Email - 9.18.12

How is everyone!?!

There is so much I want to tell everyone about the MTC and all the experiences I am having. I seriously love the way I feel out here. I love learning and I have never learned so much. It gets better and better each day out here and I learn even more the next day. Truly, the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on this earth. It has seriously become my "best friend". If you are feeling lonely or sad or down on yourself, READ THE BOOK OF MORMON!! It will help you feel so much better and it will answer every question that you have. Just a thought.

First off, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to mom and kara!! You both are freaking awesome for sending me those packages!! I was so excited when I opened them and saw what was in there. You both are the best!! Thank you to everyone who has written me and taken time out of their day just to say hi. It means so much and makes me so happy to hear that all of you are so happy!! I love all you guys!! All of you who haven't...Alex, Chris, Amber etc...you better follow through. ;)

So here's whats been going on!! I leave one week from today and I depart Salt Lake City, Utah at 7:30 am and have a lay over in Denver from 8:52 am to 10:35 am and I will finally arrive in Oklahoma City at 1:00 pm. Crazy!! So I will call home on my layover and when I get into SLC airport cause we are allowed to. I'm excited to hear you all!! Time has gone by so fast and it's about to get real!! I cannot wait to teach the people of Oklahoma City!! Teach them what I am coming to love more and more each day!! Teach them about the Book of Mormon which is the keystone to our religion and has amazing powers!! Teach them about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ about His love for us and the sacrifice that He made for us. He truly loves us and I testify and witness that I have felt that love and it is the best feeling in the whole entire world. 

So what else, I play soccer about everyday in gym with a bunch of elders who are going to Korea on their missions. Desirae, Elder Clawson from back home is one of them, he says hi. Love the kid. But then other than soccer, I am just reading everything I can. I am reading the Book of Mormon AGAIN and I get something new everytime. READ IT!! It will bring you closer to Christ. I have committed today (because of a challenge from a talk we heard) to read the Book of Mormon everyday for the rest of my life. The guy who spoke has gone 40 years without missing a day and you can tell the light he has about him. Any takers to take the challenge with me? :) 

So I hear a GREAT indian joke!!! Had to tell it right?! So you go up to an indian and just tell them to stop recording you....hahahahahahhahahahaha!!! Get it?! If you do, imagine how much i laughed. I DIED. HILARIOUS!!! SO FUNNY!! So my district is doing amazing!! We are learning so much about the Book of Mormon, the atonement and the gospel. Oh, I almost forgot!! I have had walking phnuemonia for the past week and I go to the doctor for the 3rd time today (however you spell it) and you know what?! I couldn't be any happier!! haha!! It hurts so bad and I feel so sick but I can't explain the happiness and the joy I feel. I am so grateful to have this opportunity. God has blessed me with so much and I feel honored to have been entrusted with this calling as Elder. 

So something that I learned this week. It's about the Character of Christ. If you read this, go and read the talk Elder Bednar gave on the "Character of Christ". It will change your life. I learned so much. Here's a little sneak peak. So my first week here I loved it. I loved serving other people but sometimes I would go through those 5 minute spurts where I would miss my amazing family, my amazing girl, and my freaking awesome friends so much. I would wonder what I was missing out on and worry about what other people would be doing while I am out here 6 hours in a class room and then 4 hours of straight teaching and studying. You know what? It DOESN'T MATTER!! It's not about me at all. I needed to get over myself in those 5 minutes!! Who cares!! This mission is not about me!!! I am here to serve!! And that's just what the Character of Christ is about. Christ in gethsemane and on the cross in His darkest hour did not once think about himself. In gethsemane, he healed the soldiers ear when Peter cut it off....AFTER they had arrested him and Judas had betrayed him and he had SUFFERED FOR ALL THE SINS of the world. He was concerned about a miniscule little ear. On the cross after he was beaten, after he had been betrayed, after he had been spit on by the people he was dying and suffering for, and after he had taken upon all the sins of the world...he said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. He was worried about others. Not himself. So I thought to myself, why can't I be like that. Good question, it's because of the natural man. The natural man is an enemy to God. When we sin, we do it out of self gratification. Me me me me. Sin=to turn away from God and to turn inside to ourselves. How can we become like Christ? Repent=to turn to God and turn away from ourselves. Repent and come unto Christ. Stop thinking about yourself. It's not about you ever!! If you are wondering whether or not to go on a mission because you're scared it will be hard or whether or not you're gonna miss out on some elite scholarship, or whether your girlfriend is going to wait for you, I have some advice. GET OVER YOURSELF. Seriously. It's not about you. It's about the people you will be serving. It's about God. It's about others. Throw off the natural man and think about others before you think about yourself. You will be blessed. You will be happier. You will feel the love of Jesus Christ. It's what life is all about. It has changed me as I have changed my mindset since I have been in here. Sure I could've stayed and played soccer and maybe even professionally, I could've gotten ahead in school, and I could be making alot of money. I don't know where I will be in two years or who will be there when I get home. But guess what?! It doesn't matter right now. It's not about me. Read the talk. Seriously, it is the best thing I have ever heard. Anyways, just something that I learned. I will write other lettters just not on email about other things. 

Please write!! I am interested i knowing how you're doing and I have so much I want to tell you all about how amazing this Gospel is!! Everyone needs it!! Its true!! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true!! Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of our church is the Savior of the world and He loves us so much!! He suffered for every pain, sorrow, guilty feeling, or sin that we have ever commited or felt. He saw us personally as He knelt in gethsemane and suffered for it all and bled from every pore. I know that the Book of Mormon is true!! I love it so much! It has all the answers I ever need and that you ever need. I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers and I am so humbled to know that he loves me so much. I can't wait for these next two years. I say all this in the name of Jesus Christ amen. 

Love,

Elder Cutler

btw, cough....jantzen, colby, romy, jadon....anyone else, I LOVE having gym at 9:30 am on wednesdays, 7 pm on thursdays and 7 pm on saturday. I LOVE it.... :) cough cough. soccer cough BYU soccer cough.

romy, congrats on the goal btw, you're not sick.