The O'Conners

Happy Easter family and friends. I hope you all had an amazing Easter weekend celebrating our Savior's triumph over sin and death. This was probably the best Easter of my life, but I'm getting ahead of myself, so let's start from the beginning (a very good place to start). So nothing super exciting happened during the weekdays this week. We mostly just tried to find and teach people, with much less success than we usually have. Most of our teaching pool are pretty non-committal people, so we are looking forward to doing some major finding this week. Thursday President Kunz came and interviewed the O'Conners for baptism. It was super awesome, and he was just so impressed and happy for how prepared they were to be baptized. So Friday we had zone leader council where all the zone leaders come for a day and we discuss events going on in the mission, and how we can best help our missionaries. It was really great, and Sister Kunz gave an amazing training on the Atonement and the doctrine of grace. So it's sweet, four zone leaders are actually went to Lone Peak and graduate from there, haha. I guess it must be a pretty good high school. We were able to go to the temple after, which was really awesome. Usually we get to go every other month, but we were able to go again for the council, so it was really awesome. The temple here is amazing, and there's such a great pioneer spirit there. I always learn so much when I go there, and ultimately it brings a lot of joy and peace to my soul when I leave there, especially knowing that everything will be alright when we put our trust in the Lord. So Saturday was the O'Conner's baptism!!! It was so awesome. Both the parents, Chris Sr. and Megan, got baptized as well as two of their sons, Racelind and Chris Jr. They also have two other kids, Aiden and Jasmin, who are super cute, but aren't old enough to get baptized. The service was really great. The branch was really involved, and the Stake President was even there. We even had two members of the branch doing some of the baptizing, and I know that they just feel really welcomed and comfortable with the members here. So Sunday in Sacrament meeting they got confirmed. I had the amazing privilege of confirming Brother O'Conner. I can't remember what I even said, haha (that's usually what happens after I give someone a blessing), but I felt the Spirit so strong and knew that this was one of Heavenly Father's choice sons. The Easter service was great as well. Elder Bittner gave a really good testimony, and there were some great musical numbers. We went over to the O'Conner's that night for an Easter dinner, and they totally attacked us with water balloons, haha. It was great, and we just all were able to thank Heavenly Father for what had happened that weekend, not only this year, but 2000 years ago as well. For a present they gave us chocolate crosses, haha, that said Happy Easter. Can't teach them everything at once, right? But I know that Heavenly Father and Christ are filled with immense joy with the O'Conners and I am as well. So Spiritual thought of the week... well... I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the Savior and the Atonement. When we think about the Plan of Salvation and all the wonderful things it encompasses, without the Savior and the Atonement it is just a plan. Without the Atonement we are worms food and angels to a devil as it talks about in 2 Nephi 9. But because of it we have "great reason to rejoice." Not only does the Atonement provide for everyone to unconditionally be resurrected, but it also provides a way that we can be cleansed from sin so that we can return to live with Heavenly Father. Christ satisfied the demands of justice, and offers to us mercy when we accept His sacrifice by living the principles and ordinances of the Gospel. He loved us unconditionally. No one can even begin to imagine the pain and sorrow He went through as He bled from every pore. He was abandoned by everyone, and ultimately, as Elder Holland says, the Spirit of the Father was withdrawn. He did it alone, so that we never have to be. He invites all to come to Him. He asks us to give all that we have, but when we think about it we really don't have much. When we do, He promises us everything that He has. This is the greatest message in the world. I am so eternally grateful for Him, for the things He has done to redeem me in my life, and that He has trusted me to be His servant as I strive to help Him bring our brothers and sisters into His fold. I love you all so much, and hope you have an amazing week. Godspeed, Elder Chandler Kendall