It was as if we had the black plague!

August 27, 2012

Dear Family,

I’m sorry to hear that Sydnee is still sick!  Wow, it has been a long time.  It's always hard being sick during the summer because so much is going on.  I thought school started this week?  It started for all the kids here in Lebanon.   

It is cool to know that Elder Ballard spoke to you in the adult session and at the Sunday session of Stake Conference.  It was great to hear that Jon Bronson was called to the Stake Presidency!  He will do a great job.   We also had Elder Porter, a member of the 70, who came on what is called a mission tour.  He came on Thursday to Harrisburg and we were able to hear from Sister Topham, President Topham, Sister Porter and Elder Porter.  Elder Porter took up a majority of the time.  He spoke of the doctrine of Jesus Christ: faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.  He went into depth with all of the principles and offered a lot of good insight on all the subjects.  After every couple principles he would stop and have a Q and A session.  That was my favorite part where we were able to ask him any question that we had on our mind and he could answer it right on the spot.  When he finished with topics of the gospel of Jesus Christ we had a musical number and then he spoke again.  This time he explained the atonement the suffering that went on in the Garden.  It was really cool and at the end he bore his testimony of the Atonement after reading Isaiah 53.  I encourage you to read it.  This was a great experience for me, it recharged my batteries and got me ready for this next year that is ahead of me. 

Yesterday we had ward conference but Elder Blake and I were asked to attend an Orientation worship service where we were able to go and set up pamphlets, Books of Mormon, and we even had an iPad to show people Mormon.org.  This orientation was at the local college for all the new freshmen to come and check out the different religions in the area.  After setting up our stuff in the foyer we joined everyone in one of the worship services that they held on campus.  I will just say one thing, it was a great rock concert!  I couldn't help but laugh as I stood watching other people wave their arms back and forth.   At first I was like, wow this music is pretty good, and then I realized that that was all the worship service was.  I think the band performed 10 songs.  They did read two scriptures and had a 5 minute message which was based on “the woman at the well” but the information was changed and not true.  It was pretty fun but I gained a greater appreciation for our Church and the Spirit that is felt in our Church.  After the concert, we went back to our table to talk to people that might have had any questions.  Not one person came to our table or the Mennonites table.  I was blown away by this.  It was if we had the black plague.  We had the Protestants and the Catholics on both sides of us and everyone went to those tables and passed by ours.  People wouldn't even look at us!  It was crazy!  When we were cleaning up, I went over by the Mennonite table and I had a really awesome talk with their pastor about the priesthood and temples.  I could tell that he was blown away by what I told him but he still wouldn't accept a Book of Mormon.  I did get him to take a pamphlet about the restoration. 

The English class we planned last week was a bust.  Not one person came.  I had studied up on how to teach English and I was going to teach it.  We had passed out flyers all day on Tuesday and Wednesday but still no one came to the class.  We will make more flyers and hand them out again next week.  A lot of people have a hard time finding the church here because it is so far out of town.  I have faith that this week will be better.   

I love you all and pray for you!!!

Love,

Elder Mouritsen

PS.  I prayed for the trooper to get fixed and it did!  He hears our prayers!