This is a “homework assignment” that I gave to Shantel Smart last week. Elder Wiggins and I baptized her about 3 months ago. “homework” is something that I am doing with all of my investigators now. I have found that it works really well, it holds people accountable for their commits and we as missionaries are really able to help people keep their reading commits. In stead of just shoving a book mark into 3 Nephi 11 and asking them to read and pray… I am giving them homework assignments with questions and steps to follow. It really helps people learn how to study and have spiritual experiences on their own. It helps them develop a deep love and understanding of the scriptures. Thus making a lifelong conversion more likely! I’m sure that you are impressed with Shantel’s answers to these questions and she has only been a member for 3 months! It has been working really well with all of our investigators and we have a lot of people that are progressing towards baptism. Each homework assignment is different (tailored to the person) some are really deep like this one and others are much more simple. The steps for this assignment were;
1) Pray out loud, tell god what you’re going to do, ask for the spirit…
2) Read the questions and than read Alma 42…
3) Write your answers to the questions…
4) Pray out loud again (ask god if your questions are correct)
5) Ponder for a few minutes and than read Alma 42 again…
6) Re-write or revise or add to your answers…
7)Pray out loud, Ask god if your answers are right, thank him for helping you learn…
Shantel was so excited when she finished the assignment. She actually did it twice. It was a really spiritual experience for her. And her testimony has grown a lot. I just thought that I would share this with you all. Elder Tyler Olsen I will send you a lot more information on this method of committing. I have a few case studies on it.
Elder Michael Olsen
Thursday, January 14, 2010
11 Jan 2010
Hey everyone
Well I had a pretty good week. This is week 6 of the transfer so don’t send anything to my apartment. Send everything to the mission office address (8569 60 Dr. Elmhurst, NY, 11373) I think that I am going to be staying here but you never know. I really do hope that I will be able to stay here for at least one more transfer. So everyone please pray for me that I can stay! We have a lot of really good things happening right now. Yesterday we only had 3 investigators at church. But all 3 of them are moving well and should be ready to be baptized in the next few weeks. The Frazier family was sick yesterday or else they would have come. So pray for them that they will be feeling better soon. They are really awesome. I don’t remember if I told you guys about them last week. But basically troy got baptized over 10 years ago and was never really active. Now he has a wife and 4 kids. We stopped by last Sunday night and found him. We have taught them 3 times this last week and they are doing awesome. Tuesday night was the first time that we met the wife. They have a 2 year old daughter that is a little crazy most of the time. And she was going crazy while we were teaching the lesson. We watched the Restoration movie, and the whole time that the movie was going the mom had to tend for the little girl. She was really sidetracked; she even had to leave the room a couple of times. We had all ready met with the dad and the kids before this night and we knew that they were all good and that they would accept the gospel, the mom was the only one that we were not sure about because we had not met her yet. So basically the mom is the make it or break it one. Eternal family sealed in the temple or not! So we were really hoping that she would be receptive. Especially because troy and the kids were so awesome. So right at the start of the movie I just started praying, I prayed all through out the movie. I was seriously pleading with the lord. That she would feel the spirit and know that these things are true, that despite all of the distractions that she would be able to feel the spirit and be touched by it. I remember actually saying those words. Well the movie finished and we testified and committed them all to pray and ask god if what they saw in the movie really happened. The next day we came by again, opened with a prayer and than asked if they had all prayed. They all had prayed, the mom said that she had a question but that she was embarrassed to ask it. She told us that she didn’t know if it was normal or why she felt the way she did… but that yesterday when she was watching the movie she just felt like crying. Ha-ha it was awesome… so we taught about the fruits of the spirit. God truly answers our prayers and hears our cries. When we are sincere and have faith and our will is aligned with his it will be done. I love this work. Please continue to pray for me and our investigators. I love you all
Hurrah for Israel!!!
Elder Michael Olsen
Well I had a pretty good week. This is week 6 of the transfer so don’t send anything to my apartment. Send everything to the mission office address (8569 60 Dr. Elmhurst, NY, 11373) I think that I am going to be staying here but you never know. I really do hope that I will be able to stay here for at least one more transfer. So everyone please pray for me that I can stay! We have a lot of really good things happening right now. Yesterday we only had 3 investigators at church. But all 3 of them are moving well and should be ready to be baptized in the next few weeks. The Frazier family was sick yesterday or else they would have come. So pray for them that they will be feeling better soon. They are really awesome. I don’t remember if I told you guys about them last week. But basically troy got baptized over 10 years ago and was never really active. Now he has a wife and 4 kids. We stopped by last Sunday night and found him. We have taught them 3 times this last week and they are doing awesome. Tuesday night was the first time that we met the wife. They have a 2 year old daughter that is a little crazy most of the time. And she was going crazy while we were teaching the lesson. We watched the Restoration movie, and the whole time that the movie was going the mom had to tend for the little girl. She was really sidetracked; she even had to leave the room a couple of times. We had all ready met with the dad and the kids before this night and we knew that they were all good and that they would accept the gospel, the mom was the only one that we were not sure about because we had not met her yet. So basically the mom is the make it or break it one. Eternal family sealed in the temple or not! So we were really hoping that she would be receptive. Especially because troy and the kids were so awesome. So right at the start of the movie I just started praying, I prayed all through out the movie. I was seriously pleading with the lord. That she would feel the spirit and know that these things are true, that despite all of the distractions that she would be able to feel the spirit and be touched by it. I remember actually saying those words. Well the movie finished and we testified and committed them all to pray and ask god if what they saw in the movie really happened. The next day we came by again, opened with a prayer and than asked if they had all prayed. They all had prayed, the mom said that she had a question but that she was embarrassed to ask it. She told us that she didn’t know if it was normal or why she felt the way she did… but that yesterday when she was watching the movie she just felt like crying. Ha-ha it was awesome… so we taught about the fruits of the spirit. God truly answers our prayers and hears our cries. When we are sincere and have faith and our will is aligned with his it will be done. I love this work. Please continue to pray for me and our investigators. I love you all
Hurrah for Israel!!!
Elder Michael Olsen
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