Leah's February 4th email

Dear Family,
Sorry I'm not very good at thinking of fun subject lines so I always just leave it blank! Yesterday our whole mission spent the day in the temple. It was really neat to be there all day. We had a devotional and the temple president and President Sonne spoke and then Elder Ballard spoke to us! It was a really neat experience. He told us about the story of his grandfather Melvin J Ballard that you've probably heard before. He (MJB) told the 12 about it when he bore his testimony after he was ordained. A few years before he had been the mission pres of the northwestern states mission. He had been praying about some issues they had been having in teaching the Native Americans in that area. In a dream that night he was transported to the SLC temple where he met with the council of the twelve. They led him into a room where he said the most glorious and beautiful figure he had ever seem was sitting. Christ embraced him and he fell at His feet and felt the prints of the nails in His feet. Elder Ballard (Russell) had people ask him about this experience when he was on his mission in England, but he didn't know anything about it, as he had never heard about it. He wrote home and asked his then inactive father about it, who was able to obtain a copy of the minutes from the meeting with the twelve and send them to E. Ballard. He also told us that many years later when it was his first year serving in the 70, a man called and said he needed to speak with him. They arranged an appt and an old man in his 90s came to speak with him. He said that he knew his grandfather when he was serving as president of that mission. He and Melvin J had gone one day to give a very wealthy (but non member) man a blessing in his mansion. As they were coming down the stairs from the man's bedroom there was a life sized painting of Christ. Melvin J then turned to him and said, that is a fair rendition, but that's not what he looks like. He had had the dream the night before and then went on to tell this man about it.
Anyway, it's just neat to get different accounts of the same story and of their testimonies. It's really amazing to hear an apostle of the Lord testify of Jesus Christ.

Today we are having what the elders call "nerf gun fiesta." I guess we reached a goal or something so our reward is having a nerf gun war? Haha. Anyway, we have one baptism this weekend. It's a 16 year old boy named Lance, who actually lives outside of our mission, but he attends church with his uncle who live sin our mission. He a really great kid. We're also teaching his best friend named Vu who is Vietnamese. They're funny kids. Lance does motocross and Vu break dances and hosts a radio show. They answer more questions and pay more attention in Sunday school than any of the other kids, so I'm sure the teachers appreciate it!

That's all for today! I'm glad to hear everyone is doing well.
Love,
Sister Morris