02/01/2010 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

This past week was a great week, filled with many great experiences.
One thing that I witnessed during this past week was the power of prayer. When we pray, we are able to communicate with our Heavenly Father. We are able to open our hearts, and sincerely talk with our God. Usually during a prayer, we will thank our Father for the many blessings that we receive and that are grateful for, ask for help, strength and blessings that we need, and end our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.
This past week I witnessed many people feel the power of prayer; the blessings that come from speaking with our Heavenly Father. It is such a privilege and an experience to hear and see a person communicate through a prayer for the first time. The joy that they have is remarkable. What a privilege it is that we are able to communicate, sincerely, with our Father in Heaven.
I have seen blessings come to those who are lost in life, and think that the world is totally against them. I have seen those with feelings of depression, thinking they are alone, find joy through a prayer. I am currently teaching a teenage girl that has some depression in her life, depending if it is a good day for her or bad. One visit to her house, we arrived, sat down, and I could tell from the beginning that she was having a rough time and that she just wasn't feeling the greatest. As we began to converse one with another, her thoughts and feelings came out. We recognized her call for help. That night we watched a short film about Christ, and the last week of His earthy ministry. After the film we discussed a little about the sacrifice of Christ, and the power of the Atonement of Christ in our life's. As we left that night, she was still a bit sad and depressed from the things occurring in her life, but the next time we returned to visit was completely different. When we arrived at her door, she had a smile on her face. We sat down and started talking, and she was happy. She had been reading the scriptures once again, and found joy in her life through Christ.
There is found happiness and joy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This I know is true. As I continue to serve as a representative of Jesus Christ, I continually think about the great amount of joy and happiness that I have in my life. My desire to share the message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is great.
I know that Jesus is the Christ. We have a loving Heavenly Father. The Church of Jesus Christ is the Lords kingdom once again established on the earth today.

Of these things I testify and write, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.