Oh my goodness, you won't believe this.
So, there is this elder I'm living with who's name is Elder Spencer Canova. When I heard his last name I was like, wait, I have Canova's in my ancestry, hmmm..... So I asked him who his dad is while I was looking at pictures of his family, and he told me it was Paul Canova. That was kind of familiar, but not by much. Then I asked who his grandfather is and he said George Canova. That triggered something in my brain because I knew that GG has a brother named George. So I thought about it for a bit and the next day I asked him who his great-grandfather was............... Thomas Raymond Canova!!!!! I'm living with my second cousin right now!!!!!
He remembers the family reunions down in Parowan and Aunt Vi, Grandma-Aunt Hazel, and all those people! He even speaks Goose Latin!!! It's just so amazing I don't know how to describe it! Elder Canova is from Holladay, UT area and I just can't believe I'm living with my second cousin right now. How awesome is that?
Anyway, another strange thing happened this past week......... My trunky papers came. I have my flight itenerary and I know exactly what time I'll be getting home. 12:05am on May 30th. I have about a three hour layover in Atlanta, GA. So I'm going to be tired when I get home. But until then, be expecting packages of my stuff in the mail. I think I'm going to send one big box of stuff I can't fit (which is probably not going to be that much, but it could end up being a lot.
Okay, spiritual thought for the week.
God lives. He loves us and wants the best for us. The question is: Are we letting Him into our lives to he can give us what's best for us? If you don't feel you are letting Him in, there's one place you should start:
Read the Book of Mormon.
If you do that I promise you that your life will become dramatically more meaningful and peaceful. I promise you that by the authority that's been given to me to be a representative of Jesus Christ. I know that God lives and Jesus Christ is that. I love you all and leave that with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder Ricky-dude
--
P.S. The Church is true!
P.P.S. FROG - Fully Rely On God
April 30, 2012
April 27, 2012
April 23, 2012
So, it's strange to be in the situation I'm in. I have 5 weeks left tomorrow..... I never thought the day would come. But just like everything else, it comes way to fast. It always comes to fast. I'm not sad though. It's part of life. Things come and go and they change. It's what you do with the time that you have that matters.
So, with the time I have left I'm going to be focused on missionary work. I'm going to work my hardest. A mission is not for the faint of heart.
There are three parts to a mission, I just realized. There are three parts of everything really. They are: Survive, Ride, and Thrive.
Let's talk about Surviving. For the first part of you mission (the length of that varies for each individual), you're just surviving because you've had very little experience with the things you're about to do. I know that most missionaries (and I say most because some may have had these experiences) haven't had an experience where the eternal salvation of someone else's soul is in their hands. or had an experience where they had to go completely by the Spirit to know how to help someone through a trial they're going through. So, the first part of the mission you're Surviving with your trainers help. This is completely normal and expected. Now-a-days missionaries are very prepared before they come out so this part of the mission is now a smaller part for some.
Okay, Riding. Riding is the part where you're starting to understand things and get the hang of how to be a missionary. You start recognizing the Spirit a little more and you are starting to be able to tell what to do. You know the technical things about being a missionary and things like that. You know how to not crash on your bike trying to stop and talk to someone. You get the routine down to where you start to look more into the spiritual side of things.
Then we go to Thriving. To Thrive on you mission means you do everything you were taught at the beginning of you mission (all the filling out the forms and things like that), and you start seeing how the Gospel plays a part in it. For instance, you realize that the reason you write down potential investigators names and the names of those you teach is so that not a soul will be lost and that God will be able to continually help them through the missionaries. He could do it himself, He could just show people a sign, but at the same time He's not only helping them, He's helping the missionary. When you're Thriving on your mission you're seeing everything in a new way. The Gospel fits into everything. Miracles of God are seen in small things that people take for granted. Like you reading this email. Isn't that amazing? God's power is unlimited. He literally can do whatever He wants. He could give you everything you've ever wanted in life, but............ how will that help you? You won't learn anything if He just gives it to you and you don't work for it.
That's what Thriving does. It helps you understand the reason for everything. Once you reach that point in the Gospel, the next step is to Endure to the End and constantly Thrive in it. When you do that, you are doing exactly as Jesus Christ commanded: Be ye therefore perfect, even as I, or your Father in heaven is perfect.
I know that this is true. I know for a fact that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ came to Joseph Smith and brought the fullness of the Gospel back to the earth through restoring the Priesthood through John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John. I know that God lives, that Christ lives, and that the Holy Ghost is there because he has borne testimony of this to me multiple times. God is there, and He loves you more than you know. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all and hope and pray you're doing well.
-Elder Ricky-dude
-- P.S. The Church is true! P.P.S. FROG - Fully Rely On God
So, with the time I have left I'm going to be focused on missionary work. I'm going to work my hardest. A mission is not for the faint of heart.
There are three parts to a mission, I just realized. There are three parts of everything really. They are: Survive, Ride, and Thrive.
Let's talk about Surviving. For the first part of you mission (the length of that varies for each individual), you're just surviving because you've had very little experience with the things you're about to do. I know that most missionaries (and I say most because some may have had these experiences) haven't had an experience where the eternal salvation of someone else's soul is in their hands. or had an experience where they had to go completely by the Spirit to know how to help someone through a trial they're going through. So, the first part of the mission you're Surviving with your trainers help. This is completely normal and expected. Now-a-days missionaries are very prepared before they come out so this part of the mission is now a smaller part for some.
Okay, Riding. Riding is the part where you're starting to understand things and get the hang of how to be a missionary. You start recognizing the Spirit a little more and you are starting to be able to tell what to do. You know the technical things about being a missionary and things like that. You know how to not crash on your bike trying to stop and talk to someone. You get the routine down to where you start to look more into the spiritual side of things.
Then we go to Thriving. To Thrive on you mission means you do everything you were taught at the beginning of you mission (all the filling out the forms and things like that), and you start seeing how the Gospel plays a part in it. For instance, you realize that the reason you write down potential investigators names and the names of those you teach is so that not a soul will be lost and that God will be able to continually help them through the missionaries. He could do it himself, He could just show people a sign, but at the same time He's not only helping them, He's helping the missionary. When you're Thriving on your mission you're seeing everything in a new way. The Gospel fits into everything. Miracles of God are seen in small things that people take for granted. Like you reading this email. Isn't that amazing? God's power is unlimited. He literally can do whatever He wants. He could give you everything you've ever wanted in life, but............ how will that help you? You won't learn anything if He just gives it to you and you don't work for it.
That's what Thriving does. It helps you understand the reason for everything. Once you reach that point in the Gospel, the next step is to Endure to the End and constantly Thrive in it. When you do that, you are doing exactly as Jesus Christ commanded: Be ye therefore perfect, even as I, or your Father in heaven is perfect.
I know that this is true. I know for a fact that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ came to Joseph Smith and brought the fullness of the Gospel back to the earth through restoring the Priesthood through John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John. I know that God lives, that Christ lives, and that the Holy Ghost is there because he has borne testimony of this to me multiple times. God is there, and He loves you more than you know. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all and hope and pray you're doing well.
-Elder Ricky-dude
-- P.S. The Church is true! P.P.S. FROG - Fully Rely On God
April 16, 2012
April 16, 2012
So... We got transfer calls last night. And here's how it went.
We were saying the closing prayer for our nightly planning, not really expecting what was about to come. During the prayer the phone rang. It was the assistant to the president, Elder Brown (name has been changed for his protection.... ;) ). When I saw the phone my heart skipped a beat. I didn't want to leave Midlothian for my last six weeks! You know how hard that would be? When the prayer ended I quickly picked up the phone and answered it.
"Hello this is Elder Mangum!" I said like I do when I answer the phone.
"Elder Mangum, it's Elder Brown, how are you?"
"I'm doing alright. How are you doing?" I was nervous as to what was about to come.
"Good. Were you two expecting a phone call?"
"No." I replied with an astonished tone to my voice.
"Well, you, my friend, are in tune with the Spirit because you both are staying!"
When I heard those vibrations come out of the speaker into my ear canal, to my ear-drum and then the cochlea, which then processed them into words I understood, my soul was filled with great gladness beyond words!! I am going to finish my mission in the Midlothian area!
Elder Brown then proceeded to tell us that we would have another missionary who is waiting for his Visa to go to Bulgaria. We will be picking him up on Thursday at the transfer meeting.
So all in all, I'm going to have an exciting last six weeks. Can you believe it? Tomorrow I will have exactly six weeks left in the mission field!
Okay, so, here's the spiritual thought for the week.
Be careful what you pray for.
Here's why I say that. After President Eyring's talk about mountains to climb, I felt prompted to pray for one of my own to climb. Knowing how much pain and trial that might bring, why would any one in their right mind pray for that? Well, apparently I'm not in my right mind. So, Heavenly Father has gladly given me a mountain to climb.
Do you all remember how I've had previous low-back injuries? Well, if you didn't know, now you do. I hurt it during football in high school, and I threw something out in my back in November 2010 lifting a large box of photos (the day we were having a baptism down in Burkeville). Well, Heavenly Father has given me the challenge of having severe back pain which has lead to really painful sciatica in my legs. Also, you remember how I fell off the roof when I was 14? My neck and shoulder on my left side are acting up now too. And I injured my right wrist splitting wood last year in January, and that has been acting up too. So, all in all, I'm in pain everyday.
But don't worry!!! I have the Atonement of Jesus Christ to strengthen me!
The article in the April 2012 Ensign by Elder Bednar has changed my life. He quotes President David O. McKay, I think, and states that the Gospel is to make bad men good and good men better. He then goes on to focus more on how the Atonement can help us in our process of going from good to better. He explains that because Jesus Christ felt exactly what we've felt, when we pray to be STRENGTHENED in our trials (not to have them taken away) Christ knows exactly what we need to be able to endure them. That is what I've been doing, praying to have the strength to bear this burden............ and I'm doing physical therapy also, which is helping tremendously!
So don't worry about me, I'll be fine. The Lord is with me. I'm glad I prayed for this mountain to climb while I was still on my mission because I have the strength from the setting apart as a missionary to help me.
I love you all and I know that if you pray for the strength to bear your trials, the Lord will bless you with the strength you need to get through them.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
-Elder Ricky-dude
P.S. The Church is true!
P.P.S. FROG - Fully Rely On God
We were saying the closing prayer for our nightly planning, not really expecting what was about to come. During the prayer the phone rang. It was the assistant to the president, Elder Brown (name has been changed for his protection.... ;) ). When I saw the phone my heart skipped a beat. I didn't want to leave Midlothian for my last six weeks! You know how hard that would be? When the prayer ended I quickly picked up the phone and answered it.
"Hello this is Elder Mangum!" I said like I do when I answer the phone.
"Elder Mangum, it's Elder Brown, how are you?"
"I'm doing alright. How are you doing?" I was nervous as to what was about to come.
"Good. Were you two expecting a phone call?"
"No." I replied with an astonished tone to my voice.
"Well, you, my friend, are in tune with the Spirit because you both are staying!"
When I heard those vibrations come out of the speaker into my ear canal, to my ear-drum and then the cochlea, which then processed them into words I understood, my soul was filled with great gladness beyond words!! I am going to finish my mission in the Midlothian area!
Elder Brown then proceeded to tell us that we would have another missionary who is waiting for his Visa to go to Bulgaria. We will be picking him up on Thursday at the transfer meeting.
So all in all, I'm going to have an exciting last six weeks. Can you believe it? Tomorrow I will have exactly six weeks left in the mission field!
Okay, so, here's the spiritual thought for the week.
Be careful what you pray for.
Here's why I say that. After President Eyring's talk about mountains to climb, I felt prompted to pray for one of my own to climb. Knowing how much pain and trial that might bring, why would any one in their right mind pray for that? Well, apparently I'm not in my right mind. So, Heavenly Father has gladly given me a mountain to climb.
Do you all remember how I've had previous low-back injuries? Well, if you didn't know, now you do. I hurt it during football in high school, and I threw something out in my back in November 2010 lifting a large box of photos (the day we were having a baptism down in Burkeville). Well, Heavenly Father has given me the challenge of having severe back pain which has lead to really painful sciatica in my legs. Also, you remember how I fell off the roof when I was 14? My neck and shoulder on my left side are acting up now too. And I injured my right wrist splitting wood last year in January, and that has been acting up too. So, all in all, I'm in pain everyday.
But don't worry!!! I have the Atonement of Jesus Christ to strengthen me!
The article in the April 2012 Ensign by Elder Bednar has changed my life. He quotes President David O. McKay, I think, and states that the Gospel is to make bad men good and good men better. He then goes on to focus more on how the Atonement can help us in our process of going from good to better. He explains that because Jesus Christ felt exactly what we've felt, when we pray to be STRENGTHENED in our trials (not to have them taken away) Christ knows exactly what we need to be able to endure them. That is what I've been doing, praying to have the strength to bear this burden............ and I'm doing physical therapy also, which is helping tremendously!
So don't worry about me, I'll be fine. The Lord is with me. I'm glad I prayed for this mountain to climb while I was still on my mission because I have the strength from the setting apart as a missionary to help me.
I love you all and I know that if you pray for the strength to bear your trials, the Lord will bless you with the strength you need to get through them.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
-Elder Ricky-dude
P.S. The Church is true!
P.P.S. FROG - Fully Rely On God
April 9, 2012
April 9, 2012
So, this past week was pretty neat.
So, how's it goin'?
I'm doing good. I've been busy this past week. I know I've been busy because I can't remember most of what went on. If I didn't have my planner I would be lost. It's kind of become my journal because I'm really behind on recording in my voice recorder. So, I'm going to try and remember what the biggest things were this week.
So on Monday we played Ultimate Nerfball. We have a little nerf basketball hoop in our place and we put it up on Mondays to play. In ultimate nerfball you have one step/jump then you have to pass it or shoot it, you can't kill anyone, but other than that there are no rules. It's fun. I'm the biggest person playing so it gets intense!
Also, one of our investigators took us to dinner on Monday at this really nice resteraunt called Croaker's Spot. Great food and huge portions. We had her fellowshippers come with us. They are an awesome couple and are basically our grandparents out here ('cause we can never leave their house without taking at least two days worth of food from dinner!!!) They are awesome. It was great to have them there with us.
Wednesday we did service (yard work for these two older ladies) for about five hours. Yeah, I was tired after that.
Thursday we had an awesome lesson with one of our investigators and his fiance who's a member. We brought another member with us and it was amazing. The member we brought is one of those guys who studies the gospel like crazy but he can teach it so that almost anyone can understand. He's really funny too because he's very spaztastic. It was a great lesson we had. (Also on Thursday I saw this new fountain drink machine they have where you can get different flavors of your drink, such as Peach Sprite, or Raspberry Sprite, or Lime Fanta. It was cool!!)
Friday we had a great zone meeting talking about the needs of our investigators and what resources we can use to help them. It was a really powerful meeting. We also had a few lessons that day too. Later that day the same member couple who came with us on Monday took us to Cheeburger Cheeburger where they have a one pound burger that you can eat. If you finish it they announce your name and that you just finished the pounder, take your picture and put it on the wall. I finished the pounder in... I want to say less that five minutes. One of the members who was with us finished it too. I have a picture I'm going to send home of both of us. I wanted to die after eating that AND a huge malt. (I don't know why I did that to myself).
Saturday was fun.... I think..... I don't remember most of it. I do remember the dinner appointment we had and the lesson we shared. Have y'all ever heard of ripping a paper one time and being able to make a cross and the word LOVE? It's a great object lesson especially for Easter. We did that with the family we ate dinner with and the next day in Primary, one of the kids in that family showed the whole Primary that trick. I was surprised when I found that out. It felt so good to know that people listen (and the kid was 6 years old!)
Then Sunday was a beautiful Easter Sabbath. The Easter program in church was beautiful. The youth speaker talked about remembering Christ always, not just on Christmas or Easter, but on days like July 3rd, or June 30th, or August 24th. Everyday we should remember Christ and what He's done for us and is doing for us.
I wish I could transplant what I've learned about the Atonement into your minds. To really get the most of what I've learned, read the article in the April 2012 Ensign entitled The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality" by Elder Bednar. That is the most amazing article I've read in a long time. It opened my eyes to the Atonement even more and I am so grateful for it. If I had to sum up what I've learned in the last two years, I would tell you two things:
So, how's it goin'?
I'm doing good. I've been busy this past week. I know I've been busy because I can't remember most of what went on. If I didn't have my planner I would be lost. It's kind of become my journal because I'm really behind on recording in my voice recorder. So, I'm going to try and remember what the biggest things were this week.
So on Monday we played Ultimate Nerfball. We have a little nerf basketball hoop in our place and we put it up on Mondays to play. In ultimate nerfball you have one step/jump then you have to pass it or shoot it, you can't kill anyone, but other than that there are no rules. It's fun. I'm the biggest person playing so it gets intense!
Also, one of our investigators took us to dinner on Monday at this really nice resteraunt called Croaker's Spot. Great food and huge portions. We had her fellowshippers come with us. They are an awesome couple and are basically our grandparents out here ('cause we can never leave their house without taking at least two days worth of food from dinner!!!) They are awesome. It was great to have them there with us.
Wednesday we did service (yard work for these two older ladies) for about five hours. Yeah, I was tired after that.
Thursday we had an awesome lesson with one of our investigators and his fiance who's a member. We brought another member with us and it was amazing. The member we brought is one of those guys who studies the gospel like crazy but he can teach it so that almost anyone can understand. He's really funny too because he's very spaztastic. It was a great lesson we had. (Also on Thursday I saw this new fountain drink machine they have where you can get different flavors of your drink, such as Peach Sprite, or Raspberry Sprite, or Lime Fanta. It was cool!!)
Friday we had a great zone meeting talking about the needs of our investigators and what resources we can use to help them. It was a really powerful meeting. We also had a few lessons that day too. Later that day the same member couple who came with us on Monday took us to Cheeburger Cheeburger where they have a one pound burger that you can eat. If you finish it they announce your name and that you just finished the pounder, take your picture and put it on the wall. I finished the pounder in... I want to say less that five minutes. One of the members who was with us finished it too. I have a picture I'm going to send home of both of us. I wanted to die after eating that AND a huge malt. (I don't know why I did that to myself).
Saturday was fun.... I think..... I don't remember most of it. I do remember the dinner appointment we had and the lesson we shared. Have y'all ever heard of ripping a paper one time and being able to make a cross and the word LOVE? It's a great object lesson especially for Easter. We did that with the family we ate dinner with and the next day in Primary, one of the kids in that family showed the whole Primary that trick. I was surprised when I found that out. It felt so good to know that people listen (and the kid was 6 years old!)
Then Sunday was a beautiful Easter Sabbath. The Easter program in church was beautiful. The youth speaker talked about remembering Christ always, not just on Christmas or Easter, but on days like July 3rd, or June 30th, or August 24th. Everyday we should remember Christ and what He's done for us and is doing for us.
I wish I could transplant what I've learned about the Atonement into your minds. To really get the most of what I've learned, read the article in the April 2012 Ensign entitled The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality" by Elder Bednar. That is the most amazing article I've read in a long time. It opened my eyes to the Atonement even more and I am so grateful for it. If I had to sum up what I've learned in the last two years, I would tell you two things:
- You can never understand how much God and Jesus Christ truly love you. There's no possible way to understand all that He and Christ have done all because of Love; and
- The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a one time thing. Everyday we face new situations which allow a new way to apply the Gospel in our lives.
April 4, 2012
April 2, 2012
You probably won't believe this but I actually have only eight weeks and one day left. I'm trying not to be trunky I promise. My companion and I have actually talked about how to help me not be trunky. So everything is going great.
I loved General Conference! It was really powerful and really inspiring. I received a lot of revelation for the questions I had.
One of the questions I had was about college because I'm applying for BYU-Idaho. The answer to that was: put the Lord first and everything will work out. That answer came multiple times in multiple ways.
Quick question, is Robbert Haggard on a mission? Because I swear I saw him in the missionary choir. (Also, did any of you catch Elder Archuletta? ;) He was the last missionary they showed in that session. The last close up view of missionaries was with him in it)
Anyway, General Conference is one of the greatest times for missionaries. It's really the Super Bowl for missionaries. We get so excited about it because we get to hear the living prophet of God speak to us. I really loved what he said about eternal truths. That was the talk that I gained an even stronger testimony that he is the only man on earth who holds and is authorized to use all the priesthood keys God has given to us. It was definitely the spiritual reboot that I needed. I feel so much better having been spiritually fed for two days. I think part of it was being at the church for most of the day too. Being in a dedicated building is a very peaceful experience.
So here is the spiritual thought for the week: God speaks simply to us because any other way we would be confused. 2 Nephi 31:3 is my favorite verse about that. You should look it up. What better way to hear the word of God that by hearing his prophet and apostles speak to us today! They teach so simply and so clearly that you can't misunderstand them. Now the next part is always remembering what they taught. There was an Ensign article about that. This man was talking to his neighbor about how we have a prophet today. The neighbor said "Really? What is he saying?" The man went blank. He couldn't remember what the prophet had said in the last General Conference.
DON'T EVER BE LIKE THAT. This is THE prophet of GOD. It is one of the commandments to follow the prophet. How can we do that when we don't remember what he says?
So now here's what we can do to help ourselves follow the prophet better: read Jacob 4:4 and 6, and 2 Nephi 32:3 and apply them by reading the General Conference talks when they come out in the Ensign. Study them like Jacob teaches us and we will never be lead astray. I promise you that in the name of Jesus Christ. If you read the scriptures and the words of the living prophet, everything will be made clear. Then when you live them, you will be blessed. I promise you that, as a representative of Jesus Christ and by the authority given to me.
I love you all and hope and pray you will follow the counsel of the living prophet, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
-Elder Ricky-dude
I loved General Conference! It was really powerful and really inspiring. I received a lot of revelation for the questions I had.
One of the questions I had was about college because I'm applying for BYU-Idaho. The answer to that was: put the Lord first and everything will work out. That answer came multiple times in multiple ways.
Quick question, is Robbert Haggard on a mission? Because I swear I saw him in the missionary choir. (Also, did any of you catch Elder Archuletta? ;) He was the last missionary they showed in that session. The last close up view of missionaries was with him in it)
Anyway, General Conference is one of the greatest times for missionaries. It's really the Super Bowl for missionaries. We get so excited about it because we get to hear the living prophet of God speak to us. I really loved what he said about eternal truths. That was the talk that I gained an even stronger testimony that he is the only man on earth who holds and is authorized to use all the priesthood keys God has given to us. It was definitely the spiritual reboot that I needed. I feel so much better having been spiritually fed for two days. I think part of it was being at the church for most of the day too. Being in a dedicated building is a very peaceful experience.
So here is the spiritual thought for the week: God speaks simply to us because any other way we would be confused. 2 Nephi 31:3 is my favorite verse about that. You should look it up. What better way to hear the word of God that by hearing his prophet and apostles speak to us today! They teach so simply and so clearly that you can't misunderstand them. Now the next part is always remembering what they taught. There was an Ensign article about that. This man was talking to his neighbor about how we have a prophet today. The neighbor said "Really? What is he saying?" The man went blank. He couldn't remember what the prophet had said in the last General Conference.
DON'T EVER BE LIKE THAT. This is THE prophet of GOD. It is one of the commandments to follow the prophet. How can we do that when we don't remember what he says?
So now here's what we can do to help ourselves follow the prophet better: read Jacob 4:4 and 6, and 2 Nephi 32:3 and apply them by reading the General Conference talks when they come out in the Ensign. Study them like Jacob teaches us and we will never be lead astray. I promise you that in the name of Jesus Christ. If you read the scriptures and the words of the living prophet, everything will be made clear. Then when you live them, you will be blessed. I promise you that, as a representative of Jesus Christ and by the authority given to me.
I love you all and hope and pray you will follow the counsel of the living prophet, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
-Elder Ricky-dude
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