Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice

Dear friends and family,

Happy October!! I can't believe it is this time of year again! The leaves are changing and we are in the mid 60's. October also means GENERAL CONFERENCE, and what an amazing weekend we had watching that! There were a couple of themes I noticed as I listened, so many of which are directly related to what happened here in Harmony!

The Book of Mormon: So many people talked about or mentioned the Book of Mormon, it's being recorded on golden plates and that it was truly translated by the gift and power of God. I loved Elder Stevenson's story about his ancestor, Mary Elizabeth Rollins, who just as a young girl read the Book of Mormon and felt that it was true. Elder Gary E. Stevenson said, "As she looked to the Book, she looked to the Lord." I loved this little statement and thought about myself and my personal testimony of the Book of Mormon, especially as I've been able to read it through from conference to conference. The Book of Mormon really has helped me look more to Christ as I've studied more about Him, His teachings and His character. 

Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration!! Lots of speakers talked about Joseph's divine role and calling as prophet of the restoration and how we need to have a firm testimony in who he was and what he did to restore Christ's church. Craig C. Christensen said that because of Joseph Smith we have more than just a window to heaven, but the very door to the eternities is open. M. Russell Ballard said that the restoration is not just an event, but it continues to unfold. Because Joseph was called as a prophet in this dispensation, we continue to have living prophets. Through Joseph, God was able to restore truths that had been lost for centuries. I'm grateful to be serving where I am, bearing testimony of Joseph Smith's role daily.

Missionary Work: Every other person spoke about missionary work, which was awesome! One of my new favorites, Dallin H. Oaks, spoke all about missionary work, something all members of the church can be involved in. He spoke about praying for missionary opportunities personally and in families. He talked about using social media for the Lord's purposes. And I loved that he said success in sharing the gospel is defined by our inviting others and genuine desire to help them. If we look around us, pray for courage and seek out ways to share the gospel, missionary opportunities, experiences and miracles will come. We are all enlisted!

Some of the enlisted (10 of the 12 current PRS sisters) -
Back row L-R:  Sis. Walker, newly-arrived Sis. Vergara, Sis. Eckman (very back), Sis. Harvey, Sis. Hill, SIs. Francis
Front row L-R:  Sis. Agado, Sis. Brown, Sis. Larsen, Sis. Anderson

Jesus Christ: Something you can always count on with General Conference is that everyone talks about Jesus Christ. Why? Because He is at the center of our lives and the head of this church. Kazuhiko Yamashita talked about being "ambitious for Christ," motivated by and focused on Christ. Many speakers focused on the different ways we can use the Atonement of Christ. I loved Elder Robert D. Hales' talk about how if we love the Savior more we can hurt less because He is the ultimate care giver. He has experienced all that we have. Russell M. Nelson, another favorite of mine, talked about how our joy has nothing to do with our situation, but everything to do with our focus and Jesus Christ. Christ allows us to find true joy. When we choose to repent and turn our hearts to the Savior we can become true disciples of Him.

I am so grateful for living prophets and apostles. What a comfort it is to know that God continues to speak through them to us, His children, and that the heavens are still open! Because our Heavenly Father loves us and wants to help us along our mortal journey we can receive the guidance and direction we seek through the words of living prophets, and what a wonderful gift that is.

Have a wonderful week everyone! 

Love,

Sister Larsen

Note from Alicia:  There is a sweet story behind this pic.  A visitor to the PRS sent 
the picture and an email to our family, with a note that "...On our trip we visited 
the Priesthood Restoration Site, Kirtland, the Hill Cumorah, Palmyra and the Sacred Grove
 and the Peter Whitmer farm, and at each place we had missionaries give us tours. Each had 
a different feel as they gave their presentations, and it was clear that your daughters are 
 unified in spirit and love each other. They truly glowed and I think you can see that 
in this photo.   Thank you again for sharing your daughters with us. I think any who visit 
who are in tune with the spirit can see the light of Christ that they both radiate 
from their faces.   If I could choose a photo to represent Moroni 7:48,
 ...'that when He shall appear we shall be like Him...' this would be it."