"...So I will just have to gird up my loins and get some guts and get going!!"

It's about 9:00 am.  We all just got back from the temple.  That place is really special.  I felt unworthy today.  I think that partly stems from the fact that I didn't work very hard yesterday.  I was watching other people thrusting in their sickles but I felt like I was leaning on mine.  I just couldn't memorize very much yesterday.  I did pass off E-4 but I also should have been able to pass H-2 also.  Well that day is passed and no matter how bad I want to I will not be able to live it over again, so I will just have to gird up my loins and get some guts and get going!!

The devotional was great.  At first I wasn't sure if I liked Hartman Rector.  He seemed too sure of himself, too confident.  And I was skeptical.  However by the end of the talk I was hanging on to every word.  Writing as fast as I could.  He really had some good things on missionary work.  He based a great deal of his talk on D&C 31 which is one of my favorite if not the favorite of the Doctrine & Covenants.  He explained the 3 parts of the message that we should take to the world:

1)  Jesus is the Christ
2)  Joseph Smith was a prophet
3)  There is a true church of God on earth today that is guide by a living prophet

He explained some of the best ways to deliver this message, i.e. smiling, etc.

Elder Rector also related several stories of missionaries with inactive or non-member fathers that became active while their sons were out on missions.  He finished up by telling us that we should be baptizing.  3 Nephi 11:21-26, 31.

The closing hymn had some words that affected me.  #119 I think the title is "Bless Us Lord Ere We Part".

Tomorrow marks the half-way point of our stay in the MTC.  I feel in good shape to memorize all 8 discussions.  There are 56 concepts total and I have 19 now.  We are going to spend most of class time memorizing so that should help.

If I have time this afternoon I am going to write little resumes of all the elders and sisters in the district, if I don't die of writer's cramp first.

Well guess what, I don't have time.  It took me quite a while to write to Mom and the family, Dad and Linda.  I will be lucky if I get one more written today.  I sure hope that those letters are appreciated.  I got a care package in the mail from my family.  they are really great and I love them all.  Linda sent me a letter.  Too short but it was a letter.  Well I am going to rest my hand and stop writing.

Elder Christensen's First Day In The MTC

Wow, what a day.  Today was my first day in the MTC.  This missionary life is going to be different.  I feel as though I better start humbling myself and repent so that I can receptive to His spirit.  I will truly need His help if I plan to make it.

I held together all week long until I said goodbye to my family this morning.  Perhaps I could have made it if I would have said goodbye to each member at different times.  All together it was too much and the tears came.

I met my companion Elder Brown.  He is from Ohio.  He seems to know a lot of Spanish.  I hope he can help me.

I saw quite a few people.  Jeff Smith, Eric Dahle, Jep Hunter, Mitch Klaich, Bruce Johnson and others that I can't remember.

I am tired and I am going to bed.  I will read scriptures first.