April 5, 2015 Adam's letter - Conference was awesome, and life lessons learned

Hey Dad! 

THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGE!!! :D Thanks so much for the great email! Thanks a lot for passing that message on to Zack. Love you tons! Haha man, that conference was sweet, wasn't it? No, I think I could have done a much better job of being attentive to conference! Haha I always fell asleep! Thanks for teaching us to listen to it, though. Even if I didn't understand how important it was back then, I'm grateful I understand a little better now. it's doing me good, Dad, to live to a higher standard. I've noticed that there's a feeling you can't really get on your mission, one of consecration and light and obedience, you can't realyl get if you aren't willing to keep the rules. I'm grateful to the Lord for every day. 

Thanks for telling me about your goals from the conference! That's a great thing. i like how you just make a few things to do and that way you can be sure to do them. Yes! Please go to the temple and keep up that genealogy work! I would love to hear about that. Holy cow, it's kind of crazy to go this long without being to the temple. Even before I was endowed, I went way more than just once in five or six months, so it's pretty crazy! Love you tons, though, Dad. Thanks for giving me that chance to go with my friends. I don't think I realized the significance of it then but it taught me that important principle of going to the Lord's house often. I think that will bless me for the rest of my life. 

I'm sorry that the email is kindo f short this week, but before I go, I wanted to tell you and Mom about some things I learned this week, actually this morning in personal study is when I wrote them down:

When you start to feel that desire to go on a mission, or to serve the Lord and stop caring so much about yourself, you start to believe and do crazy things.

1. You start to believe that maybe your comfort is less valuable than the people you could talk to, you could maybe save.
2. You start to believe it's worth it to talk to someone on the metro or on the bus if maybe you could save their soul. 
3. You start to thank the Lord every day for your mission and what it's brought you, and this opportunity to serven and you wnoder if maybe it's more important to thank God for every day rather than count down the months.
4. You start to ask God what the next thing is you can do to become a great missionary.
5. I think my life changed today from this personal study! I realized it's better to be grateful for the mission rather than have a count-down attitude for it!

I freely admit my struggles in these areas, but it's good to feel those beliefs and that desire really be here! What a great and merciful God we have! 

What a great talk that was from Elder Uchtdort! I loved many of them, but his sticks out to me after you mentioned it, Dad. He really speaks about the Savior's grace quite a lot. I really liked that. I also read al ittle talk on LDS org about the difference between weakness and sin, I really needed it. And then came Elder Uchtdorf's talk whcih covered the power and the importance of the Atonement of Christ. Wow that was sweet! I testify that's true, that the Savior has the power even to make our lowest weaknesses our strengths! How do you think he makes Nephis and Moronis and Daddionhihs? :D Because He's great and they're humble and they work together, they're yoked together in His work. So there you go. Love you Dad. Thanks for all you do. 

Sorry it's kind of short this week. Do you enjoy the Guard? How has that been to be back in it for awhile? Boy isn't it kind of crazy that it's already April? I believe it that these two years go by fast! 

I hope you have a great day. Let me know if there's anything I can do.

Love

your faithful son, 

elder Edwards

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Hey MOm! thanks for the cool little blog post! It was good to hear your voices from you, Gabe, and Hyrum too! I'm sorry I have to go but I love you all so much! Conference was so great, especially President Uchtdorf's talk! I'll right you a letter tonight and tell you about this week so you can have that instead of an email. Loev you MOm! I'm feeling the Lord's love and guidance every day. I treat my mission more as a blessing than as something to count down now. Love you. Talk to you soon! 

Your loving son, 

Elder Edwards

THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGE

AND THE ONE TO COME

:D God bless you in all the faithful service you do! 

And if it counts for anything, I love your cooking! 

Note from Mom: Of course that counts for something!!