E-Mail September 10, 2012

This is difficult to explain the details w/o me actually forwarding my initial letter to Daniel (I don’t have that w/me at the moment).  But here’s what he sent to me today… neat experience we had… great testimony builder for me.

Hey Pa!
I'm glad you got the package and letter! Happy birthday!! Hahaha!
So Stake Conference was pretty good? That's great. But! I do have to share something with you about your last letter.

So, you told me the story of how you were up super late one night and started reading some talks and things. You felt impressed to pray but, you thought you felt that because it was late, you weren’t sleeping, and you hadn’t said your nightly prayers yet. While you were praying you had three words come to mind, "Patience, Love and Example." You were later in the temple and you had an unusual amount of time in there alone so you began to pray again. Again you felt those three words impressed upon your mind but realized, this time, they were for me and not yourself. You were exactly right, Dad. I got that letter on Monday, two days before transfer meeting. Elder O'Toole was leaving and I knew that I was going to be training. We made our guesses as to who/how my new companion was going to be, sometimes jokingly, sometimes seriously. Well transfer meeting came around on Wednesday and I had to be there early, along with the others that were training, to receive a personal training on how to train =P. (Hahaha, that's a lot of trains!). Well I knew that Ryan, now Elder, Oscarson was coming into the mission and after the meeting was over I asked Pres. Howes how he was doing and how his first interview went and all that kind of stuff, just cause I was excited for him to be here. He asked me to step aside with him and told me that Elder Oscarson was doing great and that he was going to be a great missionary. He also began to tell me about my current companion, Elder Smith. Now in missionary life, everyone knows that you are getting a troubled companion if President has to talk to you about him before you meet him. Well, while he was talking to me he told me that there would be some challenges over this next transfer or two as I train him. That this first transfer will make or break him as a missionary.  This is where I KNOW that you received revelation and that you were in tune with the Spirit. President Howes told me that he felt very strongly that I should be his companion. He then said, "It will take a lot of 'Patience and Love.'" I couldn’t help but smile and even chuckle a little bit. You said at the beginning of your letter that you hoped it was "timely." It couldn’t have been more perfect timing.

I love you so much Dad and I know that you are a worthy, righteous priesthood holder. So much so that our Father in Heaven has instilled within you a gift; to receive revelation from Him and to discern who, of your stewardship, it is for. Please always stay worthy of that. I love you and Miss you much.

~Elder Daniel Lawrence Peterson