Dear YM

March 22, 2013

Dear Young Men,

The MTC is an amazing place to learn and grow. So many learning opportunities and the spirit is constantly present. From day one you are in the classroom and learning the language. The second day, you are already teaching a new investigator, in your language. We learn really well by “doing” and there is a lot of doing here in the MTC. 

For the few weeks that I have been here, I have seen missionaries with trust in the Lord and [missionaries] that don't have trust in the Lord.  There are missionaries that teach lessons by reading their notes and keep their nose stuck in the book. Because I was one of them, I can truly say that when you don't teach from the heart the spirit can't touch your heart. When you trust in the Lord, and have faith that he will bring words to your mouth, miracles happen. I testify that miracles happen every day and if you are distracted by fear and/or discouragement, it is really hard to heed to the prompting of The Spirit. 

The Lord knows each of us and our needs, he knows the needs of the investigator, and because he loves all of us he will not let us fail. To fail doesn't mean that we don't have bad experiences or moments that seem really awkward;   failure means that you have stopped trying, have given up, or even stopped learning from experiences God has blessed us with. With faith in Christ, we can not fail!   He provides us all with opportunities to learn and grow.   Talking to an investigator is not the easiest thing in the world and it can be scary because you don't want to let the Lord down. When we trust the Lord we accept that his will shall be done and that his spirit can touch God's Children. Never underestimate the power of the spirit and know that the spirit can change lives.

Here in the MTC you will pray and sing more than you may have imagined.  You will also see the spirit change lives, testimonies, and bring hope and piece to everyone.  Faith in Christ has the power to save lives! When we trust in him and have faith that he will inspire us in time of need, there is nothing we can't do.  Because we are set apart as missionaries,  everything we can do is in the name of the Lord.  

Another important trait to have is love. When we love, we have a glow around about us that will touch the lives of those we contact. When we fully love God, and our Savior Jesus Christ, we will love his people – that we teach – from before the moment we even meet them.  When we have faith in Christ and love his people, God will work miracles through us.  How great is that to know that with faith we become instruments of the Lord and he works miracles through us.

Faith is mighty enough to save!

Love,

Elder Criman!