Testimony

Written March 18, 2014

I can't wait to get that package!! Haha that is so exciting!!
I can't believe that it had already been 6 months. Tomorrow is
transfers, which means that I have already been here in Huntersville
for 6 weeks. How crazy is that!! And tomorrow is the 18th, so pretty
neat that my actual 6 month mark and transfer 6 month mark line up
with one another! So I'm already 1/4 of the way finished with my
mission. So transfers are tomorrow. Elder Teichert is being transferred
to be a zone leader somewhere else, and I will be taking over the area
here.
That is so exciting that Andy has his papers in to President Foster.
He could have his call before this next transfer is over. He will be a
great missionary.  So, we had stake conference this week, and all
of the states in the south had it the same week. We had a broadcast
from salt lake in which some people spoke to us, and we had L. Tom
Perry speak to us as well. It was a really good conference all about
hastening the work. 
I loved going to those little EFY things. Was there a concert that
night afterwards as well? I absolutely loved being able to be around
all of those youth.  It would be amazing to be able to do the big EFY
Concerts and stuff like that. I think I just love the youth of the
church and high school aged people, and so to be able to work with
them would be so much fun. It seems like it was just yesterday I was
in high school, and I kinda miss it, but I know I we must move on and
grow more.
Oh, so I thought I would tell you what I have learned about Elder
Teichert. His great grandma was Minerva Teichert, who was a very
talented artist and has many paintings in almost every temple and
meeting house throughout the world. He is a 3 time state champion in
wrestling. Almost every talk he gave at his home ward, L Tom Perry was
at. L Tom Perry was at his farewell as well, so they personally know
each other. He told me a little miracle that I thought was super cool,
so I thought I would share it with you. They was a lady in his home
town who had a beautiful and amazing daughter. She wanted so bad for
her daughter to be married and have a family, but no one was coming
along. But, her mother just kept praying. She prayed for her daughter
to be married to an amazing husband for over 40 years!! Then, one day
the day comes that she gets married to L Tom Perry!! Can you believe
that! She prayed for her daughter to find an amazing husband, and I
think she has her prayer answered ;)
 Family is such an amazing thing to have. I have really realized out here just how important family is and how much I love all of you.
So they came with a new Mormon message! Have you seen it? It is like
10 minutes long, but is but bullying and is really good! If you
haven't all seen it, you all should see it!
So, we had a few little blessings happen this past few weeks. First
is that I had a few pairs of pants fixed. 
 And Elder Teichert was having a suit altered so that it
would fit him. When we went to pick it up and pay for it, one of the
members of the ward was in there too. She was so nice, and picked up
the tab for it all! This ward takes really god care of us. And then,
last night we had dinner with the Baughn family, and he gave Elder
Teichert and I each a brand new pair of shoes. He has an online
business re-selling shoes called Allan Edmonds. You will have to look
them up. He gave me a pair called The Rutledge. He said they are over
400 dollars a pair new! You will have to look them up and see what
they cost and let me know. They are super nice though, and he said
they will last like forever if I take good card of them. So I am only
going to wear them to big meetings and stuff like that, not to
anything else.

So, I know that you asked me last week for me to tell you a little but
about my testimony, but I kinda forgot to in my letter....and it will
probably be really long!! I should probably start telling you more of
what I personally know to be true. I am constantly sharing my
testimony with others every day, and so I should be to you all as
well. There are so many things that I have a testimony of. My
testimony has definitely grown while I have been here on my mission,
and I have notice that it grows the most when we are given trials. I
feel somewhat selfish, because my own testimony has grown so much, and
I feel so much more completely converted to the gospel, and I have
been able to really realize what I have. I have learned that our
father in heaven gives us trials because he wants to help us grown,and
so he can bless us. I have a testimony of the commandments. Not just
the big ten, but all of the little things The Lord commands us to do
like to love others, and even just the commandment to pray. He gives
us those commandments because he wants to bless us. I have a huge
testimony of the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is true, and it
has been given to provide us with hope, happiness, and guidance in
these last days. I find it interesting that in the Book of Mormon we
read that beginning with Nephi, all of the prophets new what was going
to happen. They all seen that eventually they would all become
completely wicked and be destroyed even after they had witnessed Jesus
Christ himself come to them. But, even though those prophets knew the
people would be destroyed in the end, they still taught them and kept
the records they were commanded to keep. Elder e Holland said that
"they still kept trying and had faith, because they knew that one day,
we, as missionary's would succeed a final time in bringing souls to
Christ". How amazing is that!? They kept trying because they had faith
one day we would be able to do it. I testify that the heavens are open
once again, and we as individuals and a Church receive revelation. I
testify that Joseph Smith was called to be a Prophet to Restore the
Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness to the earth. I know that he in
fact did see God, our eternal Father in Heaven, and God our Eldest
Brother Jesus Christ in a simple grove of trees that cool September
morning. They were and are two separate beings in body, but one in
goal, purpose, and work. They told him that he was to wait and latter
establish Christ church upon the earth once again. I testify that
prophet Moroni, who buried the plates himself, appeared to Joseph
several times and latter led him to the exact plates which he had
buried. Joseph translated those plates by the power of god as the
convincing evidence that he Indead was a prophet, and that Christ
authority had been restored to the earth. Each and every one of ushas
the ability to read and pray about this Devine book, and receive a
witness through the power of the Holy Ghost that it is true. The Book
of Mormon has changed and continues to change my life. Through knowing
that the Book of Mormon is true, I also know that Thomas S. Monson is
a Prophet of god today, and that he leads and guides Christ church
through revelation he directly receives from him. He holds the keys
for the kingdom of God upon the earth today. As I hear each of them
speak, I can hear the immense amount of charity that each and every
one of them possesses. I testify that the priesthood that has been
restored to the earth once again as well, and that many miracles occur
every day through that power. It is the very power by which all of
Gods will is accomplished here upon the earth. But, all blessings are
predicated upon our faith. I know our father hears every single word
that is uttered out of our mouth. He listens, not always does he
answer in the time or way in which we expect. Prayer is not to change
the will of our father, but so we can align our will with his. He has
promised the faithful that he will comfort them them in their
afflictions and bring peace to their hearts. Then we have to have
hope. We trust God that he will do what he has said he is going to do.
I know that our Father in Heaven has a plan for each and every one of
his children and that he loves each of them. We can all return to live
with him one day. One day will will all receive perfected bodies, and
we will be with our families for eternity. I realize that I do not
know everything. In fact, many of the people here have much more
knowledge than I do, but I know the knowledge I possess will bring
them more comfort and joy than they can even imagine. I am thankful
for the opportunity to be able to share this knowledge with others,
and I know that one day we will all be compensated for every hard or
unfair thing that we go through here on this earth. The Lord wants to
bless us, all we have to do is let him. Trust in The Lord, and believe
in the plan that he has laid out for you. There is more help and
happiness ahead than you can even imagine. I testify that he is
listening and wants to hear from us, In the sacred name of our savior
and redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen.

We had a chance to study virtue this past week on our 9 weeks closer
to Christ. It was really neat to be able to really study virtue, and I
would highly recommend taking a little bit if time to study all of the
Christlike attributes. I think the thing that stuck out to me the most
is that virtue is a pre-requisite to power and the priesthood. It says
in doctrine and covenants 121 to "let virtue garnish thy thoughts
unceasingly, then shall thy confidence was strong in the presence of
god, and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as
the dews from heaven"

That's pretty much all I have this week, but I will e-mail you again
this next week!! I got your package a little bit ago, and it was so
great! I absolutely loved it!! I love you all so much!!
Love,
Elder Jorgensen