From a letter Josh sent his Aunt Caroline dated December 10, 2012: "Thanks for the letter! I love getting mail. The mission is really good, of course, I miss home every now and then but mostly just the convenience in communication. I do know this church is true. I have had many spiritual experiences in my life some big and some small but no matter the size the source of them is always the same. I know God answers our prayers. I know he loves us and I know he knows the true desires of our hearts, there is no pretending. He is real! I am so very blessed and so very grateful for everything I have been given, especially the family I have been blessed with. I never realized the true importance of families until I left on my mission. I am so grateful our whole family is involved in the church and know the truthfulness of it. I'm so very grateful for my true friends also. They are like family to me. I am so grateful for everyone keeping me focused on preparing for my mission. I am so excited to be an example to everyone that looks up to me. I am grateful to be that example. Just as Christ was an example for the people, I can be an example also. Another thing I have found to know on my mission is how much I love learning about the scriptures. I wish I had more time to study them. I love learning about the gospel. I always want to learn more! A chapter I really like is Alma 36. I have felt that exact same war in my life and have felt the love of the savior. Another scripture I like is Romans 8:18. This scripture was shared with me by a teacher at the MTC. He walked by the classroom where I was and started down the stairs. A few seconds later he came back. I didn't know him. He wasn't my teacher but he said, "the spirit prompted me to come back here and share this scipture with you. I don't know why I was prompted but when the spirit tells me to do things I do it. I tell my students to do that so why shouldn't I? I am glad he did; whenever things get hard or stressful or when I begin to miss home I think of this scripture. I have already seen blessings come from my mission and they keep coming. I know this is where I am supposed to be serving the Lord. I'm not just doing this for myself I am doing it for the Lord. I am giving him my time and myself so that I may be a tool in the carpenter's hand. The blessings are a by product of all of this, I am doing this because I love my family and I know I can be with them forever, and I want everyone to know that as well. I want to get one of those fancy stone etched things in my house that says missionaries leave their families for 2 years so that other families can be together for eternity. Another thing I have learned on my mission is how badly I want to get married in the temple and start my own family. I am so excited for that day I can take a young daughter of God to the temple. That is my ultimate goal right now. Of course mission first, then that. I know the church is true, the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, and that God lives and hears our prayers. I know Jesus Christ died and atoned for our sins so that we may return to live with him someday. I know families can and will be together forever."