Hola Familia!
Well, well, well... sounds like you all had a good week! Except for the part about someone hitting your rear end, that is. THANK YOU so much for Papa’s story... I really liked it. Traidores! We going to MAC? I should have known the disease would spread when you bought the iPhones... it must be contagious. But that’s alright. I kind of figure it could possibly be something like the Gospel. I just don’t know how good it is until I try it... hehehe.
I don’t know why but I sort of feel like being goofy today. Not as in clumsy mind you. So forgive me. Haha. This past week was soooooooooooo much better than past weeks. We are finding people who seem like they are going to progress! Admittedly most of them are Seventh Day Adventists, among other Evangelical churches. During the visits that we made with them we taught who our Heavenly Father really is, how much He wants to bless our families so that we can be more united with them and happy. Also, we discussed why prophets make such a big impact in the true Church of God. We have taught what Christ did for us while He lived on the Earth, what happened after His death and resurrection. Finally we taught them about the grand importance of knowing for ourselves why Joseph Smith was a prophet and the Book of Mormon is true through sincere prayer to our Heavenly Father.
Did not Jesus teach in the Gospel of John ‘All that you ask to the Father in My name’ will be done for us? Did He not give us the perfect example of praying to the Father, so that we can learn the form (the steps, not the repetition)? Did not the Apostle Paul teach us that Christ is the only Mediator in between us and the Father? Did not James teach that is through asking God that we can obtain wisdom? These are only examples from the Holy Bible! How many more do we have from the Book of Mormon? Nephi taught that it is of Christ that we preach of, that we rejoice in, that we glorify. Alma taught that it is through prayer and fasting that we obtain a testimony of the truth through the Holy Ghost. Alma also taught what IS faith, just like Paul does to the Hebrews, but also HOW we can grow our faith. Helaman teaches us how we can become pure in heart. Jesus Christ in all of His glory taught the Native Americans after His resurrection. Did not Moroni give us the ultimate promise of being able to read and mediate about the Book of Mormon, and after ask God with all the sincerity of our hearts? How could we not be Christians? How can we not worship the only True and Living God the Father in the name of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus the Christ? Prophets are prophets - to listen to them is to listen to the counsels of God. But I testify that it is to God the Father whom we worship, in no other name than that of Jesus Christ, our perfect Savior and Redeemer who was sent to the Earth to give us the perfect of example of HOW we should live. We CANNOT just say that we believe, and then automatically be saved in the Kingdom of God. As Nephi teaches, we are saved by grace AFTER having done all we can. What can we do? Have faith in Jesus Christ, exercise it in prayer, reading the scriptures, going to Church. We need to repent of our sins and never going back to commit them. We need to be baptized in the form and with the same degree of consciousness as our Savior, by someone holding the Holy Priesthood. We make a promise to God to follow His commandments, a promise that no one else can make for us. Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost to be our companion as long as we are righteously living, striving to be like our Savior until the end of our lives. I testify of this with all of my heart, might, mind and strength, declaring unto all that I KNOW that these concepts are true because the Holy Spirit Himself testified unto my spirit that indeed these things are the truth. What more can I do than declare my testimony, my knowledge of the truth, and then invite all to come unto Christ?
I love the fact that once we realize that we can ask God for the truth, it doesn’t really matter what other people say about being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Who knows better - our Heavenly Father or someone who is trying to tear down another’s beliefs? What is more Christ-like? Inviting others to know for themselves or arguing the points of why another church is wrong? Pointing out things that are different or declaring what we know to be true from the manifestations of the Holy Ghost? Should we look to man’s understanding of other religions in a book or should we go to the source of all truth and knowledge? There are two paths in this world, one that looks quite tempting and easy, or the path that leads to Eternal Life. How can we know? Trying asking God for yourself!
I love you all! Keeping working hard! Keep growing stronger in the faith of our Lord and Savior! Take care of yourselves! Saludos a TODOS! LES QUIERO!! CHAU!
Elder David E. Watson
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