October 6, 2014 ~ Week 33

Hello hello family and friends! 

General Conference was just remarkable. I have no words for how amazing this Conference was. I did not want it to end, ever. I was very spiritually fed and I hope all who watched it were able to receive revelation and answers to your questions. I don't know if I have an absolute favorite talk given, because they were ALL wonderful, but one in particular really stood out to me. By Elder Richard G. Scott, who is one of the 12 apostles. He discussed the four integral tools that build up the family and are sure to cast out anything that Satan uses to tear the family apart. 

1. Prayer-choose to make time to converse with your Father in heaven. Tell Him how you feel.

2. Scripture Study-choose to read them. God most often communicates with us through them. (Like: answers to prayers)

3. Weekly Family Home Evening-choose to make time on Monday evenings, do not let anything come first. It's a time to be with the family despite our busy schedules. A time to develop unity, talk, develop traditions, have a marvelous time, etc. 

4. Go to the temple.

Elder Scott emphasized that all of these tools are a choice. We are not forced to do them, but they are tools freely given to us to create spiritual protection against the world. When we are using these tools, we are exercising the enabling and redeeming powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I won't ever forget these tools. If you're not already doing these things with your families, that okay. Choose this day to do a little better, as President Thomas S Monson invited each and everyone of us. I know that I can be better. If you didn't get the chance to view all of the sessions of conference, choose today to watch them! They changed my life, I know that you will be able to receive personal revelation to help direct your life.

We have a woman named Phyllis, whom we are working with. She was found through introducing family history. She has been wanting to know who her father was and also if she had any siblings. She has been searching for over 65 years. From working with us and the members, doing her own family history for the first time on familysearch.org, she found her father. Not only that, she found that she may have a brother who is still living. She obtained his address and asked me to handwrite a letter for him. It was so beautiful to witness and feel the joy that she had, to be able to send a letter to her half-brother. She has been counting down the days and can barely wait for when she will receive a letter back from him. She testified that she knows God is leading her to finding her relatives and ancestors. I know that He is. Like Phyllis, we can all have wonderful experiences of our own to find our family, and know and feel for ourselves that God is leading us to bringing our families together. As Elder Allan Packer invited us all during General Conference, let us begin now to do our own family history for our ancestors and take their names to the temple, so that they can enjoy the blessings of the gospel that we treasure today. 

We are also working with a woman named Olga and her son, Julian. She just moved in about a month ago and is still setting things up in her home. We were sitting there with Olga, about to share a message, after briefly talking to her about what a regular Sunday service is like. All of a sudden, she gets worried because she remembered she lost Julian's football pants and had not found them. He had practice in less than two hours. For 45 minutes, we were searching for these football pants literally EVERYWHERE. I then thought, whenever I lose something, I say a prayer asking for guidance so that I can be lead to finding that thing. So I suggested we say a prayer, she thought it funny at first, but we were able to bear witness that through our faith, God will help us find what we desire. We said a prayer, looked for some more, and couldn't find the pants. She decided to put it on hold and wanted to hear our message. We taught both Olga and Julian the message of the Restoration and it was one of the most spiritually fed lessons. Olga said that she knew all of these things are true and that she felt calm. She said she was surprised because she wasn't even worried about the pants anymore. She felt at peace and knew for herself that she needed this today. She is making a goal for baptism. The next day we received a text, she was able to find Julian's pants after we left and he was able to make it to practice on time. She told us where she found them. I remember yesterday thoroughly looked through that place in the closet, and I could not find them. This was truly a test and trial of faith through prayer. A lesson that God wanted all of us to learn that day.

We were also extremely blessed to watch a private screening of the new and upcoming movie, 'Meet the Mormons', which is being released this Friday, October 10. It was quite possibly one of the most touching, moving, and inspiring movies that I have ever watched. The stories of these families are amazing, and completely applicable to today. Please go watch this movie wherever you are! Don't miss out! And invite your family and friends to enjoy this movie too.

This week was the Best Week Ever!

I love all of you.

Choose this day to do a little better.

-Sister McCook

New mailing address:

1845 Old Moultrie #43

St. Augustine, FL 32086