THE POWER OF SCRIPTURES

 hey everyone,

this week flew by so quick again. we had a good amount a lessons with our friends. 

I learned a lot this week in the sense that I need to be more confident/ bold when it comes to talking to random people on the street. it takes a minute to get use to bringing up the gospel in a quick interaction. I mean I've been our for over 7 months and I still feel as if I have the skills of a 1 week year old missionary haha. 

our friend Vernon gets baptized this weekend! I'm so excited for him! this moment has been long awaited. it's so cool though bc when I got into this area I found him with my old comp. I've been able to see his whole transformation into a gospel centered life. it's night and day everybody. 

had a pretty decent lesson with Tina. her sister came and she pretty much was trying to tell Tina that she's wrong for making these decisions to talk with us and that the Book of Mormon is wrong. she was mistaken when she said, "show me where it talks about the Book of Mormon in the Bible!" hahaha... little did she know what question she had just asked. I was like, "okay Tammy, let's open up to Ezekiel 37:16." she was quiet the rest of the lesson...

all in all.. Tina needs all your prayers. she's struggling hard-core right now bc her family is super not supportive of her. she's in a "faith crisis."

now I want to leave an invitaion with you all, as a missionary does. study your scriptures with all your heart. they are the source for truth in your life. don't turn to media. don't turn to false secondary sources. don't think your own will is more important than God's will. 

I say this because I know the importance of them. Alma once stated, when talking about not studying your scriptures, "if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction." 

we have seen it all throughout scripture. those who don't "remember" fall away because as Alma also states, "they began to be offended because of the strictness of the word." 

"In the word of God and through it we can find the power to resist temptation." (Ezra Taft Benson; The Power of the Word, 1986)

hope everyone has a good week:)

elder smith