Week Two

Hey everyone! This week has gone by a lot faster and has been pretty great. Yesterday was a little hard being Thanksgiving and not having my family around and it was the first day where I was truly homesick. Although I was homesick, I had a great day yesterday. We started off the day by being bused over to the main campus early for choir practice (my whole district is in the choir). We then had a devotional that was broadcast with Elder Russell M Nelson. If you have the chance to watch that do it because it was 1. an awesome devotional. 2. I was shown on the screen during the choir number multiple times. :) 

I miss you all and hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving without me. After the devotional we had an awesome Thanksgiving feast for lunch then had another devotional about service. After the devotional about service, we participated in a humanitarian project. In the MTC, we prepared 350,000 meals for starving children. We then got to watch the movie Ephraim's Rescue while we snacked on milk duds. This week has been very spiritual and I have learned lots from my amazing Branch President and all the devotional speakers. I wish I had all my notes with me to share some more experiences I have had, but the 4 things I can think of off the top of my head are:

1. In the movie Ephraim's Rescue, after he preformed many miracles, someone asked him how he was such a great man, and his response was "I'm not. I am just an ordinary man who makes lots of mistakes." The lady then asked him how he was able to preform all of these miracles and his answer was, "Because I try." We all make mistakes and none of us are perfect, in the definition of being flawless, but we can all become perfected in Christ. Using the other definition of the word perfect, to do that which is required of us. If we do what the Lord wants us to do today, and try our best everyday, we can do great things and will be blessed for giving everything we can. 

2. Elder Russell M Nelson said "It is better to build character then to be one." This is very true. In the MTC, and in life. There are so many people who are fake in the things they do. They aren't serving a mission for the right reasons. They do good things just so others can see them doing good things, rather than doing good because they have character and because they love everyone of God's children and because they are will to serve those in need of help.

3. Russell M Nelson also said, "Teaching and baptizing can lead to thanksgiving everyday." Giving people the joy that we have been able to feel because of the church, will bless everyone involved. Not a whole lot to say about this except for I know the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring everlasting joy to everyone who is a part of it. Knowing that families can be together forever, knowing that we can once again live with our Father in Heaven though our Savior can bring a joy that is unmatched.

4. President Tyler gave an amazing talk about feeling the Spirit, how to feel the Spirit, and how we can recognize its promptings. During that lesson he gave us the scripture 3 Nephi 11:27 (I think this is the right scripture but I don't have my notes in front of me so I'm not 100% sure. It should be about being able to have the Holy Ghost because the Savior lets us). President Tyler told us that every blessing we receive from God, including the Holy Ghost, is because Christ wishes us to have it. President Tyler imagines the Savior saying to our Heavenly Father "I know _______ has messed up and is not worthy to receive this blessing but give it to him for me, and take it out of my "Atonement Bank Account"". This has brought me to a whole new level of gratitude to my savior, for what he did for both you and I.

I miss everyone and would love to hear from anyone and everyone. Make sure to emphasize on Facebook and through relay of this email that getting a letter in the MTC (weather it is hand written or sent through dearelder.com) is the greatest feeling in the world. 

I will spend almost all my time emailing you (Mom) and my friends who are on missions because email is the easiest form of communication. I will always send an email back if you email me, but I would prefer a letter or dear elder. For those who don't want to hand write a letter dearelder.com is pretty much just a print off of an email you send me that I get in my mailbox that day. Once again my address is:

Elder Taylor Michael Adams

Jan6 MEX-MEXW

2023 N 900 E Unit 881

Provo, UT 84602

I miss you all and would love to get letters from you whenever!! I hope you all had a good week and great thanksgiving and will send you another lengthy email next week. 

Hasta Lugeo

Elder Adams