“Two years.”
For the record, Elder Taylor and I are at a 3-5 winning history in Monopoly. For clarification, that is me winning with 5. #rekt
This week had many things happen, like exchanges with Lewistown, but I just want to focus on the few things that meant the most to me. This email might be long, but the hope is that it will have a lot of heart.
The first thing I want to mention is the interviews we had with President Larson on Wednesday. It was cool to have a personal interaction with him, though he is only my mission president for three weeks. President Larson is a young guy, he has a lot of vision, and I think he is exactly what this mission needs at this time. I am grateful for him, and for the love and counsel he gave to me, despite our brevity of interaction. Among other things, we talked about my past mission assignments, my view on the differences between district and zone leadership, music, my plans, and how the mission is in general. He told me to enjoy every second that I have left, and every time something happens for the last time on the mission. I will be seeing him again soon for my departure interview, goodbye dinner, and testimony meeting at the mission home. I am so grateful that we have a Father in Heaven that speaks to us through the whispering of His Holy Spirit, and reveals what people need to do at what times. President Larson’s call as a mission president is inspired of the Lord, just like all service in the church is. I love him, and I sustain him, just as I sustain the Lord’s prophet on the Earth today.
Ephraim is prepared for baptism! We were able to have his brother serving a mission in California video call in and help us teach the Ten Commandments. I think it really helped him. As the call concluded, the Brother began to weep for Ephraim. I am sure it is because he underwent serious and intense change for the better in his own life because of the gospel, and he is joyed to see his brother experience the same change and joy if he will let it. I am also excited for Ephraim. His baptism is tomorrow at six. Pray for us and for him.
Perhaps one of the sweetest tender mercies of the Lord I have experienced occurred on Sunday. Last week, Bishop Williams asked me if I would speak the following Sunday (yesterday) about how missionary work brings us closer to Christ. Of course, I love speaking, and accepted and prepared. As I was up on the stand and Bishop conducted the meeting, he announced the youth speaker before me, announced my address, and then finished by saying that the intermediate hymn would be hymn #83, “Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah.” I was struck as he said that. Elder David A. Bednar, in his 2005 conference address, entitled “The Tender Mercies of The Lord,” described his experience six months before in General Conference. On that occasion, the intermediate hymn right before he was to speak for the first time as a general authority was hymn #9, “Redeemer of Israel,” his favorite hymn. He discussed how, on that day, he knew the Lord was looking out for him, and cares about him personally enough to give him little reminders of His love, even if just in the form of our favorite song at the right time. At this, my last sacrament meeting as a full time missionary, I felt exactly the same confirmation that the Lord knows me, knows my condition, and loves me so much that he would send me His tender mercies, even if just in the form of a song. My favorite hymn is hymn #83, “Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah.”
The words I said in that talk are immaterial, except to say that I know they were true. I know Jesus Christ’s grand commission on this earth is exactly as is stated in Luke 4:18, as he reads from the Book of Isaiah a prophecy about Him, written more than seven hundred years before:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”
Heading out to the church group on the Rocky Boy Reservation after that, I was also on the roster to speak. I was without my notes from my last talk, but that was alright because I feel like what I said there was probably better anyway. The Spirit truly will give you the words you need in the very hour that you need them. Among other things, I testified of the Savior Jesus Christ, and His love for all people in all nations and throughout all time. I shared what is to me one of the most powerful scenes in all of scripture, when the Resurrected Lord descends from the sky to the people of the Nephites in the ancient American continent, and identifies Himself by saying:
“Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.”
In other words, “That person that has been prophesied to you would come to save you, the one in whom you have so much faith though you have not seen Him, the one who’s name is written on the scriptures that you’ve studied? That is me. I am here, and I am real.” In the next verse, He continues:
“And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.”
In other words, “Not only am I the prophesied Messiah, but I did exactly what I promised that I would do. I have worked out your salvation and mine. All that is left now is to continue faithful and follow me.” I love those scriptures! And I love serving on the reservation because as the gospel is preached to them, prophesy is being fulfilled that the gospel would go to the seed of Lehi in the latter-days, after their turning away.
To finish my account of this last week, I will just say that the Havre ward and the members here are fantastic. They are absolutely wonderful, and I love them. There are families that do so much, make me feel at home, and really love the Lord and their families, and I want to have that example in my life with a family that I will someday raise. So, thank you Havre. It’s been a ride.
The final itinerary is to have Ephraim’s baptism on Tuesday, get me to Great Falls on Thursday night, have me in Billings on Friday, go to the temple Saturday morning and put me in a metal tube back to Phoenix’s own Sky Harbor Airport. It’s a mixed bag of emotions, but I know all things will work out for my good.
I love my Father in Heaven, and I love His Son, Jesus Christ. I know they live, and I know they love us. I testify of the power, mercy, and grace of The Holy One of Israel, the promised Messiah, of Him who is Mighty To Save. He calls:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I know His ways are true. That is my testimony, and I bare it in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Arizona, I’ll see you soon.
Rock and roll ~
-Elder Stephen Burch π
“... I’m three days from New York City and I’m three days from you.”
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| Statue on the Rocky Boy Reservation made of car parts |
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| With a family we teach on the reservation |
