Coco Helado

Elder Allred is currently serving with Elder Coburn from Manti:)

Apparently this coco helado is a pretty awesome treat:) 

Family~

This was a pretty good week. I still can't believe I live in lower Manhattan. Last week a member took us out to dinner. The restaurant was down in the financial district, right next to Freedom Tower. It made me realize again how good I have it to be in this mission. I'm eating brisket next to Freedom Tower while there are missionaries in South America eating rice for every meal. I"m very blessed to be here. I also had the opportunity to speak in sacrament meeting on Sunday. It was really good, because I didn't get to meet many of the ward members on my first Sunday here due to general conference. So it was a good way to introduce myself to the ward and get a good start serving with them here. It was also really cool how the sacrament meeting turned out. The bishopric of the ward has decided not to assign topics to any of the speakers. They encourage you to seek for guidance from the Spirit in selecting your topic. Well the member that spoke before me  decided to speak about the Godhead. She spoke about how we relate to each of them (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost). And I just so happened to speak on the Spirit. Then the intermediate hymn was number 127, "Testimony" which speaks a lot about the Spirit. It was really cool that although none of that was coordinated by the speakers or those who chose the hymns, it all went together. Super powerful meeting. I'll send a copy of my talk. Another highlight this week was that I saw all sorts of people wearing clothing with red "B"s on them. I quickly gathered that the Red Sox were in the neighborhood. So I stayed up to date on how the games were going. Sadly I was mostly disappointed. Hopefully the pinstripes will pick up their game soon. One more cool thing is that I saw Elder Monson!! He was visiting the city with his mom and took Elder Coburn and me out to lunch. I took a picture on my camera, but I'm not near a computer today. I'll try to send it next week. Other than that everything is great! The teaching pool is doing well, and the area is awesome! Loving it! 

~Elder Allred 

     Guided by the Spirit  

Good morning brothers and sisters. Just as a brief introduction, my name is Elder Allred. I'm here from the very small town of Nephi Utah to serve my mission in the great city of New York. I've been on my mission for just over a year and a half, and I will be returning to my studies in Ephraim, Utah this fall. I am the youngest of three, with an older brother and an older sister, along with eight step siblings. I'm excited to be here and look forward to serving in this ward with all of you. 

A few days ago, Brother Weinburg extended the invitation to me to speak in sacrament meeting today, and I'm excited to have this opportunity. As I began to ponder and pray about what I should speak about today, I found myself reflecting on a conversation I had over dinner just about an hour before I received Brother Weinburg's text. Part of our dinner conversation was pointed toward the Spirit. I and the person I was talking with agreed that so many of the decisions that we make in life don't come with an instruction manual. As we utilize our God-given gift of agency, there are often no particular guidelines. What it typically comes down to is prayer, study, fasting, seeking for the Lord's guidance. It's really the Spirit, or the Holy Ghost, that leads us down the correct paths. I began thinking about how much my life has been directed by the Spirit. I wouldn't even be standing here in front of you today if the influence of the Holy Ghost hadn't guided me here. So I would like to spend a few minutes today talking about how important it is that our lives are guided by the Spirit. 

I would like to begin today by reading two or three scriptures that highlight some of the roles that the Spirit has. John 14: 26-27 teaches us about a couple of those roles. 

It reads, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." 

The Holy Ghost is sent from the Father to be our Comforter. When we are in times of worry or distress, the Holy Ghost is there to calm us. The Holy Ghost can dwell within us, fill us with warmth and love, and ease our troubled minds. I like to think of the Holy Ghost as a warm blanket or hug from your mom. It just makes you feel good, and it makes you feel safe. 

Another important point from this scripture is that the Holy Ghost is our teacher. All wisdom and knowledge that we obtain in this life is most effectively obtained with the companionship of the Spirit. This role is especially helpful to a young missionary who is teaching the gospel to people or to a college student who is pursuing his or her education. I have found in my studies, wether they be secular or spiritual, if I will begin with a sincere prayer I am much more likely to retain and apply the information. Everyone, no matter what stage of life they may be in, needs to be taught by the Spirit.  

3 Nephi Chapter 27, verse 20 teaches us about another important role of the Spirit. It reads, "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." 

When we receive the Holy Ghost, we are sanctified. We are cleansed from our sins. As we live worthily of the Spirit, the Spirit acts as the cleansing tool to wipe away the stains that sin leaves on our souls. The damaging affects that sin can have on us are taken away through the reception of the Holy Ghost. We are purified as the Spirit prepares us to stand spotless before God at the last day.  

We read of an account toward the end of the Savior's life when He was teaching His apostles. As He was preparing them for His death, He promised them that they would receive the Holy Ghost to be their companion in His absence. Part of this account is found in John Chapter 15, verse 26. It says, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the  

Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:" 

The Spirit testifies of the Savior. I know by personal experience that this is true. I have never been closer to Jesus Christ than I am today. I know that my Redeemer lives. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Jesus Christ is the son of God. He came to earth. He atoned for us, and He was resurrected, and the Holy Ghost has born witness to my spirit of these divine truths. 

There are several other roles that the Holy Ghost has. In the interest of time, I won't go into detail on all of them. But the Holy Ghost is the comforter. The Holy Ghost is our teacher. The Holy Ghost is the sanctifier. The Holy Ghost is our guide. The Holy Ghost is the messenger. The Holy Ghost bears witness of the God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. And among so many other amazing things, the Holy Ghost is our friend. 

I would like to conclude with an experience that I had not too long before I left on my mission. I was in my second semester at Snow College in Utah. Prior to attending Snow College I hadn't been very active in the church. I stopped going to church at the beginning of my senior year in high school. I continued to attend my seminary class, but I was not attending church on Sundays. Most of the friends that I remained close with were active members of the church and were great influences on me. One of those friends was actually my roommate in college. It was his great example and an invitation from him to attend the October 2012 priesthood session that motivated me to return to activity in the church. So by the time I was into my second semester I was returning to activity and preparing to serve a mission. My roommate had signed up for a mission prep class at the institute, and I really wanted to be in that same class. When I originally signed up for the class it was full, and I had been put on a waiting list. A few days into the semester, some people dropped the class, which made enough seats available for me to join the class. My first day in the class was about a week after it had begun. I remember walking into class that day feeling very awkward. I felt like everyone else was a step ahead of me, because I was showing up late. I also remember sitting in the very back row and just doubting myself. Remember that I hadn't been active for about a year and a half. I started thinking in class that day about wether or not I was really capable of serving a mission. Did I know enough? Could I really teach people about the gospel, even with my limited knowledge of it? Was I close enough to God? Did I even have a  

real testimony? These questions and others weighed heavily on my mind as I sat in the back of that classroom that day. I have no idea what the instructor, Brother Scott, was teaching about that day, because my mind was too occupied with these other thoughts for me to be fully engaged in the class. At the conclusion of the class I began to walk out feeling very down on myself. I was almost positive that I would not be serving a mission. I was one of the last people to leave the classroom. Before I could walk through the door, Brother Scott stopped me to give me a handshake. He told me that as he was leading the class discussion that day he was scanning the classroom and noticed me. Something prompted him to talk to me after class that day. He asked me if I was in a hurry to get to my next class, and I told him no. He invited me to come into his office to talk. We sat down, and he offered a prayer. He told me that he had no idea why he had me in his office. He knew that he needed to talk to me, but he didn't know why. After a few long seconds of silence, I started to pour out my heart to Brother Scott. I told him about the doubts that I was having. I told him that I didn't think I knew  

enough about the gospel to be capable of serving a mission. All of the thoughts I was having during the class were laid out before him on he table. He talked with me for about thirty minutes in his office that day. The things that he shared with me were very comforting and gave me the confidence that I needed. He assured me that I was capable of serving a mission and promised me that he would be there for me to help me prepare. Brother Scott had never met me before in his life. He didn't even know my name, but somehow he knew that I needed his help that day. How else could he have known unless he had the companionship of the Holy Ghost? I have absolutely no doubt that it was the Spirit that lead Brother Scott that day. It was the Spirit that helped him recognize me in the back of that classroom, and it was the Spirit that prompted him to invite me into his office. That was a monumental day for me. The events that followed over the next several months lead me to my mission, which has been the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. I think this was the first time in my life that I realized just how important the Spirit is. I could see in this man how powerful it can be to have the Spirit with you, and it gave me the desire to have the same companionship of the Holy Ghost.  

Brothers and Sisters, I have a deep and abiding testimony that the Holy Ghost is real..

DL, trainer for Elder Raine

Hello friends and family! Well, today is transfers again. I cannot believe another cycle has gone by already. The scary thing about these six week periods of time is that each one that goes by leaves me with one less to be a missionary. And after this next one goes, I'll have less than half of mine left. I'm sure this one will fly by too. That's mostly because of my new callings. This cycle I will be training a new missionary again! The hard work and responsibility that goes into this leaves you no time to think about what day it is and only time to help your companion and be a good example. My other calling is to be the District Leader for the Harlem English speaking district. I've already trained once and been a District Leader once, and now I will have the opportunity to do both at the same time! I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about this. I feel like this enormous amount of responsibility has just been laid on my shoulders, and the weight I have to carry just tripled. That's a good thing though. Stress and work is what pushes us and makes us grow. Every major lesson I've learned on my mission has come to me in times are a little bit more trying. So, I'm excited for this new challenge. It will be good for me as well and help me refocus. I had a ton of fun with Elder Monson these past six weeks. We got along really well and did some awesome work together. Being in this companionship also had its downfalls though. Watching Elder Monson prepare to return home was fun and exciting but also a little hard on me. The natural man inside of me was jealous and wished that it was me coming home to see all of you. I still worked hard, but my motivation level dropped slightly. So, it will be good to have a brand new missionary as a companion. That "greenie fire" is exactly what I need to get me back into my groove and completely pumped about the work in Harlem. The entire atmosphere of this area is going to change. The apartment will be a lot different too. We live with the Zone Leaders here, and one of them (Elder Linton) just got transferred to the Bronx. So, Elder Smith got a new companion as well. His name is Elder Burr. I served around him in the Bronx for a little while. He's a great missionary and a hard worker. It will be way different but good. I'll miss Elder Linton, but his leadership is really needed in the Bronx. I'm really going to miss Elder Monson too. He and I have been through a lot together in these past six weeks, and I'm glad he was by my side. I consider him like a brother. I'm excited for him to continue his life in Utah and move on. He'll do great things. I"m excited to build that relationship with my new companion as well. His name is Elder Raine, and I can already tell he is going to be an awesome missionary. He's from Brea, California. I've only known him for less than an hour now, but I can already tell he's excited to be here and ready to go. We will do some great work in Harlem together and see some miracles for sure. I'm grateful that the Lord has chosen me to fulfill this role at this time. I'm sure there are a hundred other missionaries in this mission more worthy and qualified than I am for this, but the Lord has chosen me. I have a testimony that He chooses His leaders for a very specific purpose, and I've been able to see so clearly that every time I'm in a leadership position it's so I can learn something new and improve. So, I'm excited for what the Lord has in store for me. Thanks again for all of your love and support. I miss you and love you all. Have a fantastic week!
~Elder Allred 

Fast Sunday

This week has been awesome! Especially on Sunday. I woke up forgetting that it was the first Sunday of the month and that I was supposed to fast. So, first thing in the morning, I went into the kitchen and guzzled down a Kool-Aid. Then I looked over at Elder Monson and saw him eating a bowl of cereal. For some reason that is what made it click for me. I was so tempted to just give up and not fast since I had already had something to drink. Then I started thinking about all of the people that we're teaching and all of those who we had invited to come to church. I knew I had to start my fast for them right then. So, I said a prayer and began my fast. Best decision I could have made. We had a few less active members show up and three investigators, two of which had never been before. The other one was Norman. I think I told you about him last Wednesday. He's the Jamaican guy that just walked into the church last Sunday out of the blue. We had been keeping in contact with him all throughout last week, and he sounded like he might not make it. But he showed up! We were even able to talk with him for a little while after church and teach him a great first lesson. He is really enjoying his experience with our church. I'm way excited about Norman. Jamaicans are by far my favorite people to teach! Then after church we had a busy afternoon teaching three more lessons. Today was just incredible, and I saw small miracles from the moment we stepped out of our apartment to the moment we came back home. I"m not saying that these miracles wouldn't have happened if I had chosen not to fast. I think it really helped a lot, though, and it increased my faith in that specific principle. If we will just do those things that we know the Lord has asked us to do, our lives will be so much better! Especially when it's easier to do something else. I'm just so happy with the work this week. We've kinda been having some struggles with the people we've been teaching. Some have dropped, some are just being flaky, and some we've had to pass off to other companionships. It's been pretty frustrating. A lot of potential has just come out of the woodworks this week, and our teaching pool is finally freshening up. It's really exciting! Elder Monson and I are having a ton of fun together, and we get along super well. I can't believe he goes home in two weeks! When I came into the mission he was over his year mark. It's crazy how fast it goes! I look ahead at another year, and it feels like an eternity. But I know I'll look back, and it will feel like it was only a couple of months. Hope you're all doing well. I miss you with all my heart, and I love you!!! 

~Elder Allred 

This is Zion in Babylon

Hey everyone! 

This week has been great! I can't believe this cycle is already halfway over. Elder Monson is such a good companion. We get along really well with each other and do some great work. It seems that when you have a companion that you really enjoy working with, you don't get to stay with them for very long. I'm kinda bummed that we will only be companions for three more weeks. I guess we'll just have to make the best of them and make sure Elder Monson's last part of the mission will make him look back and be happy about the work he did in Harlem. The way that missionary work is moving in our mission is really cool. President Morgan is such an inspired man and leader. In the past few months he has put a huge emphasis on setting inspired goals, having the faith that you will reach those goals, and putting in the necessary plans that will help you get there. I've always had struggles with planning, and we do a lot of it as missionaries. I don't know why, but I just really don't like it. So, when President Morgan brought this out I was less than excited. But as we have put some things into practice, I've started to gain a new perspective on it. In the last couple of weeks the mission has started to do a new kind of planning called monthly planning. This is where you focus on an individual that you are teaching and plan out what needs to happen before they can be baptized. You start with their baptismal date and then plug in when they need to be interviewed, when they need to meet the Bishop, when they need to come to church, when they need to be taught each lesson, and all of the other little things that need to happen for them. This requires a lot of extra work and is kind of tedious. These plans are also subject to change as the Spirit directs and as investigators progress differently than you thought they might. It gives you a really good perspective though and helps you have a visual of how much work needs to be done with these people in order for them to reach their goal. Like I said, President Morgan is a very inspired man. I think this new practice will really help us as missionaries to better prepare people for baptism and help more people stay active after they are baptized. The work of the Lord is progressing and hastening all the time, and it is so cool to have a front row seat to it all. We had an awesome experience this week that showed me that miracles really do happen and that the Lord is always preparing people to receive the gospel. We were at the chapel on Sunday waiting for church to start. About a half hour before sacrament meeting started, one of the YSA members came over to me and introduced me to a guy named Norman. He said that Norman just came into their sacrament meeting and sat down. He started talking to him, found out he's not a member, and introduced him to the missionaries. So cool! Norman is from Jamaica and is visiting his cousins here in Harlem for about five months. I had the chance to give him a Book of Mormon before the meeting started and explain to him what it is. I felt the Spirit so strongly as I testified of the promise given to us in Moroni 10:3-5. If he would just read the book, ponder it in his heart, and sincerely ask God if it was true, he would gain a divine witness of it from the Holy Ghost. It was so incredible to watch him as they started passing the sacrament. He opened up the Book of Mormon that I had just given him and began reading from 1 Nephi. This was just such a cool experience for me. The Lord has prepared Norman to come in contact with us. He was prompted by the Spirit to walk into our church on Sunday morning and followed that prompting! This is truly the Lord's work, and He is doing it in His way. I'm just here for Him to use as a tool to further progress His children and to bring them unto Him. It's amazing! We also had a less active family come to church on Sunday for the first time. The Strungys family. Elder Monson and I found them a couple days after I got here. They live up in the Polo Grounds, which is a huge project across the river from Yankee Stadium. It was so awesome when they walked in and sat down. Brother and Sister Strungys have seven children, so they took up an entire row by themselves. Just like you might see in a Utah ward. Haha. Anyway, I'm excited for them to continue to progress and become fully active in the gospel again. I'm seeing miracles all over the place, and it's incredible! Oh yeah, one more cool thing from Sunday. For the fifth Sunday lesson, the Bishopric talked to everyone about attending the temple and how we should make it a priority. Bishop Kelly ended the meeting by telling us a story about when President Hinckley dedicated the Manhattan temple. He said that a few times President Hinckley used the phrase, "This is Zion in Babylon". I thought that was really cool. In the midst of all the craziness and sin in New York City there stands a temple. Right in the heart of it all is the house of the Lord. It truly is Zion in Babylon. I then thought about the ward I am currently serving in. The congregation of saints here in Harlem is tiny compared to everyone else that lives here. But the chapel on 128th and Lenox makes a difference on the entire surrounding area. It's a little oasis from all the craziness of Harlem. Then I also thought about our role as missionaries. I've heard President Morgan say a few times, "Just you missionaries' presence alone makes a positive difference on the areas where you serve". A few representatives of the Lord walk around Harlem every single day and make it a little bit better of a place. What a privilege it is for me to be one of those few trusted to be here and to make a positive impact on this place. We are Zion in Babylon. I just think that statement is so profound. As members of the church (even in Utah) I think we all need to have that perspective and strive to build a Zion in Babylon. The world we live in gets more and more wicked all the time, but if we can stay true to the gospel we can make a small difference in the world. Well, that's about it for this week. I'm off to a Yankees game! Love you all. Have a fantastic week! 

~Elder Allred 

Statue of Liberty

 Hey everyone! Harlem is so much fun! I think I was destined to live in the Hood. Haha. From the Bronx to Harlem! We live in a huge building on Broadway and 135th Street. It's just a couple avenues over from the Hudson. We run over to a football field every morning and work out right next to the river. It's so cool! Missionaries call our building "The Great and Spacious Building". I thought that was pretty funny. We estimated that there's a little over 4,000 people that live in our building alone. So, the building that I live in has almost as many people as the population of Nephi. Crazy! Elder Monson and I are having a lot of fun and the work is great. He's a great guy. I can already tell that I'll be sad when he has to go home in five weeks. 

Anyway, sorry this week's email is super short! We went to the Statue of Liberty today since Elder Monson is going home this cycle. One of the cool things that President Morgan lets us do in this mission. And since I am his companion I got to tag along! Everything is good here! I'm loving Harlem. It's getting super hot. And since we walk most places here, it's been tiring me out! The humidity is ridiculous! Haha. I'll try to write more next week. Have a great week everyone. Love you! 

~Elder Allred 

Harlem

~NEW COMPANION, ELDER MONSON~

 Hey everyone! So, I know that you all know today is transfer day. So, I'll tell you the news right here at the beginning. I was released as District Leader, and I've been transferred out of the Bronx to Harlem! I'm pretty sad to be leaving the Bronx. I've really loved it here. This last cycle was awesome. I got really close with a lot of the people I served with. Especially Elder Rydalch and the guys in our apartment. Elder Kohli will be going home tomorrow, and it was sad to say goodbye to him today. He's a good guy, and we've had some good times together. For his last district meeting, Elder Sevy and I put together a song for him. Since we all love country music, we decided to sing "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins. We re-wrote the words for him and put it into a missionary version. It was really cool. I was way nervous to sing in front of the whole zone, but it turned out so well! Anyway, I don't have much time to email today, so this one isn't going to be very long. I'm excited to start working in Harlem! My new companion is named Elder Monson. He's from West Jordan. This will be his last cycle. He'll be going home at the next transfers in July. It should be a lot of fun. These next six weeks will fly by! Adjusting to the new area and watching Elder Monson prepare to go home. I'm excited to have more stories to tell you next week. Thanks for everything. Sorry for the short email this week. I love you! 

~OLMSTEAD ZONE WITH ELDER AND SISTER SNOW~