Well,
aloha y'all,
We have really had
some phenomenal weather this week. It is just the right time of year where the
temperature is perfect. Course, it'll skyrocket soon enough, but I am grateful
for it while it lasts.
We did exchanges on Monday
to Tuesday, I went to the Jennings-Crowley area with Elder Pinson. Monday night
we taught an awesome restoration lesson, and on Tuesday we had another couple
of lessons. The first was just reading the book of Mormon with a guy. The
second was with a 70 yr. old preacher, and they planned the lesson for when I
would be there on exchanges so that I could present the restoration from the Bible.
Surprise, surprise, despite my logical and very extensive Biblical references,
he still "had to disagree" on several points of revealed doctrine.
Luckily, I learned a long time ago that you give them all you can out of the Bible,
and then you just have to tell them that truthfully the way to know isn't by
debating over minutiae from a millennia old text which has been changed and
translated repeatedly, but to receive a witness by the power of the Holy Ghost.
I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true, and that
Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. Because I know those things, I don't have to
question doctrine or be confused: reading the scriptures serves as a
confirmation of faith, instead of a source of doubt or argument.
That is a big change
from when I first came out, and I would argue the Bible all day long. After
all, I see our doctrine spelled out very clearly, especially the need for a
prophet. But over time I realized that my testimony didn't come from the Bible,
so why should I expect anyone else to get a witness from those verses I love to
bandy about? My witness came from prayer and an answer from God, and so will
theirs.
In any case, our
preacher friend said that he would keep reading the Book of Mormon, but I don't
think he has come to the point in his searching that he will pray with real
intent. I hope that that day comes.
Wednesday we had a
lesson with a man named S__, who we have been trying to sit down with since my
first week here. It finally happened, and I am glad it did. He shared with us
how much he loved the book of Mormon, and how he really wants to attend church
with us when he gets work off. It was super cool.
Thursday we had
scheduled to help a member move from 9:30 to about 2-2:30. We also had five
lessons scheduled, which, if you have ever been a missionary, is a lot!
Unfortunately, 2:30 became 3, which became 5, which became 7, which became
7:30. We had to cancel all of our lessons, but I am thankful we could get the
sister into her new home. It was a very long day, however.
Friday we tried to
catch up a couple of our lessons, but we were not able to see the people we
were trying to.
However, we were doing
some tracting Friday night, and it was just not going very well. We hadn't
talked to much of anyone, it was pitch black outside, and we were about ready
to throw in the towel. But we knocked on this one door, a man answered, we
introduced ourselves, he said he was Baptist, we ignored that and started
teaching about the Book of Mormon. A half hour later, we wished him a good
night and left him with a copy and a chapter to read before we return next week
to teach him and his roommate. It is really cool to watch people's countenances
change when the spirit is there. He went from that initial standoffish approach
to asking us how much we charged for a book, and talking jovially about his
interests (hunting) and the state of the world.
We did also get to see
a part-member family that we have been trying to work with, and we sat down and
read the Book of Mormon with them, and talked about how we need to follow the
word of God to get through all of the things that Satan will try and throw at
us. They have made so many changes in their lives to be closer to God, and they
really want it right now, it is awesome.
Saturday the ZLs
blitzed our area with us for a couple of hours. It wasn't the most effective
time, we weren't able to see a lot of people and our lesson cancelled on us,
but it was still to be out and doing with them.
Allow me to close on
this amusing incident. Our downstairs neighbors really don't like us. Really! Really! don't like us. You see, this building
used to be a movie theatre. And when it was converted into apartments and
storefronts, they gave it thin walls and thin floors. So no matter how quiet we
are, it sounds a little louder than usual downstairs. In any case, they don't
seem to understand that there is nothing we can do about it, and get really
upset with us. We might just be walking down the hallway, and they will start
smacking their ceiling with their broom and yelling up at us. Oh, well, I just
ignore it, generally. Doesn't matter that much to me.
I think it was Wednesday
or Thursday night, though, we had retired to bed, when we were awakened by loud
banging. They had apparently decided to take their revenge, for from 4-4:30 am
they did not stop: every couple of minutes the banging resumes. It was one of
those times when I really had to think about the Sermon on the Mount: so I said
a prayer for their eternal souls, rolled over and went back to sleep.
Well, have a great
week, and don't let the grumpy neighbors bite!
Elder DeFord
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