success's, but that is just how missionary work goes! Staying
positive and working hard is the key, and we've seen that play a huge
role in this entire week!
We had two exchanges this week, and they both went really well!
On one of the exchanges, we didn't have a dinner so I called the
Weber's last minute and asked if we could eat with them. They had us
over, and it was a great meal and a lesson! We role played with them,
and had them think of a specific friend that they could invite to
either church, or an activity. They all picked one out and role
played with each other. It went really well, and they all feel more
comfortable sharing the gospel! Brother Weber also talked to us, and
has two of his patients who he is going to have us teach! We are
going to set those up this week, so those should be awesome! Member
referrals are absolutely amazing! Can't wait to see the Gospel change
these individuals lives. We were also able to teach an investigator
named Heather in the other elders ward. We taught her the Restoration
and now she has a baptismal date for October 7th! It was a really
cool lesson to be a part of. The Spirit was extremely strong
throughout the lesson, and we asked her after we invited her to be
baptized if she was feeling the Spirit. She said she was definitely
feeling the Spirit, and started to tear up! The Holy Ghost is real,
and it is amazing to see how much comfort and love he can provide! I
know that as each of us pray for guidance and help, we can receive
that help and comfort through the Holy Ghost!
We had a meeting with our ward mission leader in the Prairie View
Ward this past week to discuss a Ward Mission plan. We had a
wonderful meeting, and helped our ward mission leader understand how
he can help us more effectively. We went to Bishopric Meeting for
this ward, and made a plan to visit each of them to teach their
families "the rescue plan" to help us reach out the the less actives
of the ward. The missionary work should start to progress in the
Prairie View Ward, so we are hopeful about that! Brother Weber's
referrals are in this ward too! We can't wait!
It was a pretty difficult week with Janet. We met with her
again almost every single day, and we were working with her to finally
attend church! During our last lesson of the week on Saturday, Janet
said she was going to attend church! We were really excited, and
started to again explain to her how we would do everything in our
power to get her there! Then she said that she had made the decision
to attend another church. She said she knew every road points to
going to our church, but she has to make sure by attending the other
church to give her a sort of closure. She said she would attend the
other church this week, then go to ours next week. We were absolutely
devastated, and we didn't hide any of our feelings. She asked us why
we looked so sad, and we explained to her that we knew that as she
attended Christ's true church, that she would feel so much happiness
and joy and would know for herself that it would be where she needed
to be. We left that lesson feeling pretty sad, but we had faith that
something would happen that would make her want to attend our church
this upcoming Sunday! On Sunday, we went to church and got a text
from Janet about how she didn't even attend the other church because
she got extremely fearful again, and just couldn't do it. We had a
lesson with her Sunday night, and we explained to her that if she
decides to attend our church that we will help her get there, and we
know that with Heavenly Fathers help she would get there. But it she
decides to attend another church, we can't really help her get there.
She seemed to get where we were coming from and we are hoping she
understands that she needs to attend our church. We are praying so
hard that she does. We know the Holy Ghost has witnessed to her that
the things we have taught her are true, but ultimately it is her
choice. We are praying she will make the right choice!
In church we were talking about President Monson's message this
past General Conference titled "The Power of the Book Of Mormon."
There was an article in the August 2005 Ensign titled "A Consistent
Prophetic Call," and we discussed how not only our prophet, President
Thomas S. Monson, has invited us to read The Book Of Mormon, but
prophets and apostles have consistently invited us to do so forever!
Here is the article,
President David O. McKay (1873–1970): “I testify to you that the Book
of Mormon is truly the Word of God, that communication between earth
and heaven has been opened up again, and that the true way of the Lord
has been revealed to men on earth, showing the means by which all
needful knowledge and blessings may be received by every true believer
in Christ” (“Marks Pointing to Authenticity of Book of Mormon,”
Instructor, Oct. 1952, 318).
President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972): “No member of this Church
can stand approved in the presence of God who has not seriously and
carefully read the Book of Mormon” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1961,
18).
President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973): “It has always seemed to me that
the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith in counsel to the brethren,
impressing the value of the Book of Mormon, have greater significance
than many of us attach to them. His statement was: ‘I told the
brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on
earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to
God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book’ (History of
the Church, 4:461). …
“If one wants to get close to God, he can do it by reading the Book of
Mormon” (Teachings of
Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 62).
President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985): “[The Book of Mormon] is the
word of God. It is a powerful second witness of Christ. And,
certainly, all true believers who love the Redeemer will welcome
additional evidence of his divinity.
“This inspiring book was never tampered with by unauthorized
translators or biased theologians but comes to the world pure and
directly from the historians and abridgers. The book is not on
trial--its readers are” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed.
Edward L. Kimball [1982], 133).
President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994): “The Book of Mormon is studied
in our Sunday School and seminary classes every fourth year. This
four-year pattern, however, must not be followed by Church members in
their personal and family study. We need to read daily from the pages
of the book that will get a man ‘nearer to God by abiding by its
precepts, than by any other book.’ (History of the Church, 4:461.)”
(“Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, Nov. 1988, 4).
President Howard W. Hunter (1907–95): “The Book of Mormon is the word
of God. We invite you to read this wonderful record. It is the most
remarkable volume in existence today. Read it carefully and
prayerfully, and as you do, God will give you a testimony of its
truthfulness as promised by Moroni (see Moro. 10:4)” (The Teachings of
Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1997], 54).
I honestly love how this shows the importance of why prophets
and apostles stress reading The Book Of Mormon so much! This is
because it is the key part of what a testimony should be made of! I
can promise and testify to you that if you read The Book Of Mormon
each and every day, you will have a solid testimony of Jesus Christ's
true church that has been restored back onto the earth through the
prophet Joseph Smith! If we rely on The Book Of Mormon, we will never
fall and our testimonies will always remain strong! I hope you all
have a great week, and always remember that Heavenly Father loves each
and every single one of you!
Love
Elder Bailey
Pic:
Beautiful Wyoming!
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