The Close of One Journey, the Beginning of Another

Well, here we are, at my final entry. It has been a crazy two years, but I have felt incredibly blessed to be on this journey. I am grateful that the Lord chose me to be His representative here in Colorado Springs. I wouldn't give up my mission for anything in the world.

This past week was a great week, and I've got one more great week after it. I feel so blessed to be a part of such an incredible work.

I don't have enough time to share all my mission experiences. That would take two years to tell you. But let me tell you a few things I've learned from my mission, in brief. Jesus Christ stands at the head of this great work. He guides every single part of it. The Holy Ghost is the way by which the Work of Salvation comes to pass in the lives of each of God's children. We have been blessed to be on the Earth at such an incredible and exciting time. Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of Mankind, and the Eternal Judge of both Quick and Dead. He loves each of us with an infinite love. It is isn't earned or purchased. It just is. God loves us because we are His children. We don't have to fight to earn His love. He loves us right now, no matter who we are or what we've done. We love Him because we were first loved. The Book of Mormon is true. It IS the word of God. I know that, independent of any other person.

Let me share two scriptures found in the Book of Mormon, as my final spiritual thought with all of you on my mission. This first scripture has been criticized by enemies of the Church many times, yet it is in my opinion one of the most important scriptures of the Book of Mormon. It is Mosiah 18: 30: "And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever."

That says Mormon quite a bit. I highly doubt the prophet Mormon was just egocentric. I don't think he wanted to just place "Mormon" in there as many times as possible in the Book of Mormon. But why was Mormon called Mormon? In 3 Nephi 5:12, we read, "And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression."

Now whether the Book of Mormon is called directly after the Waters of Mormon, or whether is is called so after it's author, ultimately, it leads to this sacred place where people "came to the knowledge of their Redeemer."

The Book of Mormon is where we we "[come] to the knowledge of [our] Redeemer". This IS Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It is how I have come to a knowledge of my Redeemer. I know that if you study its pages and abide by its precepts, then you will too. I declare that most boldly in the sacred and holy name of the One of whom it testifies, even Jesus Christ, amen.

Until we meet again, never doubt your God. He will always be there.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

My homecoming talk will be at 9 AM on August 28th at the Rolling Hills Ward Sacrament Meeting at 2110 N Main Street, Centerville UT 84014.

I got to do service erasing a social trail at a park and restoring the landscape.

Never Forget Your Mission, Never Forget God's Love

So, we dropped off Elder A at the airport Thursday morning. I had dropped off Elder M about a month ago, but we didn't go inside with him (don't worry, he was an experienced flyer). This time we went all the way to the security checkpoint. The last time I did that was over 18 months ago when we dropped off Elder L off. That was different than now. I met him the day before, and I was only 4 months out. This time I knew the missionary, and I knew I'd be the next missionary going through that airport. Don't worry, I'm not trunky, it was just a fact I noticed, and it made that experience much different than the first. We keep on working hard, and we don't stop until they release us. For those of you who don't know, we sometimes call being released dying. We have a whole mission life lingo. But remember, missionaries never die; They just regroup at home.

The night before we dropped Elder A off, we got to go to Tucanos with President Rehm. I don't think I've ever eaten so much meat in my life. I gained personal insight into the Word of Wisdom that night when it tells us to eat meat sparingly.

We also had zone conference this week. My last one was supposed to have been two transfers ago, but because of rescheduling because of a mission tour coming up, they changed zone conference. That was actually a nice little treat for me. I really like zone conferences, so it was nice to have another one before I went home.

We taught C this week. He is the non-member husband of a member. They came to church a few times before that, and we started teaching them this week. Most of the questions were first about Church organization. The next time we met with them this week, we taught the Restoration, which I'm told they loved (I was on exchanges).

I realized today that this will be the second to last time I will be sending out emails as a missionary. I want to let you all know that my mission has changed me. If you have doubts about serving a mission, don't. It will be one of the most richly rewarding experiences of your life. I thank my God for the blessing of a mission. It's funny, we usually start off on our missions saying, "Now I'll finally repay God, or at least show my gratitude by giving something back." But the whole time, we aren't repaying Him, or even really giving Him anything, He's just showering more blessings upon us the whole time. We start out thinking the mission is our gift to Him, and we find out at the end that it was His gift to us all along. This is a true principle for any act of service, any calling we serve in, any assignment we accept from the Lord. I can't express my gratitude for Him and his infinite generosity. As President Uchtdorft said in the 2015 Christmas Devotional, "This is the One whom we worship. This is the Generous One." Of Him I testify, in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, see the beauty all around you.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Missionaries never die. They just regroup at home.

Featuring... MY OLD AREA!

The Three Amigos in Paradise

This is my first trio that I've served in (not including the week that we dropped another missionary off at the mission office for most of the day). We've had a lot of fun. Elder A will be finishing his mission on Thursday, and when he saw how awesome this area is, he kept saying he wished it wasn't his last area that he'd only be in for a week. I love this area so much.

L was baptized this week! His dad baptized and confirmed him. The Spirit was very strong there! Our ward mission leader unfortunately wasn't able to make it to the baptism, and the member of the bishopric who was supposed to conduct was running late, so I ended up conducting the baptismal service.

G was at the baptism with his daughters! Then he came to church the next day! That's three times in a row now! We met with him this week, and we committed him to get back to the temple. He is going to meet with the bishop to discuss what it will take for him to get back to the temple. There isn't really anything now that would be holding him back, that we know of. He has no problem with tithing, and he keeps the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity.

Then we met with G and her family. They are a new investigator family that we started meeting with last week. She explained her journey, and it was almost identical to Joseph Smith's! We asked her what she believes about the Book of Mormon, and she believes it is the Word of God, and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet. She wasn't quite ready to accept a baptismal date, but she knows what she needs to do, and I have no doubt she soon will.

I was asked to teach the Gospel Principles class this week, and at the end we opened it up for questions. A new person there asked the question, "Is God's love unconditional, or do we need to do certain things to earn His love?" This is a question that a lot of people have in this world. I want to testify to all of you that God loves us no matter what. There is nothing we can do to have Him stop loving us. Jesus Christ loves us unconditionally. He suffered for every sin we'd ever make, regardless of whether or not we would repent. THAT is love. God loves us because we are His children. Nothing can change that, and nothing can change His love. And that is one of the many reasons why I have faith in Him. As it says in 1 John 4:19, "We love him, because he first loved us." I testify that God is love, that He will never leave us. I know He is real. I know Jesus Christ lives, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next time, make your momma proud!

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

L's Baptism!

2 for 1, Still More Miracles

So Elder P is getting transferred out. Don't worry. I'll see him around. He's my zone leader. This zone and Springs Zone just got combined into one zone, mostly to free up more people to train. The mission almost doesn't have enough missionaries to train the new ones coming in in the next few transfers. In fact, there's a possibility that some might be double-training.

I am in a trio, so I traded one companion for two. One is part of my MTC group, but he will be flying home in about a week or so from now, Elder A. The other is Elder N. He has been out for 4 1/2 months now. I'm going to see if I can trick him into thinking I've still got 4 1/2 months left, and then one day I'll just tell him I've decided to go home early. I'm going to see if I can get the mission president in on the prank.

There are going to be some ward boundary changes in the stake on Sunday, and I suspect our ward is part of it. However, I believe we'll just be taking more land.

We met with G again this week. He shared some experiences from his mission, and he started crying. He felt God's love pretty strongly. He knows what he needs to start doing. The Lord is working on him in some pretty powerful ways. He came to church again, and he sat with a member he had connected with pretty well last week.

Then we went to a less-active couples home who we've been visiting with for a while. K, the husband, has been pretty uninterested in changing for a while, and we weren't sure what else to do with them. Last week we decided to just have a lesson about the Atonement, and he teared up. This week, during our lesson, he stopped us, then went off on an experience he had that week with prayer. Then, out of nowhere, he blurted out, "I'm coming to church this week. I'll walk if I have to." Elder P and I were speechless. And lo and behold, there he was at all three hours of church! He hasn't been to church in ages! God truly is a god of miracles.

We had a coordination meeting with our ward mission leader right before church, and he brought up D, a recent convert of about 4 months who hadn't been to church in a while. We said we've called and texted him, but he hasn't responded. Not kidding, less than two seconds later, the phone beeps, and it's Damien! He texted and said he is walking to church right now, but would love a ride. We quickly end coordination meeting with a prayer of thanksgiving and quickly organize a ride for him. He is such an awesome guy. He is currently without home. The comments he made in Gospel Principles class make him seem like he's been a member his whole life. He was quoting scriptures and making profound statements. He wants to get back on track with church again.

There are many more miracles that happened this week, that I don't have time to bring them all up, but things have been going great here. We have a baptism this Saturday, and we'll probably have one two weeks after that! On top of that, there are a lot of people that are getting a lot closer to full activity and going to the temple. Good thing my home is so close to this mission. I can come back and go to the temple with them!

Something I've learned a lot on my mission is that this is truly the Lord's work. We put in all our work, and yet without the Lord, it's never enough. It doesn't matter how good we are at finding or teaching, without the Lord, it'll always come up short. All these miracles I just told you, did they come because of my own ability and talents? Did they come because I've been doing this for 23 months? No, it was the Lord and His miracles. I couldn't get people to be converted if I wanted to. I can't convert people. Conversion is between them and the Lord. And ultimately, that's all missionary work boils down to, inviting others to come unto Christ, just inviting. We are merely instruments in His hands. It is the Spirit who speaks truth and brings people to a knowledge of it. It is the Savior who saves them from their sins and the burdens of life. It is the Father who answers their prayers and orchestrates the beauty that is their life. And who am I. A child of the Father, sent by Him to proclaim the everlasting Gospel and help others on their own personal journey. I testify of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. I know They are real. I know They love us. And I know this is true. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, be all that you can be.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Just Get Them to Church...

Just before I came to emails, I got to do a little fishing, and as a result, me and my companion both caught little fishies. We are eating good this week!

E has been a little stressed about coming to Sacrament Meeting, so we decided to do a building tour. She and her son were picked up by a member of the ward, and E had a wonderful time. She kept commenting on the paintings of Jesus. The member who brought her offered to give her a ride to church every week, and she is also a Family History Consultant, which is awesome, because E is interested in doing family history work.

Then G showed up to church randomly. He had told us he isn't ready to make that step yet, but there he was. Elder P and I had been asked to speak, so we jumped off the pulpit right before church started and talked to him. He just wanted to stay in the foyer, but he ended up coming to all 3 hours of church! He absolutely loved Gospel Principles, and he and our ward mission leader had a blast talking to each other. He didn't want to come to Priesthood, but we convinced him, and he had an awesome time there as well! Our ward had a linger-longer afterwards (which I thought was weird for a regular family ward, but we are pretty transient, so I guess it makes sense), and he talked to a recently moved-in member for most of the time. Everything just clicked together so perfectly for him at church! I am so glad he decided to come! He has also been immersing himself in the scriptures since we invited him to start reading them again. I am so happy for him! He is addicted to the scriptures now!

We live in an incredible time of the world, where technology and science are improving rapidly. This is part of the dispensation of the fullness of times. The Lord is inspiring people to create inventions that are revolutionizing our world and making it easier to share the Gospel. We should, however, be careful that we do not waste time on things that have no eternal significance as part of this great revolution. Now not to say that anything besides the Book of Mormon, Gospel Library, and LDS Tools apps should be shunned and treated as a work of the devil, but we should always be seeking to improve. Some technologies and apps give us the opportunity to connect with others around us and possibly share the Gospel. Others give us the opportunity to make exercise fun. But when we spend too much time catching Pokemon and not enough time connecting with the people around us that are doing the same, such technologies become a detriment instead of a help, Instead of improvement, misuse or overuse of certain technologies can lead to atrophy.

I love technology. As a missionary, though, with such a limit to it, I've learned that it has a lot more use in the Lord's work than I ever thought possible before. I am grateful that the Lord of the Vineyard has brought forth such things for us to progress and grow, and I know that He is the Lord of the Harvest, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Until next week, gotta catch 'em all! (Or as one member adapted it, "Gotta dunk 'em all!")

--

The Lord's Soldier,

          Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

St. Mary's Fall

I caught a fishy!

Baptismo!

Well, I had my first convert baptism this week! T is an absolutely golden member. He is going to be incredible! His baptism was fantastic! There were a lot of non-members there, as well as the mission president and his wife. The Spirit was really strong there!

We got to participate in a Fourth of July Parade yesterday with the rest of the missionaries in Colorado Springs. I had a blast being so patriotic.

I don't have too much time today, so I will list a few miracles that happened this week:

First, T's baptism.

Second, a street evangelist, JJ, who I met before, came to the baptism, AND to all three hours of church!

Third, after Sacrament Meeting, a lady approached us and said she wants to start being active in the church, and she has a 10-year-old who wants to be baptized!

I am studying my patriarchal blessing this week as part of My Plan, a program for missionaries to transition to post-mission life. I have learned so much this week by TRULY studying my patriarchal blessing. I've learned more about my purpose and what God wants from me. I invite you to earnestly study your patriarchal blessing. I know you can find more direction from it, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, remember who you are and what you stand for.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

T, the man, the myth, the legend.

Our mission president, looking pretty epic with his awesome hat.

America!!!!!

Marching in the parade!!

"...Not Be Room Enough to Receive It."

Well, I am now 21, so that means less than people who are not LDS (but at the same time more, because I've got more reason to say no). I do, however, now have the right to a landscape-style driver's license, be the adult supervising my sister who just got her driver's license, and get a concealed carry permit.  I was so busy on my birthday I didn't even have a spare moment to open my package from home until around 4 PM. THAT is a good birthday in the mission.

So you know how the Lord says when you pay your tithing, He opens the windows of heaven and pours you out more blessings than you have room to receive? And you know how people say that a mission is like tithing on your life? Well let me tell you, that ain't a false statement, and the Lord don't lie. I have felt so blessed this past week. Honestly, I don't know what to do with all these blessings. I feel like it's just one miracle after another.

So at church last week, a less-active member, N, decided to attend, and an awesome member came with her to the Gospel Principles class. She said she has an 8-year-old, M, that she wants to be baptized. That's awesome! She has already started coming back to activity, and the bishop feels that her child is ready for baptism!

The Assistants are in the area just adjacent to ours. We are actually in the same apartment complex. They were talking to people in a park in their area, and they came across G, a less-active member who lives in our ward boundaries! We set up an appointment with him, which ended up getting rescheduled to the day we had exchanges scheduled with the Assistants, so it worked out perfectly transition-wise. He understands pretty much all of the doctrines (he served a full-time mission), but he hasn't read the scriptures in a while, so his scriptural knowledge is lacking a bit. We are going to be meeting with him again this week!

We met with E again (our media self-referral), and we had a great lesson about the Restoration of the Gospel. He told us that it has answered some questions he's had for a while. He came to church, and before it started, we had a lesson with him and our awesome ward mission leader (who just got off his mission a few months ago). He told us that he felt that there was something more than just this life, that there was something before, and we happened to have planned to teach him about the pre-mortal existence that day! Totally incredible! He stayed for all 3 hours of church, and loved it!

We and over half of our zone had an awesome service opportunity this week. The town of Security has a contaminated water supply, and so Care & Share (a non-profit organization) put together a project to hand out water bottle to the residents. They got in contact with our JustServe missionaries, and we committed to 6 volunteers. That morning, we got a text from the missionaries going there, saying they needed 4 more volunteers ASAP. We quickly mobilized our district of 6, and we helped out. It was in a Catholic Church parking lot (#Inter-FaithForTheWin), and most of the volunteers (not including Care&Share employees) were us Mormon Missionaries. There ended up being news reporters there, so we are famous now. I was directing traffic, so I wasn't in any of the shots, but my companion got some air-time. We are going to be doing the same thing this week, but we might have almost all of our zone this time (because they need more volunteers than last time).

Mormon Channel just put out a wonderful new Mormon Message about living with mental illness, particularly MDD (Major Depressive Disorder, or "Depression"). It can be a very serious thing, that can affect a major part of who you are. But I testify that the grace of Jesus Christ is sufficient. It is an Infinite Atonement. Christ knows EXACTLY what you are going through, and EXACTLY how to help you. You don't have to live in the darkness. MDD is a very real and serious thing, but there is help. It is possible to feel joy again, to feel hope again, to feel peace again, to feel the Spirit again. God loves each and every one of His children, and has prepared a way for each of them to achieve ultimate happiness. We can be healed. That is the promise of the Resurrection. All physical and mental illnesses WILL be healed because of Jesus Christ. I know that He stands supreme, and He has conquered the grave, and I so testify in His Holy Name, amen. 

Until next week, today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one who can be more youer than you. (Dr. Seuss)

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Wendy's set it up too perfectly to for us to not put an Angel Moroni on that.

Handing out them waters of life, Mormon-style.

Satan's Got a Prison Riot on his Hands!!!

We spent every evening this week until Friday with a third missionary. We dropped him off at the airport at 5 AM on Friday. Luckily the airport is just 5-10 minutes away from our apartment.

So last week I didn't have a good chance to explain my new area. Let me tell you about a few people here:

I already mentioned T, our golden investigator, and S, who we saw at church this week! We did find out that T drinks a cup of coffee every day, but when we told him that he can't be baptized if he's drinking coffee, he quit immediately. Apparently he didn't realize that was part of the Word of Wisdom.

Then there's E. She is an investigator who is looking for a church that holds all the correct doctrines and practices what it teaches. She currently is not convinced that this is the right one, but she is very open to finding out for sure, which is all we ask, anyway.

Secondly, we've got K, a recent convert. He is pretty awesome, and we are working on helping him receive the Aaronic Priesthood right now. He will be moving pretty soon, though.

Let me tell you about D, a less-active member of our ward. He has always had a testimony of the Church, though he hasn't always followed the commandments. We wants more than anything to be sealed to his wife, who he introduced to the Gospel (she was baptized almost 2 years ago). The biggest obstacle he needs to overcome is smoking. We missionaries have a Stop Smoking Program that will make you a non-smoker in only 7 days, guaranteed, provided you follow all 15 steps every day for seven days to the tee. Sounds crazy? Well it works. We told him about this, and he told us he'd think about it. He called us a few days later and said he wants to do the program. We set up an appointment for Wednesday. He asked us at church to drop by that night. Right after the opening prayer at his house, he walked out of the room, then came back with his pack of cigarettes and his lighters, and handed them to us. We then gave him a priesthood blessing of healing and strength. This morning we went shopping with him for the materials the program needs, then we presented the program to him right after. He said that after the priesthood blessing, the NEED has started to go away, and any cigarettes he's had since then have been out of habit. We pulled out the pack he gave us, and put it in his hand. Then we asked him to crush the pack. This he did without hesitation. He is fully committed to this program. In about 8 days, he will be an official non-smoker. Take that, SATAN!! Looks like somebody just lost another prisoner. You know how we do, busting people out of the jail of sin like it's a hobby. Elder P and I feel like we are on top of the world right now! We are going to start freeing people from smoking left and right! Nothing can stop us now! We are on a roll!

Let me tell you something about yourself that you may not understand or fully comprehend yet. It is a truth written across the universe, and it is one of my favorite doctrines. You are a child of God. Now we've heard that many times before, but let me elaborate. YOU are child of an Eternal God. That means you will one day be one yourself, if you allow it. You have dormant within you the spark of divinity. Who decides if it is ignited? YOU! In 8 days, our less-active member will have put Satan in his place. Dwayne will show that he is an eternal being, not just in the sense that he is immortal, but that he is eternal, as in eternal life. NOTHING can stop us, nothing, but ourselves. I cannot stress this enough. You are stronger than whatever is out there. Satan would have us believe that we are powerless, but let me remind you that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Brothers and sisters, it's time to take the chains off and let He who holds the keys of death and hell to unlock our cage. Funny thing is He (Jesus Christ) already has... All we have to do is stop believing Satan's lies and walk out of prison. Jesus Christ is there to pull us out. I know that through the power of Christ, we can overcome all. He is the Great Savior and Redeemer of the World, the Author of our salvation. And I say that in His Holy Name, the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, unlock the divinity within.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

The cigarettes and lighters D gave us.

Elder P and I holding the chains of iniquity.

The crushed addiction in a bag (sorry I don't have a better picture. I just took this in the library, so I thought it might not be best to have cigarettes out in full view, being the Lords' anointed and whatnot). I mean crushed literally.

The new companion!

Fountain of Blessings

I have had an incredible first week here in Fountain. I am in the 18th Ward, and we've seen a lot of blessing coming. I wish I could spend some more time on this e-mail, but our time is limited today.

First, let me talk about S (one of the S's we are working with). She is a less-active member who called the bishop recently and asked to meet with the missionaries. Elder P and I prayed about a date for her to be ready to go to the temple, and we decided on July 23rd. We told her our desire, and she said it took her breath away. She has been thinking about that date for a while, and she had no clue why, until now. She accepted the commitment to be worthy to hold a temple recommend and go to the temple by that date!

Then we have T, our golden investigator. We have no more commitments to leave him, except maybe to read Jesus the Christ. The only reason he has not been baptized yet is because he is on parole, but will soon be getting off. He is already an active member, he just hasn't been baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost yet.

We've barely had a spare moment this entire week, and it feels absolutely incredible.

Right now we are in a trio with another missionary who will be going home this week on Friday, but he is working at the mission office for most of the day until it closes, and then going to our evening appointments with us. We'll be dropping him off at the airport at 5 AM on Friday, so that should be fun.

Sometimes you wonder why the Lord puts you in a specific situation. You might think that you were growing in such incredible ways, and contributing so much, and now you are being plucked out of that situation and placed in another. I testify that our Heavenly Father has a PERFECT plan for each of us, and He knows EXACTLY what we need. When we learn to accept that and say, as Nephi in 1 Nephi 11:17, " I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.", then we are one step closer to realizing our divine potential, and becoming truly consecrated disciples of Jesus Christ. I know that God is in control, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, remember: All the water in the world, no matter how it tries, can never sink the smallest ship unless it gets inside. And all the evil in the world, even the darkest kind of sin, can never hurt or harm you, unless you let it in. (I'm writing this in the middle of a torrential downpour outside.)

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Come to the Fountain

Well, it looks like I'm getting transferred again. I am leaving Castle Rock and heading to Fountain tomorrow. I will be in the Colorado Springs 18th Ward. My new address will be 4270 Sanders View, Apt. #303, Colorado Springs, CO 80916.

Unfortunately all of our current investigators were out of town this week, so we didn't get to see them, though we kept in contact through text. We had two meetings this week, and I felt spiritually uplifted after them.

Also, we got to go to the temple this week and do baptisms for the dead! It is always incredible to feel the power of the temple as you step through those hallowed doors. I felt the Spirit very strongly there.

Sorry there isn't that much this week to report on. Don't worry, I'll have plenty to report next week in my new area.

Brothers and Sisters, today is the anniversary of D-Day. It is a part of human history that will never be forgotten. Many, many lives were lost that day. President Dwight D. Eisenhower said that "we will accept nothing less than full victory", when speaking of the operation. The battle was hard, and long, and gruesome, but still the Allied Forces accomplished their goal, though the death toll was much higher than anyone expected. The complications and obstacles that were placed in front of them made the task seem almost insurmountable. Nevertheless, they knew what they were fighting for, and they didn't stop until they had won. We wage a similar war against Satan everyday. He wishes for us to be dragged down to the gulf of endless misery and woe like him. In this day, we cannot afford to be fence-sitters. We cannot give up. We cannot surrender. We have a reason for fighting. We must defend our homes and our very souls. There is too much at stake to give up. I promise that if you persevere and hold fast to the truths you know, an eternal reward awaits you in the world to come. Not only that, you can start reaping the rewards right now. Just don't give up. I know all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us, and I say these things in His name, amen.

Until next week, stick to your task 'til it sticks to you.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

The Denver Temple

The Plum Creek Ward Priests Quorum

Here is a picture of my zone, which is now the size of a large district. :)

Goodbye, Parker South...

It has been a crazy week. It has also been a busy week. All of this will be explained shortly.

First off, we had three separate exchanges this week, so I haven't seen too much of my companion this week. It's been a lot of fun with the other missionaries, but it's good to be back in the flow with the person I am usually with 24/7. We were able to teach N on exchanges, and we learned a lot about what his REAL concerns are.

Second off, we had a zone conference this week. It was an uplifting and enlightening experience. I really felt the Spirit. One thing I learned is how much of the Lord's investigators we really are. He sets goals with us, He shows His vision for us, and He follows up frequently.

Every zone conference, all of the missionaries who will be gone before the next zone conference get to bear their testimonies. Because I will be going home slightly before the transfer date to get back before college starts, I will be missing the next zone conference by a day. None of the other missionaries that bore their testimonies remembered or knew that, so they were looking at each other, prodding each other to bear their testimonies next. Then I got up last after them all and surprised them. It is strange, because I've seen that my whole mission, and I never thought I'd get to that point.

Now, for the craziest thing. After zone conference, President Rehm asked all the missionaries in Parker South Stake to attend a meeting that Saturday. I am in Castle Rock, but Parker South takes up the other half of the zone. The night before that meeting, Elder LaRose and I got confirmation of what we had heard rumors of that week: Parker South Stake is getting absorbed into the Denver North Mission. All the missionaries there were told at the meeting that they would all be getting emergency transferred out of Parker South and dispersed into trios throughout the mission until the next transfer day, next week. It has been a crazy few days after that. We had the chance to talk to all of them on Monday and say goodbye as they are dispersed, almost all of them which I will probably never see again on the mission. Our zone is now cut in half, making it a rather small zone.

I now want to talk about watches. Look at your watch, if you are wearing one, then look at the watch of somebody nearby, or at least remember a watch you have seen. They all look different, but they all serve the same purpose, keeping time. However, many of the watches will tell a slightly different time than the other. Why? Obviously, because many of them are manually set. When Jesus Christ came in the Meridian of Time, He gave us the correct "time", so to speak, the correct doctrine. We knew it was correct, because it came from the Author of the Universe, Heavenly Father, Who has a perfect knowledge of all things. We can trust certain watches because they automatically sync with a satellite. Some people ask questions to the wrong person, and so they get the wrong answer. We need to ask the right Person. I testify that God knows everything, and will give us the correct answer, and I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, stay strong.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Baptisms Are Good for Investigators

This is a shorter email because we helped a member move today this morning, so we don't have as much time.

We moved out of our member home and into a new one this week, so my new address is 4358 Sawmill Ct, Castle Rock, CO 80109.

We had a lesson with N this week. We had a recently returned missionary there with us at the lesson, and we helped N understand how the Book of Mormon can answer questions of the soul. He came to a convert baptism that Saturday. This is the second  baptismal service he's been to now, so statistically he should be getting baptized this week. He is an awesome guy, and we love meeting with him. He has said several times that he feels the Spirit at our meetings, and likes the way we do things.

Sometime you might feel like there are some things that you've done, some sins you've committed, that they leave a permanent scar on your soul. You think that even after you've repented, that scar will still be there. I testify that there is no soul too lost, no wound too deep, that cannot be healed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. There are two parts of the Atonement: first, the Resurrection, in which all will be resurrected, receiving perfected bodies without physical blemish or scarring. The second is the triumph over physical death. Our spirits can be completely healed, the "scars" of our past can be wiped away, and we can be new creatures in Christ. If we allow Christ to heal us, we don't have to walk around broken inside. I know that he is the Redeemer and Savior of the World. I know that His Atonement is real, and that it is the most incredible gift ever, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, fear not, little flock.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

 "So it is with life, and seeing by the lens of faith. If we are to see things more clearly, we too must lift ourselves above the secular smog." - Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Mormon Power!!

We have been volunteering at a thrift store in the area we are in as part of JustServe. For those of you who don't know what JustServe is, it is a program the Church has come out with and is slowly rolling out across the USA. It has a website that different service opportunities posted on it to give people an opportunity and the knowledge to reach out in their community. Well, all the volunteers at this thrift store were invited to a luncheon at a community church. There were a total of 8 missionaries amongst the many, many volunteers. I had the opportunity to talk to the pastor and thank him for hosting the luncheon and for the prayer he offered. As the missionaries were getting up to leave (we all had appointments, so we had to leave a few minutes early), while they were handing out prizes, they directed everybody's attention to us, then they thanked us for the service that we give. They call us their "Mormon Power". Have a group of Mormon missionaries recognized at another church for their contributions, check.

On the topic of service, we finally finished assembling a play set for a less-active part-member family. It looks incredible, but that is of course because it was done by missionaries. The family is going to start taking the lessons soon (they just had schedule conflicts during most of the school year).

Elder LR and I met with D, a less-active member. He grew up in Utah, but went into the Army and fell away from the Church. He decided that he needs to give the Church another shot. We invited him to church, and he came! We sat with him near the back, but the great thing about this ward is that they seem to be very mindful of those sitting in the back. Several members came up after Sacrament Meeting and introduced themselves. There was also a family with a deaf mother and daughter that is planning on moving into the ward soon, and they came for the first time today. Several of our youth know sign language, and immediately started talking with them. They had an interpreter, so several other members had a chance to talk to them as well! That is the kind of ward missionaries absolutely love!

For those of you who have received your patriarchal blessing, your lineage in a tribe of Israel has been revealed to you. many of us skim over that part and move onto the "good stuff". The reason it's called a patriarchal blessing is that it involves the blessings given to the Patriarchs, as in Adam, and Abraham, etc.  Your lineage is a very powerful thing. You have been given a high and holy task from the Lord, and that is found within your lineage. For us Ephraimites, we sometimes think, "My whole neighborhood is probably of Ephraim, I'm not special." Those of the lineage of Ephraim are foreordained to be the leaders of this Church and this generation. That is extremely powerful. I'm not a patriarch, and I don't know all the blessings and responsibilities that each tribe holds, but remember the stewardship God has given to you. Do all you can to honor your tribe, and to honor your Father in Heaven. As you seek to follow his will, you will be blessed beyond measure, and you will find peace as you fulfill your purpose in life. I know that this is the true Church, and that Israel is being gathered for the final time in preparation for the Second Coming of Messiah. I know He lives, and I leave that with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, do not dishonor your involvement.

--

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Our awesome accomplishment of a play set. By the way, we did that all in white shirts and ties. MORMON POWER!!!!

BAPTISM!!!!! AND THE FAMILY!!!!!

WE HAD A BAPTISM THIS WEEK!!!!! Now let me explain. We have been working with somebody who removed her records from the Church. We had the opportunity to re-baptize her this week! Elder LR baptized her and I confirmed her! The Spirit was very strong at the baptismal program. An investigator from the Spanish Group in the area was touring the church, and he was having a lot of spiritual experiences. Then Elder LR walked out of the bathroom in white clothes, and the Group Leader who was with them asked if they could sit in on the baptism. The Spirit of the Lord was very powerful as the ordinances of baptism and confirmation were administered. I gave a talk in between the baptism and confirmation about the restoration of the priesthood and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Later that night, the Spanish elders gave me a call and thanked me for my talk. They said that my talk really touched his heart, and that he now has a spiritual witness that Peter, James, and John really did restore the Melchizedek Priesthood through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

We also got to witness the baptism of somebody else in our zone! I am so excited for all the success that this zone is starting to have!

And last but definitely not least, I GOT TO TALK TO MY FAMILY!!! It was so wonderful to see their faces and to just talk with them. It gives me a greater resolve to be the best missionary that I can be for the rest of my mission. I want to live worthy of my family name, and of the name of Jesus Christ.

Something that our mission president told us recently was these three questions: "Do missionaries know who they are?", "Do they know what's expected of them?", and "Are they willing to do it?"

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "You are no ordinary beings.... you are glorious and eternal. No matter your circumstances and trials in life, I urge you to remember who you are, where you came from, and where you are going, for the answers to those questions will truly provide confidence and direction for your life."

Please, remember who you are. You are a son or daughter of the King of Heaven. You have a divine purpose and destiny. You are "glorious sons and daughters of Almighty God." Please, don't forget that. Hold on to that. I love you all, and I leave my testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Us and K the next day after her baptism.

Knocking Them Doors

So we decided to hit the streets this week and do some tracting. We knocked on some potential investigators' doors. Nobody let us in, but that's alright, we just keeping going. My companion had a speaker and mp3 and we listened to an epic instrumental version of Praise to the Man as we walked down the street. We felt pretty awesome.

We had a lesson with a less-active family in our ward. We talked about how to build our faith, and we really touched the husband's heart. He really started thinking about what he could do to increase his own faith.

C is one of our investigators who I met this week. He dropped off the map for a while, but he wants to start meeting with us again. He asked our bishop to marry him to his member fiancee. We are meeting with him this Wednesday.

The daughter of a member of our mission presidency gave her homecoming talk this week. It was a little unorthodox, because it took up a large part of testimony meeting, but it had already been delayed two weeks. There were a lot of less-active members and non-members there that we got to meet. It was fantastic!

The greatest blessing I have in the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is knowing that I can be with my family forever. I have felt such joy on my mission helping families unite together, and I am grateful for the sealing ordinances of the Gospel that unite me with my loved ones forever. We each are given gifts of the Spirit, and as we work together to utilize those gifts, we become one of the most powerful forces in the world. Families truly CAN be together forever, through Heavenly Father's Plan. The Lord has shown me how I can, and I want to share that with everyone I meet. The great thing about eternal families is that eternity can start today. As we keep our eternal covenants, our families can withstand all that life throws at us. I know that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ, and that the Priesthood has been restored, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, be the best "you" you can be.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

Weston, an 8-year-old we have been teaching who just got baptisado!

Press Forward

We are heading into a new transfer. My companion and I are both staying here in Plum Creek.

So we were able to get our mission president's permission to attend youth conference with the youth in our area, so we could get the missionaries closer to the youth and inspire them to be better missionaries. The theme was Press Forward, the 2016 youth theme. It was awesome! We helped out with a Tree of Life activity. It was in a barn house, with very little light and smoke machines to simulate the mists of darkness. In all, the youth conference was incredible! The youth came away more unified and determined.

We had the opportunity to teach R this week about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She has not shown too much interest in our past visits, but we had our Primary President come with us this time, and she really loved everything we had to say. She has 4 small children, and the lesson really helped her understand what she can do to help her children grow up knowing Jesus Christ.

During the Tree of Life Activity, Elder LR and I decided to be part of the group of people trying to pull the youth away from the "Iron Rod". Several times when several people were surrounding the youth, the youth would say, "Well, I trust the missionaries, so I'll go with them."

Now, by all means, trust the missionaries. The point I am trying to make is that there were clear sign of whether or not you were on the right path. All of us who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have the knowledge of how to return to Heavenly Father. If we want to make it to the Tree of Life, our testimonies must be our own. The Church is perfect, but it is run by imperfect people. Our church leaders have been called by revelation and prophecy, but that doesn't mean they are perfect. Our testimony can't be in the missionaries, or in the bishop, or in anyone except our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. Christ will lead us to the truth. He IS the Truth. If you put your trust in Him, you will never fail. I know that He is always there, and will guide us to the Father, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week, press forward with a steadfastness in Christ.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

My district in Castle Rock.

Service project at Youth Conference.

April Snow Brings....?

Well, we got 20 inches of snow this weekend. I guess it serves me right for serving in Colorado. All the missionaries in our zone had to be parked. So, we broke out the old snow shovels and started street-service-contacting. We met one non-member lady who graduated from college in Utah, as well as many other people.

All regular church services were cancelled in our stake, but that doesn't mean the 7 AM meetings we have to go to! We spent a lot of time on Sunday going to several members' homes and sharing brief lessons with them about the importance of the Sacrament, in place of the spiritual nourishment they would have received at the church meetings. We got a lot of thank yous for giving them that spiritual uplifting.

We had the INCREDIBLE opportunity to go the temple this week with a recently reactivated member, and go through an endowment session with her. It is always incredible to feel the power of the temple and help somebody on the other side of the veil receive the ordinances of exaltation. It is so incredible to see this great sister so engaged and excited in the Gospel again. She is on fire. She wants to do everything to serve the Lord.

The is an 18-month period of Church History that members of the Church in Ghana call "The Freeze". During that time, all church meetings for the Church were banned. The First Presidency authorized having Sacrament Meeting in individual homes. It was a period of great difficulty for members of the Church there. Here in the USA, we are lucky to at this time have the blessing of being able to attend church meetings without fear of the government throwing us in jail. We are incredibly lucky. The Sacrament is a sacred ordinance. During this month, I have only been able to take the Sacrament once, which was blessed by a newly ordained priest and his father. Do we understand how privileged we are to have that sacred and holy ordinance of God in our lives? It is my prayer that we may treasure the Sacrament for the priceless gift it truly is, and I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.\

Until next week, let your minds be focused on the Savior.

-- 

The Lord's Soldier,

                      Elder Jacob C. Tibbitts

The Denver Temple

Break out that snow shovel!