Elder Welch:

Below is my (lengthy) personal account of my conversion story. I actually typed it out before for a talk I gave at a YSA fireside earlier this year and added a lot to it for you. It's longer in the part before I met you two because I figure you don't know all those details. Good luck writing your homecoming talk when you get home, but don't forget you got a couple more weeks in AL to help spread the gospel.


Try and go to an ice cream parlor called Milky-Moos in Troy before you head out. They have some pretty interesting flavors and it's all homemade. They used to make a cinnamon roll sundae that was really good at the one in Enterprise. I enjoyed Dothan 1st Ward this morning. Elder Thompson sort of helped point me to the right rooms to go to.


School starts tomorrow, and I go year round now. It's all going well though. Email me if you have any more questions for your talk. I realized I'm only one story and provided you with way too much info. Don't be afraid to cut a lot of it out.


Good luck finishing up the mission and have a safe trip home to NV.


Pat Baldwin
pgb0001@auburn.edu
(251)-648-5697

It was August when I first chatted with missionaries online. It was a pair of sisters on the online chat thing, and I was asking questions about what the Church believes about life after death. We had been talking in school about communicating with people near the end of life and were looking at different views on the subject based on life experiences/religious affiliation. The sisters were not native English speakers and we had difficulty understanding one another. They passed me off to a pair of American guys who wanted to Skype or something to "better answer my questions". I hesitated because my whole goal was to give as little info about myself as possible, but agreed to give them a junk gmail address I never use so they could video conference with me on google.



They answered some of my questions the first meeting and asked if we could meet again in a couple days. I said no. Now the original sisters and the elders were emailing that gmail address at least once a week with some Mormon Message or an invitation to meet with me again (I'm still on some Listserv in the Provo MTC and get an email from random sister missionaries every now and then). After a couple weeks, one of missionaries messaged and asked if they could call to share a message. I thought they were kind of pushy, but let them call as they shared a brief message about eternal families and the temple.



They finally answered some of the questions I initially asked during the first call (long after our essay/test on subject in school was over), but said they were out of time and would have to call back later to give me rest of story. I had no intention of joining the church and refused every challenge they gave for me to read the Book of Mormon, but we did read from it during their lesson.  The next call was weird. One of the elders finished his mission and had gone home, so there was a guy I hadn't met before. They began the lesson asking me what I'd do if I knew the Book of Mormon was true. I said I'd probably join the church, but I wasn't interested in changing religions and didn't think it was true.



Then they "challenged" me to read the Book of Mormon and prepare for Baptism the weekend after Thanksgiving. I thought they were crazy and did not want to speak with them anymore. I asked that they quit emailing me and that we end the chat. They said they understood, but wanted to know if they could send me a Book of Mormon. I was just interested in getting rid of them and said sure they could send me one. They took down my address and said they'd send it. Looking back I don't know why I was so willing to give my address but afraid to give my email address or phone number. I guess I just wanted them gone.



Here is where you and Elder Clayton come into the story. I thought they'd mail it to me, but after a week, I figured they forgot to send it. Then I came home from school one day to a pass along card in door with your names and phone number on it. I immediately realized what had happened. I was afraid you'd keep coming back until you met me and I did not want to be caught randomly at an inconvenient time. I also felt bad that yall may have driven from far away to only find an empty apartment. I called either the night after you left it or the next night and set up the first appointment.



I liked the first lesson and how you two weren't nearly as pushy as that one "new" elder I met on the last video conference. It's also way different to meet a pair of elders in person. Most converts I've spoken to share a real respect for what you guys do leaving for two years and all that. (I forgot for awhile but eventually emailed the elders and sisters i chatted with online that I was baptized)



I think you know the rest of the story for the most part. I offered the two of you iced tea every visit until the Word of Wisdom lesson finally came up. I basically asked Carson if he knew any polygamists the one visit he came. I genuflected the first time I went to sacrament meeting. I sat through all of Brother Booth's long stories that weren't related to the lessons at all. Most importantly, though, I began reading a chapter in the Book of Mormon each day after our second visit. ( I now know how rare it is for investigators to even read one chapter and what Elder Clayton meant when he called me "golden")



I'd love to say there was a specific chapter or story in the Book of Mormon that was the spark that let me know it was true, but I do not really have one. I struggled to know the truthfulness but kept reading and meeting with you guys because I felt religion was missing from my life especially after a fairly religious upbringing until my parents split. (I don't know if I ever told you two that I met with a Catholic priest once while I was taking the lessons) I struggled with modern prophecy a decent amount and the need for a restoration through Joseph Smith.



I got my answer late one night after reading 2 Nephi 30/31 I think ( you two had told me to pay special attention to that section ). It went over the importance of baptism and conversion like I had been learning in the lessons. I prayed afterwards in bed and that's when I knew what I had been reading all this time was true. I quit asking some of the questions that were keeping me from embracing the gospel (what would my friends and family think/will people think I'm going to hell/I don't want people to think I'm in a cult/can I really quit tea and alcohol forever/can i see myself living the perfect Mormon lifestyle). I had already gone to a sacrament meeting by this point and was also surprised by how normal the church service seemed. I agreed to be baptized around Christmas and before you two's next transfer.



It's almost 1.5 years later (Baptized 12/28/2013) and I do not really have any regrets. Doing baptisms for the dead with the youth next Saturday in Birmingham and currently counseler in EQ.



The End

 This week kind of seems like a blur, it seems like it went by fast but it also seems like I talk to y'all like 3 weeks ago haha. It really was nice talking to and seeing you, what missionaries say is the time from December to may just flies by, I guess we will just see. I only have 3.5 transfers until I hit my year mark, isn't it just crazy?!

   What a better week to have all the blessings a missionary can get than Christmas? On Tuesday was my very first district meeting as the district leader and I honestly was shaking in my boots! As I had been looking over the numbers and talked to each set of missionaries I heard a lot about having a hard time in their finding efforts so I talked about using the talents got has given us to share the gospel (DC 60:2-3). This week the district really stepped up and set a goal for 10 new investigators to find and we did exactly that, The Lord blesses those who follow the counsel of their leaders, whether it be the district leader or the Prophet, both get revelation for what they are over.

Wednesday was Christmas so we got up and did our studies which of course were not very easy to focus on but I did it. We then opened the presents that our families had sent us and then went out and tried to work the best we could but of course no one wanted us to come to their house on that day of the year so it was a hard day. Finally 6 o'clock arrived and I got to go over to the Doles house to skype my family, we did it on an XBox 1 and it was awesome, such a good camera! it was really nice to hear and talk to my family since it has been since June that I have heard from them.

 Saturday we had Patrick's baptism and it was so good! He was excited for it and his mom who has been against the whole thing actually came to it. Patrick was happy with his decision and was confirmed the next day by Bishop Jordan, i knew it was an inspired blessing because I knew the problems that Patrick had been having. Other Investigators that we have met with this week...Matt was a referral from the sisters and he is so solid, he has studied almost every religion but thinks that there is something about this one, we cant wait for our next lesson with him! Scott, George, Joey, and Jermaine haven't progressed any since I've last talked about them and that is the area that Elder Clayton and I have been trying to focus on recently, progressing our investigators. I also sang in church on Sunday (one voice) and i felt i did well and got a lot of compliments on that.

     This week has been an awesome week but it seemed like yesterday the Lord wanted to humble Elder Clayton and I a bit because of how much success we've seen come from this area, we went to so many houses and had so many appointments but they all fell through. We have to be thankful for those times of opposition or else we wouldn't have the happy times. I love and miss y'all and hope that 2014 treats everyone well, set personal goals on how to become better.

Elder Welch

 Oh boy oh boy, t minus 2 days until we talk, I'm freaking out over here! The Dole's house is really small so they will all be in the same room basically, it'll be weird. I hope you enjoy the gifts I sent and that Christmas week will be an awesome one, homesickness hasn't struck me mostly because it feels like September here haha.

    I feel like I have said this every week but its true, this week has flown by! On Tuesday we had our half mission conference in Fox Run! It was really nice to be back in my "birth place" and to see a few people from that ward. President Smith talked to us about how being obedient shows our love to the Savior not only in this Christmas season but throughout the whole year, he also set apart his new counselors for the mission. Sister Smith then took over and had set up a Devotional where missionaries sang about Christmas and she shared stories from Christmas, that is where I sang my solo "Josephs Lullaby." Our van broke down on the way there and had to get that fixed on Wednesday so we weren't able to do much then! As district leader I wanted to give the district a little more motivation to work out in the mornings since no one likes to and its a little chilly at 6:30 so I started "the biggest loser" competition, everyone loves the idea and it'll be really fun! This week I have had to plan for district meeting that I have to teach tomorrow and that will be my first district meeting I will ever teach but they will be a weekly thing so might as well get use to it, right? As a district leader I have to go on all of the tradeoffs and I started doing those this week. On Saturday I went up to Saraland with a newer missionary, Elder Leishman to help him start learning how to run his area and see how he was doing, it was a fun tradeoff. Saturday night we had a crazy southern storm and it lasted through all of Sunday and even still kind of raining....Mobile and Seattle battle for the rainiest city in the country so it rains a lot here! On Sunday I had the tradeoff with one of the zone leaders, Elder Butterfield. I stayed in my area for that one and it was a learning experience for me, I'd even go to the extent of saying a humbling experience, its what we need every once and a while. As far as investigators go Patrick has already planned his baptism out so he is set in stone for this weekend, a cool thing is that I will be singing in church the day he gets confirmed! All other investigators haven't really had anything big happen or changes. The sisters had a solid investigator who they have been working with but this week he texted them and said that he likes one of them so we had to take over on teaching him, I felt bad for taking their solid one but it is kind of nice honestly haha. We did find a new investigator on our own though! Elder Clayton and I were driving and he saw a lady putting up lights so he stopped and all of a sudden turns around to get help her, he was so inspired to do it too! After we got done helping her I played ball with her grandson and talked to him a little bit about church and Elder Clayton talked to her. She recently had lost a daughter and was praying for guidance on how to cope with it, the Lord sent us, big surprise right?! We talked about the plan of salvation and have a return appointment with her tomorrow!

   This week I want to expound on something that I have been trying to live by recently. "Remember how you feel."  Remembering how you felt when you gained your testimony, remember how you felt when you feel the spirit so you can tell for next time it happens, remember how you feel when you are doing things you aren't suppose to be doing. This is how we gain desire behind a lot of the things that we do and have our testimony shape our life. Merry Christmas this week and remember how you feel this time of the year and incorporate it into the rest of the year. Love and best wishes! All is well

   Elder Welch

What a week! I have never been so tired in my whole life, not physically like as in running a marathon but mentally, spiritually, and sleepy wise. I can't imagine how tired Joseph Smith would have been when he saw angels, its spiritually draining! This week also has seemed like a blur, I don't know why time has been flying by so fast recently. I've been a little stressed this whole week with all that I have to do but it is a growing experience that I need. On Monday we did a regular p-day stuff and helped the zone leaders get transfers figured all out.

 On Tuesday we had our last district meeting where we all bore our testimonies and it was a really spiritual experience, it was sad to see the two elders go but we will see them tomorrow at half mission conference so it'll be fine! Wednesday we had to let the zone leaders use our van for transfers so we took there car and one other elder that was waiting for his companion and he spent the day with us. We wanted to do some service in the area so we went and got signed up with the Red Cross and hopefully that'll lead to some good things. Once all of the other missionaries got here we took the other elder back and I got to meet the new elders in the district and one of them is blind! It is actually super cool, he isn't 100% blind but he still needs a walking stick, I get to go on a tradeoff with him next month. On Friday we got a new investigator named Joey. He's been an investigator before and has been taught all of the lesson but he has a Catholic family he is scared of offending. The way he came back in contact with us is he had just recently gotten surgery and was in a lot of pain and his brother in law gave him a blessing which he said helped out so much so he is ready to take the next step...again.  He also said he would get baptized if Auburn won so it's meant to be! Patrick had the same problem with the family so we will bring him over to our lessons to see if that could solve some problems for Joey. Speaking of Patrick...he is so solid! He is more devoted than most members I know, I love it. Rick came to church yesterday which was nice but it seems like he doesn't have the desire yet, his wife is just pushing him into it. It'll come. This week I got a random text from my mission mom (President Smith's wife) and she asked me if I could sing at the half mission conference so that is another thing that will be fun but definitely adds to the stress level, I'm singing Josephs lullaby by Mercy Me.

     I honestly have no idea about what I want to talk about for a spiritual message at the end but ill just see what comes out! The enabling power of the atonement has really helped me not only recently but a lot in my whole life. I've thought back a lot on my permission status and realize more and more each day not how well I prepared myself for my mission but how well the Lord prepared me for my mission. He needed to suffer so he could succor. I believe that it has been a big problem in the world today that don't know about this enabling power. That's why in general conference it talked a lot about people having a hard time and people with depression. Use that power. Love and miss y'all! all is well

 Elder Welch

 Well all of y'all know of the news coming up, me calling home, 6 months, and district leader. Its an exciting part of the year for missionary families. In YM yesterday they were talking about their quorum unity and a question got brought up that asked when they felt that their families have felt unified. The first thing that popped into my head was not what i was expecting but it was when I was leaving and getting dropped off at the MTC. I would say even though our family is spread across the country we are unified in the things that we are doing, just a cool interesting thought.

   These weeks just seem like they have gotten faster and faster, especially the past three! On Monday we didn't do much except played basketball for like four hours straight, I was so exhausted by the end of it! We had district meeting on Tuesday and had our tradeoff with the district leader and his companion. Elder Clayton stayed in Mobile with the district leader, Elder Buhler. I went over to Lucedale, Mississippi to go with Elder Ogilvie! I have now been to 3 of the 4 states in the mission, Only Georgia is left. We didn't do anything too exciting, went and saw some less actives, knocked some doors, and that's about it. I loved talking to him though, he is a super good and cool missionary, he is from St. George and only has 5 months to go! For dinner over in Lucedale we went to a members house. She was pretty old and losing her hair and Elder Ogilvie warned me of it. i was actually pretty scared to eat there but as I ate I didn't find one hair in my food so i came out good....or I never saw them.

   Wednesday and Thursday Elder clayton and I had to bike a little bit because we munched a ton of our miles with tradeoffs and we have to go to Pensacola next week for our half mission conference. Biking is not my favorite thing but I gotta  do what I gotta do! We were biking and needed a break so we stopped at a members house to talk with them for a little bit and I found out the best news I've heard in a long time...WE HAVE A PAPA MURPHYS in Mobile! I knew that this was the promised land in the mission. Friday we have set up basketball every week and a lot of less actives and nonmembers come and it has been an awesome way to share the gospel in a non threatening way. The sisters got their investigator to come and after that night he had a BCD, we also gave a Book of Mormon to a non member so it was a total success!

   As far as investigators go we have seen a lot of success in the past few weeks! Patrick has been having a problem with Joseph Smith and his family as we have talked about in recent emails. he came to church this Sunday and just handed me a piece of paper with writing on it and said to read about it in my studies so i was freaking out the whole time at church! Once we got home I opened the piece of paper to see questions he had about what he read, i was so relieved and am so proud of him, he works so hard! He then texted us at the devotional and said all of his questions had been answered in church plus his testimony of the prophet joseph. I love inspiration. Then his next text to us was he was trying to get his mom to come to his baptism which told us he is still working on his mom and that he is set for his baptism on the 28th! I love how the Lord helps us out in the work...he makes it so much easier!  We also taught Rick Wells(sis wells husband) the restoration of the gospel. It was one of the hardest lessons I've ever had to teach and is the lesson that I have felt most inspired in and led by the spirit in, i gave promised blessings that I never have before..im praying the Lord is on my side in the one! He is having a hard time grasping organized religion but he will come eventually if he starts to read and pray.

    This week has been such a blessing to me and I really have seen how i have grown. i have been called as a district leader over 3 ward/12 missionaries in Mobile and pray that the inspiration i felt in Rick's lesson will be with me in my district meetings and when giving counsel to my district. This week I want to talk about obedience and repentance. If we look at the gospel of Jesus Christ we know that those two things are key but they mean nothing without diligence in those things. The gospel of Jesus Christ is an on going cycle just like repentance is. If we are obedient without being diligently obedient are we doing anything for ourselves and are we even really being obedient? That's why Christlike attributes are so important! They have there reasons behind it rather than just being like Christ. have an awesome week and know I love y'all! all is well.

Elder Welch

    What an awesome week to reflect on the things we are grateful for and really just take a self evaluation of your life. There is no better time to turn your thoughts and actions towards Christ. On Tuesday we had our zone training and it was such a good meeting! Elder Butterfield and Hadden are our zone leaders and they taught about what they learned from the general authority that came to Tallee and it was just inspiring. The best part of that meeting was when the stake president came in and talked to us a little bit and gave us motivation. After the meeting we went to go to one of our investigators homes to teach him but he had to reschedule for another time, we brought Brother Booth over our high priest group leader and while we were talking to Jermaine (the investigator) he said he didn't have money to buy a thanksgiving dinner so we then went with brother booth and he bought Jermaine a full thanksgiving dinner! It was amazing. If that man does not make it to the celestial kingdom than neither will I, I love him. On thanksgiving day we got up at normal time and went to the college fields to play in our wards turkey bowl. For some reason it was really cold that morning...like 26 when we got up but 30-35 by the time we were playing, it was a lot of fun, i was captain for my team and we kicked butt! We then went over to our investigator, Scott's, house to eat our first thanksgiving dinner. It was so good and I love southern food! I ate the first collard greens that i actually liked, I even went back for seconds. We then went to our second dinners home who was a member and her husband turned into an investigator by the end of dinner. We ate so much there, she had more dessert for us that she did dinner. All in all it was a very successful thanksgiving!

    As far as our investigators go...Scott, the one we had dinner with isn'tnt progressing and I don't think he even really gets it. He was rolling his own cigarettes the whole time we were teaching him but we will have a "DTR" with him...basically tell him our purpose why we are there. Patrick is doing awesome! He just got through the Isaiah chapters in 2 Nephi. He said he really felt the spirit this Sunday during the testimony meeting and then in gospel principles we talked about baptism. He is gaining a testimony and is recognizing it. He told his catholic mom and she said she was ashamed of him so that was really hard but he is handling it better than i would. he will be baptized in January. At church elder clayton and I had six of our less active families come which was just a good testimony builder. Also...Auburn beat Alabama!!! The whole state was shut down that day and then the city was going crazy that night!

   This week I wanted to talk a little bit about what i said in the beginning of the letter...taking that self evaluation. I did it this week and it was humbling and really hard, I didn't feel I was doing my best, I've since then changed my attitude and I've seen the progress in the work and myself. For those that have gone on missions, are about to go on a mission, or are thinking about going on missions I have a quote for you. "A person rises to the stature he sets out for himself in the mission field"  Reflect on that and get back to that level you once were or think of what you want to become. Mission life doesn't mean we don't have the normal temptations of life because we do, we just have the spirit more to have a little more motivation to get back up. I like to think of it as a movie. When there is a huge battle scene and the hero keeps getting knocked down I am usually on the edge of my seat saying "get up, you're the only one that can win the battle" and somehow someway that hero always finds the strength to get back up. I then sit back into my seat think "that's my boy". When we have given into a little temptation and have fallen we are the hero in the story and are the only ones to save yourself from the battle we have been fighting since the beginning and when we finally find that strength to get back up Heavenly Father sits back and says "that's my boy, I knew he could do it. Be the "master of your fate"

Elder Welch