Elder Cordell Thompson: October 5 in Aeropeurto, Veracruz City

Well this week was really awesome! We had some great news with (B). We had to postpone his baptismal date for a little bit, but now we have it solidly set for the 16th. Also (K) will be getting baptized on the 18th, and (C) and (F) on the 25th. There are loads of other people that will be getting baptized soon too! I'm a little sad because I probably won't be here to see it. (Changes are next week and my time in Aeropuerto is probably over. I have 6 months here.) The important thing for me is that people are coming closer to Christ, just like I am.

Elder Stanfield was lots better this week! We don't know what it was, but I think he's getting better on his own! We were able to work, but not as much as I would've liked because we had lots of meetings.

General Conference was this weekend! For those of you who don't know, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church (the church in the New Testament). Namely, apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and so forth. What this wants to say, is that we believe that the church should be very well organized for the perfecting of the body of the saints (us). It also means that we believe that a person must be called of God, by the laying on of hands by one having authority from God, in order to serve Him in His church. This is the way it was done in the primitive church. We believe that these things have been restored in our day by Christ, through Joseph Smith. So, to help us in "the perfecting of the saints," every six months there's a General Conference. This is when the apostles and the prophet and all the general authorites of the church congregate and address us. They give us the word of God, and counsel us in what God says we need to do right now to come closer to Him.

My favorite talk this General Conference was from one of the twelve apostles, Jeffery R. Holland. He talked about the Atonement and how it was brought about by and because of charity, which is the pure love of Christ. He also pointed out that the common words used in the scriptures to describe that sacrifice (bourne, carried, delivered, suffered, etc.) are also commonly used to decribe childbirth. I wouldn't know, I'm not a mom, but it does sound pretty painful. He went on to testify of the divine role of mothers in the family. They are the closest thing that comes to comparing with Christ and His love and suffering for us, even though it is still not an apt comparison. I really like what he said because I was able to think about the impact of my mom in my own life. It also helped me comprehend better the divine role that mothers play in the great plan that our Heavenly Father has for us.

Anyways, that's all for this week, talk to you next week!

-Elder Thompson