Elder Conner Brown

State College, PA - Week 20

Hello there! 

 

First full week of the transfer and we were able to get some great contacts! Didn't have many lessons set up quite yet, but we met some cool people like a guy, A, who's looking to find some change in his life. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the best way to invite positive change in your life, of course!

 

We also had MLC this past week, where we talked about some great topics of improvement for the mission. We as the Social Media Coordinators gave a training about more effective and focused Facebook missionary work. Even though the summer is here and it's the perfect time to meet people on the streets, we don't want everyone to forget what the Lord taught us in the past two years of COVID. 

 

Another cool topic was family history, how it works as a great retention tool for recent converts, and also how it can be used for finding people. It was cool, cause on the way back from MLC, Elder Lee stopped somebody and asked if they knew much about their family history. It started up a great conversation and we were able to get their number, so the Lord definitely rewards faith.

 

Speaking of family history, I'm stuck in the book of Chronicles recently. It's been quite a drag, except for one little verse that's a good gem:

 

1 Chronicles 4:10 - "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldst keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."

 

I testify the Lord is always willing to intervene in our lives for the better if we're willing to let him!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown the Elder

 

State College, PA - Week 19

Hello there!

 

Had a smooth transfer week, getting Elder Powers shipped home to California and picking up Elder Lee from pretty much next door to us in State College. Should be a fun transfer, especially since Elder Lee was a Social Media Coordinator a while ago for a long time, so he knows the ropes better than I do. 

 

This past week, we were able to meet with a new friend of ours named D, who wasn't very religious growing up, but is interested in checking it out and is super open to learning and acting. We started with some basics like who God is and how we commune with him through prayer, which he found very interesting. Super excited to see where he goes.

 

Also met a bunch of people out on the streets and got lots of contact info. Elder Lee served on a college campus a while ago, so he knows how to street very well. I'm excited to see the work we get to do these next couple transfers. One lady we got to talking to, for instance, actually knew some of the members in the area so hopefully they'll be able to all get together.

 

This week reading a lot in Kings, I read about king after king after king that reigns in wickedness, and so the people follow suite. We don't have that kind of influence these days, but our actions matter a lot more than we think. The way others see us as disciples of Jesus Christ is partly why we are commanded to "be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Tim 4:12) Our actions and example have the potential to invite others closer to Christ, but only as long as we act so the spirit is present in our lives.

 

Have a good one!

Sincerely,

Elder Brown the Elder

 

 

 

A brand new Raising Cane's opened in town

 

 

 

 

Facebook Post 6/14/22

How can we recognize truth?

With the world and the internet full of information, topics, and opinions, it can be hard to filter truth out, especially spiritual truths. Thankfully, Christ gave us a way to determine His truth for ourselves.

John 7:17 - "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

Christ invites us to follow his teachings and see if they invite God's influence and blessings into our lives. I know that "every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good...is inspired of God." (Moroni 7:13) Feel free to reach out if you're searching for that truth, yourself!

 

State Collge, PA - Week 18

Hello there!

 

Big news for this week is we got transfer news! I get to stay right put in Penn State, so this will be the longest time I've ever been in an area. Good area to stay in, though, with the fun campus to street contact near and the awesome member branch which is super supportive! Sadly, my companion Elder Powers is finishing up his mission this week.

 

We've had a great week leading up to it, though. A has been progressing great and recognizing the spirit more in his life, so it's been really cool to see his progression up til now and his openness. Hopefully we get one more lesson in before Thursday.

 

We have a new friend we're working with named T who passed by and stopped us near the end of the semester, but who was in a rush and heading home so we got his number to keep in touch. We've been meeting over the phone and just recently finished the Restoration with him. He seems pretty open and super cool, so hoping he reads and prays about the Book of Mormon.

 

A real fun topic that has come up a lot recently has been revelation, how we prepare ourselves to receive it and how we discern it. Of course it's comforting to know that everything which inspires us to do good and love God is inspired of him (Moroni 7:13), but when we're actively learning and practicing to follow the spirit, it doesn't always seem to be so clear. I love how Elder Uchtdorf compared living the gospel to riding a bike and flying an airplane, how the most important thing for maintaining balance is moving forward ("Our Heartfelt All", Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf). 

 

Revelation follows a similar process, in that we have to be acting in order to steady ourselves and discern the spirit's influence in our lives. Nephi would never stumble upon Laban unless he "went forth" (1 Nephi 4:7). If you feel like you're missing the spirit's guidance in your life, I invite you to take steps to make sure you're ready to receive it, then go forth.

 

Have a warm summer week!

Sincerely,

Elder Brown the Elder

 

Thank you to the Primary Activity kids for sending letters and treats!

Elder Higgins, Elder Brown

State College, PA - Week 17

Hello there!

 

Wooo, it's been a busy and super fun week! So this past Wednesday, the Instagram app vanished from our phones all over the mission. After a bit of digging, we learned this was a permanent change since Instagram hadn't really been working as a finding tool in missionary work. However, through a couple miscommunications, our mission hadn't been notified of the change. 

 

Thankfully as the Social Media Coordinators, we were scheduled to give a mission wide training that Friday, so we were able to inform the mission about some changes, as well as help them get other forms of contact from their Instagram friends. That and other changes have been keeping us pretty busy, but we still had time to do some good work this past week.

 

J is doing well and keeping most commitments, but he's mainly meeting for educational purposes, so our main goal this week will be to try and help him feel the spirit and importance of real intent.

 

A is doing great in the Book of Mormon still. The Tree of Life Book of Mormon Video was helpful I think to visualize that. Right now, we're helping him recognize the spirit, how he feels it and when he feels it.

 

Come Follow Me was pretty fun this past week, and not just with the death of the fat king Eglon, lol. (Judges 3) One thing I find important from the story of Samson is that his covenant was simple and easy to keep, but because of the people he decided to stay around, it became a lot more difficult. We all have the chance to choose our priorities in life, and we can choose to find people with those same priorities. If our greatest priority is keeping God in our life, we'll strive to do so and find others who can strengthen us on our mortal journey.

 

Hope you all have a great week!

Sincerely,

Elder Brown the Elder

 

Hiking Mount Nittany on P-day

State College, PA - Week 16

Hello there!

 

We had a busy week with Zone Conference and other meetings, but still had time for some cool miracles.

 

Our friend, A, read a LOT more from the Book of Mormon than we expected, and he's understanding it a whole lot better as well. He's asking great questions and we're excited to see where he goes.

 

J is still doing good, we talked a lot about Asking, Seeking, and Knocking, how we need to act in faith to know whether something is true from the Holy Ghost. We're excited next time to talk more about what that answer looks like in Alma 32.

 

The streets have still been a bit scarcer than usual, but we still had some fun interactions. For instance, we met a nice woman who had a friend who converted to the church. She wasn't too interested, but we were able to share a quick scripture with her. Later that day, we got a message from a convert we knew who happened to be that woman's friend! They were able to have a nice conversation about the missionaries and what we do.

 

Sorry this one's a bit short, but may the spirit be with you all this week until next time!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown the Elder

2 Nephi 4:34 - "cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. (AKA, Elder Brown's ability to hold on to things)"

Back story -- Elder Brown returned from Japan in March 2020 and sometime that summer his passport went missing. He got a new one and in 2021 he applied for a Visa to Japan as part of preparations to return to the mission field.  That Visa application, along with his passport, was sent to the missionary department in Salt Lake City.  He was informed a few months ago that the window for returning to Japan has closed for him, and now that he is nearing the end of his 24 months of service the church mailed that passport back to him.  So, this photo is an admittance by Elder Brown that the ONLY reason the passport is in his hands at this moment is the fact that someone ELSE was holding onto it for the past 12 months. He just can't keep track of things!

State College, PA - Week 15

Hello there!

Things are still pretty quiet over at Penn State, but we still had some great lessons and experiences.

 

Our friend A is still reading the Book of Mormon and we're helping him to understand it better. That's been the main thing, as well as helping him to apply and act on what he reads and learns.

 

We have a new friend we just started meeting with who we friended on Facebook. He wanted to meet right away and is taking some time during the summer to build his spirituality. It's super cool because he doesn't have much of a Christian background, though he's very open to things.

 

A member shared with me a really cool talk recently from a convert who makes some really great points about revelation and finding the truth. One of them is this:

 

"I believe that Heavenly Father, in a merciful way, does not give us revelation when we’re just curious and not willing to act upon it, because then we’d be held accountable if we failed to make the change."

 

When we are given knowledge, revelation, and/or truth, we have a sacred responsibility to use it. That shouldn't dissuade us from seeking guidance, but should teach us how to better be ready for it. Like the parable of the talents, if we bury our talent it will condemn us, but if we do just our best to use it, it will prepare us and empower us.

 

Hope your summers are off to a great start!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown the Elder

State College, PA - Week 14

Hello there!

 

This one's a bit longer, so I'm making up for the past couple weeks!

 

The town has been mostly pretty empty and we had a lot of work to do as SMCs (Social Media Coordinators), but we still had some awesome experiences and tried to be outside when we could. 

 

Monday evening, for instance, we had to do a bunch of calling, so we streeted to a place out in the open where we could do it. While we were out, we stumbled on a bunch of great people. We met a guy named F who was doing some traveling around the East Coast. We told him about the Washington DC Temple Open House and showed him a picture. He was floored by how big it was and was super excited to check it out.

 

Also have to let a couple investigators go who are graduating and don't want to keep meeting, even over zoom. We at least got our friend D's contact info so we can keep in touch later on, but sad to see him go.

 

Our friend A, however, can still meet over zoom even out of town for the summer, so we're having a blast reading the Book of Mormon with him. Great guy and a deep thinker.

 

Lots of our time was occupied by SMC duties as well. We went to the Mission Leadership Conference and talked with other mission leaders about building up the Christ-like culture of the mission. On our way home from the big meeting, we were able to have an impromptu lesson with a new friend named B over the phone. Super solid guy with lots of potential and a desire to learn more, so we'll be excited to teach him!

 

I love the story of Moses and the serpents, party because of the description of fiery, flying serpents, but also because of the stupidity of the Israelites' reaction.

 

1 Nephi 17:41 "...and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished."

 

Perhaps some of them didn't have faith in the way the Lord prepared. Perhaps some of them didn't want the brazen serpent to work because they wanted a more miraculous way. God's modern prophets today give us revelation and guidance for our day. It's usually pretty simple, but the effect is the same. I invite you to keep that in mind and watch the devotional from President and Sister Nelson given last night. Also keep in mind this exhortation from Amulek

 

Alma 33:21 "O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?"

 

Take advantage of the modern council the Lord gives us, and hope you have a great week!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown the Elder

 

 

 

Facebook Post 5/15/22

 

The Washington DC Temple is having an Open House right now until June 11!

 

What's a Temple Open House? It's a period of time before a Temple is dedicated to the Lord when anyone is allowed to come inside and see what Temples are all about.

 

What are Temples? Since the beginning of the church, the Lord has commanded his people to build Temples as a place where we can worship Him and make sacred covenants. In Temples, we are able to make special promises to follow the Lord more fully and bind families together through time and all eternity.

 

D&C 88:119 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;

 

Come check it out if you have a chance! Here's the address and the website where you can schedule tour reservations.

 

9900 Stoneybrook Dr, Kensington, MD 20895

DCTemple.org

State College, PA - Week 13

Hello there! 

 

We had a nice week of preparing for the summer season. Lots of our friends are going home for the break, sadly, but a few of them would like to meet over zoom still. Getting as many lessons set up as possible for the this week, since there'll be little to no students in town until the summer term starts next week. 

 

A lot of our commitments lately have focused on reading and especially praying about the Book of Mormon. And that can take different forms depending on the investigator. Pray to know the Book of Mormon is true, so you know this is the direction God wants to you take. Pray to know so you know God speaks to prophets today. Pray to know so you know that God really did send another witness of his Son. Pray to know so you know the Church is true. President Ezra Taft Benson had it right that the Book of Mormon's truthfulness is the key answer to any question.

 

Another cool thing we got a chance to share in a lesson was the end part of the new Missionary Standards, which talks about going home. It says, "Live so that you will experience the kind of joy described in the Book of Mormon when Alma the Younger met fellow missionaries later in life" Alma 17:1-3 are then quoted where Alma has great joy that his brethren were true to the witness they'd been given. I know it's so important to be true to our witness, not just for ourselves, but for others who see our example. As bearers of the truth, it is our sacred responsibility to stay true to it.

 

Hope you all have a great week!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown the Elder

 

State College, PA - Week 12

Hello there!

 

Time got away from us so sadly this one's going to be a bit short 😅. Transfer boards just came in and as expected, Elder Powers and I are both staying. This is Elder Powers' last transfer, though, so we're gonna try and make it count! 

 

We had some good lessons this past week, though finding was pretty slow with finals week and all. Still have one more week as finals wind down, but it'll be interesting to see how the work adjusts with summer here on campus. 

 

Been reading ahead in Leviticus recently to try and get through it before we skip it all in Come Follow Me 😆. I love how the Book of Mormon gives us a great perspective and meaning for why all the animal sacrifices, to point toward the Great and last sacrifice of the Savior. I definitely encourage you to keep that in mind as we're reading about the Law of Moses and what it means.

 

Have a fantastic rest of your week!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown the elder

 

 

When transfers approach, the missionaries make guesses as to who in the district is staying (home) or going to a new area (car).  

State College, PA - Week 11

Hello there!

 

Have you ever had a moment when you're talking with a friend who isn't a member, and they say something that is surprisingly 100% doctrine, or they say they're pondering a difficult question that with restored doctrine is incredibly easy to answer? Then you have to just hold yourself back from going up to your metaphorical pulpit as you discuss the gospel truth with them?

 

Lol, we had that kind of moment with a friend of ours today. We were planning on going over the Plan of Salvation and just before we got into it, we had a short conversation where he mentioned he thinks we'll never be perfect in this life, but it's our desire that really counts, and how becoming like Christ isn't an event, but a process. He also shared how he wondered why he would be saved since he knew and followed Christ, while lots of other better people wouldn't be saved. We got to share about the spirit world and how God gives everybody a chance to accept and follow Christ.

 

Our other friends are doing great. Things are going to get interesting with finals coming up and everybody getting busy. Also, the summer is coming up, so we'll see who's in town during the summer and who's going home. It'll make things easier for some people, but very difficult for others. Hopefully we can at least transition some people to their home missionaries for the time being.

 

From Come Follow Me this week, I like when Moses' father-in-law Jethro comes and sees Moses judging the whole people. From Moses' and the people's perspective, this was fine. From Jethro's outside perspective, "Thou wilt surely wear away". The two-fold lesson I like is 1. Delegation is divine and it works. 2. Revelation also comes as we converse and reason to help each other

 

Hope you have a great rest of your week!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown the Elder