2/16/15 - 24th LETTER FROM DUNCAN

Elder Stock received his latest package from us and loved it!  It even included some letters from our YW.  Favorite line from the letters: "Those are my rangers lost every time a jaeger goes down!"  Kudos to Megan Manwaring who quoted from his favorite movie!!!  I know that Elder Stock tells us this was the "best week ever", but this week was pretty over the top special.  Here he is:

Dear World,

 

This. Week. Was. The. Best. Bar none. Holy miracles! So...to preface this weekly Elder Stock update, let me just tell you: I am way too blessed! I don't deserve any of the blessings I get, but hey, I don't question miracles! Seriously, I have an amazing family, I was born in the covenant, am currently serving in the best mission on the planet, and have had the utter privilege of teaching--I feel like that's not an accurate description of what I did in my formative days of missionary life...probably preachy stuttering is more like it--the most amazing children of God that I have ever met in my life. Judith, Shawnee, and Will, are members of His Church, of His Family, of His Fold. What a blessing that is! And I got to be a tool (maybe a rusty wrench, but something!) in His hands during that process?! Too blessed. I am honored to have been a part of it at all. 

So. Miracle of the week was honestly Will's baptism. He is the coolest guy that I've ever met, and such an inspiration to me. I cannot believe how far he's come since I met him until now. Words cannot describe it. You cannot tell me that this church isn't true. No one would do what he has done to bring his life in accordance with the gospel if it wasn't. If the Holy Ghost hadn't manifested that truth to him. After a long wait, he was finally cleared for baptism. And what a spectacular night that was. The atmosphere of Valentine's Day was rightfully overshadowed by the pure love of Christ that we felt through the Spirit that night. It was a wonderful service. We got to double dunk in Duncan, too! Both us and the sisters had investigators being baptized. Theirs was Heather, and she is awesome! They're both so solid in the gospel. 
Will was overly excited to be baptized. He was so giddy. it was like watching me watch Pacific Rim. It humbled me. If this guy can get so excited about the gospel, then why can't I every single day?! Well, after his baptism and confirmation, he was literally glowing. It was awesome. He still is haha. I am so excited for him and for the life in this gospel that he has ahead of him. It's going to be incredible. 

The coolest thing for me was seeing the ward take Will and Heather in. As a missionary, sometimes I feel like my investigators' salvation rests on my head. Like, if I don't do something right, they're done for, and I am, too. Totally not true, but it's the natural stress that comes into the situation. So seeing Will getting not only welcomed and fellowshipped, but treated like a king at the fantastic Duncan Ward up here was astounding and heartwarming to see. 

I had an incredible experience last night, though, that needs to be shared with all of you. So, we had our weekly cottage meeting. We decided that we would have a mini testimony meeting, and so we did. And can I just testify to you all that the Spirit was SO strong there! Hearing the testimonies of Judith, Shawnee, and Will were the greatest things I could ever hear. The gospel literally has saved all of their lives. I stand all amazed. The gospel of Jesus Christ is what we need in this life to find happiness and joy in the life to come. I am so grateful to know this, and to know that it has indeed been restored to the earth through a prophet. Joseph Smith. We have a living prophet today. How is that not the coolest news ever?! 

I'm just too overjoyed by this week. It's hard to describe in words. But all I can say is just keep living the gospel. Not only will blessings come, but you will be able to see other people's lives change. I know this church is true, that the whole message of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ isn't just some really cool, convincing story that we tell to help investigators understand the church, but that it is the truth. It actually happened. Joseph Smith saw God the father and His Son, Jesus Christ. These truths are exactly like the law of gravity. Doesn't matter if you don't believe in them, because you'll still fall when you step off of that cliff. ;) I love this gospel, and I love this mission! Miracles have not ceased! You all have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Stock

Elder Stock, Will, Elder Hancock

 MIRACLE OF MIRACLES!!!!

The last time I saw Colton on the stand singing was in his last Primary Program.

LOVE THIS!!!!!



Sister Missionaries, Heather, Will, Elder Stock and Elder Hancock



The next day and Will is still glowing!

 Epic Cottage Meeting!!!



 He loves Duncan!

It will be hard to leave his first area.



Goofy Kid!

Poutine from the Corner House Café

Colton's rating.....EXCELLENT!

Friday will be his SIX MONTH MARK!

I can't believe it's already been that long.  We will celebrate the night before by trying poutine from Costco. 

2/9/2015 - 23rd LETTER FROM DUNCAN

It's getting close to the 6 month mark, can you believe it?!?  He's spent his entire time in Duncan and transfers are in a week and a half.  The clock might be winding down for this area, we'll know soon.

ATTENTION
The following is an account of a missionary's awesome week in Duncan, BC associated with a spiritual uplift.  If you don't like feeling happy, good, or hopeful, you might not like this post.  Reader discretion is advised.

What is happening, everyone?! Firstly, I hope you are all doing well. And I'd like to thank all of you for your support.  I feel it every morning I wake up and drop to my knees, pleading with the Lord to help me each and every day, to help Him hasten His work here. Your prayers are felt, and they buoy me up. So keep it up! You're all awesome.

This week in Duncan has been nothing short of amazing.  Miracles have not ceased.  The Lord lives, and He prepares the way for all of us to return to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Our Father in Heaven has such an intense love for all of us...I've seen that first hand out here, and it's pretty great.  So, last week, we got the awesome news from President Burt that Will's approved for baptism!

Sister and President Burt, Elder Stock, Will, Elder Hancock
And ever since then, miracles have poured out upon us. We dropped by some investigators from our area book, which was an interesting experience...some people are "formered" for very good reasons.  Yikes...But it was fun, as usual!  We taught a lot of lessons this week. The people we've been able to reach out to and help and teach are so incredible, and I've made some great friendships out here, ones that I hope will last a lifetime.  I made a huge tray of Texas Hash this week, so that was good!  We got to take the youth in our ward out for some lessons, and they loved it.

The biggest news is that this Saturday, President Burt came up to Duncan to interview Will for the last time, and it was an amazing experience!  Will's getting baptized on SATURDAY, the 14!!! Will's testimony is so strong, and I'm so happy to have been able to teach him, to have the pleasure of being his friend.  I'm so excited for Saturday. Right after the interview, President Burt told us to take Will and get him a white shirt and tie. We happily obliged, and now he looks like a legit member.

It's so awesome. We planned the baptismal program with him and a woman named Heather who the sister missionaries in our ward have been teaching, and they are both getting baptized on the same day: Valentine's Day!  What better way to show love for the Lord than by being baptized, eh? :D

I've been thinking a lot, too, about testimony and conversion, the first presidency message this month.  Last night, I was able to teach with Will and Elder Hancock about that message, and to me, I changed the words to knowledge and action.  The Lord gives us our testimonies. For me, my testimony of this restored gospel is my greatest treasure.  But what good is it to have that testimony if we don't ACT on it? Once we do, then we begin the process of being converted.  None of us are done with our conversion process.  We won't be for a LONG time, after this life.  So we need to make sure that we are acting on our testimonies, and then we will not only grow in our knowledge and conviction of the gospel, but we will help others do so as well.  We will become the tools in the Lord's hands that He wants to use, the ones that will help Him hasten His work.  

In the world, we hear a lot about how "progressive" everything's getting.  How "forward" we are moving, etc.  But to where?  What's the end goal here, people?  Progress is movement...but if you don't have a goal, or a destination, you will be lead astray quicker than you can blink.  It's like having faith.  We can't just have faith...that's a trust and a hope for something we can't see, but in what?  We need to center our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Then, we can start moving somewhere.  Through Him, we can reach our destination: the kingdom of God! The same is with our progression. We need to be progressing toward eternal life.  As we make our steps back to our Father, He will see our efforts and bless us, or help us come closer to Him.  Conversion is a gradual process.  It happens as we do the daily, small and simple things consistently and build our foundation of faith.  So get up and read the scriptures, pray fervently, and seek personal revelations in your lives! As you do so, you will be blessed and you will be able to feel the direction of your Heavenly Father, and become more converted unto the Lord. I know that this is true, because I've seen it in my own life.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is real.  It changes peoples lives every day, and helps them to access His Atonement, to access His healing.  I know this to be true.  I've seen it.  I've felt it.  The witness born to us by the Holy Ghost should be what we seek each day.  So do it! It will bless your lives so much.

Have a great week everyone!

Elder Stock

Is Elder Stock ready to have his own cooking show?!?

 Texas Hash!

 I have nothing to say about the next four photos.....

except that they are teenagers!  ;-)

2/2/15 - 22nd LETTER FROM DUNCAN

HAPPY GROUNDHOGS DAY!!!!!  So happy to be able to talk with my boy (on email) today.  Here's his letter:

Hello world,

Man, this week has been fantastic! Probably getting old, but it's not a lie each and every time that I say it. It truly is awesome to be serving the Lord in this capacity. These past five or so months have changed my life so much, they truly have. My testimony in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is invaluable to me, and this opportunity that I have not only to strengthen my testimony even more, but to help others to receive a testimony as well, and to see them grow and take hold of this perfect, incredible gospel, is such a blessing. Losing myself in this work so far is happening by degrees, kind of like the positive version of Amalickiah's scheme. Metaphorically, figuratively speaking, of course. 

I feel like the more I give up to the Lord, and the more I try to just move forward with faith and forget myself in the work, to truly serve selflessly, that everything works out way better. It's like, when you try to go at it with your own strength, your going to get your own results: nothing. We, as mortal beings, cannot hasten the work. It's impossible. We can't convert anyone, we can't find anyone to teach, we can't help others to come unto Christ on our own. So when we work with our own strength, that's exactly what happens: nothing.

We get in a rut, and we start to feel discouraged, like the work isn't real. Like there aren't people out there who actually want the truth. BUT, as I've come to know, when we give up ourselves and try to become an instrument, even a weak instrument, in the Lord's hands, then what can we do through Him?! Through Him, we can find those that He has prepared to accept the teachings of Jesus Christ's restored gospel, those who have a desire to follow Him, and to receive eternal life. 

A miracle happened this morning. President Burt has been in touch with us elders as we have tried to get Will's baptism approved from the proper authorities. We've been praying together that we will receive an answer, and we've been trying to keep his hopes up. He's too resilient, though. He's handled this trial so far like a boss! So, this Sunday, we all fasted for Will's baptism to be approved, that we would get an answer. This morning, I kid you not, I get a call from President Burt. "Elder Stock, they've approved Will's baptism." 

Literal. Spiritual. Adrenaline. Flowed through my veins. 

You cannot tell me that miracles have ceased, that God does not live, that He is not interested in our individual lives. That is simply not true. He is alive, and He is there, and He wants to communicate with us through sincere prayer. When we humble ourselves, when we show our desires to Him, He will grant them to us. According to His will, of course. THAT is the truth. As I've been reading The Book of Mormon again on my mission, a major theme has struck me this time: God keeps His promises. 

If He says it, it will happen. He is Almighty God! And what has He promised us?! That if we keep His commandments, we will receive eternal life! Boom, there you go. As we earnestly follow the doctrine of Christ in our lives, we will see so many blessings come from it. 

This week was awesome. I got to go to Nanaimo on an exchange, which made me realize how much I love Duncan even more, as the big city scared me a little bit. Duncan has a nice mellow feel to it. People are a lot nicer to talk to, even when they're rejecting you. We got to see Norm and Ken, as usual, and they're doing fantastic! Elder Hancock had his 19th birthday, as well! To celebrate, we had his favorite: lemon meringue pie!!! So good! Oh, and guess what?! I had the coveted Costco poutine! Oft regarded as the best poutine overall in the three categories of the poutine scale: 1) size, 2) cost, 3) taste, it definitely took the cake. Good job, Costco. Good job. 

The work is hastening. Right now. We are in the middle of it. So get out there, start working, and make history! Boo ya! I know this church is the true and living Church of Jesus Christ on the earth, and that the authority we hold is God's authority. The Book of Mormon is true. Share it! Have a great week, everyone!

Sincerely,

Elder Stock

Texas Hash

Homemade by Elder Stock

This is one of my boys favorite recipes.  Colton asked for the recipe a couple of weeks ago and he finally made it.  YUM!

 

Here's Mita's recipe

TEXAS HASH2 T. oil
1 large onion, diced
(opt) lg. green bell pepper or 2 stalks of celery, diced
1 lb. ground beef
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 c. uncooked rice
1  tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease/spray a 9x13 pan and then evenly pour the rice in the bottom of the pan.  Set aside.  Cook the onion (and bell pepper or celery, if using - I usually just use the celery and I add 4-6 stalks) in the oil until soft.  Add the ground beef and cook until browned.  Next, add the tomatoes and seasonings, gently pour the mixture on top of the rice in the 9x13 dish.  (making sure the rice is completely covered by the tomato/beef mixture.  Cover dish with foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and cook another 15 minutes. 
 

1/26/2015 - 21st LETTER FROM DUNCAN

Some Missionary Moms don't focus on the two year countdown.  Instead, they countdown the 24 Fast Sundays of the mission.  Next week will be our 6th!  Here's his letter:

Dear Peeps!

 

Man, this week has been crazy awesome, as usual. not gonna lie, I feel too blessed up here...don't know what I did to deserve such an awesome mission thus far, but I am not going to complain! Quick overview of the week: miracles. Miracles everywhere. One of our investigators was having some serious financial problems, and didn't have enough food for him and his daughter. We were trying to schedule an appointment, but he was too stressed. So we decided to load up some of the spare food we had in our apartment and head over to the rescue. After all, we are representatives of Jesus Christ! We knocked on his door, and when he saw the food we had brought him, he was so relieved. We came in for a little bit and talked with him, helped him out. We committed him to live the word of wisdom, the law of chastity, and the law of tithing. He's so grateful for this church and this gospel, and he's been reading the Book of Mormon. It was a wonderful lesson, and I'm grateful to have been a part of that experience.

We also had the opportunity of heading up to Nanaimo and attending what's called a specialize training session, where the assistants and Sister Burt gave a training on weekly planning and how important it is while President Burt interviewed each of us individually. It was incredible. He's such an inspired man. Truly called of God. 

My testimony has been strengthened in one specific aspect of the work this week. Let me share an incredible miracle with you all: We had a very cool experience this week. As we were walking down the road that we live on, a man drove by and skidded to a halt right after he saw us. Taken aback, we stopped, too, wanting to make sure that he was okay. We walked up to the car, and he rolled down his window, asking us, "Hey! Are you guys Mormon missionaries?!" Automatically, we answered, "Yes! Have you ever talked to some of us before?" He was super excited and said that he'd been wanting to meet with us forever, but couldn't find us. He gave us all of his contact information and set a return appointment for today, January 26th, at 6 pm. We are so excited to visit with him, and for his progression in the gospel. The reason that that happened is because we had prayed just before leaving the house that the Lord would make sure that we would be placed in the path of His children who are prepared to hear His message. And lo and behold, it worked! The gospel is real! I have such a testimony of that.

It was awesome. The work is hastening. The Lord is ever at the helm. We met with Will this week, as well. He's doing great, but he's a little discouraged that he can't get baptized yet. The wait is literally destroying him. It's agonizing to watch, but we're helping him out so much. Patience is a virtue! Every trial that we go through is here for us to learn and to grow. The Lord has a plan. It's in His hands. I need not worry. This week was great. I love the work. It gets better and better each and every day. It's also comforted to know that I am in exactly the right place at exactly the right time right now. This is where the Lord wants me to be. I've prayed about it, and I've received an answer. And THAT is how we know all things. If we have any question, just ask Him. He'll give you the answer liberally, and upbraid not. That is the principle that restored the gospel, and that is the principle that leads souls back to Christ, and back to their heavenly home to live with their Father in Heaven forever. I know that to be true.

You all rock! Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Elder Stock

Me, Elder Hancock, and the hilarious Korean elders in Courtenay

  I made pancakes the way that papa made them. They tasted exactly like his. It was incredible. Best morning I have ever had! 

I would call it a successful week if it's full of miracles and Papa Pancakes! 

1/19/2015 - 20th LETTER FROM DUNCAN

Tomorrow will be the 5 month mark for Elder Stock!  I can't believe it's been that long because it certainly doesn't seem like it. 

Dearest Missionary Blog,

Hello! I hope that everyone's week was fantastic! Mine was incredibly awesome. Like ten thousand gallons of pure awesome sauce. All over the place. If that imagery doesn't grab you like a National Enquirer headline, then I don't know what will. Highlights of this week include: finding a Book of Mormon CD at a random Canadian thrift store (the Lord provides), sniffing an air freshener called "passion" in an elderly member's truck on the way to a new member lesson, having a really weird dream about Disneyland as a missionary, watching "To This End Was I Born" with Norm and Ken and seeing the part where Jesus Christ visits the spirit world between his death and Resurrection, being taught from Preach My Gospel by my two recent converts and a super solid investigator named Will, being super tired everyday (it's only gonna get worse!) yet super happy, hearing the good news that we are getting a new car because our car is over 78,000 kilometers, and teaching a man with "22-caliber faith". 

The work is hastening here in Duncan. The Lord truly is preparing His children for the wonderful, hopeful message of the Restoration. This is His work. Not ours. We just have the privilege of being instruments in His hands and learning from Him. I testify that He is real, and that He loves us. I can't emphasize that enough. This is His church, His gospel. I would exhort you all to read the Book of Mormon, to study it every single day. Pray fervently about it with great faith and sincerity, apply its teachings in your life, and you will not only see the blessings from doing so, but you will know that it is true, and you will have the privilege of building a relationship with your Eternal father in Heaven. What a wonderful gift that is! Have a wonderful week, everybody! 

And finally....A shout out to the Central Ward Young Women! Thank you for writing me! Your faith makes me work harder each day!

Yours truly, 

Elder Stock

Me and Elder Hancock takin' a breather before e-mails. 

 And Burger King's new bacon poutine!

It was nasty...



Imagine that.....Burger King's food was nasty! 

Ah, the food choices of a missionary.

1/15/15 - 19th LETTER FROM DUNCAN

I knew that transfers were happening and I couldn't wait for Colton's letter.  I again messaged Sister Ruttan for some information on my boy.  She was more than happy to let me know that they would keep him in Duncan a little bit more! 

Dear World,

 

This week was....fantastic. One of the best weeks of my mission thus far. It was transfer week! *air horns* So, we usually get transfer calls on Monday night of the transfer week, but this week, we didn't get any call at night, so we thought we dodged the transfer bullet and went to bed slap happy. The next morning, we woke up and while Elder Jacobs was in the shower, the Assistants called us. We quickly regained composure of ourselves after we about fainted of disbelief, and then heard the transfer news. Elder Jacobs went to Terrace to train a greenie. Elder Hansen went to Surrey to be with some other missionary, and I am staying in Duncan! With a new companion! His name's Elder Hancock, and he's a transfer younger than me! I'm pulling rank on him. ;) Just kidding. But seriously...he's been a main-lander his whole mission so far, so it's time to slap that apostasy out of him. Lol.

He's super cool, though, and willing to work. He's from Surprise, AZ, loves movies with a passion, and is a Dr. Pepper fanboy! So much in common already! So far, we've taught a ton of lessons together, and it's been a blast. The work is hastening here in Duncan, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. Our recent converts, Judith and Shawnee, are doing SUPER well. We need to teach them at least 2 times a week to make sure that they are enduring to the end, so it's been going super well. In fact, one of the coolest things ever happened on Thursday. We were teaching Shawnee a lesson, and she told us that she just got a job to start paying for her....MISSION FUND! Yeah, she's determined to serve a mission in a year! Isn't that amazing?! We gave her a Preach My Gospel and she's going out teaching with the sister missionaries all the time. It is so cool. In fact, both Judith and Shawnee are going to start teaching us lessons now, just to make sure they know the doctrine. It's incredible to see how much this gospel transforms people. 

We are teaching, teaching, teaching. And there were so many miracles in our zone this week. Our results were sky high. I love it. We're truly seeking the Lord's direction here. We got a new bishop, as well! Bishop Holt! He looks very similar to dad, just with a Canadian flare. And he used to be the second counselor in the bishopric, too, so...I'm feeling if this truly is the Canadian Tony Stock, then dad: you're gonna be the bishop soon. Have fun! :D We had a super cool cottage meeting at Sister Arnott's home, taught about the power of the Atonement, got to have some stellar hot chocolate, and got to talk with Will. He's doing super well. I love that guy! 

The mission is great, what more can I ask for?! I'm gaining an incredibly strong testimony of the gospel, I'm seeing miracles, I'm learning more and more each day that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ actually live, and that they are so loving. This gospel is literally here to help us return to live with Him once more. And it's the most incredible message anyone can share. I am honored to be one of the Lord's servants. Read from the scriptures, pray about them, and go to church! As you do these simple things, you will be prepared for eternal life! I know this to be true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Sincerely,
Elder Stock

The end of the Tri-Force!

(Hansen, Jacobs and Stock)

 Elder Stock & Elder Hansen

 Elder Stock, Elder ?, Elder Jacobs

 Elder Jacobs & Elder Stock

 New Companion!!!

Elder Hancock & (the first time as a Senior Companion) Elder Stock

I thought I would share the meme that Kyler sent to Colton this week.

We're busy putting the finishing touches on a care package tonight.  Tomorrow it will start its journey to Canada and into the hands of Elder Stock.  Can't wait for next Monday to hear more about his adventures.

1/5/15 - 18th LETTER FROM DUNCAN

Transfers are this week!  Duncan or a new area?!?  We will know next week....unless Sister Ruttan will tell me before then ;-)  Kyler is into making memes for Colton......maybe next week he can have a different photo.



Dear Humanity,

 

I feel like I haven't written you all since, like, last year! *Crickets chirp* 2015 is truly the one year of my life, where I will have the opportunity of serving the Lord the entire time. I am pumped! My New Year's resolution? To become a better missionary! Pretty vague, but I have a lot of goals written down, like repenting daily, accounting to the Lord, etc. It's gonna be epic!
This past week has been great...as usual... Duncan is fantastic. Great weather, and beautiful scenery. I never knew trees could gets so tall until I came up here. I actually didn't really know that trees could grow at all until I came up here. I still love Arizona scenery, though! So, last week we went to a creepy thrift shop in downtown Duncan. I was sifting through the creep-fest ensuing before my eyes, and found...nothing good...except for a really disturbing doll with half of its face ripped off. Thrift shoppin' in Canada! Sweet! We made some Missourian food in honor of Elder Jacobs, as well. Jambalaya and wassun (I think that's how you spell it...){I think he's talking about wassail}, that one drink that's like orange juice, apple juice, cinnamon, and cloves had a baby. It's pretty good! Also, with our new Nerf guns, Elder Hansen accidentally shot Elder Jacobs' point blank straight in the eye. It was hilarious. Well, except for when Elder Jacobs couldn't see for a couple of days... Don't worry, the eye doctor said he's fine. And he can see now. We think... 

We visited N and K again, and N revealed the stunning truth: he doesn't like the new Planet of the Apes reboot movies. If I wasn't a missionary, I would have left. Kidding, kidding! It was super funny, though. They're doing great. 

We visited our new investigator, M, and he is awesome! He is seriously so prepared! The Lord is truly, actively involved in His work. We are just tools. We are the ground troops, but He is the commander. He sees all, and He knows all. That's why it's so important that we keep our inner vessel clean. that we are truly conduits for His spirit. Otherwise, He cannot work through us, and then no work will be done. because then, it will be man's work. 

We also got to meet with one of our investigators, R. His sons S and A love a certain movie that I was able to connect with...you guessed it.. PAC RIM! It was hilarious. They weren't really paying attention and then I found out they liked the movie, so I started geekin' out with them, and then after that, they were totally engrossed in the lesson. The plan of salvation is awesome.
We also saw a pretty neat miracle. We went to Boston Pizza, and ordered a pretty good amount of food to start our fast. After we were finished, the waitress told us that someone had picked up our bill. We looked over and this older gentleman was leaving with his wife. She pointed at him and said, "It was him." We thanked him and he left abruptly. But it was super cool to see that Christ-like love. Something so simple as paying for someone's meal. It made a difference to me. By small and simple things, great things come to pass. 

We got to visit a man named S. He is another testimony of how much the Lord prepares His children for His message. He's been through a lot of rough times, but because of this, he knows that there is a God that loves him. And that's all that matters. Everything else comes after that. Being with him at church yesterday was sacred. He truly felt the Spirit there. You could see it in his eyes. And it was wonderful. I love this mission. I have never known before, with such certainty as I do now, that Heavenly Father is real, that He loves us so much. That the priesthood is real. That His church, His truths, His pathway back to Him, are back on the earth once more. Right at our fingertips. All we need to do is hold on. We already know the result of this war between us and the adversary. God will not let us down. To play in this game, we don't need to be huge, starting linemen. We don't need to be star wide receivers. We just need to put on a jersey and run. That's all that He requires. To run. To strive. To improve. Joseph Smith himself said that our progression in this gospel is much like climbing a ladder: what matters isn't that we reach the top, but that we are continually taking the next step. That's all that matters. not perfection just yet, but improvement each and every day. I can promise all of you that as we look within ourselves, ask the penetrating question that President Uchtdorf so eloquently committed us to do: "Lord, is it I?", that we will receive light into our lives. We will know what he wants of us, and we will know exactly how to repent. How to become better. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Sincerely,

Elder Stock

 HE SHOT HIS EYE OUT!!!

Thankfully, he's OK!

 Until next week, when we find out about transfers.