Week 7: 3 Nephi 9:14
First things first: a million sorries if my last email was in any way preachy, petulant, or pessimistic. The struggle is real, but this week was full of miracles and tender mercies plus conference!!!!!! HOW AWESOME WAS THAT?
Watching it growing up I was always kinda like, "ughhhhhhhh WHEN WILL IT END????" now i'm just like, "NOOOOOOOO IT CAN'T END!" on another note it's pretty cool driving through Provo on Saturday and seeing so many stores and restaurants closed. (you know you're in Utah when....)
and earlier this week we passed this store with a giant sign out front that said, "BUY YOUR CONFERENCE TREATS HERE!" which wouldn't be super remarkable since we ARE in Utah, except it was an Amish Market place??? I meant to take a picture because i thought it was hilarious, but whatever.
Anyway! Last P-Day was AWESOME. We met this "treasure hunter", Brother Moon, who basically hunts down really ancient and awesome books.....You'll never guess whose Books of Mormon I am holding.
From the bottom up: Samuel Smith, Hyrum Smith, Joseph Smith, and then on the top is Joseph Smith's pocket bible!!! IT WAS SO SMALL! apparently back then it was cool to read a bible with a magnifying glass?
Brother Moon also had a bible from the 16th century, Wilford Woodruff's glasses(!!!!!!), and the original copy of a revelation given to Hyrum Smith (written in his own hand) directly from the Prophet Joseph Smith (he wouldn't let us take a really good picture of that one though lol)
Okay, now you guys have to show Abby and the boys these next ones...I was fangirling so hard.
It's J.R.R Tolkein's BIBLE!
HIS BIBLE!!!
So after that we played volleyball with our Zone, where I caused several elders on my team considerable pain since I cannot aim.
So all in all our Zone Activity was pretty awesome!
Moving on....what else happened this week? I am kicking myself right now because I literally wrote down all the cool things I wanted to share in this little notebook...which I left on my study desk back home. So let's see.......
Well, for the past two weeks we've been teaching this guy who is all about evolution, like, he thinks we literally evolved from amoebas and apes and all that. Our brains were exploding with all his science-y wienc-y stuff. He also believes the universe was not created. It's just always been there. Wha. Like for me, that's way harder to comprehend than God creating the cosmos, ya feel me? Like it's all just always been here? What? Anyway, his fellowshipper is pretty awesome. He's an MTC Branch President, so he knows a thing or two about the Gospel. However, despite all of our best efforts, Jordan simply could not accept Moroni's Promise. He didn't see the logic behind believing in God or Jesus Christ or anything, and he argued a lot with us about how there are plenty of other churches and religions who do the whole "read and pray" thing. His main question to all of us was: HOW DO YOU KNOW?
So of course we talked about Alma 32 and how we read the scriptures, say our prayers, go to church, etc, and we told him that when he does these things the Holy Ghost will "manifest the truth of it unto you".
He just could not accept that. That wasn't enough for him. He kept going back to other religions and how they do the exact same thing and also "feel" that their religion is true. So how do we know that ours is the only true one, if there are millions upon millions of other religions who ponder and pray and receive the same kinda answers?
Long story short, he dropped us because he wanted to take a break. He just wasn't willingly to plant the seed and experiment on the words, which is kinda ironic. Aren't science-y guys supposed to like conducting experiments?
Anyway, so my question this week for you guys is: how do you know? How do you know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ? I really am curious to hear some of your conversion stories!
And if you don't know... are you willingly to ponder these things in your heart and ask God with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ?
Our experience with Jordan really got me and Sister Saili thinking about our own conversion. How do I know?
I know that this gospel has changed my life. I know that the Book of Mormon has taught me more about the Savior than any other book on earth. I just know. No burnings in the bosom or angelic Hallelujah choruses required. Trying to explain how the Spirit works is like trying to explain what salt tastes like to someone who's never tasted it before (Boyd K. Packer is a genius).
How do we know?
On another note, Conference was way awesome. Sister Saili got to go to the Saturday Morning Session, but I being the greenie did not :( hopefully October!!! Did anyone else see the man in the MoTab singing his heart out and sobbing during Come Thou Fount? That guy is awesome, whoever he is.
Holland knocked it out of the park, as always, and I really enjoyed the talk by Elder Arnold of the Seventy as well: I invite each of you to heed the Savior's call to go to the rescue! The Lord has provided all the tools we need to rescue our friends and family.
Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.
Accept the Savior's invitation: "Whosever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me".
Turn to the Savior. He's wonderful. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Turn to him today. Turn to him always.
Love y'all,
Sister Wainwright
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