It was a very successful week!‏

We had THE BEST meeting of my mission, no I take that back, of my life this week. Elder Bednar and his wife were in Argentina last week and called a meeting for all of the missionaries in the South America South area of the world. Which consists of Argentina, Chlie, Paraguay and Uraguay. Thanks to the miracle of technology we were able to see it live via transmission. It was sooooo uplifting, fun, spiritual, funny and just incredible. I could not believe the way Elder Bednar taught... Or better said the way he interacted with us! It wasn`t just him up their talking like in General Conference, it was like if we were in a circle and just chatting and learning from one another which was soo cool. One of the things I really liked that he told us at the very beginnning was this, ¨Don`t write down anything I say.¨ So what does everyone do? Start writing it down then he goes, ¨Hey! What did I just tell you guys?! Haha stop doing that!¨ And he is up there laughing a little bit then he goes on to explain. He explained how Nephi wrote two plates. The small plates and the large plates. The small plates were consisted up of revelations, prophecies, and spiritual things. The large plates were made up of the secular things. Wars, problems, who was upset with who and things like that. He told us how he wanted us to write on small plates. He was like if you write everything down that I say and write everything that happens here that would be wonderful! You can go home and show your family that you were in a meeting with Elder Bednar and you`ll be able to tell them exactly what happened but when they ask what you learned what are you going to say? So he taught us to only wirte down the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. The little impressions. And write on small plates.

I could write two pages on the spiritual whisperings and thoughts I had but I won`t share it all. I think that is why I loved the meeting so much. He was the one who had prepared to be able to prepare us to be able to recieve the Holy Ghost and feel the promptings and he just helped us guide the conversation and keep the thoughts flowing.

We had time to ask questions (well the missionaries in Argentina had time) and someone asked a realllll good question. He asked, ¨Elder Bednar, how do you prepare for a meeting like this? How do you know what you need to teach?¨ His answer was simple yet inspiring. He told us that when he walks into a meeting like this that he truly has no idea what is going to happen during the meeting. But he said that doesn`t mean he is unprepared. He told us that he had been preparing for that specific meeting 40 years ago when he was studying the scriptures. He had been preparing for that exact moment for years. Line upon line, precept upon precept. He explained to us that he was not born with all the knowledge of the Gospel nor with good teaching abilities. That he had been and is working and studying constantly to be able to be prepared so that when he is moments like that or in meetings he can call upon the Spirit and the Spirit bring all things unto his rememberance and his mouth will be filled with the precise words in the precise moment.

I just wish you could have all been there to see it. He was soo good with us. He was also soo dang good at making us laugh! And feel the spirit and realize that we feel the spirit so much more than we think! And that things are okay. That this is not our work nor his, it`s the Lord`s. He was the greatest example that living a live centered life is a life of pure, true happiness.

He is, without doubt, a true servant of the Lord. I was not in his presence but I could feel it just as strongly. He is one of my all time heroes. I love this Gospel and the joy it brings! Let`s share it with everyone:)

Love,
Elder Gumball