Homecoming Address

Brothers and Sisters, before I say anything, I need you to know that I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that this is His only true church. I have learned this for myself, through personal revelation, which has come through study, prayer, fasting, and pondering in my heart the message contained in this church, namely the Message of the Divine Messiah restoring through the Prophet Joseph Smith the original truths of the glorious gospel of Christ. Our Eternal Father in Heaven has mercifully manifested to me, through the Holy Spirit, the veracity and validity of all that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims to provide and know. I really know that this church is true.

For those of you that I don’t know or that don’t know me, I am Taylor Ashcraft, and I have just returned from serving in literally the greatest mission in the world, The England Manchester Mission. I fully recognize that every missionary claims this for his or her mission, but to one and all I extend the invitation to serve again, this time in Manchester and to come see the light.

I had an absolutely marvelous time and learned so much, about myself, my life, my family, my friends, my weaknesses, my enemies, my testimony, my heart, and my Saviour. These past two years have definitely been the best 2 for my life. It has been such an amazing journey, and I am eternally grateful for the support that each of you has provided to me. It helped me so much. Thank you.

There are so many things that I want to share with you today. I have learned many things in the past two years, and so my object today is to share with you at least a small fraction of the truths that I have come to treasure, most of them having to do with progression in God’s Kingdom. So I pray that the Holy Ghost will be here with us all.

As a missionary, one of the biggest things to guard against was complacency in ourselves and in our investigators. This gospel is a gospel of progression and improvement, of repentance and forgiveness, and as a missionary in the United Kingdom, I found myself in a surprisingly accurate microcosm of our Heavenly Father’s glorious Plan of Salvation, complete with the concept of eternal progression.

Before I left to serve in England, I had a life. And I really loved my life. I was surrounded by people that I loved, and by people that I knew loved me, and all was well in Zion. But, just like everything else in life, change is the mother of growth. And without many changes in my life, stagnation was sure to set in. So I was shown a plan that included me leaving my parents, going to a distant place that was prepared especially for me, so that I could learn and progress and become at least a little bit more of what my Father in Heaven desired me to be. I was assured that if I was faithful, obedient, and diligent, I would be far better at the end of this sojourn than I was at the beginning. I was instructed that “as soon as [I was] departed from” that probationary state, I would be “taken home to [those parents] who gave [me] life,” and “received into a state of happiness.” (Alma 40:11-12) My learning and experiences would continue, and the goal would be to continue to progress forever and ever, never looking back, but rather always looking forward.

During this probationary state, hardships were encountered, joys were found, mistakes were made, and strengths were magnified. But as I said before, complacency was always just around the corner, waiting for contentment and comfort to distort my destiny, drown my dreams and vex my vision of what I was born to become.

One of the many tools that Satan uses is persuading us that we don’t need to improve. As Nephi warns us in 2 Nephi 28:21, he says, speaking of the adversary, “…others he will pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” Unfortunately, much of the world has been pacified. I encountered countless souls on my mission who had adopted this attitude, and said, “I’m a good person. I try not to hurt anyone, I do good things. I think that God will let me into heaven. I’m okay with myself. I don’t think I really need to change anything. I’m comfortable with where I’m at.”

President Harold B. Lee, in a New Era article in January 1971, “There are those who are too comforted and too much at ease and too unresponsive to their responsibilities and opportunities. Some persons need to share with others their material blessings of the earth. Some persons are too comforted and too much at ease in their life style—and they need to become dissatisfied enough to change for the better.”

In other words, complacency comes in the attitude of “I am good enough.” But to all who fall under this unrealistic and frankly immature mindset, I say: You are not good enough. You are not good enough. Nor will you ever be, if you truly think you are. It is only when we realize just how “nothing” we are that we become “something.” If we trust in our own “goodness,” that is exactly what we will be given. And our goodness will give us nothing. But if we trust in the grace and power of God, then the full blessings of the Atonement of Christ will be ours.

In Helaman 4:13, we read of the cause of Nephite defeats in the wars against the Lamanites. “And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.” The Nephites thought they were all that and a bag of crisps, and so the Lord withdrew His power and let them learn the hard way that they were not good enough.

So seeing as how we are not good enough, how on earth can we become so? Just a few pages earlier in Helaman 3:35, “Nevertheless, they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.” As we surrender our will to the Lord’s, our hearts begin to be purified. As our heart purifies, we begin to desire what He desires. As our desires align with His, we understand the importance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and how repentance helps us access the blessings of it. Repentance is change, and seeing how change is the mother of growth, repentance is also progress.

Do you see it yet? Without repentance, without change, we will never be good enough. That is one of the many lessons that I have learned on my mission. And so I exhort you, my brothers and sisters, to take the gospel seriously. Take your covenants seriously. This is not a game, nor a social society designed to give us things to do and people to see. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ, which was intended purely to cleanse us, help us progress and become like God.

Now the only way this is possible is because of that great and last sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, known as the Atonement, which I want to talk just a little about. I know that the Atonement is real. I have felt its cleansing power and have been a beneficiary of the grace of God. As hymn 193 echoes the words in my heart, “I tremble to know that for me He was crucified, that for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled and died.” Jesus loves us all so much. No matter where we come from or what has happened in our lives, we can always turn back to the Saviour who opens His arms, running toward us, ever calling us to repent and partake of the sweet joy that comes when sins are remitted. God’s plan is so perfect. Everything is set in place already. In fact, it is so perfect, that the only thing that is out of place is us. That is why progression and repentance are so amazing, because when we change, true perfection becomes not a lofty and far-fetched dream, but a realistic and achievable goal. All through the grace, merits, and mercy provided by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

But as we know from the scriptures, the Atonement doesn’t just save us from sin. It helps us with dealing with everyday life as well, including the persecution that comes from following the Gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” As disciples of Christ, we will be persecuted. But if we endure to the end, we shall not be destroyed. Romans chapter 5 tells us, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” If we can truly learn to glory in the hard things that come in our lives, especially the persecution that comes in opposition to our faith, then the love of God will be so much more abundant in our hearts.

I don’t know how many of you remember the last time I addressed you, but I spoke much about sandwiches. Hey, I love food. In fact, I love it so much, that often time the people of England would comment about how much I love it. I was serving with Elder Aulenbach in Liverpool, and he was in quite good shape. One day we taught a man who looked at him, and said, “You’ve maintained pretty well. Do you go to the gym a lot?” Elder Aulenbach responded and the man turned to me and said, “You know, you could go for a jog.” Ouch. In my face. In Newcastle-under-Lyme with Elder Jones, we knocked on a door in the evening, and the woman that answered said, “Not now, we’re eating.” So me, being the cheeky devil I am, said, “Great! Well do you have room for two more? We’re starving!” To which she replied, “You don’t look that hungry to me.” Nice one. Pretty good. In Swinton, on exchange with Elder Duran, we were teaching a lesson about scripture study, and had just read 2 Nephi 32:3, Feasting upon the word. Elder Duran said, “Now in America, we have a holiday that we call Thanksgiving. And pretty much Thanksgiving is just a big feast where you want to eat as much as you can. It’s all about eating loads.” Our investigator cut in, “Looks like Elder Ashcraft knows all about that one, doesn’t it?” Haha. That one was pretty good. Clever man. About a minute later, after we all stopped laughing, he added, “In fact, it looks like you ate Elder Duran’s portion as well.” Good stuff, good stuff.

When these jokes first started happening, I was quite astonished. And for a while, they sent me through a big loop. But then I read that scripture in Romans 5, and I have grown such a deep love for persecution. It has been one of the biggest testimony builders of my life. No other organization on the earth is as opposed as our church. Why? Because it is the only true church. If it wasn’t true, missionary work would be easy, and persecution would not come to us. So when your life and your friends and family seem to turn against you, don’t you dare quit. You change your outlook and realize that Satan is trying to discourage you, and if you let Him, you are falling right into a trap that will quickly destroy you. The reason you are experiencing that opposition is because you are on the right track. Don’t leave it. The persecution will stimulate your development and enhance your learning.

In order to handle the persecution though, our testimonies must be strong, and centered in what really matters. Now when I was sent to England, people didn’t give me a lot of high expectations for the food there. Yes, this is where the food comes into the talk. Whoopee. I was told that the food was quite bland, and pretty plain, not super spicy or exciting or anything like that, just food. And in a sense, it was fairly simple food. I ate a lot of meat and potatoes and meals like that, a nice proper roast dinner. But as I continued to eat those roasts, I continued to increase my love for them.

So a typical roast dinner consists of a nice roast meat, lamb is really nice, but chicken, beef, gammon, whatever, they are all wonderfully simple, and simply wonderful. Mashed potatoes, Roast potatoes, roast parsnips, along with some steamed veg, the Yorkshire Puddings, maybe some pickled beetroot, and of course, gravy over everything. Can’t beat it. A simple meal, a plain meal. It wasn’t fancy, it wasn’t award winning or eye-catching, but it was good food that fulfilled it’s purpose and understood what really mattered, nourishing me after a long day of hard work.

The mashed potatoes were usually the foundation of the entire plate. A nice heaping pile that underpinned everything that came out on top. In a sense it was what the rest of the food could build upon. The wise chef built his roast upon the mash, the gravy came tumbling down, and the roast on the mash stood still. The roast potatoes and parsnips were there, a bit firmer than the mash, a bit crispier as well, and the mash just seemed to create in you a need to eat the roasties. The meat was usually sliced and placed next to the mash so that when you put both on your fork together, the synergetic effect created by the harmony of meat and potatoes produced a result similar to what is known by some as “bliss.” Now the steamed veg was great, whether it was carrots and suede, or cabbage and peas, it was moist, warm and in a way cleanses the palate as you eat. As funny as that sounds. The Yorkshire Puds were gorgeous, risen to perfection and just the right crunchiness. Pickled beetroot played its part well, adding just a hint of a vinegar-y zing to the rest of the meal. And finally, the gravy poured over it all unified the dinner in beautiful simplicity.

So how on earth? Roast dinners? The gospel? Well, my good friend Nephi gives us the answer. “I glory in plainness; I glory in truth;” Plainness, and truth. That is what the gospel is. It is plain. It is truth. Rather than the differential calculus of religion that is taught in most other religions, which can confuse even the very elect, the plusses and minuses of the true gospel of Christ can be understood by a child. Rather than a complicated and recipe with spices of every kind, secret ingredients, and specially made tools to prepare it, the gospel is simple, like a roast dinner, with outlined steps and no complicated procedures. Just simple, plain, and precious food. It is those plain and precious truths that help us progress toward our eternal goals. My invitation to each of you is to build your roast dinner with the things that matter most in the gospel.

First on your plate, you put your mash, or in other words, your foundation. Christ needs to be that foundation. Your faith in him will hold the rest of your life together. Faith can get you through unbelievable things. I want to tell you about Isha. Isha was one of our investigators in Liverpool, and she came from Gambia. Her family was mostly Muslim, but deep in her heart, she always knew that Jesus was the Son of God. As a young girl in Gambia, she would sneak away from home during the day to go to the Christian church without her father knowing. Each time he found out about her going, he would beat her. But Isha, and her incredible faith, would get up the next day and run away to the Christian church again, knowing full well that she would be beaten again. That is faith. Isha watched one of her twin sons killed right in front of her, and was threatened time and time again with her very life. But she never stopped trusting the Lord and believing in Him. That is Faith. If we truly trust in God, we will be guided through the raging tempests that come in this life and onto the sweet serene shore of simple salvation. If and only if we have faith in the Lord Jesus.

As a complement to your faith, like the roasties to the mash, put on your plate repentance. Your repentance must be the action that happens as a result of your faith. It must be firm. Sincere repentance requires a true forsaking of the sin and a firm and resolute decision to change and improve. It is a happy thing to repent. You are bringing yourself more in line with God’s will and can therefore enjoy more of the blessings that come from obedience to His commandments. Another one of my investigators had a really rough past. She had been involved in all sorts of things that as Latter-day Saints, we know God wants us to avoid. As we taught her, I could watch her desire to change increase. That desire then turned into action and she was able to overcome those things that had been stifling her progression. It was amazing to watch the transformation that took place over the course of her teaching process. I could see the light in her eyes getting brighter. Her faith in Christ kept her repenting daily.

Next on your plate needs to be the meat, which is a slice of prayer, a slice of scripture study, and a slice of church attendance. These three things will do more than most others in keeping you progressing on the path to perfection. There is a reason why the prophets and the Lord have always counseled us to do these things. These things are what keep your faith strong. This meat is what makes your mashed potatoes even better. And likewise, your mash makes the meat better. When we pray with faith, our prayers are answered and our faith grows. When our faith grows, we pray with more faith. The same with church and study. If you stop doing these things daily, your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ will weaken, no matter what other commandments you are keeping.

Now take a couple spoonfuls of steamed vegetables on your plate. Warm and soft, just like the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It is a still small voice, sometimes described as a warm feeling or a “burning in the bosom.” Just like the vegetables that cleanse your palate, the Holy Spirit cleanses and sanctifies us as we repent and are worthy of His constant companionship. Just this past weekend, one of our investigators in Swinton, Sally, was baptized and confirmed. It was such an amazing experience. She said that she felt like a burden had just been lifted off of her, and she felt so warm. Last Sunday, we took her to a fireside at the mission home, where a few recent converts were going to tell their conversion stories. About halfway through, Sally leaned over to one of the members there and told him that she wanted to say something. So he went and told our Mission President and he invited her up to speak. So she got up there and bore testimony of the truths that we had just taught her. It was such an amazing moment for us to see. After the meeting, she told us that something was just telling her that she needed to get up. So she did, and she told us that she didn’t even know what she said. She said that it didn’t feel like it was her speaking. I know that it was the Holy Ghost, which gift had been bestowed upon her earlier that day. Because of our worthiness, we can always have that feeling with us. It’s entirely up to us, and how hard we are willing to work to keep it.

Then come the Yorkshire Puddings. So good. They are nice and crispy to give a little bit of a crunch to the meal at hand, just like Charity. Charity doesn’t always come in big, bouncy, noisy packages, but oftentimes charity is overlooked as one of the great doctrines of this gospel. Sometimes, being charitable just means picking up something that someone drops. Holding the door open for people to go inside. Charity doesn’t have to be a big announcement or things like that, but just a small crispy act like Yorkshire puds. Yorkshire puds don’t do a ton. But they do something. And that something helps a lot. A little charity goes a long way. One of my companions was so charitable to me, and I will never forget his example to me. He taught me the importance loving everyone, no matter what happens. Charity.

Alright. So I won’t lie to you, when I left on my mission, I didn’t really like beets or anything like that. So you can imagine my disgust when I went to eat at a member’s house and they pulled out these pickled beetroot jars. Uh-oh, I thought. This is not going to be good. But, being the adventurous man that I am, I tried the beetroot, and have since then fallen in love with it. But something that I noticed about the beetroot was that it would turn literally everything else on the plate a sort of magenta-ish purple-ish red. No matter what it touches, everything gets affected by that beetroot. At the end of the roast dinner, your mash ended up pink, the place was magenta, the pink stains on people’s faces. Everything is affected by it.

As members of the true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is our responsibility to be beetroots in this world and not simply carrots or potatoes. We must affect the world around us. It should be a better place for us having lived there. Our example should touch the hearts of those whom we meet. In order for us to be good examples to everyone, we need to be enduring to the end. We need to be keeping the covenants that we made at baptism. As we continue living the lifestyle that comes with being a Latter-day Saint, that is when our example will have true power in the lives of others. So as you put your endurance on the plate, always keep in mind that if you can change the roast dinner, one potato at a time, you can change the world, one person at a time.

Last but not least, the gravy must be poured all over the dinner. That gravy is the waters of baptism. Without being baptized, by the proper authority, you cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven. That is why we do missionary work. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks says in Preach My Gospel, “We invite all to come unto Christ by repentance and baptism and confirmation in order to open the doors of celestial kingdom to the sons and daughters of God. No one else can do this.” Baptism is so key. It is an ordinance that makes a promise with you and God that you will give him all that you have. Gravy covers all of your potatoes and meat and veg. Everything. But the waters of baptism cover your life. You have each promised that you will do your best to progress along this mortal journey and become something more than what you are. That it what it’s all about. Progression.

As you go through your life, and focus it on these things, I promise you that your testimony will be anchored in the things that God truly needs us to know, not the mysteries of the Kingdom, which have little or no effect on our salvation. Stick to the truth. Stick to the plain and precious things: that is how you become like our Father in Heaven “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”

Brothers and Sisters, I want you to know that this church really is true. Jesus Christ stands at the head and He guides and directs us through Thomas S. Monson, who is a living prophet for our day. I know that Jesus Lives, and that He performed the Atonement out of love for us, so that we would be able to progress past this life, and not be complacent in our eternal pursuit of happiness. May we all focus our lives on moving forward, and not spiritually stagnating, is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Captain's Log, Stardate 280512

Hey everyone that I love!

 

I don't have much time, but I wanted to take this bit to say how much I love you. You have been with me from the beginning and I hope you are still with me at the end. I have received blessings because of your faith and because of your prayers. I am so grateful for them.

 

It has been such an amazing experience here in the UK. The people here are wonderful and I have a strong love for them. I love being a missionary so much, and I will forever treasure the experiences I have had and will yet have here.

 

I know that Jesus lives and that this is His church! It's true! I know it is!

 

I love you all so much!

 

Pray for Sally! and Paul and Maggie!

 

I love you!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Ah, good times.

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

We had a great week here in Swinton. Maggie came to church yesterday, and she loved it again! We haven't been able to see her very much, in fact only twice, but on Saturday we had a lesson with her and she told us that she had been trying to read a page of the Book of Mormon every night before bed! The language it uses is a bit tough for her, so we gave her a copy in her native language, Shona. She is so good! Her faith is already so strong. Amazing!

 

I hope we didn't scare Paul, though. We had a pretty bold lesson with him on Saturday, and I was pretty...passionate about the things we were telling him. But I think he's okay because he called us this morning and told us that he had read from the Book of Mormon, which he hasn't really ever done before! He has been struggling a lot to keep any commitments recently and hasn't been to church in weeks. So things are looking really good.

 

Sally wasn't able to come yesterday, but she's doing great. We taught her tithing on Friday and she accepted and agreed with it, and she hasn't been drinking tea! There is just nothing like the feeling when your investigators actually do what the Lord asks them too. I love it!

 

Elder Sutton is great as always. He's a good man. We have good times together.

 

Well, the other day, we were in a lesson, and one of the investigators turned to Elder sutton, Pointed at me, and said to him, "how come you don't eat as many burgers as he does?" meaning me. NIce one. I think "In my face" is the correct term for that one. Then she turned to me and said, "you should take a leaf out of Elder Sutton's book. I was laughing pretty hard. It had been a while since anyone had cracked a fat joke like that, so it was almost refreshing. Persecution. Bring it on.

 

Well, I love you all so much! Thank you for everything you are and everything you do! I love you so much! Have a great week and Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

There is Sunshine in the Soul

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

I wrote that subject because it was nice and sunny when I wrote it, but literally it just went cloudy. Welcome to England. I love it!

 

It was so great to see you all yesterday, even Shanna and Branson though it was only for like a minute. You all look like a million quid! And everyone sounds different as well. A bit weird, actually. But I still love you. No worries.

 

Well, not much has changed since yesterday, but we did teach Sally about the Law of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom, and she accepted them both, which is great! We talked to her about a baptismal date, and she said that she prayed and asked God for a sign if she should wait, and then her phone fell in the toilet...go figure. So she took that as a sign that she should not get baptised on the 26th of May. That gives us a bit more time to prepare her anyway, so maybe the Lord works in mysterious ways. Interesting.

 

I'm glad that all is well back at the ranch. Oh hey, it's sunny again. Wait. never mind. No it is now. Okay. yeah. Still sunny. Alright. Anyways, life is great! I love being a missionary so much! It's incredible!

 

I love you all so much and I am eternally grateful for your support and love. It means everything to me that I have you all praying for me and cheering me on. You are the best!

 

I know that Jesus Lives! He really does! I promise! I know that this is His Church and that the Book of Mormon is true! He lives!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

 

Swinton's Swell

Dear Everyone that I love,

 

We had such a great week here in Swinton! Sorry the email is so late, but it was bank holiday on Monday and yesterday was Sports day for the mission, where we all just got together and played sports for most of the day, so we didn't have time. Hence, another Wednesday email.

 

We found a great woman named Maggie, who is from Zimbabwe. She's so good! We taught her on Friday and then she came to church on sunday, and she absolutely loved it! So amazing! Miracles are happening. Sally came to church as well, and it was so great. The members just ate them both up and made them feel like part of the family. I love it!

 

Paul's brother was in town from London and so he wasn't able to come, but hopefully he will be able to next week. Great things!

 

We also took Sally to a fireside at the mission home on Sunday, and Elder Aulenbach was there. Apparently he's going to have an operation soon, so if you would please keep him in your prayers, that would be great. And also Paul, Sally, and Maggie.

 

Sports day was a lot of fun. A lot of good missionary friends were there, and it was a blast. I'm not sure if I've gotten better or worse at football since I've come out, but it was a grand old time. They got some Costco Pizzas for us as well, so it was a pretty great day.

 

Right now I'm on exchange with Elder Eggers, for Sacramento California. We have been good friends for most of our missions, and so finally we've bee able to go on exchange. He is one of the Zone Leaders of the Manchester Zone and he is fantastic. His mission call was to manchester, chinese speaking, and so he wears a chinese badge and speaks Chinese. He's really good. We have a lot of fun together. Good times.

 

Well, I love you all so much! Thanks for everything! have a great week! Keep up the good work and Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Guam, HAHA! Hurrah for Israel!

Dear Everyone that I love.

 

I tell you that there is no greater feeling as a missionary than finding out the your little brother has been called to serve a mission. HAHA! I am so happy now! Congratulations Bashcraft!

 

Wow. I am just speechless right now. Amazing.

 

Well, for starters, Elder Sutton and I are both staying in Swinton! But one of the sisters in the ward and our District Leader got transferred. Sister Hull and Elder Reynolds and I are good friends, so I am sad to see them go. But Sister Hull is going to Preston where there are a lot of Chinese and her companion is Chinese, so I'm very excited for her, and Elder Reynolds is going to Porthmadog, which, if you remember is a fantastically beautiful place. But yes, I'm happy to stay here in Swinton. Miracles and good times ahead.

 

Guam. AH that's so good! I'm so excited!

 

We were able to teach Paul again, which is good. We hadn't seem him for like 2 1/2 weeks because of his work, but he has this week off and he wants to see us everyday, so we're excited about that. And Sally is doing really well also. She came to Stake Conference and she really liked it, so she wants to come to Swinton Ward this week. Miracles! I love it!

 

Well, as I'm sure you all have gathered by now, I have a testimony of the Divinity of the Saviour. Jesus Christ lives. He truly does. I know it. He is there for us. As Elder Holland once said, "Even as he calls us to come to him and follow him, He is unfailingly running to help us."

 

I love you all so much, and So does the Lord! He Lives!

 

Have a great week and Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

A kid in Queen Elizabeth's Court

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

Well, From the subject line, you would probably think that I was just saying some clever things about me being in England. Little did you know, it's a bit more literal than you think.

 

When I was in Newcastle, I can't remember if I told you this, but I witnessed a crime, an assault. And so a couple of weeks later, after I got transferred to chester, I got a call from the police saying that they would like me to make a statement. So I did, and a few weeks later I got a letter from the police saying that they probably wouldn't need me to appear in court. So I thought that was that. But it wasn't.

 

A couple days ago, I got a call from Elder Rapata saying that someone from Staffordshire police called him looking for me, and that I was supposed to call them. So I called them on Tuesday and they told me that they wanted me to be a witness in court at the hearing on Thursday Morning in Cannock, which I had no idea where it was. I was quite shocked and a bit surprised, but I said I'd need to make some calls first. So I called President Preston and explained the whole situation to him, and he was just laughing. He then told me that Cannock wasn't even in our mission boundaries, it was in Birmingham's! But he told me that I should go. So not only did I go to court outside my own country, but I went to court outside my mission boundaries as well. Fish out of water anyone? Oh me! Pick Me!

 

So we went to the court house and they showed us around, and told me what was going to happen, and so then we went into the witness waiting room. The Birmingham accent sounds pretty good, by the way. We waited there and talked to the people there who were fascinated with us. It was great. But then after about 2 1/2 hours of waiting, they came in and told us that the Magistrates wanted to thank us for coming. So they took us into the court room and they said thank you and that the sentence would be passed in 3 weeks time. So I wasn't needed anymore. I didn't even get to testify, which I was kind of bummed about, but that's alright.

 

So while we waited for the Assistants to come pick us up, we did some street contacting in Cannock. It felt weird. Like talking to Zombies. they just had a different aura about them than our mission. Dead weird. But good.

 

But yes, it was quite a good week. Swinton is great! We have a really great investigator Sally and she is primed and ready for the Gospel! Please pray for her and Paul!

 

Well, I know that this is God's work and His Church, and nothing's going to stop it! I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it is the Word of God! I love it!

 

Thank you all so much for everything that you do for me and for your prayers! I feel them! Keep up the good work and Keep the Faith! I love you!

 

Jesus Lives!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

 

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Hello Everyone that I love!

 

It has been a great week once again. We had specialised training and interviews with president, which are always a treat. I have such respect and love for that man. It's amazing being a missionary in the England Manchester Mission right now. I am eternally grateful for the privilege that I have been given to serve here. I love it!

 

Our investigator Paul is doing well. It's just hard to see him very often at the moment, but we are doing our best to overcome that hurdle. In the lessons he is so great and he loves coming to church as well. He just works ridiculous hours and sometimes has to cancel appointments.  But he's great.

 

We found some sisters (or sistas) from Gambia, which is the same country that Isha in Liverpool was from. They are really great. One of them, Alice, has investigated the church before in Yorkshire and the other one, Sally, is really great. She is reading from the Book of Mormon and we are seeing them again tonight! Pray for us and her please!

 

Elder Sutton is great. He's so pure and charitable, it's ridiculous. I love him a lot and am learning a lot from him.

 

Well, I love you all so much, and I am so grateful for you! I pray for you everyday! I hope you do the same for me!

 

Jesus truly is our Saviour. I am learning that more and more as a missionary. It's brilliant how much He can change our lives if we let Him do it. This is His church. It's the Only one sanctioned by Him. And that's the Gospel Truth.

 

I love you! Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Lovely Life

Dear Everyone that I love,

 

Haha! I love you all! I just thought I'd start by saying that. It was a great week this week. I love mission life so much. IT's amazing.

 

On Sunday, there was a fireside at the mission home, and it was fantastic. One of the recent converts in the ward, Florence, from Nigeria, was one of the speakers there, and so we were able to go. It was great. I saw some familiar faces there as well, which was great, including Anne, one of my investigators in Chester as well as Sam, who is probably my favourite member in the U.K. It was so great to see them. Amazing how friendships are grown on a mission.

 

Easter was great! It is always an amazing time of year to think about life and about the new beginnings that come. I love it so much and there are so many things to learn from the Atonement. The Saviour truly did die for all of us and He did rise again, just like He promised He would. It's amazing.

 

Elder Sutton is great. He is so charitable and always looking to serve me. He's just very thoughtful. It's nice to be here serving with him.

 

Well, I love you all and I am so grateful for everything that you do for me. Please keep praying for me! I can feel all that extra support.

 

The Church is True! Jesus Lives! The Book of Mormon is the Word of God! I love it!

 

Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

General Conference is amazing. I love it.

Dear Everyone that I love!

 

Wasn't Conference amazing?!?!?! I loved it! It is always such a privilege we have to be able to listen to the Prophet's voice and hear the words of God. The messages that they gave to us come from the Lord and as we follow them, we will find greater strength, stronger faith, and more love for our Father in Heaven and those of His children around us.

 

It was so great. I loved Elder Hallstrom's talk about the difference between being active in the Church and being active in the Gospel. It's very true. It is not enough for us to simply go to church and do church-y things all the time. We have to become Latter-day Saints. Someone in our ward said something interesting last week. He said, "I don't date Mormon girls, I only date Latter Day Saints. It is not enough for us to simply be a "Mormon." The purpose of the church and the Gospel is to help us become Saints in these, the Latter Days. Isn't that an amazing thought? I love it. We have the potential to be like Peter and Paul and James and John, saints of the Lord who through their righteousness and example have changed the world.

 

Please don't squander your chance to be a Latter Day Saint. Be more than just a Mormon.

 

I love you all so much! This is the Lord's work and we are all a part of it. Thank you for everything that you have done for me! I wouldn't be here without all of you! Sorry if this email was a bit preachy, I just get fired up when Conference comes around. I love you all so much!

 

Jesus Lives!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Sweatin' in Swinton

Dear Everyone that I love!

 

Swinton is great! The Lord is showering blessings upon us and he is blessing us with a lot of sunshine! It's crazy how much you miss the sun when it rains all the time. But yes, the people of Manchester are listening to us right now, and I love it!

 

Elder Sutton is a beast. He has only been out six weeks, but he is teaching me things and he brings so much energy to the work here. He is very sincere and such a hard worker. He is very humble, as well, which I feel is one of the most important attributes to have. You need to be able to learn things from other people. Otherwise, there is no eternal progression. I am learning loads with him.

 

We had a lesson the other night with someone that just showed up at the chapel on sunday a couple of weeks ago and introduced himself and say that he wanted to be taught. His name is Paul, and he is from Sierra Leone (like Josiah), and he's fantastic. He met with missionaries about 4 years or so ago down south in London, but he wasn't sure if what they were teaching is true. But now he says he knows that this is the right path for him to take, and so we have set a baptismal date for the 21st of April! HAHA! I love being a missionary so much!

 

Something that I am very excited about is that Brother Graydon is in Swinton Ward. I don't know if you remember him, but he was one of my teachers in the MTC and he truly changed my life. He taught me so many things, so I was really excited to see him again. So amazing. His Irish accent is dead good as well.

 

Well, I love you all very much and I am so grateful for your love and support and for all that you do for me. I would not be here without you. Thank you.

 

I love you! Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Manananananchester!!!!

Hey everyone that I love!

 

I've been transferred to manchester! To Swinton! I'm really excited! My companion is from Centerville. He's way good. I don't have a ton of time today, so here's my new address:

 

Elder Ashcraft

Flat 15, Theatre House

Langworthy Road

Salford M6 7AH

England

 

I love you all so much! The church is true! Jesus Lives! I know He does!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

You, 'kay?

Dear Everyone that I love,

 

Hiya, love! It has been a great week here in Chester. Spectacular. I have been on exchange for a lot of the week, but it's been wonderful.

 

Our investigator Michael has accepted a baptismal date for the 24th of March! He is so amazing to teach! He has such a special spirit about him and he loves everything that we teach! He came to church again and loved it. He has had a bit of a rough past but has overcome many problems and trials to get to where he is today. Amazing!

 

We also had a lesson with our investigator Anne, and her daughter and daughter's boyfriend wanted to listen to what we had to say. Anne had been talking to her friend (who is less active) about the Word of Wisdom, and Anne had some questions. But her questions were motivated, as she said, by her desire to "explain to people why I am doing this." Absolutely amazing. She understood it all and accepted to live it. The kids as well said that it made sense to live that way. It was a really great lesson.

 

We also found yet another Fijian couple. Unfortunately he just left to Afghanistan yesterday, but he told us that we could still go teach his wife, so hopefully step by step we will be able to bring this family in.

 

Being a missionary is the best thing ever! I know that the work we are engaged in is not our own, but the Lords. He watches over us and helps us to be where we need to be when we need to be there. I love it so much. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He loves us all with a perfect love. 

 

I love you all as well! The Gospel is true! Live it and you'll see! Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

The Church is true. It is.

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

It was a great week in Chester! I really love this area. So many good people the Lord has blessed us with. It's amazing to be a missionary at this time in the last days. The Lord's work is rolling forward, and nobody is going to stop it. It's good to be on the Lord's team, innit?

 

Our investigator Michael came to church yesterday. He has some special needs, but he loved it and the ward just embraced him and welcomed him. He is great. His understanding is really amazing. He asks questions about what he reads in the Book of Mormon so that I know he really has read. I love it! He wan'ts to be baptised as well!

 

Things in the U.K. are doing really well. Miracle after miracle after miracle.

 

I got all of your letters for my birthday. Thank you so much! They gave me a much needed boost. I wouldn't be here without all of you. YOu have helped me so much and have brought me so much happiness. Thank you for it.

 

You are all truly amazing! Please don't take the Gospel for granted. It is the most important thing that we can do. I know that Christ lives and that he loves us. He is our Saviour and Redeemer through His sacrifice, the Atonement. Use it. Please don't let the Gospel be an understudy in your life, a backup plan for when things don't go right. Let it be the lead in the show, and everything will work for your good.

 

I love you all so much!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Killer Wales

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

Wow. This week was most definitely one of the craziest and most miraculous that I've had. So here's the rundown:

 

On monday, Elder Rapata and I travelled down to Gaerwen, which is on the Isle of Anglessey in Wales. Because it's so far away, we both went there to go on exchange with the Elders. It was great. Really pretty country down there. And it's proper Welsh. We spent Monday evening and Tuesday there, and then on Wednesday morning, we travelled even deeper into Wales to Porthmadog. Now that is Wales. There were many people there who English was their second language, Welsh being the first. Their Welsh was better than their English. Crazy. I thought Gaerwen was way Welsh. Amazing. Such a neat language. It doesn't look like it would make any sense, thought. Too many consonants.

 

Anyway, Porthmadog is a branch and there hasn't been any missionaries there for about 6 years, and this is the first transfer that they have opened it up in that time. We were all very excited to see that. I have never seen members who love missionaries more than the Porthmadog members. they are willing to do anything to keep the missionaries in the branch. It was humbling to see the joy on their faces when we knocked on their doors. Incredible. Plus, it's absolutely gorgeous down there. Wales is a very mystically beautiful place.

 

We got back to Chester on Thursday. It was nice to be back in our own area again. On friday, we were street contacting by an army base, and we met a man named Louie whose wife is a less active member. They are from St. Vincent, and island in the caribbean. He invited us to his home and we taught him. He is so great! We've taught him again since then and he is reading the Book of Mormon! It's amazing!

 

As soon as we got out of that lesson, we spoke to the first person that we saw, a man talking on his mobile phone. He just brushed us off, but after he walked about 100 yards, he turned around, hung up the phone, and called us over to him. His name is Mate (pronounced "Mahtay") and he is from Fiji! (Elder Rapata was thrilled to meet another Islander) Turns out he has been having weird dreams that have made him think about God more. He figured that us walkinglking about Jesus was a sign from God for him to listen to us. Absolutely amazing how the Lord works, innit? I love it!

 

Yesterday, we taught a man named Michael for the 2nd time. He has some special needs and lives in an assisted living place. But his understanding and retention of what we taught is amazing! Usually they don't let us go into his house, but there was a South African woman there who was a Christian, so she let us come in. I love it! Sometimes the Lord's prepared people are not the ones that we expect. Michael has such a tender spirit, it's amazing to be with him.

 

God is so great. It truly is amazing and humbling to be a part of this work. I am so grateful for the Gospel and the power and truth that it brings to our lives. It's fantastic!

 

I love you all so much! I hope you have a great week and that you all are safe! Keep up the good work and Keep the Faith! I love it!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

CHESTER YES

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

We had a great week this week, culminating with 3 investigators at church, including Anne! She is so great, and her daughters are thinking about starting to come as well. But the best part is that her husband says that he will support her in whatever choice she makes. He calls us "her boyfriends," so that's a bit dodgy, but hey, you know what they, flirt to convert. Just kidding.

 

Well, I love you so much, and I am so grateful for all of you. Keep the Faith!

 

Love,Elder Ashcraft

Knee Fights and Lame Nights

Dear Everyone that I love!

 

We know have a Lamanite and a Nephite serving here in Chester. Elder Rapata is part maori, who are believed to be descendants of Hagoth in the Book of Mormon, and Elder Matute is from honduras. So Life is great and the Book of Mormon is true as well, especially here in Chester. But also especially everywhere else.

 

Well, things here are going really great here! I love Chester so much. There are some wonderful people here. Last Sunday, we went up to the Mission home for a fireside where a bunch of recent converts were asked to bear their testimonies. We took Bianca because we thought that she would benefit from it. She liked it. It was a wonderful experience. The Spirit was so strong there.

 

 A lot of testimonies were shared, but my favourite part came when I saw a familiar face get up to speak. It was Josiah, from Newcastle! He had been asked to speak that night and I didn't know that, but it was so great to see him and to hear him testify of the things that he knew to be true. He is so great. I am so grateful that the Lord was merciful enough on me to let me participate in teaching him. This is God's work and He wants us to  help His children come to know Him. It is a wonderful thing to be a part of this great and marvelous work.

 

I love you all so much! I hope you have a great week! Keep up the good work and Keep the Faith! Ta ra!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Hey hey hey

Hey everyone that I love!

 

Sorry I don't have much time, but it's transfer week and Both Elder Rapata and I are staying! happy Days! It's going to be a great transfer and I'm way excited.

 

Well, I know the church is true and i know that God loves you all! You Matter to Him! Never ever forget that! I love you and Pray for you!

 

Have a great Week! Keep up the good work and Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Yes!

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

Well I don't have very much time so I'll be quick. the first thing that i want everyone to know is that God Answers Prayers. One of the reasons why I know this is because Josiah in Newcastle got baptised on Satruday a week ago! I was so happy! He is such an amazing man. thank you for praying for him.

 

Things in chester are great. My companion is amazing and the work is going well. I got Welsh name tags, and life is wonderful. Thank you for everything that you have all done for me. I hope that you have an amazing week and that you never forget that You Matter to Him! I love you!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

The Court Chester

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

It was a crazy week. We spent some time in some very beautiful parts of Wales, Anglessy and Colwyn Bay. The Lord sure is great at creating beautiful things, I tell ya. Pretty countryside, it is.

 

Things are going great here. We are teaching a scottish couple, and the husband has a pretty intense Glaswegian accent. Proper Scots. We are teaching them about how to improve their lives with the Gospel. They are great. I love the people of the U.K. They are so amazing. I hope you all get the chance to come over here one day.

 

I also went on exchange with Elder Cunningham, who I served with on the Isle of Man. It was an absolutely amazing time. He is such an amazing man. He is one of the missionaries that I can truly say has changed my mission and my life. We became really good friends and so it was great to preach the Gospel with him for another day. He finishes his mission soon, so I'll be sad to see him go, but I know he'll go on to do wonderful things.

 

I can't express to you in words how I feel about the Gospel and have it accurately portray what I feel, but I want you all to know that this is God's only true and living church, led by a prophet who is guided by Jesus Christ. This is the only organisation and way of life that allows men to access the full blessings of the Atonement and return to live with our Father in Heaven and all of our loved ones. I know that the Book of Mormon is evidence of the truths I proclaim to you, and that by reading it and praying to know of its divinity, God will answer you through the Holy Ghost. I know for myself that this is true.

 

I love you all so much, and I am so grateful for everything that you have done for me. Keep up the good work, and Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft