Week 59 - Walking in great places

Hello everyone! I don't think too much happened this week..... I think the only thing of note is that we were able to re-set Richard's baptismal date to June 27th! We're going on faith because we don't actually know when baptisms will be allowed to be performed again here in NY. But we have high hopes!

Then we had some exciting things happen today! We not only got Mexican food for the first time on my mission so far, but we also took a little drive down to Mendon (totally in our area)! That is where all the events from my email last week took place. So pretty cool. I may have been fan-girling hard, and the people passing were probably really confused why we were taking pictures of random houses, but you know, they are the ones missing out. To think that I, as a missionary, was standing right next to the place where  the first missionary preached was so special. I'm in a pretty cool mission I guess.... ;). 

Brigham Young's home in Mendon, NY

There was also a little cemetery nearby that we knew Brigham Young's first wife was buried in, so we stopped by, and turns out that Heber C Kimball's dad was also buried there! So that was pretty cool. 

Thought:  As a mission we have been studying a devotional given last month by Elder and Sister Gay to the young adults. It was really powerful, and so here's a favorite quote: 

   "Faith is a principle of action, and faith is a choice. Faith is not measured by how many meetings we attend or rituals we keep. Faith is not even the acknowledgment that God and Jesus Christ live. Your faith is the extent of your trust in and complete reliance on God and your Savior, Jesus Christ. We all endure or crumble according to the degree of our personal trust and reliance on Them."

    "To build faith in Them you will need to eliminate from your life any self-justifying behaviors. You need to own your life and not let others dictate your actions and choices. Your perspectives, attitudes, reactions, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs are all things that you control. Being offended and turning away are not of God. His voice always invites us to “follow Me!” God is prepared to answer any question, comfort any struggle, and redeem any and all individuals. There is no mistake or struggle that cannot be healed through Him. All the internet searches in this world across the web’s nearly billion and a half sites cannot tell you if this Church is true or if Jesus Christ lives; only God can reveal that to you. And the bottom line is this: God will not tell you one truth and tell me another. We will all get the same answers as we inquire and seek after Him with sincerity, faith, and real intent."

I love this because it is something that we have been facing a lot lately. Faith is just so hard for some people, and so is getting answers to questions. But just like he said, the only true source of truth that is undeniable is our Heavenly Father. Always turn to him for answers!

Love, Sister Potts

FUN FACTS:

1. I thought I'd do a bit more about Brigham Young since it's on the brain.....

2. After Brigham's brother and sister introduced him to the Book of Mormon, Brigham was not immediately converted. It took him about 2 years of study to accept the gospel (gives me a lot of hope for the people we have been teaching for a while btw)

3. In autumn of 1831 a group of missionaries came to Mendon and began to preach in Phineas Young's home. Brigham Young and Heber C Kimball were among those who attended and became increasingly converted to the gospel as they listened. 

4. In April 1832, the two were finally baptized, and the Mendon branch of the church held meetings in the Tomlinson Inn. 

5. By 1833 the Mendon branch was no longer, as most had moved on to Kirtland, Ohio. Brigham's wife (headstone pictured) died of Tuberculosis in 1832.

The Tomlinson Inn where Samuel Smith (first missionary of this dispensation) gave a Book of Mormon to Brigham Young's brother.