Practice Teaching in MTC

Ola Querida Familia, Where has the week gone? It feels like it went by in the blink of an eye. Tomorrow will be my half-way point. 33 days left. I love the MTC, but I can't wait to get out into the field. This week for Devotional we got to hear Elder Zwyck from the seventy. He is such an awesome speaker! He taught about being a disciple of Christ. It's so important that we are all trying to follow Jesus and be like him and because that's what are goal here is! When were truly being disciples of Christ we put others above ourselves. I've decided to read the New Testament so that I can know more about Jesus and become more like him, and it has been such a blessing in my life. Still reading the Book of Mormon, of course!!!! I watched the Joseph Smith movie on Sunday, and I feel like my testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon have grown so much in the last 4 weeks. I love teaching about the restoration in lessons!!!! This week has felt really hectic because now I'm teaching 3 fake "investigators" with the 3 different elders in my district. Sometimes its really hard to teach with elders because they have such different ways of going about things, but I know that its a good experience for me to be able to learn how to teach with different personalities, and its so worth it to see how all of their testimonies have been growing and how much better they've gotten at Portuguese!!!! This week I got a new companion!!!! Shes a solo sister going to Brazil Velem (somewhere in the amazons) it was really hard at first to leave my old companions because I've grown to love them so much. It felt like a break up because even though I still see them a lot, it doesn't feel the same. But my new companion is really nice, and I think Heavenly Father has given me an opportunity to serve someone new now. I've pretty much given up on the thought of going to the Brazil MTC now that I've been here halfway. It would be nice to go, but I know HF has a reason for me being here. I just hope that I get it before my 9 weeks is up so that I don't get reassigned to Salt Lake or something.... I hope everyone is having fun back home and sharing the gospel with all their friends. It really is soooo important that you do. It's a matter of giving them eternal life here!!!! Write me back on Dear Elder so I know whats going on with everyone!!!! Sister Bruno

Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration

Oh Say, What is Truth?

Oh say, what is truth? 

'Tis the fairest gem

That the riches of worlds can produce

and priceless the value of truth will be when

The proud monarch's costliest diadem

Is counted but dross and refuse.

We are all searching for truth. It is what we all aim for, it is what we want to obtain, and it is what we dream about. Truth, where can one find it? How can we obtain it? What are we willing to do to hold it in our hearts and never let go? Is there a sacrifice not great enough to obtain such a blessing? 

Jesus Christ likened truth unto a mustard seed, "Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and where unto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it." (Luke 13:18-19)  

The Truth Revealed from Out of the Earth

"Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth! As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them!" (D&C 128:19) The truth of the ever lasting gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth through a prophet named Joseph Smith. The truth that has been revealed from out of the earth is the Book of Mormon. We as missionaries and representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invite all men every where to partake of that truth. Our message is one of Peace, Hope, and Happiness. May you always search and thirst after righteousness. I challenge you to read the Book of Mormon and reflect on its message, and then find out for yourself if it is not true through asking God in prayer. I promise you that you will receive an answer that the book is true.

Joseph Smith Dream

When I worked at BYU-Hawaii my wife and I had a conversation about spiritual things she thought I could ask the Lord to reveal them to me and if I was righteous he would. I was researching an article to present at the Mormon Pacific Historical Association. I didn't know where Palehu was so she suggested I ask the Lord about it. During the night while I was sleeping I had a dream that revealed to me the place and name of where the church was established in Maui. A few days later I decided that I could do the same thing in regards to the Prophet Joseph Smith. I prayed to the Lord and asked if I could converse with the Prophet. That night I had a dream in which I met with Joseph and Hyrum. In my dream the two men were discussing various things concerning the gospel and the work being done on the other side of the veil. Joseph was a very distinguished man with dark blond hair which was on the brown side. His nose was much larger and more prominent than in many the pictures. His complexion was tanned. Years later when I carried the tool box and saw his death mask that Eldred Gee Smith had it was closer in appearance to my dream than the many portraits and paintings. Hyrum was not as flamboyant as Joseph. The thing I will always remember is the vividness of the colors in the dream and the style of their clothing which was very fashionable for their time.