Emily wrote us an email today, Friday, July 12, 2013.  It is quite long, so I will share excerpts:  

Ok, so remember how I told you that I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon: audio version?  Well that is still the truth!  Use your phone and the little black converter-cord-thing to plug your phone into the speakers in my room.  Sit in the chair and follow along in your Book of Mormon as you listen to it!  You have to follow along in you BOM or it won't work, but will will be AMAZED how much more you are able to get out of your time!  I swear, you testimony of the BOM will grow just because you will see how enjoyable and exciting the story is!

 

I know some people really dislike the war chapters, but I like them a lot!  I like finding the subtle bits of humor.  Lots of the situations and letters are quite amusing and enjoyable!  You read them and you realize that the prophets are so cool!!!  They are so intune with the will of the Lord, that they cannot fail in battle as long as they are obedient to him.  Do you realize how cool it is that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God.  He talks to Heavenly Father and he is the leader of the army of saints on the Earth.  As long as we follow him, we can't be lead astray.  We will trash the nations.  The war against evil used to be hand to hand combat, but that technique is so medieval.  Wars of the world used to be combat wars, but now we fight wars with information and technology.  That is exactly the stage that our war is entering.  The brethren receive revelation from God so that we can adapt and be competitive.  Don't you think that is soo cool?  The brethren are so intelligent and so righteous.  We are blessed to have these people on the Earth to lead us. 

 

The MTC is an interesting place:

 

It is so different from the world that surrounds it on every side.  There is so much righteousness.  It really is a little bubble; but a safe, enjoyable bubble.  It is a different world in here; incredible to experience.  Sometimes I think that this is what it must feel like to live in the city of Enoch where everyone loves everyone just because and people walk around singing. 

 

• There are missionaries here that will be sent all over the world.  We go around sharing our testimonies and are blessed to meet lots of people.  We meet a lot of people learning Japanese and I am always amazed that so many missionaries come here to learn the languages of the world.  And then they are sent into the world to declare truth.  That is about all that many of the missionaries (even the ones that are about done with their stay at the MTC) can say.  I feel the spirit so strongly when I talk to a Japanese or Tagalog learning sister and I know that all they are saying is: I know that God is loving.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.  I know that God hears our prayers.  These simple testimonies pierce me to the heart and make me teary because they really are going into the world with nothing except their firm witness of true, pure truth.
• There is no where else on the earth that can match the amount of singing or praying that takes place within these gates.  The showers are people's favorite place to sing.  On any given day in the morning, or after gym, or at night, you can walk into the bathroom to hear some of the most interesting harmonizing you have ever heard.  The sisters in all the different shower stalls sing these collaborative songs so you can hear many high harmonies and many many other lines.  Usually I get a kick out of it because sometimes the entertainment is a little more original than usual.
• Going to the temple is like going to Disneyland!  People look forward to it all week long and take their cameras and it is like the biggest tourist attraction!  Welcome to the real happiest place on Earth!  Probably because it is the bridge over the gap from Earth to Heaven. 
• Mormon messages are everyones' favorites!
• One of the most exciting events of the week is the Sunday night movie!  I have seen 2 really good ones: Bednar's Character of Christ and Bednar's becoming a missionary. 

 If you haven't heard these before, you really should.  The Character of Christ is more applicable to you guys, but becoming a missionary pertains to me.  In there he said some things that are really motivating to me.  He is very bold and said that we need to become missionaries, not just go on missions.  He said that it would be a pretty sad thing if when we return home we get back to usual after just a few days.  He said people like this didn't change and we are sent on missions to change and become missionaries.  This motivated me a lot.  I have been talking to Heavenly Father and asking him to help me to actually become a missionary. 

 

George D. Durrant and his wife were our devotional speakers.  They were hilarious!  His wife was the first woman religion teacher at BYU and you can tell that she is good.  He got up and told us a story.  When he was in high school, he was dating the prettiest girl.  Her name was Louise or something.  She was his girlfriend, she just didn't know it *audience approval* (he was a real crowd pleaser.  He used old-man words and I loved it!)  He told us that everyone wanted to be named Don because girls liked to say hiiii Daaaawwwwnn, but just a 'hey George!'  *more  laughs!*  One day he had a note from Don that asked George to ask Louise to the movie on Friday.  He had always been too scared to talk to her before, but with the note from Don he was able to tap her on the shoulder and ask her what she was doing on Friday and if she would like to go to the movie.  She replied, 'I'd love to, George'.  Then he said, 'Great because Don would love to go with you'.  He was able to be bold when he had a note from Don.  He aren't on our own errand, we are on the Lord's and we need to be Bold.  He just kept saying that we needed to be bold and just be good old people.  He just tries to be a good old guy.  We almost felt bad for his wife because he was so enjoyable to listen to.  She got up and she smashed him!  She was a hoot!

 

I love you!  I have to go!

 

Until next week!

 

Love, Em!!