Elder Colton Price

I want to tell you about the people here in Greenville.

Greenville is a small town a little smaller than Centerville, just no mountains. It has an old style down-town street with window shops and things like that. But what I really want to talk about are people, and I haven't done that yet.

We found a family of three a weekish ago. They are Chris-30ish, Karah-30ish, and Cameron-10. They live just down the street from us and they just moved in. We found them on the street and they offered to help them move in. They aren't married, but we hope to change that. They are such a sweet couple. The first time we met them we gave them a Family Proclamation. Karah read it and even looked us up online. They are so sweet and we have a return appointment set up for this Wednesday. They have such open spirits. They don't know it yet, but you can see in their eyes that they are searching for truth. They want to find the peace of mind that only the gospel can bring.

We had a baptism this past Saturday!!! Nicky got baptized by her father in law this past Saturday, and it was amazing! She had been investigating the church for about 8 months before this day. She slowly gained a testimony, and is now such a blessing to the branch. She is doing her family history work already and is using her husband's profile on familysearch so that she can see if the temple work is done or not. How neat is that! She has such a sweet testimony of the gospel that stems from knowing that the Holy Ghost has guided her throughout her life. She is very sensitive to the spirit.

I want you to know that the reason I am out here is because of the people. The Children of God that come back to the fold make it all worth the work. Be a friend to the friendless, strengthen the feeble knees, lift up the hands that hang hopelessly down.

love Colton

I know that Jesus is the Christ. He has redeemed this world and our souls from an awful state of misery and hell. He lives as the Son of God. He loves each and every one of us. Heavenly Father loves us. He selected us out of all the creations in the spirit to come down and be just lower than Him. Psalms 8:5 says that we are created just lower than the angels, but the footnote on angels goes to the greek translation meaning "God created us just less than the gods"

We each posses divine nature! We have the potential to become like God! Oh how great the goodness of God! This church is the only church upon the face of the earth that has the authority and knowledge to perform ordinances and make covenants necessary to return to live with Heavenly Father. Joseph Smith is the prophet that was called to restore the church to its fulness and glory. He was called by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to be the tool used for the restoration of the fulness of the gospel. This fulness is found today in the King James Bible and the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is Divinely inspired scripture, written in the past to cry from the dust to our generation. Its soul purpose is to testify of Christ. It is the truest book on the earth today.
Thomas S Monson is the Prophet today. Of this I have no doubt. He is inspired and has my full support.

I bear this witness in the name of Jesus The Christ,

amen

Elder Colton F Price

Elder Colton Price

Hey guys!! I am sorry that it is a weird week but its transfers tomorrow so we put preparation day on Wednesday. 

So to answer the big question...yes, I am getting transferred out of Huntington. It is like leaving another one of my homes. I am so excited to see where I end up after this. Elder Callister isn't terribly happy that I am leaving him alone. I told him that we will definitely have to catch up when we see each other at meetings and such. 

I want you to know that I love you all so much!! It has been somewhat rougher trying to wait until Wednesday to email you. I hope you know how much it means to me that you support me. Likewise I hope that you know that I support you and all that you do. I was told of a previous Elder in this are that went on his mission and his parents told him that if he left they would disown him. He went anyway and he wasn't fazed at all. His parents told him via his sister that they had moved and he was not allowed to know where they had gone. He still wasn't fazed. I am so glad that I didn't have to go through that. 

Yesterday at a lesson that we had with an investigator named Jeremiah we asked him to say the closing prayer. He did such a good job, but Elder Callister and I had to try not to laugh our heads off when he said "thank you for bringing the Mormon mercenaries to me..."  I have been called several names on my mission and I gotta' say, Mormon mercenaries is a new one...and an awesome one coming from our investigator. 

I bought stirrups for my bike yesterday and installed them, it will be nice not to have the dress shoes slide off of the pedals because they don't have a good tread for pedals. 

OH YEAH!!! I haven't written you about my crash yet! 

Elder Callister were on route to our service thingy we do every friday for the salvation army. The bike ride is maybe a mile...max. We were just doing the normal routine when we ride- no hands on the handlebars just cruisin along. We were almost there and I went to turn left into the front of the church and lock up to the bike rack in the front, but I forgot to tell Elder Callister that this was the plan. So I slowed down and started turning left and managed to turn right in-front of no hands Elder Callister. He managed to grab his handlebars and slam on his breaks before he hit me going about 12-15 mph. He only got minor scrapes on his hands but MAN...MY BACK TIRE IS AWFUL. We took it in to the bike shop and they said that it is as trued as it will get...except for the hop in it caused by a bent rim, so now no matter what I am riding on I hit a bump with every revolution of the tire. :) I am having a blast on my mission!!

I wan't you to know that I know that what I am doing is Gods' work. I am a servant of the Lord, a representative of the Savior Jesus Christ. I also represent the Price Family, and I bear both names with pride. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. There are no words to describe how I feel about His infinite Atonement. He alone was prepared and chosen, before this world began, to be the Savior. I love Him. I am so grateful for the relationship that I am building with Him and Heavenly Father. He is my advocate to the Father; He is also my dear friend. I value His trust and strive to always be worthy of it. This is His Gospel and it brings us to the very presence of Heavenly Father if we follow it exactly. I know that Heavenly Father wants what is best for us. We are His children and He rejoices when we do what is right. I know that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration. He was the tool in Christs' hand that allowed this marvelous work and wonder to be cut out of the mountain without hands. "No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing...The truth of God will go forth...until the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." 

Love 

Colton

Elder Colton Price

HELLO EVERYONE!!! 

First opening comments, THAT BROADCAST WAS MIND BLOWING THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH!!!! I am so excited to have front line placement while the Lord is hastening the work. I know that the work that I am involved in is the work of the Lord. It is funny to think about the technology entering the field...we should have expected it. I can't wait to see how it all works and how much more effective I can be. 

As to my current efforts, Elder Callister and I are trying new finding techniques daily. We prayerfully decided today that it would be good to drop our two investigators and start from scratch again. 

We both had a neat experience that strengthened our testimonies and got us involved in the work even more. We are becoming the fourth missionary. 

Learning how to receive personal revelation and apply it is super fun and uplifting. 

The official change day for the mission is the 1st of July (which seemed FOREVER away 5 months ago) and I will be staying in my same apartment. Feel free to send me stuff :)

Elder Callister and I are doing great together. We have had a few rough patches, but we are doing good.

NO ONE TELLS YOU THAT YOU CAN BE YOURSELF AS A MISSIONARY!!!!! Seriously what is that all about?? So long story short we are happier because we aren't trying to be someone else. It was quite a hit when we were getting ready for bed last night singing the Mulan song "Lets get down to business, to defeat the Huns. You're the saddest lot I ever saw, but you can bet before we're through, Mister I'll make a man out of yoooooooou." That and Mega mind have become regular quote staples :) 

I am so excited to meet President Porter!

I know that the Atonement is real. Jesus Christ Loves me and you. There is no sin that can hide us from the Light of Christ. Heavenly Father wants us to return to Him. I am here because I love My God, and I love his Children. I am so grateful to have your support. I love this work. I can't believe that it has been 5 months almost 6 already. I MISS THE TEMPLE. If I could exhort you to do anything it would be go to the temple as often as possible!

Love you all

Love Colton

Elder Colton Price

Here are parts from several of Colton’s letters.

I just want to tell everyone that I am having AN AWESOME TIME HERE IN THE FIELD!!!! The work is great and I am trying to become the "fourth missionary". It is a talk that gives the different types of missionaries and puts them into four different categories with the fourth being the best one. It is actually harder than you think, but easier to maintain once you become. I am learning Charity, personal accountability, and consecration to the Lord. In essence, all we have to give is our heart and our will, He has given us everything else that we could give back to Him.

I am teaching everything that I have learned over the years. There is not a single day that goes by that a past experience doesn't help me share my testimony or teach a principle. All of these experiences are then rolled into the 5 lessons in Preach My Gospel. The lesson that we teach most often is the Restoration (lesson 1, no surprise there) :) and the other lessons just come in as we continue to teach people. We break a lot of the lessons into parts for different investigators since no one progresses exactly the same.

The investigators here are progressing SUPER well. We had another baptism on Saturday. Sister Townsend was baptized by Elder Smith, and I had the opportunity to confirm her on Sunday. It was pretty nerve racking. :)

So let us begin with yesterday (Sunday). I was in the apartment with my companion after planning not so patiently awaiting transfer calls. I was decently nervous because we should have been called at around 9:40-9:55, however the call didn't come until about 10:20! So my companion is leaving to be district leader somewhere else, and I am staying in Huntington...Training!! I AM SO NERVOUS! I haven’t even finished my training technically. So I am really excited about this and I will be in Huntington for the next 3 months more than likely. :)

Teaching is going well this transfer as well. My companion and I taught a total of 102 lessons this transfer! We have been EXTREMELY busy.
So, my companion is named Elder Callister; he is from Kaysville and he is a really funny 18 year old just like me. he is so much fun to be companions with. He is so much like one of my friends back home it isn't funny! He even talks like them. Elder Callister is a really solid missionary, and I am not even remotely disappointed that he is my companion. His attitude towards life makes it really easy to be relaxed and comfortable around him. I am not as stressed out as I thought I would be, but I can't seem to turn my brain off anymore, which has actually turned out to be a real help.

Earlier last week I asked Heavenly Father to help me with my memory and with my ability to lead; He answers prayers. I can't seem to stop thinking about investigators, members, plans, and back up plans. Its kinda like the "be careful what you ask for" joke.

I know that Heavenly Father prepares us for special assignments in this life--there are no accidents. If Heavenly Father can take the time to put a star in a precise orbit so that it would give light on the night of Christ's birth, then He must definitely take even more time and care to place us in a precise orbit in life where we can illuminate the dark places of the world.

I know that this is the true church, that Jesus is the Christ, and that the Book of Mormon is the true doctrine of Christ. I love Heavenly Father and I love Christ. I love my family and am so grateful for the prayers and support.

There is nothing quite like missionary work. It’s fun, hard, demanding, rewarding, exasperating, and comforting all at the same time. I recently had a change of heart. I am now focused completely on the work. You would think that putting everything that I am/was on the shelf for two years would be demanding or not worth it. I am here to promise that the very moment that I completely submitted to the will of my Father in Heaven I felt a calm and loving feeling come over me. Heavenly Father recognizes our sacrifices, and the more we put on the altar to sacrifice, the more He is willing to bless us with true joy.

I absolutely love this work! I love the people, the place, and the time that I have been called to this work.

There is a high chance that I will end up in the Cincinnati Ohio mission...I might train Zach Beckman. Wouldn't that just be awesome! Tell him I said hi. :)

PS I have officially had one of those moments as a missionary where I know that the Lord protects me. This very Very VERY angry man answered his door...we left quickly. :)

We were mostly worried that he would throw something at the car, you know, the important, irreplaceable part of missionary work ;)

To Close with a testimony

I know that God lives. I have not had a single experience that leads to this conclusion, rather I was blessed to always know in my heart that He is there, just behind the veil. Jesus Christ lives. He knows us just as much as Heavenly Father does. He and Father, and the Holy Ghost are one in purpose, knowledge, and action. Christ has done for me what no other being could--He prepared the way for me to return to my Heavenly Parents and Heavenly Family. In doing this He prepared a way for me to start my own Heavenly Spiritual Family just as my Father in Heaven has done with us. Just as the knowledge that God lives, I cannot pick just one experience that made me know. But know I do. My calling is to testify of the divinity of Christ to all the corners of the earth. Right now I have been called especially to Indiana, but you are within the sphere of my influence and to you I shall testify as well. He lives. He forgives. He loves.

In the name of my Master, Savior, and Redeemer--Jesus Christ,

Amen.