One word. Gratitude.
I'm grateful for a LOVING family that is so knowledgeable in the gospel and attentive to the spirit. I am grateful for the opportunity to share with others my future goals and feel proud of myself. I am grateful to have been truly given an opportunity to share the gospel.
Tonight was one of the best nights I've had in a while. However I partially feel somewhat foolish. I had an opportunity one night to ask my friend if he would ever be interested in reading the Book of Mormon, explaining to him that everyone should be given an opportunity to learn and to grow regardless if they chose to follow certain council, they should at least have the option to chose for themselves. After my invitation he said he wouldn't mind reading the book of mormon at all! (This was about 3-2 weeks ago.) Meanwhile, Tonight he text me and asked if I still
wanted to borrow a book of his that I had bought with him at the store! DEFINITELY! I said. So he said, okay I'll let you borrow it for when you go to hawaii! I'll swing it by tonight." okay great! While handing me the book he said, Can I borrow that book that you were telling me about? The book of mormon?, I said, kinda startled. It felt weird refering to it to just a book. Ya. I paused for a second, set back, "-YA! OF course! Hey, I have tons of copies! You can have the book!" Are you sure? he says. -OF COURSE!You can hardly believe the tone in my voice. What the heck is wrong with me? I should have been more prepared here we are in the gospel where we are asked to give OUT the book of mormon, invite others to read it, invite people to come unto christ and I'm standing here being asked from someone unaware of how powerful the gospel is to share it with him. Who am I to judge if someone isn't ready to hear the gospel when they already think they are!
So here I am. kinda dumbfounded and embarrassed because I don't have important scriptures highlighted, I don't have my testimony written in. Just a few phrases underlined through out the book. I feel silly. So under prepared. I'm not a very good missionary. But I think to myself, what requires a good missionary? Having scriptures memorized or being prepared spiritually with your testimony?
We moved our book exchange over to the swing while we sat and I kinda shared a couple things with him. My mind was SUDDENLY unclouded of something that Richard G. Scott had said to me last Friday. "Give your friend a book of mormon and highlight or emphasize a scripture, like in nephi, that will make the book more personal" Okay. PERFECT! As we sat down I remember 1 Nephi 19:23, liken the scriptures unto yourself. I told him to read it, he said he would need a translator. haha. I said he'd g
et the hang of it after he read it through after a while. I explained and challenged him to read the book like a book, a story, and to compare the verses and stories to what's going on his own life and really take heed to what's been written in this book to your own life. After explaining this I explained that the Book of Mormon has helped me get through some tough times, when I'm doubting myself or going through struggles I can look up scriptures about faith that will encourage me to press forward. After a minute of discussing I could tell some questions were swelling inside him, he asked if the catholic church was anything like the mormon church. I explained to him when christ was born on the earth he was sent here to start his own church with apostles, and disciples. When he died those truths that he founded were corrupted because -have you ever played the game telephone? It's kinda like when it gets to the end the actual writting is mixed up with man made words, that's kind of like the Church. The book of mormon was translated through joseph smith, word for word, not passed through a bunch of different mouths. These scriptures testify of Christ's coming to the Americas. Today we have a prophet on the earth, just like ancient times where they recieve direct revelation. I believe that's how our church is different in one -BIG- way. We talked about a few other things. My smile was HUGE when I got in the house I want to pass another "book" out tomorrow! I encouraged him to call me if he struggled with any questions and that I would be glad to help.I can't put words to my feelings, I'm estatic right now. I don't know if he'll get much out of the book but I hope and pray that the book of mormon will change his life as I know it has mine. I hope he feels burning in his chest and I hope I can help him search through it with him. I want to be an instrument in the Lord's hands.
I am so blessed!
2 comments:
That's awesome. That's such a good feeling when somebody shows interest in the Gospel. Just remember, while writing things in the scriptures is good for them, what's more important is that they know just by being around you how much it means to you.
As for your other post... don't let things in life get you down. You'll see soon enough that this too will pass and you might even laugh at it. But it does suck while whatever it is currently bugging you haha.
Holy Moly! Get that girl on a mission!
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