Hermana Bingham's Adventures in San Jose: The Spirit and the Temple

Hello family!

Thanks for all the letters this week! It's crazy that school is starting so soon! The summer flew by! I'm excited that summer is over, because that means less people will be on vacation. :) Which means more people will be at home for us to teach!

Bryce is going to the temple on Friday! That is so exciting! Don't worry Bryce, you'll love it. You go in not knowing much, but you'll figure it all out, and you'll understand the sacredness of the temple. It's my favorite place in the whole world.

This week has been a great one. Wow. Speaking of the temple, we got to go yesterday! We took Amada and Bernardo and their daughters. They are getting married on Friday, so this was PERFECT for them. Really, it was a game changer. Amada is ready to get baptized. But Bernardo has been a little more hesitant. But he felt the spirit so strongly while we were there. It was incredible. And now he understands the spirit, and how this gospel is what he wants. And he actually wants to work towards baptism now. I'm so excited for them. Hopefully they'll get baptized here soon. We're working really hard with them. It was so incredible to see the change that took place in him while we were at church, and then at the temple. It was amazing. It really testified to me that the spirit changes people. And of the spirit that is there at the temple. We didn't even have to go inside to feel something incredibly different. And I appreciate it a lot more now since I don't get to go to the temple as often. But wow, it was amazing. We basically took their engagement pictures for them outside the temple. It was so fun. I'll send home some of my favorites.

At the Visitor's Center we were able to watch the hour long Joseph Smith movie. And as I was watching it, it was amazing to feel how tangible the spirit is. We were watching the part about the first vision, and Joseph was in the grove praying, and Satan comes and tries to overtake him. And it was dark. Like, the cinematography didn't have much light, but the spirit wasn't really there either. I didn't like the feeling. But then, as soon as I saw the pillar of light burst through the darkness, I was overcome with this feeling of peace. It was so interesting to see how the spirit works. Throughout the rest of the movie, when there was a scene with yelling, or the scenes with persecution, the spirit wasn't there. When Joseph was in Liberty jail, you hear the voice of Satan talking to him, and it's just dark. But as soon as the voice of the Lord jumps in, there is an overwhelming spirit of peace. After that, my companions and I were talking about how the spirit is driven away so quickly when there is contention or loudness. That's something I really want to always have. I want to be sensitive to the spirit, and be able to feel him leave, so that I know what I need to do to have it back. It was an incredible experience, and I'm so grateful I had it. I'm grateful for the constant guidance of the spirit, and the heightened sensitivity I have as a missionary. I'm learning a lot.

I love you all, and I hope you have a fantastic week. Always remember to live so that the spirit can be where ever you are. :)

Love you!

Hermana Bingham