Sister Davis~Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission: "The Standard of Truth has been Erected!"

No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing.." -Joseph Smith

Another week full of learning, growing, and being taught by the spirit! Many familiar faces, many chances to laugh, several chances to cry, multiple chances to teach, always countless moments to testify!

One of the wonderful things about being a Temple Square missionary is the abundance of General Authorities in the area! We were all sitting in sacrament meeting waiting for the services to begin when Quinten L. Cook and his wife strolled in! He had his wife sit and he made his way to the pulpit! He sat next to the mission president and informed him that he just wanted to preside at our meeting! So he did! Talk about a pleasant surprise!

After sacrament meeting my companion and I realized that we needed to go to Music and the Spoken word that morning because our schedule wouldn't allow us to go for the rest of the transfer! So we hurried over to the conference center and took our seats! THEN it was announced that the special guests performing were THE KING SINGERS! AH!!!!! I was so stoked!!! And I instantly thought of Mr. Riemer and how jealous he would be if he only knew... Needless to say it was an amazing broadcast. I couldn't help but think how blessed am I and how lucky I am to see what I see and be where I am. The Lord really loves me and blesses me, even though I'm just little old me. Always needing the divine power of the atonement and coming to Heavenly Father with so many prayers. He loves His children.

Continuing on my amazing Sunday... All of the Temple Square Sisters were able to attend the First Presidency Christmas Devotional! I can now say that I've been in the same room as the prophet! Haha:) Such a wonderful broadcast! I LOVED the video of those little girls and boys singing "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus". So tender! Elder Nelson is so inspired when he speaks!

When we got out of the devotional we were on our way to the south when my companion asked if we could run into the north t.c. to grab our bags. So we ran in real fast and walked out the front doors. There was a group of college students in front of us and one of them had an extremely familiar accent... Man it's crazy that sometimes you just walk right up to people you know on the square! It was so great to be able to see Luke and ask about his mission and school etc. So great. :)

On Monday I had to take a written driving test because on Saturday I'm passing off driving a mission vehicle! I was SO nervous to take the test though (although I don't know why, you'd think after having to do traffic school I would know everything there is to know about the laws of driving...ha). But my companion was so sweet and helped me study for it! While I was taking it something really interesting happened: I totally forgot an important combination lock number and it was one of the questions on the test! I started freaking out in my head but I said a quick prayer, I said "Heavenly Father...ah I can't remember it please help me to remember it.." and instantly the numbers popped into my head! So I wrote it down and needless to say I passed the test!!!! Heavenly Father answers prayers!!! I shared that story with one of our investigators and promised him that Heavenly Father can help him remember things as he goes though finals. He told us he will definitely be reading his Book of Mormon and praying during finals. :) We're excited to call him again and here about his experience! The church is so true!!!!

On Monday night my companion and I were casually walking around the North Visitors Center when the ever so beautiful Susan Hutchins ran up and gave me the biggest hug!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE SHE GOT HER CALL TO ROSEVILLE, CALIFORNIA!?!? (Sorry if I spelled that wrong Kori...haha) That just blows my mind that she got called to the same place Kori, C.J., and Allen got called to! So crazy!!! I am so so so so excited for her though! And she's going to be in the MTC the same time as Elder Gunderson! Ah! Tender mercies! It is so exciting to hear and see all of my friends going on missions...the work is hastening!

From 8:30 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon yesterday we had mission training! Wow. Elder Clark came and presented the training for us. It was so amazing...he talked about a ton, so I had a lot of notes by the end of the day. He covered everything from diligence, to marriage, to education, to teaching with the spirit, to learning how to sing spanish primary songs. Yeah so funny story... He asked for two sisters who don't speak spanish, and Sister Yu and I ended up in the front of the room. He assigned two spanish sisters to teach us a song in spanish..but they could only teach us speaking spanish... Oh boy. So...Sister Yu and I looked pretty interesting trying to learn a song in spanish in front of all these sisters, but hey, I'm grateful for learning how to sing in italian before my mission otherwise I would have been even more red than I already was. Hahaha:) So that was a learning experience I will never forget!

So a couple weeks ago I saw on LDS.org that the youth theme for next year is "Come Unto Christ." I love it! Sister Esquivel has been feeling under the weather lately and yesterday we had to go back to our apartment early so she could sleep and get lots of rest. This gave me a lot of personal study time (oh happy day!) and I really felt inspired by the youth theme for next year...So I wrote a song. And Sister Esquivel has a ukulele here (I know right, definitely the hand of the Lord), so I put those lyrics to music and played it for my roommates that night to see what they thought. Maybe I will record it and send it to Kori and try to seek his approval (after all, Kori is the pro at writing music for youth, especially on the ukulele). I sang some of the songs he wrote, to Sister Esquivel yesterday as she lay in bed and she really liked them. Pretty much I have an awesome brother-in-law. Yup.

Well, it's been real, it's been good, it's been real good. I'm excited for the coming week and all that comes with it. The Book of Mormon has been teaching me every day, and the Holy Ghost is guiding me to know what to do. When I follow Him, the purposes of God are fulfilled.

"Persecution may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent; till it has penetrated every continent, visited every climb, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." -Joseph Smith

Love,

Sister Davis

My companion and I right after the First Presidency Devotional!:)