Week 104: "I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord commanded me"

Hello Family,

Scripture of the week:  Alma 29:9-10, these verses really just describe how i feel about my mission. Ive been putting off writing this email cause i really dont know what to say, cause my mind is every direction right now, so i hope this all makes sense. 

Alma 29:9-10

9- I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and i glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but i glory in that which the lord commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps i may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

10- And behold, when i see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do i remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yah, then do i remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me. 

 

i dont know how to adequately portray how i feel about the past two years of my life, but those verses are pretty close to it. What greater way to express how you feel than through scripture right? 

What a glorious two years we have all had together. I say together even though we have been so far apart, because this has truly been a family affair. I will forever be grateful for the love and support i have recieved from the whole lot of you. I have recieved so much strength from the letters and emails you all send me each week. That will be something that i will really miss. I have learned to love each of you in a different way than i ever thought possible. I have learned to love our Father in Heaven, i have learned to love OUR Savior, i do love him with all my heart. I have learned that this gospel is without a doubt true. I have learned so many amazing things, i dont have time to write them all now, but will be able to spend the rest of my life telling you of all i learned while serving in this capacity. 

My feelings and emotions are mixed, but i do look forward to seeing you all very soon. I have been able to take time the past few days and ponder on my mission, and im so grateful for every single secong of it. Im not sure where it went, cause it went way to fast, but i am so grateful for it. This morning in my studies i was reading some old journal entries, and it caused me to reflect, and i was thinking "have i done all i could? have i accomplished all i was sent here to do?" and after i thought this i had one of the most precious spiritual moments ive ever had in my life, and the spirit told me that i truly have accomplished all my father sent me here to New-England to do. Has it been easy? no way! But nothing that is worth your time will ever be easy. i am just so grateful for the past 2 years. Thank you for being here with me the whole way. 

Alright enough rambling. Time to talk about this week. 

Wow what a week. Monday night a huge snow storm rolled in. It totally rocked the whole state of Vermont. But the part of the state that got hit the worst was Windsor county which is right where we are. We got i think about a foot and a half of snow. It snowed all day tuesday. Most the day wednesday, most the day Thursday. Also we got some freezing rain, nasty wind, and anything else you can think of might come with a winter storm. so our cars were grounded till thursday morning. Needless to say it was really just an eventful week. The power has been out all over. All week we kept losing power at our cabin. We have been with out power here at the memorial up until about an hour ago. It has really just been an eventful week. Luckily we have generators here at the memorial so we could still run our lights for all to feel of the spirit of christmas. Friday night we were on duty, and we counted 316 people who cam eand saw the lights. It was great to get to talk to that many people about the savior in just one day. Because of no power at the church they were going to cancel it. But they decided to hold it here in the visitors center. It was really tight quarters but was truly an amazing meeting. i felt like the saints of the early church just meeting together in a small meeting room. but the most important thing was being able to partake of the sacrament, and we got to do that, so that is really all that matters. 

So thursday the storm broke enough for us to have a lesson with Jeremy one last time before i go. we had a great lesson with him at the Feeneys home. He is now rescheduled to be baptized on January 17. It will be a great day when he gets to enter the waters of baptism and covenant with our Heavenly Father. 

also on thursday someone backed in to our car and made a crunched mess out of my brand new chevy cruze rear bumper. But no one was hurt so that is the most important thing. 

All in all it was a good last week as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. i love this work. 

So now for this week. Tomorrow we leave to transfer meeting at 745 in the morning. we then will have TM where all of us going home will get to give our "golden truths" which is just the most important thing we have learned on our missions. After TM all of us who are going home get to go to the temple with president and sister stoker. we will then have dinner and a testimony meeting, then we will lay in bed not able to sleep then wednesday who knows what will happen till we have to go to the airport to fly home. Then i will sit on a plan for who knows how long and will try to sleep but probably wont be able to. then finally the plane will touch down in SLC. There will be a million missionaries and a million families so itl be super wild and crazy, but itll be a truly fantastic day. i do look forward to seeing all of you and giving you all a big ol hug. i love you all so much. Just so you know, Elder and Sister Pettingill who were in the office with me might be at the airport to meet all of you. I hope that is ok, they are really special people to me and they asked if they could be there and i told them they could. So they might be there. 

So i just want to share one last testimony with you as a missionary. 

I know that we are children of a loving Father in Heaven. i love him. I know we have a savior in our older brother Jesus. He is the Christ. I love him. I know Joseph saw both of them, and that because he answered the call to serve we have the knowledge of them that we have today. I know families can be together forever. i know this gospel to be true, every last jot and tittle. 

love you all so much. 

HOLD TO THE ROD

Elder Quinton Joseph Zilles

Week 103: The Blessings of a mission

Hello Family, 

Scripture of the week: Alma 26:3 The Blessings of a mission. 

Well my wonderful family, anyone who says 2 years is a long time is decieved, because it is not long at all. Just gonna tell you now, but i probably wont talk too much about coming home in this weeks email, but dont worry i do look forward to see yall i just dont feel like crying right now, so ill not really talk about it and ill just cry later. 

So this week was good. I had the opportunity to go to Essex on exchange. It was precious. It was in a way like Heavenly Father saying that he is proud of me and the work ive done and he wanted to show me the fruits of my labors. I got to go see Brian and we were talking and he said "had you not been on a mission here i probably wouldnt have been baptized" now i dont think that is true, because he was very prepared so he most likely would have been baptized anyway, but it was still humbling to hear him say that. Also got to see Elvis and Catholic Pam. Both very good friends. Since i left Elvis stopped meeting with the elders and is very anti god in any way. But we had a lesson with him and at the end i ask him to pray and he actually did it. It is very humbling to be the instrument that our Father works through to touch the lives of his children. The greatest gift of my life. I love this gospel. 

While i was on exchange, Elder Adams and Elder Parry met with our investigator and had a good lesson, he feels he needs to be more prepared for baptism so he is no longer scheduled for this weekend. Which is what is best. Wish i could be here to see it, but all that really matters is he is ready and fully prepared to make that sacred covenant with our Heavenly Father.  

This week will be good. My last exchange ever will be with Elder Guinn, so thatll be sweet. today we are going bowling for district pday. And then the rest of the week is going to fly by far too fast. But im just going to give 110% till i get on the plane. and then i will probably crash, but thats ok im giving it all i have to give. Elder Adams tried to tell me it would be ok to let up a bit this last week so i wasnt so tired when i get home. I told him that was hogwash and that there is no reason to ever slow down and let up in the lords work. He has never let up on us, so why on earth would we ever let up on him. 

Grateful to hear the first week of Christmas in weston went well. Glad you got fred and Ruth all set up. they are such good people. 

Mom dont worry about having everything perfect. Dont worry about cleaning the barn, i have no problem cleaning the barn when i get home. Itll be good to get my hands dirty again. So please dont stress so much. Im not a celebrity coming home, just your son, so dont stress so much. 

Grandpa Don is such an amazing man. I will have to make sure to drop him a note today. 

Well Family, sorry this is short once again, im not sick this week, but my mind is just racing a million different directions so i hope you understand. 

Sure do love you all. 

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles

Week 102: The Lights are on!

Hello Family, 

Scripture of the week: D&C 84:119

I feel i have really seen this on my mission. 

 

For I, the Lord, have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven; ye cannot see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it, and know that I am, and that I will come and reign with my people.

 

 

 

Well i am happy to hear all is well back home. Sounds like turkey day went well and you all had a good ol time. 
The new car looks pretty sick, i look forward to being able to take it for a spin. you gotta watch out for a couple of sales men like dad and mike, they will get ya every time, but we love them anyway. Thank you so so sos much for letting me drive the hyundai when i first get home, that was one thing that i was really worrying about. so now that i dont have to worry about a car situation that is just one less thing i have to worry and fret about. This going home thing is the absolute hardest mixed emotion thing i have ever faced in my life. Ive been trying to just remain in denial of the whole thing, but ive decided that probably isnt too healthy so i better just give it my all till then end and just accept that it is about over. So to help with that i would appreciate it if you would send me the schedule for the first few weeks when i get home. Also could you send me my class schedule and as much as i dont want to ask for them, could you send me my flight times and all of that good jazz. Wow you would think i was a missionary or something having to know every little detail of every day. What have i become? oh well gotta love it guess my mission really has changed me. 

So thanksgiving was good here in So Ro. Ate lots and lots of food, way too much to be honest, but it was very good. The day before thanksgiving we got 10 inches of snow, so thanksgiving morning i made elder adams get up early and we came up here and shoveled out the memorial before anyone else was awake. We then ate here at the memorial. Then we had a suprise call from Prue Pease who is the one i talked about shoveling horse poop with, and she invited us over as well. so we ended up having 3 full meals. I think i might still be full from that feast. But all in all it was just a good time. 

Friday and saturday was the lighting ceremony, that was just amazing. So good to see the Gregs. Love those  people so much.

Brother Gregory Came to the lighting ceremony

Well sorry this is so short. Im not feeling top notch today, hopefully im not coming down with something. But youll get over it any detqails i missed ill just tell you in 17 days. Holy crap that is gonna go fast. 

Hold to the Rod
Love ya 
Elder Zilles

 

Week 101: If God be for us than Who can be against us?

Hello Family,

Scripture of the week: Romans 8:31

WE ARE PIRATES WEST SIDE PIRATES PIRATES WILL ALWAYS FIGHT TO WIN WERE PROUD OF OUR GREAT TEAM WE'LL STICK WITH THEM THROUGH THICK AND THIN FOREVER MORE UNITED WE STAND PIRATES WILL ALWAYS FIGHT TO WIN FOR WE ARE THE PIRATES OF WEST SIDE PIRATES OF WEST SIDE HIGH! FIGHT!!!!!!!!!

Congrats to all of the boys. Im glad they were able to pull of the win. It is amazing how much football has helped me on my mission. Learning to work hard at anything will help anyone so much on a mission. but just super happy for all of those boys. 

Well i am sorry i was not on yesterday. We had Presidents interviews. Seeing how there are 30 missionaries who go home with me, president is doing all of our exit interviews while he is doing our zones interviews. So yesterday i had my exit interview with President Stoker. He normally alots 45 minutes for those, but he and i were in mine for an hour and 45 minutes. Luckily he had me as the last interview, cause we surely were in no rush. We could have sat in there talking all day. President Stoker is such an amazing man, and is my best friend. i will forever be grateful that the lord called him to be my mission president, and that i have had the privilege of working so closely with him. I just love that man. We talked alot about the gospel and my mission, and that was jsut great. And then he said ok, we have some other things we need to talk about, and then he started to talk about dating and marriage. It was pretty weird to talk about that stuff, but i am grateful for the advice and counsel i was able to recieve from him. I asked him to give me a blessing to help me be prepared for the "final transfer" so he gace me a blessing. the preisthood is so amazing. Here i am with president, who has never read my patriarchal blessing. Well from what was said in the blessing you would have thought he was quoting my patriarchal blessing. It was just really realy neat. 

So last monday after i emailed, Our investigator called us finally. So we are back on track with him. He still has not kicked coffee. So he has this week to get off it or we will have to move the date back. Hopefully that doesnt happen, but if it doies then that is ok cause the most important thing is for him to be completely prepared for baptism. He is still such a great man. 

Our log cabin is still treating us with the upmost luxury. Yes we have 2 stories all to our selves. Its pretty neat. 

Dad expressed concern about the void of blessings when i return home. That is something i have thought much about,and this is the conclusion i have come to. As long as we live the gospel to the fullest, the blessings will still continue to flow. Sorry to hear the truck and tractor are having struggs. Maybe we need to build a shed to park them both in, just food for thought. 

thank you for my thanksgiving card. We have two meals set up for turkey day so no worries there. We will be eating with all of the sr couples at the memorial, and then later in the day we will be eating with the Hostetter family. Dont know them too well, but itll be great either way. Then friday and saturday we have the live nativity and lighting ceremony here at the memorial, pretty excited for that. ill make sure to take plenty of pictures. I hope you all have a fantastic thanksgiving. Make sure to take sufficient time to give thanks for all of our many many blessings. As we are so so blessed. 

So im about out of time but i just want to share one last experience from this week. Sunday we went home teaching with Brother Gilman, and we were sittling in a lesson with a long time less active who told us his scriptures got ruined so he hadnt been reading them, but he really wished he had them to help him through hard times. Well out of no where bro gilman says here i have a present for you, and he gave this man his personal set of scriptures. It was jsut really neat. One of those moments that i really just was so glad i was there and so glad that i chose to serve a mission. A mission is such a life changing experience. I love you all so much. 

Stay strong and dont forget i love you

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles

Week 100: Sometimes you have to shovel poop...

Hello Family,

Scripture of the Week: Matthew 6:33, Alma 62:5

Vermont Cow Boy Hat!

Wowsers week 100! November 17, 2014. i really cant believe another week has come and gone. And today is exactly one month till i return home. Still havent wrapped my mind around that yet, and im thinkin itll be one of those things that wont seem real till i see yall at the airport. So till that time comes im just doin the best i can for the lord here in The Land of Joseph! As one of the Senior missionaries said to me today, "your so short (in time) that you could sit on a pony and not be able to touch the ground with your toes". Yup that is the kind of stuff that i put up with on a regular basis here, but i love them all. 

Way to go West Side! Im Proud of those boys. if im not mistaken, Matt Turnbow, Kaden Bingham, and those fellers should be Seniors this year. if that is the case, im so happy, and so proud of those boys. There is something special about West Side Football. Once you have been a part of it, it will always be a part of you. I will always cherish my time under those friday night lights in the maroon, gold, and white. but even more than that will always cherish my time in the lords uniform here in New England! 

So this week has been pretty interesting. Actually has been pretty slow. The new SR couple that will replace us is coming in the end of this week, and they need our apartment, so they have been looking for a place to put us for just a month, and then they realized that the log cabin that one of the sr couples is in the basement of is completely empty upstairs. So they are just renting that place for a month. So Elder Adams and I now live in a full log cabin. Have the whole thing all to ourselves. Talk about going out with a bang, "Dying" in Style. Doesnt get much better than that. The Land of Jospeh in a log cabin that is barely a mile away from the monument. This morning we ran to the monument for exercise. We were the first ones up here, snow was falling, it was completely silent, it was just a really cool moment. I love this place with all my heart. 

So when i was here in So Ro at the beginning of my mission on exchange and we milked for Brother Pease, he and i struck up a pretty good friendship. And now with me being back here we are jsut the best of pals.  The only time we can ever meet with him is in the barn while he milks, and i of course have no problem with that. So every monday night we go help him milk. Well the other night we stopped in to check on him, and he had just had a terrible day and was really running behind. So we said alright put us to work. so he took us in the barn, turned the pump on and said "if you could start milking that would be great" So we started milking, and oh boy did it feel good to be back in a barn. I kinda like this tie stall barn stuff. so before he finished his other stuff, we got the whole herd milked. He was so happy when he got back to the barn. John has now been telling the whole world about the missionaries who milked his cows alone with out any problems, so his wife was kind of impressed. As are most the dairy men in the area who has told about it. So we showed up to check on them on Wednesday and his wife was mucking out the horse barn. So we offered to help, at first she was very anti, then her pitch fork broke, and i said "oh i can fix that" i owe that thanks to Sums ag classes. so i fixed the fork and then instead of giving it back to her i just went and started to pitch poop. Well i cleaned out most of the barn, and by the time we left, she decided that missionaries arent so bad. So the moral of the story is... sometimes you just have to shovel a little poop  to soften someones heart. Ha it was a good time. Hopefully more will follow in the next month with our work with the Pease Family. 

Well, i really cant think of much else that i need to tell you. Hope you all have a fantastic week. Remember how much i love you! Dont Count the days, make the days count. 

love always Elder Toner Zilles

Hold to the Rod

The Birthday Boy

Week 99: 56 doors in one day, Playing hard til the whistle blows

Hello my dear family,

Scripture of the week: Alma 50:1-6 we cant ever stop our spiritual preparation Alma 50:12 the gospel protects us. 

Holy goodness 99 weeks as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I really cant believe it, its wild to think about. 

I am grateful to hear things are going well on the homefront. I look forward to returning home to see Bishop Frank at work. He will do a great job, and it sounds like he chose some marvelous councilors. Truly goes to show how much in charge the lord really is of his work. 

I am sure you both gave wonderful testimonies yesterday, and i wish i could have been there to hear them, but im sure they were just great. That is truly one of the greatest things about this church and one of the things that really just shows how true it is. where else can the torch be passed from one person to another with such little change. The gospel is true no doubt about that. 

Well, i had a great Birthday. Many say that birthdays are just another day of the year, and yes that is true, and yes i feel the same today as i did yesterday, but this birthday was special. This was my last Birthday as a missionary, so i got to spend the whole day giving others the gift and blessings of the gospel. What greater thing could i have done to celebrate 21 years of life. Thank you so much for my package. We enjoyed the cake, im still enjoying the pumpkin seeds, and we had a great pizza for dinner the other night. Funny thing about the pizza. the place my certificate was to is owned by our neighbor. He is a super nice guy. So i walked in and asked for the certifacate and he goes "oh this is for you" it was just kind of a fun connection. But thank you so much. I got an awesome card from G and G B, and from the Birkys. Thank you so much to them. Also got a pair of hand knit socks from grandma pat, Which mean so much considering all she is dealing with right now, she is such a special lady. Please put her in your prayers as Cecil is really not doing well again. 

So things here are going well, we have really started to earn the trust of the ward, they are finally starting to ask us to help with things. Which is good, but also a bummer that it took them so long to warm up to us, cause now we leave in 5 weeks. But oh well we will do all we can while we are here. 

Nothing else really to crazy exciting happened here this week. Elder Adams says i am nuts because i enjoy tracting. We knocked 56 doors one day this week. Just workin our tails off here in Vermont. Playing hard till the whistle blows. 

As for the trip to see the Schofields when i get home, that sounds good. That will be good for me to stay nice and busy that first week home. Staying busy is the key to having a smooth transition from mission life to normal life. Im excited to meet little Ashty. 

I bet Ty Walker gave a great report yesterday. He is a good man, have a lot of respect for him. Man if Staci thought he talked funny that means i will really probably sound funny to all of you. But oh well, what can you expect after spending 2 years with people who all talk really funny. That is just part of what makes them all so great. 

Well i cant think of anything else that i need to tell you guys. Hope you have a really fantastic week. Dont forget that i love you all so much. 

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles

Week 98:The Lord is in charge of the Harvest

Hello my dear family,

Scripture of the week: Alma 46: 12-13, 15,18,20-21

The Limo at the JSM

Well sounds like quite the eventful week on the home front! Im still really trying to wrap my head around dad being released. I sometimes feel like it was just yesterday he was set apart. I remember sitting out at the pavilion at the stake center eating sandwhiches with the family. Gram and gramps, lots of people. Its always amazing to think about all the events of our life that our brain can file away for us to remember the fond and some not so fond memories that get us to where Our Father needs us to be. 

I do find it interesting to think how dad and i will have this transition period right close to the same time. I will be grateful to have his help as i strive to adjust back to normal life. IM GOING TO NEED ALOT OF HELP! im just going to warn you now, but im going to be really really awkward for a while when i get home. 

As you said, sometimes it seems there is never a perfect time for things in our lives to end. That is something that has been on my mind alot lately. I will use my thoughts on my mission to help you all adjust to this new part of your life. So when i left on my mission i thought at times that i should have left earlier or later many different thoughts, but it didnt take long in the Lyndon ward for me to realize that i needed to be there right at that time. I needed to be there right then for Brother Gregory. And every area i have been in i have needed to be right there at that right time for many reasons most of which only the lord knows, but i trust that he knows what he is doing. So as for dad with this transition, it will be hard there is no doubt about it, it is like a mission comuing to a close, if it is not hard then you did not do something right. When you serve with all of your heart, might, mind, and strength as we are called to do it takes a little bit of an adjustment to get back to the ground, as sometimes in the service of the lord it is almost like we are floating in the clouds. So as hard as this adjustment is for everyone, i trust that the lord is in charge and he knows what he is doing. President Waldron is his chosen Stake President in the Preston Idaho South Stake, and as such would not be allowed to lead that part of the vinyard astray. He is called of God and is inspired and lead by him. So dad i do not know what the lord has in store for you next, but just as mom has told you many times already, he has many great and important things in store for you. One thing i feel impressed to tell you is to study your patriarchal blessing at this time and the lord will tell you through that what he needs you to do or to prepare for next. My patriarchal blessing is one of the only things that has been keeping me grounded as i near the close of these magnificent two years. All will be well, the lord is in charge of the harvest. 

So yes the elephant in the room... today marks the start of my last transfer. 17 transfers as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not a very long time. When you are at the begginning of your mission it sure seems like it is going to be a long time, but i am here to tell you that when you are sitting where i am it is not a very long time at all. Elder Adams tells me regularly that i am Bi polar about going home. It is really one of those bitter sweet things. If i could do things my way this is what i would do... I would stay here in Vermont, and would have you guys fly out here. Then i could still be a missionary in my home of Vermont, but i could also have my family with me. Ha one day i will be excited about something i will get to do when i am home, and then the next day i will be saying, "im never going home". Im pretty sure Elder Adams just thinks i am plum crazy, but thats ok he can think that if he wants. So yup i dont know if any of that makes any sense at all, but what i am trying to say is im really freaking out that this is my last transfer as a missionary. so what am i going to do? i am just going to do my very best to give all that i have to give to the lord. I would like to ask you all to do one thing for me before i get home. Will you all please type up one last testimony for me and send it my way? i would grately appreciate that. 

Im sad to hear Gma Z is still putting up such a fight. i wrote them a letter this morning, so i hope that will give her a bit of a boost that will help her get into a happy mood. I mean what better time of year to be in a happy mood. Thanksgiving, Christmas, new years, all so many great times are just right aroung the corner, not to mention my birthday is on sunday. Everyone deserves to be happy.

Holy cow i am going to be 21 years old. Im an old man! Dont worry though we have a dinner set up for that sunday night. Eating with the Dunkle Family. Havent eaten with them yet, so i dont really know them but i am sure it will be a good evening. 

I look forward to seeing a picture of Audra, man i love my cows Im such a weirdo. but oh well..

So things here are going well. Our investigators are progressing as well as ever, baptism will be here before we know it. We are working on getting all of the lights set up for the Holiday season here at the memorial. 

and when we are not teaching Jeremy or stringing lights, we are out knocking doors. Elder Adams doesnt like knocking doors, and i cant say that i blame him, but knocking doors is something that i have actually come to enjoy. we knock so many doors that i have decided to track how many doors we knock this last transfer. And the best part is, every door we knock our wives get cuter and cuter. AH YEAH.

well i hope i didnt miss anything super important, but if i did well ill just have to tell ya later. Hope yall remember how much i love you! im so grateful for all of the support from home while ive been serving the lord. Stay strong and press on

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles

Week 97: How to make Satan Naked

Well hello there my family,

Scripture of the week: Alma 44:45

Hope this email finds you all well. It sounds like you all had a great week spending time with sis and Ashton. Im sure it was just great to have them there. Babies really bring a special spirit into a home. We are so blessed to have her in our family at this time. Ive of course never met her, but im sure you can all feel of the real special spirit that she carries.

Im glad you were all able to enjoy the videos i sent your way, once again i wish i could take credit for the idea, but it was all heavenly father. He works in mysterious ways sometimes, but if we are listening he truly will guide and direct our paths. 

I hope dad had a good week in wisconsin. From the two pictures he sent me, it looks like he was able to escape from meetings long enough to get out and see some of our favorite cows. Not much better than driving around the home state lookin at some cows. i love those days. 

So if you are picturing Audra today, she must be looking pretty good. That makes me feel good. Youll have to make sure and send me a picture of her, its been a while since youve sent one of her. Hopefully she takes a good picture. Also hope the photo week goes well.

So it rained here i think every day this week, but that doesnt mean that it cant be a good week. Because it sure was a good week, despite the weather. I started off the week on exchange in rutland with my first son Elder Guinn. It was a great exchange. we were able to talk to alot of people. Still just makes me so happy to see how much he has grown and changed on his mission.

Our investigator came to church yesterday, and it was just the perfect sacrament meeting for him to be at for his first time. Elder Harman, one of the sr elders spoke. He relayed a story about a horse he had that got ensnared in a barbed wire fence. It was so bad that the horse should have been put down, but he felt he should nurse it back to health, so that is what he did. He likened that to the atonement, and how the atonement can take us and literally make us whole again. That was exactly what he needed to hear. So everything with him is going well. Im so grateful for all of the awesome sr couples ive gotten to know so well on my mission. All of them such amazing people. 

Yesterday afternoon we were giving tours at the monument, and this couple came through from Salt Lake, i thought they were members of the church, because they talked like they were, they knew so much. But they finally told us they were not. So as the tour went on i just continued to be amazed at how much they knew, and the special spirit they had about them. Finally i just said "alright you two are better mormons than most i know, when are you going to get baptized?" they said "probably never but we love the church". Just really great people though. The husband said "i think im gonna go home and be a tour guide at the conference center. My name tag will say Bob anderson, Lutheran." just gotta get them baptized now. Just was kind of a fun experience. 

So this week will be good. tomorrow we have zone conference, and we get to watch "meet the mormons" thatll be fun. I think this is actually my last zone conference, so that is really weird to think about, but itll be great either way. 

I wanna close with something i learned in my studies this morning. So during general conference i felt prompted that i need to do an in depth study of the war chapters in the Book of Mormon. So i started that this morning. While studying i learned something very valuable, so i want to walk you through it. Now i call it "How to make Satan naked". So yes it sounds really funny and maybe slightly inapropriate, but as i explain, you will start to see why i gave it that name. 

so here we go. 

Alma 43

Verse 4 says "... the nephites saw that the lamanites were coming upon them therefore they made preparations for war. yea they gathered together their armies in the land of Jershon. 

so from that we learn the importance of preparation, and also the importnace of coming together in our wards and stakes. 

Verse 18 "he met the Lamanites in the borders of Jershon, and his people were armed with swords and with cimetars and all manner of weapons of war." 

Verse 19 "And when the armies of the lamanites saw that the people of Nephi, or that Moroni had prepared his people with breastpaltes, and with arm shields, yea and also sheilds to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing". 

so moroni really prepared his people very very well. 

Verse 20 "Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing, they had only their swords... and they were NAKED...." 

Ok so now we have the armies of moroni who are so well prepared, and the lamanites who are so underprepared that they are described as being naked. 

ok niow how this applies to us. As we prepare our selvees and our familes spiritually, we become as teh army of moroni, so well prepared that satan will flee from us. the more spiritually prepared we are, the more NAKED satan becomes to us. 

i hope that makes sense, cause it really makes sense in my head but it may not make sense to you. Hopefully it does though. 

Sure love you all

Hold to the rod

Elder Zilles

Week 96:Living the Dream and in the Land of Joseph

Well hello family,

Scripture of the Week: Mormon 8:35 I love this verse because it really teaches us how much the Book of Mormon was written for us personally. 

Well i am relieved to hear that things have been doing better on the home front this week. 

I am glad my emails are uplifting to you guys, but i can not take credit for the things said in my emails. I make my emails a matter of prayer, so they are not my thoughts. So thank Heavenly Father, not me. I am however grateful to be able to work as an instrument in his hands. 

Very cool to hear WS is playing so well this year. 8-0. Thats pretty darn good. Coach Mo definately knows how to make boys play like men that is for sure. He is a good man. 

Hope you all have a great week with Sis and Ashton Visiting. Thank you for the Pictures, always does my heart good to see all of your smiling faces. I love you all sooooooo much. 

Well things here in the mission were good this week. We had stake conference in essex. Bishop Dean M. Davies of the presiding bishopric was there, so that was pretty neat. The focus of the conference was strengthening the family through temple worship. I enjoyed it very; much. It was kind of like a mini homecoming for me though, got to see so many of my Vermont friends from so many different wards. The highlight was seeuing the Jablonski family. They are doing so well. Elli is like 5 now, and Naya will be one here shortly. She wasnt even born yet when i left, so that was cool to meet her. They are just the cutest little red haired girls. 

Last night we had a new member/investigator fireside here at the memorial. President Stoker was the speaker. He taught about Joseph Smith, and as always it was just amazing. It was so good to see president and sister stoker. I love those people.
We took Jeremey to the fireside, and he seemed to really enjoy it. We have him scheduled to be baptized December 13. If things continue to go as well as they have been though, i think he will probably be baptized before then. Not a whole lot else note worthy happened here this week. Just living the dream here in the land of Joseph. Time sure is flying by thats for sure. 

Just remember how much i love all of you. Stay strong in the gospel always and all that comes at us will be taken care of as we faithfully live the gospel and keep our covenants. 

love you all

Hold to the rod

Elder Toner

Week 95: Fasting really does work

My dear Family,
Scripture of the week: This comes from hymn 134 I Believe in Christ "I believe in Christ so come what may, with him ill stand in that great day"
We sang that hymn church yesterday and that line really just hit me, i am so grateful for my testimony of the savior.
What a week it has been, full of crazy business, and miracles as well. I dont know why this just came to mind, but it did, so im going to say it, right now i am very grateful that i like Nephi have "been born of goodly parents". Mom and Dad thank you for your constant examples of faith, hope charity and love that you have always displayed as you have raised us. i know that i would not be who I am today were it not for your constant loving care to guide me down the path that we should go. Tadd R. Callister gave a great talk about that in conference. So just thank you a million times over for teaching me the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So it has been a few weeks since i have been able to come to monday email time with a miracle to report, but that is not the case this week. So here it goes. First off yesterday was fast sunday, so as part of my fast i was fasting to be able to find someone to teach. I specifically said a family, but any one to teach would be welcomed. So yes that was part of my fast. Well i just love church, nothing better than sitting there just soaking in new knowledge about the gospel. So Elder Adams and i were sitting in Priesthood and Elder Harman one of the Senior Elders comes and grabs us. The way he looked made me think something was wrong, so at first i was pretty worried. So we go out into the hall and he says, "youve been looking for someone to teach, well weve found them, he said he is waiting for you up at the monument, you wont miss him, he is 6 foot 10 and has red hair". So we high tail it up to the monument, and sure enough there he was all 6 foot 10 of him,.  he has quite the past to overcome, but that is totally ok that is what the Atonement is for, we will be able to help him get through it all. He has read the Book of Mormon, as well as almost every other church book. we had a lesson with him and invited him to be baptized and he said he would. So we have alot of work to do with him, but we are so ready for it. The biggest challenge will be if he stays living here or not or if he goes back to california where he is from. He is just here temporarily, but either way we will get a good start on him and then will be able to send him off to some solid missionaries in california. Such an amazing blessing. Fasting really really does work. Dont ever forget that.

Ok so now back to the beginning of the week. Monday we got to go to Billings farm, and it was so amazing. It gave me my cow fix for a little while at least. As you walk out to the barn they have a heifer pasture. There was only 4 heifers in there, and they were all clipped and one of them looked really really good. So i asked one of the guys working there what she was, and he had no clue but directed me to the farm manager. So i go talk with the farm manager and we go out and talk about those heifers, i then told him that my dad recenlty bought a heifer out of a sale from them that was carrying an ET. He instantly knew who i was talking about, and then said yeah that heifer right there that you like so much is a sister to the one your dad bought. I thought that was pretty cool. I dont remember who this one was sired by, but she was good. She stood like 10th at expo. He then took me into the barn and showed me our heifers dam and the dam of the ET heifer. He also told me that he had 5 pregs out of that flush, and they sold one of them, (the one we bought), and the four that they kept were all bulls and we got the only heifer calf, so that is a huge blessing. They had some good cows in the barn though thats for sure. They only milk like 30 head but they dont have to worry about making money on it so i guess they can do what they want. All in all it was a good visit thats for sure.

Had a good time giving lots of tours this week, and we also did some good work just doing work here at the memorial. Elder Adams and i got to lay a water line so it felt really good to do some good hard core work again. I absolutely love serving here at the JSM. I dont care if it is giving tours our laying a water line, i just love being here on this sacred ground. I think i might just move into a tree house here on the property and be a spiritual hermit at the JSM. yup i think that is what i will do. I love the revelation that comes to mind as i email you guys.

Well i hope you all know that i just love you so much. I will attach some pictures from the week, so be looking for those. Ill just end with a good quote for the week.
".... the Savior of the world will walk that... journey with you. He will strengthen you when you waver. He will be your light when it seems most dark. He will take your hand and be your hope when hope seems all you have left." - Jeffrey R. Holland-
love you all so much. Dont count the days make the days count.

Hold to the rod
Elder Zilles

Week 94: Stay in the boat

Hello Family, 

My heart is full today. Conference was amazing and is such a blessing in our lives. I think we often take it for granted. But we are so blessed to have the Gospel restored in its fulness with a prophet and 12 apostles to guide and direct The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There were so many great talks in conference that it is hard to choose just one that was my favorite. But to me an over arching theme throughout the whole conference was that the most important things in life now and forever will be our FAITH and our FAMILIES. One without the other will not do, Faith and Familes must be together in one. I feel so blessed to have been raised in a family that has faith and they know how to show it. I thank you for that. It is that faith that will ultimaely make all things right. You probably say no that is the atonement that will make all things right, and if you say that, you are correct, but it is by faith that we can utilize the power of the atonement in our lives. Trials will come, they always will, but they are part of our mortal existence. Trials are never easy, hence they are called trials, but they CAN help us to grow if we allow them to. I say can, because they only help us grow if we face them with faith and allow the enabling power of the atonement to work in our lives. 

I really appreciated Elder M. Russel Ballards talk, he talked about the number one rule, and that is to stay in the boat. When trials come, we must stay in the boat. it is at those times that we not only need to stay in the boat, but we need to be even more steadfast in the boat than we have ever been before, and then when we make it through that trial we dont let up, we stay just as steadfast in the boat as we were through the trial. I dont know if any of this has made any sense, but i needed to say it any way. I love this gospel with all my heart, i know it to be true. It is the only way to true and lasting joy. I love Jesus Christ he is my savior. I truly truly love him. He is your savior as well. He will carry us in our times of stress and need, and one day we will be able to run up to him and he will wrap us in those loving arms and will hold us tight.. it will be then that we will be able to see his face and truly see the love that he has for us in a whole new way than ever seen before. Our Father in Heaven knows each of us and he loves us all. As was said in conference this weekend,  "HE KNOWS YOUR NAME"! I know that to be true. I trust in the promises of God. He will always keep his promises if we uphold our end of our covenants. He promises that if we are faithful all will be well in the end. I know that to be true. One day we will no longer have to experience the pain and sorrow we now face, but for now we have to take it and learn and grow from it. He knows us and he loves us. Rely on him every hour of each day. I know Jospeh Smith saw what he said he saw, i write this while sitting on sacred soil where he was born, i know it all to be true. President Monson holds that restored priesthood power, please utilize it. I love you all and thank your for being my family. 

Ok hopefully i didnt bore you all to death with that there, but that is just how i felt i needed to start this weeks email. What a week it has been though. I wish i could report that we had found at least one new investigator, but we did not find one yet this week, but we are just working our tails off, and when the time is right we will find those who the lord is preparing. They are out there and we will find them. We knocked alot of doors this week and it was jsut a party just as tracting always is. Elder Adams is continuing to grow as a missionary. It is cool to watch him as he catches on to things here in the Green Mountain State. 

We didnt end up going to Billings last week, but we are heading there today. Last week we went on a hike up "Patriarchs Peak" ill attach pictures from that, but it is a "mountain" at least to these new englanders that overlooks the monument. It was very cool. Just as is said in Alma chapter 30, "all things denote there is a God". I love Vermont, it is great. But will love seeing the wide open spaces of Weston Idaho when i return home. 

Tomorrow we have New missionary training down in manchester i really cant wait to see president, i just love that man. 

So now for my favorite conference highlights.... 

Saturday morning i really loved the talk on the sacrament by Cheryl A. Esplin, i think it is a talk we can all really apply to our lives. 

I also enjoyed the talk on the call to rescue by Chi Hong Wong. 

Elder Christopherson gave a great talk, as did President Uchtdorf. 

I of course loved Elder Andersons on the Prophet Joseph Smith. 

Elder Callister taught great things about the role of parents. 

Jorg Klebingat gave us 6 great steps on what i would say how to be happy. 

Elder Holland gave once again an amazing talk on caring for the poor, i knew dad would enjoy that one as it applies so much to fast offerings. 

Favorite Preisthood session was President Eyrings talk on Priesthood Preparation. 

Last but not least Richard G. Scott gave an amazing talk. His are usually a bit dry in my opinion but this one really touched me. 

So as you can see i loved all of conference that is most the talks right there. They are all just great, and i really look forward to studying them more and more, and hope that you will do the same personally and in family home evening. 

i love you all so much

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles

Week 93: Hello From the Land of Joseph

Well hello there from The Land of Joseph,

Scripture of the week, i have multiple, so just hold on and buckle up. 

Ill get you details from the week after i do the important stuff. 

So the first scripture is D&C 50:40-42, 44. I found this scripture while i was preparing my last article to put in the mission news letter, and it just really touched me. The Savior knows each of us personally, he knows where we are in life, and what we need and as it says in that scripture none will be lost to him. 

The next one is D&C 20:14 This is talking about the Book of Mormon, and in essence it says that we were given the Book of Mormon to help us gain eternal life. and last but not least Mosiah 16:6-8 this is talking about the savior, it is a prophecy, so that of course means that at the time it was written the savior had not yet come, but that is what i love so much about it, is the way it is written if not careful you may think he had already come, but he had not, so to me that just shows the faith that they had that he would come as was promised. That is my testimony today, is he will come again. We have been promised that he will, and he will always keep his promises. We dont know when it will be, but what i do know is that when he comes it will be a glorious day, as we live the gospel we will be prepared for his coming. It will be amazing. 

Ok now the stuff you all really want to know..... 

So my companion is Elder Adams, he is from Los Cruses new mexico. So it is great being here in SO RO. Really is just a dream come true. The lord is blessing me so much my last two transfers, not only do i get to finish my mission in the land of Joseph, but this ward is full of dairy farmers, and dairy farmers have dairy farmer friends, so that means when i go talk to the members about cows, they then say "oh we should send you to see so and so you will have a great connection with them". The lord has allowed me to be in a place where i get to combine the two of the things i love most, the Gospel and Cows, it doesnt get much better than that. 

Opening a new area is an adventure that is for sure. We dont have any investigators, so we have just been hitting the pavement, Cause we are here to find people. We have done some service for some members and that has been a good way to start to get to know them. Saturday we helped paint a members house, the outside of it. The day before that we helped John throw hay, that was just refreshing. John is a dairy farmer that i helped milk when i was here on exchange at the beginning of my mission, he is less active but is one of my main projects for while i am here. When we first went to see him he recognized me and was really excited to have me back in the area, itll be great to work with him. 

Yesterday we got a crash course on giving tours at the JSM, and then 2 minutes later we were giving tours, so that was a party. As far as i can tell now, we will spend about three days a week giving tours for a few hours, its pretty neat to just get to tell the Story of the Prophet over and over. Hopefully someday we can come back here as a family, and i will give you all a tour of this place that i have truly come to love so much, and will grow to love more and more over the next weeks of my mission. So grateful to be serving here. 

Leaving Manchester was alot harder than i thought it was going to be, not the city itself, but i really miss my officce staff, they all became such great friends and it was hard to leave them. even though ill see them again, just was hard. The hardest thing was leaving President. When i gave him a hug after transfer meeting, he just started to cry and wouldnt let go. then in his President Stoker cry talk he said "Thank you for everything you have done, thank you for your service, i love you." 

Telling Elder Wells, Vanderholm, and Davis goodbye was pretty hard as well. Especially Elder Wells. Got an email from him today though and he seems to be adjusting back to life ok. He is already back to welding and breaking horses. Really miss that kid though. 

So youll be pretty excited to hear who is in my new district..... In my district i have Rutland, Middlebury, and the SO RO Sisters, in rutland we have Elder Gale and..... wait for it ELDER GUINN. I get to finish my mission with my first son in my district, such a privilege. So cool we both came back to Vermont at the same time. Its gonna be great. Also in the district is Elder Butters, Elder Smith, Sister Sumsion, and sister Erekson. Its a good district. Well i am about out of time so i best get running, but before i go i have a story for you to help you see that i am still me... 

We were walking through a small town called Bethel and walked past a park and i saw two teenagers making out. So being me, i thought im gonna go talk to them. So as i walked over there i remembered that in my bag i have a stack of chastity pamphlets that i keep for moments just like this, so i get over there and talk to them, they werent interested in the gospel at all, but i asked if i could still leave a pamphlet, they said yes. So what did i do? i gave them a chastity pamphlet is was great. I love being me. 

Today we are going to Visit Billings farm. Pretty good Jersey herd that dad should know about. 

Have a fantastic conference week cant wait to talk about it next week

Love you all 

Hold to the Rod

Elder Quinton J. Zilles

Week 92: Renew And Strengthen the bond between you and Heavenly Father

Hello my dear family,

Scripture of the week:1 Nephi 15:24

But anyways now onto the good stuff. It sounds like an eventful week on the homefront. Great to hear that Gram Norm is doing better, i hope she can continue to improve. Sad to hear about G and G Z. They will be in my prayers for sure. 

I will apologize up front, but this email will be short, i have some last minute changes to make to transfers. Stuff came up last night and we had to make some changes. 

Alright so it has truly been a great week. Elder and Sister Wilson were great. Our 3 zone conferences were fantastic and it was just a great week. The topic of conference was the Book of Mormon, so i really loved that. They taught us many ways that we can more effectively use the Book of Mormon in our teaching. Many things that i really look forward to applying in my new area as we get that place starting this week. 

Now onto what will happen this week. So today will be just nuts. We have 26 new missionaries coming in, so between getting them from the airport and everything else, my life is gonna be pretty crazy. But it will be great. Tomorrow is transfer meeting, and after transfer meeting my new comp and i will get in our brand new Chevy Cruze and we will head to SO RO. more details on SO RO will come next week as well. I am pretty stoked for the coming two transfers though. like you said, VERMONT FOR LIFE. Heck yeah. 

So my AP replacement is someone you should know, as he was in my room in the MTC. A good friend of mine, Elder Lund. He will do a great job and i cant think of anyone better to replace me. Funny part is that he and Elder Walker were comps just a few months ago. Itll be great though. 

So i want to share something with you that i have done alot of pondering praying and studying on as of late. That is this.... As i have studied, pondered and prayed, i have come to believe that all problems, such as depression, anxiety, low self esteem what ever you want to call it, all of those things can be countered by a renewed/increased knowledge of who we are as children of our Heavenly Father. As we renew/increase that knowledge all things come to work out better for us. That link, or bond between us and Heavenly Father is the most important thing we can have while here on this earth. That is one reason the Book of Mormon is so powerful, is that it combined with PRAYER helps us to renew and strengthen that bond with our Heavenly Father. So my invitation to all this week is to have you all do all that you need to do to renew and strengthen the bond between you and Heavenly Father. 

I love you all so much. Sorry for the short email. More to come next week.

love you 

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles

Week 90: He will always put you exactly where he needs you

Hello Family,

Scripture of the week: D&C29:4-5, 31:3

Well, its sounds like its been an eventful week on the home front. Sounds like a good one for the most part. Im grateful to hear the good news with grandma. Best get her some protein shakes and Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches so she can gain some weight. That worked so well for me.... NOT! 

Looks like the Jr show was a success. Vanity looks like she came together pretty well. You know your little sister has grown aton since youve been on your mission when the cows no longer make her look short. I cant believe how grown up she is. The new barn looks very nice. Good news is it will still be there next year and every year after that so i will get to spend plenty of time in it. The high roof will make it pretty difficult to hang our spider from, but i suppose we will just have to find a way to make it work, i bet dad is glad the roof doesnt allow for hanging spiders now. Looks like you guys made pedigree boards and everything. I love it, so awesome. I have loved working with Wade, but there is definitely something really special when we put together a string and just rough it as a family, something i am really looking forward to next show season. Hopefully we can get the big hitters up and running for next season.  Mom it sounds like they have been keeping you on the road plenty, but just know that it is so appreciated all that you do for us, it really is. Sounds like you have driven almost as much as me this week. All in all sounds like it was a good week. Who was the judge? i dont recognize him. Look forward to hearing how the open show goes, hopefully the minister calf does better today, thatd be pretty sweet to get 4 out of her. Who is she out of again? i should know these things, but yall understand. 

That is so cool that Alex got his wish granted. That is one special little kid, one special family for that matter. i got an amazing letter from Lori a few weeks ago, just havent had time to reply to it. Hopefully i get time one of these next weeks before it is too late. 

Thank you for the package from grandma, i wrote her a quick thank you this morning before we headed over here to the office. She takes pretty great care of me. 

So this week was just great. The weather was gorgeous all week, so that meant that there were tons of people out and about, so we got to talk to people out the wazoo. We started our week in Gardiner, which is where Elder Wells is, so i got to work with Elder Wells, that was great, it was just like we never got split up, we just picked up where we left off. He is doing really well considering the fact that he goes home in two weeks. We then worked in Augusta, then Damariscotta. While in Damariscotta we went to a small tourist town called Booth Bay Harbor and did some street contacting. That place was hustlin'. got some picture of the ocean that i will send your way.

After Damariscotta we were in Yarmouth, and had a fantastic exchange. I worked with an Elder Phillips, he is from Rexburg, and is just a sold kid, we saw many miracles on exchange. One that really stands out happened with a man named Kevin. I dont remember his last name so i have just started to refer to him as Kevin Bacon. No he doesnt look anything like Kevin Bacon, but it sounds good. But anyway we met Kevin Bacon on the street and he really wasnt  all that interested, but we left him with a mormon.org card. Two hours later we received a church head quarters referral for a man named Kevin. We thought "could it be?" sure enough it was. kevin had went home and checked out mormon.org, and decided he was interested so he referred himself. That doesnt happen very often so its pretty cool. This happened on thursday and the elders in yarmouth have already taught him twice since then. If the lord knows you will talk to them, he will place the prepared in your path. After Yarmouth we headed to Saco, where i had the opportunity to work with another former companion, Elder Davis who also goes home in two weeks. He is doing well as well. While in Saco Elder Walker and i decided to go for our morning run on the beach. It was pretty sweet running in the sand bare foot. i have pictures of it as well. All in all just a great week of exchanges. 

We got home and had planning meeting with President and started planning for Zone Conference with Elder Wilson. He will be here week 6, 17 18 and 19 of this month. Im excited for it, but also will be glad when it is over, as it is very stressful here in the office preparing for a general authority to come. But all will be fine. 

We ended the week with a great Sabbath day. Church is always such a great finish and start to a week. i just love it. I love fast sundays. 

So last night Elder Walker and i were sitting here in the office prepping the transfer board and we got a call from Elder Barnes and Elder Harrington, two of the elders serving in manchester. They asked us if we had a Coke. We thought "well that is a weird question". So we asked why and they proceeded to tell us that Elder Barnes has a small esophagus and he had a piece of roast lodged in his throat, and this has happened before and Coke helps to dislodge it. (The acid from the coke probably eats it away just like it eats away your body). So the ox being in the mire we ran to the store and got Elder Barnes a Coke (these elders are in a walking area so they have no car) so we take him the coke, and it is just not helping so we call the mission dr and he tells us to take him to the ER. So we did and sat there for 3 hours before they finally got him in. By this time it was 10 so we left them there and headed home, now this morning i have not heard what happened with Elder Barnes yet, so this story will be continued next week. 

But wait there is more... we were sitting in the waiting room and Sister Hughes a member from the Bedford ward comes up and says "Elder Zilles im so glad you  are here, Brother Hughes is here and needs a blessing". I guess Bro. Hughes was having weird chest pains so he was in to get that checked out. So we gave Bro. Hughes a blessing, dont know what happened with that story either so that will continue later as well. I just thought it was pretty cool that the lord had placed us where he needed us for more than one reason. If you are doing the right thing, he will always put you exactly where he needs you. 

Hold to the Rod

Love ya 

Elder Zilles

Oh almost forgot, this week we have leadership training, then wednesday we are working in concord NH, thursday Somersworth NH, then friday through sunday here in the office prepping for transfers and the general authority. love you all

 

Week 91: Safety for the Soul

Hello Family,

Scripture of the Week: D&C 35:24

My heart is full this morning, and i feel very strongly that i need to write this, so i am going to write this then i will talk about the happenings of this week. 

I want to talk about the Book of Mormon. I have been signing my emails with "Hold to the Rod" for the majority of my mission, but this morning i want to talk about just that, holding to the rod. I have alot of thoughts on this subject running through my mind, so i hope that what ever it is that you all need to hear makes it into this email. My favorite talk of all times is by Elder Holland, it is titled "Safety for the Soul". That is exactly what the Book of Mormon is, is safety for the soul. The Book of Mormon has an incredible power, a power to change lives, to bring true and lasting happiness, a power that i cant adequately talk about in an email. But it is a real power. A power that has truly changed my life, and i want nothing more than for it to change everyone in the worlds life.

 Joseph Smith said that The Book of Mormon is the Key stone of our religion, but i will take that even farther and say that the Book of Mormon is the key stone of our lives. A key stone holds an arch together, and when it is taken away the arch crumbles. I have observed in my own life and the lives of many others that when they stop reading the Book of Mormon, or "Holding to the Rod" that is when life begins to crumble. Now i cant promise that if we always read the Book of Mormon we wont have any trials in our lives, because that would not be consistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But i can promise that as we "hold to the rod" we will always have what we need to get through our trials. I dont know that this email even says a small part of how i feel about the Book of Mormon, but that book has completely changed my life.

I have a friend  friend who  was able to overcome terrible things by reading the Book of Mormon. Before he could come on a mission he had to overcome terrible addictions. Addictions that usually take lots and lots of help to overcome, and he overcame everyone of those addictions by reading the Book of Mormon. I too have felt that same power in the Book of Mormon. I have a saying written in the cover of my Book of Mormon and it says "when temptation comes along, read the Book of Mormon and it will be gone". I wrote that there because i have used it and it works. Please always hold to the rod. 

i dont know if any of that even makes sense, and i dont know who exactly needed to hear that, but someone did, so i wrote it. 

Alright so it sounds like quite the eventful week on the home front. Not every day you just get to make a spur of the moment seven hour drive to go camping, sounds like a good time. Also sounds like Homecoming was great. That is always a good time there at the West Side. Not every year is Homecoming filled with people getting engaged though, sounds like that added some real zest to all of the West Side Hoopla. Tattles and a USU game, life doesnt get much better than that. Tried to talk president into going to a game with us this week, just so we could go, but he didnt go for that. Understandably!

The week here in the mission has been full of preparation. Its not every day that a general authority comes to your mission, so we have been going crazy getting everything all prepped for that, as he will be here on Tuesday night, and then we have Zone conferences Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Its gonna be an eventful week that is for sure. Then Saturday we will finish Prepping for Transfers and Saturday night we will make transfer calls. Everything is pretty well ready for that though. All we need to do now is call them out. Then next Tuesday will be transfer meeting  and then everyone will be off to there new areas. Always an exciting time here in the NHMM. 

Quinton with the AP bat, every AP signs this bat!

So normally i wouldnt know what is happening with me at transfer time for another week, but with my current calling i am a little bit more in the loop than i used to be. So yes i know exactly what Elder Zilles will be doing for the last two transfers of his mission. I am just trying to decide if i want to tell you this week or wait till next week to tell you.... Hmmmmm.. Ok i think i will just tell you this week. So there is quite the amazing story behind this transfer call... 

A few weeks ago i was reading through the notes from my setting apart blessing like i do quite regularly, and when i read the part about gaining a stronger testimony of the Prophet Joseph, i had the strangest feeling. then the words came to my mind clearer than anything that i would be serving in South Royalton which is where the JSM is. I thought to my self, there is no way that will happen, that is a sisters area. So then a few days go by, and we find out that one of the Sr couples at the JSM had to go home early, so now they are short staffed. So we counseled and President decided we should open a new area there in SO RO and send Elders there till we get a replacement sr couple. So by this time im starting to think, "ok maybe i did receive revelation that i will be serving there". But nothing i can really do about it, so i just went on my marry way. So then comes along this friday, and we had interviews with President. He opens the Transfer board and i see my picture in South Royalton. Next to my picture i see a blue card that says "MTC arrival" which means i will be training a new missionary. President said to me "If it were up to me i would keep you here in the office with me, but it is not up to me it is up to the lord. and i feel very strongly that you are needed in South Royalton, and i cant think of a better person to train a new missionary." so my last two transfers i will be opening a new area, training a new missionary, and also i will once again be a district leader. it is going to be an incredible last two transfers i am so excited. I cant think of a greater place to end my mission than at the birth place of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Ahh its going to be so amazing. Plus back in Vermont, what else could i ask for. I feel pretty spoiled. Its gonna be amazing. Wow its been 18 months since i trained Elder Guinn. Im just so excited. 

Well i think that is probably enough of my rambling. sure do love you all so very much. 

Hold to the Rod

Elder Zilles