Nauvoo Temple Trip!!!

Just got back from the temple and it was AMAZIGNG! Nauvoo is the place to be. I can't even explain how awesome it was to be able to go to such a historic place and attend the temple there. I wish I could go more often because it is such a spirit booster. I learned so much that I hadn't picked up on before and it made me want to try harder, be better, and to give more of myself so that I can help others get to the temple and experience these wonderful blessings. There's always more we can do no matter how good we are currently.

This has been a whirlwind of a week, but it has mostly been good. First we had to move Phillip's baptism to next week... The bishop decided that there couldn't be two events happening in the building at the same time. There was a memorial service being held in the gym for someone's mom that died, but for some reason we couldn't have had the baptism on the OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING where the baptistry is. We had to try to move the time to accommodate and we had to make about 100 phone calls to all the auxiliary leaders because things kept changing. About an hour into this mess I just had to stop and pray and tell the Lord, "Whatever is your will, let that happen!" I don't think it is my place to give permission to God about what to do, but I did. Ends up that it is going to have to happen next week. I trust that God may have had a purpose in making it so it was not this last week. I have to trust and respect the bishop's authority, but I still was upset about it.

A couple cool things that happened this week:

First we went down to Monmouth to visit some people and do some finding. We went to stop by this one lady who we had met a few weeks prior who said we could come back. We went to the address that we put into the areabook and when we got there I knew that that was not the house. We went farther down the street to where the real address was, I put in 329 when it was actually 829. Turns out the old woman wasn't there. We also knocked on a less active mans home who lived across the street from her, he wasn't home either. I kept having this feeling like go back to 329. I pushed it off a couple times, but it kept coming back. So I said Elder Butterfield we have to go back to 329. Well we did and there came a man to the door by the name of Dan. Turns out he already has a Book of Mormon and has been through the Nauvoo temple when they were having the open house. He said he couldn't go in now because he's a "Laman" and they won't let him in. So he has been reading the Book of Mormon off and on since he got it. He said we could come back anytime he was home. It was super cool.

Second, we went to stop by a less active home as request from the bishop, see I respect his office(; We went there and knocked on the door. First of all this place is an old insane asylum that they converted into an apartment complex. No locks on any doors besides the door to the outside. There's all these random hallways and there's like no lights and if there is one it flickers. Like honestly... classic stereotypical insane asylum. It would make for a sick Nazi zombies map. Anyways we go knock on their door, they say come in, I say okay, pay my 1250 points, and push open the door ready for crawlers to come out (That's a zombies reference). Needed a gas mask, so much smoke poured out of the room, like literally poured out. You could see it falling out of the room like a fog machine. The guy turns around and sees it's us and screams, "It's not a good time elders!" We left, but we didn't make it 5 steps before his drunken wife came out and walked us to the door (By walked I mean waddled and stumbled and used the walls to balance and side steps and back peddled and all manner of drunken steps). Don't drink alcohol. 

Well after we get back out to the main lobby (There were no meteor stones, I checked) She sat down on the couches with us and apologized for us having to see them like that. We talked for a while then her husband came out and was in tears. He apologized for yelling and explained that he was just so ashamed that someone from the church had to see them like that. He said no young man on the Lord's errand should have to see such evil. He was really sincere. He just broke down and was apologizing and was saying that they needed to get back into church, but that they felt so ashamed for starting alcohol and smoking that they felt like they were unworthy to come back to church. It was amazing to just see a grown man, with a sweet beard by the way, would just open up so much to a couple young guys like that, granted he was a little under the influence of the "honesty syrup". We bore our testimony about the cleansing power of the Atonement. They just soaked it in. They began to realize the power of the Savior's Atonement. It was pretty amazing to be there and help someone realize that there is hope. Such a great testimony builder. Alma 7:11-13; 34:8-17

There are more things I could tell you about, but I feel as though I have waxed eloquent. I will send out some pictures of the temple and stuff. Love you all, and I love to hear from you so keep me updated on what's goin on. (:

I forgot to include this in the group, but we got to stop at Carthage jail on the way to Nauvoo this morning and see where the Prophet Joseph were martyred. The spirit was so strong there as it was in the temple. 

1. the original door where the bullet went through that Killed Hyrum Smith

2. the room where the martyrdom took place

3. the prison room where John Taylor was dragged by Willard Richards

4. outside of the jail. Joseph fell through the window and onto the ground, crawled over to the well and died sitting up next to it.

G. Franklin Scherer

1319 Butterfield Rd. Suite 522

Downers Grove, IL 60515

USA

Look mom, a tornado!

I saw a tornado this week! We were having our weekly meeting with
the Ward Mission Leader and all the sudden we got like 6 different
texts about severe and extreme weather in the area. Then Bro. Wynkoop
started getting alerts so we went outside and checked and sure enough
it was building up to one. It was raining harder than I've ever seen
before. The streets were flooded with like 5 inches. They were pretty
much rivers. The lightning was striking like every 2 seconds! We
changed out position after a minute because we were standing right
outside the church by the steeple. The thunder was so loud! We just
stood outside and watched it for like a half hour. My companion was
really freaking out and saying that we needed to drive home, but
Brother Wynkoop said that it was safer to just stay put at the church.
"What better place to die than at the church", he said. It was the
most intense thing I've ever experienced.

This was a really awesome week. We have 5 people on date to be
baptized!!! Four of them all live in the same house and they are set
for August 22! It's two couples that are really good friends:
Christina and Marshall, and Andrew and Sadey. They live in Monmouth.
They are going to open back up Monmouth for missionaries and split the
Galesburg ward again starting next transfer, Aug 4. So when that
happens we will have to turn them over to the other missionaries, but
until then we will keep working with them. I hope I will get to stay
for another transfer, even though I really want to go back up to
Joliet or Naperville areas, but just so I can be there for them. I
would at least get to see them at church and go to their baptism if I
stayed here.


The other one is set for this Saturday! His name is Phillip Meyers.
He is 9 years old, his mom is a really less active member. We have
gotten her to come to church once, but she doesn't seem too keen on
coming again any time soon except for her son's baptism and
confirmation. He is going to be interviewed tomorrow and baptized this
Saturday the 25th so I am really excited for that.


We were out finding one day this week and we ran into a guy from
Pakistan. He came out with half of his face covered in shaving cream,
but said if we wanted to wait he would finish and come outside to talk
to us. His name was Raffi, or something like that. We taught him for
about a half hour, it was kind of an argument, but it was a good
constructive argument I think; debating about what each other
believes- he is Muslim. I had a card that has the Articles of Faith on
it and I showed it to him. This was a miracle! I'll give you some
background:
Back last week when we had the mini-missionary with us, Jo took us to
El Rancherito. She was asking if we knew the Articles of Faith and I
could tell her about 9 or 10 of them. That was kind of the end of it,
but afterwards I was thinking, "I should memorize all of them, yeah
Garrett that's a good idea."
So since then I have been carrying with me that card with them on it
and right when I needed it to tell Raffi what we believed I had it! He
read us their "Articles of Faith" so to speak. After we talked to him
he invited us in because it was hot. Inside, he offered us a Pakistani
drink called, Rooh Afza. It was this really thick syrup that you mix
into milk. It was okay, really sweet. He told us that it was supposed
to "make your spirit feel good". There was probably drugs in it.. But
I had a really good rest of that day! And he gave us the bottle of it!
hahah


On Saturday we did about 10 hours of service. We went to Brother
Dobson's house in Abingdon at 9 and helped him move until about 12:30,
then we came back to Galesburg and helped Anthony Barton move. We were
helping him until about 7. Andrew Sevigny took us out to Taco Bell
after we were done. He got home from his mission about 2 weeks after I
got in the area. There was something extra special about that
quesarito that day. Probably because I took it full strength and
didn't have them take out the sour cream, or it could have been those
long hours of moving couches and tvs and fridges.

It was an awesome week and I loved it.

 We get to go to the Nauvoo
temple next week! Our P-day is going to be moved to Tuesday next week.
I just wanted to let you know so we can keep the eyes dry when you
don't hear from me next Monday. (; Have a good week, don't do anything
I wouldn't do!





















Loves, 
Elder G. Franklin Scherer 
 1319 Butterfield Rd. Suite 522 
Downers Grove, IL 60515
USA

mini missionary

Dear Family and Friends,

I just witnessed a miracle! Before we came to the church to email we went to walmart to do our shopping for the week. On the way out we were stopped by the greeter guy. I have seen this same man every week that I have been in Galesburg and I've always said hi, but today as we were leaving he asked to come over to him. He is confined to a wheel chair. He asked us if we knew how he could be baptized. LIKE WHAT! Umm yes sir I know exactly how you can be baptized. I would have done it right there. His name is Geoffrey. He said he has a friend in the ward, the name didn't sound familiar, but we gave him our phone number and the address to the church and he said he wants to come. It was so awesome. 

This week we had a mini-missionary from the youth of the stake come out with us for 3 days. His name was Mathias Cash, but we called him Brother Cash since he wasn't yet an elder or set apart as one. We picked him up late Thursday night and he helped us out til Sunday. He was awesome, he was super into it and wanted to learn about what missionary life was like. I hope he had a good experience. I sure thought it was fun to have him with us and I'm sad that he's gone now.

On Friday we did just about some of everything, so it was good to show Brother Cash all the aspects of missionary work. We knocked on some doors in the morning, not too many people answered, but there was a yard sale going on and we talked to a few people there. There was a full horse skin and I really wanted it, but I didn't have any money with me and I decided that I don't have any room to take it with me if I get transferred ): We ran into a less-active member who was there and were able to talk to her for a while, even set up an appointment to go do some service for her. Then we taught a few lessons to recent converts. 

We also got to meet with David and Viola again! That was a miracle because I thought they were done with us. Turns out we just needed to back off for a few days and let things settle. But when we went back he was glad to see us and apologized for not coming to church, but the brakes in his car went out and he didn't want to risk anything by driving all the way in to town. He lives 45 minutes away from the church so I don't blame him I guess. But I learned a really important lesson from that: never give up on anybody, but sometimes you just need to take a step back and let them figure things out because everything that we teach is so new and different to people that it may take a while for it all to sink in. It seems like such an obvious thing, in fact all these little lessons I learn seem so obvious after I learn them, but I guess that I have just been too stupid to figure them out until now. But at least I know them now and I'm sure there's lots more obvious things to be revealed to me (:

Then we went and did some service for Sister Wiley, who is moving out of her house back up to Minnesota. She used to cut my hair for free, now I'll have to pay someone to do it. What a bummer! We also gave her a blessing before we left. I love to give blessings and participate in them. You can feel of the Spirit so strong because you are literally speaking what God wants you to say to them! So that all happened on Friday with Brother Cash so he really got to experience it all. 

Saturday we attended a baptism for an investigator that Elder Butterfield taught in his last area. So Brother Cash even got a baptism in his 3 days! He was so eager to take part in everything about missionary work. We even asked him before we took him back if there was anything else he wanted to experience or learn about and he said that he wanted to stand outside of the car and back us out. He was so great. He is only 16, but he is eager to serve.

Thursday before we got our mini-missionary the whole Peoria zone got together and we met our new president, President Griffin. He is pretty cool, he is all about making the work fun and finding joy in doing what you do and I think that is going to be great to learn from him. He sure is a lot different from President Fenn, but I'm sure he will  be just as good because he was called of God to be here and to lead us.

We taught the gospel principle class yesterday in Sunday school. We taught about sacrifice. My favorite scripture that we used was Abraham 3:25 "And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;". All things means ALL THINGS. Whatever we will be called upon to do we are expected to fulfill what we are called to do. That's part of this test of life, to see if we will do whatever God asks of us.

A man (or woman) cannot live in heaven if they do not strive to live a heavenly life. We live a heavenly life and are a "living sacrifice" as Paul puts it, if we do the things the Lord commands of us and put off the "natural man" (Mosiah 3:19).

We were looking through some former investigators to visit in our area book and this one had me rolling on the ground!

Elder Bolton trying and my companion participating in Sister Griffins object lesson.

Us and Brother Cash

G. Franklin Scherer

1319 Butterfield Rd. Suite 522

Downers Grove, IL 60515

USA

July 4th festivities

heres my 4th of july festivities

first ones akai, zuzu, dudi, and zephie chillin with their balloons. then theres me, dont look at my face the sun was bright and i also smiled like a retard and also i didnt get my hand inside my pocket fast enough so i look like a crooked wack nut. but the one in the chair is anthony and the one in the tank top is raymond. probably the greatest people ive ever met. we had a barbecue are their house for a while. its a mix of both of their kids and some nephews. their wives were both inside. we talked to all of them about how because of the independence of america the restoration was made possible because it was the only free country at the time where they had religious freedom. tito, one of raymonds sons, had a little toy gun and he pointed it at me. I said, "do it, shoot me tito. everybody gon respect the shooter, but the one in front of the gun lives forever." Raymond, who was cooking, dropped the spatula, looked at me with his eyes wide, and came over and gave me a hug. he said, "i love kendrick lamar and you just made my day cause you know that song." It was sick (: 

then we went out the hendricksons farm and had another barbecue and made a bon fire. it was so hot! it was amazing. i took a sweet video of me starting it on fire, but i cant send videos home so youll have to wait for forever til i return. it was tough trying to go to sleep that night while everyone was shooting off fireworks. seemed like every time one burst, my heart burst along with it. i love the 4th and im so sad i had to miss it!

the two people we had on date for baptism are now no longer meeting with us. so we have nothing really going on right now. i guess that means theres a lot of opportunities to find new people. 

Yesterday I had an amazing spiritual experience. At the end of sacrament meeting we sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic". As we sang the very last line, "Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on." every single hair on my body stood straight up and I felt overcome with the spirit as I almost yelled the words, his truth is marching on!!!! This work is going to progress with or without me, so I either need to get out of the way, or jump on the train. I wanna get on the train and help this work progress. God's truth is here and I, we, are a part of it. It was incredible. The spirit is so great. 

have a good week everyone

G. Franklin Scherer

1319 Butterfield Rd. Suite 522

Downers Grove, IL 60515

USA

Gburg 6.29.15

People,

We have been super busy this week and it's been great! Tuesday were transfers and we had to wake up at like 5:30 to get to the Peoria stake center. Since we are so far away from Naperville where they have the transfer meeting if you are not leaving the Peoria stake you just stay down here. Elder Butterfield and I were both already here, so we just went back to Galesburg after we got everything and everyone else situated. Elder Hermansen took almost all his weights from Peoria to where ever he went. He had like 200 lbs worth of weights in one of his suitcases!! He told me to take it out of the back of the truck and put it in the trailer; that thing almost ripped my shoulder out of place!! haha gravity has a good hold on 200 pounds.. 

So they collapsed our zone into a district because there were so many areas closing down here, so now there is only one zone down here with three districts. Anyway we had to help clean out the old zone leaders apartment. I scored a cool little 1 foot long pool table! Except it's so hard and frustrating to play that it is now safely stored in our closet where I will never see it again. We also got a new bench press!! The family that was lending our other one to the missionaries decided they wanted it back, but now we have another one! Blessings are so real.

We've spent a lot of time cleaning out the Monmouth apartment this week. We were over there like 3 times this week. That really ate up a lot of our time, we didn't even have time to weekly plan so now we are going into this week with almost no plans. But we will make it. 

Elder Butterfield is from Harriman, Utah. We are so different, but Keaton told me that the companions that seemed to be the most different from him usually ended being some of the best ones. I am hoping that will be the case here. 

Elder Riggins, my last companion, is being sent home. He got into some drugs with members and is being excommunicated!! Just kidding! but on the reals he is going home for a season because they found a blood clot in his left calf. I remember the last couple weeks we were together he said that it was hurting him and it was super swollen. I guess once he got to his new area it was hurting him so bad he went to the hospital and found out it was a blood clot. So he has to go home for a little because after whatever they do to him he won't be able to walk on it for 8-10 weeks.

Brother Wynkoop, the ward mission leader told us that it has rained 23 inches here this month. That's probably more rain than I've ever had out in the good ol' desert my whole life!

We are no longer teaching David and Viola as of right now. We taught them about the law of chastity and how they would need to either separate or get married. He straight up told us,"No I'm not getting married." So if he's not willing to progress then we can't help him anymore.. So he fell off date and is now dropped.

Dawn, the other one we had on date, is no where to be found. We haven't seen her since the time we put her on date. BUT we started working with this awesome family in Monmouth. There's actually like three different families living there, but they all said they are willing to be baptized!!! We haven't extended a date yet because they said they might be moving, but I think it's still in Monmouth.

I finally saw Ramona! First time since the day she got confirmed. She is still the same ol' Ramona. She has been really sick, but we have an appointment for next Thursday.

I learned and have been learning these past couple weeks how effective good planning is. Turns out my whole high school philosophy of just "winging it" isn't quite as effective as good planning. Who would've known! 

Friday we had a mission conference up in Naperville. Man I really missed that place. It was amazing to see so many people! I have never been happy to be in traffic before, but that day I was because it meant I was no longer in a landlocked island! There were people everywhere! I am so weak.... We drove through downtown Naperville and I broke.. We drove through the auto mall and I couldn't constrain my eyes. There were Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Maserati, etc. dealerships all down the street.

President Fenn talked about how the scriptures say there are "few" true followers of Jesus Christ. D&C 132:22. This is what he said: "'Few' as of right now means 15 million, one day that will be 100 million. Mark my words, you will live to see the church 100 million strong, before you die there will be 100 million Mormons!" That's a lot of missionary work for us as members to do isn't it! President Monson has said, "Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together to work together to labor in the Lord's vineyard to bring souls unto Him."

Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5, and Mosiah 13 all teach us the 10 commandments. When the Lord repeats something three times that means it's REALLY important. So keep the commandments and the Lord will bless you. Not just these 10, but all of them. There's 613 commandments throughout the scriptures, do you know them all? SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES FOR THEM! (Someone told me that's how many there were so don't quote me on the exact number.)

Hope everyone has a good 4th of July. That's my favorite holiday so remember you all need to live it up in remembrance of me. I literally am not allowed to watch any fireworks. We have to be in by 7. So while you're all enjoying the festivities I will be in bed crying that I have to miss the single greatest day/night of summer.

Peace be with you. Don't do anything I wouldn't do! #CaptureTheDream

Elderer Scherer

1319 Butterfield Rd. Suite 522

Downers Grove, IL 60515

USA

June 22, 2015 Galesburg

Que pasa amigos? So the greatest thing ever happened. I got a hug from President Fenn! That is Legen-----(wait for it)----dary! President only hugs his most beloved missionaries. According to what I've heard he has only hugged like 4 or 5 elders his whole time being president here. So I guess it just confirms what everyone already knows, I'm awesome!

This was a pretty good week. We got 4 new investigators!! We are still working with David and Viola. He really wants to be baptized, but he can't make it to church. Before I got my hug from President, I was asking him in an interview what we could do to help him. He said we could try asking the bishop if we can get a Bishop's Storehouse order for him so we can get him food so he can save some money to buy gas to get to church. 

Two of our new investigators that we got came from a street in  Monmouth. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but there were 3 doors in a row that all said we could come back and teach them! I guess maybe it came from all the hard we have been doing in this area. 

I still have not heard from Dawn, the lady we put on date for July 18. I don't remember if I said, but she is Jo's daughter. I also haven't heard from Ramona, the woman we baptized 4 weeks ago.. I haven't seen her since the day she got confirmed. She didn't even stay for all of church that day. She left right after sacrament, so she made it about 40 minutes. I may now hold the record for the fastest convert going inactive.

We got our transfer calls on Saturday. I am staying in Galesburg and Riggins is going up to Schaumburg. My new companion is going to be Elder Butterfield. He has been in Havana, which is in our district, so I already know him, plus he and I entered the Mtc on the same day and flew out to Chicago at the same time. H

This new transfer, so starting tomorrow, they are collapsing the two peoria zones into one zone with 3 districts instead of 2 zones with 2 districts each. They are closing a lot of areas down here in the boonies! Elder Hermansen is getting transferred back up to Joliet. I miss Joliet so much!!! I really hope I will get to go back. We have to be in Peoria at 6 tomorrow morning so we can get to transfer meeting up in Naperville by 9. We have to wake up at 4:30... I'm gonna need to pick up some monsters before then or I won't make it! haha

We finished the training program and we now have Facebook again. It would make it a lot easier on me if you didn't try and message me or anything like that because I'm not allowed to message back. I also have to untag myself from anything anyone tags me in and delete a post if someone posts on my wall. Just a heads up. I found out through Facebook that Aubrey turner who I went to junior high and high school with is coming to this mission sometime in like July or August! That will be weird to see someone I know.

At the time when Moses talked "face to face" with God (Moses 1), he was addressed as "my son". We are indeed the very sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father. Of all things that we could call God, the Savior Jesus Christ taught us to refer to him as our Father. What a great thing to know that he is our father. In spirit of Father's Day I want to give a shoutout to Gregalicious for always keepin it real (except in NHL '14 cause there's no way he can beat me!)

Elder G. Franklin Scherer

1319 Butterfield Rd. Suite 522

Downers Grove, IL 60515

Galesburg 6.15.15

dearest people who read what i write,

i apologize in advance, i am so over using the shift key and therefore am not going to use it anymore. sorry. 

i had a really awesome exchange with elder hermansen this last monday/tuesday. he was my zone leader up in joliet for 3 transfers and then came down here. so hes only not been my zone leader for one transfer. anyways he is really cool and i always have a good time with him. he offered me some advice that could help me. at first it really made me mad that he suggested it, but i realized it will help me. 

so after pointing out like 4 camaros, 2 corvettes, several bmw's, a couple mercedes benz, and several other beautiful machines, he told me that i had not completely given up the world. after cooling down for a few minutes, i asked how this would help me. he said by giving up the world and worldly things i can better focus on the part of the vineyard the Lord has entrusted me with. i have therefore committed myself to give up the distraction of looking for nice cars on the road, which illinois is full of. this has been one of the hardest things i have ever had to do. so right after i decided i was going to give it up, i saw a dodge SRT Viper.. so yeah satan isnt going to make it easy i guess. yesterday there was a white camaro with red racing stripes following me like a shadow while we drove to the church. i had to focus so hard to not stare in the rear view mirror at it. STRUGGLES!

the other good thing that elder hermansen taught me is that theres a gas station called circle k that has any size drink for $0.79. also that gas station has voltage mountain dew in the fountain, and mtn dew kick start. yeah ive been there like 3 times since tuesday.. pray that i dont get fat!

i should probably say something spiritual now.

we put two people on date this week! one for July 18 and one for July 25! one is Jo Godsil's daughter, Dawn, and the other is a man named david. he lives in aledo, which is like 40 minutes away from the church so its going to be difficult to get him to come to church. he said that he really wants to be baptized, so we will see how bad he wants it if he can make the sacrifices to come to church.

my testimony grows every day. alma 32 is a wonderful explanation of how if we give place for the word of God in our lives it will grow so long as we nourish it like any other plant. alma 32, the parable of the sower, lehi's vision of the tree of life, the parable of the wheat and the tares are all small parts of the same metaphor. the gospel is like a garden. our testimonies will grow if we take care of them. all we have to do for weeds (doubts) to grow is nothing. they will come no matter what. we have to consistently get them out and give place and room for the good stuff to grow. listen to the talk by john bytheway, "weed your brain, grow a testimony".

i love you all, i love the Lord, have a blessed week.

Elder Garrett Franklin Scherer