Oct 22,2018
Well, this is the second time I saw an apostle during the time of my Mission. The first was back in January with Elder Cook which I wish I took notes on. Let's just say that at this point of my mission I really felt like I needed to be a consecrated missionary. Someone who gives everything up while serving their mission. Their time, talents, wants, and a lot more to do the Lord's work. Mission Conference was held on October 16, 2018. The Texas Dallas Mission and the Texas Fort Worth Mission both attended. There was a lot of really good things come out of it. We got our picture taken with Elder Holland as a mission and got to meet with past missionary companions. A lot of really good talks given by some Area Seventies and their wives. Sister Holland even bore her testimony on how she knows the Church is true. After all these peaceful and loving Talks we knew we were about to be struck down.
Elder Holland is a very loving person that wants to let you know what the Lord wants for each and everyone of us. Elder Holland started off his talk stating that Sister Holland has almost lost her life 3 times over the time of their marriage. In 1978 she lost her baby which crushed her. Another time he got a call at 11:30 am from his office from the hospital. The Hospital said, "We are doing everything for your wife." He quickly went to the hospital and asked the Lord to take charge. Another image he saw was when he went to the Hospital and saw a little nurse probably around 80lbs or so kneeling on top of Sister Holland. What he saw her doing was Pounding on Sister Holland saying, "BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE!" Elder Holland was pounding the Pulpit and yelling this out and Said, "This is exactly what I want to see in these missions. Move like it, Act like it, Sing like it! We want ALL of you in the mission!"
At this Point Elder Holland told us that there is nothing more important than Missionary Work except being Married and building the Kingdom of God. He then stated that you are building the Kingdom of God by going out on a mission."The Salvation of the Human Soul is the most important thing in this life!" he stated. "God has done everything he has to do to prepare you for this mission!" He went on to tell us that nothing else matters, not Pluto, not Saturn, nothing in the Solar system except what happens here on Earth. "We want the work of the Almighty God to be the Saving of his Children!" Elder Holland then shared with us 2 Nephi 26:24 which reads 24 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation. He also said that people don't want to believe that we can become God's but it's true. He then mentioned a couple key points in his talk.
"Saving Souls is Important"
"It faces for all people in Eternity."
"The Whole world would be utterly wasted if there was no effort made."
"You are charged with getting the benefit of the Atonement to people's lives."
"If not it's as if the Atonement was never taught."
A lot of other things were there that I couldn't write down at this point but Elder Holland is making it Clear that as missionaries we need to act. He also stated that the lifetime of the world has been 6000 years and that Missionaries are the most prayed for people on the planet and that we are the only church that does Missionary work. "I don't know if the Catholics pray for the pope." he said. Now we pray for President Nelson and Elder Holland let us know that we are in the heart of the plan God has for his children. "It's not Casual Business, it's God's Business."
Elder Holland then shared with us that he wish he had the vision when he served a mission in England. As Jesus Saith unto his Apostles, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 28:19. He told us about how the Church has truckloads of goods for Disasters such as Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Tsunamis and more.
"Well you're the spearhead of the Church."
"They hear it before we even talk."
"You are the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
"Bring them into the power of the Covenant."
"I wish I would've known about this on my mission 55 years ago."
"Wilford Woodruff was my senior companion, that is some old stuff." The mission laughed after he told us this.
Elder Holland asked for some volunteers to read from the scriptures. I planned on doing it but someone beat me to it.
The scriptures used are in Mosiah 26:13 27:11-12, 18,19,27,29. Here is how he explained these scriptures.
Alma the older is worried about his son Alma the Younger when he gets older and that he may have to become a leader over these people. He prays his heart out to see if his son will change. The Elder reading these scriptures and got lost and he said he was Sorry. Elder Holland told him he was forgiven. Now Alma killed people spiritually throughout his life and was to rally against it. Now he pointed out the scripture where the earth shook, but was it felt everywhere or not? Elder Holland told us that Alam and the Sons of Mosiah felt a Spiritual Earthquake. It happens all the time and it's what happens to investigators when they feel the spirit or rather the truth come upon them. Alma the Younger wants this type of conversion for everyone, but he knows that will not happen. Elder Holland told us a couple things after that.
"Be astonishing to someone."
"Where else does someone leave everything behind?"
"Please go Astonish someone."
"It's a marvelous work that the Church allows someone so young to take over the Church."
He basically told us that Missionaries are some of the only people in the world who give up everything to do the will of someone else. Of course for us it is serving the lord. He then asked another person to read from Helaman 5:17-19 which says the following.
17 And it came to pass that they did preach with great power, insomuch that they did confound many of those dissenters who had gone over from the Nephites, insomuch that they came forth and did confess their sins and were baptized unto repentance, and immediately returned to the Nephites to endeavor to repair unto them the wrongs which they had done.
18 And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did preach unto the Lamanites with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them—
19 Therefore they did speak unto the great astonishment of the Lamanites, to the convincing them, insomuch that there were eight thousand of the Lamanites who were in the land of Zarahemla and round about baptized unto repentance, and were convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers.
In these passages of Scripture Nephi and Lehi are teaching the dissenters. This was so successful that it brought the apostates in. We were asked who are the toughest people to convert? He told us it's not Jehovah Witnesses, it's not Methodists or Catholics, it's Ex-Mormons for Jesus Christ. They know everything in the Book and they are the people you don't want to cross paths with. Now I don't think he means Less active members but rather Members who have quit the Church and are against its documents. If anything those people have no faith in God than they do with themselves. Now he had to write how they preached multiple times on Golden Plates. Think about how difficult that must of been, why would they even do it. They did this because that is how it was!
Elder Holland told us as Missionaries we have more authority than the President of the United States, then Congress, then Vladimir Putin. Basically anyone in the Government you have more authority than them. "More Authority which is given by a blessing. Power is given by righteousness." In the Scriptures it says that 8000 were converted. If I was your mission president and was told that you baptized 8000 people in a week I would bring Krispy Kreme if someone did that. He then started to close up his talk with a couple great quotes that personally hit me very hard.
"You are a miracle, I want you to believe in what you're doing."
"This is a moment in time that a brass ring will come for you to grab it."
"You astonish me and I have you for that."
"Astonish the people everywhere."
Elder Holland told us his mission changed his life forever. There was really no reason for Elder Holland to go out on a mission. However he went for Sister Holland. Sister Holland told him, "If you want anything from me I want to see you as a returned missionary." He said, "I couldn't have signed my papers fast enough, I think I woke the Bishop at midnight. I came to know this is the truth and this is the heart of the Atonement. Decide what kind of missionary you want to be today. Search your soul alone. You can and you will do good as a missionary."
He closed his talk in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. It was a pretty amazing experience and I wish I got to see him longer. He stayed in Texas for a while after to talk to the youth which was cool and I'm glad he did. I heard that he told the men that they will regret not going on a mission for the rest of their life if they decide not to go. He is a great apostle and I hope to hear another one from my mission soon. It was a great experience and I wish they would give us a copy of his talk to keep for memories and to read over it again and again and again. It has strengthened my testimony a lot and I hope share it with others. There is nothing better than serving a mission and by being obedient and following the guidance of the spirit it will bring you to miracles without number. I know that Elder Holland is an apostle called from God and that we can learn so much from the Gospel of Jesus Christ than we already know. I bear my testimony that the Church has been restored by a Prophet and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Lord's church on the earth. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
