September 10, 2015
소랜슨 장로

Thank you for the letter! So much info, I'll try to address what I can.

I very much loved your spiritual thoughts. I have so many of my own, I wish we could just sit and talk about them for a few hours. It's amazing how much I've learned in only 5 weeks. After two years, I can only imagine! I listened to a wonderful devotional by Elder Holland on Sunday night (it's one of those devotionals that they only show in the MTC... you can't even find it online) and he said that if you serve a worthy, full time mission, you can't come home anything like the person you were before. "Don't let it happen!" That's one of the most exciting things about being a missionary--the change I see in myself. I feel like a completely different person. After two years, I know that not only will I change a lot, but that the change will be permanent.

I'm glad to hear the family is doing well. You all look like you're having so much fun!

To answer your questions:

Yes, we attend the temple on Thursdays as a district. One of my favorite parts of the MTC is getting to go to the temple each week. It's a time to feel peace and reflect on the week.

There are 10 missionaries total in my district (including myself and Elder Romney). As district leader I authorize splits, conduct PIs (personal interviews) to make sure companionships are functioning well and progress is being made, I teach a lesson every Sunday, conduct devotional reviews/district meetings on Tuesday nights, and meet with the Branch President in order to convey his messages to the district. I also organize any blessings that need to be administered (and there has been a lot because of all the sicknesses going around). I absolutely love it.

Well, here's something. While playing volleyball early Tuesday morning, I collided with Elder Stradling (from my district) and hurt his toe pretty bad. He ended up needing to go off campus to get it x-rayed. Luckily! nothing is broken, just sprained. I love Elder Stradling. I felt so bad, but he laughs about it and says "at least I got to leave campus for a few hours." The 9 weekers are beginning to feel a bit restless, as you can tell...

Korean is coming along. Every day it gets a little more challenging. I'm to the point now where I can understand a good portion of what people are saying, but responding is super difficult. Korean is a complex system of politeness and nonsense, so it's so hard to know how to respond to certain people. So many cultural rules! If the person you're talking to is older, use high form. If the person is well respected, your superior, or just plain old, you must honorify the high form. If you are talking to someone older than elementary school age, but younger than you (or around your same age), use middle form. If you want to be extra polite, honorify the middle form. Never honorify if you are using yourself as the subject of the sentence... and it goes on. It's fun, but it can be so frustrating!

The syntax is really what is messing me up right now. It's so completely backwards from English. I have to laugh when I read in Preach My Gospel, "Very simply explain to your investigators that you know that in order to show faith in Christ, you must be baptized." Well, to say "I know that in order to show faith in Christ, we must be baptized" in Korean, the sentence structure is "I Christ-in faith show-in order to, we baptism receive-must know." That's no joke! I love the language, but wow.

I'm running out of time, so I'll share a few quick thoughts. From the devotional by Elder Holland I mentioned earlier, he made the comment that "all Satan has to do to win is keep you quiet." He went on to explain that Satan is not allowed to take a life, and so when young Joseph Smith went into the grove to pray, he did the next best thing to try and stop the work from progressing--he bound his tongue. As a missionary, that hit hard. We must never be afraid to open our mouths.

Our Tuesday night devotional speaker was none other than Elder Gerauld Causse from the presiding bishopric! He gave an incredible talk in conference, look it up if you have time. On Tuesday, he made the point, "why does the church send young adults to preach the gospel instead of a professional, trained missionary force?" It's because we don't know a lot. The fact that we are so unqualified is why we have converting power. It's the same reason Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to a young, unlearned boy of 14. Did that make sense? Think about it a little. I wish I could explain more.

Well, I need to be done. I have a testimony that God answers prayers. I have had so many prayers answered lately. Remember, you are never prepared for the day until you've sincerely prayed.

소랜슨 장로

                  Said goodbye to Elder Hinds on Monday. He's off to Cambodia!

Mamaaa!

Thank you for the Dear Elder you sent on Monday! The MTC is not all sunshine and lollipops :) Sometimes there are days when it is very, very hard to keep going. Hearing from you during the week lifts my spirits. I wish I had time to write more!

I love you. Thanks for writing. I read all your letters very carefully.

-Elder Sorensen