Man oh man, just another great week. I really forgot just how fun YSA work is! Literally a huge difference from family wards. Just non stop things to do.
This week we didn't have very many lessons with investigators, but we did have a couple. We were mainly able to get in with less-actives and recent converts. One of our recent converts name is Mike. He was baptized just about 3 weeks ago. He is so solid and shares the gospel like crazy. If there is an example of member missionary work it is him. We give him like 10 pass-along cards a week and he gives them out to anyone he feels inspired to. We haven't had any luck with it yet, but sooner or later we are bound to pick someone up from him.
Another less-active member we taught this week is Michael. He has been a member his whole life but went in-active around 18. He's 28 now. He called us up on Tuesday and asked to meet with us. When we met up with him he told us how he has been seeing the Lord's hand in his life lately. And how he needs to start coming back to church. How he was homeless and found a job and then somebody offered him free rent on a house, as long as he took care of the property. Then he found his Book of Mormon and said that that was a sign to him that God was allowing him to get back onto his feet just enough to make some decisions on his own. So he made the decision to call us. Good decision! He came to church this week and seems to be doing great.
We did have a couple lessons with Jonathan this week. He is still on date for the 17th of September. He is really progressing. He has an awesome comprehension of the Book of Mormon. We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ: faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. Then the Plan of Salvation, and then yesterday we just read a chapter of the Book of Mormon. 1 Nephi 4 or 5. I can't really remember. But he is doing super well. He is excited to be baptized. His fellowshipper is doing a great job. Reading the Book of Mormon with him.
This week we had Elder De Hoyos of the first quorum of the seventy visit our mission. We were able to have 4 meetings with him. One: Elder Nokes and I had an MLC (mission leadership council) meeting with him with the other leadership of the mission. We just basically taught him about how we run as a mission. That was Thursday. Then Friday we met in a Zone conference. It was our zone the Escondido zone, San Marcos Zone, Del Mar Zone, and Carlsbad Zone. He talked a lot about true conversion and how the Book of Mormon is key to it. How we need to read the Book of Mormon EVERY day. It is the key stone of our religion. He quoted Joseph Smith, "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 that a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." And I was thinking, "Why wouldn't you read it every day? If it brings you closer to God. And if it is the only 100% correct book on the whole entire earth, why wouldn't you read it every, single, day." Then we also met with him at our Stake Conference. Our stake presidency was re-organized on Sunday. We had 2 general authorities there. Elder De Hoyos, and Elder Acosta. Both of the seventy. Elder De Hoyos talked about basically the same thing. Elder Acosta talked about the importance of member missionary work. How as missionaries we are called to teach and to baptize. But the members are to find people to teach for the missionaries. And I think both of those topics mesh together perfectly. If you read the Book of Mormon every day, and if you are truly converted to the Lord, you will WANT to share our message. If you don't, you simply are not converted. And that's the difference between missionaries and members. We read every day. Most members don't. And if you do, are you really taking in what you are learning and applying it? That is why missionary work is so easy for missionaries. We see the blessings of reading every day and we want to share it. Missionaries go home and just stop reading. That is why members are scared or uncomfortable sharing the gospel. But its there.
So I guess that's the challenge I want to leave with you guys. To read the Book of Mormon every single day. Then to have one gospel conversation a week with a non member. Even if you live in Utah. You all know one and the odds are you are thinking of one right now. Ask the missionaries for help if you need. I'm sure they will be more than happy to give you ideas. The blessings of missionary work are infinite! Well I gotta get going now. Talk to ya next week!
Love
Elder Miles
