October 7, 2014

Hey all! What a great week.

I love, love, love general conference! I hope everyone who’s reading this got an opportunity to watch the conference. The messages this year were so inspiring, and so applicable to our daily lives. I would especially recommend the Saturday sessions. They were amazing. 

So we talked to a man the other day on the bus. We’ll call him Ron. Ron was so nice. We had a great conversation with him and set up a time to meet. He’s not really interested in living the gospel of Jesus Christ, but he was willing to sit down and talk with us. So we had our meeting with him in the park the other day. 

It was good. The phone number he gave us was an actual working number, and he actually showed up to our meeting place lol. Our first 15 minutes with Ron was amazing. He shared with us basically his life story, and about why he believes in Jesus Christ. The spirit of the lord was very strong. 

Unfortunately the spirit of the lord was driven out, and we left our meeting sorrowful, rejected, and I’ll be honest I was pretty frustrated. Ron’s objective in meeting with us was not to learn more about the Mormon religion, come closer to Jesus Christ, or even have a conversation about Jesus Christ. His whole objective was to try to discredit and disprove Joseph Smith and his character and status as a prophet of god. 

We know that not everyone believes that Joseph Smith was a true prophet called of god. 

If you talk to missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, please, do not expect them to convince you that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that Jesus is the savior, or that the church is true. Yes, this is our message. But you cannot take our word for it - and you shouldn't. We are not perfect. 

I love the analogy from this past conference. - If you want to know Jesus Christ's character and ministry, would you ask Judas Iscariot?

One of my favorite parts about the gospel, is that we know that god is not silent. He speaks to prophets, he speaks to our leaders, and he speaks to us - if we are seeking him with real intent.  

If we want to know answers to questions about god, then we have to ask God. Not men. Your friends will tell you what you want to hear, your enemies will tell you lies, but only god can tell you the absolute truth. 

Fortunately god has given us an easy way to know whether Joseph Smith was a prophet or not. He’s given us the Book of Mormon.

"We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)"

"Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah."  (Introduction to the Book of Mormon)

Sorry. I’ll step down from off my missionary soap box now. 

Everybody go see the Meet the Mormons movie that’s coming out! All the missionaries got to watch it, and it is awesome!!

Okay bye love you!!