Hello Family!

Monday, June 4, 2018

Short email this week due to a lot of driving! Today was a great day so far but a long one as well. So far today we have gotten our haircut and driven to Little Rock! We haven't done much more than that and now all I have time to do is write this quick email and then head out to drive back to Searcy!

It's been fun though to drive back through my previous area and see Little Rock again today! Nothing has really changed except that the Elders in the Spanish area now live in an apartment more south of here.

That's all I have for this week! I spent some time in Heber Springs this last week which was beautiful. Heber Springs is a small town of about 8,000 people. There's a corner coming into town which features all of the church signs. My favorite is the sign that politely asks to "spay or neuter your pets."

Love y'all!

Elder C.R. Anderson

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

1. What are our "spiritual needs" (as referred to in the third sentence)?
2. What is the importance of being "equal partners" with your spouse?

Just doin some cowboy stuff

Monday, May 28, 2018

Hello Family!

So good to be able to talk to you all again  this week. The week has flown by and I can't believe how fast time is going. People always ask how long you have been a missionary for and I usually have to sit and think for a little bit. But I've been a missionary for 10 months! I can't believe that. I'm so happy I have more time left because I still feel like I have so much to learn and that I need to improve on.

This morning though we went up to the Sherwood ranch again but this time to play since its our Pday! They were all doing roping today. We got to help release the calves out of the shute as well as run them back around. Definitely a fun morning.

Now we're off to go spend some time with some investigators. They just got married but y'all can expect some pictures of what we do with them in next week's email! We are probably going to head into Little Rock with them and spend some time there so that will be a blast!

In addition to that it has been an amazing week of a lot of work. Searcy is the best place to be.

So this week's section of "The Family a Proclamation to the World" is a really cool one! Here it is below:

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

This section is really special and is so important. But I'll let y'all figure put why! Here's some questions to ponder to go with it:

1. Where have you seen this idea of chastity and virtue attacked and deteriorating?

2. What can YOU do to stand for right? What can you do to live a cleaner life?

Those are some questions that if you focus on them you will find answers that I spire you and help you have a desire to grow and be better. I love the law of chastity and seeing how it blesses family.

Talk to you all again soon!

Elder C.R. Anderson

1. Us in front of our apartment after working at the ranch all morning
2. Ranch party
3. Ropin'
4. Wagon
5. Lawn mowing crew

Hey Y'all

May 21, 2018

This was a great week!

Not a lot to share in terms of what happened, but it was a really good week with a lot of hard work! Also some exciting news is that Elder Ogaard and I will both be staying here in Searcy for another 6 weeks! Woohoo! Very excited about that.

I don't have very many pictures this week either except for some from a fireman themed birthday party for brother Jack easter. He turned 84! It was at the retirement community. We sometimes get to go there and do service. They are fun people!

I hope y'all enjoyed the challenge I gave y'all last week with "The Family a Proclamation to the World". Here are my answers to the questions I gave y'all.

1. This statement was written by living apostles of the Lord. They serve and represent him. Also their intended audience is the world. They are not only addressing the members of the church but also making sure that the while world knows what we believe and it is important that we share that knowledge with them.

2. To me, knowing that I am a son of God brings real power. It is amazing that I can feel so closely related to and acquainted with such an amazing Being. This point is so well illustrated in Moses 1 when Moses sees God then has a Following account with Satan. Moses knows who he is AND knows the power that comes because of that.

The next passage will be the second and third paragraphs which read as following:

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

Questions:
1. Gender is a God given and "essential characteristic." Why is this so essential in God's plan?
2. How have you seen the blessings of temples in your personal life? In your families life?

I love you all and am so grateful for my family!

Elder C.R. Anderson

Pictures
1. One of my best friends
2. Some ladies that we play Bunko with
3. Monster hummer