Week 22

October 12, 2022

Another week. This one was actually really good though. We're finally getting past the initial opening the area stage, and we're moving into phase 2. Now we have "functional" housing, a list of members' names in the area (no addresses or numbers ), a general layout of the area, and a few interested people (tons of kids). So now we're just gonna go door to door looking for either inactive members (well over 40 in the area), and people who have any interest in learning about the gospel. So Monday and yesterday we've been able to actually start filling up our schedule with appointments with people and it feels really good to go out just teaching all day again. It's awesome to see when people are anxiously engaged in the lesson and you can tell that the spirit is confirming the truth that we share with them. It's literally a glow or brightness in their eyes. They get so excited and we love to see it, literally the best parts of our day. Also, miracle time: yesterday we were hunting for inactive members in a certain area. We walked past a certain house and maybe 20 yards down the road we hear someone calling for us. We turn around and greet a nice old lady standing just outside her door. She invites us in and says her name is Adela. We recognize her name from the list we made, and she told us she hadn't been to church since 2004 . Almost as long as I've been alive. She told us she'd been praying for an opportunity to come back to church and that she needed God in her life, and we told her, "sister, here we are, say less." GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS!!! We're gonna visit her again on Friday and then I strongly believe we will see her on Sunday at church as well. She also has a lot of grandchildren who haven't been baptized, so we might have a hay day in the near future. Missionary Gold Mine. But really it's so amazing that we passed by (there haven't been Missionaries in this area for a VERY long time), she just happened to see us, and we were able to meet her. Best part of the week.

Spiritual Thought:

So many people here won't listen to us because they're "catholic." Normally, I would say oh cool that's fine. The thing is; let me give an example.

Us: Hi how are you, we're representatives of Jesus Christ, and what we do is share messages about His restored gospel on the Earth today, exactly as it was in the New Testament of the Bible. Would you like to hear one of our messages?

"Catolico:" well no I'm catholic

Us: ok but you believe in Jesus Christ right?

"Catolico:" yes, but I don't believe in your religion, the catholic church is the right church.

Us: cool, when's the last time you've been to church?

"Catolico:" uh... not since I was a child

Us: ok, do you believe in the Bible

"Catolico:" yes

Us: ok, how often do you read it?

"Catolico:" uh... well I can't read

Us: ... that's ok, what do you know about Jesus Christ?

"Catolico:" well he died for us

Us: yes very good, do you know why

"Catolico:" to save us

Us: yes exactly, do you know how?

"Catolico:" uh... no

Us: ah no worries, would you like us to teach you?

"Catolico:" well no I'm catholic

Us: ...

"Catolico:" ........

Us: .......................... ok......... we will keep you in our prayers amigo

This is so common, it's not even funny anymore . No one of any other religion has ever been able to give me a straight answer on what their religion believes in. I don't think anyone here actually knows. A lot of people talk loudly and emotionally to us like they're preaching me some great doctrine or sermon, but they always contradict themselves. Ladies and gentlemen, I've never read the Bible completely through, but I've read enough to know that everything therein ties perfectly to The Book of Mormon and the doctrine taught by modern day prophets that we study and learn about at church. And I can show some of the most simple to understand proof of this to these people and they start blabbering nonsense again, like talking louder makes them right . This doesn't make me mad. It's just saddening. When we ask people, what do you think of your church, they say: it's confusing. I don't blame them, they simply do not have the tools to teach the fulness of the restored gospel of Christ, these tools being prophets, apostles, priesthood power, and revelation.

I'm not trying to throw dirt on other religions, there are countless wonderful people who participate in these organizations, but

This is not how God would teach his beloved children.

D&C 132: 8

8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.

As a meek, lowly, mere boy of hardly 19 years of age, yet called by a Prophet of God to be as an angel here upon the earth; I fall humbly upon my knees day by day, and I cry and plead to the Father of my Spirit with all the might of my weak mortal frame, that you and everyone, might listen just once to the message of the restored gospel.

Some of you may say, well give us proof, that these things are true. The Book of Mormon is proof from God to His children. Read it cover to cover, look me in the eyes, and I promise you will not say to me that these things aren't true and be guiltless from then on.

Introduction to The Book of Mormon

Introduction

The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel.

The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.

The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after His resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.

After Mormon completed his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who added a few words of his own and hid up the plates in the Hill Cumorah. On September 21, 1823, the same Moroni, then a glorified, resurrected being, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and instructed him relative to the ancient record and its destined translation into the English language.

In due course the plates were delivered to Joseph Smith, who translated them by the gift and power of God. The record is now published in many languages as a new and additional witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that all who will come unto Him and obey the laws and ordinances of His gospel may be saved.

Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “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.”

In addition to Joseph Smith, the Lord provided for eleven others to see the gold plates for themselves and to be special witnesses of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon. Their written testimonies are included herewith as “The Testimony of Three Witnesses” and “The Testimony of Eight Witnesses.”

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.

If you have questions, please, seek out the missionaries. They, as I, have taken two years of their lives, to leave literally everything behind, to study, to teach, and to serve as literal angels in the Lord's work of bringing to pass the Immortality of Man.

I cannot express how crucially vital this message is in the lives of all.

With every ounce of strength and veracity I possess, I declare with perfect confidence that this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. That Joseph Smith was called of called to accomplish this great task, and that through the power of God, he translated the Book of Mormon, which combined with His Holy Bible, contains the fulness of Christ's doctrine. I know, without possibility of a doubt, that these things are true, and I am willing not only to be spat upon and ridiculed and beaten and mocked and whatever manner of evil that should come upon me, but I am willing to lay down my life as a sealing testimony of the unbreakable truth of these things, for I fear God more than any man. I seal this my witness, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

~Elder Owens~

Also if anyone wants to write me back I love to read your emails. Can't always respond back but I'll try

Picture time

Zone conference