{Letter #3} Off to Portland

9/6/22
Hey everyone!
Today is my last day at the MTC.

It has seriously flown by so fast! Since my email last week we finished up our classes on Saturday, a bunch of my district has already left for their missions, and I have packed everything to head into the field tomorrow.

On our second to last day of class, all the elders in our district got matching ties and wore them the whole day, so that was kinda fun. On the last day we all tried to wear sandals and flip-flops of some sort or another, but we had to go back and change them because it was unfortunately against missionary standards. Oh well. It was a good last week of classes though and I'm looking forward to being in the field now!

This Sunday I got to attend branch council again; we also had church and the "Go and Do" experience again. "Go and Do" is basically just in-depth study of a certain area of the gospel for about 2-3 hours on Sunday. It was super cool to have that much time set aside just for studying one specific topic of the gospel.

 During one of our breaks during the week we were able to go through some of the newer buildings and look at a bunch of really cool murals depicting scripture stories that they have here on campus. Here are a few of my favorites:

The past few days we have been getting up at around 4:00am to bring people to the travel office and say bye to them before they head out to their mission fields. It's been good to say bye to them but it has been making for some very long days. Currently, we have 6 elders from my district that are still here at the MTC, 4 of us leave Wednesday, and the last 2 leave on Thursday.

My spiritual thought from this week is from a devotional that Elder Uchtdorf gave to the MTC today. He said that all that is required to be a good missionary is to do well what you can control. You don't have to worry about what you can't control. You don't have to be perfect. But as you strive to do your best in serving others and serving the Lord you will be strengthened in your efforts. So don't get caught up in things you can't control or things you can't do perfectly, just do your best and Heavenly Father will make your efforts touch the lives of others.

Anyways, I hope y'all are doing great! I'd love to hear from you and will reply when I can!
Love,
Elder Goold

Photos Sent from a Sister in Adam's District

Sister Natalie Davis (from Adam's MTC district) sent me these photos today.  I'm posting them here, so they don't get lost in the shuffle.  😍
 

{Letter #2} Provo MTC

Hey everyone!!!
The MTC has been absolutely amazing this past week! Last Wednesday my family dropped me off just after lunch.

Then I got checked into the MTC and almost immediately got started with devotionals and classes with my district!

My district has been such a blessing to me since arriving here this week. It's amazing to me how quickly you can form a bond with people when you are having the spiritual experiences that we have together.

My time here has been filled with classes, devotionals, checking the mail, practice lessons, lots of fun times, and some not so great food.

I'll end my email with a spiritual thought that I had from a class this week.

3 Nephi 11:14 says:

"Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world"

In this scripture Christ is appearing to the Nephites for the first time. He has just been resurrected and is coming to teach these people for the first time. I love that this first thing He does when he appears to them is invite them to gain a witness that he is the Savior. He invites them to gain a personal testimony that he suffered for their sins and died on the cross so they could return to live with their Heavenly Father.

This is a great reminder to us that our testimony should be focused on Christ. If Christ is the center of our testimony then we can overcome any trial, question, or sin with that faith.

I hope that y'all are doing great! I'd love to hear from everyone and I'll do my best to respond when I can.
Love,
Elder Goold

 

{Letter #1} Home MTC

Hey everyone!!

I'm just finishing my first week of home MTC and am getting ready to go to the Provo MTC tomorrow! There hasn't been a whole ton that has happened yet seeing as it's the first week and we were entirely on zoom, but it has still been absolutely amazing so far!

We have talked a lot about inviting to come unto Christ and serving the people in our mission.

One of the big things that seems to keep coming up this first week is Moroni 7:12-13 which says

12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.

13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.

I just love this scripture and the insight it gives to us about receiving and acting on promptings. Sometimes it really is just as simple as if it is a good thought, then it is from God.

My district is full of some amazing Elders and Sisters and I am excited for the work that is to come over these next few weeks in the MTC.

Love,

Elder Goold