How Do We Treat the Book?

How are you doing?

Well, this week was suuuppppeerrr long.  Don't even know where to start.

Good news!  I am staying in Hiram over Thanksgiving with Sister Coontz :)  I am so spoiled.  I don't know how I got so lucky to be in the best area and I have been here since July!  It is so great., but cold.   It's snowing this very second.

We were planning for Michael's baptism.  We had everything done and printed.  It was all ready.  He even had a baptismal interview with our zone leader and we all congratulated him.  Then Friday night, Michael said he needed to talk to us.  We talked for a very long time and he decided not to get baptized.  Not only that, but he didn't want to reschedule and he doesn't want us to meet with him anymore and doesn't want to come to church.  I said, "well can we will stay in contact?" and he said after a long period of thinking... "I suppose so".

Michael knows without a doubt that this is true.  Cool story... Sister Neslen, before I came on the mission, told me to read a talk by Elder Holland called, "Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence".  I thought about it and thought that that talk might be good for Michael.  Then our ward mission leader said that he wanted Michael to hear that talk. We kinda brushed it off and didn't do anything about it.  Then I was studying last p-day and that talk was referenced... and I was thinking... maybe I should re-read this and give it to Michael.  Well, we get the mail later on in that day and Grandma Johnson randomly send it in the mail!!  Sign # one hundred.  So we had him read that talk.  (Thanks Grandma).  He loved it... he read it multiple times.  He said that he was praying all weekend and he doesn't feel like he has a strong enough belief yet.  He said he hasn't finished the Book of Mormon and he feels like he shouldn't join a church when he hasn't read the keystone to our religion.

He made us a 2 promises though.  He said that he never makes promises.  Well, he said he only makes promises to very few people.  He said he will read the whole Book of Mormon no matter what for the first promise and he said if we ever need ANYTHING from us... he will do it and be there.  Very nice guy.  So, we have gotten a few random texts from him since we said "bye".  He said he has been reading a ton of the Book of Mormon and has a lot of questions. So, we are going to be responding to him today.  Anyways, that was most of our week.  It was all surrounded by Michael.  It was sad that he didn't get baptized, but we know he will someday.

Twp less-actives are almost active again!  One said they are never missing church again. I was pretty sure that I was going to get transferred this week and so we went over to their homes to basically say bye.  Their daughters were writing me notes the whole time saying "you orent oloud to leave, I love you, I will miss you, you are my feverit." It was cute :) They kept trying to sit on my lap... which, is against the rules.  I was like....ahh I don't know what to do!

We lost all of our investigators this week.  Even Theresa (the miracle family) called and said not to come back again.  This week was definitely a test a faith, but its' fine.  We will find more people.  Are you being missionaries at home?   I hope so!

We have a few awesome potentials.  One gave us homemade soap this week and the other couple took us to Ruby Tuesday's last night :)  They So cute!

Have you ever had a time when someone gave you a gift and you were like ... uhhhh thanks and in your head you were thinking "I have no idea what I am going to do with this". Then the person who gave you the present is asking you if you have been using it and how you have liked it.  Then you feel so guilty?  But you know that the person put a lot of thought into it, they prepared and worked hard in order to get it for you.  BECAUSE they love you and they want to help you?

Well, I was thinking about a gift that we have all received.  This gift is better than any discovery that has ever been made in the Atlantic Ocean, it is better than space travel, cars, movies, technology, etc. It is the greatest gift.  That gift is the Book of Mormon.  Have you ever wondered why the Book of Mormon came before the revelations, Priesthood, church organization, etc?   Doesn't that tell us something about how that Lord views this sacred work?

This gift was prepared.  It was prepared for over 1,000 years.  For US.  The Lamanites and the Nephites never had the Book of Mormon.  We have it.  We live in a time unlike any other, where we have a strong attachment to material possessions and where the earth is flooded with info and technology.

Why is this gift that has been given to you so important?  You should study that this week and tell me why :)  I want to hear.

Sometimes I feel like we may have done the same thing with The Book of Mormon as  we have done with other gifts we didn't appreciate.  We might have said, "Why is it so important to read every day?  or It's just a book?  or It's not really "that" great or just have not even thought about the importance.  When we realize how sacred an important it is, we will treat it differently.

There was a story I read of these two missionaries who were bearing testimony of the Book of Mormon.  They were extending their hand out to hand the investigator a Book of Mormon.  They said that the investigator looked at the Book and just stood up and left the room without saying anything.  They were so confused why he just left.  The investigator came back in to the room and said... "we always wash our hands before touching such sacred things."

How do we treat the Book of Mormon?  Do we love it?  Do we cherish it?  Do not ever treat it lightly!  During the judgment day, I know there will be a time when we are asked if we read it and cherished it.  We don't want to be the one who forgot, or misused this wonderful Book that has been prepared for us.

I know this book is one of the most significant gifts ever given to the world and to me.  More so now than ever.  I know that the enemies of the church understand this.  They know that if they prove the Book Of Mormon false then Joseph Smith is not a prophet, then there is no Priesthood and no revelation and no restored church.  It does draw us nearer to God, gives us an increase of love and greater respect between our families and an increase in spirituality.  It's the greatest!

Love you!

Sister Kelsi Denae Johnson

"Our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble, but by the number of times we stand up, dust ourselves off, and strive forward."  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf