Conversion

Dear Family, This is the best time of my life! I love being a missionary and teaching the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. On Tuesday we were on our way to English class and the Relief Society President called and told us that the Relief Society was doing a Book of Mormon kickoff that night and she wanted us to teach las hermanas how to study by reading 1 Nephi 1-3 with them. It was interesting but a wonderful experience. We made the comparison between Lehi and Joseph Smith and helped them realize how fascinating the scriptures are. We spent a lot of time on the last verse of 1 Nephi 1: 20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had acast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also bsought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender cmercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of ddeliverance. We told them that Nephi invites us to do something here and asked what that something was. They didn't get it so we explained that he says he will show unto us the tender mercies of the Lord. The question becomes, how does he show this to us? As we read through 1 and 2 Nephi, he shows us. We invited them to look for, write down and consider the tender mercies of the Lord that Nephi shows us and that we receive from the Lord in our own lives. I am pretty sure that whole conversation was something that dad asked about during family scripture study one night. It is amazing how often I reflect on family scripture study and how much I learned. At the very end of the class, I stood up and bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I then took the opportunity to speak to a group of mothers and future mothers. I explained to them that I have read the Book of Mormon almost every day of my life because each night my mother would gather us and we would read. I explained that if she had not done this my father would have but that it was because of the influence of my mother that I have come to know and love the Book of Mormon. I explained to them that the only reason that my mom would go through the trouble of gathering fighting children that often acted like Laman and Lemuel was because she read the Book of Mormon every day and she knew it was true. The Spirit came very strongly and they all realized the incredible responsibility they have as mothers and also the wonderful influence they can have on their children. Natalia Ulloa (the Ortega's granddaughter) finished the Book of Mormon this week. We think it took her about 7 weeks to read. She finished it at school and texted us. She said it was the most beautiful book she has ever read and that when she finished it she wanted to jump and cry and laugh and that she was filled with the Holy Ghost. The best part though is that after calming down, she turn back to the Title Page and started again. There is no better way to convert ourselves than using the tools the Lord has given us. Kimberly and Eduardo Colon started their temple prep classes yesterday. They are doing really well and are so excited to go to the temple to be sealed. We are going to do baptisms with the Ortegas and Norma on Friday and they will bring their own family names. Yesterday we had an extra half hour and we didn't know who to go visit. We talked about visiting a former and then going to visit Norma's family to try and teach them for the first time. We decided to visit Norma's family first but after praying changed the order. We visited hermana Acosta and caught them on their way out the door. She set an appointment and then committed to come to church next week. We then went to Norma's and we pulled up, said a prayer, and as we got out of the car they pulled up and her step-dad for the first time let us teach him. It was a miracle. If we had gone to Norma's first and then the Acostas we wouldn't have been able to find either at home and wouldn't have been able to help them come unto Christ. I am so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord and for the guidance we receive each day from the Holy Ghost. Norma's step-dad said he would be baptized as he comes to know these things are true. It was a great blessing and an answer to prayer. We then taught Giselle Matamoros the Word of Wisdom. She is the Ortega's neighbor so they came. At the beginning she told us that God would just have to forgive her because she would not be able to give up coffee. At the end of the lesson she looked at us and said, "I promise that I will never drink coffee again. I know the Lord will strengthen me and bless me." The Gospel changes us. Also, Rodolfo is down to smoking 6 cigarettes a day. Two weeks ago he was smoking ten. Yesterday he only smoked three. It is special to see the change that has happened and the joy that has come into his life. There are other addictions that are even harder to overcome still but we are taking it one step at a time. I hope you are all well. Enjoy the Gilbert temple dedication! Thank you for your prayers and faith. Please pray that Madison (Giselle's granddaughter) will receive permission to be baptized from her parents. I love you. Elder Case P.S. That bird scares me to death. It is Giselle's. Every time we walk up to the door it screams "hola, hola, hola". The picture of the man with the deer skull is Fider Gonzalez. He is an insane Mexican and I love him to death. We showed up the other night and he was sticking metal through the skull so that he could hang it from the horn pull string in his 18 wheeler. It reminded me of Blake Smith (Is he the one that put the big horn in his truck?). I think I have explained this before but when we first stopped by the Ortegas in June, every time we knocked on the door, Blanca would answer and point to her Virgin Mary and say, "Soy Catolica". Well now when missionaries from other faiths come and knock on her door she points to the Plan of Salvation pamphlet and says, "Soy Mormona". I love this Gospel!

Norma's Baptism

All Things What Ye Should Do

Eduardo Colon and I. I love that man!

Dear Family,

This has been a wonderful week! Thank you for praying for Norma to be baptized. I told la familia Ortega about my email home last week and explained that I was so grateful that they prayed for my family. It was a tender moment as they expressed their love and gratitude towards you all. They are planning a trip to Arizona next summer. I told them they could stay at our house in the basement. They can't wait to meet y'all.

Since Monday, we kept on teaching Norma and she just wanted to be baptized. She spoke with her mom about it numerous times and her mom said no even though at one point Norma broke down in tears. On Wednesday we taught her about fasting and invited her to fast with us on Friday that her mom would give her permission. We began the fast and then on Friday while I was at Zone Conference and Norma was at school, my companions stopped by. We figured that it wasn't enough to just fast and that the Lord would require us to act. They had a pleasant visit explained that Norma was ready and had passed her baptismal interview and that we wouldn't baptized her if she wasn't ready. Her mom gave them written permission that moment. When we told Norma later that day, she was amazed. There was a hitch though. We still needed her mom's signature on the baptismal record. We left that with Norma on Friday night and gave her the challenge to get the signature. When we showed up Saturday afternoon she told us that she felt that God had slapped her for lack of faith. She said that she was so nervous to ask her mom and that she almost didn't ask for fear of being yelled at. But she said that she asked her mom and that she immediately said she would sign it. Norma was overcome by the experience and the fact that God would be so merciful and that faith was so powerful. 

I had the privilege of baptizing Norma on Saturday night and it was so special. What made it even better is that Eduardo Colon (our convert from last May) baptized another hermana in the same service. It was incredible to be able to see the fruits of our labors in that way. Him and I had a very spiritual and memorable moment afterwards as we felt the Spirit and talked about the truthfulness of the Gospel. 

As Norma came up out of the water she was crying. She told me later that she accidentally swallowed some water and that she was half crying because of that and really crying because she felt so clean. During the closing hymn, "Mas Cerca Dios de Ti", I looked at Norma as tears streamed down her face while she realized that she had just made a covenant with God to be closer to Him. The next day during the confirmation she just sobbed as well. When we asked her how she felt during the confirmation she said "worse than the baptism!" She then explained that she meant she was just so overcome with the Holy Ghost and God's love that she didn't know how to react other than crying. What a blessing to have the Gospel in our lives and help other people to find it. In three days she read all of 1 Nephi and wrote a one page summary that she turned in to us. Saturday around noon we gave her "For the Strength of Youth" and at her baptism she told us she had already finished reading it. We taught her about the temple last night and she cannot wait to enter. She now has an eternal vision.

Our other investigator, Darbelio, that we were trying to help get married and baptized last weekend is doing wonderful. We haven't been able to see him all week because he was working extra to be able to come to church. We taught him about the temple (during the lesson with Norma) and he just loved the idea of being able to be sealed to his family forever. After the lesson we asked how his reading in the Book of Mormon has been going and he opened it up and said, well I am right here. He opened to Mosiah 9! We were blown away. I really don't understand it. There people just read the Book of Mormon like crazy, they read every day and they read a lot and they understand, feel the Spirit, and are becoming converted. I have learned that those who read the Book of Mormon frequently become converted. It is as simple as that. In 1 Nephi 15:23-24 it says:

 23 And they said unto me: What meaneth the ^arod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?

 24 And I said unto them that it was the ^aword of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would ^bhold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the ^ctemptations and the fiery ^ddarts of the ^eadversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.

Thus, if we hold fast to the word of God (study the Book of Mormon every day) and hearken (obey and apply what we learn) to it, we will never perish (gain Eternal Life). Studying the scriptures every day is just so important!

We are being so blessed and I am so grateful. Every day we see incredible miracles and feel the Spirit of the Lord. Last night we didn't have a set lesson and didn't quite know where to go but as we prayed and thought about it and hearkened to the feelings and promptings that came, we had an investigator named Amanda come to mind. A number of weeks ago during Mission Leadership Council, President Ashton reminded us that when we enter lessons we should ask people what blessings they have received since our last visit so that they begin to think of the mercy of God rather than all their problems when we ask how they are doing. During the meeting the Spirit whispered that that was something I needed to do so I wrote it down on my "Change" card and committed myself to begin doing it. We walked into Amanda's house and sat down and asked, "Since we saw you two weeks ago, how have you seen the hand of the Lord in your life?" That lead to her testifying of prayer and receiving and answer to prayer and then explaining that her husband and her had just separated. It changed the course of the lesson and brought the Spirit so strongly. 

That experience made me think about General Conference, the Ensign, and other opportunities that we have to listen to Priesthood leaders. Those who have Priesthood Keys have the right to receive revelation for us. D&C 84:19 says:

 19 And this greater ^apriesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the ^bkey of the ^cmysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the ^dknowledge of God. 

I just want to listen to Priesthood leaders, the Holy Ghost, and the scriptures and then obey and apply the direction that I receive because I know that it is what brings happiness and joy.

I know that this Gospel is true. It has to be. The Spirit witnesses every single day that Jesus Christ lives, that Joseph Smith was the Prophet of the Restoration, that he saw the Father and the Son, that the Book of Mormon is true and that this is the way to salvation. I love you all and could not be happier. 

Love,

Elder Case

Testimonies of the Book of Mormon

Dear Family, Thank you for your faith and prayers this week. Darbelio (Pedro) did not end up getting baptized because he wants to wait for his "wife" to get divorced and do things right. He did not feel like moving out was the best option for the kids. But we found a divorce lawyer that is a member and it looks like it will be three months till they can get divorced, married, and he can get baptized. In the mean time, he is willing to live all the commandments and asked us to teach him about tithing so that he could begin to pay it. He is amazing. Norma Mejia is all lined up for her baptism this weekend. She is incredible. She keeps on asking us for more pamphlets and conference talks and is reading a lot in the Book of Mormon. Please pray that her mom and step dad will allow her to get baptized on Saturday. She wants to so badly. On Saturday, we called the Ortegas (they are practically our second family since we are there every single day) and asked them to go pick Norma up for a lesson (Hermana Ortega has also adopted Norma) even though we didn't have a lesson set. We showed up and they were all there waiting for us with a full table of food set. We had a lesson about studying the Book of Mormon every single day and asked each of the Ortegas to share their testimonies of reading the Book of Mormon. All of them read daily and Natalia (17 year old) is already in 3 Nephi! She was baptized a month and a half ago and is about to finish the Book of Mormon. It was amazing to hear their testimonies but even better to feel the strength and validity of them. What a great blessing. On Friday when we left the Ortegas, the neighbor across the street (Giselle) called us over and said that she wanted us to start teaching her 7 year old grandson. She said that he had some behavioral issues and we said we could help. Giselle is the wife of a former investigator named Geraldo who is the one that told us to knock on the Ortega's door in December. Giselle explained that she wanted her grandson Lance to go to church but that she was Baptist and hadn't gone to church in seven years and had no intentions of returning since she enjoyed communicating with God from her home. As we talked with her she said she would drop him off at church, drive around for the duration and then come and pick him up. She explained that he has ADHD and then asked, "Do you think it would be good if I came and sat with him at least during the first hour before he goes with the kids?" That was music to our ears. We had a lesson the next night and then played soccer and Lance loved it. He woke up Sunday morning sick and Giselle said they weren't going to go to church and he begged to be able to go. They all came (including her 13 year old granddaughter named Madison that lives next door) and loved it. Giselle stayed all three hours and Lance after church pleaded to go back the next week. I still do not fathom how God does it, I just know he does. Madison told Sandy (the Ortega's granddaughter) that she wants to get baptized. Now we just need to get her parents on board. Please pray for la familia Del Castillo. They are struggling. I had a really neat thought this week. Though I honestly try and pray for y'all, I just find my thoughts consumed by my investigators and their needs. I want to remember to pray for each of you and what you need but I often just don't think about anything other than the people here. Yesterday and Saturday in I think every appointment, the members, investigators, and recent converts prayed for you. In each pray they asked Heavenly Father to bless the missionaries and the families of the missionaries. They pray that you will be healthy, that you will prosper, and that you will be protected. It was a tender mercy for me to recognize that the Lord really does take care of us and our families even if it is in a different way than we would think. So each time you pray for me or my investigators, please know that those prayers are returned plentifully and faithfully. We have Zone Conferences every day for the rest of the week. Should be fun. We don't really have to do much which is nice. We are studying repentance as a mission for the month of February. It has been wonderful. I am learning much. Please continue to pray for Rodolfo so that he can quit smoking. We made a plan with him this week and he has cut back from 10 to 8 cigarettes a day. The night before we made the plan, he told us that he thought it was impossible to quit smoking and that he had tried many times. I looked him in the eyes and with all the faith I could muster testified that we represented the Savior Jesus Christ and that we had been commissioned and given authority to help people repent. The next day during the lesson we asked if he thought it was possible to quit and he said, "well, you represent Jesus and are the only ones that have the power to help me quit". I am grateful that the Spirit testified to him of the sacred calling that we have as missionaries. I love you, Elder Case

The Gospel Blesses Families

Dear Family, At the beginning of my mission, I didn't really understand why people would sometimes get so emotional about the Gospel. Of course there were times when I had felt the Spirit in a very overwhelming way that brought me to tears but I just didn't understand how that would happen so often to people. I am beginning to understand. In almost every lesson I have to fight back tears. These tears don't come because I am overcome with the power of the Spirit but rather they come because I am filled with gratitude and overcome by how blessed I am to have the Gospel in my life. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in its fullness. I know that foundation of apostles and prophets is here again on the earth and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is built above that foundation. I am beginning to understand the Holy Ghost. He is is guide, my teacher and my friend. I cannot imagine trying to do this work without His influence. One of the things that I have learned this week that has helped me a lot is that I realized that one of the reasons that we are so blessed and so happy and filled with the Spirit as missionaries is that we pray all the time. We pray every time before we knock on a door and then we pray after even if no one answered. We pray to begin and end studies. We pray to begin and end lessons. We pray to express gratitude. We pray when we don't know where to go. We pray when we do know where to go. We just pray and God listens and blesses us. Elder Johnson and I had an office day this past Thursday and it was just terrible. When we left after a number of hours at the office, I just didn't feel happy. I thought about it and realized that during the whole time I was at the office I had never said a prayer because I thought I was capable of fulfilling all my assignments without praying. I learned that when I come home, I can never stop praying because it assumes that we are capable when we really are not. King Benjamin teaches that we are less than the dust of the earth and Nephi in his concluding remarks teaches us in 2 Nephi 32:9 9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must apray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall bpray unto the Father in the cname of Christ, that he will dconsecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the ewelfare of thy soul. We found three new families this week and they are all wonderful. We are so excited to have them learn about, progress in, and become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been so blessed I just can't believe it. Norma (the 17 year old for El Salvador) is doing great! We didn't see her for a while and then we felt we should stop by and she was outside with some of her family. We taught her and her twin brother and her uncle the Restoration. At the beginning of the lesson we asked Norma if she had received her answer about the Book of Mormon and she said she had. She told us that as she read she was filled with a wonderful feeling and that God had told her it was true and that she had been surprised to find herself defending the Book of Mormon to her family and friends. Her uncle had a pretty skewed idea of Mormons but after the lesson walked into the house (we were teaching outside in the dark) where the rest of the family was gathered and then spent an hour telling them what we had taught and how Mormons were not that weird and that he felt so good as we taught him. The whole family wants to learn now and we taught the mom last night. Norma came to church (the Ortegas brought her) and just loved it. She said that the moment she entered the chapel, she felt the Spirit. After church she came up to us and said, "So far you have visited me a few times and given me a few pamphlets (Restoration and Gospel of Jesus Christ), do you have any more that I could study and learn from?" We gave her the Plan of Salvation and then stopped by Sunday night and she had read the whole pamphlet and loved it. She told us that she was excited for her baptism on February 15th and that she loves how she feels. Her sister Karen, while defending us to her parents, called us "los verdaderos". Pedro, the son-in-law of the Ortegas wants to be baptized so badly this coming Sunday. His "wife" Carla needs to get divorced and then they need to get married this week so that can happen. There is a Plan B but we think the marriage would be best. Please pray that we can talk to the people and find the way that Carla can get divorced according to God's will. We have a lesson with them on Wednesday and Pedro is going to teach us how to grill fajitas. We are pretty excited about that. Rodolfo (Mirna's husband) quit his job and now can come to church. He loved it yesterday. We are having a FHE tonight with their family at the home of la familia Perez. Please continue to pray for Mirna and Rodolfo that we can find the way for them to get married so they can be baptized. There are so many miracles that I wish I could share them all but I just can't. This Gospel is true. It brings happiness. Heavenly Father wants to bless us far more than we want to be blessed. His love is infinite and perfect. I feel of that love each and every day. Thank you for your prayers and your love. I hope you are all well and that you too might enjoy of the blessings of this Gospel. I love you. Love, Elder Case

The Peaceful Reassurances

Dear Family, I love this work! Thank you for your continued prayers and faith on my behalf and for our investigators. They make the difference. On Saturday, we had the privilege of baptizing Erika, Kathryn, and Karla Del Castillo. The daughters of Mijail and Maria Del Castillo who were baptized two weeks ago. It was incredible. Hermano Melgar (an investigator of about 20 years and the only non-member in his family) was also baptized by the other elders. There were no less than 80 people at the service, which we did in the chapel, and the Spirit was so strong. During the opening hymn the Holy Ghost washed over me and then never left during the service. Once again, in the ordinances thereof, the power of Godliness is manifest. How true that is. In Sacrament Meeting on Sunday, the Del Castillo girls were confirmed along with Hermano Melgar and Julie! Thank you for praying that she would make it to church and be confirmed. When we walked into the chapel Sunday morning, la familia Ortega was there on the 5th row. They took up the entire row and as usual were the only ones in the chapel. There was someone new sitting with them that we had never met. It was Karla's huband, Pedro. Karla is the mom of the three girls that were baptized in December. We stopped by and visited them Sunday evening and asked how Pedro liked church. He said he loved it and felt really good. He told us that he really wanted to stay for the other classes but his two little boys were throwing a fit and he had to leave (next week we are going to go to Primary with them because they promised us that they would stay at church if we went with them). Pedro then told us that no one had invited him to church (we didn't even know he lived there since he works all the time) but that he just felt the desire to ask for work off and to go. We taught him the Restoration and after reciting the First Vision Elder Larson asked him how he felt. He said, "I feel just like I felt at church. Really good and peaceful." We testified that it was the Holy Ghost and that he already knew that what we shared is true. Elder Nielsen then invited him to be baptized and he said yes. Then Elder Nielsen invited him to be baptized on February 8th and he thought about it and said, "I will have my answer on Wednesday." What a miracle. He has already asked for a change in schedule so that he doesn't have to work on Sundays and can come to church every week with his family. He prayed at the end of the lesson and it was so sincere. On Friday we stopped by to try a media referral that we had received and realized that it was the same house as a lady that we had talked to outside the week prior. We knocked on the door and were immediately asked to come in. Only Karen (22) and Norma (17) were there. They are sisters and came here from El Salvador about two years ago. We taught them the Restoration and did the same procedure. Before the opening prayer we testify that we are representatives of Jesus Christ and that we were sent by a loving Heavenly Father to share the most special message in the whole world and that they will feel the Holy Ghost. We promise them that they will feel something very unique in their hearts and then we teach. When we asked them how they felt after listening to the First Vision, they said, "Strange and good". We invited them to explain how they felt. They said that they felt as if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders and they felt peace. We invited them to be baptized and they also accepted. They are preparing to be baptized on February 15th. On that same day, we taught Mirna and Julie. Mirna still hasn't resolved her marriage situation and thus cannot be baptized but as we taught about it and how "the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins" (Moroni 8:25), she expressed her earnest desire to be baptized. After that lesson we taught the Padilla children. Eva (15) and Ramon (11) practically begged us to be baptized. We taught with their dad and he still said no. Please continue to pray that Tony Padilla's heart will be softened. It is so hard to teach them and see their desire to follow the Savior and listen to their testimonies of the Restored Gospel and then have their hopes squandered by the pride of their father. It has been incredible to have so many people want to be baptized. We finally understand that we invite when we feel the Spirit. Dad has told me many times that Stephen started having a lot of success on his mission when we would just invite people to be baptized every time he felt the Spirit. That is what we do and the response is always yes. The Holy Ghost is so amazing. Two more stories, on Sunday night, we had enough time for one more appointment and Elder Larson felt that we needed to go visit la familia Del Castillo. I was hesitant because we hadn't called them to set an appointment but we knocked and they were thrilled to see us. As we walked in (it was only Mijail and Maria) it felt different than it had in the past. They were in the middle of an intense argument and both immediately said that God had sent us to them in that moment. They spent about 15 minutes accusing each other and going back and forth with faults and complaints and we finally stopped them and said a prayer. The whole atmosphere changed and the Spirit came but was short lived as they went back to arguing. They were asking us for help and marriage advice and we finally had the chance to explain that we would set up an appointment with Bishop and that we didn't know anything about being married and that we were just young men but that we represented the Savior and we knew the Gospel would help them more than anything. We explained that we wanted to read in the Book of Mormon with them and we opened to Mosiah 3 and read from verse 5-19. The peaceful reassurance came. The Spirit of love, peace, harmony, unity, and forgiveness entered and all the negative feelings left. We finished with verse 19 and read: 19 For the anatural bman is an cenemy to God, and has been from the dfall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he eyields to the enticings of the fHoly Spirit, and gputteth off the hnatural man and becometh a isaint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a jchild, ksubmissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. Mijail then repeated the words submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things and looked at us and said thank you. This is what I needed. We had to leave to get home on time but committed them to kneel down as a couple and have Maria pray first and then Mijail. We texted them that night and they said that they prayed and then continued to read the Book of Mormon together and the next morning Mijail texted and said that he had read the Book of Mormon before going to work. They now know that it is a source of strength and that it contains peace and brings answers and understanding to our lives. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. The Lord answers my constant prayers about its truthfulness nearly every single day. One last story. We stopped by la familia Martinez (the less-actives that I love with my whole soul) after the baptism Saturday night. We watched the Mormon Message "None Were with Him" by Elder Holland and then asked them to share their feelings about the Savior. We had the most powerful and tender lesson on the Atonement that I have ever participated in during the which they explained that they don't have a single friend that loves them for who they are, Raul and Rosa, but that everyone only talks to them when they need help and want something. At the end of the last lesson with them we read 2 Nephi 2:30 where Lehi after teaching very powerful doctrine that condemns the wicked says, "I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls". In this lesson though we read with them in 1 Nephi 21:15-16 15 For can a awoman forget her sucking child, that she should not have bcompassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may cforget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the apalms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. We then looked them in the eyes and said that the Savior of the world has not forgotten them. We testified that He walked "such a long, lonely path utterly alone, [so that] we do not have to do so" (Elder Holland "None Were with Him"). We testified that our Heavenly Father loves them and that He sent His representatives to them that night to manifest His love for Raul and Rosa and that He didn't expect anything in return. It was a sweet moment as the love of God abounded and tears were shed. I testify that this work is true. God loves us. We are His greatest creation. The Gospel has been restored to the earth and there is no greater joy than helping others to receive of blessings of the Atonement. I know that the peaceful assurances come each day so that we know that God loves us and is aware of us and will help us. What a glorious message. Love, Elder Case