19 Months Out - and Great Things are Going on in the Blessed Land of the South!

Hello my Brother's and Sisters! I rejoice with you in the Gospel and Doctrine of Christ! I want to thank you for what you do, but mostly for who you are.

I know it's been a while since I wrote to y'all last. Sorry about that. This week has bee. Awesome, so let's hop right in. 

We had many great lessons this week with some incredible people. We finished teaching Kamber the lessons and reviewed the baptismal interview questions so that she was ready for her interview. We also set 2 more baptismal dates! One is with a man named Veeto, and the second is with an awesome young man named Mark. We had incredible lessons with both of them and they are both set to be baptized on the 22nd of September! Woot Woot! 

This week we also had zone conference and that was great. President Hansen instructed us on the importance of keeping the law of Chastity and how that can bless us so much in this life. It was really inspiring. We were also instructed on what we can do to help our people being taught come to church. 

One funny thing that happened this week was when we went and got corn dogs from sonic. It's close to the end of the month and the 4 Elders here were broke, but we heard that sonic had their 50 cent corn dog deal. So we broke out the piggy banks and started counting change. It was really funny 😂

Preparing for Kamber's baptism was kinda stressful, but we got it all done. The Baptism on Satuday was amazing!!! It was such a spiritual experience. It was very humbling being able to Baptize Kamber and help her get started on her journey along the Covenant path. It is days like these that we remember for the eternities.

I was also given the opportunity to talk in church on Sunday about obedience to the Commandments of God. As I studied for the talk I was reminded again about the critical need we have to obey the Commandments to live the happy and blessed life. Obedience brings blessings. The greater obedience on our part the more blessed and happy we are.   

A Commandment that I want to highlight with you all is the commandment that we study our scriptures Daily, especially the Book of Mormon. Through the voice of President Thomas S. Monson the Lord declared that "We must read the Book of Mormon everyday everyday everyday." The Promised blessings that will come into our life if we do so are... 

1. we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit. 

2. We will have Greater ability to resist temptation. 

3. we will be able to overcome doubt and fear. 

4. We will be able to receive heaven’s help in our lives.

Those are 4 incredible promises that will come into our lives as we simply pray and read from the Book of Mormon. 

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I love reading it, and feeling the peace it brings into my heart. If you are not reading it, I would ask that you start reading. Start today and begin a new chapter in your relationship with God. 

Thanks for the prayers everyone. Please keep praying for us out here. 

I love y'all!

Y'all stay blessed where ever y'all are! 

Sincerely, 

Elder Skyler Glen Larsen 

MTC Reunion Group

Elder Larsen, Kamber, and Elder Patterson

The Elders and the Hall Family

I hope he didn't eat those by himself :)

New Opportunities in North Little Rock

Hello Family and Friends!

I rejoice with you in the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I want to thank you for what you do, but mostly for who you are. THANK YOU so much for all the prayers that y'all have given in our behalf. They really do make a huge difference. 

So this last Saturday we received transfer news and I will be staying in North Little Rock, but I was released as an office Elder and called to be the district leader of the NLR District. I am literally just moving across the hall, so that was pretty funny. I will also be serving with Elder Kayden Patterson again. And what's a super awesome bonus is that Elder Raish and Mair are coming to the office! I love both of these amazing elders. I'm really looking forward to doing exchanges and enjoying how awesome this new transfer is going to be. 

We are also having more success with Jacob and Kamber. For those who don't know Jacob and Kamber are a part member couple and they are SO AWESOME.  They came to church on Sunday and stayed for the first 2 hours! They had a marvelous time. I'm really excited to keep teaching them on a regular basis now. We are going to use Facebook messenger to teach Kamber while Jacob is working in Russellville this week so that will be a new experience for us. It is going to be great. If y'all could pray for Kamber that she will be ready for baptism on the 25th of August that would be much appreicated. 

We also have a bunch of service opportunities lined up for this week so that's awesome. I'm really glad that I will be able to get back into the swing of things here in North Little Rock. 

This last week we traveled probably over 1000 miles. We went to Stuttgart and taught some great lessons there. We went there and spent a day with Elder Barnes (who is a great missionary) and taught some lessons. It was great to be back in the field again.

We also drove missionaries to west Memphis for doctors appointments this week. That was a very enjoyable day because the people we took I love so much. I also love driving the assistants Mommy van. It is seriously so much fun to drive. I now know why so many mothers love vans. Lol. 

We also had a call to drop off some media down in Hope for the Watermelon festival down there. It was a great excuse to go down and see that wonderful place again. 

After getting back from Hope we traded out cars with the Assistants and loaded up for Southaven Mississippi. We pulled in close to 11 PM. The next morning we went to Holly Springs Mississippi and helped some missionaries quickly move out of a bad living environment and into a new apartment. That all went well and we had no complications so that was a real tender mercy. I like driving, but 3 hours in the truck is pretty long. 

We did an estimate and in 4 months we think we traveled over 15-17 thousand miles, and spent over 300 hours driving. That's a loooonnng time. 

Anyway it's been a good run in the office. I'm really pleased with how everything has gone. I couldn't have imagined how many lessons I would learn in such a short period of time. 

The scripture for the week comes from Alma chapter 32. This is one of the greatest discourse on faith recorded in scripture. Alma is teaching the people who have had hard circumstances come into their lives and they were wondering how they could increase their faith in Jesus Christ. The parts that I want to share with y'all come from verses 21&28

21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

   28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed ... it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

My dear friends, that's the test. If reading the Book of Mormon brings good feelings into your heart and you feel closer to God, then it must needs be that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. If the Book of Mormon is the word of God then Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. If Joseph Smith was a Prophet then this church is the Restored church of Jesus Christ.  I testify that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I have read it many times, and each time I read it fills my soul with such heights of love, and depths of peace. I know that because of Jesus Christ sin's curse has lost its grip on me. He is my comforter, my strength and my all. I will stand as a witness of Christ is all the world. He is my best friend and I will serve him with all my heart until he returns or calls me home. Here in the love of Christ, I stand. 

I love you all so much! Please email me if y'all have any questions. I would love to here from you. 

Stay blessed my Friends!

Sincerely your brother in Christ, 

Elder Skyler G. Larsen

Hope, Arkansas is famous for their watermelons - and being the birthplace of Bill Clinton

Elder Larsen and Elder Carter