Elder Valentine and Daddy Valentine - May 1

Hey dad!

Way to go on the Joseph Smith activity! That's so awesome. I would have loved to be there. But I'm somewhere better! (just kidding but almost!) The picture of Kimber and Kevin is really powerful - I can just imagine how the Spirit was in real life. 

It's been a good week. We're working hard to find people really ready to recieve the Gospel. That's always the goal, but sometimes we forget to be focused on not just finding people to teach, but working in such a way that we will find people who will help build the kingdom of God on earth. 

You'll get to baptize a man back into the church - that will be an amazing experience. Take a picture! 

I wrote mom a big letter and didn't leave time for you... sorry! But I'll be able to write more next week, plus the week after I'll see you guys on skype! I read your letter very attently (is that a word?) so don't worry about it haha.

Talk to you later dad! Love ya! 

Love, Elder Valentine!

On Mon, May 1, 2017 at 5:03 AM, Stephen Valentine <ValentineSJ@familysearch.org> wrote:

Dear Elder Valentine,

Hey, Elder! I hope you’re doing great in your new area. It sounds like a beautiful place. I did the Google Earth on it and thought it looked amazing! I’m happy you get to spend some time there.

So we concluded our Joseph Smith activity yesterday. Did I tell you I was doing it again? You remember how awesome it was last time. I think that this time was even better. I made several adjustments to the program to really improve it. I was able to include a lot more people in the program, including some new ward members that weren’t here when we did it last time. Last time I held it for two nights, one for the youth and one for the ward. This time I held it over three nights, which was nice because a lot more people were able to come. We had two sets of full-time missionaries there and an investigator, plus lots of family members of ward members who are struggling with their testimonies or who had gone inactive, etc. We had a really great turnout all three nights.

As for the changes to the program:

I started the evening immediately with the new First Vision video that was recently released. It was a powerful way to start. I didn’t speak or have a prayer or anything just launched right into the video. After that video we had our opening song and prayer, then I talked about Joseph Smith and why we need to get a testimony of him, and talked about HOW we gain testimony and HOW we feel the Spirit, etc. Then it was the Joseph, Emma, and Lucy Smith narration same as before. I then showed an updated video—same as the one you were in when the kids receive the First Vision, only now updated with the new youth in the ward. Then we released the groups to go around the church.

I add two new rooms and this made a huge difference. I added a “tar and feather room” which depicted Joseph tarred and feathered and Emma cleaning him and the two of them being very tender and loving and emotional. The best part is that the actors in this room were Kimberly and Kevin! It was so awesome and the did an amazing job. Everyone who went through it said that this was their favorite room. Then there was the Liberty Jail in a new room and the Nauvoo room was new, and then we had a Carthage room with Jared Beckstrand singing inside the jail. We came into the chapel and had Jared sing the full song (same as last time). Then I added a new thing with Brigham Young and his family coming into the chapel and saying that the church did not end with Joseph Smith, because it is not his church, but the church of Jesus Christ, and the work moves on! I closed with a new video that Nate Picket made that had President Hinckley and Monson talking about the modern day church and how Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration. It was so powerful! I then closed with my testimony, and two of the three nights a member of the stake presidency talked. I also had a few testimonies at the end which were really powerful.

The Spirit was so incredibly strong each of the three nights. Oh, also, Ethan was the 14 year old Joseph in the First Vision room on Saturday night and he did a GREAT JOB! I had so many people tell me how much this event strengthened their testimony, not only of Joseph Smith, but more importantly Jesus Christ. I feel so honored to be part of this yet again. I know that many hearts were touched and lives changed, and it made me feel happy to do a bit of missionary work right there in Layton! 

So that pretty much dominated my life Wednesday-Saturday. Today was a very long but excellent day of church and meetings and ministering. I started at 7 with bishopric, then meetings and appointments until 1. In sacrament meeting I called several people up to bear testimony, and the whole meeting was powerful. Then I visited Barry and Debbie Brown, went to Ethan’s Court of Honor and then visited an older couple in our ward and gave them a blessing. I got home about 8:30! Sounds like just another day for you on the mission! And now it’s time for bed!

You’ll be interested to know that I FINALLY finished the trampoline!! On Saturday Blake and Ethan and Anna and Kevin and Spencer Knavel worked for about 5 hours the backyard and got it DONE! I now just need to finish leveling it and buy some sod. Aren’t you glad that will be done before you get home and you don’t have to help me do it???

I’ll send you some pictures of the Joseph Smith event. It’s been a spiritual feast for me lately! I’m so envious of you having these types of experiences every single day! 

Well, this is long and it is late so I’ll go now. Have a great week!

Love

Dad