General Conference Thoughts

Family,

Let me start off by saying that this was the best session of Conference I have ever watched. Yes, it was all in Portuguese except the hymns so we still got to hear and sing some English (they don't change the words on the screen at all). But the best part, was I didn't understand a whole lot. I really didn't. "So, Zac, why was it the best conference ever?" Oh, thank you for asking. You know how Apostles always say to never take notes on what was said, like quotes and stuff? They always say to take notes on your impressions. That was this Conference to me. All I did was make note of the thoughts in my head and I received answers to every single one of my questions. All of them. We were able to download the talks in English last night (all but the sunday afternoon ones) and after listening to them, my notes are very different than what was actually said. But there is a value that my notes have that I have never experienced before. What I wrote down was pure personal revelation between my Heavenly Father and me. And they are all in Portuguese. I love this language. It is the hardest thing I have ever done but I love it. 

That being said, Elder Holland's talk was super good. The 1st Presidency during the Priesthood session was like a power line-up in baseball. They all were awesome, Elder Oaks included ("we should stop focusing on our RIGHTS and focus on our RESPONSIBILITIES"... KO!). Elder Christofferson's talk was one of my favorites too. The cool part was I have seen in person a lot of the speakers from conference at the MTC: W. Craig Zwick, L. Tom Perry, Russell M. Nelson, Marcos A. Aidukaitis (with the funny accent), and Jon U. Teh. Also, the young guy that directed the saturday afternoon session Ryan Aggett also directs the MTC choir so I sang for him!

This conference was a great experience! Easily the best one by far!

So I think Elder Thurgood will be transferred this transfer and I will stay. On Monday night this week, President Cabral called us and asked for Elder Thurgood to be at the Leadership meeting the following day. So he went to that and basically this means he will be a LZ somewhere. Our mission is full of young missionaries so a lot of young missionaries will have to step up and be in leadership positions. It is crazy down here! 

Portuguese poetry is actually super cool. One of my favorites is: 

Elder Thurgood and I.

"Perda sobre perda erguemos nossas vitórias" (Loss upon loss we raise our victories). It is clever because peDRa is rock and perda is loss. Maybe I am the only one that thinks this is coo,l but it is, so yeah. 

In honor of President Uchtdorf talking about "selfies".

Thank you guys so much for the package! It was worth the $77 to me, in fact, much more. 

Ausin: Bro that dance was so awesome! I died when they threw the snow stuff. That was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time! But that is so cool that Dr. Worley wants you to do it in front of everyone! That will be so hype! That twitter name is pretty legit too. DO NOT SPOIL THE ENDING OF HIMYM. JUST NO. Love ya broskie!

Cam: You better get started on that book! I would also challenge you to read the Book of Mormon all the way through. I did that for the first time when I was 14 an I wish I had done it sooner and more times than just one before my mission. Remember Elder Eyring's talk. He talked a great deal of the value of the BoM to him as a child. Do the same and maybe one day you will be an Apostle ;) Love ya!

Lexi: Thank you so much for making all of those bracelets! I can't believe how complicated some of them are! You have really gotten good at making them. Keep being awesome, throw popcorn out the window, and stop being a punk and not writing me :) Love ya! 

Have a great spring break!

Elder Johnson