WEEK 32 - Testimony to Conversion

Hello Everyone!


I hope everyone had another great week! This week was one of the craziest weeks! Unfortunately Elder Wood had to be emergency transferred due to other missionaries struggling. Although we were excited to spend another transfer together.. God had other plans for us and the area. My new companion is Elder Vilchez! He is from Peru, but his family moved to Utah 8 years ago. The work is definitely picking up here and our investigator pool is getting bigger, which is always exciting!

My thoughts this week center around what it means to turn testimony into conversion.

As I have been reading the scriptures, and pondering I have come across these quotes from our twelve apostles that have really helped me understand the relationship between prayer, and scripture study and how it can help testimony turn into conversion. 

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “To feast means more than to taste. To feast means to savor. We savor the scriptures by studying them in a spirit of delightful discovery and faithful obedience. When we feast upon the words of Christ, they … become an integral part of our nature” (“Living by Scriptural Guidance,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 17).

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “If you and I are to feast upon the words of Christ, we must study the scriptures and absorb His words through pondering them and making them a part of every thought and action” (“Healing Soul and Body,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 15).

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

“There may be things in our character, in our behavior, or concerning our spiritual growth about which we need to counsel with Heavenly Father in morning prayer. After expressing appropriate thanks for blessings received, we plead for understanding, direction, and help to do the things we cannot do in our own strength alone. …

“During the course of the day, we keep a prayer in our heart for continued assistance and guidance. …

“We notice during this particular day that there are occasions where normally we would have a tendency to speak harshly, and we do not; or we might be inclined to anger, but we are not. We discern heavenly help and strength and humbly recognize answers to our prayer. Even in that moment of recognition, we offer a silent prayer of gratitude.

“At the end of our day, we kneel again and report back to our Father. We review the events of the day and express heartfelt thanks for the blessings and the help we received. We repent and, with the assistance of the Spirit of the Lord, identify ways we can do and become better tomorrow. Thus our evening prayer builds upon and is a continuation of our morning prayer. And our evening prayer also is a preparation for meaningful morning prayer.

“Morning and evening prayers—and all of the prayers in between—are not unrelated, discrete events; rather, they are linked together each day and across days, weeks, months, and even years. This is in part how we fulfill the scriptural admonition to ‘pray always’ (Luke 21:36; 3 Nephi 18:15, 18; D&C 31:12). Such meaningful prayers are instrumental in obtaining the highest blessings God holds in store for His faithful children” (“Pray Always,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 41–42).

I hope we can not just learn the gospel, but live it! It should be apart of who we are at all times in all places! I love being a missionary because it allows me to do just that. Prayer and scripture study are the ways in which we can begin to incorporate the gospel in our life!

I hope you all have a wonderful week. I thank you for your prayers on my behalf and on behalf of missionaries across the world. This is the Lords work I do testify.

Keep Smiling, Love Elder Gerrard

1900's Home in Nampa

Elder Woods and I just before the transfer.

Linnea saying Hello to Elder Gerrard.
Sister Linnea served her mission in AZ where
Elder Gerrard's sister Lindzie lives.
Elder Gerrard is now serving in her home town/area.