3/3/14 Stake Conference with Elder Bednar--Apostle of the Lord

Stake Conference was actually two weeks ago for all the stakes in Germany, but somehow it slipped my mind to write about it. It amazes me that I did, because it was probably the second most remarkable Stake Conference meeting I've ever been to in my life, just behind the stake conference where Elder Uchtdorf, a German, who's now the second counselor to the prophet, visited our stake conference back home the California. 

This particular Stake Conference in Düsseldorf was remarkable because Elder David A. Bednar of the quorum of the 12 Apostles spoke to all the stakes of Germany, in German. He talked about the great resource of strength we have from the atonement of Jesus Christ and the need we have to activate that strength in our lives to help us in the really hard times of our lives. He also talked about not taking offense and being united. There's that scripture that says if ye are not one, ye are not mine, and he talked about that. The other speakers had translators so that was really impressive. Another large theme at the Stake Conference was actually missionary work. In the Saturday Session our Zone of Missionaries (about 34 total) was asked to sing the prelude music and another song in the middle. Usually the missionaries don't go to the Saturday meeting at all, so that in and of itself was special.

Oh, I wanted to let you know that I finally got a letter labeled "day 1" a couple weeks ago. turns out it was stopped by the German Customs office because they thought something was fishy with it. It finally got to me though after the missionaries in Darmstadt had it transferred through zone leaders to me. :)

I'm also really excited about how much you, my family, learned from the Hastening the Work website! I love that website! If you haven't watched it yet, you should watch the movie clip called Missionary Mindset!It's just like our family! I think you'll like it a lot. A lot of what was talked about at our stake conference too, was Hastening the Work (that was Saturday, Elder Bednar spoke on Sunday). Another thing that you may want to look into is a book called Missionary Next Door. I'm suprised at how often I've been hearing about it over here in Germany, even though I don't think it's been translated into German. It talks a lot about how people need a spiritual conversion, AND a social conversion, and that's where the members can be so helpful in missionary work.

Bytheway, President Schwartz will be leaving the mission in June and we'll get a new Mission President.

love,

~Elder Mark Standring