Teach Nothing but Repentance

Dear Family,

To explain the photos, I woke up one Sunday morning and saw Elder Nottingham sitting on his bed like this. Yesterday morning I finished my prayers and looked up to see Elder Johnson doing the same thing. It made me laugh pretty hard.

Thank you for all your love and prayers. I feel more grateful with each passing day for each of you and your examples to me.

I was on exchanges in a different zone last week and they had a zone meeting. To start off the zone meeting, they had each companionship stand up and tell about a miracle they had had recently. It was powerful. I was amazed to hear the miracles of the Lord. The Spirit was present testifying that what is taught in 2 Nephi 27:23 is true:

"For behold, I am God; and I am a God of a miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith."

I know that miracles still happen and that the greatest miracle of all is a change of heart. I love when we have the chance to see that miracle happen because you know that it didn't happen because of you. This week we had the opportunity to see hearts changed. We have been teaching and testifying like all missionaries do but President Ashton taught us about teaching the Atonement and then to follow up with a lesson on repentance. As we have done that it has been powerful. Our investigators finally came to church!

We were finally able to find a family at home and taught them about the Atonement and they came to church! We taught a less active family the repentance lesson and when we left, their hearts had changed. We asked at the beginning of the lesson if they had read what we left them in the Book of Mormon. The 18 year-old daughter said no because she can't remember to do things like that. During the lesson we talked with her about what sin is and how it made her feel. We asked if she liked the feeling that sin caused and then if she felt that God was pleased with her and if she felt clean and pure. She said that she didn't but that she would give anything to feel that way. We left her with the verses in Alma 36 where Alma describes his pain and sorrow and then his joy and promised her that she could feel that God is pleased with her if she would do what Alma did. She was so excited to read the Book of Mormon. Quite a change from when we arrived.

No wonder the Lord commands us to "Say nothing but repentance unto this generation". As we have taught repentance to those who are repentant and to those who think that the Atonement is out of their reach, I find so much solace in what we learn from Moroni 6:8, "But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven."

I know that that is true. God will always forgive those who sincerely repent. Sorry for the many scriptures and but just one more thought from Elder Holland, 

"I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines." 

I love you all! This Gospel is true.

Elder Case

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The Latest Update

Dear Family,

Well since I just wrote you on Saturday, I don't have too much to say. Our Bishop called two ward missionaries this week and we couldn't be happier. The members are beginning to understand their part in the work. I am really excited going forward.

We taught two different lessons yesterday on repentance and it helped me to understand just how important this work really is. As we taught less-actives, we bore testimony of God's love but then told them that not only could God not bless them (succor them) if they continue sinning, He actually begins to block their way (Mosiah 7:29). It was a pretty powerful experience as they felt the Spirit and recognized that what we were teaching was true.

I love this work. I know it is true. I love you all and am grateful for your love and prayers.

Elder Case

After All You Can Do





Elders Nottingham, Case & Johnson.  Nottingham's going home.  Johnson is the new assistant.

Dear Family,

It has been an interesting week since I last emailed you. We had the whole newspaper and reporter experience, went to the temple, Elder Nottingham went home, Elder Johnson became an assistant, transfers, and Mission Leadership Council. We have been busy but it has been good. Elder Johnson is awesome and we will have a great time together in the coming months.

It has been fun to work with Elder Johnson because we both have the same perspective on how things should work. We entered the MTC the same day and both still have a lot of time left and so we have been making changes to the way things work rather than just accepting them because we go home so soon. It is also fun that he is in my ward and speaks Spanish and also has a native companion. Now my companions are Elder Clark and Elder Ayala. We have two natives in the apartment and it is a blast. They are so positive and fun to be around and they always correct our Spanish which is helpful.

I was scared to death to do transfers without Elder Nottingham, but after much prayer, everything worked out according to plan except just one moment. On Tuesday night after we have taken the new missionaries back from the airport, put them through orientation, fed them, interviewed them, and had a testimony meeting, they are picked up and taken to different location to stay the night. By the time they are leaving the mission home to go sleep, they are exhausted and about ready to pass out. It was just at this moment that we stepped outside that the rain came and it just poured! We had to load all the bags and thus we got drenched. Sister Ashton of course had to take advantage of the moment and made us stand outside in the rain to take our photo. It was fun for us but I think the new missionaries were miserable.

We had Mission Leadership Council yesterday and President Ashton taught us the doctrine of the Fall. That was pretty fascinating but what really hit me was his concluding thoughts. We had been discussing grace and how we need grace since we are in a fallen state and how it is that we obtain grace. We, of course, talked of 2 Nephi 25:23 and where it says, "we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do". President then talked about how we have to believe this. He taught us how we can know if we have done our best and that after we have done it we really just have to turn it over to the hands of the Lord and accept that we can not do it without him. He said that "after all we can do" implies that we fail. It made me think about how we do missionary work. We follow a schedule, we study for my investigators, we pray for them all the time, we think about them and their needs, and we worry about them. We then go and teach them and they still don't want to get baptized and we get frustrated and don't know what to do. Now I understand that at this point I just need to turn it over to the Lord and trust that He will follow through on His promise and save me or save my investigator by His grace. Even though I have done my best it still isn't enough and we always have to rely on Him to make it enough. I love to think of Ether 12:27 when it comes to that idea.

Anyways it was a powerful study that affected me deeply. Please pray for Anthony Umanzor. He will be baptized next weekend but we need to be able to finish teaching him first. Pray that we can meet with him.

I love you all. Thank you for your prayers.

Love,

Elder Case



 



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

On the Lord's Errand



Serving at Elder Nielsen's Farewell Party



Elder Gifford Nielsen



We got the leftover food!



This is Benji. An awesome youth that comes out with us all the time. The bird he is holding talks to you in English and Spanish and nearly killed me when I was knocking on the door to the home he guards.

Transfer Board

Dear Family,

We had a wonderful week and were very blessed. Thank you for your prayers. On Monday, Elder Nielsen had his farewell party since he goes on assignment pretty soon. The party was in our financial missionary's home and she asked for our help. We, of course, were thrilled. We just helped serve and get things set up and we were able to be around and chat with all the stake presidents in the Houston area, President Crane and his wife (Houston Temple President) and just enjoy the Spirit.

President Ashton shared some words and then Sister Nielsen spoke followed by Elder Nielsen. I couldn't help but remember conducting the youth meeting for him a couple years ago the day after I had my wisdom teeth out. I remember my cheeks being swollen like a chipmunk and all the youth in the stake making funny faces at me. At last I had a chance to redeem myself.

What Elder Nielsen spoke about was fascinating. He spoke of being companions with Elder Holland two weeks ago in Canada and how Elder Holland taught that all throughout the Bible there was only one temple. Solomon's temple was built and detroyed, built and destroyed, time after time. Elder Holland then explained that in the Book of Mormon, we know of three temples. He then said for those of you who might not understand just how marvellous of a work this really is, there are now 141 operating temples covering the world. How cool is that? It is amazing to think of being companions with Elder Holland. He said that this past weekend he was going to be companions with Elder Oaks.

But what Elder Nielsen said that was really interesting was about the age change. He said that he spoke with President Eyring and that President Eyring told him the "real story" of the age change. President Eyring said that seconds before President Monson stood up to make the announcement, he leaned over to President Eyring and said, "Will this strengthen marriages?" to which President Eyring responded, "Yes". President Monson then said ok and made the announcement.

Elder Nielsen then explained the whole process and all the revelations received in changing the age. But every decision that was made comes back to the same question and matter. "Will this strengthen marriages?" It is just interesting to know that that is what is on the Prophet's mind all the time. I imagine that that means that it is the most important thing to Heavenly Father.

Anyways, after the whole shindig, everyone had left but us and Elder Nielsen and a few other people. We talked with Elder Nielsen and then right before we left he looked at us and said, "there is something big coming in missionary work really soon but you don't know about it". It made me wonder what the worldwide training will bring this weekend. All the missionaries in our mission are required to attend.

Two quick stories that were really powerful this week. One is from my exchange. We were teaching a young man named David that just graduated high school. The elders I was with had taught him the Restoration already and we taught the Plan of Salvation. One of the elders must have promised at least 10 times that the Spirit would be present and teach him and it happened. We asked him a question and he pretty much quoted a scripture from Alma as his response. It was just amazing to see the Spirit teach him. And made me think of the many times that has happened on my mission. It is so much better for the Spirit to teach because then they not only understand but also believe and have a testimony of that principle. Very powerful.

The other story was on Thursday night. We just didn't know where to go and so we stopped and prayed and I felt like we should call someone and as I began looking for their contact, Elder Leavitt said we should go visit the same person. He has been less-active for a long time and his excuse is that his wife works on Sundays and he doesn't like his daughters being distracting in Sacrament Meeting. We taught him about the Atonement and how we just cannot access mercy unless we repent. We then talked about what he needed to do to repent and were very bold and upfront with him. He committed to come to church and he did. It was just interesting to me how bold we were in the lesson and then I realized that we were because we were on the Lord's errand. We knew we were supposed to see him at that moment and so we could testify with more power. It is very empowering to do the Lord's will.

We took a missionary home this morning. He has only been out 4 weeks. It was sad to drop him off but his last words were, "I will be back in six months". I sure hope he does. Back to the airport right now to bring to visa waiters who are leaving for Australia. Fun times.

Hope everyone had a Happy Father's Day!

I love you,

Elder Case

Be Patient in Long-suffering

Dear Family,

This was a hard week to realize that a full year has already passed. I was with Elder Gray (MTC companion) for a couple hours on June 6th and we just could not believe it. We were reminiscing our first day together in the MTC and how the 9 weeks that followed were just the greatest. Anyways it was sad but helped me to once again realize that this time is short and I need to always make the best of it.

We went on exchanges again this week and I went with one of my Zone Leaders. He was also my Zone Leader when I was in Houston 8 and he was the one that trained me to be a District Leader. When I was in Houston 8 and went on an exchange with him, I learned so much. We saw miracles and I was in awe of his faith and abilities as a missionary. He is now in a new area that is really difficult and serves in a ward that doesn't help do missionary work. He was pretty depressed about the work and didn't have any real hope that things would change in his last 2 months before he goes home. It was a neat experience to be able to remind him of our first exchange together and tell him of the enormous impact he has had on my mission. By the end of the day, he had the fire again in his eyes and was committed to go conquer the world. It caused me to think about the Atonement and how I am so grateful for the opportunity that I always have to repent and change. It seems that it is often difficult to "always remember Him" but when we do, we also remember His mercy and His grace and His love which then empowers us and allows us to grow and improve.

Then on Saturday, we were poised to have a terrific day. We had members planned to come out with us, plenty set lessons to keep us busy, and the determination to commit everyone to be baptized. But as the day progressed, every appointment fell and every member cancelled. We probably prayed 30 times asking Heavenly Father where He wanted us to be and who He wanted us to teach. It was an extremely humbling experience to recognize that I am not in control at all and that I can do nothing of myself. We finally got into an appointment at 8:30 with a less-active and had a good lesson and then went home. I was trying to keep my faith up but was pretty put out that nothing had worked out for us all day. After planning though, I starting making what we call "ministering phone calls" to the Zone Leaders. We just call and see how they and their zones are doing and if there is anything we can do to help. After being so humbled from the day, it was good to make those calls and the Spirit came and everything was better. I came to understand just a little better that "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God".

We then had a wonderful Sunday and one of our investigators came to church after receiving only 3 hours of sleep. Talk about faith and sacrifice. I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and for the strength that I receive from Him every day. I love this work and know that it is true. 

Thank you for your prayers and love, I return them.

Love,

Elder Case

Blessings of the Gospel

Assistants and President Ashton

Sunrise

Dear Family,

Thank you for your prayers and love. I continue to grow in my gratitude for the blessings of the Gospel that I have enjoyed my entire life. On Saturday, we were on exchanges down in League City (which is really close to where I was serving in Clear Lake) and Elder Nottingham and I went and visited one of the families he used to teach when he was in that area. The lady was a single mother, she was really sick and a chain-smoker, she just lost her job about a month ago, her son died in a car accident about 6 months ago (it sounded like he was drunk driving), her 16 year-old daughter dropped out of high school when she was 16 becuase she had a baby and she now lives with her boyfriend. As we walked away from her home, we just looked at each other and talked about how incredibly grateful we are for the Gospel in our lives. President Ashton has been teaching us a lot about how the Gospel provides protection for us. I know that to be true.

Things continue to go well. Aicha Colon's baptism was a very special experience for me. It was powerful to see Eduardo exercise his newly recieved priesthood to bless him family and as I confirmed Aicha (first confirmation I have ever done) I was able to feel of the love that Heavenly Father has for her.

President and Sister Ashton's parents both came for the baptism. I asked Brother Ashton if he knew Jim Updike to which he said, "Oh I could tell you some stories". I don't know what that meant but it sounded interesting.

As a mission, we are baptizing more than we have ever since President Ashton has been here. In the past week, I went to Haley's baptism, Aicha's baptism, and then we went to another baptism of Elder Leavitt's investigators in his old area (3 people were baptized). We are being blessed greatly as a mission and it is neat to be a part of it.

Please continue to pray for Cario (that she can change her schedule and keep the Sabbath Day Holy) and John (that he can understand the Priesthood and have a desire to be baptized).

I know that this work is true. I love you all and pray for you frequently.

Love,

Elder Case