General Conference #2

Dear loved ones,

What an amazing conference that was. I'm fairly confident that this years' annual spring General Conference was my favorite conference of all time.

Just a couple quick thoughts about what I really liked about it :)

Last week, I told you about how I was going to write down some questions I had, and try to find the answers in the Conference. Saying "it helped" is an understatement. I realized things about the gospel that I had been completely ignoring. I received answers to all of my questions, multiple times.

Question 1: What defines a Successful mission?

Answer: I learned from the Priesthood session of a missionary whose brother was a Zone Leader with many baptisms. The young missionary went on his mission with the desire to become like his brother, receive a calling as a zone leader, and baptize just as many people. He soon learned, however, that NONE of these things will help determine whether your mission was successful or not. It doesn't matter how many baptisms "you got" or what your title was, or even how many companions became your friends. But instead, the success of your mission should come from your dedication to the Lord, and your willingness to submit your will to His. Under closer examination, I was thinking about all these so-called "success definers" and one thing REALLY stood out to me. Nobody will EVER be able to accurately describe to someone how successful his/her mission was.

You can tell someone how many people you baptized. But it doesn't matter. You could tell someone what your callings were. But it doesn't matter.

You could tell someone about your mission buddies. But it won't matter.

The ONLY people that should know how successful you were on your mission is YOU and the Lord.

I loved that.

Question 2: Obedience Brings....???

Answer: As you know from last weeks email, I've been putting a real focus on obedience lately, and after that exchange with Elder Yellowhorse, it's been on my mind a lot. It is a very basic church belief that Obedience to the commandments brings Blessings. But I learned something from this conference that completely changed my perspective about following the commandments.

Previously, I knew with all my heart that if I follow the commandments and the mission rules, then I will be blessed. I would receive blessings that would help me in the field and for the rest of my life. Blessings I wanted. Therefore, I would have to follow the rules. Often times, my only motivation for trying to follow the rules was because I wanted to earn some sort of reward. But. I've been doing it wrong.

I realize now, thanks to Elder Uchtdorf, that although it's true that I'll get blessings for my obedience, that should never be my "motivation" for following God. As it says in John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments. It's as simple as that. There's my motivation. I now know that I should be obedient because I feel a desire to show my love for God. Never again just to receive some sort of prize.

I loved that too.

Question 3: How can I bare a testimony with power?

Answer: Keep On Practicing

I loved that as well.

I know that Thomas S Monson is a courageous and inspired prophet of God. Through prayer and fasting, he receives the God-given inspiration to speak to us, and it's an opportunity that, if properly taken advantage of, can really help us and inspire us to be better. I know that you aren't perfect. That's ok, because neither am I. But you and I both have the chance to pray and fast, and work to master the Christ like attributes that will help us to have happy and successful lives. I know that Christ was our perfect example, and that even though he was the most perfect of us all, he still had to endure the same temptations that we do. He always chose right, and it's possible for us to do the same. I know that He lives, and loves us both. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love you all!

Elder Webster