Elder Baird's Something About Socks: WEEK 2 MTC: Nearer my God to Thee? But how...?

Well it's that time again! Better grab your balloons and invite your friends! (You're welcome Roman)

Hello again all of my tenacious recipients! It is I! Elder Baird! Bringing you another weekly email on the best day of course! P-DAY!

So this week has been kind of interesting. Each day kind of just happens and you get to the end of the day and realize that you just did a whole day, again, and now you get to sleep and then do the same thing tomorrow. It seems kind of desperate, but in all reality, I love it! The amount of good that you can do in one day is astounding. And the amount that we learn in one day is even more so. I don't always remember it in the morning, but I have faith that the spirit can bring it to my remembrance when the time comes and it is needed!

Through most of the week though I was feeling lost. I knew why I was here and I knew what I wanted to do, but I just felt lost. I didn't feel like I was progressing the amount that I wanted to be. I didn't know what was wrong and I just didn't know what to do. Friday is when things started to really hit me. Just a sense of something off. We were able to have a 1 on 1 with our teacher and talk about how things were going in the MTC and I was able to talk to her, and as I expressed my frustration about this I started to understand exactly what the issue was. Before then I really didn't know exactly what I was feeling. I was feeling the lack of guidance by the spirit.

That night I wrote down a list of things that I felt that I was missing in my journal (I will be selling copies of my journal when I get back for $50 a piece (it is worth it (maybe))). Then I prayed about it. I felt slightly comforted and realized that I was just needing more hope.

The next day we talked about hope in class and it was like BOOM! Slap to the Face! So I decided that is what I wanted, but still didn't feel completely there. I prayed to have hope and things got better. But, that day in personal study as I was reading though PMG (Preach My Gospel) I realized that I hadn't said a prayer to begin that study session. I quickly started to say one, and in that prayer I asked for direction. I wanted to more fully embrace the Christ like Attributes. And I had the thought that I don't want to give up somethings. Some of my goofiness and rowdiness.

Immediately the thought struck me "put all on the alter of sacrifice" The spirit was telling me that if I wanted to be Christ like, I had to get rid of non Christ like things. Like no duh, But that spirit was so strong in telling me that it was time for me to change. Time for me to do better, and be better. And so I am. I have no clue how long the change will take. But I am now willing to make it.

Now, this all leads up to Sunday.

Sunday is actually the best day in the world in the MTC. Not only do you not have class, but you also get to take the sacrament. Feel an increased amount of the Spirit. Get amazing devotionals. And oh yah, I played a musical number for the President of the MTC. So that was cool.

I was approached on Saturday asking if I would accompany and elder in our Zone the next day. I was a little shocked at first, but I whipped together and arrangement of "Nearer My God to Thee" with him in about 30 minutes and it was pretty good. We then preformed in Sacrament and it really brought the Spirit. He has an amazing voice. But I have had that song stuck in my head and it has made me ponder how to actually do that... still working on that...

That Sunday I really focused on feeling the Spirit through the whole day and it proved to be an amazing day. Some of the other elders are starting to lose focus on why they are here, and I just hope that won't happen to me.

I love the devotionals here, and I learn so much from them. This Sunday was especially special because not only did we get a devotional about how amazing PMG and the White Bible are (read PMG, it is amazing even if you're not a missionary), but we also got to watch the talk, "The Character of Christ" I recommend that everyone stop reading this email immediately, move all your plans and hour back, and google this and try to find this video now. It is literally the best thing I have sen in my life. Not only that, but you get to watch Elder Bednar talk as a Russian cookie monster. I'm not going to talk much about it other than this thought. How can we turn out more? How can we shirk the natural man, and turn out to others? I'm still not sure how to do this, but it is something that I think I will be working on for the rest of my life.

Anyways, I know that this was a long one, but I have a lot I want to share and time to do it. I appreciate all of your prayers and all the Love and Emails and regular mails that have been sent my way!

I love you all!

Elder Baird

百长老

This weeks "something about socks" moment:

Obedience is a sign of how much we love God. And believe that he exists. In the white handbook it says to shave every day. Those of you who know me and my hair growth patterns probably understand why that may be weird for me. But I still do it. Even though it is useless.

"Exact obedience brings miracles"

- President Neilson