I'm so grateful every week to have this beautiful opportunity to write you and share with you my love and to share with you about the beautiful islands of Tonga and to be able to share my experiences and things I have been able to learn. It's amazing as I write to you. I feel like you are all right by my side! Mom always says that our love is strengthened through letters and it is so so true! Our testimonies are only strengthened when we nurture and feed them through study and prayer and experiences, just like how when we write letters, our love continues to strengthen! Just how we can never stop learning, we can never have a limited amount of love, no matter how full your love can feel for someone, you can always make the cup bigger, and I think it is amazing to see how our family has recognized this so well!
These past couple of weeks, my testimony has grown so much! I have had a blast looking up scriptures for our lessons and for our investigators. Before my mission, I never realized that most religions only believed in one God and that most don't understand the concept of Him having a body. The Godhead is one of the biggest things that we emphasize when teaching the people in Tonga! It has strengthened so incredibly my testimony that our Savior is the Son of God. (1 John 5:11-12)
I love the testimony of these two scriptures together (John 1:14) and then the testimony in (1 John 5:7). I know we have a Heavenly Father who loves us all and that he gave His only begotten Son! (John 3:16) For they are as flesh and bone for what you see all of us have! (Luke 24:36-39) And there is the Holy Ghost that is give to us all when we enter into the first covenant. Just like when Christ was baptized (Matthew 3:16-17) for he said "follow thou me"! 2 Nephi 31:10
Awe, I love the scriptures! Since I am not great at the language, I decided that who says it better than God's prophets or the Savior himself. So, I have really gotten into the scriptures more than ever on my mission and life! There is a power in the scriptures especially when you use the two books given to us from our Heavenly Father! For, like it says in the beginning of the Book of Mormon! With the Bile and Book of Mormon put together, it is the everlasting gospel (complete)!
I just wanted you all to know that I know we have a loving, caring Heavenly Father. His Son came to the earth to die for everyone and we will all be resurrected like he was resurrected, and we can make it back to our Father's kingdom because of the price our Savior paid for all of us in the Garden of Gethsemane. I want to bear my testimony that we all have the Holy Ghost with us. We have all been baptized in the name of our Savior and Father! (Matthew 28:19) We can all have his guidance if we will only listen and constantly seek his voice and heedings!
I think the thing I'm most excited about when I get back home is to help Brandon prepare for his mission! I can guarantee Brandon that you'll be 100% more prepared than I was! But, that's about a year away, so I want to sen out and invitation/challenge, to read a chapter at day. That way, you can finish the Book of Mormon in about 3-4 weeks from where you are now. Then you will know what you are doing for 2 years! Haha, my first time reading the Book of Mormon was on Noapapu. Can you imagine how incredibly prepared you will be by reading and pondering it sooner?! There is a Mormon message video clip called "Missionary Work, a Priesthood Duty" by President Monson. GO WATCH IT! I just only wish I would have taken 10 minutes out of each day to prepare for my mission. Instead, I watched movies or sat on the couch and did nothing. JUST !) MINUTES! Your knowledge, testimony, and spirit will grow and be strengthened! Remember how you felt at EFY? That can be EVERY DAY of your live, EVERY DAY! It's just a matter of if you will want to give yourself that opportunity! Pay attention in seminary. PARTICIPATE! Answer questions and be involved for it will prepare you for the rest of your life! Don't just listen to my emphasizing these words, for they are words from a living prophet. Heed his call and prepare, for I do now wish that I would have! Please, please, please make this promise to me and to yourself! For, as a representative of Jesus Christ, I promise you that there will be power in your learning and knowledge given to you that will help you become the missionary that Heavenly Father NEEDS you to be!
I know a lot of this letter seemed very directed at Brandon, but this is for everyone! For, we are all part of the Harmon Missionaries! For we are told "every member a missionary!" Brooke, I know you would love to serve, and you would be an incredible missionary! As we read the purpose in the first chapter Preach My Gospel, we see that our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ. I believe that is the purpose for each of us. We need to be an example to others!
Mom and Dad have been incredible examples of missionaries! I constantly have talked to mom and dad about all their missionary opportunities with their friends at work or friends that have fallen away. This is the most beautiful work, the work of the Lord!
I love you all! May God be with you always!
I thought I would send you this picture & the quote that I sent before. This is the picture that inspired me to write it. Just thought you would think it was cool!
Family, you are so so loved! AND you are so missed! For I love you more than words can explain! I was chocking on my own tears when I read this quote from mom . . . . about the definition of courage and leaving the family . . . .
Just know you are all in my prayers, fasts, my thoughts, and my heart!
Love, your son/brother
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Your Eternal Family :)
Families are Forever!!
OFA ATU
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