Week 4

This week was lots of fun and flew by! I can't believe I leave for Newport on Friday. I'm excited but also so sad to leave my district and the mtc. We're all really close and spend every waking moment together. Lots of signs, games, bookie, gym, cinny's, biscuits, and messing around. We pray on our knees together every night before parting ways. When you build relationships with the gospel as your foundation and share your testimony often, it's crazy how much more connected you are in a short amount of time!

I don't know why I began in the first place, but I started speaking in a British accent and it spread like wildfire throughout our district. It's been going on for many days now and nobody seems to be able to stop speaking in the accent. We call it the Mortensen plague.

Today our district made a temple appointment. It was our first time out in the wild by ourselves and we immediately lost 3 little sheep. I guess they were excited to be free and ran to hop on the wrong bus which of course closed the doors and drove off. After panicking for 5 minutes because our phones don't work outside of the mtc, someone had the idea to say a prayer. I think Heavenly Father was disappointed we didn't try that earlier because immediately after the prayer we looked up and saw the 3 sisters walking towards us. The temple was great.

Sunday was a spirit filled day. It was fast Sunday so we didn't eat until 5:30 which doesn't sound awesome but the blessings were pouring in. The girls in our district went to choir together and it was SO GOOD. I love the spirit music brings. We also did something called the go and do experience which is basically a very intentional personal study. The spirit truly guided me in this study, and my testimony of the Book of Mormon increased x100. I studied 3 Nephi 11 in depth. 

This is when the people hear Christ speak from the heavens. It wasn't a loud or harsh voice, but a small voice and it pierced them to the very soul. (Helaman 5:30) By verse 11, Christ has come down and we read that He has drunk out of the bitter cup which His father gave Him to suffer the sins of the world. He invites the multitude to come unto Him, and verse 15 reads, "It came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come."

When I was studying this chapter I imagined myself being part of the multitude. I imagined me going to Him and feeling where the nails were in His hands and feet. I know of a surety this happened as written by the prophets. And I know God truly loves each of us because He wouldn't have let His only begotten son suffer if He didn't.

 

I view the Book of Mormon differently now because I know these ancient events really happened. I know Nephi led his family to the land of promise, that Enos cried unto the Lord in prayer, that the sons of Helaman fought in faith even though they'd never fought before, that Nephi and Lehi were encirlced by fire but were not burned, and I know that Christ came to the Americas. I reccommed everyone read 3 Nephi 11 and truly imagine yourself being there! It was probably the greatest spiritual experience I've had to date and something I'll hold with me forever.

Thanks for joining me in the Sister Mortensen chronicles. I love everyone SAY YOUR PRAYERS.