The Book of Mormon is true, and i dont like pineapple anymore
Hey everyone!!
sorry, no pics this week ;P
the usual, work work and more work! Key points in this last week was how we both got sick from the water that a sister in the ward gave us (it was pineapple flavored...making it the second time ive gotten sick from pineapple in the mission). needless to say, i am making an excecutive decision that my favorite fruit is NOT pineapple! still trying to decide on what it is still...but anyway, all is well and we are healthy again. we didnt get to work too much this week (due to that), but the times we did work were really great! our two main investigators, adrian and monica, are progressing really well and we are anxious to see them get baptized the 30th of this month. Their situations are different, but its so neat to see the spirit guide us in the lessons with each of them to teach according to their needs. i love it!
So, this week I wanted to bear everyone a brief version of my testimony on the Book of Mormon. In more or less a form of a story, i will share it, and though i am not perfect, i know that what i know is true thanks to the book of Mormon.
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A testimony is gained by spiritual conformation from the Holy Ghost. Being a personage of Spirit, the Holy Ghost is able to literally enter into our souls, and enable us to feel an overwhelming joy and peace in regards to the truthfulness of an event or piece of information. So, while i knew this, and i had believed in the Book of mormon all of my life, i hadnt ever really really known it was true, rather I had just believed it. Same goes with the Church itself. Being a member my whole like, how could i doubt it or not think that it was true, for it had brought so much joy to my life previously. Well, one night on the mission, in october of 2014, I made the extremely firm decision that that "firm belief" just wasnt enough for me anymore. I needed to KNOW. I was in a city called Camargo, here in the Mexico Chihuahua Mission, and we werent having too much success that day. Our last appointment that day, the one in which we thought we might have had the most success, turned out to be the one lesson in my whole mission that caused me to have the most doubts. I walked home with my companion, Elder Perez, just so bugged. At first, the thing that frustrated me the most was how our investigator didnt want to accept the truthfulness of the book of mormon, nor anything else we taught....but i quickly realized that what had really bugged me was that I myself didnt even know with a surety that these things were true. Interestingly enough, I had just finished reading the book of Mormon, cover to cover, for the first time in my life about a week prior to this night. I had been following the steps of reading, pondering, and praying, just as Moroni exhorted me to do. so i had about a weeks worth of time to ponder the truthfulness of the book. After all the pondering and believing, this stressful night is whaty led me to the asking part. I remember kneeling down to pray, and to sincerely ask Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon was true, and by implication, the Church as well. I prayed in english, and after asking and remaining in prayer for about 5 minutes, i felt good, but not great. I felt happy, but not satisfied. So i waited. I waited i think for about 5 more minutes, and then i got the impression "well, you read the book in spanish, so maybe you should try asking in spanish". I had never though it would make the difference before, but i decided to give it a try. the moment the words of the question left my mouth, my body was taken over by a power that i know was beyond my own. I began to shake a little, and my body trembled as tears of joy and peace poured down my face. in my heart, i knew, and i knew that God knew, that what i was asking to know was his will, and he was answering me with the most potent YES that i had ever recieved. I cant describe fully the joy and happiness that came to my heart as I kneeled there that night, just crying tears of joy, as i had recieved my spiritual confirmation. I testify to all of you that I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and it contais the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has restored his church, and the Book of mormon truly is the keystone of it, and as an authorized minister of his church, i promise all that if you read it, ponder its teachings, and ask God with all the faith, sincerity, and real intent that you can exhort, he WILL answer you, and you will recognize the answer when you recieve it.
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I love you all and hope you have a great week this week. Exito!!! (Success!!)
love,
Jason
--
*Elder Newman*
Misión México Chihuahua
November 2013 - 2015
Alma 26:12
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