Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Week Two

HEYY, i'm so pushed for time, so it'll be quick. i'm leaving this place on tuesday, so my address will change. i'll let yall know wat it is when i get. check out elderpearson.blogspot.com. it's a pretty cool web site :P


This place is amazing, soo spiritual. we're learning how to teach what we call the plan of salvation. i love the fact taht families are forever! it makes me feel a lot better to know i'll be with my wife and family forever! well i gotta go and try to reply to some other emails. WRITE DEAR ELDER. i'm in the provo mtc. bless you all. have a good week!

PART TWO

so on saturday a bunch of ppl, including urs truely went as close to the fence as we could to hear the byu/fl. st. game.... sad to say it was pretty quiet... and we got this fat kid on the other side of the fence keep going to his home and updating us on scores. anyone who wants to know anything at all, read James 1:5. it's such a good scripture and so true. remember to pray as much as you can to your Heavenly Father. he wants to hear yall

Monday, September 21, 2009

A Midweek Letter From Ryan

Although not P-Day, Ryan sent a letter he wanted me to share with y'all.

So today we went to a building where we call to followup with people who have ordered free Book of Mormons or Bibles from our commercials.  I called a woman whose daughter had ordered a Bible.  She was sobbing when she answered the phone.  She told me she was on the ground praying for God to show her He loved her.  She was begging him to have someone call her.

She was going through some horrible financial troubles and had been faithful to the Lord, but needed to know He was listening.  I was able to assure her that He was and I sent some missionaries to her house.  I will never know how it turns out, but I hope that she finds the truth from the missionaries.  I know that prayers are answered and Heavenly Father loves us all. 

Every day here I feel the spirit like I only have a few other times at other places.  My companion and I were teaching a member of the church as practice, and she asked us to talk about President Monson, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  By the time we were both finished her eyes were teared up and I felt it too.  Nothing brings the spirit stronger or faster than a testimony.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

PIctures from the MTC

Ryan sent some pictures from the Missionary Training Center (MTC).  He seems to be not only working hard, but having fun.




This is he and his companion, Elder Fox, in front of the Missionary Training Center sign.  A must picture for all missionaries.




This is the group of four Elders going to Ogden - Fox, Pearson, Kurtz and Davis.



Ryan and his district (a group of 8 missionaries) outside the Provo Temple.



Boys will be boys.  Ryan described this as his "matrix" flip.




Also in the boys will be boys category.  This is Elder Davis, one of the Elders going to Ogden.  His mom would be so proud.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Week One

One week down at the Missionary Training Center (mtc). it's be the toughest, most overwhelming and greatest week of my life. I've learned so much and am so in tune with the Holy Ghost. Here, the days feel like weeks, but when you look back on the week it feels like a day. i only get 30 min, once a week to check and write email, which is elderpearson@myldsmail.com, and i am only supposed 2 email family. so anyone who writes back, who should be a everyone, plz put down your full address just in case i don't have time. you can also write me letters. my address is

Elder Ryan Linford Pearson
MTC Mailbox # 142
UT-OGD 0929
2005 N 900 E
Provo, Utah 84604-1793

and a third way to contact me is a website called dearelder.com. it's amazing. you write me a letter on it, and in 2 hours they print it off and have it in my mailbox like a letter. and for the next 2 weeks, it's free! so that's the best way to write me. Every day when we get letters is like Xmas, so yall send em. If you get this email, your on the foward list. which means you'll get a long email every week fowarded from my mom. if you want off it just reply and ask her to take it off. no hard feelings.

Some fun scriptures i've found are proverbs 21:19 and Genesis 4:9 for anyone who thinks weed should be leagalized, not me but i think this verse is funny. I found this kid who looks and sound exactly like mclovin. it's hilarious. Ending on a spiritual note, last night the mtc was visited by Elder Jeffrey R Holland! He's an apostle to our prophet Thomas S Monson. It was the best talk i've ever heard! He talked about missionary work and not messing your life up. The spirit was so strong in the room. but the best part of the night, i think, was when the choir sang at the beginning. It was a song i havn't heard before and a line from it was, "How many drops of blood were spilled for me?" The atonment of Jesus Christ so we can repent for our sins took place when he died on the cross as well as in the garden of gethsamane. This is where he suffered for our sins, felt any bad feeling we've ever felt, was betrayed, and most importanly, literallly bled from every pore in his body. an unimaginable sacrafice for all of us, his brothers and sisters. I started tearing up when i thought of this and wondered how much he suffered spicifically for me. I testify to yall that i know he loved us so much. this is the only reason he went through this. he know's u personally cause he went through exactly what you go through and will go through. his love for us is endless and we can show our love for him and our father in heaven by keeping his commandments and praying. Prayer is a literal phone call to GOD. and they are answered. I love you all and know this is the right thing i'm doing. Everyone keep up the good work and don't forget to write.
Missing yall,

Elder Pearson

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

He's Gone

[Note this is not Ryan, but his mom] A few pics of Ryan as he left today. I am guessing we should hear from him in about a week.





JGat, TNic, and Lauren came by to say goodbye.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

A Fine Way to Start

Since this is a blog to document Ryan's mission, I thought the way to begin is with his farewell.  Below is the text from his talk.

I remember the first time I saw a missionary farewell talk. I had no idea who gave it or what they said, but I remember being horrified that this bishop was asking this poor guy to leave his home for 2 years. And still worse was the fact that he had to give a talk right before he left. Back then, much like today I hated speaking in front of large groups. I remember the promise I made with myself, the same promise I’m breaking right now. That I would serve a mission without hesitation. But the moment they asked me to give a farewell talk, I’d be done with it all.



Good morning brothers and sisters. My name is Ryan Pearson. For the next 2 years I will be Elder Pearson, but I might be called “get off my yard” more often. And today is all about me, so my topic should be as well. I’ve been asked to talk on faith building experiences in my life and how they’ve led to prepare me for a mission. going on a mission has always been important to me. I’ve always planned on going on a mission, getting into a good school, such as BYU, finding a wife, and becoming a millionaire. Although I don’t want to earn the money, just inherit it. But I’ve known that I would need to serve a mission first to set off the chain of events and would need a lot of faith in order to do so. I also figured if I didn’t serve a mission I might be broke, alone, and end up at the University of Utah.


Before I talk about what’s built up my faith, I’m going to give yall the most common symbol to faith, a little seed. I know this is very basic and overly used. But I believe it is very important. And some of the most basic thing r the most true. If someone gave you an apple it’s like your first spiritual testimony building experience. The apple is going to taste good, be healthy, but most importantly, give you a little seed. You take that seed and plant it. Take care of it by feeding and watering it, and making sure it gets enough sunlight. This is like going to church, reading the scriptures, and praying twice a day. If you take good care of your apple seed it will eventually grow into a strong apple tree, able to withstand storms and strong winds. Just like your faith will be strong and able to withstand temptation. But no matter how strong or old your tree is, it’s always going to need constant food, water, and sunlight. A lot of people forget this. They gain strong testimonies, stop growing them, and eventually fall away from the church. If you do everything right your apple tree will grow delicious apples that you can share for other people and hopefully they can grow their own trees. Just as you can share your testimony or use your faith to help other people grow their own faith in our Heavenly Father.


After hearing that first farewell talk long ago, I paid as much attention as I could in primary, preparing for my own mission. My favorite song was I hope they call me on a mission. I increased my testimony through prayer and Sunday school. Always using it to find little toys I’ve lost. I probably found them because they were in left obvious spots, but the strong innocent testimony of a child to find them was the answer I took. A great way to increase faith is to read the Scriptures and see how faith in others has helped them so much. But to get the fullness out of the scriptures, you must read them every day. Some people might read a lot on Sundays and say it’s good enough for the week’s reading but this dosn’t work. If I take a very long shower once a week and don’t bathe for the rest of it, I might smell really nice that one day. But for the rest of the week I’ll smell like the Tomball Ward. You need to enlighten every day with the scriptures and give your faith a chance to grow. Now that my mission is near and I actually have the melchizedek priesthood, I have really been able to see the fullness of the power of the priesthood. I have witnessed and taken part of miracles that I bear testimony to only have happened through priesthood blessings and faith.


Another big faith builder has always been the temple. Hearing about the sacrifices that were made from the first church members as Joseph Smith was commanded to build the Nauvoo Temple installs the faith they had early in that time. They gave everything they had to make it beautiful. It’s much easier to build one now. But still, every expense is paid to make the temple of the highest quality. As it should be, for it is the house of the Lord. As I’ve been in the Temple with the youth I’ve felt the spirit the strongest. And recently I went through the Temple and took out my endowments. Before, I was filled with nerve and excitement. Before, I couldn’t imagine what I would feel in the rest of the Temple, when I already felt the spirit strong surrounded by a bunch of kids. As I went through the temple, I knew it was what I should be doing, but I never had my AHAA moment I’d hoped for. I never had an overwhelming feeling from the spirit that this was the house of the Lord and this is the true church that I’ve had many times before in the temple. It didn’t take anything away from my testimony that I didn’t get that moment, but it kind of bummed me down. That night, as I laid in bed waiting to fall asleep I started to think about everyone who went through the temple with me. Family, close friends, the Bishop, and the Delamares even arranged their schedule, with a family reunion the next day, to make it. That deeply touched me as I thought about it in bed. I thought of the pure love they have readily for everyone without hesitation. And I started feeling that way for them. Then for my parents, and everyone who went to the Temple with me. I soon started feeling peace and joy when I thought about my old seminary teachers and everyone in out stake and soon, everyone I knew, whether I usually liked them or not. Now I know this is an ordinary day in the life of some people, such as President and Sister Delamare, but that moment increased my testimony more than I thought possible, and I knew that I wouldn’t of had my AH-HAA moment without that trip to the Temple.


I’ve had many moments in my life that have tested my testimony and strengthened it. But as soon as I had my own testimony, I’ve made it my goal to try to build it up in others and do some missionary work, which has mostly started in 7th grade when it consumed my name. Some of my high school friends probably have to think for a minute to tell you my first name. That’s because for the last 6 years my name, to about 85 percent of Tomball High School faculty and 96 percent of students has been Mormon. It was started as a way to make fun of me, but I kept it and turned it into a way to inform everyone I could about my people. I’ve had everything from questions about my moms and the guys on bikes to substitute teachers telling me Mormons don’t drink tea because they couldn’t make it themselves in the old days. I’ve enjoyed answering questions and correcting facts throughout high school. And I know that I will continue to enjoy it in the mission field. I’ve always thought of missionary work as kind of like hunting. You have to pick a good area, patiently wait as you find a target, and hope you don’t mess it up. But where I’m going, Ogden Utah, it’s kind of like I’ve been given a shotgun and start shooting fish in a barrel. Most of the people I tell I’m going to Ogden give a split second look of failure. Then they immediately realize this and start talking about how it is the highest baptizing mission and I’ll be treated like a rock star. Rock star or not, I’m happy I’m going to Ogden. Which, by the way, the Ogden mission is where I’ve been saying I was going to for about 3 months before I received my mission call. I’m happy to go there because it was where I was asked to go. I’ve known, a long time ago before my call that you are called specifically to a precise mission. And I know that I am going to Ogden because there are certain people who will only listen to me and it’s what I need to do. I recently found out that my family heritage is rich in the northern Utah mission. My ancestors made the trek across the united states to Utah. They helped set up Logan, Utah. And also a president of Utah State was a lot of great grandfathers ago of mine. So perhaps a reason I’m going, on top of it all, is to find some relatives of mine and help guide them back into the church. No matter what the answer is, I’ve been called there and I’ll figure out why when I’m there.


I’ve always heard the quote, “You don’t move up or down in church calls, only around.” And I use this for missions as well. Ethan Grabau, from Tomball ward is serving a mission in Sierra Leone. My uncle Steven is serving in Brazil. I know that in all three of our missions there are baptisms and teachings going on and truth being spread. The only difference in the 3 missions is the amount of Jell-O intake. Them none, and me, probably more than I’d like.


Hebrews Chapter 11, verse 1 reads: NOW afaith is the bsubstance of things choped for, the devidence of things not seen.


And Alma Chapter 32, verse 21 reads: And now as I said concerning faith—afaith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye bhope for things which are cnot seen, which are true.



These are two very similar quotes from two different books. The first from the Bible, and the second from the Book of Mormon. This shows how similar the two books are and also shows how important faith is. There are many things which cannot be proven, but are known for fact by many people. This knowledge is through faith and called a testimony.


I’d like to end my talk, brothers and sisters, with my testimony. That I know for a fact that a prayer is always answered, even if it’s not the answer you might want. That Jesus is the true son of God. That he did walk this earth thousands of years ago and he had faith enough to walk on water, raise the dead, and calm the seas. I know that faith is rewarded with blessings. When I was having a missionary interview with Bishop Mclane, he told me that both I and my family would be blessed from it. Then he told me that specifically we would be financially safe while I was on my mission. This was at a time that my dad was ending a project as a construction manager. Because of the bad economy, very few new building were being built and very good construction managers were being laid off because of lack of projects. I worried about my dad finding a new job, probably more than him or my mom. When the Bishop told me this my eyes teared up. I knew it would be fine and had full faith in it. I sent in my papers and my dad just landed a year long project transitioning some HP buildings into a Lonstar College campus less than a mile down the road. I know this was because of faith and a willingness to serve. I also have a testimony that we do have a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson. and he is directed by God to give us information. I will miss my family, my friends, and my ward. Also Tomball ward, my 2nd home. I will miss the good food and people of Texas, but I know I will shortly adapt to the foreign customs and people of Utah. I want you all to know that I feel a strong love for you all. That a week ago, the love was overwhelming. And you all have helped me shape me into the person standing here today. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen