So we were out visiting the addresses of former investigators ( they normally dont live there anymore but it gives us a good excuse to meet new people and hopefully slip in a lesson and it helps us with record keeping.) Anyways we knock on this door yada yada yada the person we're looking for is no longer there but we get in the door and ask if we can share a message with them. They are African American & there are quite a few of them running around & talking french so we have no clue whats being said. Finally they all gather and we start teaching about the restoration and for those who have ever played SSBB the spirit was pretty much like luigi's smash ball (ask camdon for explanation) It was really awesome! Pretty soon people are crying and saying they feel peace and we were like that's the spirit testifying to you the things we are saying are true. We told them that if they prayed they could know for sure it was true and then invited them to pray mid lesson and ask God if the things we were speaking of were true. SO they did and they decided it was true. WE committed them to baptism but we were so caught up in everything that we forgot to set a date. Regardless it was definately the most spiritual experience i've had on my mission thus far.
We aslo set a date with a guy to be baptized on Dec. 13 2014. which is the last time this millenuim that the date will align in that sequence.
We've been meeting with this less active member who suffers from PTSD and lives in a veteran housing facitlity. He's a really great guy and when we visit he feels the spirit but once we leave he gets depressed and loses all motivation. He needs social visits so we just go talk with him once a week to help him out. This last visit went really well and we asked him to say a closing prayer and then we were going to leave. SO he starts praying and the next thing we know he says "please stop the missionaries from coming over and bothering me" and the memebr we brought with us just stops him mid prayer and says that isnt very nice and the the veteran laughs & tells him he was only joking and then he explains to us that he likes to joke with God and that God knows the intent of his heart. It was honestly hilarious and later in the prayer he talked about how grateful he was for us so it was all good. It's things like that that help me realize that there's a lot more to the gospel than tradition. the church in the west is a little different than in the east solely because of tradition and culture. At first it was really hard for me to accept that but it doesnt make the gospel any less true. That's just one example of what I'm talking about.
Peole always ask us why do we need a prohpet? Especailly since we are all still entitled to personal revelation. Of course you can read Amos 3:7 but that doesnt tell you why it tells you how God reveals secrets. I think often times peole don't nesecarlly have a hard time accepting prophets they just dont understand why we need them. Which is very important. Ive been thinking about it and we're taught that the main role of the prophet is to testify of Christ. Interestingly enough that's also the main role of the Holy Ghost. Perhaps the Prophet is really a gift to us. If we were left to our own devices would we honestly be able to learn all we could to attain salvation relying solely on pondering and prayer. I doubt I could. Yet we have a man here alive today who we know is very spiritual and has a great gift for revelation. How much easier is it for us to discern Truth when we use the teachings of the prophet and confirm it with the Holy Ghost. And on the flip side take our own personal thoughts and beliefs and compare it with that of a prophet. It seems like the prophet is really just a gift to help us on our way. I know theres some scripture that I can't remember that says "from the mouth of two or three witnesses shall my word be established" most people relate this to missionary work and companionships but I beleieve it also relates to the prohpet and the Holy Ghost
The work is progressing and things are good. Let me know if any of you have thoughts on what I can do to be a better missionary.
Love, Elder Turley
p.S. Did you get the letter I mailed you?
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