May 29, 2017, "No Greater News"

Email to Family and Friends

            This has been a very interesting week! It has had many ups and downs. The downs were the lowest of lows on my mission, but the highs were the highest of highs! I don't think I have ever put forth more effort to share the Restoration and the power of the Book of Mormon more in my life than I have this week! May God Bless each of us as we journey through this trying life.

           

"No Greater News" 

           I am going to share with you the greatest news to come to this earth since the angels announced the risen Lord. This is the message of the Restoration. I desire to share with each of you Joseph Smiths First Vision. As you read it please ponder and imagine in your mind, what he says he is seeing.

          "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me."

           "When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (1)

Please ponder on your own 

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net

Mission Home: 1848 Rimrock Road,  Billings,  Montana  59102

Current Address: 312 3rd Ave. N.  #8 Great Falls MT 59401

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May 22, 2017, "Birthday Testimony"

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            This week has been amazing! We had the privilege of being trained by Elder Timothy J. Dyches a General Authority. As Zone Leaders we had the opportunity to be with him for 3 days. He came and spoke to the Northern half of the mission on Wednesday in Helena, and the Southern Half on Thursday(my B Day) in Billings, and the we had a Mission Leadership Council meeting with him on Friday in Billings. As one o the northern Zone Leaders we got to go to all 3! 

            It provided for a beautiful Birthday! I had Dennys for breakfast, then I was instructed by a General Authority for 4 hours, saw all my good old friends, then went and did baptisms, confirmations, initiatories, and endowments in the Temple for 4 hours, and afterwords went and bought a lot of Little Ceaser pizzas and feed abunch of homeless tell 9:30pm! So all in all great Birthday!!

           

"Birthday Testimony" 

           For my birthday I would like to let each and everyone of you know, that you should never be afraid or ashamed of your testimony, specifically of the Book of Mormon. The Lord our God will show unto every living creature in Judgment Day that the words of Nephi, Jacob, Alma, Mormon, and Moroni are true! (1)

           Life is not easy, we are beaten and pushed around by life. But if we listen to and read the pleasing word of God, it will heal our wounded souls. (2)

           And now at this time I would like to bear my bold but loving testimony of the Book of Mormon to all. I want you to understand that it is true! God has called me to stand as a witness before God, Heaven, and earth in that last and great judgment day before all nations, kings, rulers, and people that the Book of Mormon was brought forth by God himself. Even the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and Jacob. The God of our Fathers, even JEHOVAH, the Great I AM. That we in these last days may know that Jesus is the Christ.

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net

Mission Home: 1848 Rimrock Road,  Billings,  Montana  59102

Current Address: 312 3rd Ave. N.  #8 Great Falls MT 59401

Notes

1. 2 Nephi 33:11
2. Jacob 2:8

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May 15, 2017, "Super Mom"

Email to Family and Friends

            Happy Mothers Day to all! So on Monday last week, I lost our phone.... Haha that's not good! We still don't have a new phone yet and it's been a whole week. Last Monday we saw some kiddos playing Basketball, we went and played with them, I put the phone down and when we left, I never picked the phone back up. 

            We came back the next day to see if it was there, and one of the kids said they saw a kid in a black coat about 9-10 find it on the ground and immediately run away. Haha sometimes when people call it they say he'll answer it but never say anything :/

            We are teaching tons of people! We will be having 5-6 baptisms in the next 2 weeks. Haha it's such a blessing to be a missionary! Everyone should go on a mission! It's not easy but it is sooo worth it!! It was so fun being able to talk with my family this last week to see their sassy (yes mom and Kayli, I called you sassy) faces!

           

"Super Mom" 

A talk I had the privilege of giving in the Belt Brach.

           I have been asked many times when I have received my testimony, I can't remember not believing in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I have loved them since I have learned of them at the knees of my angel mother, reading scripture stories and learning of the prophets. 

           Over the years of my life, my mother and I have grown very close with one another. I am the youngest of 7 children, were we didn't grow up in the ideal home. My mother had to give her all for her children. During these times she has taken upon herself the title "Super Mom", which is very fitting.

            And now as she has gotten older and life has begun to settle down, she has quote "hung up her cape". We have a little joke with my family, friends and sometimes random people, that I look a lot like Clark Kent, and because of that I have been given a nickname "Superman". 

            Just last week it was my mother birthday, and I found a card that I immediately  fell in love with, it had a pink Superman symbol on it, and within the card I wrote. "Happy Birthday Mom! I know as my Super Mom you have "hung up your cape", but I hope you will always remember, your little Superman will always need and love his Super Mom!"

             I want to thank and show my appreciation to all the mothers in this world. Whether you had the privilege of bearing children or not, you have been a mother for many. You are doing better than you think you are. And those you have suffered for and labored for will revere and praise your name forever in the eternity's as I do my beautiful angelic mother. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

           

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net

Mission Home: 1848 Rimrock Road,  Billings,  Montana  59102

Current Address: 312 3rd Ave. N.  #8 Great Falls MT 59401

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May 8, 2017, "Unbroken"

Email to Family and Friends

            I have been very ill for the past few days, I was bed ridden for the most part. It stared Tuesday evening and is still occurring now. I thought it was Food Poisoning at first but as I went to the ER on Friday we found out it was Campylo Bacter. It is a cousin to salmonella, we aren't quite sure how I got it. It is a virus in your guts that causes severe pain. So that's not to fun but I am better! A little bit. 

            There was a car show in town, so we decided to go street contacting :) But other than that, this week wasn't super eventful, due to illness :/ I feel like Monday was only like 2 days ago haha. But I love you all and hope yall don't get sick!

           

"Unbroken" 

           As I was ill this week, by the end of day 3 my self worth was down the drain. I had just been sleeping and I felt I was wasting my days away. As I was saying my prayers I was a little fed up with my situation and with my productivity. I wasn't mad at God but I was a little unsatisfied with were I was. 

           Then as I was praying, I remembered one of my favorite stories. The story of Louie Zamperini. Or "Unbroken". I remember the power of ones attitude and out look in life. I recognized that yes I was sick but I don't need to be any more. And at that time I got in my bed went to sleep, got up at 630, took a shower put on my shirt and tie and cleaned up the house so that there would be no signs that there was any sick person here. (Yes my innards were hurting, they still are today) But I went out proselyting in the morning tell my Mission Presidents wife called and told me to get inside. 

            There was another sick missionary in the area, so while I was with him for the rest of the day, I called every single Less Active in the book and either invited them to church or scheduled a time to come meet them!

            There is power in simple decisions, you can change your circumstances in life, it only takes a decision! 

           

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net

Mission Home: 1848 Rimrock Road,  Billings,  Montana  59102

Current Address: 312 3rd Ave. N.  #8 Great Falls MT 59401

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May 1, 2017, "Rod of Iron"

Email to Family and Friends

            This week has been so successful!! Just yesterday we had 5 of our investigators pick a specific day on which they will be baptized! We also had 8 investigators at church and 20 less Actives at church too!! Elder Tucker and I have been working hard to make this a great transfer! I am great full for him and his diligence. 

             We have the best Ward mission leader in the whole church! His name is Brother Bailey and not only is he an amazing missionary, but we live with him and he is a super handy man! He can literally make anything to belt buckles, to Damascus steel knifes and hatchets, to wedding rings. All very high quality.

            Last week we went to the wood shop and found this beautiful wood. It is called King Wood, it is a Mexican Rose wood, it is a gorgeous purple, it is the 8th hardest wood in the world and it is so rare that you can't import it to America anymore. Haha so we bought some and made rings out of it! I'll include a picture.

           

"Rod of Iron" 

           The other day I found this little piece of treasure in the Book of Mormon. It is Nephi, and most of us are familiar with Lehis vision of the tree of Life. And some of us are even pretty familiar with Nephis vision of were he sees all that his father saw. But shortly after Nephi has his vision he is speaking with his brothers and attempting to help them understand, and as he does so he says this about the rod of iron.

           "And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction." (1)

           For those of you who were able to see President Monsons latest talk in General Conference, you will notice that Nephi's and President Monsons invitations and promises are in strict harmony!

           I invite all who read this to earnestly read the Book of Mormon everyday, and I can promise you that as you do so, the sins which easily beset you, will soon have no power over you. It is of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

           

Elder Philip R. Bredsguard

philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net

Mission Home: 1848 Rimrock Road,  Billings,  Montana  59102

Current Address: 312 3rd Ave. N.  #8 Great Falls MT 59401

Notes

1. 1 Nephi 15:24

"MLC (Mission Leadership Counsel)"

"MLC (Mission Leadership Counsel) - Funny"

"Branding"

"KingWood ring we made"