Why Have A Book Of Mormon?

Hey guys! 

     Well I'll just speed through my week this week since it all merges together. We have just been tracting everyday for hours, and teaching dozens of door step lessons. We had a few people tell us to come back but never answered when we did so it was discouraging at times. It's been hard waking up every morning knowing that all we have planned that day is knocking doors for multiple hours, but it's a good kind of hard. The weather hasn't been much help either, here I go sounding old talking about the weather, but it's been cold, rainy, super windy, and it even snowed just yesterday. We're praying daily to find the one person that God is preparing for us because all the hours of effort we put in is worth it if we just find one person. Elder Hepworth and I were discussing about how much more precious and special it feels to spend months in your mission working hard, testing your faith and seeing it grow and sometimes fall short, continuing to go out and give your all with no expectation of results, and finally bringing someone to the knowledge of our savior, or better yet, baptizing them, then it is to baptise dozens of people each week and just have people begging to get into the font. While that is, and would be amazing, I feel that the conversion within yourself wouldn't be as strong. It's in those hard terrible days where you're frustrated with God, your faith is diminished, and you want to quit, where you grow the most and you are blessed the most. You learn more about your character and also how God truly speaks and directs you. Sometimes I'll get promptings to reach out to people, to knock doors, to even drive hours away, and yet there's no success, but I know God wanted me to do something, and his plan is perfect. Acting on the spirit is how we deepen our conversion with him. 

 

     We met with an inactive family who left the church about a year ago and has become very anti against it since. They love the missionaries and often invite us over to chat about life and all kinds of things that we can't really help them with, which is fine, sometimes that's what people need is ears to listen. Well I posted something about the book of mormon on Facebook, and she texted us wanting to meet because of the post she saw. She hates the book of mormon and says that she thinks it's all made up and just was telling us how she feels.(in a respectful and nice way. It wasn't a bash) after letting her kind of vent bottled up feelings for the church, my companion and I started teaching about the book of mormon. This was one of my favorite lessons I have ever had on the mission, and it was also one of the strongest times I have felt the spirit. Normally this family is the classic Texas talkers where they talk over you and interrupt, and talk a million miles at once, and bounce all over the place, but for the first time I've ever seen, they were completely silent and fully attentive. In lessons we teach about and from the book of mormon, but that's not our main message or main focus. Our focus is the savior Jesus Christ, and knowing that we are sons/daughters of a living, and loving Heavenly Father who has a plan for us. That's our focus. When we teach we usually touch on the book of mormon in every lesson and use it as a filter, and to teach our main message, but rarely do we have lessons where we talk strictly about the importance of the book of mormon and its truthfulness and the book of mormon only, so this was such a treat. We bore testimony of the words of Christ, and how the book of mormon was the answer to all their questions they were having and even the doubts to their testimony. They loved it, and they said they were going to pray that night to know if the book of mormon is true. They acknowledged the heavy spirit in the room, and made comments on how they felt at home, and at peace, and that what we were saying was true. 

     The book of mormon is such a powerful witness of Jesus Christ, and contains the fulness of the gospel. Every other Christian church in the entire world has different viewpoints on doctrine and they all cannot agree on even the most simple of truths. Every single Christian church reads from the same book of scripture, (the bible) yet they all interpret them to their understandings and likings. Some rewrite the Bible so they can better understand it, or fit the needs of the modern changing world. God is not a changing God. God's words and doctrine do not change. The Bible testifies of the book of mormon, and the book of mormon testifies of the Bible, and they compliment each other. We know the Bible to be true as far as it is translated correctly, and when those things are changed we still have the fulness of the gospel because we have another record of God (the book of mormon) that hasn't changed, and we can rely on the strength of both of the books working together to find the truth. It would be such a dumb move by Joseph Smith, if he made it up, to put an invitation in the cover of the book, and in Moroni 10 in the end, to pray and ask God to know if it is true. If it was made up, why would someone challenge you to find the truth for yourself, let alone ask God for a spiritual witness and confirmation? Luckily we as members don't have to carry the burden of proof. The spirit of the Lord is the one who confirms of His truth. If you do not have a testimony of the book of mormon, it's not too late to take that invitation seriously and recieve a testimony of your own without the influence of anyone else. Having a personal witness from the Holy Ghost is powerful because it is God speaking directly to you personally, and letting you know that he loves you, and teaching you the truth. I also want to invite you guys to listen to president Hollands talk: "my words never cease." From 2008. 

     I'm going to continue with my efforts in bringing the gospel to everyone. I'm sad that my mission is coming to an end. It honestly feels like it just started for me. I've learned and grew so much, and am fearless when preaching the gospel thanks to the spirit and the knowledge that I've gained. I feel like i'm finally in my groove and can now do things I used to dream of being able to do, or testify of things that I never could have when I first started. It's a bittersweet feeling and also one that I am trying not to think about. I hope you guys have a great week and I'll talk to you guys soon. Godspeed! 

-elder Jenkins