I know I've explained what TLC is before, but I'll do it again real quick. TLC is a conference new missionaries go to twice during their training (once a transfer). They do roleplays and get to hear from President and Sister Larkin and the whole thing is really just to test what they're learning and get new insights to help them improve.
Now the reason I bring it up is that it's awesome! Mostly because lunch is provided and you get to hang out with a bunch of other missionaries, but also because you get to develop your teaching and get other missionaries' insights on how to improve. I'm not in training and I am not currently training anyone, so I don't get to go. BUT, it takes place at the same chapel where the office is located at. So Elder Simpson and I decided to "accidentally" be at the office the same day TLC was going on. We didn't actually expect to be given any of the food, I just wanted to see some of the missionaries. We did get lunch though 
. We also helped with setting up lunch, so we were useful.
. We also helped with setting up lunch, so we were useful. We had a really cool devotional this past week. Elder Rascon (an Area Seventy) and Elder Pieper (a General Authority Seventy) came to speak to the mission. Since the mission is scattered around (obviously) only a couple of zones were able to come in person, mine included. The rest had to watch over zoom. They both spoke about missionary work and gave us super great advice and amazing motivation (something some missionaries have really been needing). Elder Pieper taught us some great ways to extend an invitation to be baptized and how to address peoples' needs directly as they come. Great stuff that is very useful. Elder Rascon actually remembered me from a fireside back in October where I approached him after the meeting and asked him some questions, so that was cool.
Yesterday was Stake Conference and Linda came! People talked a lot about temples and the blessings that come from working in the temple, which really increased Linda's curiosity and desire to go someday. After Stake Conference, we had a lesson with her and her friend Grace, and Brother and Sister Harris from our ward showed up. It didn't go as planned... Brother and Sister Harris were very excited and loved answering their questions. They went a little to deep on some subjects though, and I think it left Linda very confused. The other day she was telling us that she was ready to move towards baptism so she can get to the temple and help her son get his work done (her son passed away a little bit ago). But after the lesson, we asked her to plan for a specific date and she said she is not sure she is quite ready yet. She didn't completely reject it though, so we think she just needs more time to develop a testimony of the Book of Mormon and understand some more things. I promised her that it's okay if she doesn't understand everything, I definitely don't. What's important is that she finds out for herself that this Church is true and that she needs to be a part of it. I asked her to read Mosiah 18 and to keep praying about it until the next time we meet. she said she will.
Not much more happened this past week, nothing worth writing about at least. So I'll share something cool I learned in my studies the other day. Something called a "straw-man" argument. This is something Missionaries get attacked with on the regular. It's when you create a false image from something true and then attack the false image to try and disprove the true image. For example (and this is an example given in the Book of Mormon institute manual), when a parent tells their child that they can't play until their chores are done and the child fights back saying the parents don't want the child to have any fun. It is taking something true and adding a touch of falsehood to it and then using it as a weapon. If you remember last week a guy was trying to prove us wrong because we believe that Lucifer was the firstborn of the Father. Well, we don't believe that. This is a perfect example of the "straw-man" argument. People get these false ideas about our church and then use them to fight us. You wouldn't believe how many people somehow get the idea that we aren't Christians. I think it is pretty obvious by the name of our church that we are. Anyway, this is just an interesting tactic the adversary uses. Studying it has opened my eyes to it and now I feel more able to shut it down. Interesting things!
Anyway, I think Elder Simpson is getting bored, so I'll end this so we can go shopping. Have a great week! If you want another example of a "straw-man" argument, study Alma 30 and see if you can find it.
Until next week!
-Elder Peterson
