15 March 2010

Thanks for the emails again. I really appreciate your efforts in writing me. First off, congrats Michelle in football. I hope everything goes well with that. Steven, I’m glad you enjoyed pi day so much. I love pie day and pie time. Let’s keep counting our blessings with regards to random math moments in our lives . . . and let’s all share a moment of silence for series right now. . . I feel great!

So that’s way cool to know that Grandpa walked the same streets I’m walking now. There are some old-time members here; maybe they’ll know him. I really like it here. The members are way good to us. And, fyi, it’s a branch and a district here. There were like 50 or 60 at church this week.

Something cool that happened this week was the sisters 30 minutes away in La Paloma had a baptism. They came to our city to do it because branch is even smaller than ours and they meet in a house. But my companion was able to baptize the 2 girls and I was able to be a witness. It was cool to be able to participate in another companionship’s baptism.

So, thanks for the McConkie quotes.* It actually has something to do with what I was studying this morning. I was studying for a district meeting lesson I’m giving tomorrow – about making our lessons shorter and more powerful. One of my favorite quotes from PMG is our calling gives us the authority and keeping covenants gives us the power. The tough part is keeping our covenants perfectly.

Another cool thing I learned this week was from Elder Nelson in 2006. Contemplate comes from “con” meaning with and the Latin root “templum” meaning a space or place to meditate. Both contemplate and temple come from this Latin root. And it’s interesting the interrelation between the temple, the home and the body. Just something cool to think about.

And one more thing of incredibly high importance. I went to La Paloma to do the baptismal interview, and there is real live camping there. CAMPING, you know what that means. Dad, try to conceal your joy right now . . . you can’t. But I think that’s it for now. I love you all. Take care.

Love, Elder Whitaker

(from Steven) - Here's a cool quote that I got in Seminary:
"This, then, is the doctrine of the priesthood. . . . This is the power we can gain through faith and righteousness. Truly, there is power in the priesthood -- power to do all things! If the world itself was created by the power of the priesthood, surely that same power can move mountains and control the elements. If one-third of the hosts of heaven were cast down to earth by the power of the priesthood, surely that same power can put at defiance the armies of nations or stay the fall of atomic bombs. If all men shall be raised from mortality to immortality by the power of the priesthood, surely that same power can cure the diseased and the dying and raise the dead. Truly there is power in the priesthood -- a power which we seek to acquire to use, a power which we devoutly pray may rest upon us and upon our posterity forever."

note: I looked up the talk Steven referenced. It was given by Elder Bruce R. McConkie in the April 1982 general conference. I liked the definition of the doctrine of the priesthood that appeared earlier in the talk, and thought you might like it as well -
"Priesthood is power like none other on earth or in heaven. It is the very power of God himself, the power by which the worlds were made, the power by which all things are regulated, upheld, and preserved. It is the power of faith, the faith by which the Father creates and governs. God is God because he is the embodiment of all faith and all power and all priesthood. The life he lives is named eternal life. And the extent to which we become like him is the extent to which we gain his faith, acquire his power, and exercise his priesthood. And when we have become like him in the full and true sense, then we also shall have eternal life. Faith and priesthood go hand in hand. Faith is power and power is priesthood. After we gain faith, we receive the priesthood. Then, through the priesthood, we grow in faith until, having all power, we become like our Lord."