Kansas, MO Temple Dedication & more...

Dear Family and Friends,

"This week was exciting and seemed to have gone by in a blur! Last Wednesday we went down to PSU and had our white board that we use when OTM - ing there (Open Thy Mouth). And there happened to be a guy yelling at a people, who was attracting a large crowd, and he was preaching to them that they were all going to the place of fire and brimstone and so we sat away from him further up this path and the students who would get frustrated by him would come and then see our message that said "Smile - you are a child of God" and they would ask about what we believe and want to know more. We taught so many people that soon we had a crowd of our own and we were teaching the Restoration left and right and us being there preaching a good message even made it into the local paper! We handed out 6 Books of Mormon and lots of pamphlets ha. It was a neat experience. Later that week we committed an investigator to baptism but sadly she is moving away, so the lucky Elders in her area will finish the job. But we are close with another! On Saturday night @ 6 we watched the Cultural Celebration for the Kansas City, MS Temple and it was so amazing! The youth of this area did dances and songs and it was fabulous! The Prophet was there and enjoyed it so much...it was awesome. We only watched a broadcast but many of the youth from our Ward were there. On Sunday we drove down with a family to Carthage to watch the Dedication and oh my! President Monson and Elder Holland both gave such amazing talks, as they usually do, but for some reason I could feel the spirit so much stronger, probably because they were in the Temple and a Temple being built there, where the early saints had such struggles, was a big deal. At the end they combined the dedication of the Kirtland and Salt Lake Temple by singing Hosanna Anthem and Spirit of God it was sweet. The first thing I want to do when I get home is go and just marvel at the Salt Lake Temple, I am so sad that I took our Temples for granted, I yearn to get back and do Temple work. The Salt Lake Temple is such a miracle, I wish to just touch the outside stone and walk around the beautiful, holy structure. It means so much more to me now. Go to the Temple as often as you can and do the work for those who cannot do the work for themselves, who are passed on, such a blessing to live in Utah surrounded by the Temples and by so many latter-day saints. Such a blessing! Other saints must sacrifice so much to enjoy the blessings of the Temple whereas, we are blessed to have them in such abundance! Also thank you to family who wrote me this past week! You have no idea how much letters mean to an Elder ha (they mean a lot! :) Anyways that is about all I have got for this week, more to come! I love and pray for you all! Have a great week and remember you are a child of a Heavenly Father who loves you so much! Let us show him how much we love him by obeying his commandments and following the example of the Savior."

Love,

Elder Blackburn