The Apostasy Cycle and your Hand, Babies Photo near failure success

Each week we were responsible for writing a letter to our mission president.

At the beginning (pre-Preach My Gospel) the body of the letter was completely left to us and we were responsible for reporting some numbers.

***June 26, 2004 LETTER TO PRESIDENT: Part One
President Pulsipher,
          This week we taught a lady named Lorline.  It was the first opportunity I had to teach, here in Pohnpei.  I'm grateful most people here have, at least, a slight grasp of the English language.  I got to teach about the apostasy pattern, and used that visual method with my hand.  She seemed to understand that pretty well.  We decided to touch on reformers, just a bit, to see how much she'd understand.  We got to Joseph Smith and the light bulb went on for her.  We all felt the spirit there helping us to learn together.

While we were in the MTC we learned (from another missionary) how to teach the apostasy cycle using our hands as a visual.

 

• Because God loves us, he sends us prophets like Adam.  Over time the people forget about God.  They fall into a state of disbelief and sin, so God takes away his power and priesthood from the people.
  
  But Because God loves us he sent another prophet, Noah, to help teach the people.  Noah cried repentance to the people.  They would not listen to him.  So God took his power off the earth again.
  
  But God loves us and sent Abraham, the prophet.  After a time the people would not listen to Abraham and God's teachings.  The people fell back into sin and disbelief.  God took his priesthood off the earth.
  
  But God loves us, so he sent a prophet to teach us, Moses.  After a while the people would not listen to Moses.  God removed his priesthood from the earth.
  
  But God loves us, so he sent his son, Jesus Christ who was more than a prophet.  Jesus Christ organized God's church.  He set the perfect example for us to know how to return to our Heavenly Father after this life.  But most of the people wouldn't listen to Jesus Christ.  After the people crucified Jesus, they killed most of the apostles and there was no one that had God's authority to use God's priesthood powers to  bless the lives of the people.
  
  
• As a matter of clarification, God still loves us and in modern times restored his gospel, his priesthood, his power and all the blessings related through a man named Joseph Smith.  Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.
• We are still led by a prophet today, Thomas S. Monson.  God still loves us.

5 July 2013

Grammy once bought these babies matching-esque shirts and we tried to take pictures of them when they were tired and crazy