Agents or Objects?

Autumn has hit Stockholm

 cool pictures I got in Gamla Stan

Stockholm early in the morning

Me outside the old church building

Stockholm in the Autumn

  Hey everyone,

Elder Mott and I are continuing to tear it up here in Stockholm.  The city seems to be emptying out quite a bit from summer tourism.  Now you really just hear Swedish and English spoken on the street and it's surprising how many Swedes you hear using English.  Its very important to know both.  

   This last week we had Elder Bednar come and visit Sweden.  He came to have a conference with all YSA's but made time to meet with all of the missionaries.  I know that we all greatly appreciated it.  He spoke a lot about being agents.  How god created mankind to be agents not to be objects.  Agents act and objects are acted upon.  Objects will not act or move until some force comes and moves it.  Agents need no such prompting.  He reminded us in teaching situations we need to allow people to think for themselves, to learn themselves.  If we just sit there and spew information out we turn them into objects.    Part of God's plan is that we as agents have our free agency.  We are all free to choose.  We also need to ask ourselves that when we pray, are we objects or agents.  Do we pray and then wait as an object does for some force to push us?  Or do we seek it ourselves as agents.  God is more likely to bless us when we fulfill our potential as an agent.  

    Bednar talked about a lot of other things and had a really good question and answer section.  Almost the entire time we were there he had us speak and he would just expound off of what was said.  It's amazing, someone would ask a question and you would think, oh, this doesn't pertain to me then all of a sudden he would say something you needed to hear.  It's amazing seeing how inspired he is and he got us all excited for general conference coming up.  

 Love,

     Äldste Jonathan Moe

The work is moving forward!

Me and my companions in Gamla Stan (the old city of Stockholm)

Our early morning workout.  The weather is turning colder and it's getting darker earlier.  Winter isn't here yet but we can feel that it's coming.

Enjoying a little ice cream.

This week has been very busy.  We are working closely with the YSA centers .  It's been great to be able to meet so many young people at the pivotal point in their lives that are looking for the something different and willing to listen to our message.  This week Elder Bednar is coming and all the YSA's from all over Sweden are coming to meet with him and we're excited to hear what he has to say and to be trained by an apostle.

I continue to be amazed and uplifted by the promptings of the Holy Ghost in our discussions.  I've had amazing spiritual experiences when I trust in the promptings and in myself to follow those promptings.

Thank you so much for the continual support and prayers.  I appreciate the letters, emails, and love all my family and friends have shown me.

love,

   Äldste Jonathan moe

Only 6 weeks left in Sweden. I still have a lot I want to accomplish!

Missionaries in my area

I had to say goodbye to so many of my friends! Some of them went home.

 Another week here in Stockholm, and the close of this week leads me into my last transfer cycle (six week period).  There is a transfer this next week and a new group of missionaries coming in.  Our district is now going to be 17 missionaries (12 younger full time missionaries and 5 senior missionaries).  Our new district is Elders Mott, Keele, Taggart, Miles, Olson, and myself, sisters Klingler, Spencer, Vaarola, Hills, than couples, Coombs, and Kohlers.  So a super cool district, Ill get a picture next week.  

  This week I found a scripture in 1 Corinthians 4:5.  "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God."  Basically never judge anyone because it'

s impossible to know anyone's situation.  Many speak of judgement as being this horrifying thing but here it says that all men will have praise of God.  There is so much good that happens throughout the world that goes unseen but will be rewarded.

  Right now one of our most progressing Investigators invited her 16 year old friend to also listen to the message, they both have plans to be baptized.  Every time I meet someone who is young and self inspired to investigate spiritual things it makes me feel really good, and it shows me that younger people are becoming spiritually active.  

   Today is officially the first day of fall, which means everyone is pulling out the layers and the weather is getting colder and darker.  Its gonna be cool to see Stockholm in this season, even though it'll be a short autumn.  I'm very aware that I don't have much time left but this can be the most productive time on my mission.  I'm going to work until the very last minute I have here.  I love my mission.  I love Sweden and I love the people I've been blessed to meet and work with here.

love,

   Äldste Jonathan Moe

Gardens and Statues

Aldste Moe in Stockholm gardens

Statue of St. George

Lion Statue outside the Royal Palace

Horse Statue at Blasieholmstorg

Bear Statue outside the Natural History Museum

Late Summer Crawdad Party

Sodermalm

Crawdad

Crawdad Party

Stockholm's Grand Hotel

This last week was a super good week, we saw a lot of miracles come from it.  So an appropriate week for a missionary.  I am still loving Stockholm, it is a pretty sick city.  Especially now towards the end of summer.  So basically its not as hot and sweaty but its still sunny and bright.  It actually is getting dark around 10 now every day.  Soon we will only have the light for a couple hours out of every day, so were grateful for the sun while its around.  It also has been raining a ton these last couple days.

   Around five weeks ago, I spoke to a man on the subway and didn't have time to get his number but gave him a book of Mormon and a contact card and barely was able to jump off of the train when the doors were closing.  He said he would come to church the next week but never did.  This week when we were going to open up the church building during open church times he drove up and began talking to us.  We taught him about Joseph Smith and the Restoration and it was a very powerful moment when we spoke about Joseph Smith.  He shared that he had always wondered who was carrying on the work the apostles had started.  We challenged him to read and pray to know if it was true.  He had already read through the beginning of the Book of Mormon and came to the promise in the introduction and had already read to know it was true and received the answer that it was true.  We committed him to baptism.

  During the month of August in Sweden there are kräft-skivor, or crawdad platter parties.  We were invited out to a picnic/crawdad party this last week so that was cool.  Crawdads have always kind of been a southern thing in my mind but every august in Sweden people go crazy for them.

   We were doing personal family history this last week and I had been struggling recently to get any progress with my own family history.  After praying and really searching for guidance I was able to find some of my Norwegian sides names in old census records.  I found their parents names and their family.  It doesn't matter what aspect of the work it is the Lord blesses our efforts and helps us be of great benefit to our fellow man.

   It crazy we are in August already.  I am still loving it, Mott and I are doing way good.  His Swedish is getting very good and he is definitely eager to get the work done which is whats important.  

Love ya all,

   Äldste Jon Moe

My time here is flying by.

 This week we had another transfer here in Stockholm.  I received Elder Mott as a new companion. He is coming straight from the MTC in Utah.  So I will likely finish my mission with him as my companion.  I am very happy with that as well.  He is a very good missionary and is very eager to do the work.  There isn't much more you can ask for in a companion.  Also we had Elder Hitch move into Stockholm.  He was my MTC companion, and he goes home in just five weeks which is pretty crazy.  So we started our missions together and now well end it together.  I wish my other MTC comp was nearby but that would just be too good.

   Last week Elder NIeminen also went home.  It was super weird.  It a;most felt like it was my time to go home but it wasn't...yet.  We were only together for three weeks but they were a very good and very effective three weeks.

     Right now is vacation time in Sweden which means Stockholm is filled with tourists.  And  all the rest of the Swedes leave on vacations.  The Stockholm ward has not had many people there on a weekly basis thanks to that.  Many of the people we had been teaching also have left on vacations but they should be back soon and then everything will pick up again.     This last week, we met with someone who had referred themselves and it ended up being a prank, that happens every once in a while but he said it was a prank but was still interested in learning what we had to say.  We were able to talk with him and he was actually super cool.  We taught the restoration and when we shared the story of the first vision we could feel the spirit super strong testifying of the truth there.  

   We also heard from Fransesca who is in Spain now and will be going to the Temple there soon, she is super excited to be a member down there.  She's doing good.

   I am really loving Stockholm.  It's just as good as I had always imagined. It's beautiful during the summer all though it's still super hot.  We sweat everywhere we go.  But it's still better than the winter.

Love,

   Äldste Jonathan Moe

Aldste Moe with the senior couple Coombs over the center.

Me and my companion and some other missionaries with Laleh a friend of ours.

Francesca is baptized!

Missionaries on the fourth of July.

Us and Fransesca and the Guerra Family from Stockholm

This last week was hectic. It was hectic, but amazing.  Last week, I wrote about someone who came into the church and talked about joining the church.  Well she was baptized here in Stockholm today.  She said she would rather stay in Stockholms ward to be taught.  We met with her most every day during this last week and taught everything someone being baptized needs to know.  She truly was prepared.  She would accept and absorb principles faster than most.  Throughout the whole process there was a member family that got to know her and without them it wouldn't have been possible.  It showed us the perfect relationship between members and missionaries.  Today after her baptism she shared a few thoughts from everything she had learned.  She testified of the Holy Ghost, of Joseph Smith the Prophet and how the church was restored through him.  She also spoke about President Thomas S. Monson and talked about his last conference talk testifying of his role today.  She is moving to Spain next week.  It's unfortunate that she won't be here to strengthen the church here but she will be of great help no matter where she goes. She has gained a strong testimony. It was amazing to witness such growth and change in a person within a week. 

   It's officially summer in Stockholm.  People we talk to on the streets are from Germany, or China, or the U.S.  Today was 22 degrees which is one of the warmest days I have experienced in a long time.  I think I may have even gotten some sun.

   I've been talking about the Newells leaving for a few weeks and how much we'll all miss them. Well now we have the Beckstrands here in Sweden.  They're amazing!  Very different from President and Sister Newell but still amazing.  Within minutes of them speaking to us we recognized the authority with which they were here.  Yes, even their stewardship over the mission in Sweden.  They're here to bless others and help others come unto Christ.  And I know they have amazing things ahead of them for the next three years.

This last week I have also been reading quite a bit in the Doctrine and Covenants.  I found a part where the Lord speaks about the modern missionary army and I can testify that this


prophecy has been fulfilled.

"13Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thresh the nations by the power of my Spirit;

 14 And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them."  (D&C 35:13)

I definitely feel as if missionaries called, myself included are much smaller then their callings.  But I also know that the spirit is with us and that there is much more going on with this work than we can see with our physical eyes.  The second verse speaks with very powerful words, we know that there are no swords, or crushing with feet involved in missionary work today but the analogy stands.  There is nothing that can stop the Lords work.  I am just very thankful that I can be a part of it.