Well Hello!

Mo's hair made me crack up. It's stinking hilarious. Probably one of the funniest haircuts I've ever seen. Toilet bowl head.

I'm bummed that Chan hasn't received his mission call yet! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOREVER FOR IT!!!! I really want him to come to Alaska. Cause I think it would make a great story and be a ton of fun. But I know he will love where ever he gets called to serve.

I love Alaska. It is wonderful. Who knew that I would have ended up here of all places, and that I would be speaking Samoan. Speaking of Samoan... my companion and I were asked to join the Elders quorum in their dance that they are performing for the Mother's Day Party. (We have a party like once or twice a month) AND I asked President Dance and he said we could! SO I'm gonna dance!! And I'll make sure someone records it and sends it to you so you can see it!

Mom wanted to know more about my companion so here it is... My companion Elder Spencer Denison is from Price, UT. He is 21, he likes Star Wars, and he is a pretty funny dude. He is the middle child of 3 boys. And he was raised in the church! THAT'S ABOUT IT!!

I feel for Chan. Everyone just wants you to do spiritual stuff, but you just want to enjoy being normal while you still can. Just make yourself do a little each day bro!

Everyone should watch this video.

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD&channelId=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD&sourceId=674240dcb9d1a210VgnVCM100000176f620a____

We all struggle in our lives. It's that simple. Sometimes we are not sure why in spite of all that we do, we are still tried. Sometimes the Lord gives us trials, or simply permits them, because he is trying to let us be humbled.

Ether 12:27

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their ^aweakness. I ^bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my ^cgrace is sufficient for all men that ^dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^eweak things become strong unto them.

We just have to remember that we need to change something when He is showing us this weakness. I struggled to keep the Commandments for years and I just kept wondering why I would stumble and falter at doing something that Heavenly Father wanted me to do. It wasn't until I started doing my best to be obedient to all of His commandments, specifically in my case - reading the Book of Mormon and praying daily - that I had the strength that I needed to resist temptation. It's not that I wasn't giving it my all in the first place, but it was just that Heavenly Father gave me that weakness. He saw the best way to help me, personally, realize the importance of reading scriptures and the effect that it has on my ability to be obedient.

I was also reading through the account of the resurrection in each of the gospels on Sunday and a verse really stuck out to me. It is Luke 24:46-47 specifically verse 47:

46. And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it ^abehoved Christ to suffer, and to ^brise from the dead the third day: 47. And that ^arepentance and ^bremission of sins should be ^cpreached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

I love that it says that we are to preach repentance, and remission of sins. Repentance is making the change of course, but Remission of sins is staying on the new course without wavering.  Sin in many ways is like cancer; it can often begin from something innocent, it can grow quickly out of control, or so slowly we don't notice it. It is destructive to our spirit. Our relationship with Heavenly Father is so important because it is the means by which we are able to receive guidance that we need.

Now think of the word remission. To have that sin, the thing that is standing between you and God, to be gone would be a tremendous gift. But the fact is that most people don't make those changes permanently. They don't know why they should change, or how to change, so they don't change. They don't grow, they don't improve that relationship or repair it, they are left to wander - wondering why everything is falling apart around them even though they believe in Jesus Christ.

Faith without works is dead. It is as simple as that. We can chose to exercise our faith by praying and seeking truth. PURE truth. There is truth scattered all over the world, intermingled with the philosophies of men. We need pure truth. If the Devil gets us to miss Heaven by 1 inch then we still miss! He is cleverly trying to deceive everyone. That is why the Spirit is so important. We need to pray and find out for ourselves if the whole thing is good and true, and not just cling to the one part of truth that a preacher includes in his sermon strung together with his own logic. That is why we invite people to pray and ask God if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. Because they need to know that the whole thing is true, that it is Christ's true church - not just another person's interpretation of how the Bible tells us to worship.

I testify that I know this Church is true. I would not be here sacrificing two of the most important years of my life if it wasn't. I have gained my testimony the same way that everyone who has a testimony of Christ, of Heavenly Father, of Joseph Smith, of this Church has... by sincerely, earnestly, and diligently praying and studying! By asking specific questions in prayer, and then taking the time to listen.

I promise that anyone who does this will receive an answer. Well I've only got 30 seconds left on the computer!

Love ya,

Britton Winterrose