Elliot's April 2 email

Here's the latest email from Elliot.

Hi!

General Conference weekend was sweet, huh? Two of the talks I particularly like were Elder Andersen's and President Uchtdorf's. [The first two pictures to the right are from Elder Andersen's talk. The third is from Elder Uchtdorf's talk. Both talks can be viewed below, after the jump.] I really like the questions asked by Elder Andersen: Does my life reflect my love for the Savior? and What does Christ think of me? Those are definitely points to ponder about. I hope that He thinks of me well and accepts my service I give Him. But I also hope that through Him my capacity to love and work will continue to expand so that I can be a better instrument in His hands to help others.

I'm doing good here in L-Town. I'm really excited about the progress "Jane" and "Joan" are making. "Jane" is not for sure when she wants to be baptized just yet, but she did say she wants it to be this month. She also asked me to baptize her which will be a sweet experience for me. Her testimony is really developing and it's been fun to teach her. And "Joan" is doing well too. We taught her the Plan of Salvation this past week and it really brought her a lot of hope. She's out of town this week but is set for her date to get baptized on the 10th of May.

It started getting hot this past week though. This will be another super hot summer I'm sure. That's okay; it'll get me in shape to go running and biking with you after the mission.

I'll be registering for classes tomorrow! I'm going to sign up for a couple of science classes as well as probably calculus so that I can keep my options open. It's crazy how suddenly this is all coming up. It's funny too when people ask how much time I have left. I tell them, "About four months" and they say something like, "Oh wow, you don't have much time left." Then they ask Elder Grover, and he says, "About three months." It's pretty wild. Just this past Saturday I started my D&C challenge. I'm reading a section of the Doctrine and Covenants everyday until I finish my mission. I'm reading it from back to front. So today I read Section 136, also meaning I have that many days left.

Thanks for all the support! Good luck with starting the new firm dad. I know that's exciting and I hope it brings a lot of success. And I can't think of anything in particular that I need sent out, mom. But I always appreciate the packages and the gift cards!

I love y'all mucho!

Elder Elliot

Missionary service: The story of Sid Going

Elliot went on his mission to Oklahoma after completing his freshman year at BYU.  When he returns home in August 2012, we expect that he will resume his studies at BYU, where his brother and sister will be students.  But what about those two "lost" years?  Does taking two years out of the middle of his education set him back?  Will he fall behind his peers?  I remember my high school guidance counselor raising these questions.  He spoke favorably about young Mormon men who chose to serve missions, but at the same time, he questioned the wisdom of interrupting an education or other pursuits for a full two years at such a critical time in a young man's life.  I was ill-equipped to respond to his question at that time.  If I had a chance to speak with him today, I might suggest that he watch the video posted below.  It is an address by Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve at the April 2011 General Conference.  Beginning at about 2:15 of the video, Elder Andersen tells the story of Sid Going, who interrupted an extremely promising career as a professional rugby player to serve a mission to Canada.  The story illustrates one example of a young man whose mission certainly did not set him back or limit his options when he returned.  Enjoy the video (the text is posted after the jump).