Elder Wilson in Utah!: MERRY CHRISTmas!

I hope this year's Christmas is awesome for everyone out there. I hope that all of you remember what the true meaning of it all is! And, I hope that everyone is able to feel of this amazing Spirit that is all around us.

So guess what? We had a Christmas conference as a mission and someone came to visit! Guess who?

ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND. Oh yeaaahhhh. That was so awesome!! If I had a favorite Apostle, he would definitely be it. He talked about our mission and how it was a pilot program for a lot of things, like our mission president already being a mission president beforehand, him living in his home and not having to move, using senior couples who serve from their homes and are full-time proselyting missionaries, and a few other things. I'll just type them up from my notes because they're so much better than me trying to paraphrase them.
"I need you today to see yourself a century in the future. It seems to me that I have thought of my mission every day for the last 50 years. Don't miss one day. I don't care whether or not you like your companions or not. This is the most sweet and spiritual experience you will probably ever get. Hang on to every MINUTE of it! Squeeze the very life out of it. You're supposed to go through the bad, so that you can appreciate the good.

I wanna know what you're gonna say at your homecoming. I wanna know what you're going to tell the little deacons sitting there listening to you. To the laurels deciding to go to college, get married, go on a mission, at the crossroads in her life. They need to hear the power of Almighty GOD (Pounding his fist on the podium) in your voice when you testify. Not the stupid stores of you teasing your companion. You hold the baton of this great work now. The same one that Isaiah, Moses, Ezekial, Jeremiah, Amulek, all the great prophets held. You do not have the right to dishonor this work. You're standing in the same circle as the best men in history when you put on that badge.

You don't have the right to go home and be an idiot. Nothing is more important than what you're doing right now. Don't ever think that you can go home and set all this aside. Go back to 'real life'. This IS real life!! (He pounded his fist on the podium again). Capital R, capital L! I don't understand how a missionary can go less active. We are God's investigators. He wants US to do the things that we want OURS to do. Change habits, leave our bad influencing friends, repent, pray, listen, everything! Never ever ever be the same again. This is the pivotal moment in your life.

Promise me that on this Christmas Eve, that you will not ever ever EVER leave it or dishonor it. That this will sink into every fiber of your soul. Don't any of you ever be homesick! It's not worth it.

Man I could go on and on. To me that was better than General Conference! haha. We got to shake hands with him one by one. When I got to him, he shook my hand, then as I was about to walk away he kind of held on and said "Thank you, Elder." So awesome!! I know this probably sounds so stupid me typing this but trust me it was so powerful. I KNOW that he is an Apostle of the Lord. The way you felt when he walked into the room is undeniable. There's no way he couldn't be.

The rest of the week went pretty well too. But none was as good as this morning, when he came to visit the mission. That was so awesome. We had district meeting, and an exchange as well. Christmas is awesome!! I love this time of the year. Have an awesome Christmas everyone!

I love you!

Elder Wilson