There ain't no room for sadness.

Elder Tanner with Elder S.

This (the subject of my letter) is a choice, just like happiness. I think this helps make being happy much easier though. We, or at least I, so often leave sadness so much room to fill whenever it pleases. For why? It's so silly. Why not, instead, make that room for happiness? Then it can and will flow freely into us and fill us with LIGHT. (Good, eh Mama? Light!) I'm working on making room for that light and happiness. I want it to fill me. What are you making room for? HMMM??

This week has been wild. Elder H is now home in Dallas, but Elder S is now here in Seminole! I was having real trunky feelings for the first time Wednesday night. Never felt the real deal before...never want it again. Thinking about E. H being home prompted it, I think. I chose to change the way I felt though. The mind is powerful, but we have to use it correctly, eh? Turns out, Elder S has this transfer and then 2 more before he goes home....another nearly-dead one. I guess Pres. Walkenhorst liked how it went with E. H, or he feels like I still have more to learn in that way. Probably the latter. I have SO much to learn, and I love it. I love learning more than I ever have before. It isn't fun a lot of the time while it's happening (the growth and learning), but it's so very worth it.

Quick side note: I told all the other Birfday boysies for this week Happy Birthday, but I don't have John Schouten's email....so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHNNY-KINS! Oh, one of my Zone Leaders looks and acts like a mix between you and Jordan, your bro. Wild, eh? It is, just in case you didn't know. It was wild. Let me tell you. Good times though, serving with both of y'all. Wish I could for real. We'd be unstoppable. Make it a great week and day commemorating your birth! And don't forget what day that is....ya know...the Day o' LOVE! Go date someone, or something:) Love you, busco.

Elder S is from Loomis, Cali. So right near Rocklin, eh Kev? He was in Rocklin First Ward, I believe. I was telling E. S about how we visited for the wedding reception and went four-wheeling with Mike McGuire and had those crazy good pancake cups and all that good stuff. He's not sure if he knows the McGuires or not. I even tried to spark a memory with a reference to Kev's street name back in High School: Kevin "The Fire" McGuire. Nothing still. We'll see.

I'm excited for this transfer! Elder T, my mission best friend, is our District Leader! It rocks. He's such a great missionary. Love him.

We have some Part-Member families we're working with that are interested, so we're pretty dang excited about that...of course. One named Whitney Keltch (daughter of Sis. Keltch) had some worries about messing up after baptism, and we were able to resolve those through testimony of the Atonement and the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost (see BD: Holy Ghost). I love these people we're teaching. They really are His elect. A tell-tale sign of the elect: they accept the Book of Mormon as the word of God and another testament of Jesus Christ. That tool is more powerful than...well, almost anything. Love it, use it, live it, share it. For realsies.

Sorry if my emails are hard to follow...I'm easily distracted, eh? Plus, I write in my journal, then sometimes forget to write those things in emails. Whoops:) Worth it to have a journal, sorry.

I love y'all so much. I'll keep praying daily for all y'all if you'd like....or even if you don't like:) I love to pray for everyone, so too bad. Make room for happiness and light this week!

Love,
Elder Tanner
-I Love the Lord-

Elder Tanner and Elder H

Short, but sweet action.

Joshua Randall Underwood was baptized by Elder "Bill" Tanner this past Saturday. It's such a cool experience every time I get to baptize or confirm someone. Unfortunately, church was cancelled yesterday and he was not confirmed, yet. He will be next Sunday. He's great and already wants to come out with us. Even bought a bike so he could.

 

It snowed 4 whole inches yesterday, shutting down all of Oklahoma. Yup...4 inches. It's so funny to me. It is really icy though. Especially today. The cold really cuts through you here. It's amazing what it'll go through...everything, basically. I'll send pictures of the snow another day.

 

Elder H is still going home this week. I found out I'm...........staying. Surprise! But I'm super excited. My new companion will be Elder S! He's been an office Elder for the past few transfers, so he's just getting back to the proselyting stuff now. That'll be exciting. And like the rest of my comps so far, he's been out for quite a while. Elder T is the new DL and his comp, Elder B, is staying too. Sister B is leaving, but Sister W is getting a newbie, who will be going home at the same time as me. Crazy, eh? I guess that means I've been out 6 months then...don't know if it seems incredibly fast or not. Probably.

 

Sorry this is so short. I'm loving this and working Elder H to his death...mission-death, that is. Glad to have served with him.

 

I love y'all so dang much, and continue to pray for y'all daily.

 

Love,

Elder Tanner

-I Love the Lord-

That's the Stuff.

The stuff that makes things better is scripture. That's the stuff that's been my support. Whether it be modern scripture (as Papala would say - i.e. Ensign, General Conference addresses, etc. - Like how I even italicized Ensign? Nice touch, eh?), ancient "scrippa" (as Shelle says), or revelations I've received (don't know if they actually count, but they sure are scripture to me). The Lord has blessed us with so much, we can't not take advantage of it. If we do....well, let's not go into all the everlasting chains and stuff. That is most definitely NOT the stuff.

We're still helping Josh Underwood work towards his baptism this Saturday. He's super excited and invites everyone he sees. He's 25 and his fiancé is planning on coming to the baptism too. She came to church yesterday and is coming, hopefully with her dad too, this next week, when Josh gets the Gift of the Holy Ghost. She's a new investigator for the Elders in Shawnee. She lives over there. We're still working on the rest of Josh's family, but found out that they may not be coming to the baptism anymore. At least, his mom isn't. His sister still might and we're trying to get his dad there too.

One of the recent converts here in Seminole, the daughter of Deborah Harrington, recently had a miraculous change of heart. The changes she's making are so inspiring. I know that she has had a lot of divine help. This gospel changes people's natures. There's nothing like it.

I read the article in this month's Ensign about forgiveness today. If you haven't read it, read it...duh. If you have, re-read it. For why not? It actually talks about a lot of the stuff I've been working on...like, all of it. Isn't it miraculous, the way the Lord works? Yes, yes it is. I love it. That article really confirmed my beliefs and changes I'm working on making.

Random fun fact: The video Jord, Zach, and I made to the song Startropics by the Hoot Hoots that was later announced, by the Hoot Hoots, to be the official video for the song, is now in memes and vines. Some members here told me they've seen them. Crazy, no? We're pretty big deals, pretty worldwide, I guess. As Scott would say, we're on a biscuit. Just so y'all know.

I really am reaping the blessings of the prayers of my righteous family and friends. Like Alma the Younger and his father's prayers. I hope I can be as stalwart a missionary as he and the sons of Mosiah were and are in the spirit world, I'm sure. Maybe they're comp's with Gpa Tanner! Talk about an intimidating comp...both them and Grandpa. So much missionary power. Comes from the scriptures.

Those who accept the BofM are prepared. It is our most powerful tool. The earth is experiencing the BofM flood mentioned in Moses, and we're the ones making that happen. Every one who has a testimony of it's truthfulness.

I've gained an unshakeable testimony of the Book of Mormon and especially the Plan of Salvation. The latter has been mine and Elder H's secret weapon. Not on purpose, but whenever we share it, hearts are changed. Bro. Grier, Ladybug's daughter (the one who had a mighty change of heart through forgiveness and answers to prayer), a few less-active recent converts, and a new family we're teaching especially. It is so powerful. I cannot and will not ever deny it. Ever.

Love y'all. Thanks for your support.

Love,
Elder Tanner
-I Love the Lord-

"But wait, there's more!" (RIP Billy Mays)

Fruity Pebbles comes in big bags now....not just Fruity Dyno Bites, no no no...Fruity Pebbles! Miracles do happen. I'm so grateful for that.

I've realized, as I was emailing Scotter just now, that gratitude is going to be the key to success for my Year of Happiness. I realized this because of a lot of different things that have happened.

First, could you, Mama, try to find my father's blessing that mentions Captain Moroni? I remembered it this past week and I need to work on what it told me to do. "But wait, there's more!" It seems there always is...in those infomercials and in real life, but especially in the scriptures.

In Alma 48, it talks about the mighty Capt. Moroni. Alma 48:11-13, 17 describe him with things like "perfect understanding", "a man who did labor exceedingly", "firm in the faith of Christ", and then probably one of the coolest things that could be said of a person, "the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men" if we all were more like him. But why did he have such amazing things said about him? How does he do it? See verse 12. It says he was "a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God." Kaboom. So, how he does it, aka how we can do it, is by working to have our hearts "swell with thanksgiving to [our] God. That's not something that just comes to us, necessarily. We have to work at it, actively searching for things, however small, to be thankful for. As my man Josh Groban put it so well, "There's so much to be thankful for." Isn't there? Listen to that song again and think about it.

What can we do to show more gratitude to God? That includes showing gratitude to those around us because as He said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40) Anyone who reads this, I would like your ideas of how you show gratitude. I want to be so full of gratitude to God that I become like Moroni. Why not? I pray for it (along with happiness) every day in the morning and throughout the day, then I thank Him (gratitude) for His help throughout the day in my evening prayer. Keeping Him involved is so important, in everything.

Some of the things I'm grateful for from this past week: 1. I got to go running for about 45 min a week ago, on Monday. (Even with the shin splints. They're gone now.) 2. This Monday (yesterday) we got to be outside and play some sand volleyball. It was actually kinda warm/hot outside...and it's January. Crazy. 3. Our investigator with a baptismal date for Feb. 1 is still on track and improving. 4. His family members are almost all investigating now too. 5. The Lord sent me to Oklahoma. These people are the best. 6. The desires of my heart are recognized by the Lord, even when I don't show it as well through my actions. So I can be forgiven. 7. I'm understanding the stories of the Book of Mormon stories better than I ever have before, this time through it. (Just finished Mosiah today.) 8. The work is picking up again here in Seminole. 9. We got a referral from an investigator in the OTM (Hear that Al?) whose Mama lives in our area and we have an appointment with her Thursday. 10. Our Recent Converts are doing well (Ladybug and Bro. Grier). 11. My family always has my back. No matter what.

Those are just a few. So many more. There really is "so much to be thankful for".

I love y'all. Make it a HAPPY and THANKS-FILLED week.

Love,
Elder Tanner
-I Love the Lord-

Miracles for being OK

Elder H and I were both sick this week. He was barfing and I just felt like poop all the time. I've been using Mama's tricks though. Meds, fruit, and water...lots of water. Why is that the cure for everything? I do not know. Mama knows what's up though. I never got barfy though, thank goulash. Huge blessing. Haven't had that for a while, and that's okay with me. We tried to go out and work, but we got even more sick. We had to stay inside for most of Wednesday, and it was terrible. I don't like it. Nope. This was especially rough since we need new investigators badly, having baptized or dropped or been dropped by most of ours.

Then we started feeling better and got to get some work done. We found 2 new investigators, and 2 potentials in that same family. One of them, so far, has a baptismal date for February 1 and is super excited about it. He called this morning to ask us what he needed to bring to it. A little early, but I don't hate his enthusiasm. He commented a ton in church yesterday too. He's funny.

"that's Bob West in the front. He's a funny li'l recent RM in the Clinton Ward. getting married soon"

Along with that, I had a huge testimony builder this week. I was praying before personal study one day and I felt impressed to ask a specific question for my studies. So I did. Immediately after my prayer I always read the quote of the day from Annette's Conference Calendar. In that quote by Pres. Packer was a direct answer to my specific question. I don't remember having a prayer like that answered so immediately and directly before. It was incredible. I felt Heavenly Father's love for me personally so abundantly. I also felt Grandpa Tanner's presence. That's always such a sacred experience for me. I know he's watching over me too. I think this was all to help me realize that I did receive personal revelation and now I can never deny His answering prayers. I know He does and will. He loves to.

The baptism in Clinton for Zenaida G (that is how you spell it) was a hugely spiritual experience. Zenaida is her real name, but she used to go by Cindy. She informed me that now she's going back to Zenaida. She's Hispanic, so it's said with a Spanish pronunciation. Pops should know, and probably Kev too. Anyway, it was incredible. I've never felt the spirit so strongly at a baptism. Elder T and I went with our new Branch Mission Leader, Bro. White. There were around 10-14 missionaries there. It was so good to meet new missionaries and see some old friend ones too. I felt almost overwhelmingly happy there. So much good happening. My song went miraculously well too, thanks to a lot of prayer previous. I was still SUPER stuffed up and starting to get a cough, but God blessed me. I prayed to be able to bring the spirit, and that happened. It wasn't perfect or necessarily all that great, but it brought the spirit. That's what matters. Another cool answer to prayer.

At Zenaida's baptism

I've started to write down my revelation in my Li'l Book o' Revelation. It is so helpful. I recognize my own revelation so much more often. I recommend it for anyone and everyone. It has changed and strengthened my confidence in my ability to receive revelation, and it can do that for you too. I love it.

The Lord is really blessing me.

Year of Happiness Update: It's working. Like I told some of y'all, it's really changing my nature, not just my behavior. I'm becoming a happy person. There are times that I'm so tempted to not be, but I can't let that happen. Miraculous, eh? If you knew me at all before, you'd say yes:)

Thank y'all for everything. I love y'all and pray daily for y'all.

Love,
Elder Tanner
-I Love the Lord-

2014 - The Year of Happiness

 

Turns out, I start out quite a few letters with that, no? But also turns out, I'm gonna be happy every day of 2014. Even if I get down sometimes, I'm gonna catch myself and look up. I'm gonna do it, and it's gonna be hard, and I'm willing to accept that challenge. Bring it, Satan.

 

So we've had a few investigators drop us and we had to drop one, all in the past week or week and a half. Crazy, yeah? We're praying for miracles for them, especially this girl named Mercedes. She's so solid. We were so sad to see her go. BUT "hope is never lost", as Elder Holland says. And when he says something...you don't refute it. Is refute a word? Did I use it correctly? Oh well. I digress. Is that used correctly..? Anyways!

 

Elder T and I found a ride to Cindy's baptism in Clinton!! Huge miracle! Turns out (there it is again), I'm singing at the baptism. Cindy wants me to. I just got a letter from her that said she was losing hope for getting baptized. This was obviously before she found a way to be able to be baptized, so more miracles! Cindy in general is a miracle/miracle-worker for me. She's such a good example. I'm honored to sing at her baptism. I'm singing I Love the Lord, but to the tune of Be Still, My Soul the way it's written in the Hymnal (Sounds like Dad, no? Hymnal, rather than Hymnbook). Just hoping I don't start to bawl like a wee babila.

 

I'm starting a new thing today. I'm gonna get a little notebook so I can write down revelation every time I receive some. I call it my Li'l Book o' Revelation. Catchy, eh? I'm excited. My District Leader promised me blessings of being able to recognize revelation more if I do this. I'm a huge promised blessings believer, like Shelle has said she is. We kindred spirits, Shellster. How do you feel about that? We both got the unsolicited faces down too! Ann dog has those too though...and really most of our family. Even Mamasita has her "Tiger face", which I do sometimes, not actually to relieve stress, though it does anyway. I just think it's funny.

 

Been struggling lately sometimes, but Satan's got nothing on me. Silly Satan. It's not worth it to get down, ya know? Satan will drag us down to Hell from even the smallest of negative feelings. It can lead to lots of sorrow and gloom. Why let it? Silly natural man.

 

That's not a very happy note to end on, now is it? So I'm crazy excited to start a new year, with a brand new start. It's gonna be wonderous, am I right? It's up to us. "Water what you want to have grow", right Mama? I share that with lots of people. I've......learned to love it.....#missionaryprobs Thanks Mama.

 

I love all y'all so muchly much. Don't you forget it. Pray for y'all daily too. Nice of me, I guess. Y'all deserve it.

 

Love,

Elder Tanner "Bill"

-I Love the Lord-