SO...
IM GOING TO BE VERY LAME AND DO A MASS E-MAIL TO YOU GUYS FOR MY LAST ONE. WELL EXCEPT FOR THE "MEAT AND POTATOES" EMAIL THAT IM GOING TO SEND TO MOM AND DAD. :)
WELL, ITS OVER. I STILL HAVE TODAY AND TOMORROW, BUT TODAY IS P-DAY, THEN SAYING GOODBYE TO PEOPLE HERE IN LETHBRIDGE. THEN TOMORROW IS SPENT DRIVING TO CALGARY AND IN THE MISSION HOME. THEN..... YOU GUESSED IT.... FLY INTO CALI!!!!
THIS HAS BEEN THE SINGLE MOST GREATEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. I HAVE LEARNED AND LOVED SO MUCH. FROM ALL THAT I KNEW, TO ALL THAT I THOUGHT I KNEW, NOW IT HAS CHANGED INTO A SOLIDIFIED DECLARATION OF GOSPEL TRUTHS. I AM VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, I KNOW THIS GOSPEL TO BE TRUTH. IN THE LAST 2 YEARS A LOT HAS HAPPENED, THINGS I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD OR EVER COULD. BUT I AM VERY GLAD TO SAY THAT THE LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED BY BEING BLESSED TO EXPERIENCE WHAT I HAVE ARE ONES I WILL HOLD TO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. IT IS TRUE THAT WHEN WE HUMBLE OURSELVES AND ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE TAUGHT, HEAVENLY FATHER WILL SHOW US GREAT MIRACLES TO BLESS OUR LIVES. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS MISSION HAS DONE FOR MY LIFE. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE 6 OF YOU HAVE DONE FOR MY LIFE. THE FEELING THAT I GET WHEN I THINK OF MY ENTIRE FAMILY BEING ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THIS CHURCH, IS ONE I GIVE THANKS UNTO MY GOD EVERY NIGHT FOR. SO MANY MISSIONARIES OUT HERE HAVE SPLIT FAMILIES, BROKEN FAMILIES, SEMI ACTIVE FAMILIES AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE GONE ASTRAY. BUT THE BLESSING OF HAVING ALL 7 OF US KIDS, MOM AND DAD, AND NOW THE GROWTH THROUGH MARRIAGE AND BIRTH, ACTIVE TRUE BELIEVING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST IS ONE I CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPRESS MY THANKS FOR. THE JOY OF KNOWING WE ARE A FOREVER FAMILY SEALED IN THE TEMPLE IS SOMETHING THAT KEPT ME GOING IN MY DARKEST AND HARDEST TIMES. YOU 6 MEAN THE WORLD TO ME!!! FROM ONE BROTHER TO MY 6 AMAZING SIBLINGS.... I LOVE YOU!!! IM SORRY FOR THE TIME I NEVER SPENT WITH YOU BECAUSE OF WHAT AND WHO I THOUGHT WAS MORE IMPORTANT. I MAKE YOU THIS PROMISE, YOU SENT OUT LOGAN PETERSEN, A SCARED19 YEAR OLD KID WHO DIDNT KNOW MUCH AND HAD MIXED UP PRIORITES, AND IM COMING BACK AS ELDER PETERSEN, A MAN WHO KNOWS WHO AND WHY HE LIVES AND LOVES! I WILL NEVER PUT ANYONE ASIDE FROM MY SAVIOR AND FATHER IN HEAVEN BEFORE YOU GUYS AGAIN. I LOVE YOU!!!
SEE YOU IN 2 DAYS!!! REMEMBER, WE ARE STOPPING AT IN-N-OUT FOR LUNCH, AND I AINT BUYING....LOL
LOVE
ELDER LOGAN NEIL PETERSEN
CANADA CALGARY MISSION
And here is his final email to my parents- I love his testimony at the end:
WELL, WHERE TO START. SO BY SAYING I NEVER SAW THIS DAY COMING IS A VERY BIG UNDERSTATEMENT. YOU DREAM OF BEING IN THIS POSITION YOUR WHOLE MISSION. NOT REALLY WANTING TO GO HOME BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HAVING THE DESIRE TO SEE THE ONES YOU LOVE AND LING FOR THE MOST. BUT KNOW THAT DREAM IS A REALITY. AND WITH THAT REALITY I WANT THIS ONE TO BE KNOWN AS WELL. I HAVE A TRUE UNDYING TESTIMONY OF THIS GOSPEL! IT HAS CONVERTED ME TO LIVING THE GOSPEL IN A WAY THAT I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD. THE SINGLE MOST GREATEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN AS A SERVANT OF THE LORD, IS MY OWN CONVERSION TO HIS GOSPEL. A CONVERSION THAT WOULD HAVE NEVER COME WITHOUT THE CONSTANT LOVE AND SUPPORT OF A RIGHTEOUS FAMILY! I WILL NOT SUGAR COAT THINGS AND SAY IT WAS AN AMAZING 2 YEARS, EVERYDAY BEING EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FILLED WITH ONLY JOY AND NO DISAPPOINTMENT. BUT I WILL SAY THAT EVERY DAY IN THESE PAST 2 YEARS HAS MADE ME INTO THE MAN I AM TODAY. A MISSION IS SOMETHING I THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD AND KNEW WHAT I WAS IN STORE FOR, BUT IT HAS TURNED INTO A PERIOD IN MY LIFE THAT I WILL LOOK BACK TO FOR THE REST OF MY ETERNAL EXISTENCE. I WISH I HAD THE VOCABULARY AND SPEAKING ABILITY TO CONVEY MY FEELINGS ABOUT A MISSION AND THE TIME YOU SERVE, BUT THE BEST WAY I KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE IT IS BY THE MEMORIES I HAVE AND THE EXPERIENCE I HAVE GAINED. I HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL YOU ALL AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT THE OLD LOGAN... IS A BIT DIFFERENT. I STILL TELL STORIES I PROMISE YOU THAT... BUT THEY ARE STRETCHED NOT NEAR AS MUCH...LOL. I WAS SENT OUT A BOY WHO DIDNT KNOW MUCH, AND IM COMING BACK A FROZEN POP-SICKLE FROM CANADA WHO STILL DOESNT KNOW MUCH...LOL. IM KIDDING! BUT IN ALL REALITY, THE TRUTH AND KNOWLEDGE I HAVE COME TO KNOW IS ONE I CAN NEVER FORGET OR GIVE AWAY! I LOVE IT AND IT WILL ALWAYS HOLD A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART.
NOW AS PROMISED, DAD ASKED ME TO TELL YOU WHAT THINGS I LEARNED FROM CONFERENCE. NOW I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU , BUT I THINK I HAVE TO GET MARRIED...LOL. THAT ONE GOT BEAT INTO THE GROUND EH? BUT REALLY... THE LESSONS I LEARNED ARE NOT JUST A FEW SPECIFIC ONES. SO MANY OF THE SPEAKERS SPOKE TO ME ON A LEVEL THAT I NEEDED. ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITES WAS THE TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES OF "DOING" AND "BEING". I CAN DO SO MANY THINGS IN THIS LIFE, BUT THE ONLY THING I CAN TAKE WITH ME WHEN THIS LIFE IS OVER IS WHO I HAVE BECOME! THE TRUTH THAT WAS SPOKEN IN THIS CONFERENCE IS GUIDANCE THAT I NEEDED RIGHT BEFORE I BEGIN THE NEXT STAGE OF MY LIFE. I WISH I COULD JUST PHOTOCOPY THE NOTES I TOOK DURYING ALL 5 SESSIONS AND TELL YOU ALL I LEARNED. HOWEVER THE LOVE I HAVE FOR THE LIVING PROPHET AND APOSTLES OF THIS CHURCH AND THE TRUTH THEY BEAR IS A LOVE THAT I WILL NEVER LOSE. FROM THE MESSAGES OF HOW TO OBTAIN AN ETERNAL FAMILY AND MARRIAGE TO THE ELOQUENTLY PLANTED SEEDS OF REPENTANCE AND SALVATION. THIS GENERAL CONFERENCE IS ONE THAT WILL PATTERN THE WAY I MAKE SOME VERY IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN THE YEARS TO COME.
WELL, I THINK LOTS HAVE BEEN SAID OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS, AND TO BE HONEST... IM TIRED OF TYPING...LOL. BUT I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THE TRUTH I HAVE COME TO LOVE.
I BEAR YOU MY SOLEM WITNESS THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, AND THE REALITY OF OUR LIVING FATHER IN HEAVEN. I TESTIFY TO YOU THAT THE ONLY WAY ONE CAN COME CLOSER TO GOD IS BY STRICT AND DILIGENT OBEDIENCE TO HIS LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS. THE SAME OBEDIENCE THAT WAS EXECUTED BY THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH. THAT SAME MAN WHO USHERED IN THE LAST DISPENSATION OF TIME! I WISH TO TESTIFY TO YOU ALL, SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW AS I DO, THAT JOSEPH SMITH WAS AND IS A PROPHET OF THE ONE TRUE GOD. AND BY WHAT HE DID WE CAN COME TO A KNOWLEDGE OF THIS GOSPEL FOR OURSELVES AND HAVE A FIRM TESTIMONY THAT OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN STILL SPEAKS THROUGH HIS CHOSEN MOUTH PIECE, THE BOOK OF MORMON IS THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD, AND THAT THIS GOSPEL IS 100% TRUTH, THERE IS NO GREY AREA. I PROMISE YOU IN A WAY SIMILAR TO THE WAY ELDER CHRISTOFFERSON DID TO US, BUT IN THE AUTHORITY OF MY CALLING AS A MISSIONARY, ONE WHO IS CALLED TO TEACH AND TESTIFY OF THE SAVIOR, THAT HE LIVES AND LOVES! I HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM, I HAVE NEVER FELT THE MARKS IN HIS HANDS, BUT I PROMISE YOU IN HIS HOLY NAME THAT HE IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE ONLY BEGOTTEN LIVING SON OF THE ETERNAL FATHER.
I LOVE YOU ALL MORE THEN YOU KNOW! I CANNOT WAIT TO HUG YOU ALL AND BUG OVER AND OVER AGAIN! 2 DAYS AND COUNTING... I LOVE YOU!
LOVE,
ELDER LOGAN NEIL PETERSEN
CANADA CALGARY MISSION
