Elder Todd Cronin: October 3, 2011 17 Miracles

Family!

How did you all enjoy conference ????? Wasn't it amazing!!?!? I particularly enjoyed President Monson's address on Saturday morning. For whatever reason I had this wave of emotion come over me as he spoke that confirmed to me that he is the Prophet of the Lord. It was an amazing confirmation. Priesthood session seemed more like a zone conference to me as most of the remarks were directed towards missionaries. I took many things from that session to apply to my mission. I also really enjoyed Quenten L Cook's address on grief and sorrow. This is the second time he as addressed this topic and his coucil is heaven sent.

It has been interesting to see life unfold at home as I serve. Before my mission I had two pre-concieved notions. One was that life and everything in it would stand still until I got home. Well surprise to me!! Loved ones have passed on, Samuel is getting merit badges, Olivia is realizing her dreams, Callie is driving(that's the scariest one), and friends and other family are progressing in life. The other notion I had was that nothing could happen to me. I am invincible and expempt from the hardships that others face in their lives. Well...false. I am no different than anyone else. I am glad that my presumptions were not correct. Because trials make us stronger and we are here to progress and I am glad to hear of the progress of all those I love.

This week has truly been magnificent as I looked forward to conference. The added responsibility of being a zone leader leaves little free time if any as a missionary and as a result I sat down for conference less than prepared. These experiences in the mission are gems. Because I can take a lesson from my lack of preparation and do better next time and in turn condition myself to perform ideally when the time comes to put aside my responsibilites at work and spend time with my family. I am glad to be learning these lessons now.

No baptisms this week but we did get the opportunity to watch 17 Miracles. If you have not seen it yet...Buy it. Watch it. Rinse Tears. Repeat. This movie is heart wrenching. I walked away from it with two things to do in my life. Build my faith stronger, and pray more sincerely. The faith of those pioneers is miraculous. I felt I have been taking the Restoration for granted until this point. They sacrificed so much to get their posterity the chance to be in Zion. Their faith was "stronger than the cords of death" (D&C 121:44). Their prayers were earnest and selfless. They truly did all they could and then turned to the Lord. They have insipred me to have more faith. More faith in struggling investigators, less than enthusiastic memebers, discouraged missionaries, and the future. Faith! What does that word mean to you? This is a great question to ask yourself. I can promise you that it is no word to be thrown around as the asnwer to every gospel question. It is more. Faith is just as Ether describes, "things which are hoped for and not seen"(Ether 12:6). We only have two eyes and they see visually, physically not spiritually. So there is so much that we cannot see. One thing for me is the blessings of serving a mission. I had to take it on faith that this was the right choice for me. I could not see the blessings ahead and therefore did not know for a surety that it was the right thing. But with all the faith I had I put in my papers and even more faith was required to pack my bags the last night. But I am so grateful that I did!!!! I would not rather be anywhere else than here serving my Heavenly Father. I know he is proud.

Oh and prayer. Prayer is crucial! How can a Father care for his son if the son never speaks to him. How can the Father know of the love his son has for him if the son does not express it. The same goes with prayer. Of course our Father in Heaven knows our needs. But the scripture says to ask and then you shall recieve. It does not say be in need and then recieve, but ASK. Pray. I have such a strong testimony of prayer. I have seen miracles in my life after simply addressing my Heavenly Father, giving him thanks, asking forgiveness, and asking for sincere help in the name of His Son Jesus Christ. There is no substitute for prayer. Struggling as a teenager I turned to Dad for help at one point, usually I could handle everything on my own. But this one occassion I asked for his advice. Now for those of you who know my father you know there is nothing he cannot do nor fix. He literally knows everything. And of all the responses he could have given me and all the solutions to my problems there were, he simply asked, "How are your prayers going?" And frankly, they weren't. I found peace about the problem that night as I prayed. I don't remember the words but I rememeber the love I felt. Prayer lets our Father in Heaven know we want a relationship with Him. And he brings much more to the table than we, so who better person to have on your side.

I love each and every one of you who finds themselves reading this. And I love all those whose prayers have been for me and other missionaries. So may I say, using a pronoun missionaries learn to love, we love you!

Love,

Elder Cronin