OR LOOK STUPID. Stupid is a very strong word, but ITS WHAT I'M FEELING!
If you don't know it in your heart, then you don't know it.
You MUST come home and be devoted to this your whole life!
Before you open your mouth, you MUST preach the gospel.
Live the life you need to live so you can inspire your children.
Get it OFF THE PAGE, and INTO YOUR HEART.
GROW UP. This is Mature Discipleship.
Salvation is NOT A CHEAP EXPERIENCE.
Oh man, that was the best rebuking I have ever had in my entire life! I felt like a million bucks afterwards. It was sooo awesome.
Well, I have two weeks minus a day left here in the MTC, and things are absolutely flying. I can't wait to be lambasted by the language when I get there and humbled to my knees.
Well, friends, and family, I know this church is true. It IS being led by a man inspired of God. It TRULY was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. We REALLY CAN KNOW the truth of these things through prayer. We ARE blessed in times of need. Its just a matter of whether we look for those blessings or not. :-) Jesus Christ IS our Savior. He died for you, and He died for me. It is my hope that all of us may one day become as Elder Bruce R. McConkie who said weeks before his death: "When I see Him, my tears will wet His feet. But I won't know then any more than I know now, that He is my Savior." Keep up the good work, everybody! My prayers are with you. In our Savior's name I end my testimony. Amen.
Always,
~Elder Hogge
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
20 November 2007
Hello all people.
Last Tuesday, at the end of my Preparation Day (so I couldn't send any more letters) Elder Nelson came and spoke to us. It was really awesome. He and his wife gave good talks. Just the simplicity in his testimony, and the simple statements he made were strong. The part I liked most was when he said: "show them that you can help them. Be valuable to them." One way he talked about being valuable was through the family history program. Everyone has a last name and geneology, so this is one way us as missionaries can make ourselves useful. I kinda went "yes!" on the inside when he talked about that. I think I am one of the only missionaries in my district that has truly felt the spirit of Elijah. It really is spreading across the globe.
Also, I just started reading through the little pamphlets in Japanese this week. Guess what, all the pictures are of Japanese people! :-) Haha, I found that amusing. We have been teaching about the Plan of Salvation for the last couple weeks, and we have found that it has been a very humbling experience.
Sunday night, we were privileged to have Brother Bott and his wife come to speak to us. I took his Mission Prep class at BYU, and he is amazing! He just has the hilarious sense of humor you don't expect from a man that looks like he should be in the seventy. He talked about knowing when you know you have a testimony. He said that in order to check yourself, take a step back and imagine how your life would be if all the influence of the gospel had been taken from it. How different would we be??
This Sunday, me and my companion did a musical number for sacrament meeting. I played piano and he sang "Let Him Heal Your Heart" off of an EFY CD. It went pretty well considering I had only played through it 4 or 5 times. :-) For our Large Group Meeting this past Friday, we listened to "How Great Thou Art" as a female solo. Truthfully, I was sitting there thinking: "my little sister could totally sing better." Haha, be aware that I am always thinking about you all. But not too much. That would make things hard. :-) I hope you all are enjoying the blessings of me being here! Haha.
So I had a weird dream this past night. I received another mission call. It was to some weird place in California. And it was expected that I baptize at least 2 Russian people a year. And I was expected to learn Spanish and Russian. And no Japanese! Haha, funny the things we think up!
So for Thanksgiving, we have a couple extra firesides, and a couple extra service opportunities for a humanitarian project put on by Sister Boone. Get this, we get sack lunch dinners! Oh man. The joys of being in the MTC. At least I'm not staying for Christmas! One) The elders here don't get to call home. Two) All the elders here get all day is cereal. Oh boy. But we will have to see how Japan turns out, eh? I have less than three weeks before I go. That seems really short, but long at the same time. I want to be there now, but sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed with the language.
So I pretty much see Alan Potts every week. He is just finishing up work here when my district takes a lap around the MTC to memorize vocabulary or grammar. It is good seeing him.
Well, it hasn't even snowed here yet! We are starting to worry! Of course, we say that now, but in a week or two, we will start to regret our wishes. But truly, a white layer to the ground would really be awesome! I love the freshness of the air here. Its just a shame that I can't go outside a two block diameter. Haha, I'll get over it.
Well, TTFN, Ta Ta For Now!
~Elder Hogge
Last Tuesday, at the end of my Preparation Day (so I couldn't send any more letters) Elder Nelson came and spoke to us. It was really awesome. He and his wife gave good talks. Just the simplicity in his testimony, and the simple statements he made were strong. The part I liked most was when he said: "show them that you can help them. Be valuable to them." One way he talked about being valuable was through the family history program. Everyone has a last name and geneology, so this is one way us as missionaries can make ourselves useful. I kinda went "yes!" on the inside when he talked about that. I think I am one of the only missionaries in my district that has truly felt the spirit of Elijah. It really is spreading across the globe.
Also, I just started reading through the little pamphlets in Japanese this week. Guess what, all the pictures are of Japanese people! :-) Haha, I found that amusing. We have been teaching about the Plan of Salvation for the last couple weeks, and we have found that it has been a very humbling experience.
Sunday night, we were privileged to have Brother Bott and his wife come to speak to us. I took his Mission Prep class at BYU, and he is amazing! He just has the hilarious sense of humor you don't expect from a man that looks like he should be in the seventy. He talked about knowing when you know you have a testimony. He said that in order to check yourself, take a step back and imagine how your life would be if all the influence of the gospel had been taken from it. How different would we be??
This Sunday, me and my companion did a musical number for sacrament meeting. I played piano and he sang "Let Him Heal Your Heart" off of an EFY CD. It went pretty well considering I had only played through it 4 or 5 times. :-) For our Large Group Meeting this past Friday, we listened to "How Great Thou Art" as a female solo. Truthfully, I was sitting there thinking: "my little sister could totally sing better." Haha, be aware that I am always thinking about you all. But not too much. That would make things hard. :-) I hope you all are enjoying the blessings of me being here! Haha.
So I had a weird dream this past night. I received another mission call. It was to some weird place in California. And it was expected that I baptize at least 2 Russian people a year. And I was expected to learn Spanish and Russian. And no Japanese! Haha, funny the things we think up!
So for Thanksgiving, we have a couple extra firesides, and a couple extra service opportunities for a humanitarian project put on by Sister Boone. Get this, we get sack lunch dinners! Oh man. The joys of being in the MTC. At least I'm not staying for Christmas! One) The elders here don't get to call home. Two) All the elders here get all day is cereal. Oh boy. But we will have to see how Japan turns out, eh? I have less than three weeks before I go. That seems really short, but long at the same time. I want to be there now, but sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed with the language.
So I pretty much see Alan Potts every week. He is just finishing up work here when my district takes a lap around the MTC to memorize vocabulary or grammar. It is good seeing him.
Well, it hasn't even snowed here yet! We are starting to worry! Of course, we say that now, but in a week or two, we will start to regret our wishes. But truly, a white layer to the ground would really be awesome! I love the freshness of the air here. Its just a shame that I can't go outside a two block diameter. Haha, I'll get over it.
Well, TTFN, Ta Ta For Now!
~Elder Hogge
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
13 November 2007
Things are fine. We just got younger elders this week. So we are the old ones now. Time is really flying. It seems like just yesterday when I was writing last week's email. The language is pushing along. Everyone knows that we will still feel overwhelmed when we get to Japan, but trying really hard here to memorize vocab and grammar will pay dividends in the field. I just got an email from an elder from our zone that is now in the field. He says he misses chips and salsa the most. I can't wait to go to Japan. There are sometimes here when I just want to get a move on. It is an odd thing: time flies, yet I would like it to go faster! All in due time. I do realize that there will be a time when I miss the MTC. :-) So yes, the young ones, we only have one district of seven missionaries. There are 4 sisters and 3 elders. Pretty unusual! Eventually, those three elders will be the two zone leaders and the district leader. No getting around it.
I finished the rice crackers off this week. They are a huge pick me up. It helps me feel like I am already there. The MTC food is incredibly predictable. I think going and getting a sack lunch is one of the best options! Good old PB sandwich can really hit the spot sometimes.
Well, I received a package from Grandma and Grandpa Hogge. I made a lot of friends because of it. :-) I think I have picked up a couple pounds here, but I'm starting to run more. Oh the joys of the MTC. Sitting in a classroom for 10 hours a day can be more fatiguing than you would think.
For Thanksgiving this year, we get to do a humanitarian project! My district as well has more service than usual. We get to help move around tables for Sister Boone. I think a lot of the elders' attitudes here are quite contrary to the song: "Called to be served." I have been blessed with a love for service. When I serve, I am happy. Real happy. The same goes with bearing my testimony. Here, me and my companion have the goal of testifying at least twice every day in Japanese (with one of us as translator). You never know what somebody needs to hear on any given day. I can be the instrument for the Lord in that regard. Everyone in the MTC feels down at some point or another, and I hope that I can find them and help them feel up! :-) One of the sisters in my district is really good at serving others. She does everything she can to serve. She is really an example to me. It is somewhat odd thinking that the shimai are all Mindy's age. They seem very much our age.
But one more thing I would like to bring up is a quote from President Kimball (I think) in Preach My Gospel. It talks about missionaries rising to a higher plane of thought. This is something I am striving hard to work on. Putting off most thoughts except those that build up the work can be hard, but this is my goal. I challenge all that listen to try to rise to a higher plane of thought themselves. I know that as we do, we will grow together, and we will be more receptive to spiritual truths and spiritual power.
Well, I can't think of much else to say, so if you have a question or anything, drop me another email and I will try to respond! :-)
Sincerely,
~Elder Hogge
I finished the rice crackers off this week. They are a huge pick me up. It helps me feel like I am already there. The MTC food is incredibly predictable. I think going and getting a sack lunch is one of the best options! Good old PB sandwich can really hit the spot sometimes.
Well, I received a package from Grandma and Grandpa Hogge. I made a lot of friends because of it. :-) I think I have picked up a couple pounds here, but I'm starting to run more. Oh the joys of the MTC. Sitting in a classroom for 10 hours a day can be more fatiguing than you would think.
For Thanksgiving this year, we get to do a humanitarian project! My district as well has more service than usual. We get to help move around tables for Sister Boone. I think a lot of the elders' attitudes here are quite contrary to the song: "Called to be served." I have been blessed with a love for service. When I serve, I am happy. Real happy. The same goes with bearing my testimony. Here, me and my companion have the goal of testifying at least twice every day in Japanese (with one of us as translator). You never know what somebody needs to hear on any given day. I can be the instrument for the Lord in that regard. Everyone in the MTC feels down at some point or another, and I hope that I can find them and help them feel up! :-) One of the sisters in my district is really good at serving others. She does everything she can to serve. She is really an example to me. It is somewhat odd thinking that the shimai are all Mindy's age. They seem very much our age.
But one more thing I would like to bring up is a quote from President Kimball (I think) in Preach My Gospel. It talks about missionaries rising to a higher plane of thought. This is something I am striving hard to work on. Putting off most thoughts except those that build up the work can be hard, but this is my goal. I challenge all that listen to try to rise to a higher plane of thought themselves. I know that as we do, we will grow together, and we will be more receptive to spiritual truths and spiritual power.
Well, I can't think of much else to say, so if you have a question or anything, drop me another email and I will try to respond! :-)
Sincerely,
~Elder Hogge
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
11 November 2007
Happy Birthday Mari! Sorry I couldn't get message to her sooner. I think she will be super athletic.
Japanese is going well. Only two out of eight missionaries in my district didn't take Japanese before coming, but I seem to remember a whole lot somehow...my sensei in high school taught us a lot of different things that randomly pop up every once in a while. I have decided Japanese is the prettiest Asian language and way better sounding than English. I will have to speak it for you sometime.
The vest fits. Very well. The elders in my district seem to love me for some reason, and they actually laugh at my jokes! When I put the vest on, they couldn't help but laugh because deep down inside, they were jealous they didn't have a nice fitting sweater vest! Haha, or something like that.
Last Tuesday, we had Elder Bednar come and speak! It was soooo reallly good. He talked about something that really caught us off guard in our studies. He said: "any question you will be asked while you are on your missions, the beginning of every answer will be rooted either in the content or sequence of the Articles of Faith." Wow. Super profound. So now I'm on to re-memorizing all thirteen, first English, then Japanese.
Well, in response to Mindy's companion, the only time I really sang was with the whole choir once singing "This is the Christ," which you can imagine has become quite popular since the passing of Elder Faust. If she saw and recognized me then, I would be super impressed.
Well, the MTC is still treating me fine. I think I have picked up a bunch of weight, but I'm an elder, so I don't really care. My district is becoming really jyoozu in volleyball. We actually know how to play and expect the good old bump set spike. Oh, the little things.
I really enjoyed the packages this week!! Fantasia and Peter and the Wolf came last Tuesday after I sent off the email. Thank you! It makes me happy inside.
Thank you as well for the ties. I was desperately needy of some variety. I wore the Christmas tie on Halloween. It was wonderful. Thanks for the Airbourne. i don't really know what it is or how to use it, but thanks! I hear it is really good.
So my Preparation day ends at 6. So if you try sending an email past six today, I won't be able to get to it until next week. Just a heads up. All is well...
So, the elders in my district are awesome, I have decided. We are all either from Utahr or California. The 2 other elders from California are half Asian, so I almost feel left out. One of them lives in Clovis, and he knew Sarah Taylor back in the day. His name is Elder Elledge. Super funny, half Asian, doesn't know a lick of Japanese. We have a lot of fun as a district.
Teaching in Japanese is a piece of cake. Considering I'm not the one teaching! :-) The Teaching Resource Center visit this past Thursday went super well. I asked the investigators what they thought about God. The lady responded that when she looks at beautiful nature like the ocean she knows there is something bigger than us. The spirit loosened my tongue with the response: "God created this earth. When we look at a beautiful ocean, we feel peace. This peace is God's love."
A chord was struck, and the rest of the appointment went well. I almost have the Joseph Smith experience down in Japanese. That is something I will have to work on. But as a district, we have memorized James 1:5, the missionary purpose, and called to serve in Japanese. We are progressing very rapidly. We now speak only Japanese on Saturday, Monday, and Thursday. It is a blessing.
Well, the sky is blue and the church is true.
~Elder Hogge
Japanese is going well. Only two out of eight missionaries in my district didn't take Japanese before coming, but I seem to remember a whole lot somehow...my sensei in high school taught us a lot of different things that randomly pop up every once in a while. I have decided Japanese is the prettiest Asian language and way better sounding than English. I will have to speak it for you sometime.
The vest fits. Very well. The elders in my district seem to love me for some reason, and they actually laugh at my jokes! When I put the vest on, they couldn't help but laugh because deep down inside, they were jealous they didn't have a nice fitting sweater vest! Haha, or something like that.
Last Tuesday, we had Elder Bednar come and speak! It was soooo reallly good. He talked about something that really caught us off guard in our studies. He said: "any question you will be asked while you are on your missions, the beginning of every answer will be rooted either in the content or sequence of the Articles of Faith." Wow. Super profound. So now I'm on to re-memorizing all thirteen, first English, then Japanese.
Well, in response to Mindy's companion, the only time I really sang was with the whole choir once singing "This is the Christ," which you can imagine has become quite popular since the passing of Elder Faust. If she saw and recognized me then, I would be super impressed.
Well, the MTC is still treating me fine. I think I have picked up a bunch of weight, but I'm an elder, so I don't really care. My district is becoming really jyoozu in volleyball. We actually know how to play and expect the good old bump set spike. Oh, the little things.
I really enjoyed the packages this week!! Fantasia and Peter and the Wolf came last Tuesday after I sent off the email. Thank you! It makes me happy inside.
Thank you as well for the ties. I was desperately needy of some variety. I wore the Christmas tie on Halloween. It was wonderful. Thanks for the Airbourne. i don't really know what it is or how to use it, but thanks! I hear it is really good.
So my Preparation day ends at 6. So if you try sending an email past six today, I won't be able to get to it until next week. Just a heads up. All is well...
So, the elders in my district are awesome, I have decided. We are all either from Utahr or California. The 2 other elders from California are half Asian, so I almost feel left out. One of them lives in Clovis, and he knew Sarah Taylor back in the day. His name is Elder Elledge. Super funny, half Asian, doesn't know a lick of Japanese. We have a lot of fun as a district.
Teaching in Japanese is a piece of cake. Considering I'm not the one teaching! :-) The Teaching Resource Center visit this past Thursday went super well. I asked the investigators what they thought about God. The lady responded that when she looks at beautiful nature like the ocean she knows there is something bigger than us. The spirit loosened my tongue with the response: "God created this earth. When we look at a beautiful ocean, we feel peace. This peace is God's love."
A chord was struck, and the rest of the appointment went well. I almost have the Joseph Smith experience down in Japanese. That is something I will have to work on. But as a district, we have memorized James 1:5, the missionary purpose, and called to serve in Japanese. We are progressing very rapidly. We now speak only Japanese on Saturday, Monday, and Thursday. It is a blessing.
Well, the sky is blue and the church is true.
~Elder Hogge
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
30 Oct 2007
Hello all. The mission field is great. I am constantly being reminded of how blessed I am.
So first off, a random bit of fact: I hear the deodorant and toothpaste in Japan is terrible, so that may be something to look into (wink wink).
I got Sarah's package Wednesday! Talk about bringing sunshine into my soul, having MoTab sure does it for me. I really really appreciated that Sarah!
I also got your package mom. I really appreciate it too.
So the other day, I got my triple combination in Japanese embossed with my name. It is sooo super spiffy! They put the name with the spine on the right side. I love Japanese. Flipping through a book right to left really makes my day. I am really beginning to understand it! I have read a couple verses a day, and I have definitely improved. I feel so cool. Haha, this is evidence that the MTC is getting to me. I find pleasure in the smallest things. We are sooo sooo cut off from the world here. We were thinking that if another terrorist attack happened, we wouldn't even know because no one would tell us! I hear the Rockies made it to the World Series, though. My branch president is a big baseball fan. Its a shame they were down 0-3 to the Red Sox! What an evil empire. I now like the Rockies.
Well, my companion is fine. We have our different ways of doing things. He is senior, which I think he needs. He was a Verizon salesman right before coming here, so he has a little bit of that salesman "spirit" in him. :-) We get along pretty well. Sometimes, it is much harder than others, but we just have to deal. He is very very very much from Spanish Fork. He knew of one black person at his high school. Sometimes it is a little hard trying to connect with someone who has been in the Utah bubble his whole life, but there are definitely advantages to it as well. He speaks very well. He is a really effective teacher. Between the two of us, we are probably the most fluent speakers in our district. It is great.
I saw Alan Potts yesterday! It was soooooooo good seeing him. My district happened to be taking a walk outside with our sensei, and he snuck up from behind me and got me in a big hug. I love that guy. He will soooo be an old married man when I get back. Haha, it was a really lovely surprise.
Well, I have a testimony of SYL. As a district, we have started speaking exclusively Japanese at all mealtimes and to and from meals. I think we are about ready to "level up" as my sensei often says.
It is really nice here, because we have one native speaker, and one not for our teachers. Tsuchiya Sensei is an awesome teacher. He is a crazy Japanese man. We have a whole lot of fun with him. He is taking 17 credits at BYU, and teaching there everyday as well. He is a very very busy man. But we have really set the tone to help him relax when he comes to teach us. He is majoring in linguistics! And he is also trying to pick up Icelandic just for fun. Wow. Foster Sensei is also cool. It is easier learning Japanese from someone who just had to learn Japanese a little while ago. He went to Hiroshima a couple years ago, and I hear it is sooo ridiculously pretty. He is engaged, so it is fun to bug him about that :-) I have found that when I testify, I have a much better day. Unfortunately, some days me and my companion never get around to testifying, and I feel awful. Even when we do little exercises in testifying in Japanese in class, I feel so much more happy. We testify solely in Japanese. One of us will testify, and the other will interpret. Even when we are doing testifying exercises in class, I feel loads better.
This week, we are teaching a lesson in Japanese. I figure it will actually be way easier. A lot of the time, the most simple statements have the greatest impact. Since we only really know simple statements, it should have the greatest impact. As long as we ask questions and share scriptures and constantly be testifying, the spirit will abide with us and guide our tongues.
One of the biggest ways we reach people is by showing our love for them. When they can feel that we truly care for them, they are sooo much more willing to open up and share their feelings.
Hilary -- stick with it. School and driving and friends can be stressful, but through the Lord, anything is possible!
Spencer -- I played catch the other day, and I totally thought of the good ole' days at the ballpark
Willie -- Braces stink, but they are soooo worth it.
Well, I appreciate all the love and prayers. I can definitely feel more help from the other side. It is wonderful.
Have a great week y'all!
~Elder Hogge
So first off, a random bit of fact: I hear the deodorant and toothpaste in Japan is terrible, so that may be something to look into (wink wink).
I got Sarah's package Wednesday! Talk about bringing sunshine into my soul, having MoTab sure does it for me. I really really appreciated that Sarah!
I also got your package mom. I really appreciate it too.
So the other day, I got my triple combination in Japanese embossed with my name. It is sooo super spiffy! They put the name with the spine on the right side. I love Japanese. Flipping through a book right to left really makes my day. I am really beginning to understand it! I have read a couple verses a day, and I have definitely improved. I feel so cool. Haha, this is evidence that the MTC is getting to me. I find pleasure in the smallest things. We are sooo sooo cut off from the world here. We were thinking that if another terrorist attack happened, we wouldn't even know because no one would tell us! I hear the Rockies made it to the World Series, though. My branch president is a big baseball fan. Its a shame they were down 0-3 to the Red Sox! What an evil empire. I now like the Rockies.
Well, my companion is fine. We have our different ways of doing things. He is senior, which I think he needs. He was a Verizon salesman right before coming here, so he has a little bit of that salesman "spirit" in him. :-) We get along pretty well. Sometimes, it is much harder than others, but we just have to deal. He is very very very much from Spanish Fork. He knew of one black person at his high school. Sometimes it is a little hard trying to connect with someone who has been in the Utah bubble his whole life, but there are definitely advantages to it as well. He speaks very well. He is a really effective teacher. Between the two of us, we are probably the most fluent speakers in our district. It is great.
I saw Alan Potts yesterday! It was soooooooo good seeing him. My district happened to be taking a walk outside with our sensei, and he snuck up from behind me and got me in a big hug. I love that guy. He will soooo be an old married man when I get back. Haha, it was a really lovely surprise.
Well, I have a testimony of SYL. As a district, we have started speaking exclusively Japanese at all mealtimes and to and from meals. I think we are about ready to "level up" as my sensei often says.
It is really nice here, because we have one native speaker, and one not for our teachers. Tsuchiya Sensei is an awesome teacher. He is a crazy Japanese man. We have a whole lot of fun with him. He is taking 17 credits at BYU, and teaching there everyday as well. He is a very very busy man. But we have really set the tone to help him relax when he comes to teach us. He is majoring in linguistics! And he is also trying to pick up Icelandic just for fun. Wow. Foster Sensei is also cool. It is easier learning Japanese from someone who just had to learn Japanese a little while ago. He went to Hiroshima a couple years ago, and I hear it is sooo ridiculously pretty. He is engaged, so it is fun to bug him about that :-) I have found that when I testify, I have a much better day. Unfortunately, some days me and my companion never get around to testifying, and I feel awful. Even when we do little exercises in testifying in Japanese in class, I feel so much more happy. We testify solely in Japanese. One of us will testify, and the other will interpret. Even when we are doing testifying exercises in class, I feel loads better.
This week, we are teaching a lesson in Japanese. I figure it will actually be way easier. A lot of the time, the most simple statements have the greatest impact. Since we only really know simple statements, it should have the greatest impact. As long as we ask questions and share scriptures and constantly be testifying, the spirit will abide with us and guide our tongues.
One of the biggest ways we reach people is by showing our love for them. When they can feel that we truly care for them, they are sooo much more willing to open up and share their feelings.
Hilary -- stick with it. School and driving and friends can be stressful, but through the Lord, anything is possible!
Spencer -- I played catch the other day, and I totally thought of the good ole' days at the ballpark
Willie -- Braces stink, but they are soooo worth it.
Well, I appreciate all the love and prayers. I can definitely feel more help from the other side. It is wonderful.
Have a great week y'all!
~Elder Hogge
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
23 October 2007
Hello all. The MTC is still chuggin along...things are just fine. I am thankful for my righteous upbringing and all the wonderful support I have received just in the past month. Oh yeah, workin on a month! Time flies when you're serving the Lord.
So the other day, while me and my companion were outside, a couple of elders came up and testified to us. One of them was an elder from Nigeria! I had never been in such close contact with an African, so I had to hug him! His accent was soooo sweet. Ah, the little things.
That is when you know you have been in the MTC a long while. Eigo (English) Elders are coming and going like last weeks news. Not that I'm jealous or anything, but I want to get out into the field really bad.
So my service activity here is taking down the gym after fireside and devotional sunday and tuesday. Last week, when I went to work, guess who I saw? Elder Browning. That's right. We have the same service! What a once in at least 50 shot. It is sweet having someone from home to see every once in a while.
Speaking of fireside, Sister Sheri Dew came and spoke this past week. She was really good. My companion was fearful that all the elders would come out feeling really bad and all the sisters would come out feeling like a million bucks, but all was well. She talked about having an interview with President Hinckley. She admitted she had made a mistake, and told President Hinckley: "I wish I were smarter." Without hesitation, President Hinckley replied: "I wish you were smarter too!" Haha, the prophet is truly an incredible man. The sense of humor is icing on the cake!
Thanks for the talk, dad. I haven't had the chance to read through it all, but I liked the intro. I thought you weren't one to write down everything you say...?
We had our first snow here. It was soooo refreshing and wonderful. Sometimes being here reminds me of school last year, and I get a tad "outside-world" sick, but then I think about Japan! Totally worth it.
It is so awesome hearing about Jesse's call. Somebody should tell him that he will totally rock the MTC. Especially in basketball. Even I feel good about myself here! Needless to say, there is a reason many of the elders here are on missions and not in the NBA.
Oh, speaking of gym, volleyball is amazing! I think of Paul everytime I play. I remotely regret not playing during high school. I know Paul and Bryce would have really liked that.
The language is moving along...moving along...starting next week, we will be teaching exclusively in Japanese. I am not worried, but that doesn't mean I am not humbled. I know I can't teach in Japanese. But with the help of the Lord, anything is possible! The older elders here are leaving for Japan in less than a week, and they are stoked about it! I am sooo excited for them. That means in a couple weeks, we get kohai (new elders)! I am so ready to be one of the older elders around here.
So I bought little colored tabs to put in my scriptures, and it makes me feel really awesome about myself. Haha, as sad as that may seem, I feel like more of a scriptorian now! The tabs make it legitimate! I'm telling you! I challenge all of you to read about Aaron, one of the sons of Mosiah. The change in him is amazing! Read Alma 21:5-13. That is Aaron preaching as a "flip book" elder and getting cast into prison. Ammon gets him out and goes on a split with him. Now read Alma 22:4-11. Notice a change? Instead of teaching a lesson, Aaron started teaching the people. That is what we have to do as missionaries. Quit focusing on the lesson, and start focusing on what we can do to help the people!
Well, Fare thee well, people of the west. May the Lord be with you always!
Sincerely,
Elder Hogge
So the other day, while me and my companion were outside, a couple of elders came up and testified to us. One of them was an elder from Nigeria! I had never been in such close contact with an African, so I had to hug him! His accent was soooo sweet. Ah, the little things.
That is when you know you have been in the MTC a long while. Eigo (English) Elders are coming and going like last weeks news. Not that I'm jealous or anything, but I want to get out into the field really bad.
So my service activity here is taking down the gym after fireside and devotional sunday and tuesday. Last week, when I went to work, guess who I saw? Elder Browning. That's right. We have the same service! What a once in at least 50 shot. It is sweet having someone from home to see every once in a while.
Speaking of fireside, Sister Sheri Dew came and spoke this past week. She was really good. My companion was fearful that all the elders would come out feeling really bad and all the sisters would come out feeling like a million bucks, but all was well. She talked about having an interview with President Hinckley. She admitted she had made a mistake, and told President Hinckley: "I wish I were smarter." Without hesitation, President Hinckley replied: "I wish you were smarter too!" Haha, the prophet is truly an incredible man. The sense of humor is icing on the cake!
Thanks for the talk, dad. I haven't had the chance to read through it all, but I liked the intro. I thought you weren't one to write down everything you say...?
We had our first snow here. It was soooo refreshing and wonderful. Sometimes being here reminds me of school last year, and I get a tad "outside-world" sick, but then I think about Japan! Totally worth it.
It is so awesome hearing about Jesse's call. Somebody should tell him that he will totally rock the MTC. Especially in basketball. Even I feel good about myself here! Needless to say, there is a reason many of the elders here are on missions and not in the NBA.
Oh, speaking of gym, volleyball is amazing! I think of Paul everytime I play. I remotely regret not playing during high school. I know Paul and Bryce would have really liked that.
The language is moving along...moving along...starting next week, we will be teaching exclusively in Japanese. I am not worried, but that doesn't mean I am not humbled. I know I can't teach in Japanese. But with the help of the Lord, anything is possible! The older elders here are leaving for Japan in less than a week, and they are stoked about it! I am sooo excited for them. That means in a couple weeks, we get kohai (new elders)! I am so ready to be one of the older elders around here.
So I bought little colored tabs to put in my scriptures, and it makes me feel really awesome about myself. Haha, as sad as that may seem, I feel like more of a scriptorian now! The tabs make it legitimate! I'm telling you! I challenge all of you to read about Aaron, one of the sons of Mosiah. The change in him is amazing! Read Alma 21:5-13. That is Aaron preaching as a "flip book" elder and getting cast into prison. Ammon gets him out and goes on a split with him. Now read Alma 22:4-11. Notice a change? Instead of teaching a lesson, Aaron started teaching the people. That is what we have to do as missionaries. Quit focusing on the lesson, and start focusing on what we can do to help the people!
Well, Fare thee well, people of the west. May the Lord be with you always!
Sincerely,
Elder Hogge
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
16 October 2007
So the days have flown by! Things are going wonderfully. I have had the opportunity to bear my testimony everyday, and it is surely a strengthening experience.
So there is one older Sister in my district named Hogg Shimai! Our names sound exactly the same! When we get to Japan, we will get name tags with our names in katakana, and our name tags will have the same name on it! Crazy eh? Well, last Friday, we had an LGM and I played piano and she conducted! It was marvelous. The speaker got a kick out of that. I have started to play piano for more meetings now. I absolutely love piano, and I become more happy with all the opportunities I have to serve by playing. Good feelings all around.
So I want to direct you to D&C 123:12. I don't have my scriptures with me, but the scripture really applies to us at the MTC preparing to go to Japan. The people there have been confused, and have never caught a glimpse of life across the veil. They don't know where to find the truth, but we have it, and we are going to bring it to them. It is so exciting! I have found new ways to pump myself up everyday. Usually, the best way is to bear my testimony! Truthfully, I get half scared to death when I go in to teach a lesson. But apparently the spirit likes me or something, because my mouth has been filled with words I didn't even know I had in me! I have been leaning upon the spirit more and more everyday, and I just keep feeling better and better.
Speaking of scared half to death, I have gone to the Referral Center many times in the past couple weeks. That's where people call in to request something from the commercials we air on TV. I get soooo ridiculously nervous when I go. I don't really like talking on the phone. But by the time I am halfway through, I am bookin and time flies and all is well. I have done a bunch of confirmation calls, and one of the calls I had was to a 24 year old girl in Olney! I wasn't sure if Mindy is still there, but I sure hoped that I could get in touch and say "hey, can I send my sister around? She could help you feel wonderful." But unfortunately, there was no answer. I have called several people who have just been delighted with the gospel! You can tell the gospel has blessed them tremedously, and their hearts are full. One girl I spoke to has had the missionaries over twice a week consistently, and she was just soooo incredibly happy. I can't wait to head on over to Japan and help others experience the blessings of the gospel. I am sorta going through tracting withdrawals. I went with the missionaries in Sacramento so often, that I just want to get into the outside world and share the gospel as fast as I can! There are worse things, right? :-)
Well, another thing that has really motivated us a district was a talk Prsident Kimball gave in the 70's. It was his first talk since he was ordained either apostle or president. In it, he promised there would come a day when 5,000 missionaries will be coming out of South America, and he listed off a couple more places, and then he got to Japan. He promised that 10,000 missionaries will be GOING OUT OF, not coming into, Japan! The Japanese people will feel the truthfulness of the gospel, and they will be a great blessing to the world. I know I can further the work through the help of the Holy Ghost.
Well, the Japanese is going great. The older missionaries have just started "nihongo dake" time. (only Japanese). I can carry on a good long conversation in Japanese now, and I know it is through the help of the spirit. Last night me and my companion bore and translated our testimonies to a couple of English elders in Japanese. Oh how marvelous it is to feel the spirit in a different language! This has really helped me understand that the spirit really is a real thing. My goal is to be able to emanate with the spirit wherever I go. If people can say "hey, something feels really good about having those elders over" then I know I am doing what I am supposed to.
Well, I know that my Redeemer lives, and I know that this is the restored gospel on the earth today. Fare thee well, friends and family. I appreciate the dear elder letters. They come in the twinkling of an eye.
Sincerely,
Elder Hogge
So there is one older Sister in my district named Hogg Shimai! Our names sound exactly the same! When we get to Japan, we will get name tags with our names in katakana, and our name tags will have the same name on it! Crazy eh? Well, last Friday, we had an LGM and I played piano and she conducted! It was marvelous. The speaker got a kick out of that. I have started to play piano for more meetings now. I absolutely love piano, and I become more happy with all the opportunities I have to serve by playing. Good feelings all around.
So I want to direct you to D&C 123:12. I don't have my scriptures with me, but the scripture really applies to us at the MTC preparing to go to Japan. The people there have been confused, and have never caught a glimpse of life across the veil. They don't know where to find the truth, but we have it, and we are going to bring it to them. It is so exciting! I have found new ways to pump myself up everyday. Usually, the best way is to bear my testimony! Truthfully, I get half scared to death when I go in to teach a lesson. But apparently the spirit likes me or something, because my mouth has been filled with words I didn't even know I had in me! I have been leaning upon the spirit more and more everyday, and I just keep feeling better and better.
Speaking of scared half to death, I have gone to the Referral Center many times in the past couple weeks. That's where people call in to request something from the commercials we air on TV. I get soooo ridiculously nervous when I go. I don't really like talking on the phone. But by the time I am halfway through, I am bookin and time flies and all is well. I have done a bunch of confirmation calls, and one of the calls I had was to a 24 year old girl in Olney! I wasn't sure if Mindy is still there, but I sure hoped that I could get in touch and say "hey, can I send my sister around? She could help you feel wonderful." But unfortunately, there was no answer. I have called several people who have just been delighted with the gospel! You can tell the gospel has blessed them tremedously, and their hearts are full. One girl I spoke to has had the missionaries over twice a week consistently, and she was just soooo incredibly happy. I can't wait to head on over to Japan and help others experience the blessings of the gospel. I am sorta going through tracting withdrawals. I went with the missionaries in Sacramento so often, that I just want to get into the outside world and share the gospel as fast as I can! There are worse things, right? :-)
Well, another thing that has really motivated us a district was a talk Prsident Kimball gave in the 70's. It was his first talk since he was ordained either apostle or president. In it, he promised there would come a day when 5,000 missionaries will be coming out of South America, and he listed off a couple more places, and then he got to Japan. He promised that 10,000 missionaries will be GOING OUT OF, not coming into, Japan! The Japanese people will feel the truthfulness of the gospel, and they will be a great blessing to the world. I know I can further the work through the help of the Holy Ghost.
Well, the Japanese is going great. The older missionaries have just started "nihongo dake" time. (only Japanese). I can carry on a good long conversation in Japanese now, and I know it is through the help of the spirit. Last night me and my companion bore and translated our testimonies to a couple of English elders in Japanese. Oh how marvelous it is to feel the spirit in a different language! This has really helped me understand that the spirit really is a real thing. My goal is to be able to emanate with the spirit wherever I go. If people can say "hey, something feels really good about having those elders over" then I know I am doing what I am supposed to.
Well, I know that my Redeemer lives, and I know that this is the restored gospel on the earth today. Fare thee well, friends and family. I appreciate the dear elder letters. They come in the twinkling of an eye.
Sincerely,
Elder Hogge
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
9 October 2007
Well, another week is done here at the MTC. Time seems to fly when you are on the Lord's errand. Everything is planned out! It is crazy! Watching General Conference on the big screen in the Gym was way awesome! I didn't fall asleep once -- it was a miracle! I thought Elder Wirthlin's talk was sooo powerful with what was going on. Is he alright? We are shut off from everything in the outside world here.
Happy Birthday Spencer! 15 was my favorite year. I had the most fun just bein my goofy self. I hope school and everything is going well. I hope you love AP Chem like I did. It just felt sooo much nicer to be given credit as a person to work on my own in the college class.
The Japanese is really coming along. When we SYL, things go sooo much better. Our sensei's are so awesome. One of them is a native speaker, and he is way energetic so he gets us pumped up to learn.
So, it really is a small world. Elder Elledge, one of the elders in my district, is from Clovis and he knew Sarah Taylor! Pretty crazy, huh?
Well, I really am learning how to work. I think that I am finally starting to adjust to the intense, 12 hour work schedule. It is sooo refreshing to study from scripture everyday. They are so good to me! Haha.
I just can't wait to serve the people of Japan! I want to get out there and do it now! Just send me with what Japanese I know! Haha.
Last week, the TRC went well. We first met and talked to an investigator and invited her to listen to our message in Japanese. We were horrible! It was funny how much we slaughtered our words and sentences. But I hear that is pretty normal from the first TRC visit. We then taught the Restoration for 35 minutes. My companion and I made a really good teaching combination...We had a plan, but for the most part, we just "winged it" by the Spirit in asking the investigator questions. This week, we are preparing to do door approaches in Japanese. Slightly intense, but I think we will be fine.
I think that the key to my happiness here has been my willingness to trust the Lord. It could be very very easy to get totally overwhelmed with the new language (we have decided that the english speaking missionaries have a cake walk in the MTC) and learning how to teach. When I convince myself that the Lord knows me better than I know myself, and that He will prepare me for this trip across the world, I am comforted. Must be the Holy Ghost, eh? It is sooo vital to have the Spirit. Missionaries need the help of the Spirit to provide a witness to the people that the teachings are true. I like how mostly all of the General Conference talks meant something totally different and I could apply in such a different way than I could back home.
Being with a companion takes a bunch of work. I think Dad was right when he said that I will learn patience. It is totally true.
Well, I hope everyone is healthy and doing well. I am. The older missionaries in our residence hall really help us not feel overwhelmed. They are soo nice and soo fun. I have learned to love so much more here! I love everybody! I love you too Mom!
I am just about out of time, so I will catch ya'll on the flip-side!
Sincerely,
Elder Hogge
P.S. I think it is okay for everyone to email me. However, I should only email "the folks". Right now, www.dearelder.com is way more convenient to get to me anyways.
Happy Birthday Spencer! 15 was my favorite year. I had the most fun just bein my goofy self. I hope school and everything is going well. I hope you love AP Chem like I did. It just felt sooo much nicer to be given credit as a person to work on my own in the college class.
The Japanese is really coming along. When we SYL, things go sooo much better. Our sensei's are so awesome. One of them is a native speaker, and he is way energetic so he gets us pumped up to learn.
So, it really is a small world. Elder Elledge, one of the elders in my district, is from Clovis and he knew Sarah Taylor! Pretty crazy, huh?
Well, I really am learning how to work. I think that I am finally starting to adjust to the intense, 12 hour work schedule. It is sooo refreshing to study from scripture everyday. They are so good to me! Haha.
I just can't wait to serve the people of Japan! I want to get out there and do it now! Just send me with what Japanese I know! Haha.
Last week, the TRC went well. We first met and talked to an investigator and invited her to listen to our message in Japanese. We were horrible! It was funny how much we slaughtered our words and sentences. But I hear that is pretty normal from the first TRC visit. We then taught the Restoration for 35 minutes. My companion and I made a really good teaching combination...We had a plan, but for the most part, we just "winged it" by the Spirit in asking the investigator questions. This week, we are preparing to do door approaches in Japanese. Slightly intense, but I think we will be fine.
I think that the key to my happiness here has been my willingness to trust the Lord. It could be very very easy to get totally overwhelmed with the new language (we have decided that the english speaking missionaries have a cake walk in the MTC) and learning how to teach. When I convince myself that the Lord knows me better than I know myself, and that He will prepare me for this trip across the world, I am comforted. Must be the Holy Ghost, eh? It is sooo vital to have the Spirit. Missionaries need the help of the Spirit to provide a witness to the people that the teachings are true. I like how mostly all of the General Conference talks meant something totally different and I could apply in such a different way than I could back home.
Being with a companion takes a bunch of work. I think Dad was right when he said that I will learn patience. It is totally true.
Well, I hope everyone is healthy and doing well. I am. The older missionaries in our residence hall really help us not feel overwhelmed. They are soo nice and soo fun. I have learned to love so much more here! I love everybody! I love you too Mom!
I am just about out of time, so I will catch ya'll on the flip-side!
Sincerely,
Elder Hogge
P.S. I think it is okay for everyone to email me. However, I should only email "the folks". Right now, www.dearelder.com is way more convenient to get to me anyways.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
2 October 2007
Hello all! First week in the MTC has been wonderful. My Preparation Day is on Tuesday, obviously. :-) It is kinda scary being out here, but it truly is a marvelous work and a wonder. We have had 5 days of Japanese study, and we have already gone through most of what I learned in 4 years! It is so amazing what you can do when you have the Spirit to help you! My companion is from Spanish Fork and he was a member of Men's Chorus. He is quite a character! Haha.
Gym is the best thing that has ever happened. Yesterday, basically my whole floor went across the street to the field to play beach volleyball, kohai (new elders) versus senpai (older elders). It started to rain in the middle of the game, and it was sooooo refreshing! Don't get me wrong, I love wearing suits all the time, but it was nice to go barefoot in the sand with nice crisp air to breathe. Ogden Choro (Elder Ogden) from my hall at BYU is just a couple doors down from me. He is sooo fun! He is one of the senpai, and he knows the language sooo well. Many of the other senpai are inspirational. They are soo humble in their learning of the language, and they have turned their will over to God.
You can see it in their eyes.
Well, speaking of humility, I have been humbled very very much by the great task ahead. I have already gone through an emotional rollercoaster. But last night, I received a witness of the divinity of this calling. I literally felt a burning inside of me, telling me that God loves me. The joy I felt was amazing! I wanted to share that feeling with everyone around me! Already, I can't wait to be over there in Japan to help the people feel the joy of the gospel in their lives. I love serving!
The food here is just as I expected from having a year's worth of it at BYU. I like to think I am kinda expert about it. The chocolate milk is amazing, and the ice cream is to die for. Don't worry mom, I am being fed well!
I have found that I feel my best when I am sharing my humble testimony with others. Sunday, I gave my whole testimony in Japanese after just learning how to testify the night before. I am living proof of the gift of tongues! When you are focused on the Lord's work, everything "works out for your good."
We have had several LGM's (Large Group Meetings) in the past couple of days, and I absolutely LOVE President Boone. Everytime he speaks, you can feel the comfort of the Holy Ghost. He makes all of us happy inside.
From just the couple of days here, I have felt a dramatic difference in my countenance on days that I read the Morumonsho (Book of Mormon) and days that I don't. There is sooo much going on here, with all of your day scheduled, that sometimes we don't prioritize as we should. The Book of Mormon lifts my spirits everytime I even glimpse at it! If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God, this gospel truly is the restored gospel, Jesus really is our Christ, and God really is our Heavenly Father. Such is the converting power of the Book of Mormon.
Tell Hilary I felt inspired to pray specifically for her last night. The Lord loves her.
Tell Spence and Willy that there is no time like the present! To Spencer, work on bringing friends to church. To Willy, love freely!
I love being able to go to the temple every week. I haven't been yet, but I can already feel the blessings.
To end, let me offer my humble testimony.
Kono fukuin ga shinsetsu dearu to shitteimasu. (I know this gospel is true) Kazoku no shukufuku desu. (It is a blessing to families) Kamisama wa ten no otoosama dearu to shitteimasu. (I know that God is our Heavenly Father) Minasan o aishiteimasu! (I love everyone!) Iesu Kirisuto no mina ni yotte akashimasu. Amen. (I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen)
Sincerely,
Elder Hogge
Gym is the best thing that has ever happened. Yesterday, basically my whole floor went across the street to the field to play beach volleyball, kohai (new elders) versus senpai (older elders). It started to rain in the middle of the game, and it was sooooo refreshing! Don't get me wrong, I love wearing suits all the time, but it was nice to go barefoot in the sand with nice crisp air to breathe. Ogden Choro (Elder Ogden) from my hall at BYU is just a couple doors down from me. He is sooo fun! He is one of the senpai, and he knows the language sooo well. Many of the other senpai are inspirational. They are soo humble in their learning of the language, and they have turned their will over to God.
You can see it in their eyes.
Well, speaking of humility, I have been humbled very very much by the great task ahead. I have already gone through an emotional rollercoaster. But last night, I received a witness of the divinity of this calling. I literally felt a burning inside of me, telling me that God loves me. The joy I felt was amazing! I wanted to share that feeling with everyone around me! Already, I can't wait to be over there in Japan to help the people feel the joy of the gospel in their lives. I love serving!
The food here is just as I expected from having a year's worth of it at BYU. I like to think I am kinda expert about it. The chocolate milk is amazing, and the ice cream is to die for. Don't worry mom, I am being fed well!
I have found that I feel my best when I am sharing my humble testimony with others. Sunday, I gave my whole testimony in Japanese after just learning how to testify the night before. I am living proof of the gift of tongues! When you are focused on the Lord's work, everything "works out for your good."
We have had several LGM's (Large Group Meetings) in the past couple of days, and I absolutely LOVE President Boone. Everytime he speaks, you can feel the comfort of the Holy Ghost. He makes all of us happy inside.
From just the couple of days here, I have felt a dramatic difference in my countenance on days that I read the Morumonsho (Book of Mormon) and days that I don't. There is sooo much going on here, with all of your day scheduled, that sometimes we don't prioritize as we should. The Book of Mormon lifts my spirits everytime I even glimpse at it! If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God, this gospel truly is the restored gospel, Jesus really is our Christ, and God really is our Heavenly Father. Such is the converting power of the Book of Mormon.
Tell Hilary I felt inspired to pray specifically for her last night. The Lord loves her.
Tell Spence and Willy that there is no time like the present! To Spencer, work on bringing friends to church. To Willy, love freely!
I love being able to go to the temple every week. I haven't been yet, but I can already feel the blessings.
To end, let me offer my humble testimony.
Kono fukuin ga shinsetsu dearu to shitteimasu. (I know this gospel is true) Kazoku no shukufuku desu. (It is a blessing to families) Kamisama wa ten no otoosama dearu to shitteimasu. (I know that God is our Heavenly Father) Minasan o aishiteimasu! (I love everyone!) Iesu Kirisuto no mina ni yotte akashimasu. Amen. (I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen)
Sincerely,
Elder Hogge
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Joey's Address at the MTC
Elder Joseph Wallace Hogge
MTC Mailbox # 88
JPN-HIR 1210
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, UT 84604-1793
His estimated date of departure to Japan is December 10.
MTC Mailbox # 88
JPN-HIR 1210
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, UT 84604-1793
His estimated date of departure to Japan is December 10.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Joey and President Williams
President Jack Williams set Joey apart as a missionary on Sunday, September 23, 2007, at the Elk Grove Stake Center.
Joey's Talk on Obedience (Farewell Talk)
Obedience Talk
9/23/07
“It is our hearts and our aspirations and our obedience which definitively determines whether we are counted as one of God’s chosen.”
~ Elder Bednar
Obedience is that important. What would be the point of having commandments if there is no call to obey them? In fact, we have been given revelation that this call to obedience is part of the first law God established before this world existed.
D&C 130:20 “There is a…blessings are predicated”
The Lord has shown us that law.
D&C 82:10 “I, the Lord…have no promise”
So even before the world was, before man inhabited this mortal state, our Heavenly Father established this agreement with us, as His spirit children. If we do the things that He asks, he promises to bless us. We saw how wonderful our Heavenly parents were, and we as spirit children wanted to become like them. So as part of this promise, when we are obedient, He blesses us by helping us become more like them. The law of obedience was even in effect during the Great War in heaven.
We were given the first chance to use our agency when there arose a division in heaven. Heavenly Father had taught us His plan for our salvation, and there was a disagreement on how that plan would be fulfilled. On one side, Jesus Christ agreed to be the Redeemer and fulfill God’s plan unaltered, with all the glory returning back to God. On the other hand, Satan offered salvation to all, regardless of deed, with all the glory going to Satan. We could either follow God’s plan, or we could follow Lucifer. Those who were obedient to God were blessed, because the Lord is bound to bless us when we do what He says. That blessing was a mortal body. And that mortal body was progress towards becoming like Him.
There are many other instances in which the Lord has given commandments with specific blessings attached.
Even in the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, the Lord gives qualifiers to provide incentive for us to follow. We are commanded to “Honor thy father and thy mother.” If we do as Heavenly Father commands, He will bless us, “that thy days may be long upon the land.” By doing a simple thing like honoring our parents, the Lord gives us even more blessings than the work it takes for us to follow the commandment. So it is with many other commandments.
D&C 10:5 Pray always
If we exercise the gift of prayer properly and often as we are commanded to, we are promised to have personal revelation that we may know in our hearts and minds if things we sincerely ask about are true.
Moroni 10:4-5 Sincere heart + real intent + faith in Christ = know truth by HG
All we have to do is pray, but we feel the truth of all things. That is the fundamental basis of our religion. Each of us must pray to know. Whether it be the Restoration, tithing, or the Atonement, we may know the truth of anything. Heavenly Father does not expect us to have blind obedience.
President, then Elder, Spencer W. Kimball revealed this concept wonderfully in his 1954 October Conference address:
“When men obey commands of a creator, it is not blind obedience. How different is the cowering of a subject to his totalitarian monarch and the dignified, willing obedience one gives to his God. The dictator is ambitious, selfish, and has ulterior motives. God’s every command is righteous, every directive purposeful, and all for the good of the governed. The first may be blind obedience, but the latter is certainly faith obedience.”
If we struggle to understand the rules we have been given, we must ask our Heavenly Father in humble prayer for a witness that we may know that these commandments and rules are really from Him and really for us. The spirit will direct our feelings. We will know through the spirit of personal revelation: through both our hearts and our minds. It will make sense in our minds, and we will want to follow it in our hearts. This gift of personal revelation works in many cases.
If we are all spiritually in tune to the Lord, each of us will receive specific revelation to fit our needs. However, truth is truth, regardless of person, so when each of us move toward the real truth, we move closer to one another. By drawing upon that One Source, we become one as a people. We are one when we all listen for and heed our personal revelations from God. And when we finally feel unified as a people, we will be strengthened even further by our Lord. For He spoke: “if ye are not one, ye are not mine.” By obeying the direction to seek out personal revelation for ourselves, we start to understand and obey the direction to become one as a people. Obedience leads to progress. Obedience means becoming one as a people.
Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi gave a story during his recent conference address regarding obedience.
“A few years ago I received the assignment to reorganize the Carey Idaho Stake. The plane landed at Twin Falls, and President Roy Hubert, who had served so well, met me there and drove me to his home. While we were driving, I asked him, "Is there anything I can do for you and your Saints?"
He said: "Oh, we have had a terrible drought for the last few years. This year it is particularly severe, and many farmers have left town to find employment elsewhere."
I was so disturbed for our faithful members who love the Lord and the Church yet were losing their farms.
A young bishop, R. Spence Ellsworth, was called to serve as the new stake president. During the Sunday general session, results of the drought weighed heavily on my mind. As I was speaking, a strong prompting came. I asked them to do the following:
1. Faithfully pay an honest tithe, both young and old.
2. Humbly hold regular individual and family prayers.
3. Devotedly have daily personal and family scripture study.
4. Thankfully keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Gratefully go to the temple often, there offering thanksgiving.
6. Willingly sustain and follow the new leaders.
7. Hold a stakewide fast, including everyone in the affected communities who would like to participate.
For the next couple of days following the stake conference, many members planted their crops with complete faith, even though there was no forecast of rain.
On Wednesday, under the direction of President Ellsworth, the whole stake fasted. That same week many members, the leaders, and their spouses went to the Boise Idaho Temple and offered their thanksgiving. While these faithful Saints were in the temple, rain began to fall on the entire community, though the weather forecast indicated no moisture for the next few weeks. The following Saturday, good rain fell again and continued for a few days. This happened late in the month of April. Significant snow fell in the mountains, providing enough moisture. In the Dietrich and Richfield communities, their reservoir had been under 30 percent, but after the people fasted, the reservoir was nearly full. The Carey water supply increased from about 44 percent to more than 100 percent of normal. Through the rest of the growing season, as members of the Carey Stake increased their faith by fasting a few more times, paying honest tithes, and attending the temple more frequently, the Lord heard and answered their prayers. Frost came late that year, so the farmers were able to harvest grain, sugar beets, alfalfa, potatoes, and other crops. From that day, and each year since, they have offered their thanksgiving prayers, and "because of . . . his tender mercies,"7 the Lord continues to bless them.
In the book of Chronicles, the Lord said, "If my people, . . . called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."8”
The obedience of the people under the direction of Elder Kikuchi, who was lead by the spirit, provides a stunning example of the blessings we can receive.
We are commanded to “feast upon the words of Christ:” the standard works of the church including the Book of Mormon as another testament of Christ. As we study these sacred texts, we can more fully understand and get to know our savior Jesus Christ. It is in him that we receive a remission of our sins. We need to search out and glorify in Christ’s words. In the Book of Mormon, we have an amazing record of God’s revelations to the people of the Americas. Why not use it? We will grow closer to God.
Sometimes, it may seem that we have far too many commandments and guidelines to obey all at once. Surely, having only a strict way of living must bind you down. The way may be narrow, and the path may be straight, but Christ himself promises:
John 8:31-32 “If we continue in His word, we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free.”
True freedom ONLY comes from following Him. Freedom is the feeling of not being bound by the consequences of bad choices. Freedom is being allowed to grow and progress without an upward limit. When we are obedient to His laws, the consequences give us more freedom to exercise our agency. When we do not follow His laws, we become trapped by the consequences of our poor choices.
When we earnestly strive to obey, the Lord will guide us, even if we do not understand how. Nephi understood this principle, for he said
1 Nephi 3:7
Brothers and sisters, obedience is everything. It is everything we do. It is our love for Heavenly Father. It is our love for Jesus Christ. Obedience is all about love. The pure love of Christ is charity, because serving others will bring us more in tune to each others’ needs. When we are able to understand and care for one another, we become of one heart and one mind, for we will desire the best for each other. When we love each other, it shows God that we love Him. When we are one with our brothers and sisters, we will be unified in our goals. We will all want to do as our Heavenly Father wants us.
Our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ both love us. They want to show us their love. It is called the Atonement. They offer it with open arms. We have to try our hardest to do what they ask of us. They give us commandments so we can become more like them.
I know that these things are true. I have prayed about them. I have received a witness in both my heart and my mind. I love all my brothers and sisters. I am excited to be able to serve the Lord full time. I will miss you all, but the time for work is at hand! I leave you these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
9/23/07
“It is our hearts and our aspirations and our obedience which definitively determines whether we are counted as one of God’s chosen.”
~ Elder Bednar
Obedience is that important. What would be the point of having commandments if there is no call to obey them? In fact, we have been given revelation that this call to obedience is part of the first law God established before this world existed.
D&C 130:20 “There is a…blessings are predicated”
The Lord has shown us that law.
D&C 82:10 “I, the Lord…have no promise”
So even before the world was, before man inhabited this mortal state, our Heavenly Father established this agreement with us, as His spirit children. If we do the things that He asks, he promises to bless us. We saw how wonderful our Heavenly parents were, and we as spirit children wanted to become like them. So as part of this promise, when we are obedient, He blesses us by helping us become more like them. The law of obedience was even in effect during the Great War in heaven.
We were given the first chance to use our agency when there arose a division in heaven. Heavenly Father had taught us His plan for our salvation, and there was a disagreement on how that plan would be fulfilled. On one side, Jesus Christ agreed to be the Redeemer and fulfill God’s plan unaltered, with all the glory returning back to God. On the other hand, Satan offered salvation to all, regardless of deed, with all the glory going to Satan. We could either follow God’s plan, or we could follow Lucifer. Those who were obedient to God were blessed, because the Lord is bound to bless us when we do what He says. That blessing was a mortal body. And that mortal body was progress towards becoming like Him.
There are many other instances in which the Lord has given commandments with specific blessings attached.
Even in the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, the Lord gives qualifiers to provide incentive for us to follow. We are commanded to “Honor thy father and thy mother.” If we do as Heavenly Father commands, He will bless us, “that thy days may be long upon the land.” By doing a simple thing like honoring our parents, the Lord gives us even more blessings than the work it takes for us to follow the commandment. So it is with many other commandments.
D&C 10:5 Pray always
If we exercise the gift of prayer properly and often as we are commanded to, we are promised to have personal revelation that we may know in our hearts and minds if things we sincerely ask about are true.
Moroni 10:4-5 Sincere heart + real intent + faith in Christ = know truth by HG
All we have to do is pray, but we feel the truth of all things. That is the fundamental basis of our religion. Each of us must pray to know. Whether it be the Restoration, tithing, or the Atonement, we may know the truth of anything. Heavenly Father does not expect us to have blind obedience.
President, then Elder, Spencer W. Kimball revealed this concept wonderfully in his 1954 October Conference address:
“When men obey commands of a creator, it is not blind obedience. How different is the cowering of a subject to his totalitarian monarch and the dignified, willing obedience one gives to his God. The dictator is ambitious, selfish, and has ulterior motives. God’s every command is righteous, every directive purposeful, and all for the good of the governed. The first may be blind obedience, but the latter is certainly faith obedience.”
If we struggle to understand the rules we have been given, we must ask our Heavenly Father in humble prayer for a witness that we may know that these commandments and rules are really from Him and really for us. The spirit will direct our feelings. We will know through the spirit of personal revelation: through both our hearts and our minds. It will make sense in our minds, and we will want to follow it in our hearts. This gift of personal revelation works in many cases.
If we are all spiritually in tune to the Lord, each of us will receive specific revelation to fit our needs. However, truth is truth, regardless of person, so when each of us move toward the real truth, we move closer to one another. By drawing upon that One Source, we become one as a people. We are one when we all listen for and heed our personal revelations from God. And when we finally feel unified as a people, we will be strengthened even further by our Lord. For He spoke: “if ye are not one, ye are not mine.” By obeying the direction to seek out personal revelation for ourselves, we start to understand and obey the direction to become one as a people. Obedience leads to progress. Obedience means becoming one as a people.
Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi gave a story during his recent conference address regarding obedience.
“A few years ago I received the assignment to reorganize the Carey Idaho Stake. The plane landed at Twin Falls, and President Roy Hubert, who had served so well, met me there and drove me to his home. While we were driving, I asked him, "Is there anything I can do for you and your Saints?"
He said: "Oh, we have had a terrible drought for the last few years. This year it is particularly severe, and many farmers have left town to find employment elsewhere."
I was so disturbed for our faithful members who love the Lord and the Church yet were losing their farms.
A young bishop, R. Spence Ellsworth, was called to serve as the new stake president. During the Sunday general session, results of the drought weighed heavily on my mind. As I was speaking, a strong prompting came. I asked them to do the following:
1. Faithfully pay an honest tithe, both young and old.
2. Humbly hold regular individual and family prayers.
3. Devotedly have daily personal and family scripture study.
4. Thankfully keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Gratefully go to the temple often, there offering thanksgiving.
6. Willingly sustain and follow the new leaders.
7. Hold a stakewide fast, including everyone in the affected communities who would like to participate.
For the next couple of days following the stake conference, many members planted their crops with complete faith, even though there was no forecast of rain.
On Wednesday, under the direction of President Ellsworth, the whole stake fasted. That same week many members, the leaders, and their spouses went to the Boise Idaho Temple and offered their thanksgiving. While these faithful Saints were in the temple, rain began to fall on the entire community, though the weather forecast indicated no moisture for the next few weeks. The following Saturday, good rain fell again and continued for a few days. This happened late in the month of April. Significant snow fell in the mountains, providing enough moisture. In the Dietrich and Richfield communities, their reservoir had been under 30 percent, but after the people fasted, the reservoir was nearly full. The Carey water supply increased from about 44 percent to more than 100 percent of normal. Through the rest of the growing season, as members of the Carey Stake increased their faith by fasting a few more times, paying honest tithes, and attending the temple more frequently, the Lord heard and answered their prayers. Frost came late that year, so the farmers were able to harvest grain, sugar beets, alfalfa, potatoes, and other crops. From that day, and each year since, they have offered their thanksgiving prayers, and "because of . . . his tender mercies,"7 the Lord continues to bless them.
In the book of Chronicles, the Lord said, "If my people, . . . called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."8”
The obedience of the people under the direction of Elder Kikuchi, who was lead by the spirit, provides a stunning example of the blessings we can receive.
We are commanded to “feast upon the words of Christ:” the standard works of the church including the Book of Mormon as another testament of Christ. As we study these sacred texts, we can more fully understand and get to know our savior Jesus Christ. It is in him that we receive a remission of our sins. We need to search out and glorify in Christ’s words. In the Book of Mormon, we have an amazing record of God’s revelations to the people of the Americas. Why not use it? We will grow closer to God.
Sometimes, it may seem that we have far too many commandments and guidelines to obey all at once. Surely, having only a strict way of living must bind you down. The way may be narrow, and the path may be straight, but Christ himself promises:
John 8:31-32 “If we continue in His word, we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free.”
True freedom ONLY comes from following Him. Freedom is the feeling of not being bound by the consequences of bad choices. Freedom is being allowed to grow and progress without an upward limit. When we are obedient to His laws, the consequences give us more freedom to exercise our agency. When we do not follow His laws, we become trapped by the consequences of our poor choices.
When we earnestly strive to obey, the Lord will guide us, even if we do not understand how. Nephi understood this principle, for he said
1 Nephi 3:7
Brothers and sisters, obedience is everything. It is everything we do. It is our love for Heavenly Father. It is our love for Jesus Christ. Obedience is all about love. The pure love of Christ is charity, because serving others will bring us more in tune to each others’ needs. When we are able to understand and care for one another, we become of one heart and one mind, for we will desire the best for each other. When we love each other, it shows God that we love Him. When we are one with our brothers and sisters, we will be unified in our goals. We will all want to do as our Heavenly Father wants us.
Our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ both love us. They want to show us their love. It is called the Atonement. They offer it with open arms. We have to try our hardest to do what they ask of us. They give us commandments so we can become more like them.
I know that these things are true. I have prayed about them. I have received a witness in both my heart and my mind. I love all my brothers and sisters. I am excited to be able to serve the Lord full time. I will miss you all, but the time for work is at hand! I leave you these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Joey's Talk on Missionary Work
Missionary Talk
Calvine Ward
8/12/07
“The single most important thing you can do to prepare for a call to serve is to become a missionary long before you go on a mission”
~ David A. Bednar, Oct 2005 Conference
When I heard Elder Bednar give this talk, I was watching the General Priesthood Session in the Marriott Center with my dad and brother. This particular statement really grabbed my attention – I thought that there had always been some magical transformation in young men when they crossed the double doors of the MTC. Once a 19 year old guy crosses the threshold into the MTC, he straightens his posture, fixes his hair into a perfect part, and just knows the gospel like the back of his hand. But when Elder Bednar gave this statement, it was the first time I really understood that none of this is true! If I did nothing in the little time I had, I was going to be called to serve a mission without doing the “single most important thing…to prepare” – become a missionary. From then on, I made it a goal to prepare by becoming a missionary before the mission. This really taught me a lesson about the importance of paying attention in General Conference, especially the priesthood meeting.
It certainly makes sense that in order to share the gospel, it is necessary to know what “the gospel” is and to have a testimony of it. The scripture 3 Nephi 27:13-21 gives eight principles that we believe in: the Atonement, the Resurrection, Judgment, Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. We need to truly understand and gain a firm testimony of each of these principles individually.
As Elder Bednar put it, “it is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.”
A deep understanding and belief in the Atonement will result in a desire to share the gospel.
Howard W. Hunter asked: “What does the Atonement have to do with missionary work? Any time we experience the blessings of the Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of others…A great indicator of one’s personal conversion is the desire to share the gospel with others”
~ Howard W. Hunter, June 1994
Perhaps the best example of becoming that we have in the scriptures is the story of Alma the Younger. Alma and the sons of Mosiah were visited by an angel of the Lord after they had sought to destroy the church. And in Alma chapter 36, Alma gives his account:
Verses 7 - 21
The sorrow and torment Alma felt as a result of his sins weighed upon him so heavily that he wanted to become extinct, to cease to exist, so that he would not have to suffer the shame in coming face to face with our God. However, when Alma was at the peak of his agony, he remembered and called out for Jesus Christ to have mercy on him. Not only was Alma relieved of the pain of sin, he was given joy and the light of the Atonement to exceed the intensity of his pain. In this moment, Alma became a man of God. He could not keep himself from sharing the gospel for the rest of his life.
As Alma the Younger was converted to the Lord through his acceptance of the Atonement, so must we all be converted so that we may receive that deep desire to serve the Lord through missionary work.
If we are truly converted, we will jump at the chance to share the gospel. I have felt shy about the gospel, spending much of my time wondering what people would think, should I invite them to church, or hand them a church pamphlet. However, I have found that one of the most inspiring ways to break through the ice is to get in touch with the missionaries. If opportunity allows, offer to drive them to their appointments, or to go tracting with them. If not, I am sure they would certainly appreciate a dinner! If we spend more time with the missionaries, we can comprehend what it means to become a missionary.
Many missionaries I have spoken with admit that they did not study Preach My Gospel as thoroughly as they should have prior to entering the mission field. It is truly inspired writing. Studying it regularly has helped bring the spirit closer in my life, and has really comforted me in times of need. May it be a goal for all of us as member missionaries to study this excellent resource.
Similarly, the March 2007 edition of the New Era answers many questions about the mission. It explains what to expect in the MTC, and goes over a day in the life of a missionary. It gives advice and encouraging counsel. It shares stories about the hard work and determination required. It even offers a mental and physical fitness regimen. It truly inspires to follow the promptings of the Spirit.
In all of the excitement for preparing to serve a mission, we often overlook going through the temple to receive endowments. It is important for us to remember that, as Brigham Young taught, “the endowment is to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels.” Very plainly, the ordinances and covenants we make in the temple are absolutely essential for our salvation. Many times, the excitement of serving a two-year mission overshadows the more important temple ordinances. Those ordinances are essential to our salvation regardless of whether we also serve a mission. It is important and helpful to remember the preeminence of the temple over missions. The temple is so sacred and dear to me. I have had the opportunity to go and have felt the strength and Spirit that is felt and enjoyed by a temple attending people.
As a teenager preparing to serve a mission, I may not put on the white shirt and tie everyday, but, as D&C 4:3 states, I can increase in my desire to serve God.
Elder Bednar gave this beautiful counsel: “you can begin to think as missionaries think, to read what missionaries read, to pray as missionaries pray, and to feel what missionaries feel. You can avoid the worldly influences that cause the Holy Ghost to withdraw, and you can grow in confidence in recognizing and responding to spiritual promptings. Line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, you can gradually become the missionary you hope to be and the missionary the Savior expects.”
Brothers and sisters, missionary work is the Lord’s work. I know that if we honestly strive to open our mouths and express our joy in knowing the gospel, we will become what the Lord wants us to become. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Calvine Ward
8/12/07
“The single most important thing you can do to prepare for a call to serve is to become a missionary long before you go on a mission”
~ David A. Bednar, Oct 2005 Conference
When I heard Elder Bednar give this talk, I was watching the General Priesthood Session in the Marriott Center with my dad and brother. This particular statement really grabbed my attention – I thought that there had always been some magical transformation in young men when they crossed the double doors of the MTC. Once a 19 year old guy crosses the threshold into the MTC, he straightens his posture, fixes his hair into a perfect part, and just knows the gospel like the back of his hand. But when Elder Bednar gave this statement, it was the first time I really understood that none of this is true! If I did nothing in the little time I had, I was going to be called to serve a mission without doing the “single most important thing…to prepare” – become a missionary. From then on, I made it a goal to prepare by becoming a missionary before the mission. This really taught me a lesson about the importance of paying attention in General Conference, especially the priesthood meeting.
It certainly makes sense that in order to share the gospel, it is necessary to know what “the gospel” is and to have a testimony of it. The scripture 3 Nephi 27:13-21 gives eight principles that we believe in: the Atonement, the Resurrection, Judgment, Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. We need to truly understand and gain a firm testimony of each of these principles individually.
As Elder Bednar put it, “it is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.”
A deep understanding and belief in the Atonement will result in a desire to share the gospel.
Howard W. Hunter asked: “What does the Atonement have to do with missionary work? Any time we experience the blessings of the Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of others…A great indicator of one’s personal conversion is the desire to share the gospel with others”
~ Howard W. Hunter, June 1994
Perhaps the best example of becoming that we have in the scriptures is the story of Alma the Younger. Alma and the sons of Mosiah were visited by an angel of the Lord after they had sought to destroy the church. And in Alma chapter 36, Alma gives his account:
Verses 7 - 21
The sorrow and torment Alma felt as a result of his sins weighed upon him so heavily that he wanted to become extinct, to cease to exist, so that he would not have to suffer the shame in coming face to face with our God. However, when Alma was at the peak of his agony, he remembered and called out for Jesus Christ to have mercy on him. Not only was Alma relieved of the pain of sin, he was given joy and the light of the Atonement to exceed the intensity of his pain. In this moment, Alma became a man of God. He could not keep himself from sharing the gospel for the rest of his life.
As Alma the Younger was converted to the Lord through his acceptance of the Atonement, so must we all be converted so that we may receive that deep desire to serve the Lord through missionary work.
If we are truly converted, we will jump at the chance to share the gospel. I have felt shy about the gospel, spending much of my time wondering what people would think, should I invite them to church, or hand them a church pamphlet. However, I have found that one of the most inspiring ways to break through the ice is to get in touch with the missionaries. If opportunity allows, offer to drive them to their appointments, or to go tracting with them. If not, I am sure they would certainly appreciate a dinner! If we spend more time with the missionaries, we can comprehend what it means to become a missionary.
Many missionaries I have spoken with admit that they did not study Preach My Gospel as thoroughly as they should have prior to entering the mission field. It is truly inspired writing. Studying it regularly has helped bring the spirit closer in my life, and has really comforted me in times of need. May it be a goal for all of us as member missionaries to study this excellent resource.
Similarly, the March 2007 edition of the New Era answers many questions about the mission. It explains what to expect in the MTC, and goes over a day in the life of a missionary. It gives advice and encouraging counsel. It shares stories about the hard work and determination required. It even offers a mental and physical fitness regimen. It truly inspires to follow the promptings of the Spirit.
In all of the excitement for preparing to serve a mission, we often overlook going through the temple to receive endowments. It is important for us to remember that, as Brigham Young taught, “the endowment is to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels.” Very plainly, the ordinances and covenants we make in the temple are absolutely essential for our salvation. Many times, the excitement of serving a two-year mission overshadows the more important temple ordinances. Those ordinances are essential to our salvation regardless of whether we also serve a mission. It is important and helpful to remember the preeminence of the temple over missions. The temple is so sacred and dear to me. I have had the opportunity to go and have felt the strength and Spirit that is felt and enjoyed by a temple attending people.
As a teenager preparing to serve a mission, I may not put on the white shirt and tie everyday, but, as D&C 4:3 states, I can increase in my desire to serve God.
Elder Bednar gave this beautiful counsel: “you can begin to think as missionaries think, to read what missionaries read, to pray as missionaries pray, and to feel what missionaries feel. You can avoid the worldly influences that cause the Holy Ghost to withdraw, and you can grow in confidence in recognizing and responding to spiritual promptings. Line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, you can gradually become the missionary you hope to be and the missionary the Savior expects.”
Brothers and sisters, missionary work is the Lord’s work. I know that if we honestly strive to open our mouths and express our joy in knowing the gospel, we will become what the Lord wants us to become. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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