Week 35: My Eight Month Mark!

Hey everyone!

Well, can you believe it?? Today is my eight month mark! Time has gone by too fast but it definitely gets me excited because it means I’m that much closer to seeing you guys again! :)

The transition from junior to senior companion isn’t too bad, it’s just challenging because it brings so much more responsibility. It can be pretty stressful sometimes when all of your responsibilities start to pile up. I feel like sometimes I can’t keep up with it all! Any suggestions on how to relieve some stress? lol

This week has been a pretty good week. It’s been a busy one too! We have been visiting even more less active members. Our objective is to help them come back to church. We want to make sure they are doing okay so we have done a lot for each of the families we have visited. We just want them to know they are loved and missed. You know what’s sad though? Not only are we rejected by non-members, but we are being rejected by members just as much. What the heck!

During one of our visits I learned a valuable lesson. The experience taught me why reading and daily scripture study is so important. It’s so sad to see a member lose their testimony in the gospel because they have not been reading the scriptures on a daily basis. I’m so grateful for my testimony of its truthfulness.

Mom and Dad, thank you so much for teaching me the gospel in my youth. Thank you for teaching me to stand firm in the gospel as well as the importance of daily scripture study.

We were given a new study assignment from our mission president and I think you guys might enjoy doing it with us too…
First you’ll need a clean copy of the Book of Mormon. Next you will need 5 different colored highlighters to mark your scriptures with, each of the following questions will correspond with a different colored highlighter.

1. Anything referring to the Lord Jesus Christ even in nouns and pronouns.
2. Christlike attributes.
3. When Jesus is speaking.
4. When Heavenly Father is speaking.
5. Highlight your answers to your specific question.

The next part of the assignment is to think of a specific question you would like to ask Heavenly Father and to ponder that question while you are studying. The last part of the challenge is to read 7 chapters each day!

I’ve taken this challenge upon myself and my personal questions have been answered more than one hundred times already! I’m continuing to find more answers as I continue to read as well. So, I’m extending the invitation and challenging you all to do this with me. It’s really fun! My love for the scriptures has increased so much since I’ve been on my mission. Please share this challenge with anyone you feel prompted to share it with. My promise to you is if you read and prayerfully study the Book of Mormon it will help you resolve any spiritual problem you may currently have.

I’m so grateful to hear from loved ones back home! Tell Bishop Anderson and everyone else that I’m doing well and that I’m so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission. It is so worth it! My best advice on preparing to serve a mission is to read the Book of Mormon and gain a testimony of its message and its divinity because there will be hecklers and “anti-mormons” out there that will try their best to persuade you to believe them.

Tyrel and Ally, thank you so much for the package! I absolutely loved it! I’m so grateful to have such an incredible family. Thank you for being such a great example to me to become a better man.

I’m so glad you received my Father’s Day letter in time! You are an amazing father to me and I am looking forward to becoming an amazing husband and father just like you someday. Thank you for being a wonderful example to me. I’m so grateful for mom too and how amazing she is as well. I have the most wonderful parents. :) I love you dad! I hope you had a great Father’s Day.

I love and miss you all very much!

Elder Peterson