Today I got to have some fun with Sidney while Lindy had Riley's pre-school at their house. When I arrived there, Sidney was still asleep and Lindy was getting the kids started. She had the house decorated so cute and everything all planned and set up nicely. It looked like lots of fun would be happening. I watched the kids do their puzzles for a few minutes. Riley was being so good and meticulous, doing everything just right. I can't say so much for the little boys, however. Sidney woke up a little later, so I went and got her out of bed. She seemed suprised to see me, but happy. I changed her pants, then we read a few stories. She let me know when she'd had enough, and we went downstairs. She could hear the kids being busy down there. So we went down and said hi to the kids, then put her jacket on and went out to the car. She acted like, "What's going on?" She seemed quite surprised that she was leaving all by herself with Gramma. When I buckled her in to the car seat, she seemed quite amazed. Like, "What's happening? Where are we going?" As we drove along she still seemed as if she couldn't believe what was happening. I needed to get a few groceries, so we stopped by Albies (Albertson's). The whole time she seemed so surprised to be with me on an outing. In the store she started chatting and commenting on everything while we picked out the things we needed. Then we went by the house to drop the groceries off and see Uncle Rich for a minute. She played with him while I brought the groceries in. Then she got to sit up and have some cheerios and apples. She thought that was quite fun. Then it was time to head home. When we got to her neighborhood, she got quite excited because she knew she was going home. I think she thought she was quite the big girl to go on an outing all by herself with Gramma, but she was still very happy to get home and see her mom and sisters.
Last night the speakers at the MTC devotional were Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy and his wife, Kathy. Sis. Jensen spoke about obedience and how the motto of their mission in Rochester, New York, when Elder Jensen was president, was: "Obedience brings success." She told about how one of their daughters had accepted a date with a young man. Someone who knew him said, "I was in the mission field with him, and he wasn't an obedient missionary." Her brother then told her, without knowing the young man, "He's not for you." Sis. Jensen then encouraged the missionaries to "be the kind of missionary you'd like your brother or sister to date."
Elder Jensen spoke about the conversion process which begins with a seeker. That seeking will eventually bring a person to the truth. A seeker is motivated by the light of Christ. The Holy Ghost can register truth with the seeker through a messenger who has a testimony. That leads the seeker to ask, "What shall I do?" The answer is to invite the seeker to repent and obey, which brings about forgiveness of sin. The seeker is born again, their spirit is healed.
I, of course, haven't summarized Elder Jensen remarks very well, but I've given the general idea of what he said about conversion. We met with the new district, District A, after the devotional and they all seemed prompted and encouraged by the Jensens' remarks to be more obedient and to strive to be powerful messengers of the truth, to find those who are seeking, and to be able to invite them to repent and obey.