Elder Pearson's missionary moment

Hi
Our ward does a missionary moment, in the newsletter. David wrote this back in Dec. but it was good, and I thought you would enjoy.


Greetings from Paradise!
That’s right, you may not have known that Tampa Florida is the greatest place on earth. It is about a ten-twenty minute drive from the beach… on three sides. Needless to say the salt air is glorious and tracting is wonderful as we share the gospel in 65-75 degree weather.
I guess since this is the first Missionary Moment I had written in the field I’ll share a little bit about the mission. First of all in the Florida Tampa Mission we do things a little bit differently. First of all we don’t teach first lessons in the home. We take investigators on tours of the church building. There we talk about the programs the church has, show them the chapel, cultural hall, classrooms, and family history center. We also teach the first lesson as we highlight some of the art work in the building. We dos this for a few reasons: First, the church is the dedicated house of the Lord. Therefore the Spirit will be present in the lesson. Second, if they can keep the appointment time for there tour, they will be more likely to keep other sacred commitments that we extend to them. Lastly, we are able to focus more on the Savior as we ourselves feel the spirit that is in the chapel. This program has turned the Florida Tampa mission into one of the highest baptizing missions in the United States.
Our mission President, President Colton, challenged the mission in October to read the Book of Mormon before Christmas Conference (Dec 12, 2007). While reading we have been highlighting the references to Christ, Christ’s words, and attributes of the Savior. I must admit, this challenge has been most enlightening. He promised that as we would do this three things would happen:
1. Our love for the Savior would grow,
2. Our effectiveness as missionaries would increase and,
3. Our hearts would be changed through the Atonement of Christ.
As I have read the Book of Mormon I have been amazed how much it testifies of Christ. It took me almost a month to find a single page that did not mention our Savior at least once, most of the time the entire page is colored with his words, names, and attributes. I have come to realize how wonderful the Book of Mormon is. I know that it is a Testament of Jesus Christ. The crowning point of this testimony is when The Lord and Savior visited the New World in his full resurrected glory. Upon visiting them he stated:
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. (3rd Nephi 11:10-11)
May this New Year be one full of the love of Christ. I know that he is the Savior of the world. As I have read and studied the Book of Mormon I have grown closer to my Savior, I have come to know the power of the atonement in all that I do. I have felt the love of God and Christ daily as I have strived to "always remember Him". My final wish is that of Moroni "And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen" (Ether 12:41).
Love,
Elder David Pearson