Ministering in the Priesthood

Dear Family, I had so much to write you about during the week that I had made a list of experiences to share but now that it has been so long and I don't have the list, I don't remember a single one. So sorry for the short email. We had transfers on Wednesday. It went wonderfully. Everything worked out so smoothly. I remember dad talking about going on campouts with the young men and how they were always impressed that everything just worked out. Dad said he would just explain to them that he had thought through every hour of the campout multiple times and thus had it all figured out in his head. That is how transfers went. There is just so much coordination involved since the mission is so big now that we just thought and thought and thought and then it all worked out. I continue to study about the ministering of angels. We had another companionship study on it and during that study we focused a little bit on the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation. It was powerful to be taught by the Spirit again. That is one of the things I am most grateful for from my mission and especially from my experiences with President Ashton. As I have had the incredible blessing to be around him so often and to study with him weekly, he has taught me how to be taught by the Spirit. I have learned that it doesn't really matter what people say but it does matter a whole lot how I feel. Like it says in D&C 8:2 2 Yea, behold, I will atell you in your mind and in your bheart, by the cHoly Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Dad has always said that this mean "thoughts and feelings". Anyways, as I was studying with my companions, the prompting came to read in 3 Nephi 7 where it is talking about Nephi: 17 And he did minister many things unto them; and all of them cannot be written, and a part of them would not suffice, therefore they are not written in this book. And Nephi did minister withapower and with great authority. 18 And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were anot possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily. As I read these verses, I was in awe of Nephi. He was so powerful, he had such great faith, he raised his brother from the dead and performed many other great miracles. This is Nephi that had heard the voice of the Lord, had angels minister to him daily, and above all, this is the one who welcomes the Savior just a few chapters later. After all these thoughts came the quiet, piercing truth that we are like unto Nephi. Now I understand how prideful that sounds to be like unto Nephi and to consider myself worthy of such a claim, but the promptings came and witnessed unto me just how important the setting apart and ordination I have received are. In D&C 18 the Lord says that if we have read the scriptures "[we] can testify that [we] have heard [His] voice, and know [His] words" (D&C 18:36). Thus, like Nephi, I can testify that the Lord has spoken to me. I don't have time to put all the scriptures in and I am sure that you all know them anyway but I have learned that generally when I feel the Holy Ghost, it is because angels are ministering unto me. As I thought about that the powerful realization came that I feel the Holy Ghost every single day, multiple times a day and that like Nephi I have angels minister unto me daily. Nothing helps you be excited for the work more than realizing that angels minister unto you daily. I love this Gospel and know that it is true. We went and gave a blessing to one of the senior missionaries here that was about to have open heart surgery. As we left it just struck me how different it was for him that we had come to minister in the Priesthood and how much peace and calm he had gained from it. Had we just come and visited him it would have been nice for him, but he had the firm reassurance that God would bless and protect him and his family during this time of difficulty. What a blessing. I love you and am so grateful for your prayers. Elder Case