Missionary Training Center

Well it's been a good week here. On Friday morning, someone from the MTC's PR or something came into our room, gathered together our district, and told us we'd have a group of baptist ministers visiting our class with the president of the MTC and Elder Hinckley (President Hinckley's son, the emeritus General Authority). Unfortunately it messed a lot with our focus for the day, but the experience itself was really, really good. They came into our class, and besides asking a few questions, spent 15 minutes praising us for being here and spending our time in the Lord's service. They even said a blessing over us and prayed for us, it was amazing. And we all got permission to say the baptist "amen" as the head minister talked about how loving the Savior is the great commandment, so that was pretty fun. But really, it showed me that there are good, good people outside of our church that love, serve, and know Jesus Christ, and that it's not quite so much "us against the world" as I always thought. One of them offered a prayer, and it was one of the warmest, most sincere, and most beautiful I think I've ever heard. It made me think a lot about how I speak to my Heavenly Father and how I treat my prayers. 

The MTC is a humbling experience. Every day the Lord teaches me that I need to depend on Him, and that I have no hope of being the missionary, companion, or leader He needs me to be without His help. Especially in terms of learning to love people like the Savior--I'm starting to understand how fundamental that is, and why it comes before everything else. I read 3 Nephi 17 this week, and I feel like I just got the smallest glimpse of how much He loves each of us, and how much He helps us every day. 

Love,
Elder Gaughan

                                       Our District during a VIP guest visit