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We just got the internet. Who will be the first to call us at our vonage number. See the info posted on the sidebar. Hope to hear from you soon!!!

Sunday Morning Nov 11

Yesterday was full of pleasant surprises. I started the morning by taking my first walk from the apartment to the metro station (about 15 minutes). Next to the metro is a mall and I purchased a couple of surge protectors one for Elder Monson, the couple who were with us in the MTC, and one for myself. I was out by about 9:00 a.m. But when I got to my destination I noticed that the mall was not open. At first I didn’t realize that I was so early, so I started to head back. I couldn’t imagine with all of the people going to and from the metro that it would be closed. It was a puzzlement!! (from the King and I!). Then it dawned on me to check to my watch. The only clock that I had was my cell phone and it showed that it was 9:40 a.m. When I got back to the mall the signs said that it opened at 10:00 a.m. But I was convinced that it was more like 10:40 a.m. and that the cell phone that I had inherited had not been adjusted for daylight savings time. It just felt like 10:40 a.m. Haven’t you ever had that 10:40 a.m. feeling? Well, a phone call to the apartment cleared that all up, so I hung out for about 20 minutes and then made my purchases. I guess I will have to add that to my other daylight savings time story. (Remember New Mexico?, still one of the funniest episodes in my life!!)

On the way back, I stopped off at the grocery store to pick up a few things. Guess what I found? Packaged Baskin and Robbins Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream!! My all time favorite ice cream—in Russia! With ice cream in hand I stopped off to see the Monson’s apartment which is just a few apartment buildings from ours and on the way home. There apartment is nothing like ours. It is about the same size but it is entirely Russian. Their apartment will get them used to what they can expect when they depart for the hinterlands in about six weeks. It is what I would refer to as the minimum standard! We are quite fortunate to have found the apartment that we did. Even if it did take four weeks to find it!!

Sister Monson was suffering from an infection in her left eye. It was nearly closed shut. Her husband was out trying to find some medicine at one of the local pharmacies, but with no luck. Our visit was a short one (remember the ice cream!) and I started for home. Later that night, at the adult meeting of District Conference (Elder Brown, another senior missionary, said that he would go out before the meeting started to see if he could find Sister Monson her medicine. When he came back he had medicine in hand, but it was not exactly what the doctor had ordered. The pharmacy didn’t have what the doctor ordered so Elder Brown negotiated a substitute. You see, Elder Brown is a veterinarian. We joked that he ordered the same medicine for Sister Monson that he would have for his horses!! Well it seemed humorous at the time. (Postscript: The medicine seems to be working!!)

Elder Monson had to go to an earlier meeting, so Sister Monson accompanied us to the metro for our first time. We actually took a bus for the first time to get to the metro. Very crowded and unless you have all your valuables in one safe compartment like a purse, zipped up and held tightly in your arm, you don’t have a chance. First of all it is standing room only. Bumper to bumper (people that is)!! One hand is on the rail overhead. The other is free to hold your valuables and your wife!. All of your pockets are completely vulnerable to the cunning pick pocket standing next to you. Everywhere you go there are throngs of people. So you must be vigilant with your valuables.

The bus ride was only two stops, but on my way to the metro ticket counter, I lost a glove. It seemed rather unfair, since in the a.m., when I was hanging out, a little babushka walked by me and dropped both of her mittens, which I picked up and gave back to her. No such luck for me. The good news is the gloves were a light pair. My heavy duty gloves were still safely tucked away at the apartment.

We purchased two metro passes for twenty rides each. You can purchase many varieties of tickets, the most popular being a month’s pass with unlimited travel. But they count the month by the first of month only, so it makes no since to buy an unlimited travel ticket in the middle of the month. The cost is 250 rubles per pass, or 12.5 rubles per trip, or about 50 cents. Finally, a bargain!! On our way home we purchased a bus pass for 20 trips and it cost 260 rubles. Go figure!!

The metro is very fast. If it ever jumped the rails, the passengers would be like splattered paint against one side of the car! They start like a bullet and stop on a dime, so you have to hold on tightly. We traveled in about 25 minutes what would take up to two hours to do by car, due to traffic. It is a terrific system. Very efficient. Some of the stations are quite ornate, like our train stations of old!!

The metro runs very deep into the ground. I took a few pictures of the escalator that brings you out of the station. Very long and very steep. When people are walking on them they look quite funny, as though they are leaning backwards (a lot) when going downhill.

For a two hour meeting, we left at 4:00 p.m. and returned home after 9:30 p.m., including stopping by the store on the way home. Today, we will leave at 9:30 a.m. and return by 3:00 p.m. Today’s meeting will be held in a leased building, because our chapels will not hold all the people. This conference is for two districts, like two mini stakes. We had about 380 people to our meetings last night. It holds about 360!! Today there should be about 800.

(I’m back.) We actually had 830 or so; about a 100 more than the last conference. That is about 39 percent of the total church population in Moscow (There are just over 2,000 members among the 13 million moscovites).

For the people of the Moscow and Moscow West Districts this was a very special conference, because David Bednar, an apostle of Jesus Christ, had traveled several thousand miles to address them. Think of this event as the saints in Corinth or Ephesus might have felt when Paul traveled to address them. It was so important then that they made a copy of his addresses and letters where they are safeguarded to this day in the New Testament. I thought you might like to hear what an Apostle has to say to His (Jesus Christ) followers in our day. I am going to attempt to summarize Elder Bednar’s two addresses. Remember, this is not what Elder Bednar said; it is my best interpretation of what he said. I will do the last one first, just because it is the freshest in my mind.

Address No. 2
After greeting the people and expressing the love that President Hinckley, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have for the Russian people, he addressed the many nonmembers that were present in the audience. He indicated that many people in Russia don’t know too much about the members of the Church, but assured them that when they got to know us they would find out that we are quite ordinary people who testify of Jesus Christ.

He suggested that those in the audience may wonder why we are so anxious to share the gospel. Then he told a story of about two of his boys (he has three). They were playing in front of the house one day (they were little tykes at the time) when one of them fell down and scraped his elbow. He and sister Bednar happened to be looking out the window at the time of the accident. Their immediate response was to rush to the child’s aid, but the response by the older brother caused them to pause and just observe. The older brother helped the younger brother back into the house and began to administer first aid. All the while mom and dad were observing from afar. The older brother proceeded to scrub the dirt from the wound. The little brother began weeping and wailing. After the scubbing was complete, the older brother began to apply the ointment. There was nearly a full tube when he began and it was nearly empty when he finished. It had been applied with great generosity. Then the band aids were applied—lots of them. By the time they had finished the little brother was no longer crying. Then to the Bednar’s surprise, the little brother took the tube of ointment and the remaining band aids outside and began administering to his friends. All he wanted to do was to share with his friends.

When we have spiritual wounds healed, we only have one desire, to share the source of that healing with those we love. Please accept it as the finest compliment that we can give—an invitation to know Jesus Christ.

Then from the Book of Mormon, he drew a comparison of his theme to Lehi’s Dream. In his dream the primary element was a tree, with fruit that was “most sweet, above all that [he] had ever tasted. In 1 Nephi 7:12, Lehi continues…
“And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I know that it was desirable above all other fruit.”

In this dream, the tree represented Jesus Christ and the fruit represented the blessings of the atonement. He defined missionary work as “the result of the affect of the atonement in our lives.” (When I use quotes this is my best recollection only.) If you want to be a successful missionary, become more fully converted, then we will always have people in our home being taught by the missionaries. [And I would add, we will have the same desire as Alma (See Mosiah 28:3).
“Now they (Alma and four sons of Mosiah) were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish…]

He went on to say, “Opening our mouths to share the gospel is the natural consequence of our understanding of the atonement in our lives.”

Then he suggested a related principal, faith. Nephi was commanded to get the Plates of Brass (the record of his people) from his wicked uncle, Laban. In this story, Nephi is told what he must do, but he is not told how he should accomplish it. In 1 Nephi 4:6, it states, “And I was led by the Spirit , not know beforehand the things which I should do.” Nephi and his brothers make three attempts to get the plates. Surely, Nephi was praying to know the will of the Lord, but when did he receive his answer?

Then Elder Bednar defined faith in terms of Action and Power. He said that faith, in the Lord Jesus Christ, always leads to action. There are many times that we may believe, but are not willing to act. Faith requires action.

Then he asked us to imagine that he was in a column of light and that outside that column it was black as night. Next, he suggested that the Lord asks him to move into the darkness and that as he does the light will move. Then he surmised that most of us would like the light to move first, before we would take our first step. We would pray for the light to move!! Then he referenced an oft quoted scripture, Ether 12:6, “…for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”

Next he quoted Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

So, I hope the light moves; then we act (having faith in Jesus Christ that it will move); then we see the evidence of things not seen.

Back to Nephi. Nephi acted based on his faith in Jesus Christ. He did not know how the Brass Plates would be recovered, but on his third attempt, he found Laban in a state that allowed him to obtain the plates. The answer to Nephi’s prayer did not happen while he was in the tent; but only after he had put one foot after the other and was in Laban’s presence.

Then he summarized. Only as we act in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ does the atonement take affect in a manner to give us power. We have strength and power to forgive, to have patience, to serve and to love. Over time, our faith increases with experience. We become more fully converted to the gospel. Our very nature changes, as we become more like Christ. We become new men and new women. We throw off the natural man. We become “no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 3:20). This happens not just because we setting goals and trying hard but because we become more than we are presently. We grow and we gain strength, through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Then he made this statement. “The family is the best place to nurture our faith and change our nature. He indicated that we can become hypocrites as we come to church and act one way and still another when we are home with, in this case, our wives and our children. He indicated that anyone who treats either of these harshly or inappropriately, though he has had hands placed upon his head and given the priesthood—he has no priesthood (See D&C 121:37). We may fool people outside of the house, but those who live with us know our strengths and weakness. Don’t our children really know who we are? The home is the best place to exercise our faith and develop power. Righteous actions lead to power through the atonement of Jesus Christ—power sufficient to change our lives.

Doesn’t it make sense that the adversary would spend his energy attacking our homes, our families and the church? [It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. He will be there to fight us every inch of the way (my thoughts).]

Then he concluded by bestowing a blessing upon the congregation. He blessed them with more faith and power that will come as we act upon what we know to be true.

Address No. 1

A member who spoke immediately before President Gibbons and Elder Bednar, suggested that as the church struggles to gain ground in Moscow (and all of Russia), that the Lord had sent in the heavy artillery, meaning Elder Bednar. It was a very poignant moment.

He began (with Dima, our family history director, translating):
I am grateful to bring in the heavy artillery. He suggested that the “heavy artillery” was manifested in two ways; Keys and Revelation.

Keys (Divine Authority, Meaning Priesthood Keys)
He said that when he was called and ordained as an Apostle, by the laying on of hands, that he was given all the priesthood keys. He did not obtain these keys through seminary study; he was called by one having authority following the same pattern that has been followed throughout all of history (Hebrews 5:4)

Revelation (Divine Revelation)
Then he indicated that many believe that the heavens are closed. Some believe that everything that was ever meant to be communicated from God to his children has been communicated. He declared that God has spoken and will do so again. He outline numerous occasions when heavenly messengers have visited the earth in the latter days. It was by direct revelation that divine authority was restored, the keys of the priesthood. (Think of keys as authority to act in God’s name.)

Each Apostle receives all the keys that have been restored. So why did he send the heavy artillery to Moscow? He said, you will know before I do.

Then he shared several times when he has been on assignment and how the keys have been used. He indicated a story about how a man who overcame a word of wisdom problem and how a nonmember married to a member helped his wife back to activity in the church and joined himself, all because the keys were there. Then he asked again, why are the keys here in Moscow? He suggested that for some they need to hear Sister Bednar’s testimony and sat down for her to speak. (Lidia, a young, married woman in our office translated for Sister Bednar).

She indicated that she was from a town of about 1800 people. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would ever come to Moscow, having grown up in the Cold War era. She said that Elder Bednar said to her before the meeting began that they will be back to Moscow and there will be several stakes we they do come.

There was quite a laugh when Lidia tried to translate her reference to the Bible Belt. One of the brethren stepped up and helped her with a more appropriate translation. This was an English phrase that she had never heard before!!

When sister Bednar finished, Elder Bednar addressed the audience again. He said that he prayed that we would hear more than he would say. That we would have ears to hear things not yet heard.

Elder Bednar had just recently returned from Japan where a Young Single Adult gathering from around the entire country of approximately. There were approximately 2,000 in attendance. He said he took a picture of the gathering and took it back to show President Hinckley. President Hinckley remarked, “David, this is a miracle. When I first arrived in Japan, there were no members, not one.” In the Philippines, he left 6 missionaries. Sister Hinckley remarked, “You can’t just leave them here.” Today, there are hundreds of thousands of members in the Philippines. There are temples everywhere.

Elder Faust was one of the first missionaries to go to Brazil. Now there are hundreds of stakes.

Joseph Smith in the Kirtland told the brethren, “You know no more about the destiny of this church than a babe on the laps of its mother.” (paraphrased) He prophesized that it would one day fill the whole earth. That was only 170 years ago.

Then he talked about the saints as they were driven from New York to Ohio to Missouri, to Illinois and finally to Utah. No aspect of the history of the church was easy. But what happened to this people. Those who fell away, those who did not keep their covenants fell away into obscurity. Those that went west had the fire of the covenant in their souls, despite the hardships and loss of family members. These people had been refined in a furnace of adversity. The lukewarm were lost along the way. They build a firm foundation of strength. Can you see the parallel in Moscow? Some press forward; their friends mock; employment is denied; the adversary rages. But what do we have here? THE FOUNDATION TO BUILD THE CHURCH IN MOSOW. The church in Moscow is not about numbers, but strength. The work has never been easy, so stop wondering why it is so hard! If it wasn’t the work of the Lord, the adversary would not work against it. The costs are high; the work demands the fire of the covenant.

Then he said, “I think I know why the keys were sent to Moscow.” Then he said, “You can do this. He knows you can do this. He will help you do this.
He said that if he is permitted to live a couple of more decades, I will hear people say, “What was it like when there were only two districts in Moscow? What was it like in those early pioneering days?”

Then he indicated that he wanted to talk about the future of strong disciples of Christ. Let me teach you a principle. Then he quoted Mosiah 3:19. We are to respond to the enticings of the Holy Ghost and put off the natural man…to become a saint. Stop doing bad things, those things which are contrary to the will of God and start doing something good. The he talked about the people in the days of King Benjamin (they had no more desire to sin).

Then he said, you hear people say, “Living the Gospel is hard!” Then he gave a stiff rebuke, “False!!” Living the Gospel is not hard. What is so engaging about the world? To see a loved one with no eternity--now that is hard. Death is sad but not hard. It’s only hard if we do it by ourselves. There is a strengthening power in the atonement. Draw upon it.

Then he sighted the Nephi’s breaking the bands that had been put upon him by his brothers. Listen to his pray. “Grant me strength, that I may burst these bands.” Not, get me out of here and hit my brothers!” At the point where he could have quit, he did not. He persisted. Not because of his own strength, but because of the strength of the Lord.

Fighting against a superior enemy is not about numbers; it’s about strength! (See Alma 58) And it is about the atonement, to cleanse us and to strengthen us. Remember both.

This changes everything. Give me the strength to endure my adversity. Let me learn from my illness, if that is what thou wilt have me do. Not as I will, but thy will be done. Do so to become more like Christ. Enduring to the end is not so much getting through adversity as it is becoming more like Christ. (My thoughts)

Did the answer to pray come early? No. How arrogant it is to blame God, when the answer does not arrive on our timetable. This is a lesson to learn for eternity. I will bless you with patience and strength.

In the depths of our adversity, we may cry out that no one understands us. But that is not true. There is One who does…even Jesus Christ. He has suffered not only for your sins, but for your afflictions and your illness. He does understand!! There is no loneliness with Christ in our lives. This is the strengthening power of the atonement. It is available to every member of the church.

Speaking of the pioneers, “The fire in the covenant gave them the strength. They were determined to accomplish that which could not have been accomplished without the strengthening power of the Savior’s atonement.

If you are going about life on your own, it will always be hard. With Jesus Christ is will be demanding, but not hard. He will not leave you comfortless.

He then ended with his testimony. He invoked a blessing of increasing confidence born of the Holy Ghost. He said that we can do it. As we study the Book of Mormon it will transform you, just like the small band of saints in the days of King Benjamin.

Monday
Today, we walked for the first time to work! It wouldn’t have been so bad except that I left my wallet (which had my building pass) back at the apartment, so I left Chris after covering about ¼ of the distance and ran back, got my wallet and caught her about two-thirds of the way to work. The warm days of a week ago are gone. It snows a little bit every day now. The temperature now hovers just below freezing everyday. Today, there was a good wind chill factor that I am sure brought the temperature to the equivalent of 20 degrees F.

At work, with the help of some friends, we have an appointment to have the internet installed in our apartment. We will meet the people tomorrow around noon. But if it is anything like the US, who knows? But hopefully we will be up and running by the end of the day.

Tonight, the Browns, brought home made enchiladas and a cooked vegetable dish that was quite a treat. We ate at the office building in the kitchen area, then the Browns, Prices and Shepards headed for the Metro to have Family Home Evening with the other Senior Missionaries. It is the longest metro line we could take. We are in N. Central Moscow and the Abrams, who were hosting the FHE, are in the S. East section of town. Our journey took 20 stops one way or about one and a half hours with walking on both ends. It took another hour and half to get home. We spent about an hour with the group. We were treated to vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup (homemade here) and brownies. We discussed the things we were taught at conference.

We are home now and we are warm. We left the radiant floor heater at the entry on all day by mistake, but it was a pleasure to take off our shoes and feel the warmth of the floor.

Tomorrow, we are going in an hour early, but we will leave at 11:30 a.m to make our internet connection. We won’t be going back to office until tomorrow.