Elder Marriner Kaden Merrill: This week was amazing!

Hey guys! This week was amazing! First - we were able to teach some
awesome lessons this week. The English Elders ran into a Hispanic family
last P-day and got their number for us. We called them up and made an
appointment and had an awesome lesson with them. They are a family of
5 and told us they wanted us to come over because they want to become
closer to God. We taught them about the restoration and are going back
tomorrow to teach them again. We are pretty excited! We were also able
to have a good lesson with the guys in the apartment complex about the
Book of Mormon. They invited us in because they said they really like to
talk about God. We are hoping to go back and teach them again.

Now for the good stuff. Elder Holland and President Uchtdorf's visit was
amazing. We were blessed to have a meeting with just the missionaries
Saturday morning with them. There really are no words to describe how
amazing it was. I sat on the 4th row. When they arrived in the morning we
took a big group picture with them.  Then every missionary had to opportunity
to shake their hands. That was a little intimidating. When Elder Holland spoke
to us later her told us that the apostles used to interview every missionary in
the world once a year. Because this is an impossible task today, they shake
our hands and while doing so look into our eyes because they can see the
bottom of our soul. Of course he chuckled while saying this because he could
see we were all sweating bullets. He told us we all passed.

All of the apostles messages were amazing ---

Elder Klebingat from the seventy came with them. He came here last Fall to
speak to us and it was wonderful to see him and learn from him again. He
remembered many of us still. His wife spoke first about being one as a mission,
being one as the Arkansas Little Rock Mission. The key to doing this is by putting
pride aside and sanctifying ourselves. Elder Klebingat spoke about constantly
increasing our doctrinal love by having good personal study every single day for
the rest of our lives. He also taught us that when we are scared to do things in
missionary work or in life that the #1 antidote for fear is love. Love for the gospel
and love for those around us.

President Uchtdorf spoke next. First of all, he is a lot taller than I thought. When
I shook his hand he was almost a whole head taller than me. His message was
really great. He emphasized a conference address he gave in 2008 called "Lift
Where You Stand." He talked about how it doesn’t matter where we are or what
our job is - we need to lift where we stand, or in other words, we need to all that
we can do to fulfill our calling or position we have. Heavenly Father does not think
any more highly of any of his children, we all stand on the same level. That is why
we must do all that we can in the position we are in.

Elder Holland was the concluding speaker. His talk was awesome. His continued
to build upon President Uchtdorf's talk. He also taught that there really is no vertical
movement in the church. We should always be rising. Always lifting. The rest of
his talk focused on life after our missions. He encourages us all to try not to go
home early and when the time comes - to return home successfully.  He then got
a little fired up and said that we as missionaries do not have the right to damage
the image of an LDS missionary when we return home and become less active.
He told us to get rid of the image in our mind that we were going to go back to our
old life when we return home - that everything would be just like it was before our
mission. He told us our life before our mission wasn’t really that real, we were just
kinda living - that our lives really began the minute we became full-time missionaries
for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And for the rest of our lives we
have to do what our Savior did - to always be good example and share the gospel.
He taught that this gospel is the most important thing in our lives and that many
people need it. If our mission doesn't change who we are for the rest of our lives
then shame on us. We are out here serving our mission for two years to bring one
convert into the gospel - and that is ourselves!

I am so thankful I am a missionary. My mission and this gospel have really changed
who I am. It hasn't necessarily changed my personality or my hobbies and interests -
but my focus in life. It has really shown me that things of eternal value are the only
things we really need to worry about. I love being able to bring this joy to others and
to become more and more converted myself along the way.  I love you all!

Love Elder Merrill