We'll Bring the World His Truth

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone watched that broadcast last night! I could not be more excited about missionary work. To add to all that, our new Bishop is incredible and wants to baptize all the time and he called Hermano Perez as our Ward Mission Leader. Hermano Perez was just released a few years ago as the Stake President. He is one of the strongest members I have known on my mission and him and his wife already have come teaching with us multiple times a week. This will be incredible! To add to that, the new assistant will also be Spanish and he is coming to my ward as well. That will be such a blessing. This work is true. I have no doubt about that. What an incredible time to live and serve.

Sunday morning, I was studying some talks that dad sent me about this being the final dispensation, the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. It was fascinating to read the promises and prophecies from all the prophets from the beginning of time and then to know that I am in the middle of it all. Studying about that prepared me for Stake Conference which was all about the gathering of Israel for the living and the dead. President and Sister Ashton both spoke in Spanish and President Crane (Houston Temple President) and his wife also spoke. I hope that my Spanish is as good as President Crane's when I am his age, it was impressive.

President Ashton called me Saturday night and told all the changes that would happen in the broadcast. I was grateful because we watched it in Spanish and it was a little harder to pick up on the announcements for that reason. But as the choir sung, "We'll Bring the World His Truth" the Spirit was strong. I felt a reassuring witness that the Gospel is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that President Monson holds all the Priesthood keys in this day and time. What especially touched me was the second verse:

We have been saved for these latter days
To build the kingdom in righteous ways.
We hear the words our prophet declares:
"Let each who's worthy go forth and share."

After that study on this dispensation and the gratitude I felt for the Restoration and the power of participating in a worldwide broadcast with 70,000 other missionaries, the witness came once again. But this time in a way more sacred that I could ever put into words. I know that the announcement to change the age was a revelation from a loving God to His prophet here on the earth and that the thousands upon thousands of missionaries now serving are literally responding to the prophetic call from the last line of this verse to "let each who's worthy go forth and serve".

What a wonderful time to live. The Second Coming draws nearer and the Lord continues to hasten the work. It is so peaceful and joyful to know that we are on the Lord's side and that He will triumph.

On Saturday, an elder came to my area on exchanges. He is one of the best elders in the whole mission and I have looked up to him since I first arrived here. I think the world of him and have always wanted to serve with him just to learn how he does what he does. It was a humbling experience as we spent the day together after talking late into the night. He looked to me for answers to his questions and for direction in the work. Though I felt completely inadequate to help this elder who is so powerful and full of the Spirit, I was able to receive revelation and together we worked through some of the problems that both of our areas have been having. It was just another testimony to me that "whom the Lord calls, He qualifies".

Right before we fell asleep we promised each other that the following day we were going to exercise great faith and expect miracles. I will share just one of the many experiences we had as we did so. We had an appointment with a young man named Joseph. We have taught him one or two times but he has never seemed very interested. His mom was baptized but then fell away and Joseph didn't even know she was a member. We brought a young man that is his same age with us to the appointment and that was great. Before we started we asked Joseph if he had any questions. He said the only question he had was where the church was so that he could come. After that we asked why he met with us and why he let us in, he said, "Because every time you are here, I feel good. I can't really describe it, but it is peaceful". What a miracle! We bore testimony of the Holy Ghost and promised that he would feel that way again throughout the lesson. We then taught the Restoration and it was literally perfect. He had every single right question. The Spirit guided the entire lesson, Jose even bore testimony many times throughout the lesson and committed to be baptized on July 20th! It was amazing. We walked out and could not believe what had happened.

It is so wonderful to know that the Lord does all the work. He changed Joseph's heart and has blessed him with the Holy Ghost and the ability to recognize His quiet promptings. All we had to do was choose to have faith and follow the Spirit.

I really am grateful for your prayers. I feel them and I need them. This work is true. There really is no other way back (2 Nephi 31:21).

I love you all,

Elder Case