(10/19) Power week!

Thank you for all the wonderful emails this week! I appreciate being able to see how the gospel is in effect in the lives of others. I have drawn inspiration and motivation from all y'all's emails. I rejoice with you in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I thank you all for what you do, but mostly for who you are. 

Last Monday, I was blessed with many opportunities to use the priesthood which I hold. While on our way to contact a referral, we received a call from one of our investigators asking if we could pray over one of her sons in the hospital. We rushed over there and administered the blessing. This faithful woman had complete trust in us as the Lord's servants believing that her son would be all right. After the blessing she kept telling her son, "You will be alright. These two boys have prayed over you, and I know God heard them." This is the kind of faith that produces miracles.

Later that night we had another opportunity to use our priesthood. We met a younger lady named Dedra who is very much prepared to receive the gospel. We were talking with her about how we are missionaries and what it is we do when she randomly asks, "do you believe in spirits?" Dedra than explained to us how she felt there was something else in her house and she didn't feel safe there. We offered to bless her home and she accepted. It was a unique experience for me to use my priesthood to cast out an evil spirit. But now I can say I exorcised a house.

The rest of the week we were focusing on finding new investigators. At a Zone Meeting this past week, our leaders did something...different. Towards the end of the meeting the left the room while we all sang "The Star Spangle Banner". Why were we singing the national anthem in the middle of October? As the song came to a close, the very talented pianist, Elder Phillips, transitioned into a military march. Suddenly our leaders came through the side doors in quite a spectacle. The Sister Training Leaders were toting little American flags and pushing in a chalkboard that had "The Union" written on it. On the other side, the Zone Leaders charged in with confederate flags draped over them like capes and waving a rebel flag high over head. A civil War had broken out in the Searcy Zone. All the companionships were divided up and enlisted to either the Union or the Confederacy. Each week there would be a different "battle" between the two sides. This week's battle was to see which side could find the most new investigators. My companion and I joined the Rebel Army. The South will rise again!!

For the first few days, our finding absolutely sucked. No one was home and those that were did not want to talk with us. We knocked on this one lady's door and she answered with a look full of disdain. Her expression seemed to say,'How dare you knock on my door?' It just not a good day for finding, And then the next day my companion got sick, so we accomplished nothing. But the weekend was full of miracles and blessings. We met this one guy sitting on his steps smoking. He has actually talked with missonaries in the past and wants him and his whole family to be baptized. Then we met another family that found the message of the restoration interesting and really wanted to learn more. It was awesome. I know that God has great blessing in store for us if we can just endure through the storms and trials of mortality and NEVER GIVE UP!

This work is truly great and the Lord is at the helm. We need not fear, for he his with us. The priesthood is real and the gospel brings a fulness of joy found nowhere else in the world, because it is not of the world. I testify to you that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the promised Messiah, He has reached out to us in love by giving us the Book of Mormon and restoring his gospel on the earth once more through the prophet Joseph Smith. This is truly his church, his work, and his gospel. I am so grateful to be have this opportunity to assist in this work. Brief as it is, the outcome is Eternal.

"And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life." - Doctrine & Covenants 101:38

Elder Price